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The Incannex Healthcare Ltd (ASX: IHL) share price is soaring during mid-afternoon trade.

This follows the company’s positive pre-investigational new drug application (pre-IND) meeting with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

At the time of writing, the healthcare company’s shares are trading at 49.5 cents, up 8.79%.

FDA responds to IHL-42X pathway

According to the company’s announcement, Incannex reported it received positive feedback from the FDA pre-IND meeting regarding the regulatory pathway for its IHL-42X.

Incannex’s IHL-42X is a novel therapy that comprises dronabinol and acetazolamide. The medical therapy is targeted for the potential treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in adults.

In February, Incannex submitted a pre-IND meeting package and meeting request to the FDA. This included an overview of the development program and questions relating to regulatory requirements for opening an IND application.

To conduct clinical trials for any medical product in the United States, an IND must be opened.

The FDA provided “guidance on Incannex’s proposed long-term development strategy, as well as specific parameters to demonstrate safety and efficacy in phase 2 and 3 pivotal studies”, the company said.

Furthermore, the FDA agreed that Incannex doesn’t need to conduct studies in animals for opening an IND for IHL-42X. This will save time and cost to the company which can now proceed with the adjustment of clinical trial designs to open an IND.

What did management say?

Incannex chief scientific officer Dr Mark Bleackley welcomed the feedback, saying:

The FDA’s interest in IHL-42X as a potential therapy for OSA was extremely encouraging.

…The agency’s responses to the specific questions we posed allow us to revise our clinical trial protocols, to ensure that we are running highly efficient studies that generate the type and amount of data the FDA will require in a future marketing application.

The results from the pre-IND meeting will shape the IHL-42X development program over the coming months.

Incannex share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Incannex share price has rocketed by around 83% in value.

However, year to date, its shares are down 20%.

The company’s shares reached a multi-year high of 75.5 cents in March, before giving up their gains.

On valuation metrics, Incannex has a market capitalisation of around $633 million.

The post Incannex share price pops 9% on FDA news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why CBA, Incannex, Judo Capital, and Orica shares are rising
• Here’s why the Incannex share price is rocketing 18% today
• Down 25% in a month, the Incannex share price is now halted. Here’s why
• How have ASX cannabis shares been performing so far in 2022?

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 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 Bruce Jackson.

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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a small gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.15% to 7,104.6 points.

Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are pushing higher:

BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL)

The BlueScope share price is up 2% to $17.91. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Goldman Sachs this morning. According to the note, the broker has upgraded this steel manufacturer’s shares to a buy rating with a $25.30 price target. Goldman commented: “Painted steel & comp analysis implies BSL undervalued.”

OFX Group Ltd (ASX: OFX)

The OFX share price is up 8.5% to $2.69. Investors have been buying this international payment services company’s shares following the release of its full-year results. OFX reported a net profit after tax of $24.5 million, which is double what it achieved a year earlier. This was driven by healthy margins and a strong performance in the corporate segment.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is up 4.5% to $2.72. This follows a strong day of trade in the materials sector on Tuesday, which has seen a number of lithium miners charge higher. This has helped drive the S&P/ASX 200 Materials index 0.8% higher this afternoon.

Step One Clothing Ltd (ASX: STP)

The Step One share price has rebounded 38% to 29 cents. Bargain hunters appears to believe that this underwear retailer’s shares were oversold on Monday following the release of a disappointing trading update. The team at Morgans is sticking with Step One. This morning the broker retained its add rating. And even though it has taken an axe to its price target and cut it by 75% to 60 cents, this still implies major upside potential.

The post Why BlueScope, OFX, Pilbara Minerals, and Step One shares are pushing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The Step One share price rocketed 35% today! Here’s why
• OFX share price soars 8% on record FY22 results
• Why is the Pilbara Minerals share price climbing today?
• 2 sold-off ASX shares essential for electric cars
• Own ASX lithium shares? Here’s a global expert’s outlook on lithium demand (and supply)

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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Yesterday we looked at three ASX shares brokers have given buy ratings to this week.

Unfortunately, not all shares are in favour with brokers right now. Three that have just been given sell ratings are listed below. Here’s why these brokers are bearish on these ASX shares:

Seek Limited (ASX: SEK)

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts have retained their sell rating and cut their price target on this job listings giant’s shares to $26.60. This is despite the broker forecasting Seek to deliver EBITDA ahead of consensus estimates and up 57% year on year in FY 2022. Goldman doesn’t believe this strong growth will be sustained and is forecasting a modest 4% lift in FY 2023. In light of this, it feels its shares are expensive at the current level. The Seek share price is trading at $24.39 on Tuesday.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

A note out of Citi reveals that its analysts have downgraded this conglomerate’s shares to a sell rating and cut their price target on them to $42.00. The broker has been looking at the retail sector and appears to have concerns over the impact that high fuel prices, rising interest rates, and the resumption of travel will have on consumer confidence. The Wesfarmers share price is fetching $49.73 this afternoon.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Analysts at UBS have retained their sell rating and cut their price target on this cloud accounting platform provider’s shares to $70.00. While Xero outperformed the broker’s revenue expectations, its subscriber numbers fell short and no operating leverage emerged. However, the main sticking point for the broker is the company’s lack of cash flow. UBS feels this makes its valuation stretched despite recent weakness. The Xero share price is trading at $86.18 today.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why this fund manager is backing Xero shares for the rest of 2022
• ‘Future-proof your portfolio’: experts pick 3 quality growth ASX shares to buy
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• What’s dragging on the Wesfarmers share price on Monday?
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in SEEK Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers Limited and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SEEK 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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This year is shaping up to be a successful one for ASX dividend shares. Patient passive income investors are reaping the rewards of holding less ‘growth-oriented’ names.

We know each year in the stock market can be full of twists and turns. This year the prevailing thematic is rising interest rates caused by stubborn inflation. Consequently, the once unloved income-generating corner of the market is now getting much more attention as investors hunt down proven business models that are already producing returns.

In light of this, we are taking a look at the five top-performing dividend shares inside the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) devouring the market this year.

ASX dividend shares racking up capital growth

New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC)

Breaking the ice in our countdown of top performers is coal miner, New Hope. This company has swung from declining revenues and unprofitably to significant growth and bountiful cash flows amid an energy crisis.

Shareholders are swimming in returns thanks to the coal price rampantly running higher this year. At the start of 2022, the coal price was hovering around US$170 per tonne. Since then, it has skyrocketed by around 136% to around US$400 — with most of those higher prices going straight to the company’s bottom line.

Additionally, the extra cash means New Hope has been able to pay out more in dividends to shareholders. Currently, the company trades on a dividend yield of 9.4%. Shares in New Hope are 67.3% higher so far this year.

Grange Resources Limited (ASX: GRR)

The next top-performing ASX dividend share hitting our list is another commodity company. Grange Resources is an iron ore producer rallying on strong commodity demand.

In February, Grange released its full-year financial results outlining an incredible 58% increase in earnings. Collecting $321.6 million in net profits put the company in good stead to splurge on dividends paid out to shareholders.

At 12 cents per share for the trailing 12-month period, Grange Resources is presenting a dividend yield of 9.84%. On top of this, the share price has appreciated by 67.5% since this year kicked off.

Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN)

Coronado is an ASX share that has had such a good year it decided to announce a special dividend. The metallurgical coal mining company with operations across Australia and the United States has benefitted from the aforementioned rising prices in the energy-dense commodity.

Shareholders were celebrating last month when Coronado posted the best quarterly revenue it has had in its existence. The stellar result allowed the company to initiate the payment of dividends to its investors.

This ASX dividend share is trading on a yield of 5.26% once the special dividend is factored in. Most impressively, the share price has returned 75.8% so far this year.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

If there’s one thing coal companies haven’t been burning this year, it is cash — that’s right, yet another coal producer landing in the top-performing ASX dividend shares list.

Much like its peers, Whitehaven Coal went from a cash losing operation to posting its biggest half-year net profit in the space of a year. The company achieved net profit after tax (NPAT) of $340.5 million on $1,443 million of revenue — an earnings margin of 24%.

Investors are relishing the attractive 3.1% yield being offered by Whitehaven. However, the 88.1% share price gain since the start of the year steals the show.

Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)

If you have stuck with us, you have probably noticed a common theme for which ASX dividend shares are enjoying a strong tailwind. Yes, believe it or not, four out of the five top-performing companies are coal producers.

I think you know the drill by this point. Yancoal’s bottom line has been boosted by booming coal prices this year. Those shareholders lucky enough to have it in their portfolio before 2022 have captured a 114.2% gain.

At the time of writing, this ASX dividend share is offering an attractive 8.9% yield.

The post Here are the best performing dividend shares in the ASX All Ords so far in 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX 200 shares smashing multi-year highs today
• ASX 200 midday update: Brambles takeover talks end, resources shares charge higher
• My fund just went up 51%: This is how I did it
• 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares hitting multi-year highs on Monday
• 2 ASX 200 shares clocking multi-year highs on Thursday

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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Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) shares have come under pressure this calendar year amid the outlook for significantly higher interest rates ahead.

Since the opening bell on 4 January, the Xero share price has tumbled 41.2%.

But it’s not just Xero shares under pressure.

The RBA followed in the footsteps of the US Federal Reserve and raised the official cash rate for the first time in a decade earlier this month. And both the RBA, the Fed and numerous other central banks across the world have flagged a raft of further rate rises ahead.

This has seen equity markets retrace in 2022, with growth shares – like tech shares priced with future earnings in mind – taking some of the biggest hits.

For example, while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lost 6.4% so far this year, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) is down 32.2%.

So, is it game over for growth stocks like Xero shares?

Not by a longshot, according to Ben Clark, portfolio manager over at TMS Capital.

Invest in good businesses, not the latest trends

Speaking to Livewire, Clark said, “We are big believers that if you own good businesses, you want to try and stick with them, particularly through these really erratic cycles and not try and chase the latest trends in the market.”

With interest rates rising and bond yields falling, Clark tipped Xero shares as the ones he’d hold for the rest of the year if he were limited to a single option.

“Well, I’m going to say Xero,” he said, noting the steep fall in the Xero share price so far this year.

Clark continued:

I think where you want to look is good quality businesses again… Most fundies would regard it as one of the highest quality businesses on the exchange. But it’s been very expensive, and it’s just got significantly cheaper.

On face value, it still looks expensive, mainly because they pump about 80% of their revenue back into investment.

Clark believes “the bond market has overshot itself” in its interest rate expectations. And he thinks we’ll “see bond yields come off, and see parts of the market that have been hit by that start to move again”.

As for Xero shares, he added, “That’s the business that is at the tipping point of the overshoot that I’m talking about, that could run hard if we start to see that play out.”

How have Xero shares been tracking?

While Xero shares have been hammered this calendar year, they’re still up 297% over the past five years. Which goes a long way to supporting the “time in the market not timing the market” is what matters for returns mantra.

Over the past five years, the ASX 200 itself has gained 24%.

The post Why this fund manager is backing Xero shares for the rest of 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ‘Future-proof your portfolio’: experts pick 3 quality growth ASX shares to buy
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why are ASX 200 tech shares having such a stellar start to the week?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• 3 top ASX growth shares I’d buy next week

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. 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) is recording its third consecutive session in the green, gaining 0.1%, and these shares are making the most of it.

They’re surging to trade at long-forgotten heights on Tuesday. Here’s what’s helping them along.

These ASX 200 shares just surpassed multi-year highs

Amcor (ASX: AMC)

The Amcor share price reached a new all-time high of $18.63 on Tuesday – a 0.86% increase on its previous close. At the time of writing, its shares are swapping hands at $18.54 apiece.

There’s been no recent news from the packaging manufacturer. However, it released its results for the March quarter earlier this month.

The company’s sales for the quarter increased 15.6% on those of the prior comparable period, reaching US$3.7 billion, while its profits soared around 7.2%.

Today’s lift might be a reaction to the performance of the stock’s US counterpart – Amcor (NYSE: AMCR). It gained 1.33% overnight to close at US$12.94.

Additionally, the ASX 200 share’s home sector ­­– the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) – is outperforming on Tuesday.

It’s currently trading 0.73% higher with many of its lithium-producing constituents leading the charge.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

The Whitehaven Coal share price is recording far more energetic gains on Tuesday. At one stage, the ASX 200 share gained 5.49% to trade at $5.18, the highest it’s been since 2019. At the time of writing, it is trading at $5.16.

Like Amcor, the company hasn’t released any news to the market in weeks. However, there is one thing that might explain its gains today.

The price of thermal coal is nearing its all-time high. Overnight, the black rock’s value rose 2.5% to US$402.50 per tonne, according to CommSec.

Its record high of US$435 a tonne was set in March after major coal-producing nation, Russia, declared its invasion of Ukraine.

And many of the company’s ASX 200 energy peers are joining it in the green on Tuesday. Right now, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) is up 1.8%.

The post 2 ASX 200 shares smashing multi-year highs today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What I love about these ‘boring’ ASX shares: fundie
• ASX 200 midday update: Brambles takeover talks end, resources shares charge higher
• Oz Minerals share price rallies on potential $200m acquisition
• Why are the dividends from Woolworths shares still so small?
• My fund just went up 51%: This is how I did it

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 positions in and has recommended Amcor 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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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Investing in dividend stocks can be an excellent way to build wealth over time. It can also provide a recurring income during retirement. Indeed, there are several benefits to investing in dividend stocks, but one downside is excluding top stocks that have not yet started to pay a dividend.

Typically, when businesses have more growth opportunities than they have cash, they reinvest any money the business generates into growth areas. Eventually, cash from operations exceeds growth opportunities and the funds needed to sustain the business for successful companies. At that time, a company looks to return capital to shareholders. 

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is still in the growth phase. It is spending nearly all the cash the business generates on growth opportunities, mainly in creating content. Let’s consider if Netflix can eventually become an excellent dividend stock. 

Netflix has the right characteristics 

As of March 31, Netflix boasts 222 million streaming subscribers. That was up by 6.7% from the same time last year. Management thinks the company has a long runway for growth and can potentially reach 500 million streaming subs in the long term. The 500 million total could give investors an idea of when the company may start paying a dividend. Until it approaches that sum, it will likely invest in ways to attract more subscribers.

Recently, its most important use of cash has been to create or purchase content for the platform. That makes sense. As a streaming service, it attracts users with its content. Netflix has spent close to $9 billion in cash on content in its most recent two quarters combined. To put that figure into context, Netflix earned roughly $16 billion in revenue during that time. This massive investment primarily in content leads Netflix to approximately break even on cash flow.

NFLX Free Cash Flow data by YCharts

Eventually, if Netflix reaches the 500 million subs it’s targeting, it can bring in so much revenue that the content budget will make up a smaller percentage. Additionally, Netflix has spent an increasing share of its content budget on Netflix creations instead of licensing deals in recent years. The implication of this is that it builds up Netflix’s content library permanently rather than temporarily. A massive content library could retain and attract subscribers without Netflix necessarily investing aggressively in new content. 

There is undoubtedly a visible path to when Netflix could generate sufficient free cash flow to pay a dividend. Once it does start paying a dividend, it could also increase it at a steady and predictable rate. Netflix’s subscriber-generated revenue is non-cyclical and recurring. It will not be much of a mystery how much revenue and free cash flow Netflix will generate in the years that follow it reaching an equilibrium subscriber total. 

Should dividend investors buy Netflix stock in anticipation? 

The answer to that question depends on when you want those dividends. If you need the investment to start paying dividends in the next five years, no, Netflix may not be a suitable investment. The company may still be investing most of its cash in content. However, if your time horizon is 10 years or longer, then Netflix could be an excellent dividend stock by then.

NFLX PE Ratio data by YCharts

To make the case more compelling, Netflix stock has scarcely been cheaper when measured by the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio than it is right now. 

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Could Netflix eventually become an excellent dividend stock? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Will Microsoft and Apple shares finally give way in the stock market’s downturn?
• Here’s why Netflix stock climbed higher today
• Should investors start to question Netflix’s pricing power?
• Have ASX tech shares finally reached the bottom?
• Why Netflix stock was falling again today

Parkev Tatevosian has positions in Netflix.The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Netflix. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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The Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) share price is charging higher today despite no new announcements from the company.

At the time of writing, the rare earths producer’s shares are up 5.26% to $9.30 apiece.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials (ASX: XMJ) sector is one of the better performers on the ASX today. The index, which contains 39 companies that involve mining, forest products, and construction materials, is up 0.81% to 16,731.2 points.

Lynas shares recover lost ground

After hitting a year to date low of $7.895 last week, it appears the Lynas share price has bottomed out.

This comes after the company’s market is staging a small recovery despite macro environmental headwinds still in the mix.

Notably, the increase in Neodymium-Praseodymium (NdPr) prices are likely to be supporting investor confidence in the company’s shares.

In the past week, the price of NdPr has been trending upwards to post a gain of almost 5%.

Lynas is considered the world’s second largest producer of NdPr, behind China which accounts for 60% of global production of rare earths.

Rare earths cover a group of 17 metals that are critical to the manufacturing of many electronic products. This includes mobile smartphones, electric vehicles, aircraft engines, wind turbines, as well as military equipment.

While Lynas currently processes both light and heavy rare earths in Malaysia, it requires China for a final separation of heavy rare earths.

Once completed, the finished products are rare earth oxides, the form in which rare earths are delivered to customers.

However, in the past, China has weaponised its supply to the market, triggering Western analysts to consider a strategy re-think.

As such, Lynas is looking at establishing a heavy rare earths processing facility in the United States. This comes on the back of a global push to reduce reliance on China for critical metals.

Heavy rare earths are used in cutting-edge weapons and communications systems, as well as the F-35 fighter jet.

Lynas share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Lynas share price has rocketed by close to 70% following positive investor sentiment.

Lynas has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30.38 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $8.3 billion.

The post Why is the Lynas share price powering ahead today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Falling ASX 200 mining shares ‘an opportunity to invest in sector leaders’: broker
• Why is the Lynas share price storming higher today?
• The Lynas share price has plunged 6% today! What’s going on?
• If you’d bought $5,000 of Lynas shares 5 years ago, guess how much you’d have now
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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 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 are having a fairly pleasant day of trading so far this Tuesday. At the time of writing, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up a solid 0.32% at around 7,350 points. But the Step One Clothing Ltd (ASX: STP) share price is doing a little better.

Step One shares are today enjoying a whopping gain. The clothing company is presently up an eyecatching 28.57% at 27 cents a share after closing at 21 cents yesterday and opening at 22 cents this morning. And that’s after the company rose as high as 29 cents earlier today – a rise of 35% at the time.

So what’s behind these seemingly enriching gains? Well, things aren’t quite as bright as that headline figure might let on. Yes, Step One is up nearly 30% today. But that only comes after the company crashed a painful 56% or so when it returned to trading yesterday. A week ago, Step One Clothing was a 50 cents per share company. But Step One’s shares were halted from trading on Thursday last week.

Step One share price steps back up

This was to allow the release of a trading update yesterday. As my Fool colleague James covered at the time, Step One informed investors that its expansion into the United Kingdom, United States and women’s products hadn’t exactly been going to plan. Previously, the company had flagged that it expects revenues for FY2022 to grow at between 21% and 25%. Now, it only expects growth of between 15% and 20%.

This announcement seemed to be behind the massive share price crash in Step One shares yesterday. But it appears some investors may have thought things went too far, and have bid Step One shares back higher today. No doubt shareholders will be more than a little relieved. Even so, the clothing company remains down by nearly 82% in 2022 alone, and by 90% over the past year.

At the current Step One share price, this ASX share has a market capitalisation of $88.96 million.

The post The Step One share price rocketed 35% today! Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Imugene, Integrated Research, Monash IVF, and Step One shares are sinking
• Why is the Step One share price crashing 54% to a new low?
• 2 ASX growth shares that experts love right now

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price is outperforming today after it announced its joint venture (JV) has been appointed Preferred Tenderer of two gas exploration areas in Central Queensland.

The new areas are contiguous with existing project areas held by Santos and its JV partner, State Gas Ltd (ASX: GAS).

New tenders lifting sentiment towards Santos’ share price

Both of the new areas are highly prospective for coal seam gas in the Bandanna Formation, according to State Gas. The prospects also could contain conventional gas and are not constrained by domestic gas reservation.

Not only will the new areas connect the JV partners’ existing projects, but they will also provide economies of scale and other synergies to the companies.

The exploration areas cover 1,035 square kilometres and will lift State Gas’ acreage by 60% to 2,630 kilometres square.

Santos owns 65% of the new permits and is the operator – given its experience in running big projects.

State Gas executive chairman Richard Cottee commented:

“Santos is a major player in the industry, with a long track record of safe and sustainable operations. Of particular relevance here is its extensive holding in the area, and its unrivalled experience with the Bandanna coals, the primary target of both these new blocks and our existing Rolleston-West project.

Santos share price also boosted by oil price gains

The Santos share price jumped 2% to $8.26 during lunchtime trade when the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) added a modest 0.3%.

The bigger winner is the State Gas share price, which fired up 12% to 28 cents at the time of writing.

But today is a good day for ASX energy shares as a whole. The 2.5% uplift in the Brent crude price to US$113.95 is energising the sector.

Why is the oil price rising?

The overnight rise in the oil price comes on the back of news that the harsh lockdown in Shanghai could be ending.

The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is also up 2% to $31.12 and the Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price increased 4.4% to $1.71.

The Santos share price lifts amid joint venture news

Separately, Santos also announced that its other JV with Central Petroleum Limited (ASX: CTP) has been given approvals to carry out certain activities. These include rig contracting and environmental and land access approvals.

This JV is aiming to drill three sub-salt exploration wells in 2023 looking for hydrocarbons, helium and naturally occurring hydrogen south of Alice Springs.

The Santos share price has gained over 16% in the past year. This is thanks in large part to the war in Ukraine which is driving up oil prices.

The post The Santos share price lifts amid joint venture news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 midday update: Brambles takeover talks end, resources shares charge higher
• Oz Minerals share price rallies on potential $200m acquisition
• Woodside share price rises after merger clears final regulatory hurdle
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Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau has positions in Santos Limited. 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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