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Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) is reportedly the target of a social media campaign promoting pro-China narratives.

Lynas shares have surged 51% in a year and are currently trading at $8.73. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lost 10% in a year.

So what are the details of this cyber campaign said to be targeting Lynas?

Lynas received high level attention

American cybersecurity company Mandiant says Lynas is being targeted by a social campaign known as Dragonbridge. Thousands of social media accounts linked to this group are reportedly promoting the pollical interests of China.

Mandiant said the campaign “targeted the Australian rare earths mining company Lynas Rare Earths”.

The social media posts are calling for protests against the planned Lynas’ rare earths processing facility in Texas.

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) on Tuesday said it appreciated Madiant’s diligence exposing this campaign. The DOD said:

The Department of Defense is aware of the recent disinformation campaign, first reported by Mandiant, against Lynas Rare Earth Ltd., a rare earth element firm seeking to establish production capacity in the United States and partner nations, as well as other rare earth mining companies. 

The department has engaged the relevant interagency stakeholders and partner nations to assist in reviewing the matter.

Lynas on its website, states it is the only significant producer of separated rare earth materials outside China. The company has multiple agreements with the US Government. On 14 June, Lynas revealed it has signed a US$120 million follow-on contract with the United States Department of Defense (DOD) for a commercial heavy rare earths separation facility. In January 2021, Lynas signed a deal with the US Government for a light rare earths separation facility.

Commenting on the social media campaign, Lynas told the Australian Financial Review this is the first time it has seen evidence of direct links between “fake social media accounts” spreading disinformation and political agendas. Lynas added:

The report shows evidence of direct and mutual engagement between the pro-China Dragonbridge social media accounts and the Malaysian anti-Lynas activists.

Lynas share price snapshot

Lynas shares have lost 14% in the year to date, while they are down nearly 7% in the past month. In the last week, the company’s share price has jumped 4%.

Lynas has a market capitalisation of about $7.9 billion based on the current share price.

The post Own Lynas shares? Here’s the latest challenge faced by the rare earths miner appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Mineral Monday: What you need to know about rare earths and which ASX shares are cashing in on them
• Guess which ASX 200 mining shares these experts are backing
• How is the Lynas share price performing against its sector this month?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• 3 ASX 200 shares stretching higher on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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It was a month to forget for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in June after rate hikes, recession fears, and rising inflation weighed on investor sentiment. Over the period, the benchmark index dropped 8.9% to finish at 6,568.1 points.

Fortunately, some shares were able to avoid the market selloff. Here’s why these were the best performers on the ASX 200 in June:

Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH)

The Tabcorp share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 in June with a 15.1% gain. This was driven by news that the gambling company has settled its Racing Queensland litigation for $150 million. This settlement was conditional on the commencement of legislation that will implement proposed reforms by the Queensland Government relating to the wagering taxation and racing industry funding model. These reforms are expected to be a very big boost to Tabcorp’s business.

Atlas Arteria Group (ASX: ALX)

The Atlas Arteria share price was a strong performer with a 12.1% gain during the month. The catalyst for this was news that IFM Global Infrastructure Fund picked up a 15% stake in the toll road operator with a view of making a takeover proposal. However, the company wasn’t biting and revealed that it denied a request from IFM for access to non-public information to help it form a proposal.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

The Iress share price was on form and rose 9.9% in June. This was despite there being no news out of the financial technology company or broker notes during the month. However, one fund manager that was buying shares last month was DNR Capital. It popped up with a 5.01% stake on 21 June. Its release shows several large purchases of shares during the month.

Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF)

The Collins Foods share price had a good month and climbed 7.5%. All of this gain and more came in the final week of the month following the release of the KFC restaurant operator’s FY 2022 results. For the 12 months ended 1 May, Collins Foods delivered an 11.1% increase in revenue to $1,184,5 million and a 25% jump in underlying net profit after tax to $59.7 million. This was driven by growth across the business. A number of brokers responded positively and have tipped its shares to keep rising.

The post These were the best performing ASX 200 shares in June appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in June
• ASX 200 healthcare shares provided some pain relief today. Here’s why
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• How did ASX energy shares perform in June?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Collins Foods Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Collins Foods Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Collins Foods Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price went cold today, down 1.59% to $7.42 at the closing bell on Thursday.

This ended a three-day winning streak and a 5.13% bump for the ASX oil & gas share between Monday and Wednesday.

Today’s dip comes amid the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) releasing its 30-year plan for energy investment to “efficiently enable” the transition to renewables.

The 2022 Integrated System Plan (ISP) outlines key priorities to support the National Electricity Market (NEM) into the future.

Gas to ‘play a crucial role’ in future energy supply

AEMO consulted 1,500 stakeholders, including energy industry representatives, to create the ISP. It says the report is “based on rigorous economic and engineering analysis”.

In the investment roadmap, AEMO says “gas-fired generation will play a crucial role as coal-fired generation retires” in Australia.

For now, this bodes well for the Santos share price and other ASX oil & gas stocks.

AEMO says:

[Gas-fired generation] will complement battery and pumped hydro generation in periods of peak demand, particularly during long ‘dark and still’ weather periods.

It will help cover for planned maintenance of existing generation and transmission. And it will provide essential power system services to maintain grid security and stability, particularly following unexpected outages or earlier than expected generation withdrawal.

Gas-fired power needed through to 2050

AEMO says:

This critical need for peaking gas-fired generation will remain through the ISP time horizon to 2050, and older and less efficient peaking plants may need to be replaced.

Additional and earlier peaking gas-fired generation would add resilience against potential shortfalls in VRE, storage, DER or transmission.

Over time, gas-fired generation emissions will need to be offset elsewhere if the economy is to reach net zero emissions, and natural gas may be replaced by net zero carbon fuels such as green hydrogen or biogas.

AEMO wants investment in gas-fired power generation

AEMO CEO, Daniel Westerman, said: “Australia is experiencing a complex, rapid and irreversible energy transformation” and essential transmission investments are needed to “efficiently enable low-cost, firmed renewable energy to replace exiting coal generation”.

Westerman added:

To maintain a secure, reliable and affordable electricity supply for consumers through this transition to 2050, investment is required for a nine-fold increase in grid-scale wind and solar capacity, triple the firming capacity (dispatchable storage, hydro and gas-fired generation) and a near five-fold increase in distributed solar.

Santos share price summary

The Santos share price has risen 12.6% in 2022. Disrupted international supply chains have encouraged many investors to buy ASX energy stocks this year.

Over the past 12 months, the Santos share price is up 5.1%.

Santos will report its FY22 full-year results during the upcoming earnings season on 17 August.

The post Santos shares go cold despite energy regulator outlining ‘crucial’ role gas will play for decades appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• How did ASX energy shares perform in June?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Why are ASX 200 energy shares surging today?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Own Santos shares? This analyst expects gas prices to grow through to 2025

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a month to forget in June. Rate hikes, recession fears, and rising inflation led to the benchmark index losing 8.9% of its value to finish at 6,568.1 points.

While a large number of shares fell with the market, some fell more than most. Here’s why these were the worst performers on the ASX 200 in June:

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip share price was the worst performer on the ASX 200 in June with a disappointing 52.2% decline. There were a number of catalysts for this buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s share price collapse. One was news that tech giant Apple has announced the launch of its BNPL service. The service works with any merchant that already supports Apple Pay and does not require a new payments terminal. This means that merchants don’t even need to offer BNPL for consumers to transact with them with this payment method. In addition, weakness in the tech sector and concerns over rising interest rates weighed on Zip’s shares.

Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE)

The Lake Resources share price had a terrible month and sank 49% lower during June. This was despite the lithium developer’s shares being added to the ASX 200 index during the period. Investors were selling the company’s shares following the sudden exit of its CEO. Not only did Steve Promnitz exit the company with immediate effect and without comment, he also promptly sold all of his 10.2 million shares the next day.

Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

The Novonix share price wasn’t far behind with a 44.3% decline over the month. This was despite there being no news out of the battery technology company. Though, it is worth noting that a number of higher risk shares fell heavily during the month as investor sentiment soured. In addition, one of the company’s largest shareholders sold 7.6 million shares in the middle of the month.

St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

The St Barbara share price was sold off and dropped 40.9% during the month. This was driven by news that the gold miner has deferred making a final investment decision on the Simberi sulphide expansion in favour of a strategic review. St Barbara also advised that there is a near-term risk of disruption to its Touquoy Operation.

The post These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in June appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• ASX 200 healthcare shares provided some pain relief today. Here’s why
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• How did ASX energy shares perform in June?
• How have ASX 200 mining shares fared over June?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back in the red today, weighed down by utilities and energy shares. At the closing bell, the index was 1.97% lower at 6,568.1 points.

It made for the second consecutive session of losses for the local market following weak trade on Wall Street overnight.

The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) lead the ASX 200’s downturn, falling 2.1% despite news that Brookfield appears to have snapped up a 2.5% stake in AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL).

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) suffered amid lower oil prices, which fell between 1.5% and 1.8% overnight.

Iron ore futures also slipped again, falling 0.1% to trade at US$130.11 a tonne.

But not all was dire today. The S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) lifted 0.2%.

And there were plenty of gainers among the mix.

Let’s take a look at which ASX shares outperformed all others on Thursday.

Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

ASX industrials share APM Human Services International Ltd (ASX: APM) bested the rest today, taking out the top spot among the ASX’s 200 biggest companies by market capitalisation. It gained 4.3% today. Read up on APM here.

Next best was financials stock BSP Financial Group Ltd (ASX: BFL). It lifted nearly 4% on Thursday. Find out more about BSP Financial Group here.

Today’s top 10 biggest gains were made by these ASX shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
APM Human Services International Ltd (ASX: APM)	$2.87	4.36%
BSP Financial Group Ltd (ASX: BFL)	$4.95	3.99%
Lottery Corporation Ltd (ASX : TLC)	$4.53	2,49%
Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC)	$9.58	1.7%
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)	$68.40	1.56%
Ventia Services Group Ltd (ASX: VNT)	$2.475	1.43%
Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)	$5.37	1.32%
Carsales.com Ltd (ASX: CAR)	$18.49	1.32%
Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL)	$33.23	1.22%
James Hardie Industries Plc (ASX: JHX)	$31.86	1.18%

Data as at 3:59pm AEST

Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in June
• ASX 200 healthcare shares provided some pain relief today. Here’s why
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• How did ASX energy shares perform in June?
• How have ASX 200 mining shares fared over June?

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited, Sonic Healthcare Limited, and carsales.com Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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A number of ASX shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) outperformed the broader market today.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) backtracked yet again, ending Thursday’s session 1.97% lower at 6,568.1 points.

In contrast, the healthcare sector was the best performer on the ASX today, falling just 0.19% after spending much of the day in the green.

What’s happening in the ASX 200 healthcare sector?

The biggest and most heavily weighted share price within the ASX 200 healthcare sector is CSL Limited (ASX: CSL).

The global biotech outperformed the ASX 200, closing just 0.27% lower at $269.06. Much like the healthcare index, it was in positive territory for most of the day before retreating late in the session.

However, it was the smaller cap companies such as Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: PAR) and Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: RCE) that led the charge. They gained 10.29% and 9.88%, respectively.

Paradigm reported a positive release before market open, stating it had received official acceptance of an Australian patent application. However, there was no fresh news out of Recce Pharmaceuticals.

Meanwhile, the Race Oncology Ltd (ASX: RAC) share price gained 4.84% after the company released the latest interim results from its preclinical cardioprotection program.

While the ASX 200 Health Care index has rebounded 3.2% this week, it’s still down 12% year-to-date.

The ASX has been hit hard in recent weeks following high inflation levels and aggressive rate hikes.

During the March quarter, inflation rose by 5.1%, the highest increase in many years. This led the Reserve Bank of Australia to ramp up the official cash rate by 0.5% to 0.85%.

Foolish takeaway

Investing in an ASX-index tracking fund is considered a much safer alternative than picking an individual company.

This is because the sector is relatively impervious to wild swings from any one share price.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that an index has historically provided long-term stable growth.

It is often the most boring investments that reap the largest rewards.

The post ASX 200 healthcare shares provided some pain relief today. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• How did ASX energy shares perform in June?
• How have ASX 200 mining shares fared over June?
• These 3 ASX gold mining shares are digging new 52-week lows today
• What’s the outlook for the CSL share price in July?

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL) is one of the oldest shares on the ASX. In fact, Soul Patts shares, with origins in the pre-Federation 19th century, predates the ASX itself.

The company initially grew out of a pharmacy. But these days, Soul Patts is well-known for its Listed Investment Company-like approach to managing its shareholders’ wealth. The company functions more like a Listed investment Company these days than a traditional company.

Its primary business is investing in a large portfolio of assets on behalf of its investors. Most of these assets are ASX-listed shares, in which Soul Patts has amassed large stakes in.

Many of these holdings aren’t controversial. They include (as of the March half-year update) the company’s 43.3% stake in Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), the 12.6% share of TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) and the 25.4% chunk of Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA).

Soul Patts or Coal Patts? Here’s what the company owns in coal…

But this hasn’t come without some consternation from some investors. For another of Soul Patts’ significant holdings is a 39.9% stake in ASX 200 coal miner New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC). New Hope is a pureplay coal miner, which of course makes it a controversial asset to hold for any investment manager in today’s climate.

So how much of Soul Patts’ portfolio is exposed to coal miner New Hope?

Well, as of 31 January 2022, Soul Patts had a net asset value of $9.042 billion. That’s including its multiple share portfolios, as well as its property assets.

Of this, $9.042 billion, $4.125 billion is housed in the company’s strategic portfolio. This is made up of the stakes in the companies listed above, but excludes the large-cap shares Soul Patts acquired from its acquisition of Milton Corporation last year.

So on today’s pricing, New Hope has a market capitalisation of $3.03 billion. Soul Patts’ 39.9% stake in this company means it would have approximately $1.21 billion worth of New Hope shares right now.

That would equate to 13.37% of Soul Patts’ entire investment portfolio (on the 31 January numbers), and just over 14% of Soul Patts’ entire market capitalisation today.

So that’s something to keep in mind if you own Soul Patts shares today.

The post Own Soul Patts shares? Here’s how much of its portfolio is exposed to coal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• ‘Extremely cheap’: expert names 3 ASX shares hot to buy now
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why are ASX 200 coal shares bouncing back on Tuesday?
• This is what I’d do with these 3 battered ASX shares: fund manager

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended TPG Telecom Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is on course to end the month in the red.

In afternoon trade, the travel agent’s shares are down almost 3% to $17.44.

Why is the Flight Centre share price dropping?

As well as broad market weakness, the Flight Centre share price appears to have been weighed down by concerns over the state of the travel market.

This follows the release of data from Tourism Research Australia which shows that Australian tourism is still some way off returning to pre-COVID levels.

According to the release, there were 8.3 million overnight trips during the month of March. This is down 17% from March 2019.

One positive, though, is that overnight spending is higher than it was three years ago. Australians spent $6.8 billion in March, up 6% from 2019’s levels.

This essentially means that fewer people are making overnight trips, but those that do are paying more than they were three years.

But this could prove to be a problem. With the cost of living increasing materially over the last few months, there’s a chance that even fewer people will travel in the near term given that it costs more to do so than previously.

If this happens, this could stifle the travel market recovery at a time when Flight Centre’s leisure business was approaching breakeven at long last.

The release also reveals that early data shows domestic overnight trip rates for April and the first three weeks of May were down in comparison to the same period last year.

These are interesting times (yet again) for the travel sector and the Flight Centre share price.

The post What is holding back the Flight Centre share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Flight Centre share price struggles amid dwindling household cashflows forecast
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• These 2 ASX travel shares are tying the knot for the next 10 years
• Flight Centre share price stumbles amid ‘big blow’ from new tax

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price is falling slightly today amid high level resistance to its proposed agreement with TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG).

Telstra shares are currently slipping 0.13% and are trading at $3.885. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is falling more than 1% today.

So which Optus executive is putting Telstra under the pump today?

Gladys Berejiklian chips in

Telstra is facing pressure on its proposed network sharing agreement with TPG from a high-profile Optus executive.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has today voiced her opposition to the plan with a Tweet and post on the Optus website. Berejiklian is now on the executive team at Optus serving as managing director of enterprise, business and institutional.

Optus is Telstra’s major competitor for wireless services in Australia. Earlier this week, it emerged Optus may be planning to list on the ASX.

In her first tweet since stepping down as NSW Premier, Berejiklian said:

We put our customers first at Optus. The proposed Telstra/TPG merger is a backward step for millions of Australians.

The deal between Telstra and TPG, announced in February, would provide Telstra with access to TPG’s spectrum on the 4G and 5G networks. TPG would get access to 3,700 of Telstra’s mobile network towers under the plan. At the time, Telstra said:

The agreement demonstrates best-practice asset utilisation and a commitment to
rationalising our operations to deliver a better customer experience, while increasing capital
efficiency.

However, Berejiklian said if the TPG and Telstra merger goes ahead, customers would have “less choice” and face “higher prices”. In a post on the Optus website, Berejiklian elaborated:

Our regions need more telecommunications investment, better connectivity, and improved services – and the proposed Telstra / TPG network merger is a very big step backward.

The proposed merger risks these advantages and the future ones and with that, our nation’s economic potential.

Optus announced this week it has lodged a submission opposing the plan with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.

Telstra share price snapshot

The Telstra price has climbed 3% in the past 12 months, while it is falling nearly 7% year to date.

In contrast, the benchmark ASX 200 has shed close to 9% over the past year.

Telstra has a market capitalisation of nearly $45 billion based on today’s share price.

The post Telstra share price slides as Optus exec ramps up calls for TPG deal to be canned appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 4 ASX dividend shares to buy that aren’t banks or miners: expert
• Here are 2 top ASX 200 dividend shares to buy right now according to experts
• What are brokers saying about the Telstra share price?
• Optus plea to ACCC doing little to these ASX 200 telco shares today
• Looking to buy ASX dividend shares? Here are 2 that experts rate highly

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price is $2.41 in late afternoon trading, up 0.21%. This is in contrast to the S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR) which is down 1.74%.

It’s ironic to see the ASX gold share outdoing the resources benchmark today given it was a disappointing update from Evolution on Monday that appears to have spooked gold investors all week. As my fellow Fool Sebastian reports, several ASX gold mining shares are digging new 52-week lows today as a result.

If we zoom out on 2022, the Evolution Mining share price is having a dog of a year. It has tumbled by 41% over the first half. By comparison, the ASX 200 resources index has dipped by 1.26%.

So, Evolution has done almost 40% worse than its peers in the metals & mining and energy industries. D-O-G.

But these things happen. We’re in a market correction, after all, and Evolution certainly isn’t the only ASX 200 share to have lost more than 40% in value so far this year.

Dividends provide comfort to investors

The great thing about dividends is they provide comfort during tough market cycles.

When share prices are falling and investors are a bit depressed or panicky, dividends are the silver lining.

Companies don’t stop paying dividends when their share prices fall.

The next round of dividends is coming soon, with the August earnings season not too far away.

Do Evolution Mining shares pay a dividend?

Yes, they do.

In its FY22 half-year results reported in February, Evolution Mining declared a dividend of three cents with 100% franking.

Based on today’s share price, that’s a dividend yield of 1.24% with the final dividend yet to be added on top.

In FY21, Evolution Mining paid 12 cents in fully-franked dividends — a yield of 5% based on the current share price.

Evolution Mining will announce its full-year results and final dividend for FY22 on 18 August.

The post Do Evolution Mining shares pay a dividend? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• These 3 ASX gold mining shares are digging new 52-week lows today
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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