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Inflation is on the rise, and that means interest rates are too. So where can investors turn to protect their portfolios from the sting of inflation? ASX-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) might be one place the average investor hasn’t thought to look yet.

At the latest ASX Investor Day, two Betashares ETFs were touted as potential inflation fighters. The first is the Betashares Cloud Computing ETF (ASX: CLDD), which invests in a diversified mix of global companies in the cloud computing industry. The second is the Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK), which invests in 41 leading companies fighting cybercrime.

Let’s take a closer look at these ASX ETFs and why they could be less prone to rising prices.

Paying up for what is essential

Pricing power is a key factor when it comes to avoiding the margin crimping effects of inflation on a company. Essentially, all products are competing with each other for each dollar in a consumer’s wallet.

When prices rise broadly, that competition becomes more fierce as the average person becomes more selective with where they spend their money. However, the more of a necessity a product or service is, the greater the ability to increase prices while retaining customers.

As noted at the ASX Investor Day, both cloud computing and cybersecurity are sectors that are becoming more of a necessity than a discretionary purchase. In the case of cybersecurity, this is a byproduct of the costliness of not having protection in the current era.

According to the presentation, the global cost of ransomware attacks increased an astonishing 5,700% between 2015 to 2021. Similarly, data is growing at a blistering rate of 60% per annum.

Furthermore, the presenter highlighted high margins, recurring revenues, and sticky relationships as attractive features of companies within the cloud computing ASX ETF.

What companies are in these ASX ETFs?

It is always good to remember that ETFs are a collection of companies. So, before investing it’s good to get a grasp of where exactly our dollars are being allocated.

For the Betashares Cloud Computing ETF, the top 10 positions are as follows:

• Anaplan Inc (NYSE: PLAN)
• Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: AKAM)
• Mimecast Ltd (NASDAQ: MIME)
• Qualys Inc (NASDAQ: QLYS)
• Box Inc (NYSE: BOX)
• Digital Realty Trust Inc (NYSE: DLR)
• Dropbox Inc (NASDAQ: DBX)
• SPS Commerce Inc (NASDAQ: SPSC)
• Five9 Inc (NASDAQ: FIVN)
• Workday Inc (NASDAQ: WDAY)

Meanwhile, the top 10 companies making up the Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF are:

• Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO)
• Palo Alto Networks Inc (NASDAQ: PANW)
• Crowdstrike Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: CRWD)
• Zscaler Inc (NASDAQ: ZS)
• Mandiant Inc (LON: 0QZY)
• Leidos Holdings Inc (NYSE: LDOS)
• Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Co (NYSE: BAH)
• Cloudflare Inc (NYSE: NET)
• Sailpoint Technologies Holding (NYSE: SAIL)
• Akamai Technologies Inc

Considering most of these companies fall under the ‘tech’ stock category, it comes as no surprise that neither of these ASX-listed ETFs has fared too well so far this year. At the time of writing, HACK is down 16.2% year-to-date, while CLDD is down 30.1%.

The post Here are 2 ASX-listed ETFs that might be able to fend off inflation appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are 2 quality ETFs that are now a lot cheaper
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• 3 top ETFs for ASX investors to buy and hold for 10 years
• Are these 2 ASX tech shares top ideas for May 2022?

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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS, Cisco Systems, Cloudflare, Inc., CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc., and Five9. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. 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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Shares of Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO) are shifting higher on Monday and now trade 4.71% higher at $1.335. Earlier, the Nitro share price was as high as 7%.

Despite no market-sensitive updates today, the Nitro Software share price has surged hard from the open alongside many other tech names.

In wider market moves, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) is also up 1.79% as investors show confidence in tech shares once again.

What’s up with the Nitro Software share price?

Shares in Nitro have oscillated in recent weeks and have been trading in a fairly narrow range of $1.59 to $1.13 per share, a roughly 20% spread.

In that time, tech shares have embarked on a gyrating ride as well, recently coming off a rough period marred by volatility.

As such Nitro has seen both its stock price and valuation take a lunge backwards in recent weeks, with a string of brokers reducing their price targets on the company.

Each of UBS, Bell Potter, Goldman Sachs and Jarden cut their price target on the stock by 5%–25% to start the month.

Meanwhile, analysts at Shaw & Partners increased their valuation of the company by 8% to $2.70 per share. Morgan Stanley also retained its buy rating in a recent note, although trimmed its price target by over 40% to $2.30 in the process.

The broker noted it had revised its earnings targets for Nitro given a large drop in similar names and a reduced earnings guidance, but this was offset by its view on Nitro’s e-signing capacity – especially via the company’s PDF software.

Forager Funds is also opting to keep ahold of the stock, according to a recent TMF analysis from Tony Yoo.

“Trends in revenue growth for all three remain at least in line with expectations, ranging from 24% at Whispir (using the recurring component of its revenue only) to more than 40% at Nitro,” Forager said, cited by TMF.

And the investment manager isn’t against the grain here either – 100% of analysts have Nitro Software rated as a buy right now, according to Bloomberg data.

The consensus price target from this list is $2.57 per share, indicating an upside potential of 127% should the bull thesis pull through.

Nitro Software share price snapshot

In the last 12 months, the Nitro Software share price has clipped more than 48% into the red after another 46% dip this year to date.

The post Why is the Nitro Software share price rallying 5%? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX tech shares we’re sticking with: Forager
• Analysts say these top ASX growth shares are buys
• 2 highly rated small cap ASX shares that analysts say have huge potential
• Analysts say investors should buy these top ASX shares
• Why Nitro, PointsBet, Sezzle, and Siteminder shares are racing higher

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 recommended Nitro Software 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.

In 2020, Morgan Housel released The Psychology of Money. I think it deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of investing books, especially for folks who believe history and behavioral psychology are critical elements for investing.

In the book, Housel has a section describing the stock market as a field where multiple games that have nothing to do with each other are being played at once. To quote from the book:

Few things matter more with money than understanding your own time horizon and not being persuaded by the actions and behaviors of people playing different games than you are.

Here’s why this simple concept has lifelong impacts on your money and why it’s the best investing lesson I ever learned.

Understanding a stock’s price

A stock’s price at a given time is merely a representation of the consensus value determined by buyers and sellers. But many of these players’ motives and reasons for buying or selling the stock are completely different from yours.

For example, you have retail investors and institutional investors. Retirees and college kids. Long-term investors with multi-decade time horizons and day traders. Short-sellers and folks who only stay on the long side. Options and futures traders and those who only buy shares in stocks. The list goes on and on.

Housel’s point is that many of these games have conflicting influences over the price action of a given stock. And for that reason, the price of a stock seldom resembles its long-term intrinsic value.

The tug-of-war between greed and fear

At certain times, the price of a stock can be dominated by greed and, at other times, it can be dominated by fear. In today’s brutal bear market, that means you have some traders who may dump perfectly good growth stocks and move into value simply because they are fearful.

They decide they would rather own a stable business with a good balance sheet and positive free cash flow than take a risk on a company whose value comes from what it could be worth in future years and not what it is worth today. As a result, we continue to see exciting growth companies with a lot of potential get sold off heavily in the short term due to panic.

On the flip side, a lot of value stocks, and oil and gas stocks, were arguably underappreciated in 2020 and 2021, while some growth stocks saw their valuations get ahead of themselves. In those years, we saw investors take more risks and cast out companies with low growth. We saw a disregard for the geopolitical importance of utilities, energy stocks, and defense stocks in favor of bets on the next big thing.

Real-world examples

The point here is that you can gain clarity by remembering that a lot of the money in the stock market is playing a completely different game than you are. Once you understand that, it’s easy to see why an excellent company like Amazon can fall by over 30% in a couple of weeks for little more than a mediocre earnings report and broader market volatility.

Let’s take the example a step further with a stock like Shopify (NYSE: SHOP). Shopify closed the 2019 calendar year at just under $400 a share. It gained tons of momentum during the pandemic as e-commerce grew and the gig economy went into full effect. It ballooned to a market cap of over $200 billion and an all-time-high price per share of $1,762.92 on November 19, 2021; and has since slid to its current price of around $335 per share.

Shopify stock embodies several different games being played at once. On the one hand, you have long-term investors who believe in Shopify’s ability to add new merchants, have existing merchants upgrade to more expensive plans, and have those merchants earn more money which benefits Shopify. Then you have a series of folks who were only buying Shopify as a short-term ‘pandemic play’ and don’t care about the underlying business — which was a big reason why Shopify stock ran up too far, too fast in 2021.

But today, you have yet another game being played — the game of losing patience by selling growth stocks that make little to no profit and seeking cover in safer names. Once an investor realizes these conflicting games, it starts to make sense why a stock like Shopify can go from boom to bust. It doesn’t make the price action in either direction right; it just helps explain why it happened in the first place.

A lesson from Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is an excellent example of an investor who knows exactly what game he is playing. Buffett has repeatedly admitted he is unlikely to outperform a raging bull market because he doesn’t invest in many growth stocks and sticks mostly to value. But he still believes he will outperform the S&P 500 over time — which has been true over his long-term track record.

Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio may look overly conservative as it contains a lot of insurance companies, banks, oil and gas stocks, and consumer staples companies. But for Buffett, these are the kinds of businesses he wants to invest in. It’s his game, and he’s playing the stock market according to his own rules and risk tolerance.

An individual investor has no control over the broader stock market. So, imposing control over our investment decisions and style is the best way we can feel comfortable and achieve direction when stock prices seem to rise and fall randomly.

The silver lining

For long-term investors in stocks like Shopify, the whipsaw price action of 400% gains followed by 80% losses in just a two-year period can be confusing and annoying. It can be hard to know a fair price for a company when conflicting motives are tugging at its stock price. However, there is a silver lining.

Over time, fundamentals always win out. One look at the stock charts of successful companies like Nike or Apple, and you’ll quickly see that sell-offs are simply par for the course for a successful long-term investment.

The beauty of long-term investing is that it is one of the few games where the odds are in your favor. The stock market tends to fall faster than it goes up but goes up more than it goes down. The average compound annual growth rate of the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested since 1965 has been around 10.5%. That’s a massive tailwind for long-term investors to benefit from compound interest.

By investing in quality businesses that you understand and letting time be an ally, an investor stands a better chance of ignoring the noise of the market and focusing on what matters most.

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

The post The single greatest investing lesson I ever learned appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Apple stock withered on Wednesday
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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Daniel Foelber has positions in Shopify and has the following options: long September 2022 $600 calls on Shopify and short January 2024 $600 calls on Shopify. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), Nike, and Shopify. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2023 $1,140 calls on Shopify, long January 2023 $200 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short January 2023 $1,160 calls on Shopify, short January 2023 $200 puts on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), short January 2023 $265 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and Nike. 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 Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX: COB) share price is back in the green on Monday after last week’s rollercoaster.

There’s been no news from the cobalt developer today. However, there was plenty going on with the stock last week.

At the time of writing, the Cobalt Blue share price is trading at 81 cents, 1.25% higher than its previous close.

Though, earlier today, the stock was trading at 84.5 cents, representing a 5.6% gain.

In comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is currently up 0.21%.

Let’s take a look at what’s been happening with the cobalt stock lately.

What’s going on with Cobalt Blue’s stock?

The Cobalt Blue share price has had a wild ride over the last seven days. It’s possible today’s unexplained movement could be an extension of such volatility.

 The stock launched 13% higher on both Tuesday and Wednesday last week for no obvious reason.

However, the gains came after an episode of ABC’s Four Corners featuring the company was broadcast on Monday night. The episode explored Australia’s critical metals mining boom.

Speaking on the program, Cobalt Blue CEO Joe Kaderavek discussed federal and state government support for the company’s Broken Hill Cobalt Project, demand for its products, and its potential position in the battery-powered future.

But investor elation for the stock soon turned sour. The Cobalt Blue share price tumbled 11% on Thursday following the release of an update on its demonstration plant.

That’s despite the company announcing the plant’s construction was progressing well and it expected mining and concentration operations to begin soon. Additionally, demand for larger-scale samples of the project’s product had been better than expected.

The bigger picture

It’s also worth noting the company’s major commodity’s value hasn’t exhibited any major movements lately.

Cobalt futures surged approximately 15% on the London Metal Exchange over the course of February and March.

However, they’ve been mostly stable since. Cobalt futures have traded at around US$82,000 a tonne for the last 30 days.

Cobalt Blue share price snapshot

Despite its recent volatility, the Cobalt Blue share price has been performing well lately.

It has gained 65% since the start of 2022. It’s also 150% higher than it was this time last year.

The post Why did the Cobalt Blue share price leap 5% this morning? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 critical minerals you might not have heard of (and the ASX shares that have surged because of them)
• Why did the Cobalt Blue share price come off the boil in April?

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 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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With so many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $43.00 price target on this gaming technology company’s shares. Goldman believes that Aristocrat will release a strong half-year result this month. It expects the company to report a 16% increase in revenue and a 20% jump in NPATA for the period. In light of this and its positive outlook, the broker feels its shares are good value at the current level. The Aristocrat share price is trading at $32.16.

Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)

A note out of Macquarie reveals that its analysts have retained their outperform rating and $34.80 price target on this appliance manufacturer’s shares. This follows the release of an update from rival De’Longhi last week which revealed a record quarterly performance. Macquarie sees the result as a positive read-through for Breville’s performance during the second half of FY 2022. The Breville share price is fetching $21.93 today.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Analysts at Citi have retained their buy rating and $108.00 price target on this cloud accounting platform provider’s shares. The broker suspects that the increased investment by Sage in the UK (brand, marketing and go-to-market) was one of the reasons for Xero’s lower than expected subscriber growth in the country during the second half of FY 2022. Nevertheless, Citi remains positive. While conceding that competition is a risk, it continues to expect Xero to deliver strong growth in the UK driven by cloud adoption. The latter will be supported by the Making Tax Digital regulatory changes. The Xero share price is trading at $86.92 on Monday.

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

More reading

• Why are ASX 200 tech shares having such a stellar start to the week?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• 3 top ASX growth shares I’d buy next week
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 Goldman Sachs and 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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ASX 200 tech shares are starting the week on a high, following a similar path to those on US markets.

The S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) is up 2.08% at the time of writing at 2,096.4 points after rising 4% higher earlier in the session. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.2% so far today.

Let’s take a look at why ASX 200 tech shares could be climbing today.

Technology shares rise

ASX 200 tech share Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) is soaring 4.15% at the time of writing, while the Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price is 3.81% higher. Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shot up 4.8% early in the day and has now settled at 0.41% higher.

Meanwhile, Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) is ahead 1.93% and TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) is 1% higher.

ASX technology shares often follow in the footsteps of their US counterparts. On Friday, US tech shares were surging. The Nasdaq-100 Technology Sector Index (NASDAQ: NDXT) soared 5.67% on Friday. Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) leapt 3.19%, while Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) jumped 2.26%, Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: FB) jumped 3.86% and Telsa Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) rocketed 5.71%.

Commenting on this market recovery on Friday, CFRA chief investment strategist Sam Stovall told CNBC:

Just as trees don’t climb to the sky, prices don’t fall forever. Even in corrections and approaching bear markets, they tend to experience relief rallies, which is what the markets appear to be starting today.

Meanwhile, on the New York Stock Exchange, Block Inc (NYSE: SQ) soared 11.07%

Share price snapshot

The All Technology Index has fallen 16% over the past year, while it is down 30% year to date.

In the past month, the index has shed nearly 14%, while it has dropped almost 3% in the past week.

For perspective, the ASX 200 has climbed nearly 2% in the past year while it has fallen 4% year to date.

The post Why are ASX 200 tech shares having such a stellar start to the week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• 3 top ASX growth shares I’d buy next week
• These were the worst performers on the ASX 200 last week
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Nearmap share price jumps 9% on Friday

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Block, Inc., WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block, Inc., WiseTech Global, and 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 Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is enjoying a healthy lift today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) travel group closed on Friday at $19.62 and were trading for $20.07, up 2.3% at the start of the lunch hour.

This comes following news that the company has retained a “prestigious” state government contract.

What government contract was retained?

The Flight Centre share price could be enjoying some extra tailwinds today following news reported by The Australian that the company has retained its New South Wales government travel management contract.

With a tender process now concluded, FCM – the company’s global business travel division – will keep the contract, which it’s held for six years. The new contract runs for three years, along with two more one-year options.

Commenting on the contract retention, FCM Travel Solutions general manager Melissa Elf said:

We’re delighted to have retained this prestigious account and we’re looking forward to helping the New South Wales government achieve its aims… The travel contract will consist of nine clusters and over 80 agencies, with each agency having specific requirements, and the program will be further supported with enhanced reporting.

What’s been happening with the Flight Centre share price?

Buoyed by the reopening of domestic and many international travel routes, the ASX 200 travel share has outperformed the benchmark both in the calendar year and over the past 12 months.

Flight Centre shares are up 31% since this time last year and up 8% so far in 2022.

By comparison the ASX 200 has gained 1% over the full year and remains down 6% since the opening bell on 4 January.

Is there further upside?

Barring any major uptick in the COVID pandemic, the Flight Centre share price could march considerably higher from here, according to analysts at Bell Potter.

Citing some strong third-quarter metrics, the broker noted that March saw Flight Centre return to operating profit.

Bell Potter retained its buy rating and increased its target for the Flight Centre share price to $24.50. That’s 22% above the current price.

The post What’s boosting the Flight Centre share price on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the Flight Centre share price picking up altitude today?
• Broker says Flight Centre share price could takeoff and rise 24%
• When was the best ever day on the Flight Centre share price chart?
• Unprecedented: Does this event mean we’re now in a bear market?
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

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 recent ASX big bank reporting season threw up a few surprises during this rising interest rate environment. And one, in particular, is standing out from the crowd, according to a top broker.

The most surprising thing to emerge from the results was the dramatic change in tune in the big banks’ approach to costs.

That was the findings of Citigroup as it noted the complete reset of the major banks’ future cost expectations.

ASX big bank cost target surprise

The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) have already abandoned the cost targets they religiously set previously.

ASX big banks had previously focussed heavily on cost control as that was an effective lever to manage margin pressure when interest rates were at record lows.

The turn in the rate cycle will help them to pad margins, but high inflation is making costs a challenge to manage. The irony is that the winner will be the one that masters the art of cost control.

How to pick the winner

“A rising cash rate is set to accelerate revenue growth for all the major banks,” said Citi.

This is likely to lead to a narrowing of the current revenue differences, as lending demand slows. Therefore, EPS growth forecasts in the next few years will be dictated by each bank’s cost strategy, so long as asset quality holds up.

There is one ASX big bank share that Citi believes will be in pole position to outperform against this backdrop.

The ASX bank share that is the top buy pick

This is the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price as Westpac is the only major bank sticking to its cost-savings goals.

At face value, it means Westpac is also likely to be the only ASX big bank to face higher expenses.

“Costs will grow at every bank except WBC, which seems determined to run its own race,” added the broker.

“We see WBC as offering the best risk-return equation as well as the strongest EPS growth profile.”

What is the Westpac share price worth?

Citi’s 12-month price target on the Westpac share price is $29 a share. This implies a 19% upside before dividends and franking are included.

Further, the broker rates the ANZ Bank share price as its second ASX bank share option to buy. This is followed by the NAB share price, which is rated as neutral and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price, which Citi rates a ‘sell’.

The post This is the best ASX bank share to buy in a rising rate environment: Citi appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Hoping to bag the next Westpac dividend? Read this
• Top ASX dividend shares to buy in May 2022
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today
• How does the ANZ dividend compare to the other ASX 200 banks?
• Inflation to ‘peak shortly’: CBA boss says markets have priced in too many rate rises

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau has positions in Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank Limited, and Westpac Banking Corporation. 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 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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The Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX: GAL) share price is racing higher again on Monday.

In afternoon trade, the mineral exploration company’s shares are up a further 42% to a new multi-year high of 77 cents.

This means the Galileo Mining share price is now up 250% since the start of the month.

Why is the Galileo Mining share price storming higher?

The catalyst for the rise in the Galileo Mining share price on Monday has been news that one of the company’s major shareholders has increased their stake.

According to a change of substantial holding notice, Mark Creasy has increased his stake by 3 million shares to 44,371,895 shares. This represents an interest of 26.35%.

Mr Creasy made the move on Friday, paying an average of 58 cents per share or a total consideration of $1.74 million.

The billionaire mining prospector appears to have liked what he saw when Galileo Mining released drilling results last week.

‘Significant’ discovery

Last Wednesday, Galileo Mining revealed that it has discovered “significant” palladium, platinum, copper, gold, and nickel mineralisation at the Norseman project in Western Australia.

Drilling from 144m at hole NRC266 intersected with 33 metres at 1.64 grams per tonne (g/t) palladium, 0.28 g/t platinum, 0.09 g/t gold, 0.32% copper, and 0.3% nickel. Management believes this shows the potential for a large mineralised system.

Galileo Mining’s managing director, Brad Underwood, commented:

While we are at an early stage in the discovery process, the thick and consistent zone of mineralisation, and the extensive prospective strike length, suggests the potential for a large mineralised system.

Galileo remains fully funded with $8.2 million at the end of the March quarter and able to continue aggressive exploration programs at all our projects. We look forward to updating the market as work progresses on this exciting new West Australian discovery.

The post Why is the Galileo Mining share price jumping 42% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why did the Galileo Mining share price tumble 18% in early trading on Thursday?
• Galileo Mining share price explodes 150% on major discovery

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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The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price has been moving in circles the past week.

Investor fears surrounding interest rate hikes, inflation, China’s COVID-19 crisis, and a global economic slowdown are impacting the markets in May.

This led the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) to fall 1.27% since last Monday, despite lifting 0.19% so far today.

Westpac, on the other hand, is currently up 1.35% to $24.325.

Westpac shares set to go ex-dividend

Despite the recently volatility, investors have been buying the bank shares following the company’s half year results last week.

This is most likely because of the upcoming ex-dividend date for Westpac shares.

Investors need to buy Westpac shares before market close on Wednesday to be eligible for the interim dividend. The ex-dividend date is on Thursday 19 May.

It’s worth noting though that, historically, when a company reaches its ex-dividend day, its shares tend to fall in proportion to the dividend paid out. This is because investors tend to sell off the company’s shares after securing the dividend.

When can Westpac shareholders expect payment?

For those who are eligible for the Westpac interim dividend, shareholders will receive a payment of 61 cents per share on 24 June. The dividend is also fully franked which means shareholders will receive a portion of tax credits from this.

Furthermore, investors can elect to take up the bank’s dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) which will instead add a number of shares to their portfolios.

There is no DRP discount rate, however, price will be determined by the daily volume-weighted average (VWAP) from 25 May to 7 June.

The last election date for shareholders to opt-in to the DRP is on 23 May.

Westpac share price snapshot

In 2022, the Westpac share price has gained 14% but is down almost 4.5% over the last 12 months.

The company’s shares reached a year to date high of $24.67 last month, before moving sideways in the following weeks.

Westpac commands a market capitalisation of roughly $85 billion and has a trailing dividend yield of 4.92%.

The post Hoping to bag the next Westpac dividend? Read this appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top ASX dividend shares to buy in May 2022
• Is the Westpac share price a smart bank buy today?
• Time is running out to secure dividends from these 3 ASX 200 shares
• 2 top ASX dividend shares experts rate as buys
• Westpac share price is a buy: Broker tips ‘strongest EPS growth in the sector’

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 recommended 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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