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The Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price hit its highest point since the COVID-19 pandemic began on Friday, surging to trade at $6.45.

The last time the energy company’s stock hit such heights was back in March 2020.

As of Friday’s close, the Origin share price had retreated slightly to $6.38 – representing a 1.43% gain for the day and a 7.77% gain for the week.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) both finished Friday in the green. They gained 0.26% and 0.27% respectively.

Let’s take a closer look at what might have helped drive the Origin share price on Friday.

What boosted the Origin Energy share price higher today?

The Origin Energy share price spent the day in the green on Friday, alongside many other ASX 200 energy shares.

In fact, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) ended the day 0.89% higher.

That’s despite oil prices easing overnight Thursday and trading relatively flat during Friday’s session.

As of the ASX’s close, the West Texas Intermediate futures were trading lower at US$112.22 per barrel, according to CNBC. Meanwhile, Brent crude oil futures were slightly higher at US$119.13 per barrel.

Natural gas futures weren’t trading any better, having gained just 0.1% when the ASX closed for the week.

Despite the sullen movements, oil stocks Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) and Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) topped the energy sector on Friday. They gained 2.19% and 1.24% respectively.

Uranium producer Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) was the only ASX 200 energy stock to record a loss on Friday. At the final bell of the week, the company’s shares were trading 1.78% lower.

There’s been no news from Origin to explain its share price’s strong recent performance.

However, it updated its net-zero strategy, adding cost-cutting initiatives to the mix, and announced a $250 million buyback earlier this month.

The post Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) share price hits post-COVID high on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Own Origin (ASX:ORG) shares? Why a shareholder advocacy group is demanding immediate suspension of this joint venture
• Why this broker says buy Origin (ASX:ORG) shares instead of AGL
• Could Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) shares be next on the investment agenda for Mike Cannon-Brookes?
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Origin’s $250m buyback, Nickel Mines smashed
• Origin (ASX:ORG) share price higher on $250m buyback and refreshed strategy

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. owns and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 1.4% since 1 July 2021.

Some ASX shares, of course, have done much better, while others have fared worse.

ASX energy shares fall on the better side.

Buoyed by rocketing oil, gas, and coal prices, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) has gained 25% since 1 July.

ASX tech shares have largely gone the other way.

Pressured by rising inflation and the prospect of multiple interest rate rises, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) has dropped around 16% since 1 July.

Where these indexes, and each of the specific ASX shares that make them up, will be come 30 June, the end of this financial year, remains to be seen.

But whether your portfolio is booking a profit or nursing losses, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will want to know.

With that in mind, the Motley Fool reached out to Mark Chapman, director of tax communications at H&R Block Australia, for some handy tips on how to sort out your ASX share documentation.

Have your ASX shares paid dividends?

If you’ve invested in ASX shares that have paid out dividends, there are some unique tax implications.

As Chapman explained:

Dividends are paid out of profits which have already been subject to Australian company tax which is currently 30%, or 25% for most small companies. Recognising that it would be unfair if shareholders were taxed again on the same profits, shareholders receive a rebate for the tax paid by the company on profits distributed as dividends.

These dividends are described as being ‘franked’ and have a franking credit (also known as an imputation credit) attached to them representing the tax the company has already paid.

The shareholder who receives a dividend is entitled to a credit for tax the company has paid. If the shareholder’s top tax rate is less than 30% (or 25% where the paying company is a small company), the ATO will, under current rules, refund the difference.

Have you sold ASX shares during the financial year?

When you sell your ASX shares, you normally will have to pay capital gains taxes (CGT) on any profits. Though the ATO has a different set of requirements for investors and traders.

If you’re an investor, Chapman told us, “CGT arises when you sell shares but can also happen if you give them away or you stop being an Australian resident. CGT taxes any increase in value from the time the share was acquired.”

Be aware that if you give shares away or sell them cheaply the ATO may use the market value of the shares instead.

You should also be aware of how long you’ve owned your ASX shares.

“If you have owned the shares for more than 12 months, you can then discount the gain by 50%,” Chapman said. “The resulting figure is your net capital gain. This is subject to tax at your marginal rate.”

If you’re a truly long-term investor and are only now selling ASX shares you bought before 20 September 1985, he added, then any profits will not be subject to CGT.

Are you a share trader?

“If you dabble regularly in buying and selling shares, you could be deemed a share trader, rather than a share investor,” Chapman advised. “If that’s the case, the tax you pay could look very different.”

He said that signs you’re a trader in ASX shares include:

• Lots of transactions
• A clear profit making intent
• You run your activities in a business-like manner (for example a large investment of capital, a well-developed business plan, extensive research and properly maintained books and records).

According to Chapman:

Someone who buys and sells shares as part of a business will treat those shares as trading stock, and gains or losses on them will be taxed as ordinary income (effectively as business profits) rather than capital gains.

The key tax advantage for a trader is that losses can potentially be offset against other income, subject to certain anti-avoidance provisions.

What to do now

With a few months left before the end of the financial year, Chapman said:

Now is a good time to work out if you have a net capital gain from shares you’ve already sold. If so, you should be looking through your portfolio for stocks with losses that you could sell to offset paying tax on the gains.

Also ensure that you have all the required details on any ASX shares you sold during the financial year handy, including brokerage fees.

Chapman said dividends on listed company shares are reported automatically to the ATO after the year-end. However, “Any dividends on private company shares are not reported to the ATO. You will need the dividend certificates to enable you to report them yourself on your tax return.”

And unless you’re a tax whiz, Chapman said: “Tax on shares is complicated, and to avoid ATO penalties and possible audit, it pays to have a good tax accountant.”

The post Investing in ASX shares? Here’s what you need to know come tax time: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 top ASX ETFs for growth investors
• Why the Piedmont (ASX:PLL) share price rocketed 10% today
• 2 blue chip ASX 200 shares analysts are urging investors to buy
• JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) share price leaps 4% to all-time high
• The IGO (ASX:IGO) share price hit a new all-time high today. Could this be why?

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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Are you looking to make some growth-focused additions to your portfolio? If exchange traded funds (ETFs) are of interest to you, then you might want to look at the three listed below.

Here’s what you need to know about them:

BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

The first ETF share to consider is one that gives investors easy exposure to many of the Asian region’s best growth shares. The BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF is home to approximately 50 companies that are leading Asia’s technological revolution. These include Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor, and WeChat owner Tencent. And while regulatory concerns have been weighing on their shares this year, some analysts believe this has created a buying opportunity.

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

A second ETF for investors to look at is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. This fund provides investors with the opportunity to invest in the growing cybersecurity sector. This means you’ll be investing in companies such as Accenture, Cisco, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, Fortinet, Okta, Splunk, Zscaler. Given the shift to the cloud and the growing threat of cyberattacks globally, these companies look well-placed to benefit from increasing demand for their services.

VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

A final ETF for ASX investors to look at is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. This ETF allows investors to gain easy exposure to a global video game market estimated to comprise 2.7 billion active gamers. Among the companies you’ll be buying are hardware and software companies such as AMD, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Nvidia, Roblox, and Take-Two. VanEck notes that these companies are well-placed to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports.

The post 3 top ASX ETFs for growth investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares 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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The Piedmont Lithium Inc (ASX: PLL) share price finished the week in upbeat trading after the company announced an update to the underwritten public offering of its common stock.

At the close of trade on Friday, the Australian lithium miner’s shares were fetching for $1.015 apiece, up 9.73%.

Piedmont closes public offering

Investors were buying up the Piedmont share price today following the company’s capital raising efforts.

In a statement to the ASX, Piedmont advised it has closed the public offering of 2.01 million shares of its common stock. This includes the full exercise of the underwriter’s option to purchase 262,500 Piedmont shares.

The combined total of the gross proceeds from the public offering before underwriting discounts and commission is US$130.8 million.

Once the net proceeds are leftover, Piedmont will use the funds for a number of strategic initiatives. They include:

• Restart operations at the North America Lithium mine in Quebec
• Fund exploration and definitive feasibility studies at Eyowaa in Ghana
• Advance the merchant lithium hydroxide plant in the south-eastern United States
• Continue development activities at the Carolina Lithium Project (engineering design and property acquisition)
• Use remaining funds for general corporate purposes.

For the 1.75 million Piedmont shares offered to the public, this was listed at $65.00 per share.

About the Piedmont share price

Over the past 12 months, the Piedmont share price has wobbled to register a gain of around 5%.

When looking at the year to date, however, the share trajectory paints a different story, up almost 40% for the period.

Based on valuation grounds, Piedmont commands a market capitalisation of roughly $534.78 million.

The post Why the Piedmont (ASX:PLL) share price rocketed 10% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Allkem, Firefinch, JB Hi-Fi, and Piedmont Lithium are charging higher
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• These are the top performing ASX lithium stocks so far in 2022
• Why Infomedia, Newcrest, Piedmont Lithium, and Woolworths shares are rising today
• Here’s why the Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL) share price is surging 5% today

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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If you’re looking to bolster your portfolio with some blue chip shares, you may want to look at the two listed below.

Here’s why these blue chip ASX 200 shares are highly rated right now:

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

The first ASX 200 blue chip share that could be in the buy zone is CSL. It is the biotherapeutics giant behind the CSL Behring business, which has developed a range of lifesaving and lucrative plasma therapies. In addition, the company has a growing Seqirus vaccine business and is on the brink of acquiring Vifor Pharma, which is focused on iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies.

The team at Morgans is positive on the company, particularly given the recovery in plasma collections. It recently put an add rating and $327.60 price target on its shares. Morgans commented:

“Promisingly, plasma collections continue to improve, although remain slightly below pre-pandemic levels, and while industry wide issues remain (eg Omicron; staffing; increase costs), the worst appears behind us.”

“While near term challenges remain, the ongoing recovery in plasma collections, coupled with management’s confidence, paints a favourable earnings picture.”

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Another ASX 200 blue chip share to consider is Goodman. It is an integrated property company with operations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, North America and Brazil.

The company notes that its global property expertise, integrated own+develop+manage customer service offering and significant investment management platform ensures that it creates innovative property solutions that meet the individual requirements of its customers, such as Amazon, while seeking to deliver long-term returns for investors.

Citi is very positive on Goodman and currently has a buy rating and $29.50 price target on its shares. Its analysts believe Goodman could outperform its upgraded guidance in FY 2022. It commented:

“GMG’s 1H22 EPS of 41.9c was 12% ahead of Visible Alpha consensus (37.3c) and 6% ahead of Citi (39.5c). FY22 EPS guidance was upgraded for the 2nd time in 6 months to 20% growth, or EPS of 78.7c, +1.5% ahead of ingoing consensus of 77.5c. FY22 DPS guidance was retained at 30c.”

“We continue to see guidance as conservative, with our EPS estimates rising 5% in FY22 and c. 6% thereafter. We now forecast c. 23% EPS growth in FY22 and c. 19% EPS CAGR from FY21-FY24. Our TP increases 5% on higher asset values and higher earnings. GMG remains OUR top pick in the sector.”

The post 2 blue chip ASX 200 shares analysts are urging investors to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. 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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The IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) share price is soaring to new heights today as nickel prices take off once more.

The commodity, which was the subject of a major short squeeze just weeks ago, saw its value surge by its enforced maximum of 15% for the second session in a row on the London Metal Exchange (LME) overnight, reports Bloomberg.

That might have helped boost the IGO share price to a new record high of $13.85 during Friday’s session.

At the time of writing, the IGO share price has retreated slightly to trade at $13.66. Though, that’s still 3.33% higher than its previous close.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s been going on with the nickel, copper, cobalt, and lithium producer’s stock lately.

IGO share price takes off alongside nickel prices

IGO’s shares are rising on Friday, as did nickel prices overnight. Today’s gains see the company’s stock trading for 13.6% more than it was at the end of last week.

Meanwhile, the price of nickel launched during Wednesday and Thursday’s trade. It reached a high of US$37,325 per ton overnight (AEST time).

Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the price of nickel was also driven 17% higher on the Shanghai Futures Exchange in Thursday’s session.

The boost was likely driven by concerns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could bring about a supply shortage.

The metal’s value’s increase follows a short squeeze that forced the LME to halt trading and cancel orders after the commodity’s price surged to a record US$101,365 earlier this month, reports Bloomberg.

IGO owns the nickel, copper, and cobalt producing Nova Operation, located in Western Australia.

The IGO share price might have been driven higher today on expectations rising nickel prices could increase its profitability.

Right now, the company’s stock is 14% higher than it was at the start of 2022. It has also gained 119% since this time last year.

The post The IGO (ASX:IGO) share price hit a new all-time high today. Could this be why? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These were the worst performers on the ASX 200 last week
• Why is the IGO (ASX:IGO) share price down 10% in a week?
• Why are ASX 200 mining shares having such a dire day?
• Four ASX nickel shares are in the green today. Here’s why
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 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 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 JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) share price is up 4%. It just reached an all-time high.

Despite experiencing booming sales during the first two years of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, sales have continued to grow for the business.

The company just released a FY22 trading update for the third quarter to date.

What was in the JB Hi-Fi sales update?

For the period of 1 January 2022 to 23 March 022, the company said that all three of its divisions experienced sales growth.

JB Hi-Fi Australia’s total sales were up 11.3%, with comparable sales growth of 10.5%.

In New Zealand dollar terms, JB Hi-Fi New Zealand’s total and comparable sales were up 2.9%.

The Good Guys total sales increased by 5.7%, while comparable sales grew by 5.1%.

Profit margin growth

Not only did the ASX retail share reveal sales growth, but it also talked of improved operating leverage.

Management said that the sales growth, combined with disciplined cost control, stock availability, sales mix benefits and gross profit margin improvement, led to strong operating leverage across the group.

The company said that it was “pleased” with the start to the second half.

More growth to come for the JB Hi-Fi share price?

Multiple brokers like JB Hi-Fi at the moment.

Ord Minnett is one of the brokers that rates the business as a buy, with a price target of $62, implying a further upside of at least 10%. The broker thinks that sales and margins can keep rising.

At the current JB Hi-Fi share price, Ord Minnett thinks it’s valued at 13x FY22’s estimated earnings with a potential grossed-up dividend yield of 6.8%.

The post JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) share price leaps 4% to all-time high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Top broker says JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) shares are ‘undervalued’
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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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is looking likely to end the week on a high thus far during this Friday’s trading session. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is up by a solid 0.37% at just over 7,410 points.

But let’s dig somewhat deeper into these gains and examine the ASX 200 shares with the highest trading volumes today, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume on Friday

Nickel Mines Ltd (ASX: NIC)

Nickel Mines is our first ASX 200 share to take a look at today. So far, a sizeable 12.84 million Nickel Mines shares have found their way around the share market. There have been no major announcements out of the company today, although yesterday we did get a notice that one of the company’s directors had picked up a large tranche of Nickel Mines shares.

However, today’s volume is more likely to have been caused by the wild price swings we have seen in the company’s shares today. Nickel Mines is currently down 0.77% at $1.29 a share. But the miner has had multiple stints in both positive and negative territories over the trading day.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

An ASX 200 lithium share is up next in Pilbara Minerals. Pilbara has had a notable 14.29 million shares bought and sold on the markets thus far this Friday. Again, this seems to be a consequence of some dramatic share price movements, rather than any news out of the company itself.

In Pilbara’s case, today’s high volume is good news for shareholders. Pilbara is currently up by a robust 3.05% at $3.21 a share, which puts this company’s five-day gains at a strong 10.9%.

AVZ Minerals Ltd (ASX: AVZ)

Another ASX 200 lithium share rounds out our list today. AVZ is currently the top trading ASX 200 company, with a hefty 30 million shares having found a new home thus far this Friday.

This miner also appears to be enjoying the benefits of a strong share price performance today. In this case, the AVZ share price is presently up a pleasing 3.62% to $1.15. What’s more, AVZ hit a new all-time high of $1.17 in earlier trading today. It’s this combination that is almost certainly behind the elevated trading volumes we are seeing.

The post These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why this fundie is steering clear of ASX mining shares
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Premier’s record dividend, BHP upgraded
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts on Thursday
• 5 ASX mining shares smashing 52-week highs today

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

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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to finish the week on a high. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is currently up 0.4% to 7,414.6 points.

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

Atlas Arteria Group (ASX: ALX)

The Atlas Arteria share price is down 2% to $6.60. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Macquarie this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded this toll road operator’s shares to a neutral rating and cut the price target on them to $6.66. The broker suspects that higher fuel costs could have a negative impact on traffic volumes.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

The Core Lithium share price is down 3% to $1.20. This follows news that the lithium developer’s founding managing director and CEO, Stephen Biggins, is resigning and will step down from the role by the end of the year. The release notes that Mr Biggins is resigning from the company for personal reasons.

Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV)

The Premier Investments share price is down over 1% to $28.61. This is despite the release of the retail giant’s half year results, which revealed earnings before interest and tax ahead of guidance at $212 million. The Smiggle and Peter Alexander owner also declared a record fully franked interim dividend of 46 cents per share. Some investors appear to have been betting on a stronger result.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

The Telix share price is down 9.5% to $4.29. This is despite there being no news out of the radiopharmaceuticals company. Earlier this week, Telix revealed that the buildout of its Belgian production facility has begun. To fund the development, the company has secured an $18.2 million loan and applied for $3 million of grants.

The post Why Atlas Arteria, Core Lithium, Premier, and Telix shares are dropping appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Premier’s record dividend, BHP upgraded
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns TELIXPHARM DEF SET. 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 Premier Investments 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 Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is back in the green again today amid plenty of positive news.

The company released a positive update on its COVID-19 recovery only minutes before the market closed yesterday.

Additionally, there’s set to be a major change to Australia’s border entry requirements.

Finally, the stock’s movements come as Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) launches its latest ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ campaign.

At the time of writing, the Flight Centre share price is $19.38, 3.47% higher than its previous close.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is also up today, having gained 0.38%.

Let’s take a look at the news that could be boosting Flight Centre shares today.

What’s sending the Flight Centre share price sky high on Friday?

The Flight Centre share price is taking off today amid news the company’s corporate travel segment is expected to blast back into the green soon.

The segment is predicted to return to profitability in March or April 2022, The Motley Fool Australia’s Tristan Harrison reports.

The company expects to see between 60% and 75% of pre-pandemic corporate travel return next financial year. Additionally, it hasn’t recorded any notable disruptions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On top of the latest news from Flight Centre, there’s been big news regarding Australia’s entry requirements.

International arrivals to Australia will soon be able to skip currently mandated COVID-19 testing prior to their departure.

Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the change at a press conference today. Hunt said Australia is “ready to move on from the emergency declaration” that’s impacted the travel sector for more than two years.

The change will come into effect on 17 April.

Arrivals to Australia will still need to be ‘double-jabbed’ with a COVID-19 vaccine and wear masks on flights.

Nearly simultaneously, Qantas announced it had launched its latest ad campaign to attract visitors to Australia.

The airline also stated demand for domestic travel has been increasing since February. It’s expecting its capacity over Easter to reach 110% of pre-COVID levels.

For comparison, the second half of 2021 saw the company reporting capacity of 40% of pre-pandemic levels.

That’s good news for Qantas ­– its shares are up 1.58%. It also likely provides some positive sentiment for the travel sector.

The share prices of Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) and Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) are also higher today. They’ve gained 1.55% and 0.72% respectively at the time of writing.

The post Why is the Flight Centre share price soaring today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Own Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) shares? Here’s the company’s outlook on corporate travel
• 2 founders have been selling Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) shares. Here’s what you need to know
• The Flight Centre share has tumbled 23% in less than 6 months. Is it now cheap?
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Goldman Sachs tips Webjet (ASX:WEB) share price to rise over 20%

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 recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited, Flight Centre Travel Group Limited, and Webjet Ltd. 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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