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It’s no secret that we’re in the midst of a commodities super-cycle in 2022.

Experts agree that the upside’s been spurred on by a pipeline of macroeconomic catalysts – and this pipeline isn’t carrying gas or oil.

Sanctions on Russian exports, loose-running inflation, COVID-19, supply chain bottlenecks, conflict in Europe, commodity shortages, electric vehicle demand – can we name any more? – have all weighed into spot markets this year. This has resulted in price surges.

However, we are now presented with a mix of events that many haven’t seen in a lifetime.

As Russia attempts to avoid default on its debt obligations – an event that sent global markets into shakedown when it last happened in 1998 – the US Treasury has dealt its hand once more.

Bloomberg reports the US Treasury has opted to halt dollar-denominated debt payments from Russia’s accounts at US banks, further complicating its efforts to meet coupon payments on its bonds.

Here’s the take of Gary Kirk of TwentyFour Asset Management (as quoted by Bloomberg):

Clearly the latest announcement by the US Treasury is designed to put additional pressure on the Russians.

The alternative payment methods are significantly more punitive and more challenging for Russia and hence it does increase the chance of a technical default.

What’s the fallout from the commodities surge?

The momentum has carried well for those investors tied into ASX 200 commodity shares.

As TMF reported this week, most of the upside for Aussie listed miners in March “was underscored by roaring commodity markets that have continued to surpass all expectations”.

“The spillover is set to produce hefty free cash flow yields and potentially record dividends and/or buybacks for ASX miners and their shareholders.”

Iron ore has priced at an average US$118 per tonne in 2022 so far, Bloomberg data shows, only marginally down on last year’s entire result.

LNG exports are also expected to more than double in Australia this year to $70 billion. Spot prices are likely to remain frothy as well.

Australia could be a benefactor from this surge, not to mention ASX players such as Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO).

Their share prices have surged 20% and 28% respectively in 2022 so far. Meanwhile, the sector has seen heavy inflows to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on resources exposure.

The  Betashares Australian Resources Sector ETF (ASX: QRE) and Vaneck Australian Resources ETF (ASX: MVR) have also spiked to similar levels and are well in the green.

Not only that, but the price of coal has bottomed for now after lunging to 10-year highs in February. It has since cooled off but ASX coal miners have clipped gains across the board.

As well, investors continue backing ASX coal mining shares as the EU considers a ban on fuel imports from Russia, Bloomberg reports.

Russia supplied around 18% of global coal exports in 2020, it says, and Europe was the largest buyer of its black rock.

Yancoal Ltd (ASX: YAL) has spiked 77% since January 4 whereas Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) is up nearly 60% at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index (ASX: XMM) has powered 17% higher this year to date and is up another 5% in the past month of trade.

The post ASX 200 commodities players were the major winners in March. Take a look appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why now is the time to sell Santos shares: fund manager
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here are the 5 best-performing ASX exchange-traded funds over the March quarter
• Here’s what drove the Santos share price 6% higher in March
• 3 ASX shares to buy in the hottest sector right now: experts

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 Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) share price is charging higher for a second day in a row.

In morning trade, the memory technology developer’s shares are up 8% to $3.15.

This means the Weebit Nano share price is now up 20% in the space of two days.

Why is the Weebit Nano share price shooting higher?

The catalyst for the rise in the Weebit Nano share price on Wednesday has been the release of a promising announcement.

According to the release, demo chips integrating its embedded Resistive Random-Access Memory (ReRAM) module have successfully completed their functional testing phase. Management notes that this is a key step towards delivering a commercial product.

Testing included programming and reading of the entire ReRAM array using smart algorithms, error correcting code, and various data manipulations. It also included testing the operation of the complete sub-system, comprising all communication interfaces and system peripherals.

Positively, the entire chip is performing as expected.

Weebit Nano’s ReRAM is aiming to address the growing need for significantly higher performance and lower power memory solutions in a range of new electronic products such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smartphones, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 5G communications and artificial intelligence.

What’s next?

As a result of the above, potential customers can now use the demo chips to test Weebit’s ReRAM technology ahead of commercial orders and volume production.

Ahead of potential orders, chips based on a similar design are currently being prepared for fabrication in SkyWater Technology’s US production fab.

Once the module is qualified at SkyWater, volume production can commence. The transfer of Weebit’s embedded ReRAM technology to SkyWater’s production fab is progressing on schedule.

Weebit Nano’s CEO, Coby Hanoch, said: “Our team tested the complete demo chip including the full memory array, the advanced features of our memory module, and the entire system, and confirmed that it functions as expected. This is the first time we can see Weebit’s innovative memory technology operating live in a fully functional chip. We are now moving into a new phase of our roadmap during which customers can confidently begin designing Weebit ReRAM into their SoCs. The characterisation process is now underway and will be immediately followed by full qualification.”

The post Weebit Nano share price jumps 8% on ReRAM update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the PolyNovo share price surging 13% higher today?
• Are Woolworths shares positioned for ‘a long-term, post-COVID trend?’
• Why the Flight Centre share price travelled 12% higher in March
• Sell your ASX shares in these sectors now: expert
• Own ASX renewable energy shares? Here’s why ‘the energy transition will be good for us’

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 PolyNovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) share price is on the rise on Wednesday morning.

At the time of writing, the medical device company’s shares are up 13% to $1.22.

Why is the PolyNovo share price on the move?

Investors have been bidding the PolyNovo share price higher following the release of a third quarter update.

According to the release, PolyNovo delivered unaudited revenue of A$12.26 million during the third quarter of FY 2022. This represents a 59.3% increase on the revenue of A$7.69 million reported during the prior corresponding period.

This reflects a 79.4% increase in US sales to a record US$6.89 million (A$9.53 million) and an 81.9% lift in ANZ sales to A$1.16 million. It also includes income of A$1 million relating to BARDA and A$0.1 million from a Victorian State Government grant.

This means that PolyNovo’s year to date revenue is now A$30.4 million, which implies an annual run rate of A$48 million.

PolyNovo’s Chair, David Williams, explained that this result was driven by an increase in its salesforce and easing COVID-19 headwinds.

He said “More sales reps equals a wider geographical footprint and increased sales. More reps and the diminishing effects of Covid, have driven record sales in US, UKI and Australia.”

What else?

One thing that has been weighing on the PolyNovo share price this year has been concerns over its dwindling cash balance and the potential requirement of a capital raising in the near future.

Positively, the heavily shorted company’s cash balance increased during the third quarter even before taking into account the sale of its Lorimer Street property.

At the end of March, PolyNovo had cash of A$3.8 million, which was up A$0.5 million since the end of December. This will soon be boosted by a further A$6.35 million from the Lorimer Street property sale when the process completes in June.

Finally, management advised that its clinical trial programmes remain on track. This includes recruitment for the pivotal burn trial and enrolment of the first patients for the DFU trial.

PolyNovo is also on track to file for the 510K approval for the Matrix product during this financial year and work on the prototypes for Hernia development and new designs for BTM are also on track.

The post Why is the PolyNovo share price surging 13% higher today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• What’s driving the Polynovo (ASX:PNV) share price higher today?
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Polynovo (ASX:PNV) share price spikes 7% as healthcare stages comeback rally
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares

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. owns and has recommended POLYNOVO FPO. 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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Shares in Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) have staged a comeback in March and rallied almost 5% in that time. The retail giant is set to open higher again today. On Tuesday, it finished the session with a splash in the green at $37.14.

Cyclical names such as Woolworths are clawing back gains after a frosty start to the year. In the last 12 months, the share price has gained just 3%. But with a recent shift in market tone, it appears investors are prepared to throw risk on the table once more.

How did Woolworths go in March?

Analysts at UBS say that with the economy reopening again, consumer confidence for the next 12 months has touched record levels.

Findings from its 11th quarterly Evidence Lab consumer survey demonstrate that cost pressures are rising for consumers, despite growth in savings and asset values.

Curiously, the firm noted that the best avenue for investors to get position to reflect consumer behaviour is are young affluent types in the large city areas of Australia.

That’s important for Woolworths as retailers are more exposed to this kind of consumer, with the conglomerate front and centre on many levels through its offering.

With a string of recent portfolio updates, the group isn’t showing any signs of slowing operations either. It recently unveiled its $184 million Heathwood Distribution Centre (DC), located a short way from the Brisbane CBD.

The venture is set to create more than 200 jobs during construction, Woolworths reports, plus approximately 300 jobs for Queenslanders, it says.

What’s the outlook

Sentiment is mixed on the stock but tilted towards a buy right now. Exactly 50% of analysts covering it urge clients to buy, Bloomberg data shows. The remainder either say to hold or sell, whilst the consensus price target is $37.03.

Analysts at JP Morgan are bullish on the stock and rate it a buy to clients. It has four catalysts that it feels will form the bedrock of Woolworths’ growth in the coming years.

With inflation rearing its head in just about every pocket of the market, perishables like food are set to produce high operating cash flows for Woolworths, the broker says.

It also likes the group’s Everyday Needs segment, whilst Big W and the online platform are equally attractive catalysts to move the needle, it argues.

The firm values Woolworths at $39.50 per share which suggests more than a $2 per share upside if its thesis comes through.

Meanwhile, Mohsen Crofts, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, submits that Woolworths’ revenue is “set to establish long-term, post-Covid trend” in a recent note.

“Woolworths’ grocery-segment growth has been elevated during the Covid period but now looks set to normalize around its long-term trend of about 4% a year,” the analyst wrote.

“This represents population expansion of 1-1.5% and food-price inflation of about 2.5-3%,” he added.

“In the next two to three years, more competition from new entrants such as Aldi and Costco, and Amazon.com’s move into packaged food, have further potential to curb store-sales growth”.

The post Are Woolworths shares positioned for ‘a long-term, post-COVID trend?’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Are Woolworths shares worth buying for their defensive properties?
• What’s the outlook for the Woolworths share price in April?
• Humans don’t change: Expert names 2 ASX shares that exploit our urges
• Federal budget: Goldman Sachs names 4 ASX shares to buy
• Do Woolworths shares pay dividends?

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 Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price headed north last month, recording a 12% gain.

This is despite the company navigating through a series of events such as the global pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

At Tuesday’s market close, the travel agent’s shares finished 1.81% higher to $19.74.

What has happened to Flight Centre shares lately?

The company has kept a relatively low profile since announcing its half-year results to the market in late February.

Nonetheless, the Flight Centre share price has continued to track since the beginning of last month.

This could be due to the company reporting strong top-line growth with a favourable outlook in FY23.

Flight Centre achieved revenue of $315.7 million in H1 FY22, up 98.1% over the prior corresponding period. This was underpinned by a significant rebound in sales after the Delta variant spike in August/September 2021.

On the bottom line, Flight Centre reported an underlying loss of $188 million, up 4% year-on-year. Management advised that this was driven partly by the prior corresponding period benefiting from $65 million of government subsidies.

Furthermore, the company is hoping to achieve profit by this month and a return to pre-COVID TTV [total transaction value] levels in FY23.

Are Flight Centre shares a buy?

A couple of brokers weighed in on the Flight Centre share price following the company’s financial scorecard.

The team at Bell Potter raised its 12-month price target by 2.5% to $20.50 for Flight Centre shares. Based on the current share price, this implies a potential upside of around 4% for investors.

On the other hand, Goldman Sachs cut its rating on the company’s shares by 4.4% to $19.50 apiece. Its analysts believe that the travel agent share is fully-valued at this point in time.

Flight Centre share price summary

It’s been a challenging 12 months for Flight Centre shareholders, despite advancing 10% over the period.

The company’s share price reached a 52-week high of $25.28 in early October when Australia had managed the pandemic. However, since the outbreak of the Omicron variant, its shares struggled to regain composure until now.

On valuation grounds, Flight Centre presides a market capitalisation of roughly $3.94 billion, with approximately 199.7 million shares outstanding.

The post Why the Flight Centre share price travelled 12% higher in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why this broker thinks the Webjet share price can fly 26% higher
• Here’s why the Flight Centre share price is taking off today
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Do Flight Centre shares have a dividend reinvestment plan?
• Who owns Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) shares? You’ll want to read this

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel 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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It feels like 2022 is definitely different to what ASX investors have experienced the previous few years.

High inflation is sticking around and interest rates will no longer remain at an almost-zero level. The hot property market is already cooling down.

So what does this mean for our portfolio of ASX shares?

Saxo Australian market strategist Jessica Amir has some ideas.

Get out of these ASX sectors. Now

In her latest quarterly update, Amir urged investors to consider selling out of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and consumer discretionary stocks.

Why? Because inflation is affecting building materials as much as groceries and petrol.

“It’s not just the cost of chicken, beef, oil and bread that are rising – so too is lumber,” said Amir.

“It’s flowing to builders, squeezing their profits, while higher house and construction prices are being passed to consumers. This has started to cause cracks in the property market.”

The scary thing is that this is happening even before Australian interest rates have risen.

“This has big knock-on effects,” said Amir.

“In Q1, ASX-listed property stocks have collectively fallen 8% and ASX consumer discretionary spending stocks are down 12%.”

She warned that more losses are expected in these categories in the current quarter and third quarter.

“Why? Australia’s debt-to-income ratio climbed to 185%,” said Amir.

“After an expected rate rise in May, mortgage repayments will rise and cost of living will go up, resulting in decreased consumption and a slowdown in property demand.”

Overseas money to flow into ASX 

Despite the drag from two sectors, Amir is bullish on the local market.

She reckons foreign investors will be increasingly attracted to the ASX this year, because of Australia’s dominant resources sector and buoyant economy.

“Australia boasts one of the highest trade surpluses in the G20 countries – meaning it earns more money [than it spends],” Amir said.

“It’s also likely to have one of the strongest economic growth rates in the G20 (4.3% GDP) and one of the best employment rates – just 4% unemployment this year and 3.9% next year.”

Major contributors to Australia’s exports are mineral and agricultural products. Commodity prices are surging, and inflation may push up even further.

“The iron ore price is up 28% so far this year, oil is also up 36% and wheat is up 41%, as at March 29. Australia’s exports surged to $49.3 billion in January, so you can bet that Australian exports will climb further in March,” said Amir.

“On top of this, prices are poised to rise over the longer term, amid anaemic supply and roaring demand, further benefiting Australia. This will attract more foreign money.”

The post Sell your ASX shares in these sectors now: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the Flight Centre share price travelled 12% higher in March
• Own ASX renewable energy shares? Here’s why ‘the energy transition will be good for us’
• 2 buy-rated ASX 200 dividend shares analysts are recommending
• Here’s why the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF rose 7% in March
• The CSL dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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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Markets are rangebound this week with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) up 156 basis points at 7,527 at the open of trade on Wednesday.

Whilst commodity sectors continue to book record gains in 2022, renewables have somewhat been left on the backburner (emissions free, of course).

Investing in green or renewables based companies has been somewhat of a love affair for investors ever since the theme popped onto the scene a few years ago now.

The theme of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has now become an investment factor to which portfolio and asset managers weight their holdings towards (or not).

With the recent commodities supercycle, it’s no wonder to see some renewables focused shares make a sharp u-turn in 2022, as the market digests a number of macroeconomic factors.

Green is good, yes?

There’s a lot of debate out there, but one argument is that Australia could be a huge benefactor to the shift into renewables.

“We are probably the richest, the most regionally endowed nation in lithium, cobalt, rare earths, palladium, copper and nickel, all of which are somewhere between 200 and 1000 per cent under-supplied,” The Australian reports.

“If you join the dots…the energy transition will be good for us. While our balance sheet’s terrible, it’s better than anyone else in the world,” he added.

Elsewhere, Australia has made “significant strides” in its offshore wind industry in recent weeks, according to analysis from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.

“On 4 March 2022, the Victorian Government announced Australia’s first offshore wind energy targets of 2GW of offshore wind energy production by 2032,” they wrote.

“According to the Paper, winds off Victoria’s coastline are among the best not only in Australia, but also on a global scale, with the potential for Gippsland and Portland regions to support 13GW of capacity using fixed platforms in shallow waters,” they added.

The Paper indicates a strong intention by the Victorian Government for Victoria to be the leader in the Australian offshore wind market, an industry that is developing rapidly internationally, and for which competition for investment is strong.

Meanwhile, shares in renewable energy companies were a mixed bag during the previous quarter, with several names expanding up to 96%, whilst others lagged substantially.

The post Own ASX renewable energy shares? Here’s why ‘the energy transition will be good for us’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the Flight Centre share price travelled 12% higher in March
• Sell your ASX shares in these sectors now: expert
• 2 buy-rated ASX 200 dividend shares analysts are recommending
• Here’s why the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF rose 7% in March
• The CSL dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know

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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If you’re looking for dividend shares to buy, then you may want to look at the two listed below that brokers are recommending.

Here’s what you need to know about these ASX 200 dividend shares:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The first ASX 200 dividend share to look at is this mining giant. With commodity prices at high levels, the Big Australian looks well-placed to deliver bumper profits in the near term. Particularly given the quality and low costs of its operations across a range of commodities and geographies.

And although the BHP share price has been racing higher this year, the team at Macquarie don’t believe it is too late to invest. Its analysts currently have an outperform rating and $61.00 price target on BHP’s shares.

Macquarie is also forecasting some very generous dividends in the coming years. It expects fully franked dividends per share of ~$5.22 in FY 2022 and then ~$3.61 in FY 2023. Based on the current BHP share price of $51.95, this implies potential upside of 10% and 7%, respectively.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)

Another ASX 200 dividend share for investors to look at is banking giant NAB. It could be a top option in the banking sector thanks to its strong position in business lending. This side of the sector is performing far better than retail banking and was a key driver in NAB’s 9.1% increase in cash earnings during the first quarter.

NAB has also been boosting its operations through acquisitions. This includes the recently completed acquisition of digital bank 86 400 and the proposed acquisition of Citigroup’s Australian consumer business.

The team at Bell Potter are positive on these deals and expect them to allow the bank to “achieve scale in digital and consumer banking offerings.”

Its analysts are bullish on NAB and currently have a buy rating and $34.50 price target on its shares. As for dividends, the broker has pencilled in fully franked dividends per share of 136.5 cents in FY 2022 and then 134.5 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current NAB share price of $32.18, this equates to yields of 4.25% and 4.2%, respectively.

The post 2 buy-rated ASX 200 dividend shares analysts are recommending appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the NAB share price fully valued in April?
• ASX 200 banks bounce bank in March. Here are the April forecasts from analysts
• What sent ASX mining shares flaming higher in March?
• What are the tailwinds behind BHP shares in April?
• Here’s why the performance of ASX 200 shares is smashing the S&P 500

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 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 Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) went up by around 7% over March 2022.

This was an outperformance of other exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) which only rose by 3.3%.

The VAS ETF is one of the largest ETFs on the ASX. The fund size is currently around $10 billion, according to Vanguard. It has an annual management fee of 0.1% per annum.

Each ETF’s performance is decided by the underlying holdings, less the management fee. Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF tracks the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO).

Therefore, it’s the biggest positions in the portfolio that can have the most significant influence on the direction of the ASX 300.

VAS ETF holdings

At the end of February 2022, these were the fund’s biggest positions:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) was 11% of the portfolio.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) was 7.4% of the portfolio.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) was 5.8% of the portfolio.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) was 4.4% of the portfolio.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) was 3.7% of the portfolio.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) was 3.4% of the portfolio.

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) was 3% of the portfolio.

How did the top 3 perform?

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF’s portfolio only has three positions with a weighting of more than 5% of the portfolio. All the 300 positions were part of the VAS ETF return of approximately 7% in March 2022, but the biggest three could have the most influence.

Over March, the BHP share price increased by almost 11% amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which saw both the iron ore price and the oil price increase. BHP produces both of those commodities.

The CBA share price rose by 13% over the month amid further talk and market commentary on inflation and the potential of interest rate rises. Some analysts believe that a rising interest rate environment will positively affect bank net interest margins (NIMs).

The CSL share price rose by 3% last month. That wasn’t as much as BHP and CBA but it was still a gain.

How has April started for the VAS ETF?

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF is down 1.6% in the first few days of April 2022, but there is plenty more of the month left.

Interestingly, senior portfolio manager and principal of Auscap Asset Management Tim Carleton said to Livewire:

There is a massive push to diversify out of Australia, but I think you want to be as overweight Australia as you can possibly stomach for the rest of our lifetimes.

That’s certainly been the right way over the last 100 years, with the Australian market delivering the best returns of any developed market, at around 12% a year, and I see no reason for that to change and if anything, we’re in a better position now than we have been.

Mr Carleton referred to three advantages that Australia supposedly has: its natural resources, its “relatively strong population growth over the medium term”, and its proximity to the high growth and rapidly-developing Asian economies.

The post Here’s why the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF rose 7% in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Vanguard Australian Shares ETF (ASX:VAS) plummets! What’s going on?
• Hoping to bag the next Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX:VAS) dividend? Read this
• 3 top ETFs for ASX investors in April
• What kind of dividends does the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF (ASX:VAS) pay?
• VAS is the ASX’s most popular ETF. But where are the tech shares?

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 CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited, Westpac Banking Corporation, and iShares Trust – iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. 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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CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) shareholders will have something to cheer about today as the company pays out its latest dividend.

The biotherapeutics giant is set to reward eligible investors with an unfranked interim dividend of US$1.04 (AU$1.42) per share.

At Tuesday’s market close, the CSL share price finished 0.31% higher at $268.53.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) also climbed yesterday with a 0.19% gain to 7,527.90 points.

Let’s look at all the details regarding the company’s dividend.

CSL pays out interim dividend

CSL reported mixed numbers across key metrics in its results for the first half of the 2022 financial year.

In summary, total revenue rose 5.3% to US$6,041 million over the prior corresponding period. This was driven by an 18% lift in Seqirus revenue to US$1,592 million, but CSL Behring revenue slightly declined by 2% to US$4,216 million.

On the bottom line, CSL recorded a 2.8% fall in net profit after tax (NPAT) to US$1,760 million. 

Management noted that the result was in line with expectations caused by a challenging environment from the global COVID pandemic.

Nonetheless, the board elected to maintain its interim dividend on the previous year’s first half of US$1.04 per share.

Based on the current share price, CSL is trailing on a forecast dividend yield of 0.59%.

CSL share price snapshot

While the CSL share price has notched up in the past month by 4%, it is still down 7% year to date.

Looking slightly further back, the company’s shares reached a 52-week high of $319.78 in late November before its steep dive.

CSL has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 52.86 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $129.35 billion.

The post The CSL dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• What’s the outlook for the CSL share price in April?

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 CSL Ltd. 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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