Tag: Motley Fool

  • Blast off! Why is the Zip share price zooming 3% on Friday?

    A happy girl in a yellow playsuit with a zip gives the thumbs upA happy girl in a yellow playsuit with a zip gives the thumbs up

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) share price is ending the week on a high after yesterday’s catastrophic session.

    And it’s not alone in its gains. The tech-adjacent stock is leaping alongside many of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s technology shares.

    At the time of writing, the Zip share price is trading at 97 cents, 3.74% higher than its previous close.

    For context, the ASX 200 is also in the green, gaining 1.35%.

    Let’s take a look at what might be going on with the buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares.

    Zip share price takes off on Friday

    Zip shares are back on the horse after tumbling to a multi-year low of 91.5 cents in intraday trade yesterday.

    And the BNPL stock was joined in the red by most ASX 200 tech shares. In fact, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) fell a whopping 8.7% on Thursday amid news of inflation overseas.

    But today’s a new day. The tech sector is up 4.89% on Friday with none of its constituents recording a loss.

    The Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) share price is leading the pack. It’s currently up 12.5%, clawing back some of yesterday’s 17.6% tumble.

    Despite today’s partial rebound, the Zip share price is 77% lower than it was at the start of 2022. It has also dumped 85% since this time last year.  

    The post Blast off! Why is the Zip share price zooming 3% on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Zip, 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 Zip 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 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 Block, Inc. and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block, 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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  • Why is the Australian Strategic Materials share price frozen today?

    Businessman in a Cold Office with Snow and Ice.Businessman in a Cold Office with Snow and Ice.

    The Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX: ASM) share price won’t be going anywhere on Friday.

    This comes as the company requested its shares be placed in a trading halt today.

    At such, the emerging critical metals producer’s shares are frozen at $5.26 cents apiece.

    What’s happening with Australian Strategic Materials?

    Prior to the market opening, management requested the Australian Strategic Materials share price be halted while it prepares an announcement.

    According to the release, the company is planning to make an announcement in relation to an equity funding agreement and revisions to a framework agreement.

    It’s worth noting that Australian Strategic Materials shares have lost considerable value in the past month. Its shares are now down more than 26% after touching an 11-month low of $5.20 yesterday.

    The company has requested the trading halt remains in place until Tuesday 17 May or following the release of the announcement, whichever comes first.

    Project ready for construction

    Headquartered in Western Australia, the company is focused on supplying high-purity metals, alloys and powders to global manufactures.

    These advanced materials are used in the clean energies, electric vehicles, aerospace, electronics, and communications space.

    Australian Strategic Materials wholly owns the Dubbo Project which holds rare earths, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, tantalum, and yttrium.

    With all major approvals and licences in place, the project is ready for construction, subject to financing.

    The company intends to develop the site to meet the high demand of a range of existing and future technologies.

    Notably, once established, the project will be one of the few supply options outside China, according to the company.

    About the Australian Strategic Materials share price

    Over the past 12 months, Australian Strategic Materials shares have risen by 24% following strong investor hype in mid-2021.

    Although, when looking since the start of the current year, its shares have receded to post a decline of 50%.

    Based on valuation grounds, Australian Strategic Materials has a market capitalisation of roughly $775.65 million.

    The post Why is the Australian Strategic Materials share price frozen today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Australian Strategic Materials right now?

    Before you consider Australian Strategic Materials, 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 Australian Strategic Materials 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 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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  • Tech turnaround: ASX 200 tech shares surge higher on Friday

    happy teenager using iPhone

    happy teenager using iPhoneS&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) tech shares are enjoying a much-needed turnaround today.

    At the time of writing tech shares are among the strongest performers, as witnessed by the 3.1% gain in the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX), which includes companies outside of ASX 200 tech shares.

    The ASX 200 itself is up 1.3% at this same time.

    Why are tech stocks rebounding?

    Tech shares look to be getting a lift from a late afternoon rally in the tech heavy Nasdaq yesterday (overnight Aussie time).

    With barely an hour to go before the closing bell, the Nasdaq was down 2.2% for the day. Then investors piled in, seeing the index finish up a slender 0.1%.

    After a tough year, these ASX 200 tech shares are leaping higher

    WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), like most every tech stock, has struggled this year amid fast rising inflation and interest rate hike expectations. That’s seen its share price tumble 34.5% year-to-date.

    But today, the shareholders of the company which provides cloud-based software solutions for the logistics sector, can breathe easier, with shares up 2.3%.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO), a business and accounting software provider, is also down 44.5% in 2022. But not today. At the time of writing, the Xero share price stands at $80.48, up 4.7%.

    Leading the charge among ASX 200 tech shares is global payment systems giant Block Inc (ASX: SQ2). Block hasn’t been immune to the wider tech market rout, with shares down 37.1% since 4 January.

    Today the Block share price is surging higher, up 12.1%.

    The post Tech turnaround: ASX 200 tech shares surge higher on Friday 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

    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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  • Down 8% in a week, is the Cochlear share price in the buy zone?

    a woman puts her fingers in her ears with a pained expression on her face with her eyes closed as though trying to block hearing bad news or an unpleasant loud noise.a woman puts her fingers in her ears with a pained expression on her face with her eyes closed as though trying to block hearing bad news or an unpleasant loud noise.

    Shares of Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) have struggled this year to date, dipping 8% in the past week of trade alone.

    The Cochlear share price pushed another 6% lower in the past month of trade, coming off a high of $236 in late April. Now trading at around $211, this represents an overall drop of almost 3% since January.

    In wider market moves, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) has slipped 10% this year to date but is up 3% in the last month of trade.

    Is the Cochlear share price a buy?

    Broker sentiment is mixed on which direction the Cochlear share price will travel in the next 12 months. In terms of ratings, calls are split evenly between buys and holds, according to Bloomberg data.

    Specifically, 42.1% of coverage has it rated a buy or hold, with the remaining 16% of brokers urging their clients to sell Cochlear shares.

    A flurry of broker updates came through in late April for Cochlear. Goldman Sachs pointed out that the company’s acquisition of Oticon Medical could be a net positive to boost industry pricing.

    That’s because Oticon was previously a challenger to Cochlear, albeit with a lower pricing point, and the acquisition also folds in additional research and development (R&D) opportunities for the company.

    The broker retained its buy rating and values Cochlear at $237 per share, well ahead of Morgan Stanley, which values it at $208 per share with a neutral stance.

    Still, those at Morgan Stanley reckon the Oticon transaction shouldn’t face any issues from regulators, and that the company won’t add a material impact to Cochlear’s bottom line.

    That view differs from analysts at Macquarie, however. The Macquarie team reckon that the $170 million Oticon transaction could spell earnings dilution in the short term for Cochlear.

    Analysts reckon that there will be a range of $30 million–$60 million in integration costs and that Cochlear only acquired Oticon to boost its market share of the implant device market.

    Macquarie is neutral on Cochlear as well, albeit values the company at $215 per share.

    Opinion differs at Citi however, with analysts there rating the stock a buy with a $235 per share price target – right near Cochlear’s former highs.

    The team at Citi made an interesting report noting the Oticon transaction is both an opportunistic and defensive play by Cochlear.

    One curious point is the broker reckons Cochlear could even be capitalising on Oticon’s recall of its Neuro Zti implant in 2021, due to malfunction issues.

    This made entry into the US difficult for Oticon, Citi says, but the transaction also consolidated Cochlear’s position towards becoming a market leader in the bone-anchored hearing aid segment as well.

    The consensus price target for Cochlear according to Bloomberg data is $223.90 per share, implying around 6% upside potential should this come to fruition.

    The post Down 8% in a week, is the Cochlear share price in the buy zone? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Cochlear, 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 Cochlear 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 positions in and has recommended Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear Ltd. 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 Tesla stock is falling again today

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

    tesla model 3

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

    What happened 

    Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) investors have been seeing the electric vehicle stock stumble as of late and they aren’t getting any reprieve today. The company’s stock was stumbling once again today, likely as investors processed several bits of news including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) scrutiny of CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase, rising inflation, and an analyst’s price cut for Tesla’s stock. 

    The EV maker fell by as much as 7.4% this morning and was down by 1% as of 12:28 p.m. ET. 

    So what 

    First up is the SEC’s probe into Musk’s purchase of Twitter. Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the SEC was looking into whether or not Musk broke a rule when he disclosed his stake in Twitter. 

    According to the report, Musk reported his stake a week later than he should have and also used a filing that’s usually reserved for passive investors.

    Tesla investors aren’t keen to have Musk in the sights of the SEC again and it’s likely that some of them are selling off shares as a result today. 

    Additionally, Tesla’s shares may be falling in response to an investor note by Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan, who maintained an equal-weight rating on Tesla’s stock today but lowered his price target from $960 to $900. 

    And if all that wasn’t enough to send Tesla’s share price falling today, general worry from investors about the U.S. economy isn’t helping either. An inflation report came out yesterday showing that inflation is still stubbornly high — at 8.3% in April — and that’s making investors increasingly concerned that aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve will be needed. 

    With more rate hikes likely on the way this year, investors are fleeing high-growth stocks in search of seemingly more stable investments.

    Now what 

    Tesla investors have already been on a wild ride lately, with this stock plunging 31% over the past six months.

    Musk’s purchase of Twitter isn’t making things easier for himself or Tesla shareholders. And with investors already nervous about rising inflation and a potential economic slowdown, I think Tesla investors should continue to keep a bottle of antacid handy, at least for a little while. 

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

    The post Why Tesla stock is falling again today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Tesla , 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 Tesla 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

    Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Chris Neiger 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 Tesla and Twitter. 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. 

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

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  • Which is the better beaten-up buy, Bubs or A2 Milk shares?

    Close up of baby looking puzzledClose up of baby looking puzzled

    The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price and the Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) share price have both suffered in recent times.

    Over the last six months, the Bubs share price is down around 33%. The A2 Milk share price is down a similar level, around 35%.

    From the peak in July 2020, A2 Milk shares are down around 80%. Looking at Bubs, it has declined more than 60% since July 2020.

    Both businesses have seen similar falls, but which one is the better buy?

    What’s the problem?

    China is a key market for infant formula from both of these businesses. The country had a population of around 1.4 billion in 2021, so that’s a very large potential market of families that may want to buy infant nutrition.

    A2 Milk blamed the decline on the prolonged impact of COVID-19 and a rapidly changing infant formula market. In FY21, it said that over the year the Chinese market growth reduced significantly from “globally high rates to be flat, and cross-border trade has been disrupted significantly which has had a profound impact on the company’s results”.

    A2 Milk shares faltered as sales through the daigou/reseller and e-commerce channels suffered.

    In FY21, the company saw revenue fall 30.3% to $1.21 billion and net profit after tax (NPAT) sank 79.1% to $80.7 million. A2 Milk took action to address excess inventory. It said this was reducing channel inventory, improving product freshness, and market pricing.

    Bubs also saw a significant drop in daigou sales in FY21, with gross revenue dropping 24% to $46.8 million. It also suffered from an inventory write-down to the tune of $12.6 million.

    Growth returning?

    While FY21 saw a lot of disruption, things are improving.

    A2 Milk is expecting to deliver revenue growth in FY22. The HY22 revenue was slightly down by 2.5% to $660.5 million. The overall Chinese infant formula market declined by 3.3% in value during the first half due to the impact of a lower birth rate.

    A2 Milk is expecting the FY22 second-half revenue to be much more than that in the FY21 second half.

    The latest update we’ve seen from Bubs is the FY22 third quarter. Gross revenue was up 49% to $17.6 million, the third consecutive quarter of growth on the prior year. Domestic retail infant formula sales rose 108% year on year. Total Chinese sales were up 8%. Excluding China, international gross revenue was up 153%, with international sales of Bubs-branded products growing by 63%.

    Profitability

    Bubs is not yet profitable, while A2 Milk is. Profitability can be a help for the A2 Milk share price.

    A2 Milk made an NPAT of $56.1 million in the first half of FY22, though this was down 53.3%.

    Despite the revenue growth expectations, A2 Milk isn’t expecting higher earnings as it “significantly” invests in the market and other activities related to its growth strategy.

    Which one is better?

    It may be that A2 Milk has a stronger brand, for now at least.

    But Bubs is growing quickly. It’s growing strongly internationally, in Asian countries outside of China.

    The broker Citi currently rates Bubs as a buy, with a price target of 59 cents. That implies a possible upside of around 57% on its current price of 37.5 cents. It noted the Chinese lockdowns could slow growth in the short term. It also noted Bubs’ new A2 beta-casein protein infant formula range, with the corporate daigou partner Willis Trading putting in an order valued at $32.9 million.

    Citi rates A2 Milk shares as a sell, with a price target of $4.80. Citi thinks that A2 Milk could suffer from the lockdowns.

    In my opinion, Bubs has managed to turn things around over the last several months. Its growth is now looking stronger than A2 Milk, it’s growing its product range and it’s setting the scene for good growth internationally by expanding its footprint in the US. For those reasons, I’d pick Bubs of the two. But share market volatility could remain elevated for a while.

    The post Which is the better beaten-up buy, Bubs or A2 Milk shares? 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

    Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 A2 Milk and BUBS AUST FPO. 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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  • Infomedia share price halted amid takeover approach

    an attractive woman gives a time out signal with her hands, holding them in a T shape, indicating a trading halt.

    an attractive woman gives a time out signal with her hands, holding them in a T shape, indicating a trading halt.The Infomedia Limited (ASX: IFM) share price isn’t going anywhere on Friday morning.

    Just before the market open, the automotive industry software company’s shares were placed in a trading halt.

    Why is the Infomedia share price in a trading halt?

    The Infomedia share price was placed in a trading halt at the company’s request this morning while it prepares to make an announcement.

    According to the request, that an announcement will relate to the receipt of a takeover approach. It explained:

    The trading halt is requested pending the release of a material announcement by the Company in relation to receipt of a formal change of control proposal from an Interested Party.

    The Company requests that the trading halt remains in place until the earlier of the time the Company makes an announcement in relation to the proposal, or commencement of trading on Tuesday 17 May 2022.

    Who is attempting to acquire Infomedia?

    Infomedia hasn’t revealed who has tabled the change of control proposal. However, it did release a separate announcement this morning which revealed a new substantial shareholder.

    According to the release, the TA Consortium has become a substantial shareholder with 54.3 million shares. This equates to a ~14.5% stake based on Infomedia’s 375.76 million shares on issue.

    Based on the release, the consortium appears to comprise Boston-based private equity firm TA Associates and Australian Viburnum Funds.

    TA Associates, which has over US$47 billion of assets under management, has a track record of investing in technology shares, so it would be a likely suitor for Infomedia. Furthermore, it is no stranger to Australia. Last year it made a major investment in ETF provider BetaShares.

    As things stand, no details have been released in respect to the proposal. Stay tuned for that on Tuesday.

    The post Infomedia share price halted amid takeover approach appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Infomedia, 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 Infomedia 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 positions in and has recommended Infomedia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Infomedia. 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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  • Avita Medical share price tumbles 7% on declining Q1 revenue

    a medical researcher rests his forehead on his fist with a dejected look on his face while sitting behind a scientific microscope with another researcher's hand on his shoulder as if giving comfort.

    a medical researcher rests his forehead on his fist with a dejected look on his face while sitting behind a scientific microscope with another researcher's hand on his shoulder as if giving comfort.

    The Avita Medical Inc (ASX: AVH) share price is down 7.2% to $1.62 in early trade.

    Avita focuses on regenerative medicines. Its spray-on Recell medicine is used to treat burn patients.

    Below we look at the ASX healthcare share’s first-quarter results for the three months ending 31 March (Q1 2022).

    What was reported for the quarter?

    The Avita Medical share price is sliding after the company a 14% decrease in revenue compared to Q1 2021. Revenue for the quarter came in at $7.5 million.

    The company reported the decline was largely due to its recognition of $4.1 million in Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) related revenue in 2021.

    Avita’s Q1 2022 commercial revenue increased 61% year-on-year to $2.8 million. It attributed the lift to “broader utilisation among our customer base as well as deeper penetration within individual customer accounts”.

    Gross profits of $5.7 million were down 13% from the $6.6 million reported in the prior corresponding period. Gross profit margin of 76% was identical to Q1 2021.

    Operating expenses increased $2.8 million to $16.0 million, 21% higher than the corresponding quarter.

    On the bottom line, and likely pressuring the Avita Medical share price today, the company reported a net loss of $9.5 million. That’s 58% more than the $6.0 million net loss reported for the first three months of 2021.

    What’s next?

    The company intends to use its cash reserves until US sales of its products ramp up to levels where those revenues can fund its ongoing operations. As at 31 March, Avita reported it has enough cash reserves to fund operations for the next 12 months.

    Avita added, “We have no committed plans to issue further shares on the market.”

    As for dividends?

    “There were no dividends paid and we have no plans to commence the payment of dividends.”

    Avita Medical share price snapshot

    With this morning’s intraday losses factored in, the Avita Medical share price is down a painful 53% in 2022. That compares to a year-to-date loss of 9% posted by the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

    The post Avita Medical share price tumbles 7% on declining Q1 revenue appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Avita Medical right now?

    Before you consider Avita Medical, 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 Avita Medical 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 positions in and has recommended Avita Medical Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Avita Medical 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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  • Own ASX 200 retail shares? Here’s how the majors are tackling climate change

    A woman carrying produce in recyclable shopping bags walks past a green wall, indicating consumer preference for sustainableretailA woman carrying produce in recyclable shopping bags walks past a green wall, indicating consumer preference for sustainableretail

    It’s often not the first sector that comes to mind when assessing the impacts of a changing climate, but ASX 200 retail shares bear plenty of brunt when it comes to weather-related disasters.

    Just take recent floods in South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland for example.

    Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) blamed the floods for supply chain disruptions and certain disappointing customer metrics over the third quarter. Meanwhile, Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) reported the events wiped $30 billion from its bottom line.

    On top of that, a huge chunk of Australians are concerned about climate change. The ABC‘s Vote Compass has found climate change is the most important issue for 29% of voters in this year’s federal election.

    And reflecting customer concerns is important for retailers’ business. Research by Ipsos in 2021 revealed 70% of customers chose to buy from brands they felt reflected their personal values.

    So, what are the major ASX 200 retail shares doing to tackle climate change? Let’s take a look.

    ASX 200 retail majors stepping up for climate

    Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) is stepping up to the plate when it comes to climate change. The major conglomerate – which many Australians will know for its key retail businesses, Bunnings, Kmart, and Officeworks – has notable renewable energy goals.

    The company lowered its scope one and two emissions by 9% last financial year. It’s also working to run all its retail business on renewables by 2025.

    That goal is shared by supermarket giant Woolworths. The ASX 200 retail major currently uses around 1% of Australia’s electricity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, energy use is the biggest contributor to its carbon emissions.

    It’s aiming to be carbon positive – removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits – by 2050 at the latest.

    Coles’ goals differ slightly. It’s targeting 100% renewable energy by the financial year 2025 and plans to hit net zero by 2050.

    Also by FY25, the ASX 200 retail giant expects to have diverted 85% of its solid food waste from landfill. For context, it diverted 80.6% of its solid waste from landfill last financial year.

    Woolworths is one step ahead, aiming to redistribute all food waste from its operations away from landfill by 2025.

    Wesfarmers is also working to recycle more of its raw materials through its circular economy strategy while Woolworths is working with suppliers to ensure its own brand products are created sustainably and sold in sustainable packaging.

    Coles operates REDcycle, letting Australians recycle soft plastics in store. The recycling program was put in place in 2011.

    Finally, Wesfarmers and Woolworths have both issued sustainability-linked bonds.

    The former is also looking at the possibility of powering the production facility of its chemicals, energy, and fertiliser business – the group’s largest emitter – using green hydrogen.

    The post Own ASX 200 retail shares? Here’s how the majors are tackling climate change appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Wesfarmers, 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 Wesfarmers 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 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 COLESGROUP DEF SET 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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  • Is the BHP share price too exposed to the downside risks of China?

    A miner in visibility gear and hard hat looks seriously at an iPad device in a field where oil mining equipment is visible in the background.A miner in visibility gear and hard hat looks seriously at an iPad device in a field where oil mining equipment is visible in the background.

    The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price has tracked down this past month and is now trading 12% lower in that time.

    As the fallout from snap lockdowns in China continues to flow through to global equity markets, diversified mining giants like BHP haven’t been immune to the spillover.

    In wider market moves, the S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index (ASX: XMM) is down by almost 14% on the month, suggesting weakness in the broader sector.

    Is BHP too exposed to China?

    If asking those at JP Morgan, this might not be the case. In a recent note to clients, the broker acknowledged weakness in the miner’s most recent earnings, but also noted BHP’s cash generating engine.

    This ties into themes of inflation, which could be a net positive for BHP in the short term, the broker reckons.

    “[T]hese inflationary pressures are supportive for most commodity prices and miners’ earnings have higher operational leverage to prices vs costs,” it said in a recent note.

    “Despite downside risk to earnings due to the highest industry cost inflationary pressures in around 10 years, at spot commodity prices the sector carries significant mark-to-market upgrades; at spot prices, our revised BHP FY22/23E EPS [earnings per share] is +8%/+75% above Bloomberg consensus,” it added.

    This view is supported by those over at Citi, with the broker baking in considerable upside over the coming periods for BHP as well, not in the least with beefed-up dividends to shareholders.

    As reported by the Motley Fool, “Citi is expecting this cash flow to support fully franked dividends per share of ~$4.86 in FY 2022 and then ~$4.89 in FY 2023”.

    However, this sentiment isn’t shared equally, as Kate Howitt, portfolio manager of the Fidelity Australian Opportunities Fund, reckons it could potentially be hurt by its concentration risk in China.

    Howitt said she “likes BHP’s positioning, its proactive approach to securing social licence to operate and its strong cash flows”, she was quoted as saying by the Australian Financial Review.

    “[B]ut,” she continued, “there’s no denying the stock will be pulled around by perceptions of China’s economic outlook and by commodity price swings.”

    BHP has a 12-month consensus price target of $49.12 per share according to Bloomberg data.

    In early trading today, the BHP share price is up 1.09% to $45.44. In the last 12 months, BHP shares have slipped around 10% despite a 7% gain this year to date.

    The post Is the BHP share price too exposed to the downside risks of China? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider BHP Group, 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 BHP Group 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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