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The Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price is a consideration for both dividends and growth.

Telstra is Australia’s largest telecommunications business. Though, it has been suffering during the transition of households onto the National Broadband Network (NBN).

But now, the company is feeling more confident about the future.

What are Telstra’s dividend credentials?

Since 2019, the telco giant has paid an annual dividend of 16 cents per share to shareholders.

Telstra recently released its T25 strategy for the next few years. Its updated capital management framework includes principles to maximise fully-franked dividends and seek to grow them over time, invest for growth, and return excess cash to shareholders.

This dividend principle reflects shareholder feedback about the importance of its dividend.

As it delivers its T25 commitments, Telstra said it’s confident about maintaining a minimum annual dividend of 16 cents per share, fully franked. That’s subject to no unexpected ‘material events’ and the requirements of its capital management framework.

Telstra expects its cash flow to remain ahead of its accounting earnings. The company’s focus is on growing its underlying earnings into its total dividend.

At the current Telstra share price, it has an expected grossed-up dividend yield of 5.7%.

Growth plans

After a period of disruption and adjustment, Telstra has also outlined that it expects to grow profit in the coming years.

Telstra said that to FY25, it’s expecting to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of mid-single digits for underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). It expects high teens for underlying earnings per share (EPS).

The telco wants to cut costs. Outgoing Telstra CEO Andrew Penn said:

Our financial ambition is to maintain leading operating cost metrics for a full service telco through capex (capital expenditure) discipline and efficiency and cost reduction from completing the decommissioning or exiting of legacy IT systems.

We will deliver a further $500 million of cost reductions on top of the $2.7 billion already committed for T22, while at the same time investing for growth. The profitable growth of our health and energy businesses at scale will also contribute to our future success.

The company is also working on expanding its market leadership to help the business grow. The 5G network coverage will be extended to 95% of the population. Also in the T25 strategy, Telstra says it will expand regional coverage with 100,000 square kilometres of new 4G and 5G coverage.

Telstra has also signed a regional sharing agreement with TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG). Penn said the innovative deal would “realise more value from Telstra’s network infrastructure for shareholders while making a very significant contribution to Telstra’s wholesale mobile revenue.”

Are Telstra shares a buy?

The Telstra share price is rated as a buy by the broker Ord Minnett, with a price target of $4.50. Realising the value of its assets could be a boost.

The broker thinks Telstra shares are valued at 22x FY23’s estimated earnings.

The post Is the Telstra share price a buy for dividends and growth? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s how the Telstra share price performed last quarter
• Could April be a good month for the Telstra share price?
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• 2 ASX dividend shares analysts have named as buys
• The Telstra dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know

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 owns and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended TPG Telecom 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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After a rough stint in 2021, the Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) share price outperformed the broader market last quarter – just.

Its gains came amid major flooding events, updates on the second business interruptions test case, and a lawsuit reportedly worth $300 million made against the company.

As of the final close of the March quarter, the IAG share price was $4.38, 2.82% higher than it was at the end of 2021.

For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index(ASX: XJO) gained just 0.74% last quarter.

So, what drove the insurance giant’s stock to outperform the market over the 3 months ended 31 March? Let’s take a look.

What happened to the IAG share price last quarter?

There was plenty of news from IAG to help boost its share price last quarter.

First, the company updated the market on its catastrophe reinsurance program.

IAG finalised the program for 2022 in early January. Its share price slipped 0.6% on the news.

That dip was recovered in February when the company released its earnings for the 6 months ended 31 December.

Within its results, the company announced its insurance profits had tumbled 57.8% while its revenue slipped 4.4%, leading IAG to drop its dividend from 14.3% to 6 cents.

However, it also provided the market with a guidance upgrade. That potentially helped boost the IAG share price 4.18% higher on its results release.

The stock also moved on news of the second business interruption test case, which previously saw insured businesses arguing that policies should cover some pandemic-related disruptions.

IAG updated the market on the appeal judgement from the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia in February. The court once again sided with insurers on most policy wording questions.

Though, IAG later said its appealing part of the ruling that found JobKeeper payments shouldn’t be considered in an assessment of loss.

The IAG share price also could have been impacted by flooding in parts of Queensland and NSW last quarter.

Initially, the insurer flagged that the extreme weather event could cost it $95 million. However, it later estimated the cost would be around $74 million.

Finally, reports of lawsuits made against the company – worth nearly $300 million – broke last quarter.

The legal action has reportedly been brought against the company following the collapse of Greensill Capital.

IAG previously held a stake in specialist insurer, Bond and Credit Co, which insured credit policies sold to Greensill entities.

IAG argues it holds no exposure to the policies.

The post How did the IAG share price stack up in the March quarter? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The IAG share price has dumped 5% in 2 weeks. What’s happening?
• Why did the IAG share price underperform the ASX 200 by 11% in March?
• Owns IAG (ASX:IAG) shares? Here’s your outlook for April
• Have IAG shares been a good investment? Here’s what $10,000 invested 4 years ago looks like now
• What’s driving the IAG (ASX:IAG) share price lower on Wednesday?

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 owns and has recommended Insurance Australia Group 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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At today’s Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price, the bank ranks as one of Australia’s biggest companies. But how much are Westpac shares worth in April?

Westpac’s current share price is $24.10, giving it a market capitalisation of $84.4 billion. To arrive at that number, the share price is multiplied by all of the Westpac shares that have been issued to investors.

But, what do investors think the underlying value of Westpac is?

Expert ratings on the Westpac share price

One of the latest brokers to issue an opinion on the big four ASX bank is Macquarie. It’s ‘neutral’ on the bank, with a price target of $22.50. That implies a decline of more than 6% over the next year. The broker is concerned about challenges for the net interest margins (NIM) with strong competition across the industry.

Another of the more recent ratings was also not a bullish opinion. Morgan Stanley is ‘equal-weight’ on Westpac as well. Morgan Stanley has a share price target of $22.40, suggesting a possible decline of around 7%. The broker acknowledges that rising interest rates could be a positive for the NIM, but competition remains fierce and bad debts could increase.

However, Westpac is Citi’s top major banking pick, with the broker preferring it to Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ), and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB). Citi’s price target on Westpac is $27, implying a possible rise of more than 12% for the Westpac share price.

What do we know of Westpac’s recent operating performance?

The latest we’ve heard from the bank was its FY22 first quarter for the three months to 31 December 2021. It reported a statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $1.82 billion, which was up 80% on the quarterly average of the second half of FY21.

Cash earnings of $1.58 billion were up 74%. Excluding notable items, cash earnings rose 1%.

Lending was up $5 billion, or 0.7%, across institutional, mortgages, and New Zealand.

The NIM was 1.91%, down eight basis points, due to competition and higher liquid assets, according to the bank.

Expenses came to $2.7 billion, which was 26% lower. However, excluding notable items, expenses were down 7%.

Westpac booked an impairment charge of $118 million, mostly from increased provision ‘overlays’ reflecting continuing COVID-19-related uncertainty.

The bank did say that asset quality metrics “continue to improve”.

At the end of the FY22 first quarter, Westpac said that it had a “strong” common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio of 12.2%. With the release of the first quarter, the Westpac chief financial officer Michael Rowland said:

We have made a sound start to the year and we are seeing the cost benefits of our simplifications programs. The environment remains highly competitive and we continue to see pressure on margins.

Given this, we are bringing forward our simplification plans and changing our operating structure to improve efficiency and move more of our people closer to the customers they support.

Westpac share price valuation

Using Macquarie’s estimates, the Westpac share price is valued at 15x FY22’s estimated earnings and 14x FY23’s estimated earnings.

Macquarie’s guess for the FY22 grossed-up dividend yield is 7.25%.

The post How much are Westpac shares worth in April? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why these ASX bank shares could outperform over the next 6 weeks
• Here are the 5 best performing ASX 200 bank shares of the March quarter
• 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields
• How did the Westpac share price outperform the ASX 200 by 13% in the March quarter?
• ASX 200 banks bounce bank in March. Here are the April forecasts from analysts

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 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 Seven Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SVW) share price has edged lower since announcing its half-year results in late February.

The investment company delivered strong earnings growth whilst maintaining its interim dividend for shareholders.

At Friday’s market close, Seven Group shares finished 1.24% lower to $21.43. This means they have lost around 4% since 22 February following the release of its financial scorecard to the ASX.

What are the details of the Seven Group dividend?

In the half year report for the 2022 financial year, Seven Group reported strong performance across key metrics.

In summary, group revenue increased by 105.3% to $4,839.3 million in H1 FY22. This was driven by its operating businesses Coates and WesTrac, along with improved returns from Beach and Seven West Media.

On the bottom line, Seven Group achieved a 235.6% gain in statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $1,221.5 million.

Surprisingly, the board opted not to change its fully franked interim dividend of 23 cents per share. This may have been the cause as to why Seven Group shares backtracked on the day of the release.

While management hasn’t disclosed a dividend policy, decisions regarding future dividend payout ratios are based on a number of factors. This includes the group’s medium term underlying profitability, Australian tax payable position, shares on issue, and investment opportunities.

When can Seven Group shareholders expect payment?

Seven Group will pay the interim dividend to eligible shareholders next month on 6 May.

To be eligible for the latest dividend, you’ll need to own Seven Group shares before the ex-dividend date on 12 April. This means if you want to secure the dividend, you’ll need to purchase Seven Group shares no later than today.

In case you are wondering, the company is not offering a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) to shareholders.

The post If you’re keen to bag the Seven Group dividend, read this appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This lagging ASX sector could be next to outperform
• Here’s a look at some ASX shares with ex-dividend dates coming up in April
• Is this the secret behind ASX shares that outperform?

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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The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past few years.

In the earlier part of the demi-decade, the infant formula company’s shares were on an upwards trend. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the course of A2 Milk’s once lofty valuations.

Nonetheless, A2 Milk has created wealth for investors who bought and held its shares over the long term.

Below, we calculate how much you would have made if you’d bought $10,000 worth of A2 Milk shares five years ago.

What’s happening with A2 Milk in 2022?

Since the start of the year, the A2 Milk share price has posted a loss of around 8%.

It’s no secret that cross-border trade issues led to the deterioration of the company’s share price in recent times.

The global pandemic has severely disrupted A2 Milk’s operations, causing logistical challenges between Australia and China. This has weighed down on investor sentiment, causing a sell-off in A2 Milk shares.

As such, demand and supply volatility has caused excess inventory levels, along with the China infant nutrition market which has significantly reduced in growth.

This trend follows the release of China’s 2020 birth numbers which showed a reduction in the birth rate.

Management noted that the market landscape has experienced unprecedented change over the past 12 months, requiring the company to adapt.

So, how much would you have if you’d invested $10,000 from five years ago?

If you’d invested $10,000 into A2 Milk shares in 2017, you would have picked them up for approximately $2.93 apiece. This equates to about 3,412 shares without topping up along the way during the retracement periods.

Fast-forward to today, the current A2 Milk share price is $5.04. This means those 3,412 shares would be worth $17,196.48.

When looking at percentage terms, this implies an average yearly return of 11.45%. In comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has given back 4.99% over the same timeframe.

If you are wondering about dividends, the company has chosen not to pay a percentage of its profits to date. Instead, it has decided to increase brand investment to drive consumer demand, and recently bolster its leadership team.

In comparison, investing the same amount in an ASX 200 index-tracking fund would have netted you a total figure of $12,646.92 (albeit excluding any dividends).

A2 Milk share price summary

Over the past 12 months, A2 Milk shares have lost almost 40% following a rollercoaster ride for investors.

The company’s shares were heavily sold off from July 2020 after reaching an all-time high of $20.05. Since then, its shares hit a 52-week low of $4.97 in January 2022, before hovering around those levels.

Based on today’s price, A2 Milk presides a market capitalisation of roughly $3.75 billion and has approximately 743.66 million shares outstanding.

The post Guess how much you’d have today if you’d bought $10,000 of A2 Milk shares 5 years ago appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• Why this broker is bearish on the A2 Milk share price
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today
• Why A2 Milk, IGO, Lynas, and Sayona shares are dropping
• What happened to the A2 Milk share price in March?

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras owns A2 Milk. 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. 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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If you’re wanting to boost your income portfolio with some new dividend shares this month, then the two listed below could be worth considering.

Here’s why analysts are positive on these high yield dividend shares right now:

GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG)

The first dividend share for investors to look at is fund manager, GQG. While its shares have rebounded strongly from recent lows, they are still trading well below their $2.00 IPO price from October.

Analysts at Morgans appear to believe this could be a buying opportunity. Particularly given its positive performance in FY 2021 and attractive valuation. The broker has an add rating and $2.15 price target on its shares.

Its analysts commented: “GQG has seen a valuation de-rate along with the broader sector, however we view it as unwarranted. Both relative investment performance and flows remain strong. We view GQG’s ~11x FY22 PE as attractive versus its diversity of earnings; current flows momentum; and expected growth. Add maintained.”

As for dividends, Morgans is expecting dividends of 12 cents per share in FY 2022 and then 13 cents per share in FY 2023. Based on the current GQG share price of $1.52, this will mean yields of 7.9% and 8.5%, respectively.

HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN)

Another ASX dividend share that could be in the buy zone is HomeCo Daily Needs REIT. It is a property company that invests in convenience-based assets across target sub-sectors of neighbourhood retail, large format retail, and health and services.

This has been a great area of the market to be in, with HomeCo Daily Needs delivering strong growth so far in FY 2022. This went down well with analysts at Goldman Sachs, which led to the broker putting a buy rating and $1.70 price target on its shares.

Goldman commented: “We believe HDN is undervalued at its current valuation given its diversified tenant base, and see it as well positioned to benefit from the shift to omni channel retailing, with additional external growth opportunities to drive earnings growth over the medium-term.”

In respect to dividends, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 8 cents in FY 2022 and then 9 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current HomeCo Daily Needs share price of $1.47, this will mean yields of 5.4% and 6.1%, respectively.

The post 2 high yield ASX dividend shares analysts rate as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This ASX financial share defied its sector sell-off to climb 9%. Here’s why
• Why Ardent Leisure, GQG, Magellan, and Melbana shares are charging higher
• Be as overweight ‘as you can possibly stomach’ in ASX shares right now: fundie
• Analysts name 2 ASX dividend shares with 5%+ yields to buy this week
• Brokers: 2 ASX dividend shares expected to pay juicy yields

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 Bruce Jackson.

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The Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price has risen by 20% in just a month. So, could the Fortescue share price be a buy?

Fortescue was founded as an iron ore mining company. It’s now one of the biggest iron ore miners globally, alongside Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).

It has multiple hubs and projects in Western Australia, including the Chichester Hub, the Solomon Hub, the Western Hub (which includes the Eliwana mine), its Hedland operations and the Iron Bridge project.

What happened to the Fortescue share price?

The last six months show a 45% rise in the Fortescue share price.

As a miner, Fortescue’s short-term profitability can be dictated by the movement of the iron ore price. Amid events in China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the iron ore price has risen to above US$150 per tonne.

Analysts at Ord Minnett and Macquarie expect the second half of FY22 to bring a bigger dividend than the first.

Fortescue has committed to a dividend payout ratio range of between 50% to 80% of full-year of net profit after tax (NPAT), As such, a rise in the commodity price can help cash payouts.

Ord Minnett now thinks that the iron ore price will be US$139 per tonne in 2022 and US$115 per tonne in 2023.

Green hydrogen deal in Europe

The broker noted the recent deal with E.ON in which a third of Fortescue Future Industries’ (FFI) targeted production capacity by 2030 will be supplied to E.ON.

Fortescue Future Industries and E.ON are partnering to deliver up to five million tonnes per annum of green, renewable hydrogen by 2030. They have signed a memorandum of understanding to execute this ambition.

FFI said that this partnership marks a “broader ambition to lead the decarbonisation of Europe and to strengthen security of green energy supply at a time when Europe needs to reduce its energy dependence on fossil fuels from Russia as quickly as possible.”

According to FFI, five million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of renewable green hydrogen is equal to approximately one-third of the calorific energy Germany imports from Russia.

FFI also said:

It is intended that such large amounts of renewable green hydrogen will be powered by Australia’s immense renewable resources as well as FFI’s other planned global projects, and will be distributed by E.ON. The parties have also agreed to work together to analyse what solutions could look like to solve infrastructure issues and to build a secure value chain.

Fortescue has a global portfolio of partnerships to explore green hydrogen production projects in various countries. They include Australia, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Jordan, New Zealand, India and Brazil.

Is the Fortescue share price an opportunity?

Broadly, brokers don’t think so. There are plenty of sell and hold (or equivalent) ratings.

For example, Morgan Stanley’s rating on the company is ‘underweight’. They have concerns about the valuation and how much FFI may spend on all of its initiatives. Morgan Stanley’s price target is $15.95.

One of the most recent ratings comes from Ord Minnett. The broker rates Fortescue as a hold with a price target of $20. The stronger-than-expected iron ore price is helping. Ord Minnett thinks Fortescue will pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 13.8% for FY22.

The post Up 20% in a month: Is the Fortescue share price a buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 midday update: Magellan jumps, tech shares tumble
• Fortescue share price lifts amid $2b cap raise
• Iron ore just passed US$160 per tonne. So why is the Fortescue share price slipping?
• What’s the outlook for the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price in April?
• The Fortescue share price doubled the return of the ASX 200 in March

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns Fortescue Metals Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group 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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The Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE) share price has been a very strong performer in 2022.

Since the start of the year, the lithium developer’s shares have stormed 70% higher.

The good news for shareholders is that the Lake Resources share price could build on this today following the release of a positive announcement.

Why could the Lake Resources share price could rise today?

The Lake Resources share price could be heading higher today after the lithium developer announced a major new offtake agreement.

According to the release, Lake has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with car giant Ford Motor Company for offtake of approximately 25,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of lithium from the Kachi Project in Argentina.

Management notes that the strategic collaboration between Ford and Lake will sit alongside the latter’s collaboration with Hanwa to fully develop a clean lithium supply chain to meet the global environmental demands for electric vehicles.

Management commentary

Lake’s Managing Director, Steve Promnitz, commented: “Both Lake and Ford see this as an opportunity for a potential long-term agreement with the ability to scale up environmentally responsible production and participate in Lake’s other projects to ensure high-quality lithium products are available to Ford said. This MoU with Ford supports Lake’s strategy to be a key independent supplier into global lithium supply chains and ensure the security of supply to customers.”

This sentiment was echoed by Lake’s Chair, Stu Crow, who highlighted the company’s green credentials.

He said: “Increasing customer and consumer scrutiny around lithium production’s environmental and ethical credentials drives our focus on sustainable extraction. Lake Resources is committed to integrating sustainable development practices throughout our operations, minimising our environmental footprint, and contributing to a clean energy future.”

“This MoU with Ford follows the Hanwa MoU. Together with the UK and Canada Export Credit Agencies’ indicative provision of debt finance for around 70 percent of the Kachi project’s capital requirements, this provides a framework of support for Lake’s TARGET 100 Program, which has the goal of producing annually 100,000 tonnes of high purity lithium chemical to market by 2030,” Crow added.

The post Lake Resources share price on watch following lithium deal with car giant Ford appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Guess which 2 ASX shares were the best and worst All Ordinaries performers in March
• 5 ASX mining shares rocking all-time highs on Friday
• Why is the Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) share price surging 16% higher to a new record high?
• The ASX 200 just had its longest winning streak since 2017. What’s doing?
• 5 ASX lithium and green metals shares hitting new 52-week highs today

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 Bruce Jackson.

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As the Easter break approaches, we asked our Foolish contributors to hop to it and compile a list of ASX dividend shares the eggsperts reckon are looking sweet in April. Here is what the team came up with.

Bernd Struben: Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

Macquarie has a history of reliable dividend payouts. At the time of writing, it offers a 3.0% dividend yield, 40% franked.

Plato Investment’s Peter Gardner lists Macquarie among his top ASX dividend shares.

“Macquarie has continued to deliver consistent earnings growth and consistent dividends in recent years despite the challenges that have faced the financial services sector. Most recently, it achieved a record profit for the December 2021 quarter,” Gardner says.

“Importantly, it has a lot of cash on its balance sheet, which indicates it can sustainably grow dividends in the foreseeable future.”

Atop its dividend yield, the Macquarie share price has gained around 32% over the past 12 months.

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben does not own shares of Macquarie Group Ltd.

Sebastian Bowen: Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Coles is one of the more visible ASX shares in everyday life. But its large chunk of the mature grocery market has enabled the company to pay out robust dividends, too. And on current pricing, it offers a far-larger dividend than its arch-rival Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).

On recent pricing, Coles offers a yield of 3.34%, which, with Coles’ typical full franking credits, grosses up to a healthy 4.77%. In addition, broker Morgans currently rates Coles as an ‘add’, with a 12-month share price target of $19.70. It expects dividend increases over at least the next few years, too.

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen does not own shares of Coles Group Ltd or Woolworths Group Ltd.

Tristan Harrison: Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

Adairs is a leading homewares and furniture retailer with Adairs, Mocka and Focus on Furniture brands.

The company has multiple strategies to build sales and profit into the future, including growing its store network, upsizing existing stores, growing its membership base, increasing online sales and utilising its new national distribution centre.

Estimates on Commsec show a projected annual dividend per share of 26 cents for FY23. That equates to a forward grossed-up dividend yield of 12.6% at the current Adairs share price.

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison does not own shares of Adairs Ltd.

Mitchell Lawler: Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX: JIN)

Jumbo Interactive is an online lottery provider with operations across Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. While it may not be the first ASX share to come to mind for dividends, its 2.3% yield, high levels of free cash flow and growing profits give it some appeal.

Additionally, Jumbo has been taking action to expand its business with great tenacity. In the past year, we have seen the announcement of two acquisitions – Stride in August 2021 and StarVale in January this year.

With both acquisitions expected to be earnings accretive, and Jumbo retaining its dividend payout policy of 85% of statutory net profits, heftier dividends might be inbound in coming years.

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler owns shares of Jumbo Interactive Ltd.

Aaron Teboneras: Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

Having listed in 1903, Soul Patts (as it’s commonly referred to) is the second-oldest company on the ASX.

The Australian investment house has a $9 billion portfolio of ASX shares in natural resources, building materials, telecommunications, retail, agriculture, property equity, investments, and corporate advisory.

Major shareholdings include TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG), Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), and New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC).

Soul Patts has consistently rewarded shareholders with dividends for the last 40 years. Its most recent interim dividend increased by 11.5% to 29 cents.

In fact, this ASX dividend share holds the record for the most consecutive annual dividend increases, having boosted its payout every year since 2000.

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras does not own shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd, TPG Telecom Ltd, Brickworks Limited, or New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC).

James Mickleboro: Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

Elders is an agribusiness company that provides a range of services to rural and regional customers across the Australia/New Zealand region. These include livestock, real estate, feed and processing, wool agency services, and financial planning and grain marketing services.

After a very difficult period during the 2010s, Elders has bounced back strongly in the 2020s following a highly successful transformation plan and the game-changing acquisition of Australian Independent Rural Retailers.

The team at Goldman Sachs is positive on the company’s outlook and has a conviction ‘buy’ rating and a $17.65 price target on Elders shares.

As for dividends, the broker expects dividends per share of 45 cents in FY2022, 47 cents in FY2023, and then 52 cents in FY2024. Based on the current Elders share price of $13.09, this implies yields of 3.4%, 3.6%, and 4%, respectively.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro does not own shares of Elders Ltd.

The post Top ASX dividend shares to buy in April 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended ADAIRS FPO, Brickworks, Goldman Sachs, Jumbo Interactive Limited, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended ADAIRS FPO, Brickworks, COLESGROUP DEF SET, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elders Limited, Jumbo Interactive Limited, Macquarie Group Limited, and TPG Telecom 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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Shares in Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) rallied 19% in March and are up around 19% this year to date as well, after thrusting from a bottom of $87.51 on 10 November.

What’s next for the Rio Tinto share price?

We aren’t in the business of forecasting stock prices, but we can check in to see what the sentiment is by what analysts are saying. There’s good evidence for using the ‘wisdom of the crowd’ in making educated projections in finance, and we’ll draw on that.

Around 41% of analysts rate Rio as a buy right now, according to Bloomberg data. Whereas 53% say it’s a hold, and 6% urge their clients to sell Rio shares.

Collectively, the consensus price target is $118.81 from this list, meaning Rio could just be about fairly priced in this regard.

This comes as no surprise to analysts at JP Morgan who noted Rio’s 2021 earnings came “broadly in line with market expectations.”

Without the earnings surprise to excite investors, JP Morgan seems to think of other names that could get more attention.

Not only that, but Rio is trading at a fair value, it says. “This year is another where shareholders stand to gain a strong dividend yield (approximately 8%),” the broker noted.

“However,” JP Morgan continued, “the stock has traded through our NPV, which is now 13% below the last close.”

“We acknowledge iron ore continues to trade above our expectations and retain our Neutral rating”.

Macquarie doesn’t agree and values Rio at $140 per share, followed closely by those at Jefferies at $139 per share.

The post The Rio Tinto share price rallied 19% in the March quarter. What’s next? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• What drove the Rio Tinto share price higher on Friday?
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• What sent ASX mining shares flaming higher in March?

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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