Tag: Motley Fool

  • Why AGL, Alliance Aviation, Boss Energy, and Silver Lake shares are falling

    a business man in a suit holds his hand over his eyes as he bows his head in a defeated post suggesting regret and remorse.

    a business man in a suit holds his hand over his eyes as he bows his head in a defeated post suggesting regret and remorse.

    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 0.1% to 7,644.8 points.

    Four ASX share that have failed to follow the market’s lead are listed below. Here’s why they are falling:

    AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

    The AGL Energy share price is down over 2% to $8.60. This may have been driven by profit taking after a strong gain on Thursday following its half year results release. In addition, this morning, Macquarie responded by retaining its neutral rating on AGL’s shares with a price target of $9.60.

    Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (ASX: AQZ)

    The Alliance Aviation share price is down a further 5% to $3.01. Investors have been selling this aviation services company’s shares after its half year results revealed an increase in its net debt to $244.6 million. This comes at a time when the company is planning to spend big on capital expenditures.

    Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE)

    The Boss Energy share price is down 12% to $5.25. Investors have been selling ASX uranium shares today following the release of an update from one of the world’s largest uranium miners, Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ). It revealed plans to increase its uranium production materially to take advantage of strong demand and weak supply. This may have sparked fears that uranium prices could pull back.

    Silver Lake Resources Ltd (ASX: SLR)

    The Silver Lake share price is down almost 3% to $1.09. This gold miner’s shares have come under pressure this week after announcing plans to merge with Red 5 Ltd (ASX: RED). It seems that some investors are not overly keen on the plan and aren’t sticking around to see how it turns out.

    The post Why AGL, Alliance Aviation, Boss Energy, and Silver Lake shares are falling 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 10 November 2023

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    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 recommended Cameco. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alliance Aviation Services. 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 Boral, Dicker Data, Droneshield, and Novonix shares are charging higher

    Man drawing an upward line on a bar graph symbolising a rising share price.

    Man drawing an upward line on a bar graph symbolising a rising share price.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is fighting hard to end the week on a high. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.1% to 7,648.5 points.

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

    Boral Ltd (ASX: BLD)

    The Boral share price is up almost 10% to $5.93. Investors have been buying this building materials company’s shares after it released its half year results. Boral reported a 9% increase in revenue to $1,839.9 million and a 143% jump in underlying net profit after tax to $138.6 million. This stronger than expected half allowed management to increase its FY 2024 EBIT guidance.

    Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

    The Dicker Data share price is up 2% to $11.43. This follows the announcement of the computer hardware and software distributor’s latest dividend. Dicker Data will pay a fully franked final quarterly dividend for FY 2023 of 15 cents per share. The record date will be 15 February and the payment date will be 1 March.

    DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

    The DroneShield share price is up 17% to 69 cents. This is despite there being no news out of the counter drone technology company. However, it is worth noting that the Australian Government announced a major investment in combat drones today. This demonstrates the growing importance of Droneshield’s technology.

    Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

    The Novonix share price is up almost 15% to 70.5 cents. This morning, this battery materials technology company announced a binding off-take agreement with leading electric vehicle (EV) batteries manufacturer, Panasonic Energy. The agreement is for high performance synthetic graphite anode material to be supplied to Panasonic Energy’s North American operations from Novonix’s Riverside facility in Tennessee.

    The post Why Boral, Dicker Data, Droneshield, and Novonix shares are charging higher 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 10 November 2023

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    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 Dicker Data and DroneShield. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Dicker Data. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended DroneShield. 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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  • Could this defensive ASX 200 share be set to soar when interest rates fall?

    Woman sits at her desk working at night, while traffic flows on a busy freeway out the window behind her.Woman sits at her desk working at night, while traffic flows on a busy freeway out the window behind her.

    Defensive S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) share Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) could be a candidate to do very well once interest rates start falling.

    For readers that don’t know, Transurban is the business behind a number of toll roads in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It also has a presence in North America as well.

    The business recently reported its FY24 first-half result to investors for the six months to 31 December 2023.

    Growth continues

    It revealed that average daily traffic (ADT) increased 2.1% year over year to 2.5 million trips, supported by growth in all regions and the opening of new assets.

    Proportional toll revenue rose by 6.3%, which led to proportional earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rising to $1.33 billion.

    The statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) increased by 318% to $230 million.

    Transurban also reported free cash (including capital releases) of $1.4 billion (up $63.5%) and a 13.2% increase of the distribution per security to 30 cents.

    The defensive ASX 200 share reaffirmed its FY24 distribution guidance of 62 cents per security, which is expected to include approximately 4 cents per security of WestConnex cash, previously held during construction.

    What to make of Transurban shares?

    The Australian Financial Review reported that broker Citi has put a buy rating on the toll road operator.

    Transurban is expecting to increase its FY24 distribution per security by 6.9%, and Citi thinks the defensive ASX 200 share could beat this guidance.

    The broker suggests that Transurban could be a significant beneficiary of lower interest rates, partly because of the amount of debt on its balance sheet. It’s also possible that the defensive ASX 200 share has the potential to make more acquisitions.

    Transurban share price snapshot

    If the business does pay an annual distribution per security of 62 cents, it would translate into a forward distribution yield of 4.8%.

    Since the start of 2024, the Transurban share price is down 6%.

    I’d agree with Citi’s assessment – if interest rates do start coming down, Transurban could materially benefit. But, interest rates are, in my opinion, going to stay higher for longer than some people are expecting. I’m not expecting huge gains for Transurban in the next year, but I think it could regain some of the lost ground in the medium term.

    The post Could this defensive ASX 200 share be set to soar when interest rates fall? 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 10 November 2023

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    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 positions in and has recommended Transurban Group. 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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  • CBA could be eyeing record profits if first-half results echo the past

    Modern accountant woman in a light business suit in modern green office with documents and laptop.

    Modern accountant woman in a light business suit in modern green office with documents and laptop.

    Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares will be in focus next week when the banking giant releases its half-year results.

    As a reminder, this time last year, Australia’s largest bank released its results and reported record operating income of $13,593 million and record cash net profits of $5,153 million.

    This was driven largely by volume growth in core products and a recovery in its net interest margin.

    Since the release of this result, interest rates have risen further, potentially giving bank margins a nice boost.

    So, could this lead to CBA reporting record profits again next week? Let’s find out.

    Will CBA deliver another record result?

    The short answer is, probably not.

    The market is expecting CBA to post a small decline in profits for the first half of FY 2024, before realising a larger decline on a full-year basis.

    For example, the consensus estimate for the first half is a cash profit of $4,972 million.

    Goldman Sachs is a little more positive and has pencilled in $5,070 million. Close but no cigar. After which, the broker is forecasting cash earnings of $9,615 million for FY 2024, which represents a 4.5% decline year on year.

    This is expected to be driven by a falling net interest margin (NIM), with the broker forecasting a decline to 1.98% (from 2.07%) in FY 2024. It then expects the trend to continue in FY 2025, with a NIM of 1.91% dragging its cash profits to $9,113 million.

    Overall, Goldman appears to believe we have seen peak earnings for CBA.

    But it is worth remembering that Australia’s largest bank does have a habit of outperforming expectations. So, while a record result next week is unlikely, you can’t rule it out completely.

    CBA shares are up 11% over the last six months.

    The post CBA could be eyeing record profits if first-half results echo the past 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 10 November 2023

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    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 Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. 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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  • Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy now

    ASX shares Business man marking buy on board and underlining it

    ASX shares Business man marking buy on board and underlining it

    It has been another busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to the release of a number of broker notes.

    Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

    Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

    According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $11.50 price target on this location technology company’s shares. Morgan Stanley is expecting a strong result from the company during earnings season. In fact, it believes that there’s potential for Life360 to outperform consensus estimates and catalyse a re-rating of its shares. The Life360 share price is trading at $7.76 on Friday.

    REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

    A note out of Goldman Sachs reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this property listings company’s shares with a trimmed price target of $201.00. This follows the release of a solid half year result this week. Following the result and management’s commentary, Goldman believes that REA’s revenue outlook remains very positive. In light of this, it feels its shares have one of the best risk/reward profiles in its domestic media coverage. The REA share price is fetching $180.25 today.

    Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)

    Another note out of Goldman Sachs reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and $12.40 price target on this wine giant’s shares. Goldman has been looking at Treasury Wine’s asset portfolio and believes it is being undervalued by the market. It also highlights that channel checks suggest market share gains can be expected as smaller traders and brands cycle out of the market. The Treasury Wine share price is trading at $11.08 this afternoon.

    The post Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy now 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 10 November 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360 and Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group, Life360, and REA Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group and Treasury Wine Estates. 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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  • After tripling its dividends, is AGL a passive income share not to be missed?

    A youthful man looks up thoughtfully at a light bulb above his head.

    A youthful man looks up thoughtfully at a light bulb above his head.

    We’re now well into ASX earnings season, and yesterday, we got a look at ASX 200 energy generator and retailer AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)’s books. What they contained was a delight for passive income investors.

    This half-year report, covering the six months to 31 December, was an extremely popular one for ASX 200 investors. It resulted in AGL shares taking out the crown of yesterday’s top-performing ASX 200 stock. By market close, AGL was up 10.28% to $8.80 a share.

    Today, AGL shares have cooled off slightly, and are currently down 1.76% to $8.64. But no one can deny it was a great day to be an AGL shareholder yesterday.

    As my Fool colleague covered at the time, these results saw AGL post a whopping 358.6% rise in underlying profits after tax to $3.99 million. Although revenues fell 20.8% to $6.18 billion, underlying earnings per share (EPS) also rose by a stonking 359.7% to 59.3 cents.

    The rises in revenues and profits were attributed to higher electricity prices and more stable energy markets.

    In a move that will delight passive income investors, AGL, as a result, revealed an interim dividend for 2024 of 26 cents per share, unfranked.

    That’s a massive 225% increase over last year’s interim dividend, which came to just 8 cents per share. It’s also a rise over the company’s final dividend of 2023, which was worth 23 cents per share.

    This is obviously a huge move from this company for income investors. It takes AGL’s trailing dividend yield, which is currently sitting at 3.59%, and turns it into a forward dividend yield of 5.69%. Albeit unfranked.

    So should income investors jump back into AGL shares?

    Are AGL shares now a buy for passive income investors?

    AGL’s move is a welcome one for anyone who loves a good dividend, to be sure. But I’m not tempted by AGL shares today.

    Why? Well, this company’s divided performance over recent years has been nothing short of dreadful. Back in 2019, AGL forked out two dividends, as it did in 2023. But back then, investors were treated to an interim dividend of 55 cents per share. That was followed by a final dividend of 64 cents per share. Both payments came partially franked at 80%.

    So while yesterday’s divided announcement was a step in the right direction, AGL is still nowhere near its glory days in terms of passive income.

    The reason why AGL has been on struggle street since 2019 – in terms of profits, earnings and dividends – is because of uncertainty in the national electricity and gas markets which it operates within.

    The electricity market in particular is still in the midst of a huge transition, as renewable energy replaces older fossil-fuelled power plants. AGL may have had a good half-year. But I’m not convinced that the messy regulations of an industry in upheaval won’t continue to be a drag on this company going forward.

    Remember, this is a company that has burned shareholders badly in recent years. AGL fell from $23 a share in 2019 to a low of around $5.40 in late 2021.

    As such, I’m staying away for now. Warren Buffett likes to say that he chooses six-inch bars to hop over, rather than 6-foot bars. AGL looks a lot higher than six inches from where I’m standing today. As such, I would need to see a consistent return to higher dividends before I’d consider a passive income investment in AGL shares today.

    The post After tripling its dividends, is AGL a passive income share not to be missed? 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 10 November 2023

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    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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  • This tiny ASX tech share is leaping 25% after striking a deal with Telstra

    a man in a business suite throws his arms open wide above his head and raises his face with his mouth open in celebration in front of a background of an illuminated board tracking stock market movements.

    a man in a business suite throws his arms open wide above his head and raises his face with his mouth open in celebration in front of a background of an illuminated board tracking stock market movements.

    Ava Risk Group Ltd (ASX: AVA) shares are on course to end the week on a high.

    In morning trade, the ASX tech share was up 25% to 20 cents before being paused from trade.

    Why is this ASX tech share rocketing?

    The catalyst for this strong gain was news that the risk management technologies company has signed a major agreement with Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS).

    According to the release, AVA Risk has signed a Telstra Supply Agreement (TSA) that it believes establishes a substantial opportunity within the large and globally addressable telecommunications vertical.

    Management notes that TSA is the culmination of 10 months of collaboration, including product trials with Telstra and its customers.

    Those trials demonstrated the superior ability of its sensing technology to be deployed to Telstra’s existing fibre network to detect events and provide appropriate classification and reporting. It notes that this provides a rich source of data to Telstra, and effectively turns the existing fibre network into sensors.

    The ASX tech share believes it is a clear demonstration of the adaptability of the company’s technology to adjacent applications, such as telecommunications, which opens significant new markets to the company.

    Management has described it as a “significant milestone” for the company. Ava Risk CEO, Mal Maginnis, commented:

    Signing a preferred supplier agreement with Telstra is a very significant milestone for Ava Risk Group. It underscores the strength of our market-leading solutions and is testament to our commitment to innovation to meet the evolving needs of our global client base. It clearly demonstrates that our sensing technology, which has evolved from security solutions, can be deployed to multiple applications. This collaboration cements our position as a trusted supplier, and we look forward to working extensively with Telstra.

    With more than 5 billion kilometres of fibre optic cable deployed globally (as at 2022), the agreement with Telstra Group represents the entry into a large and attractive market vertical for Ava Risk Group’s technology.

    Earlier this week, Maginnis vested 333,333 AVA Risk shares.

    The post This tiny ASX tech share is leaping 25% after striking a deal with Telstra 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 10 November 2023

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    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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. 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 are ASX uranium shares getting thumped on Friday?

    A man holds his head in his hands, despairing at the bad result he's reading on his computer.

    A man holds his head in his hands, despairing at the bad result he's reading on his computer.

    High-flying ASX uranium shares are having their wings clipped on Friday.

    In morning trade, the industry is a sea of red as investors hit the sell button in a panic.

    Here’s the state of play at the time of writing:

    • Alligator Energy Ltd(ASX: AGE) shares are down 9% to 7.2 cents
    • Bannerman Energy Ltd(ASX: BMN) shares are down 12% to $3.47
    • Boss Energy Ltd(ASX: BOE) shares are down 12% to $5.28
    • Deep Yellow Limited(ASX: DYL) shares are down over 13% to $1.45
    • Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) shares are down 8% to $1.31

    Why are ASX uranium shares being hammered?

    Investors have been selling off uranium stocks this morning in response to an update from one of the world’s largest uranium miners, Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ).

    The US$19 billion miner released its FY 2023 results and revealed that its net earnings, adjusted net earnings, and cash from operations all more than doubled compared to 2022. This was driven by higher sales volumes and realised prices.

    While this is a great result and would ordinarily get uranium investors excited, its production plans appear to have spooked them.

    What’s going on?

    As you may be aware, uranium prices have been surging recently amid concerns over the supply of the chemical element. This was caused by the world’s largest uranium miner, Kazatomprom, warning that its production could fall short of expectations over the coming years.

    However, overnight Cameco revealed that it sees opportunities to increase production to take advantage of the strong demand. It said:

    With the improvements in the market, the new long-term contracts we have put in place, and a pipeline of contracting discussions, our plan is to produce 18 million pounds (100% basis) at each of McArthur River/Key Lake and Cigar Lake in 2024. We also plan to begin the work necessary to extend the estimated mine life at Cigar Lake to 2036. In addition, at McArthur River/Key Lake, we plan to undertake an evaluation of the work and investment necessary to expand production up to its annual licensed capacity of 25 million pounds (100% basis), which we expect will allow us to take advantage of this opportunity when the time is right.

    This appears to have put a dampener on optimism that prices could remain sky high (or go even higher) in the near term, which is disappointing news for ASX uranium shares.

    The post Why are ASX uranium shares getting thumped on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Boral share price jumps 13% on massive profit growth and guidance upgrade

    A young male ASX investor raises his clenched fists in excitement because of rising ASX share prices today

    A young male ASX investor raises his clenched fists in excitement because of rising ASX share prices today

    The Boral Ltd (ASX: BLD) share price is on course to end the week on a high.

    In morning trade, the building materials company’s shares are up 13% to a 52-week high of $6.10.

    This follows the release of a strong half-year result.

    Boral share price jumps on strong profit growth and guidance upgrade

    Here’s a summary of how the company performed during the six months ended 31 December:

    • Revenue up 9.4% to $1,839.9 million
    • Underlying EBIT up 110.9% to $201 million
    • Underlying net profit after tax up 143% to $138.6 million
    • No interim dividend
    • FY 2024 EBIT guidance upgraded

    What happened during the half?

    During the first half, Boral’s revenue increased 9.4% to $1,839.9 million. This was driven largely by strong price realisation, with volumes flat to slightly up on the prior corresponding period.

    And thanks to a 520 basis-point improvement in its EBIT margin, Boral’s EBIT was up a massive 110.9% to $201.0 million. This margin improvement reflects a combination of higher revenue and rigorous cost management.

    Finally, although the company’s underlying profit after tax increased by 143.9% to $138.6 million, the Boral board decided against paying a dividend. It advised that this was due to its low franking credit balance.

    Management commentary

    Boral’s CEO, Vik Bansal, was pleased with the company’s performance. He said:

    I am pleased to report first half results that demonstrate the benefits of our operating model and our business improvement strategy. Our volumes were flat to slightly up on pcp, with an increase in quarry and recycling materials. We achieved good price realisation across all product lines, and this supported growth in net revenue. We also continued to reduce costs and instil operational efficiencies to offset input cost inflation. The combined improvements in price and cost efficiencies, together with a mix in volumes that were flat to slightly higher, enabled an EBIT margin of 10.9%, almost double pcp.

    Outlook

    Bansal advised that the company is expecting that its earnings will be weighted to the first half as per tradition. He said:

    Boral’s earnings have historically been weighted towards the first half. While FY23 was a recent exception to this trend, with the introduction of a new operating model and strategy in 1H23, we expect to return to a typical first half weighting in FY24.

    Nevertheless, the CEO expects the company’s EBIT to be stronger than previous guidance.

    He now expects FY 2024 underlying EBIT to be in the range of $330 million to $350 million. This compares favourably to its previous guidance of $300 million to $330 million. It will also be a significant 42% to 51% increase on FY 2023’s EBIT of $231.5 million.

    Following today’s gain, the Boral share price is now up 60% since this time last year.

    The post Boral share price jumps 13% on massive profit growth and guidance upgrade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Novonix shares jump 20% on Panosonic deal

    A man clenches his fists in excitement as gold coins fall from the sky.

    A man clenches his fists in excitement as gold coins fall from the sky.

    Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) shares are having a strong finish to the week.

    In morning trade, the battery materials technology company’s shares are up 20% to 74 cents.

    This compares favourably to the ASX 200 index, which is currently up by a modest 0.1%.

    Why are Novonix shares racing higher?

    Investors have been buying the company’s shares after Novonix announced an agreement with leading electric vehicle (EV) batteries manufacturer, Panasonic Energy.

    According to the release, the two parties have signed a binding off-take agreement for high performance synthetic graphite anode material to be supplied to Panasonic Energy’s North American operations from Novonix’s Riverside facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    Under the off-take agreement, Panasonic Energy has agreed to purchase at least 10,000 tonnes of anode material for its U.S. plants over the term of 2025-2028. In addition, during the term, if additional volumes are requested, Novonix will attempt to deliver the increased volumes.

    The agreement is subject to Novonix achieving agreed milestones in respect to production qualification timelines.

    Novonix CEO, Dr. Chris Burns, was pleased with the news. He said:

    We are excited to announce the finalization of a binding off-take agreement with Panasonic Energy to become a supplier of key anode material for its North American based facilities. Off-take agreements with high-quality partners such as Panasonic Energy solidify NOVONIX’s position as a leader in onshoring the supply chain of synthetic graphite and accelerating the adoption of clean energy in the industry. We look forward to expanding our long-standing relationship with Panasonic Energy to support its growth efforts in North America.

    Despite today’s strong gain, Novonix shares remain down by a disappointing 56% over the last 12 months.

    The post Novonix shares jump 20% on Panosonic deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    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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