Tag: Motley Fool

  • Here’s why the Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) share price is racing 23% higher

    A man takes his dividend and leaps for joy.

    A man takes his dividend and leaps for joy.

    The Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX: AVL) share price has been a very strong performer on Wednesday.

    In morning trade, the vanadium developer’s shares are up a whopping 23% to 4.3 cents.

    Why is the Australian Vanadium share price racing higher?

    The catalyst for the rise in the Australian Vanadium share price on Wednesday was news that the company has been awarded a major government grant.

    According to the release, the company has been awarded a $49 million grant under the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) Collaboration Stream. The funds will be put towards the development of the Australian Vanadium Project near Meekatharra and Geraldton, which aims to create an Australian green fuelled vanadium industry.

    The release notes that vanadium is on the critical metal list in many countries, including Australia, the United States, Japan and many European countries. The metal is used in critical aerospace and chemical applications, is a key component in high strength and specialty steel products, and has an important and growing use in long duration, safe energy storage applications.

    This clearly fits the bill for the $1.3 billion MMI, which forms part of the government’s Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing Roadmap that aims to develop Australia as a regional resources technology and critical minerals processing hub within 10 years.

    ‘Delighted’

    Australian Vanadium’s Managing Director, Vincent Algar, revealed that he was delighted with the news.

    He commented: “AVL is delighted to have been awarded this grant from the Australian Government. Our project will create hundreds of jobs in Australia and help to build the critical vanadium industry both locally and internationally. We have developed an innovative and collaborative approach to building a fully integrated project, from mine through to processing and end use in the steel and battery markets.”

    “Our collaborations are allowing us to build a project with unique social and environmental benefits. We look forward to working with our partners to bring the Australian Vanadium Project into production and further develop downstream opportunities for green steel and the vanadium redox flow battery market,” Algar concludes.

    The post Here’s why the Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) share price is racing 23% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Australian Vanadium right now?

    Before you consider Australian Vanadium, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Australian Vanadium wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

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  • Cash to splash: Why the Arafura Resources (ASX:ARU) share price is leaping 23% today

    Vanadium Resources share price person riding rocket indicating share price increase

    Vanadium Resources share price person riding rocket indicating share price increase

    The Arafura Resources Limited (ASX: ARU) share price has been racing higher on Wednesday morning.

    At the time of writing, the rare earths developer’s shares are up a massive 23% to 24 cents.

    Why is the Arafura Resources share price shooting higher?

    Investors have been bidding the Arafura Resources share price higher today following the release of a positive announcement out of the rare earths developer.

    According to the release, the company has been awarded grant funding of $30 million under the Federal Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI).

    This will contribute to the construction of a $90.8 million rare earth separation plant at its Nolans Project, which is located 35 kilometres north of Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory.

    The release notes that the $1.3 billion MMI forms part of the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing Roadmap that aims to develop Australia as a regional resources technology and critical minerals processing hub within 10 years.

    The Nolans Project is Australia’s only shovel-ready NeodymiumPraseodymium (NdPr) project. The company highlights that it is a globally significant development with potential to supply around 5% of world NdPr oxide demand. It also has an ore to oxide business model that will see downstream processing established locally and enable Australia to play a leading role in the diversification of critical raw materials.

    Arafura Resources’ Managing Director, Gavin Lockyer, appeared to be very pleased with the news.

    He said: “This grant is an exciting milestone for Arafura, recognising the strategic significance of the Nolans Project and its place in the future of critical minerals processing in Australia.”

    “Rare earths are critical to the manufacture of electric vehicles and wind turbines, with demand growth forecast to be exponential in coming decades. Australia has a window of opportunity to invest in strategically important rare earths projects such as Nolans and maximise the local jobs and investment benefits of the clean energy revolution,” he added.

    The post Cash to splash: Why the Arafura Resources (ASX:ARU) share price is leaping 23% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Arafura right now?

    Before you consider Arafura, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Arafura wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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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  • Why Tesla stock jumped today

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

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

    What happened

    Elon Musk’s social media followers have seen him comment on how to deal with an inflationary environment recently, and now the Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO is showing people how his company is addressing rising commodity prices. Today, investors took the news of rising Tesla vehicle prices as a good sign for the business, pushing Tesla shares up 2.9% as of 11:55 a.m. ET. 

    So what

    Tesla has announced it is raising prices on its electric vehicles for the second time in a week, as reported by CNBC. Last week, Tesla said it raised prices on certain models in the U.S. by $1,000, and some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles made in China by more than $1,500. Now, it seems rising commodity prices and other inflationary pressures are bringing another price increase. 

    Now what

    While the company didn’t spell out the reasons behind the most recent price plan, Musk said on social media earlier this week that Tesla and his private space company, SpaceX, are both seeing “significant recent inflation pressure in raw materials & logistics.” Commodities including nickel, used in EV batteries, have been on the rise recently.

    Today, Tesla increased prices of all U.S. vehicle models, and some Model 3 and Model Y versions in China. Tesla’s China website showed a new 5% increase on the starting price for the Model 3 Performance to the equivalent of about $57,650, according to the report. Prices for two of the company’s Model Y SUV options also increased by 5%. 

    The investor take on the price increase seems to be that the company remains supply constrained. Demand for its products is still strong, and increasing vehicle prices will allow it to maintain its margins, even with production costs increasing. 

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

    The post Why Tesla stock jumped today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Tesla right now?

    Before you consider Tesla, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Tesla wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Howard Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Tesla. 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.

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

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  • Top broker says the ANZ share price is excellent value for investors

    a man raises his fists to the air in joyous celebration while learning some exciting good news via his computer screen in an office setting.

    a man raises his fists to the air in joyous celebration while learning some exciting good news via his computer screen in an office setting.

    If you’re wanting exposure to the banking sector, then Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares could be one way to do it.

    That’s the view of the team at Goldman Sachs, which this morning spoke positively about the banking giant.

    What did Goldman say about the ANZ share price?

    According to a note out of the investment bank, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $30.84 price target on the bank’s shares.

    Based on the current ANZ share price of $26.69, this implies potential upside of 15.5% for investors over the next 12 months.

    And with Goldman expecting a 12-month fully franked dividend yield in the region of 5.5%, the total potential return on offer stretches to a sizeable 21%.

    What did the broker say?

    Goldman has been looking over the banking sector and believes that the market’s view on major bank net interest margins (NIMs) is too bearish given its view on rates.

    It notes that the market and its own Economics Team are forecasting the cash rate to rise to just above 2.5% by the end of 2024. It believes this will be good news for retail banks as the rates earned on assets will generally follow the cash rate higher, while the cost of liabilities should rise more slowly.

    Based on this, it feels the market’s view on bank NIMs is too conservative.

    It explained: “Using CBA’s 1H22 NIM sensitivity disclosures as a guide, we estimate the current market pricing for the RBA cash rate implies about a nearly 30 bp tailwind to major bank net interest margins out to Dec-24. Adjusting this for the c. 40 bp variable rate mortgage front- vs. back-book spread, and GSe/Visible Alpha (VA) consensus NIM forecasts, it implies GS/VA is forecasting 24/26 bp of NIM impact from incremental price competition (and/or liquid impacts etc) over this period.”

    “Our analysis of both mortgage book and deposit competition suggests that this rate of forecast competition, while possible, would appear conservative, leaving potential upside risk to NIMs. This is particularly the case given our view that, as rates rise, major banks will increasingly become the marginal competitors, as their rate inert deposit bases become more valuable,” Goldman added.

    This could bode well for ANZ and its share price in the coming years.

    The post Top broker says the ANZ share price is excellent value for investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in ANZ right now?

    Before you consider ANZ, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and ANZ wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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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  • How will the Fed’s big announcement impact your investment portfolio?

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

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

    Big news is about to hit the stock market, and you don’t want to be caught off guard when it happens. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is meeting this week to discuss monetary policy and interest rates, and there’s a strong chance that stocks will react sharply to new information that comes out of that meeting. Make sure that your investment portfolio is set up to handle one of the biggest events in the financial calendar.

    Why the FOMC is important

    The stock market has been heavily influenced by interest rates over the past two years, and the Federal Reserve is the driving force behind interest rate changes.

    Interest rates are often associated with relatively low-risk assets, such as Treasury notes and investment-grade corporate bonds. When interest rates are high, investors can generate decent rates of return without taking on much risk. However, periods with especially low interest rates force investors to look elsewhere for better returns.

    That exact process has been happening over the past few months. Low rates tend to increase demand for stocks, especially high-growth stocks with more speculative valuations. That was important fuel for the COVID-19 bull market.

    The Fed controls interest rates by buying and selling securities (usually Treasuries) on the open market. When the central bank purchases bonds, it increases demand for these securities and injects cash into the economy. This drives down interest rates and stimulates economic growth, so it’s considered expansionary monetary policy.

    Expansionary policy also tends to push inflation higher by stimulating demand for goods, services, and labor. The Fed sells securities and reduces the money supply if they want to raise rates.

    The FOMC is the arm of the central bank that implements these strategies. The committee convenes every other month to discuss those actions, and the meetings are followed by a data release and a press conference. There’s an FOMC meeting this week, giving investors rare insight into one of the largest economic forces as it changes.

    If any of the information from this week’s FOMC meeting differs from expectations, there’s a good chance that the market shifts once again. The market’s been shaky and the CBOE Volatility Index has been high, so any surprises from the Fed are likely to result in a big move up or down.

    What to expect

    There’s no way to know exactly what the Fed will do, so any forecasts are speculation and guesswork. Still, we can make some educated guesses and prepare for a range of outcomes.

    The Fed’s core responsibility is balancing inflation and economic growth. Not everyone agrees with modern monetary policy, but there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that central bank activities can reduce the severity of recessions or put a cap on irresponsible economic expansion. The idea is that a smoothly growing, more predictable economy is better for everyone in the long run.

    The basic playbook is to cut interest rates when unemployment is high and to raise rates when inflation is too high. February’s employment report smashed expectations, with nearly 300,000 more jobs added than anticipated. Unemployment dipped to a low of 3.8%, and there was also meaningful improvement among people who are underemployed due to economic reasons. We are closing in on pre-pandemic employment levels, which were very high.

    Meanwhile, the latest inflation data indicates the largest consumer price increases in decades. Food and energy prices spiked due to supply shocks, adding to an already high inflation environment.

    Since the FOMC last met in January, inflation has been higher than expected, while unemployment has been better than expected. That would indicate that the Fed will either maintain or accelerate its rate hike timeline.

    Some people think that the Fed’s hesitation to take any action has caused the stock market to dip. It’s naive to think that the Fed doesn’t consider stock investors at all, but the monetary authorities have previously taken actions that resulted in a stock sell-off. Inflation is a threat to economic stability right now if it’s left unchecked, and the economy overall looks strong enough to absorb higher rates. Therefore, the monetary policy response seems pretty predictable.

    Don’t be surprised if the market reacts negatively as the Fed takes a more aggressive stance against inflation. Prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for volatility so that you don’t panic if there’s bad news. Make sure that your investment portfolio has the proper balance of growth and volatility so that you’ll enjoy optimal results whether economic news is good or bad.

    Remember: All of this is just a temporary disruption to long-term growth in the economy and stock market. You have to manage your way through this short-term stuff.

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

    The post How will the Fed’s big announcement impact your investment portfolio? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    Ryan Downie has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

     

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



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  • Magellan (ASX:MFG) share price on watch after announcing share buyback

    A man in suit and tie is smug about his suitcase bursting with cash.

    A man in suit and tie is smug about his suitcase bursting with cash.

    The Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) share price sank to a new multi-year low on Tuesday.

    Investors have been selling down the struggling fund manager’s shares this week after it revealed that its funds under management continue to dwindle.

    However, pleasingly for its disappointed shareholders, the Magellan share price will be on watch today for a positive reason.

    Why is the Magellan share price on watch?

    As foreshadowed with the recent release of its half year results, this morning Magellan revealed that it is undertaking an on-market share buyback.

    With the Magellan share price down 35% in 2022 and 70% over the last 12 months, it appears as though management believes now is an opportune time to put its cash balance to use and reward its long-suffering shareholders.

    According to the release, Magellan intends to buy back up to 10 million ordinary fully paid shares, which represents up to 5.4% of its shares on issue.

    Magellan’s Chairman, Hamish McLennan, commented: “We believe the on-market buy-back announced today represents an effective way to enhance value for shareholders. The buy-back is consistent with our aim to deliver capital efficiency, solid dividends and attractive returns for shareholders with a focus on our core funds management business.”

    The release explains that the buyback will be funded from Magellan’s existing cash and financial assets. It will also be within the “10/12 limit” permitted under the Corporations Act. This means that the company may buy back up to 10% of issued capital in any 12-month period without shareholder approval.

    Though, it warns that the timing and actual number of shares purchased will depend on the prevailing Magellan share price, market conditions, and other relevant factors. It also reserves the right to vary, suspend or terminate the buyback at any time.

    The post Magellan (ASX:MFG) share price on watch after announcing share buyback appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Magellan right now?

    Before you consider Magellan, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Magellan wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

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  • Brokers name 3 ASX mining shares to buy today

    A man wearing a shirt, tie and hard hat sits in an office and marks dates in his diary.

    A man wearing a shirt, tie and hard hat sits in an office and marks dates in his diary.

    The mining sector has been a great place to invest this year. Thanks to rising commodity prices, mining shares have been pushing higher while the rest of the market seemingly crumbles.

    The good news is that it may not be too late to invest in the sector. For example, the three ASX mining shares listed below have been tipped as buys recently. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE)

    If you’re interested in gaining exposure to lithium, then Lake Resources could be worth a look. Analysts at Bell Potter are positive on the lithium developer and have put a speculative buy rating and $1.82 price target on its shares.

    The broker said: “LKE’s key project is the 50ktpa lithium carbonate Kachi Lithium Brine Project in Argentina. This project is expected to employ direction lithium extraction technology which has enormous ESG benefits compared with incumbent brine and hard rock lithium production methods. With this development project, uncommitted product offtake and an independent share register, LKE has strategic appeal.”

    Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO)

    The team at Goldman Sachs is bullish on this mining giant. Its analysts currently have a buy rating and $131.50 price target on its shares. Goldman likes Rio Tinto due to its valuation, strong free cash flow, positive iron ore price outlook, and its return to production growth in 2022. In addition, the broker highlights the miner’s compelling low emission aluminium exposure.

    It commented: “In addition to copper production growth, Rio has one of the highest margin, lowest carbon emission aluminium businesses in the world, with over 2.2Mt of Ali production powered by hydro, and we think ELYSIS inert anode technology could be worth billions of $. Aluminium will contribute 20% of RIO’s group EBITDA and generate US$3bn of FCF in 2022 on our estimates.”

    South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

    Goldman is also a fan of this diversified miner. The broker currently has a conviction buy rating and $5.90 price target on South32’s shares. Its analysts like the company due to its attractive valuation and strong free cash flow generation.

    It explained: “The stock is trading at c. 0.9x NAV (A$5.34/sh) including the completion of the acquisition of a 45% stake in the Sierra Gorda copper mine in Chile.:

    “We forecast a FCF yield of c. 20% in FY23 (over 25% at spot), driven mostly by exposure to base metal price momentum, met coal, a c. 30% or c. 280ktpa increase in aluminium production over the next 18 months from the Alumar restart & c. 17% increase in Mozal stake, creep in nickel from Cerro Matoso and lead/zinc/silver from Cannington, and uplift from the Sierra Gorda acquisition,” it added.

    The post Brokers name 3 ASX mining shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    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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  • Why I closed my ASX shares fund then launched a digital assets fund

    a man in a business suit points his finger amid a digitised map of the globe suspended in the air in front of him, complete with graphs, digital code and glyphs to indicate digital assets.a man in a business suit points his finger amid a digitised map of the globe suspended in the air in front of him, complete with graphs, digital code and glyphs to indicate digital assets.

    The last time The Motley Fool spoke to Balmoral Asset Management director Angus Crennan, he was busy looking for underappreciated shares all around the world.

    But what a difference just one year makes.

    He shut down that fund in October. And now he’s started a digital assets fund, which will provide clients exposure to investments like cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokens, and decentralised finance.

    Crennan told The Motley Fool that there was client demand for digital investments.

    “There was a lot of conversation… could we put crypto into the traditional fund?” he said.

    “[But] the version 1 fund… was designed in 2016 for friends and family’s capital.”

    Why he closed the shares fund

    In the second half of last year, Crennan felt like the old fund had achieved all it could.

    “In traditional asset classes, the financial repression of the major central banks resulted in really low expected returns,” he said.

    “And then the other side of that is that the valuations were so high, that the risks were really elevated.”

    As it happens, he timed the exit almost perfectly. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down about 4.5% since late October.

    His clients dodged January’s interest rate anxiety and now the war in Ukraine.

    “We got the best of the old market conditions. And we saved our investors a lot of volatility,” said Crennan.

    “It was only a matter of time for when a bull market like that hits a hiccup and there’s no room for any sort of disappointment or risk.”

    He admitted some clients were upset that he wound up the old fund.

    “We got to the point where we doubted whether we could continue to achieve the investor objectives. So it made sense to give everyone back their capital and say, ‘Look, this structure is not right for the times.’”

    We’re ‘all-in’ on crypto and digital assets 

    Crennan told The Motley Fool his team is now “all in on digital assets”.

    “There’s 300 million digital assets users now. We fully expect that to be a billion by 2026,” he said.

    “This is like double the speed of the uptake of the internet.”

    To smooth out the ride for his clients and save them some of the volatility seen in cryptocurrencies, Crennan employs what he called a “delta neutral” approach.

    “That means we’re not just buying cryptocurrencies with the expectation or the outlook that they are going to increase in value,” he said.

    “We use the term digital to respect that holistic view of the entire space… The digital ecosystem, particularly decentralised finance [DeFi], now, is a huge part of digital assets.”

    So with an asset base diversified from just crypto, Balmoral is aiming to “generate really strong returns without any market risk”. 

    “For us, that’s like the real secret source… Here we’re able to completely divest all market and currency risk, and yet still generate double-digit returns,” said Crennan.

    “It really is an incredible opportunity. And so we are really excited about it.”

    His old clients shared Crennan’s enthusiasm and some have jumped right in.

    “Many of them are excited by the proposition. Many of them are witnessing the growth, but they don’t really understand how big the growth has been.”

    The post Why I closed my ASX shares fund then launched a digital assets fund appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    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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  • 2 ASX shares that are on the right side of history: fund manager

    a man and a woman in historical costume, Henry the eitghth era, post for a selfie with the man holding a phone above their heads while the two pose with serious faces as seen in historical portraits of people.a man and a woman in historical costume, Henry the eitghth era, post for a selfie with the man holding a phone above their heads while the two pose with serious faces as seen in historical portraits of people.

    Ask A Fund Manager

    The Motley Fool chats with fund managers so that you can get an insight into how the professionals think. In this edition, Investors Mutual Limited senior portfolio manager Simon Conn reveals 2 hot ASX shares to buy for years to come.

    Hottest ASX shares

    The Motley Fool: What are the 2 best stock buys right now?

    Simon Conn: Pact Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: PGH) and TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG), which are both top-5 holdings in the fund. Both look cheap with good management, and I think are really well-positioned for the next 3 to 5 years.

    MF: If the market closed tomorrow for 4 years, which stock would you want to hold?

    SC: I think both those stocks are ones that you’d be happy to own for the next 4 years. I think they’re both fundamentally very solid businesses, and well-managed, and have got really good businesses that are well-positioned to continue to grow and pay good income over the few years. 

    I think the long-term structural trends for both industries, telco and packaging, are strong.

    MF: They’re both sectors that don’t really go out of fashion, are they? There’s always a demand for them.

    SC: Well, that’s the thing. We’re seeing a lot of disruption in the economy, [with] startup companies. There’s a lot of money around for startups or for new competitors, private equity-backed startups, so it’s a very competitive market. So you need to have a really strong competitive advantage, and also an ability to fend off competition.

    Pact has really positioned themselves well at the centre of this circular economy trend, which is a big megatrend. We’re seeing a lot of consumer goods companies, such as Nestlé SA (SWX: NESN), Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) and the like, moving to more sustainable practices, and that means using more recycled resin in their manufacturing. 

    With Pact’s recent result, they announced a couple of contracts that they’ve won using recycled resin in their manufacturing process. Actually, today, they’re opening the Albury facility, which is their first reuse facility in the country, and that’s a real strong theme, I think, which will play through.

    They’re the largest rigid plastic manufacturer in the country. That’s a very defensive business, so they’re effectively making the packaging. They just make sure that this enables fluids and liquid products to move from factory to the consumer or through industry. So whether it’s milk bottles, yoghurt tubs, margarine containers, the like. 

    Because of the nature of the product, it has very resilient demand, very consistent cash flows. The volatility obviously comes from the resin price, because obviously, they buy a lot of resin. If they can lock in more reused resin, that’ll mitigate that cost, and because they’ve got the technology and the scale, they’re the natural go-to partner for a lot of these companies looking for a partner in terms of that circular economy solution.

    Looking back

    MF: Is there a move that you regret from the past? For example, a missed opportunity or buying a stock at the wrong timing or price.

    SC: Jeez, that’s a hard one. This game, every day is a battle. 

    The COVID sell-off was a massive period of dislocation in the market, but I suppose not buying enough of these good-quality businesses, enough at the bottom. The share prices rallied very consistently off that, had a very sharp correction, and then they rallied very significantly. 

    I suppose we should have bought more of the stocks we liked, because they all rallied significantly over the intervening 2 years.

    MF: Did you have much cash in hand at the time?

    SC: Yeah, look, what we did was we took the cash up to a reasonably high level, but there were numerous capital raisings, as you’re aware, in 2019, and we’d used that to participate in a lot of the capital raisings, which was a good performance for the fund. 

    We did use the cash quite significantly, but the consumer discretionary sector is obviously one that rallied significantly. I suppose in hindsight we could have had more exposure to that… I suppose we were surprised at how quickly the economy took off, to be honest.

    MF: I think everyone’s very keen to see, for the rest of this year, whether the same fast recovery happens or whether it’s more of a traditional long recovery.

    SC: I think the last few years have been very volatile, and the reality in the world is, I don’t think that’s changing, mate. 

    We haven’t seen a conflict like the scale of the one in Ukraine for many years, so many investors today have really no recollection of what this creates, and it’s a long time since we’ve seen this sort of escalation of commodity prices, so I think that creates a new paradigm for investors. 

    The other thing that’s really compounding is that central banks around the world continue to hold rates at very low levels, where inflation is significant. Australia’s not as bad as the US, but you’ve got virtually zero cash rate in the US, and yet you’ve got inflation [at] 5%, 7%. It’s very negative real rates, and yet inflation is becoming more entrenched with the oil price at these sort of levels. 

    It’s a very tricky environment for many investors, and I think the markets remain volatile. So in that environment, I think you’ve just got to stick to good-quality companies that are making cash flow today. 

    There’s been a lot of companies in the market that have been bid up successfully, like concept [stocks], the PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH), or be it some of the more speculative tech stocks that don’t make money, and never made money, and people have been thinking that they’ll generate enough market presence to generate good cash or get taken over, effectively. But I think the market’s appetite to keep funding these things is becoming less certain, and so I think there’d be more discipline around making money, being profitable. 

    A great sign of having a profitable company is paying a dividend, so I think those companies will come back into vogue. I think that’s definitely what we’ve seen over the last few months, the tech sector coming off and a lot of good-quality companies rerating.

    The post 2 ASX shares that are on the right side of history: fund manager appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    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. owns and has recommended Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet Holdings Ltd 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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  • Brokers name 2 excellent ASX dividend shares with big yields to buy

    blockletters spelling dividends bank yield

    blockletters spelling dividends bank yield

    If you’re looking for some ASX dividend shares to add to your income portfolio, then you might want to look at the ones listed below.

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

    Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

    It has been a difficult start to the year for this leading furniture and homewares retailer’s shares. Since the beginning of 2022, the Adairs share price has lost almost a third of its value due to COVID headwinds impacting its performance.

    While this is disappointing for shareholders, it could be a buying opportunity for non-shareholders. That’s the view of the team at Morgans, which believes the market is undervaluing its shares and overlooking its positive outlook.

    It recently commented: “In FY23, we expect Focus [on Furniture] to have bedded down and to have started a strategy of improving store economics while expanding its footprint. We expect the NDC [national distribution centre] to be up and running and delivering efficiencies. We expect Mocka to be making its first steps towards an omni-channel strategy. These factors underpin an expectation of positive earnings growth in FY23 and FY24, which we do not think are reflected in the multiple. ADD.”

    Morgans has an add rating and $3.50 price target on its shares.

    In repect to dividends, its is forecasting fully franked dividends of 19 cents per share in FY 2022 and 26 cents per share in FY 2023. Based on the current Adairs share price of $2.84, this will mean yields of 6.7% and 9.1%, respectively, over the next couple of years.

    Centuria Industrial Reit (ASX: CIP)

    Another ASX dividend share to look at is Centuria Industrial. It is the largest domestic pure play industrial REIT, with a high-quality portfolio of properties across key metropolitan locations throughout Australia. These assets include in-demand areas such as distribution centres, cold storage, and transport logistics.

    Although the company’s shares have rallied 25% higher over the last 12 months, the team at Macquarie doesn’t believe it is too late to invest. In fact, its analysts believe Centuria Industrial’s shares are attractively priced and that its portfolio is well-placed for growth thanks to tailwinds being experienced in the industrial sector.

    The broker currently has an outperform rating and $4.27 price target on its shares.

    And as for dividends, Macquarie is forecasting a 17.3 cents per share distribution in FY 2022 and a 17.8 cents per share distribution in FY 2023. Based on the current Centuria Industrial share price of $3.92, this will mean yields of 4.4% and 4.5%, respectively

    The post Brokers name 2 excellent ASX dividend shares with big yields to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    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 ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended ADAIRS FPO. 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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