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The Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) share price finished in the red on Tuesday despite the company’s silence.

However, the price of uranium – the commodity the company produces – has seemingly levelled out over the last few days after spiking last week.

Additionally, notable global funds invested in the energy commodity struggled overnight.

As of Tuesday’s close, the Paladin share price is 94 cents, 2.59% lower than its previous close.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gained 0.55% on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Paladin share price dragged on the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ). Though, the sector still managed a 1.29% gain.

Let’s take a closer look at what happened to the uranium producer’s shares today.

What’s been weighing on the Paladin share price?

The Paladin share price lost ground today despite the broader market’s upwards momentum.

It was likely dragged down by the price of uranium. The commodity’s value slumped slightly yesterday after appearing to stall for much of last week, according to Trading Economics.

Those movements (or lack thereof) followed its rally last Wednesday, which saw the commodity’s value reach an 11-year high.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Paladin share price launched 9.64% on Wednesday and another 6.59% on Thursday. Thus, today’s dip could be simple price-taking.

Interestingly, while the price of uranium hasn’t gone far in recent days, the Global X Uranium EFT (exchange-traded fund) plunged 3.14% in Monday’s session in New York.

Meanwhile, the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust – the world’s largest physical uranium fund, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange – also slumped 2.12% yesterday.  

Additionally, many of Paladin’s uranium-producing peers were also in the red on Tuesday.

Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) released its quarterly activities and cash flow reports for the three months ended March 31 today. Its share price also ended in the red on Tuesday, slumping 1.32%.

That of Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) recorded a deeper loss, falling 3.17%.

The Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) share price was the outlier of the pack, gaining 3.36% on Tuesday.

The post What happened to the Paladin Energy share price on Tuesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week
• Why are ASX uranium shares getting so much attention right now?
• These 3 shares are topping the ASX 200 volume charts on Thursday
• The Paladin Energy share price has surged 19% in a week. Here’s why these brokers are tipping more gains
• New ASX uranium share to hit boards next month and investors are already pouncing

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 Bruce Jackson.

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The Vanguard Australian Shares ETF (ASX: VAS) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that’s invested in ASX shares. Could it be a good time to invest in the VAS ETF at the current price?

It tracks the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO), which represents a list of 300 of the biggest businesses on the ASX.

Some of the biggest names in the portfolio are ones like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and CSL Limited (ASX: CSL).

But could it be time to buy the ETF?

Expert thoughts on the VAS ETF

In a recent episode of ‘buy hold sell’ on Livewire, Felicity Thomas from Shaw and Partners and Ben Nash from Pivot Wealth gave their opinion on the VAS ETF.

For Ben Nash, he thought that the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF is a buy because it is “rock solid” and “nice and cheap”.

According to Mr Nash, the VAS ETF offers a good yield and it can provide inflation protection with the “growth element” of the ETF. He concluded that it’s “definitely a buy”.

While the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF may not be far off its all-time high, the “cheap” comment may refer to the fact that the VAS ETF has an annual management fee of 0.10%. This is a fraction of the fee that active fund managers typically charge.

However, Felicity Thomas was less enthusiastic about the ASX-based ETF. She called the VAS ETF a “hold”. Ms Thomas noted that the ASX 300 is trading at 14 times its earnings. However, the VAS ETF share price is “quite high” according to the expert. In her opinion, the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF could be more attractive in a dip like the market saw during January and February 2022.

How is an ETF price affected?

The Vanguard Australian Shares ETF return is dictated by the movement of share prices of the underlying holdings.

So, the bigger holdings like BHP, CBA, CSL, National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) and Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) have a larger influence on the returns of the ETF.

The smaller positions are part of the overall picture, but they have a much smaller impact on the price change of the VAS ETF. Names like Estia Health Ltd (ASX: EHE), Mystate Ltd (ASX: MYS), Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG), Service Stream Limited (ASX: SSM) and Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) are some of the smallest positions in the portfolio.

According to Vanguard, at the end of February 2022, the ETF had a dividend yield of 4.2% and a price/earnings ratio (P/E ratio) of 14.

The post Is the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF a good buy at current prices? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX 200 dividend giants named as buys by brokers
• Does Westpac have a dividend reinvestment plan?
• Down 20% in 2022, is the Wesfarmers share price a clear opportunity?
• Why has the Woolworths share price outperformed Wesfarmers so far in 2022?
• Here are the ASX retail share winners and losers of the last quarter

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. owns and has recommended Austal Limited and CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited and Wesfarmers Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited and Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price has been marching higher since the beginning of the year.

At the time of writing, the mining giant’s shares are 1.94% higher to $122.88. This is a sharp recovery from when its shares were trading around the $88 mark in early November.

In 2022, Rio Tinto shares have gained more than 22%.

What’s driving Rio Tinto shares higher?

There are a few factors as to why the Rio Tinto share price is trading in positive territory this year.

Firstly, the accent of iron ore prices is providing a strong support base for the company’s margins thus far in FY22. This is predominately being driven by supply constraints caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in China.

Regarded as a key commodity in Rio Tinto’s portfolio, this is particularly important given a majority of the company’s revenues come from the steelmaking ingredient.

In the financial year ending 31 December 2021, iron ore accounted for 62% of the total group sales revenue.

In addition, the S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR) has also pushed ahead, gaining almost 21% in 2022. The sector represents 48 of the largest companies in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in the energy, metals, and mining industry.

A positive shift in investor sentiment toward the index has propelled Rio Tinto shares higher.

Can Rio Tinto shares reach a record high in 2022?

If the Rio Tinto share price is to break its all-time high in 2022, iron ore prices will need to accelerate further.

Rio Tinto shares broke a record high of $137.33 in August 2021.

Iron ore prices reaching levels above US$200 per tonne will, indeed, translate to bumper profit for the world’s largest iron ore miner.

In its full-year results, Rio Tino revealed iron ore shipments of 321.6 million tonnes, down 3% on FY20. This was impacted by above-average rainfall in the first six months of 2021.

The 2021 monthly average Platts index for 62% iron fines converted to an FOB [free on board] basis was 45% higher on average compared with 2020.

Rio Tinto attained average revenue of US$143.8 per dry metric tonne.

Following the company’s FY21 financial scorecard, analysts at Goldman Sachs raised their outlook on Rio Tinto shares by 2.1% to $131.50.

In addition, the team at Morgan Stanley lifted its 12-month price target by 7% to $130.50.

It appears that each of the brokers believes that Rio Tinto shares are slightly undervalued for the time being. The above assessment reflects a potential upside of around 7%.

However, it’s worth noting that the above price target is under the record price Rio Tinto shares achieved mid-last year.

Rio Tinto share price summary

Adding to today’s gain, the Rio Tinto share price has surged 22.65% in 2022.

However, when looking across the past year, the mining outfit’s shares are up around 1.6%.

After reaching an all-time high of $137.33 in August 2021, investors heavily sold off the company’s shares.

Rio Tinto hit a 52-week low of $87.28 in November before quickly rebounding higher of late.

The company has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 6.93 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $45.5 billion.

The post Can the Rio Tinto share price break its all-time high in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Goldman Sachs names 3 ASX 200 mining shares to buy today
• Here are the top 10 ASX mining companies by market cap
• If you’d bought $10,000 of Rio Tinto shares 5 years ago, here’s how much you’d have now
• ASX mining shares were the leaders last quarter. Here are the top performers
• The Rio Tinto share price rallied 19% in the March quarter. What’s next?

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Tuesday has shaped up to be a good day on the market, particularly for these S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares. They’ve surged to their highest point of the last 12 months.

Right now, the ASX 200 is 0.62% higher. That’s helped it reach its own high point – the highest it’s been since early January.

So, which ASX 200 shares are joining in on today’s momentum to set new 12-month records? Let’s take a look.

3 ASX 200 shares hitting 52-week highs on Tuesday

Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV)

The Endeavor share price surged to a new 52-week high of $7.85 in intraday trade today – a 1.15% gain – despite only silence from the company.

In fact, the Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) spin-off and house of Dan Murphy’s hasn’t released news to the market since early February.

But that doesn’t mean Endeavour hasn’t been busy. It opened its first premium Dan Murphy’s Cellar last week.

It also opened its first bar – ZERO% – selling alcohol-free drinks in Melbourne last month.

Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX: IPL)

The Incitec Pivot share price also reached a new 52-week high of $4.17 on Tuesday, representing a 4.25% gain. That’s the highest the ASX 200 share has traded since 2018.

While there’s been no price sensitive news from Incitec Pivot, the company did provide a positive update on its Waggaman Ammonia Plant this morning.

Back in February, the plant was shut down after a hydrogen release was detected at the facility. Investigations later found the incident was caused by a rupture in a section of pipe, resulting in an extended shutdown for repairs.

Today, Incitec Pivot announced production at the plant has restarted and is operating at name plate capacity.

The company expects the shutdown to have an impact on its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of around $173 million and an impact on its net profit after tax (NPAT) of approximately $124 million.

Around 75% of that will be recognised in its earnings for the first half, set to be released next month.

While the company’s working to progress a claim under its comprehensive property insurance policy, it won’t include any adjustments for potential insurance recoveries in its upcoming results.

Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY)

The final ASX 200 share hitting a new 52-week high on Tuesday is Cleanaway.

The waste management company’s stock surged 4.9% in intraday trade to reach a high of $3.21.

There’s been no news from the company to explain its gains. However, its share price has been outperforming over the long term.

It has gained 29% over the last 12 months, outperforming the ASX 200 by 22%.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares smashing 52-week highs on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX 200 shares hopping to new 52-week highs today
• The Endeavour share price has notched up 4 all-time highs in a week. What’s happening?
• 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares rocking new all-time highs today
• Own Endeavour shares? Here are 4 things you probably don’t know
• 3 ASX 200 shares smashing 52-week highs on Thursday

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 Bruce Jackson.

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It’s a big day for ASX mining shares across the board, with the resources and materials sectors leading the broader market.

But these 3 ASX-listed miners are besting most on Tuesday, each recording gains of more than 18%.

Right now, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.54% while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 0.5%.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR) has lifted 1.28% and the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is up 1.2%.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at today’s outperformers and what’s boosted their share prices to outrageous heights.

3 ASX mining shares recording massive gains on Tuesday

Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) – surged 22%

The Syrah Resources share price lifted 22.29% to its intraday high of $1.92 on Tuesday.

Its gain followed news that the company has received a US$107 million loan agreement from the United States’ Department of Energy.

It will use the funding to expand its Louisiana-based Vidalia active anode material facility.

At the time of writing, the Syrah Resources share price is $1.77, 12.74% higher than its previous close.

Though, that’s still 8% lower than it was at the start of 2022.

Lefroy Exploration Ltd (ASX: LEX) – launched 33%

The Lefroy Exploration share price also took off earlier this morning, surging 33.33% to trade at 44 cents at its highest point.

Its gains came after the company announced an “impressive” copper and gold intersection identified at the Lefroy Gold Project’s Burns prospect.

The finding has helped solidify the company’s certainty that Burns houses a high-grade gold-copper zone within a broader gold, copper, silver, and molybdenum system.

It has scheduled a drill hole of at least 1,000 metres to begin in May. The hole will test the down plunge position of the zone, as well as the broader system.

At the time of writing, the Lefroy share price is 39 cents, 18.18% higher than its previous close.

That brings the ASX mining share’s gains for the year so far to 25.8%.

Anax Metals Ltd (ASX: ANX) – rocketed 18%

Finally, the Anax Metals share price launched to 13 cents at its highest point of the day, 18.18% higher than its previous close.

Interestingly, there’s been no news from the mineral developer today. However, last week it announced a “spectacular” copper and zinc find at the Whim Creek Project.

Right now, shares in the ASX mining company are trading at 12.5 cents. That represents a 13.64% increase.

The company’s stock has also gained 56% since the start of 2022.  

The post 3 ASX mining shares booming by 18% or more today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 midday update: AMP asset sale talks, Syrah rockets
• Syrah Resources share price booms 19% amid show of US support
• Massive copper and zinc discovery sends this ASX mining share soaring 44%

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 Bruce Jackson.

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The Camplify Holdings Ltd (ASX: CHL) share price is charging higher on Tuesday following the company’s latest announcement.

Investors are licking their lips after the peer-to-peer recreational vehicle hiring platform shared its third-quarter activities report for FY22.

At the time of writing, Camplify shares are attracting a $2.75 price tag, up 14.11% from their previous close. Earlier, they were as high as $2.85, an 18% gain.

Let’s inspect the news behind today’s colossal price action.

Another quarter of growth for Camplify

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease around the world, people are getting back on the road to scratch their travel itch. For Camplify, this has meant another quarter of solid growth across the business in Q3 FY22.

Some key metrics encompassing the robust performance during the three-month period include:

• Gross transaction volume (GTV) up 69.5% year on year to $13.03 million
• Revenue reaches $4.11 million during the quarter, up 110.5% year on year
• Take rate hits 29.4%
• The United Kingdom and Spain record significant GTV growth of 964% and 428% respectively
• Marketplace customers clicked over to 23,832

Unsurprisingly, the market is reacting positively to the news, with the Camplify share price rising today.

In addition, there were notable developments for Camplify during the quarter on the acquisition front. During the quarter, the New Zealand Commerce Commission gave the thumbs up to the ASX-listed company acquiring Mighway and SHAREaCAMPER.

What’s the financial position of this ASX-listed small-cap?

Despite achieving $9.43 million in cash receipts from customers during the quarter, Camplify remains cash flow negative operationally. At the end of March, the company had burned through $2.03 million in cash to finish with $17.254 million in Q3.

At this cash burn rate, ASX-listed Camplify currently has around eight quarters (or two years) before further capital would be needed to sustain operations.

Camplify share price goes on an adventure

While travellers might be getting back on the road, the Camplify share price is still not in the good books of investors in 2022.

Since the beginning of the year, shares in the rental marketplace have taken a 34% dive. This is even after the massive 33% upswing witnessed in the Camplify share price since 11 April. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is only down 0.35% over the same time frame.

The post This just sent the Camplify share price rocketing 14% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX mining shares booming by 18% or more today
• Where will Meta Platforms be in 5 years?
• What’s boosting the BHP share price today?
• Qantas share price slides following Easter travel woes
• Here’s why the Praemium share price is surging 17%

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. owns and has recommended Camplify Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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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.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: FB), the social media giant formerly known as Facebook, has been a divisive company ever since its public debut in 2012.

The bulls praised the robust growth of its advertising business and the expansion of its family of apps (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp) to reach billions of users worldwide. The bears claimed that its dependence on targeted ads was unsustainable and that its platforms facilitated the spread of hate speech, misinformation, and fake news that have hurt society.

The bears are currently winning. Meta’s stock price has tumbled nearly 40% since the beginning of the year, with most of that precipitous drop occurring following a messy fourth-quarter earnings report released in early February. This featured Facebook’s first sequential decline in daily active users and weaker-than-expected revenue guidance for the first quarter.

Meta pinned its troubles on Apple‘s (NASDAQ: AAPL) privacy update on iOS, which allowed its users to opt out of targeted ads, and competition from ByteDance‘s TikTok. To stay competitive, it said it would ramp up its spending on new short video content and pump more cash into its Reality Labs business, which already posted an operating loss of $10.2 billion in 2021.

That combination of slowing growth and rising expenses spooked the bulls, but Meta’s stock remains up more than 50% over the past five years. Will the stock rebound and hit fresh highs over the next five years?

High hopes for the metaverse

Facebook rebranded itself as Meta last year to emphasize its focus on the ‘metaverse‘ which blurs the lines between the physical and digital worlds, with its augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices.

Meta’s newest standalone VR headset, the Quest 2 headset, is currently the best-selling device of its kind in the world. IDC estimates that Meta shipped nearly nine million Quest 2 headsets in 2021, which accounted for 78% of the entire AR/VR headset market. Cristiano Amon, CEO of Meta’s chip supplier, Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), also estimated that the company had shipped about 10 million Quest 2 headsets as of last November.

Meta’s Horizon Worlds, the VR playground that lets Quest’s users interact with each other, reportedly reached 300,000 monthly active users this February, representing a tenfold increase from last December. It also hosts about 10,000 virtual worlds. Those numbers are minuscule compared with the 3.59 billion people who use one of its four main apps each month, but it represents a firm foothold in the nascent metaverse market.

As for the AR market, Meta launched a pair of smart glasses called Ray-Ban Stories to allow users to easily capture photos and videos for their Facebook and Instagram stories. It plans to follow up that device with three increasingly advanced AR devices in 2024, 2026, and 2028. It will also continue to launch new Quest devices as its VR ecosystem expands.

Meta has already been monetizing that platform by taking a nearly 50% cut of every game, experience, and digital asset sold within its metaverse. Meta plans to keep selling cheap hardware devices to drive more users to that prisoner-taking platform, and that strategy could gradually reduce its dependence on its core advertising business.

Short videos and social shopping

During last’s quarter’s conference call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted Reels, the TikTok-like short video feature it rolled out globally in February, as one of its “major investment priorities for 2022”.

Zuckerberg said Reels was the company’s “fastest-growing content format by far” and “already the biggest contributor to engagement growth on Instagram”. He noted it was also “growing very quickly” on Facebook.

Zuckerberg believes the expansion of Reels with aggressive investments will help it fend off TikTok in the short video space. But short videos are also tougher to monetize than longer videos and traditional ads, so Meta expects that expansion to throttle its near-term growth.

Meta will also continue to expand Facebook and Instagram as “social shopping” platforms with integrated e-commerce features. But this strategy faces two main challenges: Apple’s iOS update has made it tougher for merchants to target potential customers, and other social media platforms, such as Pinterest, are targeting the same market.

But with billions of users across the world, Meta can probably overcome these issues with new targeting methods (such as contextual ads and first-party data tracking) and partnerships with big merchants. If that happens, Meta might disrupt traditional e-commerce marketplaces over the next few years.

Plenty of other irons in the fire

Most investors are focused on Meta’s growth in the metaverse, short video, and social shopping markets, but it still has other irons in the fire. It’s already dabbling with new ways to monetize WhatsApp with digital payment features and community features for group discussions.

It ended 2021 with $48 billion in cash and marketable securities, so it could still make more acquisitions — so long as they don’t trip the antitrust alarms. A smart move would be to buy a major video game publisher to expand its metaverse platform and further reduce its dependence on target ads.

Meta might face some near-term problems, but I believe its stock will head higher over the next five years. If you agree, then its stock is simply too cheap to ignore right now at 17 times forward earnings.

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

The post Where will Meta Platforms be in 5 years? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Prediction: 5 billion people will be in the Metaverse by 2030
• Where will Meta Platforms be in 3 years?

Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Leo Sun owns Apple, Meta Platforms, and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Apple, Meta Platforms, Inc., and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple and Meta Platforms, Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

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Shares in BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) are walking higher today and are now trading 1.3% in the green at $53.18 apiece.

Today’s jump takes the gains for the miner for the past six months to 36%. Meanwhile, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has jumped just over 2.5%.

What’s up with the BHP share price?

There’s been nothing out of BHP’s camp today attributable to its share price gain. However, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) has jumped 11% in the past month, making it a leading sector.

In fact, BHP’s share price tends to track the materials index very closely, as shown on the chart below for the past six months.

With the materials index roaring higher in 2022, BHP is following suit in remarkably similar fashion.

So with a gain in the sector today, it’s not surprising to see a corresponding gain in the BHP’s share price.

Aside from that, shares of Australian iron ore miners are set to surge “after Chinese data showed the need for more stimulus to offset economic headwinds”, Bloomberg News reports today.

“China’s economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, but activity data for March pointed to rising pressure as the country fights Covid outbreaks,” it said.

This could be a bullish sign as traders already begin to place wagers on the chance of more monetary stimulus coming out of China, it says.

Eight analysts are saying to buy BHP right now, with 13 at a hold and four saying to sell, according to Bloomberg data.

The consensus price target is $48.87 per share from this list.

In the past 12 months, the BHP share price has surged 12%. It has also gained 25% this year to date. That’s on the back of a 15% jump in the past month.

The post What’s boosting the BHP share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX 200 dividend giants named as buys by brokers
• The BHP share price has had a stellar start to the year. Is it just the beginning?
• How ASX dividend shares can provide support through periods of uncertainty
• Own BHP shares? Here’s why the miner could be gearing up to offload more carbon-heavy projects
• Here are the top 10 ASX mining companies by market cap

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 Bruce Jackson.

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The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price is currently down by 1.5% after having a difficult weekend of travel.

Qantas is Australia’s largest airline. But that also means it handles the greatest number of passengers.

What happened over the Easter weekend?

According to reporting by various media, including The Age, Qantas has been on the receiving end of “severe criticism” from customers as the airline faced significant delays and cancelled flights.

The Age reported there were:

Uncleared toilet tanks on planes and no worker immediately on hand to pump out the waste. Passengers claiming they were offered latex gloves to eat warm food after no cutlery was loaded onto the aircraft. Broken seats, lost luggage, two-hour, three-hour, four-hour delays.

Why did this happen?

It was reported that there weren’t enough captains or first officers for all of the flights. The airline was also reportedly short on crew.

Another problem for travellers was delays with ground security, which is the responsibility of the airports. Many security guards reportedly called in sick and a third of passengers were required to have their bags rechecked.

The Age reported that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce defended the delays, saying it was because of staff shortages due to COVID and “customers not being match fit for travel”.

In a media release, the Business Council of Australia said that the workforce in some airports was 40% lower than before COVID-19.

However, a former Qantas executive said that the airline simply wasn’t prepared for the holiday. The Age reported the unnamed executive’s comments:

Why were they not prepared? They knew they had sold well, they knew they had increased capacity. They should have had training in place for their staff who had not been working during the past two years. It’s a real shame.

In one way it’s fantastic that people want to travel again and demand is that high, but it’s also terrible to see these scenes at the airports caused by a lack of preparedness.

What next for the Qantas share price?

One of the latest opinions on Qantas shares comes from Ord Minnett. It currently rates the ASX share as a buy with a price target of $5.95. That implies a potential upside of around 10%. The broker appreciates the focus of the fleet renewal on planes that use less fuel.

The broker thinks that Qantas can return to profit in FY24 after a few years of disruption.

Ord Minnett’s projections suggest the Qantas share price is valued at 11x FY23’s estimated earnings. There is also a possibility of a return to shareholder payouts in FY23.

The post Qantas share price slides following Easter travel woes appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 travel shares had a super day. What’s happening?
• Why Allkem, Domino’s, Qantas, and Uniti shares are racing higher
• Why is the Qantas share price flying 7% higher today?

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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Praemium Ltd (ASX: PPS) share price is taking off today on Tuesday following a positive update from the company.

At the time of writing, the investment platform provider’s shares are 16.94% higher to 72.5 cents.

Praemium continues ‘outstanding momentum’

Investors are bidding up the Praemium share price after the company reported its latest quarterly performance.

According to its release, Praemium advised it has attained key milestones to the prior comparative period (pcp).

For the 3 months ending in March, the company achieved quarterly net inflows of $725 million. This represents an 82% increase on the pcp ($398 million), but a fall of 42% on the previous quarter ($1,248 million).

The net platform inflows consisted of $446 million for the Australian platform and $279 million for the international platform.

In addition, total funds under administration (FUA) came to $47.7 billion. This reflected a 26% lift in the past 12 months underpinned by market-leading functionality in the key areas. For context, Praemium delivered a record-breaking quarter in December of $48.9 billion.

The Australia platform FUA grew to $20.7 billion, improving 23% on the prior comparable year. And the international platform FUA surged by $5.6 billion, up 28% over the same timeframe.

FUA for VMAAS stood at $21.4 billion, up 28% compared to the prior year. VMAAS is Praemium’s non-custodial Portfolio Administration and Reporting Service.

Praemium noted that the strong net platform inflows for the March quarter were offset by the FX impact. This relates to a higher Australian Dollar to Pound Sterling exchange rate and negative market movements on FUA.

What did management say?

Praemium CEO, Anthony Wamsteker touched on the robust result, saying:

We are delighted to report continued outstanding momentum this quarter…

This shows Praemium is delivering on our strategy to become one of Australia’s largest independent specialist platform providers.

…We anticipate this strong growth trajectory to continue, with a healthy sales pipeline translating to FUA and revenue growth for the remainder of the financial year.

We are pleased to have been rated as the top platform in three out of six categories in the latest Investment Trends Platform Report, categories that are arguably the most crucial to helping an adviser deliver their service efficiently and effectively.

Praemium share price summary

Despite today’s euphoric gains, the Praemium share price has lost almost 10% in the past 12 months.

When looking at year to date, its shares are down 50% in value.

Based on today’s price, Praemium commands a market capitalisation of roughly $373.24 million.

The post Here’s why the Praemium share price is surging 17% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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. owns and has recommended Praemium Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Praemium Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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