Tag: Motley Fool

  • Here are the top 10 ASX shares today

    Top 10 asx shares todayTop 10 asx shares today

    Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) weakened as sentiment soured following Snapchat‘s (NYSE: SNAP) profit warning. At the end of the session, the benchmark index finished 0.28% lower at 7,128.8 points.

    Local investors tip-toed through a disappointing day of trade after social media giant Snapchat fell 30% after hours. The monumental collapse in support seeped into the Australian tech sector today, falling nearly 3%. Though, the pain was felt broadly across the ASX, with all bar three segments of the market trudging lower.

    However, the question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? Here are the top ten stocks that came through for investors:

    Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

    Looking at the top 200 listed companies, Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the lithium mining company pushed 3.70% higher as investors hold on strongly to estimates of future demand outstripping supply. Find out more about Allkem here.

    The next best performing ASX share across the market today was Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU). The gold mining company gained 3.31% with prices for the precious commodity strengthening in the past 24 hours. Uncover the latest Perseus Mining details here.

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

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) $13.46 3.70%
    Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) $1.875 3.31%
    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) $2.90 3.20%
    Ebos Group Ltd (ASX: EBO) $35.94 2.74%
    Virgin Money UK Plc (ASX: VUK) $2.64 2.72%
    Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) $1.33 2.70%
    Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM) $17.79 2.54%
    Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) $5.97 2.40%
    Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) $10.74 2.29%
    New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) $4.05 2.27%
    Data as at 4:00 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.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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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  • Bitcoin Gold rockets 24% amid today’s wider crypto selloff. What’s going on?

    A woman works on her desktop and tablet, having a win with crypto.

    A woman works on her desktop and tablet, having a win with crypto.

    Bitcoin Gold (CRYPTO: BTG) is bucking the wider selling trend in crypto markets today.

    While its elder sibling Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and the world’s number two crypto, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), are both in the red over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin Gold is up 24%.

    At the current price of US$24.57, the lesser known crypto has a market cap of US$422 million, placing it at number 98 on the list of top-100 cryptos.

    Though it’s worth noting that BTG is down 96% from its all-time highs of US$540, reached shortly after its launch in October 2017.

    So, why is it surging today?

    What is Bitcoin Gold?

    Before we look at what may be driving the Bitcoin Gold price higher today as well as what exactly is this token?

    Well, as we said, it’s been around since October 2017. That’s when it came into existence following what’s known as a ‘hard fork’ with Bitcoin.

    Part of the goal at the time was to make the token even more decentralised than the original. According to CoinMarketCap:

    BTG enhances and extends the crypto space with a blockchain closely compatible with Bitcoin but without using resources like Bitcoin hash power…

    As a hard fork of the original Bitcoin token, BTG aims to revolutionise the mining process by introducing a new proof-of-work algorithm that combats the scalability issues Bitcoin struggles with.

    Why the big gain today?

    We can’t say with certainty, but it appears Bitcoin Gold could have gotten a boost from a tweet posted by Robert Kiyosaki, the author of personal finance book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’.

    Here’s what he posted on Twitter shortly before the crypto leapt from US$20 to US$32 inside an hour:

    DAVOS, Switzerland IMF warns world faces greatest financial challenges since WWII. Global disaster has been coming for years. Desperate leaders will do desperate things. Workd War coming? God have mercy on us. Save gold, silver, Bitcoin, food, guns, and bullets.

    That tweet has some 5,500 likes and has already been retweeted almost 1,000 times.

    Overlooking the World War typo, crypto investors may have tuned into the gold and Bitcoin advice and opted to snap up some Bitcoin Gold.

    We hope fewer took his advice to load up on guns and bullets!

    The post Bitcoin Gold rockets 24% amid today’s wider crypto selloff. What’s going on? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Bitcoin Gold right now?

    Before you consider Bitcoin Gold, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Bitcoin Gold wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

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    The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin and Ethereum. 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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  • What does AFIC’s ASX share portfolio look like?

    a man surrounded by huge piles of paper looks through a magnifying glass at his computer screen.a man surrounded by huge piles of paper looks through a magnifying glass at his computer screen.

    The Australian Foundation Investment Co Ltd (ASX: AFI), or AFIC for short, has a long and proud history on the ASX.

    It first opened its doors back in 1928 and has been following a very consistent playbook ever since. That playbook involves investing its capital into a portfolio of blue-chip ASX shares for the benefit of shareholders.

    As a listed investment company (LIC), AFIC’s only purpose is to invest on behalf of its shareholders. Unlike most shares, it is not a company that sells goods or provides services.

    But how is AFIC’s share portfolio looking these days? Let’s take stock of which ASX shares appear in this LIC’s portfolio.

    What’s in the AFIC box?

    AFIC hasn’t provided any recent updates as to exactly how many ASX shares appear in its portfolio. But what we do know is that, as of 30 April, its top 25 positions accounted for 78.6% of its total portfolio value.

    So here are AFIC’s current top 10 positions:

    1. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) at 9.1% of AFIC’s portfolio
    2. BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) at 7.4%
    3. CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) at 7.2%
    4. Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) at 5.1%
    5. Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) at 4.6%
    6. Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) at 4.1%
    7. Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) at 4%
    8. National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) at 4%
    9. Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) at 3.1%
    10. Mainfreight Limited (NZE: MFT) at 2.7%

    With a few exceptions, this list is very similar in nature to that of the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) itself.

    Notably, AFIC’s portfolio gives less weighting to the big four ASX bank shares in favour of Macquarie and Transurban.

    It also holds a New Zealand company in Mainfreight, which is obviously not an ASX share. But these departures from the ASX 200 have historically enabled AFIC to deliver some fairly consistent outperformance of the ASX 200 over long periods of time. So no doubt shareholders won’t mind.

    At the current AFIC share price, this ASX LIC has a market capitalisation of $9.8 billion, with a dividend yield of 3.01%

    The post What does AFIC’s ASX share portfolio look like? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in AFIC right now?

    Before you consider AFIC, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and AFIC wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in National Australia Bank Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited and Westpac Banking Corporation. 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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  • Why has the Group 6 Metals share price surged 24% in a month?

    A miner in a hardhat makes a sale on his tablet in the field.A miner in a hardhat makes a sale on his tablet in the field.

    The Group 6 Metals Ltd (ASX: G6M) share price has soared in the past month.

    Group 6 Metals shares have gained 24% since market close on 26 April to close at 25 cents apiece on Tuesday. In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has fallen about 2% over the same time frame.

    Let’s take a look at what has impacted the Group 6 Metals share price.

    Tungsten explorer

    Group 6 Metals shares had a major boost between market close on 9 May and 17 May. The company’s shares surged 50% to a peak of 27 cents before pulling back slightly.

    Investors appeared to buy up Group 6 shares following the company’s appearance on the ABC’s flagship ‘Four Corners’ program.

    The company is redeveloping the Dolphin Tungsten Mine on King Island, Tasmania. Tungsten is a critical rare metal that can be used in lithium-ion batteries for Electric Vehicles (EV). Electric vehicle sales doubled in 2021 from the previous year to 6.6 million units, an International Energy Agency report released yesterday states.

    In an interview with the ABC, aired on 9 May, Group 6 Metals chairman Johann Jacobs revealed the company has fielded interest from the United States. The US government has reportedly approached the Australian company in the face of China’s dominance of the tungsten market. Asked how often he had met with the US Embassy, Jacobs said:

    Probably three over the last 12 months, and those discussions are continuing.

    At this stage, they don’t have any financial interest, but they certainly are very keen to see us progress and develop the mine because it’s another supply chain…from a friendly nation. 

    Construction at the Dolphin Tungsten Mine started in late January, with first concentrate sales earmarked for early 2023.

    On 11 May, Group 6 addressed activity in its shares following the company’s appearance in the media. In a statement approved by the board, Group 6 Metals noted the recent share price rises.

    Following the broadcast of the program, there was a notable increase in the Company’s share price and volume of shares traded on the market.

    …the company reiterates its indicative timeline to achieving plant commissioning in early 2023 ahead of first shipment of tungsten concentrate in Q1 2023.

    Share price snapshot

    The Group 6 Metals share price has rocketed more than 74% year to date while it has climbed around 5% in the past year.

    For perspective, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned more than 1% in the past year.

    Group 6 Metals has a market capitalisation of about $159 million based on today’s share price.

    The post Why has the Group 6 Metals share price surged 24% in a month? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Group 6 Metals right now?

    Before you consider Group 6 Metals , you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Group 6 Metals wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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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  • ASX shares paid out a record $98b in dividends in the 12 months to March. Which are the star performers?

    A happy construction worker or miner holds a fistfull of Australian money, indicating a dividends windfallA happy construction worker or miner holds a fistfull of Australian money, indicating a dividends windfall

    A record-breaking $97.9 billion of dividends made their way to those invested in ASX shares over the 12 months ended 31 March.

    That’s 5.3% more than the market’s previous ASX 12-month record, according to research by Janus Henderson Group (ASX: JHG).

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, of the top 20 ASX dividend payers of the period, 19 are S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) constituents. Additionally, mining shares are overrepresented when it comes to ASX dividend payouts.

    Here are the stocks proven to be Australia’s biggest dividend payers.

    Here are the ASX’s top dividend-paying shares

    ASX shareholders, rejoice! Australia is one of the few nations to see dividend payments surpass pre-COVID-19 levels.

    The global reopening and sky-high commodity prices boosted ASX dividends over the 12 months ended March. In fact, mining companies accounted for $1 in every $2 of dividends handed to investors over that period.

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) has come in as the biggest dividend payer – handing shareholders $10.8 billion of dividends in the first quarter of 2022 alone.

    Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) came in second despite dropping its interim dividend by 42% in February.

    Luckily that drop was partially made up by a higher payout from Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO).

    Outside of the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ), the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) dividend led the pack. It was lifted by 17% in February.

    CBA’s big bank peers Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), National Bank of Australia Ltd (ASX: NAB), and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) followed. Others included:

    New Zealand’s Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) was the only non-ASX 200 share to make the list. It rounded out the top 20 dividend shares of the 12 months ended March.

    The post ASX shares paid out a record $98b in dividends in the 12 months to March. Which are the star performers? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    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 positions in and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET, Telstra Corporation Limited, and Wesfarmers Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited and Westpac Banking Corporation. 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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  • Why investors are saying sayonara to Sayona Mining shares this week

    A business woman looks unhappy while she flies a red flag at her laptop.

    A business woman looks unhappy while she flies a red flag at her laptop.

    The Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) share price has come under pressure for a second day in a row.

    In afternoon trade, the lithium explorer’s shares sank a further 15% to 20 cents.

    When Sayona Mining’s shares hit that level, it meant they were down 28% this week.

    Why are investors saying sayonara to Sayona Mining shares?

    The catalyst for the weakness in the Sayona Mining share price has been the release of an update on the company’s North American Lithium (NAL) operation in Québec, Canada.

    According to the release, the pre‐feasibility study (PFS) found that the operation has a pre‐tax net present value (NPV) of approximately A$1 billion.

    This was much lower than many were expecting. And given that Sayona Mining only owns 75% of the operation, with Piedmont Lithium Inc (ASX: PLL) owning the balance, its share of the operation is worth $750 million pre-tax.

    Furthermore, on a post-tax basis, the operation is valued at A$844 million, with Sayona Mining’s share worth $633 million.

    But it is worth remembering that this is based on a long run lithium spodumene price of US$1,242 per tonne and cash costs per tonne of US$590.

    As I have mentioned previously here, Goldman Sachs recently forecast a long run average of US$800 per tonne of lithium spodumene concentrate. This is almost 36% lower than what Sayona Mining has used for its PFS.

    And while predicting commodity prices is incredibly difficult, not least for lithium, if Goldman’s forecasts are accurate it paints a very different picture of this operation.

    Time will tell, but judging by the Sayona Mining share price performance this week, some investors aren’t willing to wait and find out what happens with this or its other projects.

    The post Why investors are saying sayonara to Sayona Mining shares this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Sayona Mining right now?

    Before you consider Sayona Mining, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Sayona Mining wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 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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  • Own ASX 200 energy shares? Here’s the ‘key risk to watch’ post election

    Man in yellow hard hat looks through binoculars as man in white hard hat stands behind him and points.Man in yellow hard hat looks through binoculars as man in white hard hat stands behind him and points.

    S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy shares finished ahead of the benchmark index today, the second day of trading since Anthony Albanese and the Labor party took the reins in Canberra.

    The ASX 200 closed down 0.28%, while the Woodside Petroleum Ltd (ASX: WPL) share price was up 0.28%.

    Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) shares were up 0.97%, the Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price finished 0.93% higher, while Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares were down 0.12%.

    For the moment, it appears, ASX 200 energy shares aren’t feeling the heat from this weekend’s election results.

    But risks to the Aussie fossil fuel energy sector remain.

    A key risk for ASX 200 energy shares

    Perhaps the biggest potential headwind on the horizon for the big oil, gas, and coal producers is that Labor might not win the majority.

    With the final count in a few core seats still ongoing, Labor may need to negotiate with the Greens and teal independents. With far more stringent emissions reduction goals than either the Coalition or Labor, this could hamper the growth outlook for ASX 200 energy shares.

    According to Goldman Sachs economist Andrew Boak (quoted by the Australian Financial Review):

    [A] key risk to watch is whether increasingly influential Green and climate-focused independents eventually push the ALP towards more ambitious targets on emission reductions.

    Morgan Stanley analysts added: “On the face of things, Labor climate policies were more specific in targeting decarbonisation goals in tighter time frames versus the Coalition.”

    Why Labor is unlikely to pull the emissions trigger yet

    As reported by The Australian, Credit Suisse analyst Saul Kavonic cautioned that numerous other national governments aren’t imposing strict emissions reduction targets, opening the door to more fossil fuel production heading offshore.

    That means ASX 200 energy shares “could be left less competitive if forced to decarbonise while global competitors in places like the Middle East and Russia are not subject to similar pressures”.

    Kavonic added that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting global energy crisis could delay any moves to ramp up emissions reduction targets Down Under.

    “Australia’s role to assist global allies and trading partners with democracy gas in wake of the Ukraine crisis could also temper any stricter approach to project approvals,” he said.

    Kavonic’s views look to be supported by Madeleine King, who’s been flagged to be Australia’s new resources minister under the Labor government.

    According to King:

    The government will not rule out or shut down export industries and the jobs and investment that come with them. All that would do is send resources jobs to other countries with lower standards. It is vital that high quality environmental standards are upheld.

    ASX 200 energy shares CEOs speak out

    Commenting on Labor’s election win, Whitehaven Coal chief executive Paul Flynn said (quoted by the AFR):

    Given the new government’s concerns around budget repair, we see our booming export industries playing a major role in paying down Australia’s burgeoning debt so we can more responsibly rise to meet the challenges we face as a nation.

    It’s “essential the government supports the competitiveness of our export industries, including our more emissions-intensive sectors”, he said, adding:

    This is why we have called for further detail around proposed changes to the Safeguard Mechanism, and we look forward to consulting with Labor ahead of any further policy design and implementation.

    The Safeguard Mechanism, if you’re not familiar, sets an emissions baseline above which big emitters, like ASX 200 energy shares, are not meant to tread.

    A spokeswoman for Woodside sounded a diplomatic note, saying: “Woodside congratulates the incoming senators and looks forward to working with all of them to achieve outcomes that are in the national interest.”

    The ASX 200 energy share has already received the green light from state and federal regulators to proceed with its US$12 billion Scarborough LNG project in Western Australia.

    The post Own ASX 200 energy shares? Here’s the ‘key risk to watch’ post election appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Woodside right now?

    Before you consider Woodside, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Woodside wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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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  • Overexposed: What every Australian dividend investor needs to know

    A woman has a thoughtful look on her face as she studies a fan of Australian 20 dollar bills she is holding on one hand while he rest her other hand on her chin in thought.A woman has a thoughtful look on her face as she studies a fan of Australian 20 dollar bills she is holding on one hand while he rest her other hand on her chin in thought.

    It’s safe to say that the pandemic had a significant impact on dividend investors around the world. Many ASX companies cut or completely suspended their payments during the pandemic, leaving shareholders with little to no income.

    However, following a broad economic reopening, dividends are flowing back in record numbers. According to the latest Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index report, dividends for the 12 months ending March 2022 have reset record highs in Australia — reaching $97.9 billion in payments.

    This is great news for dividend investors! Yet there is one key piece of information that every investor should be aware of…

    A major risk to Aussie dividend investors

    The good news for Australian dividend shares is there has been an incredible bounce back in the total value of payments made to shareholders. This phenomenon has played out at a global level in the last 12 months with dividends rising a further 11% in the first quarter of 2022 to a new record of $302.5 billion.

    Notably, Australia joins a select group of seven countries that have now surpassed their pre-pandemic dividend levels. For reference, the $97.9 billion of profits paid to shareholders represented a bonkers increase of 82% from the prior year.

    Without a doubt, this is all great news for income investors. But it also comes with an important consideration… sector concentration risk.

    Based on Janus Henderson’s findings, around 94% of the recovery in Australian dividends is attributable to banking and mining. Furthermore, the two sectors constituted roughly 81% of the total sum of profits paid out over the 12-month period.

    Possibly more concerning is the fact that BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) made up 32% of the total $97.9 billion handed out to Aussie investors. This meant the diversified mining giant claimed the title of the world’s biggest dividend payer.

    Janus Henderson highlighted the high reliance on a small number of ASX companies, stating:

    Australia’s high level of dividend concentration leaves domestic investors far more heavily dependent on just a handful of companies for a very large portion of their dividend income than in any comparable country. What’s more, all the top five are in either mining or banking sectors.

    Providing some caution, the asset manager mentioned this concentration puts domestic Australian investors at risk of dividend reductions related to company-specific incidents.

    Shopping outside the miners and banks

    While banks and mining companies featured prominently in the top 20 dividend shares, there were a few options for investors outside of these sectors. For example, other noteworthy ASX shares included:

    Though these other ASX shares do not offer the same level of returns as their banks and mining counterparts.

    The post Overexposed: What every Australian dividend investor needs to know appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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 positions in and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET, Telstra Corporation Limited, and Wesfarmers 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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  • 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares smashing multi-year highs on Tuesday

    Piggy bank rocketing.Piggy bank rocketing.

    The S&P/All Ordinaries Index(ASX: XAO) is trading down on Tuesday, currently 5 basis points in the red at 7,394.

    The All Ordinaries has crept down in recent weeks, having fallen from a high of 7,887 on 21 April and cooling off to its current level.

    Meanwhile, these 3 shares have spiked past their multi-year highs in Tuesday’s session.

    Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)

    Shares of Yancoal have surged 130% higher in 2022 amid a bullish run for the price of coal.

    The price of coal has surged another 27% in the past month of trade and has now eclipsed a 296% gain over the last 12 months.

    This price action has inflected positively for Yancoal, seeing its share price cruise past its highest mark since 2018.

    At the time of writing, Yancoal shares are fetching $6 apiece, meaning very patient investors have now been rewarded with a 200% gain in the last 12 months.

    New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

    Shares of New Hope have charged more than 3% higher on Tuesday and now rest at $4.09 apiece.

    The $3 billion company by market cap has seen its share price rally on the back of the coal price’s hefty run as well.

    Not only that, but New Hope’s exposure to other energy resources such as oil and gas have helped lock in a 83% gain this year to date.

    Each of natural gas and Brent Crude oil have surged 130% and 64% in the last 12 months respectively.

    Given that New Hope is a price taker on these commodities the market appears to have looked favourably on the miner amid this commodity boom.

    Much of the upside in these segments has stemmed from the conflict in Europe, sending concerns of a supply shock throughout global markets.

    After its gain today New Hope now trades at its highest level in around 3 years.

    Worley Ltd (ASX: WOR)

    Shares of Worley nudged past their highest mark since 2020 in early trade today, eclipsing the $14.96 mark just after the open.

    They have since trended down across the day and now rest at $14.74.

    Curiously, news of a strategic partnership with Avantium Renewable Polymers progressing to the next phase received a muted reaction from the market on 18 May.

    Nevertheless, Worley had already clipped a 39% total return from the 12 months to that point anyway.

    At the time of writing, it had risen 38% this year to date as well.

    The post 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares smashing multi-year highs on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in All Ordinaries shares right now?

    Before you consider All Ordinaries shares, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and All Ordinaries shares wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow 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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  • 3 reasons this broker thinks the NAB share price is great value

    Man holding different Australian dollar notes.

    Man holding different Australian dollar notes.The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price has been a positive performer on Tuesday.

    In afternoon trade, the banking giant’s shares are up 1.5% to $31.20.

    Why is the NAB share price rising?

    There appear to have been a couple of catalysts for the rise in the NAB share price today.

    One is the release of a strong update from US bank JP Morgan overnight on Wall Street. The other is a bullish broker note out of Goldman Sachs this morning.

    In respect to the latter, the broker has retained its conviction buy rating and $34.17 price target on the bank’s shares.

    Based on the current NAB share price, this implies potential upside of 9.5% for investors over the next 12 months. This increases to approximately 14.5% if you include the $1.51 per share fully franked dividend the broker is forecasting in FY 2022.

    What did the broker say?

    After looking through recent updates in the sector, Goldman believes that bank margins may have found a bottom now. However, it suspects that volumes will start to slow, which means that cost cutting will become particularly important.

    We think NIMs troughed in 1H21 and should start rising in 2H22E, supported by higher rates and the mix impact of less lower margin fixed rate mortgages. On volumes, we expect both system housing and business loan growth to experience a slowdown but overall remain elevated relative to pre-covid levels. We continue to see costs as a key determinant of relative sector performance particularly in light of inflationary pressures and higher investment spend.

    In light of this, the broker believes NAB shares are the ones to buy in the sector right now.

    We reiterate our Buy (on CL) on NAB and it remains our preferred sector exposure given: i) NAB’s balance sheet mix provides the best exposure to the domestic system growth we foresee over the next 12-18 months, which should favour commercial over mortgage lending, ii) NAB’s franchise is performing strongly, growing at or above system growth in most segments, iii) NAB’s disclosure on NIM leverage to higher rates is even more optimistic than we previously estimated.

    The post 3 reasons this broker thinks the NAB share price is great value appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in NAB right now?

    Before you consider NAB, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and NAB wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 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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