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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has started the week strongly. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 1.2% to 7,147.8 points.

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

Nickel Mines Ltd (ASX: NIC)

The Nickel Mines share price is down 2% to $1.17. This morning Macquarie downgraded the nickel producer’s shares to a neutral rating and cut its price target down from $1.70 to $1.30. Its analysts expect higher coal prices to offset any benefits from rising nickel prices.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

The Paladin Energy share price is down 6% to 81.5 cents. This morning the uranium miner agreed to sell its historical mining information for the Agadez Project in Niger to Kopore Metals Limited (ASX: KMT). Outside this, sentiment has been low for uranium since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Tassal Group Limited (ASX: TGR)

The Tassal share price is down almost 2% to $3.41. The catalyst for this decline has been the seafood company’s shares trading ex-dividend this morning for its interim dividend. Eligible shareholders can look forward to receiving Tassal’s 8 cents per share dividend later this month on 30 March.

Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX)

The Westgold share price has tumbled 13% to $2.12. Investors have been selling down this gold miner’s shares today following the successful completion of its $100 million institutional placement. Westgold raised the funds at a 13.9% discount of $2.44 per new share. These funds will be used to accelerate the company’s Murchison and Bryah growth strategy. Management advised that this strategy is focused on establishing a systematic pathway towards a +400,000 ounce per annum gold production rate from FY 2024.

The post Why Nickel Mines, Paladin Energy, Tassal, and Westgold shares are dropping 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. 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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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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

It’s a common myth that the people who do well in the stock market are investing geniuses with a knack for choosing the right companies. Sure, having that talent could yield great results for your portfolio. But if it’s not a skill you possess, fear not.

There’s another investment option you can fall back on that could be your ticket to growing serious long-term wealth. And if you’re not convinced, consider this: It’s such a viable investment that even billionaire Warren Buffett is a fan.

Invest in the broad market

Warren Buffett has famously said that for everyday investors, putting money into an S&P 500 index fund is a solid bet. Now to be clear, it’s not that Buffett himself needs to rely on index funds. Clearly, the man knows a thing or two about picking stocks, as evidenced by the billions of dollars he’s managed to accrue in his lifetime. And so for him, choosing individual companies makes more sense.

Rather, Buffett feels that S&P 500 index funds are a great choice for people who may not know that much about vetting stocks, or who don’t want to take on the risk of putting their money into the wrong companies. And that’s why it pays to consider loading up on them.

If you’re not familiar with index funds, they’re passively managed funds whose goal is to match the performance of the benchmarks they’re tied to. If you buy shares of an S&P 500 index fund, you’ll effectively own a piece of 500 different companies.

That’s a good thing, because it lends to diversification in your portfolio. And a diverse portfolio can help you minimize losses during periods of market turbulence and grow long-term wealth.

Just how much wealth are we talking? Since 1957, the S&P 500 has delivered an average yearly return of around 10.5%. This isn’t to say that the index has done well every year since 1957. (Remember the Great Recession?) Rather, that 10.5% returns accounts for both strong years and weak ones.

Now, if you put $250 a month into an S&P 500 index fund over the next 40 years, you might enjoy that same return. And if so, you’ll end up with a portfolio worth $1.5 million. That’s not too shabby — especially if you consider yourself someone who doesn’t know all that much about picking stocks.

Learn from one of the greats

Warren Buffett has proven that he’s more than capable of beating the market. But that doesn’t mean that the average investor is equipped to do the same. That’s why he recommends putting money into an S&P 500 index fund. And if you follow his advice, there’s a good chance you’ll end up pleased with the outcome.

Of course, if you’re confident in your ability to assemble a portfolio of stocks that can outperform the broad market, go for it. But if you’d rather play it a bit safer, then it definitely wouldn’t hurt to listen to the words of someone who clearly has a knack for growing wealth. 

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

The post Could this Warren Buffett recommendation be your ticket to a million-dollar portfolio? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the Global Lithium (ASX:GL1) share price powering ahead by 7% today?
• Why Nickel Mines, Paladin Energy, Tassal, and Westgold shares are dropping
• The ASX 200 is up, so why is the BHP (ASX:BHP) share price falling today?
• Why CSL, Dicker Data, Elders, and Virtus Health shares are charging higher
• Alphabet and Amazon stock splits: 3 high-flying stocks that could split next

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.

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

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is enjoying a very healthy start to the week so far this Monday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is up a pleasing 1.02% at over 7,100 points. So it might come as a surprise to see that the BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is firmly in the red today.

Yes, BHP shares are currently down by 0.4% at $47.50 each. Since the BHP share price makes up more than 10% of the ASX 200 these days, this is quite the divergence indeed.

Well, we can always point to the price of iron ore itself, BHP’s largest commodity base by far. As my Fool colleague James covered this morning, iron ore endured a slight pullback last Friday night, dropping 1.2% to US$154.50 a tonne. That saw the BHP share price fall on Friday’s trading. And this seems to be repeating today thus far.

Is the BHP share price missing out on oil’s gains?

But perhaps investors are also being pessimistic about another facet of BHP’s business: crude oil. BHP is currently a notable oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) producer. But it won’t be for long. Last year, the company agreed to offload its oil business to ASX 200 energy company Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL). But that was inked when oil was well under US$90 a barrel. More recently, we’ve seen crude jump as high as US$130 a barrel. Today, Brent crude remains above US$110 a barrel, which is still a very high price by historical standards.

But it’s a boom that Woodside might benefit more from over the rest of the year, rather than BHP shares. The demerger of BHP’s oil assets is scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of this year. If oil remains anything close to the levels it is sitting at today for the rest of the year, it will be Woodside’s gain and BHP’s loss. 

In comments given to The Australian today, Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said that the company is looking forward to helping fill the gaps that global sanctions against Russia have helped create in the Asian energy market. She named Japan as a key goal, saying that the world’s third-largest economy will be “leaning more towards countries like Australia” for their future energy needs.

But perhaps BHP shareholders don’t have too much to complain about as it currently stands. The BHP share price is now up more than 33% since November last year.

At the current BHP share price, this ASX 200 miner has a market capitalisation of $241.4 billion, with a dividend yield of 10.1%. 

The post The ASX 200 is up, so why is the BHP (ASX:BHP) share price falling today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• ‘What’s not to like’ about BHP (ASX:BHP) shares? Experts weigh in
• Guess which 3 ASX 200 shares are among the top 10 dividend payers in the world
• Is this still the dawning of the age of ASX commodity shares?

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 start the week on a positive note. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 1% to 7,134.5 points.

Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

The CSL share price is up 2% to $261.79. Investors have been buying this biotherapeutics company’s shares following the release of an upbeat broker note out of Citi. Its analysts believe that industry data is pointing to plasma collections going beyond pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Its analysts expect this to boost sentiment and potentially drive its shares higher.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

The Dicker Data share price is up 4% to $13.89. This follows the release of a broker note out of Morgan Stanley this morning. Its analysts have initiated coverage on Dicker Data with an overweight rating and $16.00 price target. The broker believes Dicker Data is well-placed for growth over the medium term thanks to industry tailwinds and its leadership position.

Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

The Elders share price is up 13% to $13.54. This morning the agribusiness company released a trading update which revealed that trading conditions have been strong during the first half. As a result, management advised that it is expecting its underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to increase by 20% to 30% in FY 2022.

Virtus Health Ltd (ASX: VRT)

The Virtus Health share price is up 7% to $8.23. Investors have been buying the fertility treatment company’s shares after it signed a binding transaction implementation deed with CapVest. This deal will see CapVest acquire Virtus for $8.25 cash per share less dividends. The Virtus board unanimously recommends the transaction in the absence of a superior proposal.

The post Why CSL, Dicker Data, Elders, and Virtus Health shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• The CSL (ASX:CSL) share price has struggled to gain traction in 2022. Does that make it cheap?

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. and Dicker Data Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Dicker Data Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elders Limited and Virtus Health 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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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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

Despite a mountain of economic data and earnings news over the past month, the biggest news for two popular FAANG stocks over the past five weeks was the announcement that they’d be enacting stock splits.

First up was Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG), the parent company of internet search engine Google and streaming platform YouTube. Alphabet announced a 20-for-1 forward stock split that, as of the closing bell on March 9, would bring its share price down to around $133 (for the Class A shares, GOOGL). Shareholders still need to vote to approve the split, which is expected to take effect in mid-July.

This past week, e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) followed suit with a 20-for-1 forward stock split announcement of its own. Assuming it receives shareholder approval, Amazon’s lofty share price will come down to around $139, based on its March 9 close. This will be Amazon’s first stock split since September 1999. 

What you need to know about stock splits

Stock splits have absolutely no effect on the operating performance of an underlying business. In other words, a company isn’t going to sell more or less of its product or service just because a split is going to take place. Rather, a stock split is merely a way for publicly traded companies to alter their share price and outstanding share count without affecting their market value.

As an example, Amazon shares are set to fall from around $2,785 to one-twentieth of their current per-share value — around $139.25. However, every existing shareholder will receive 19 additional shares for each share they own. Instead of owning 1 share at $2,785, investors would have 20 shares at $139.25. Both work out to the same market value of $2,785, but the stock split mechanism allows for the share price and outstanding share count to be altered.

Why enact stock splits? The simple reason is to make shares more affordable for retail investors. If you have $500 to invest and your online brokerage doesn’t allow for fractional-share investing, you can’t directly put your money to work in Alphabet or Amazon right now. But after their respective splits take effect, $500 would be enough to purchase a few shares of either company.

Stock splits are also often indicative of a company that’s performing well. Think of it this way: A publicly traded company’s share price probably wouldn’t be high enough to merit a split if it wasn’t executing well and out-innovating its competition.

With Alphabet and Amazon taking off following their respective stock split announcements, the three high-flying stocks below may be next to split their shares. 

Tesla

For those of you who might not recall, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) was one of the first brand-name stocks to see its valuation launch higher after announcing a stock split. Tesla’s 5-for-1 forward split announced in August 2020 saw the company’s shares trade higher by more than 60% in the 20 days between the announcement and enactment of the split.

One reason a stock split would make sense here is Tesla’s share price. Although some folks have the luxury of purchasing fractional shares, other investors would be forced to save up $859 (as of March 9 close) just to buy a single share of Tesla. The company’s previously announced 5-for-1 split occurred with shares at $1,374; that’s well within sight given the range Tesla has been trading in this year, of about $800 to $1,200 a share.

Another reason for Tesla to consider a stock split is that Elon Musk knows his audience. Even though institutional investors and insiders combine to hold more than 61% of outstanding shares, Musk is well aware that Tesla is a favorite holding of retail investors. To keep them happy and buying Tesla stock, Musk may be willing to encourage the company’s board to approve another stock split. Doing so would allow investors with less starting capital to take a position in Tesla.

AutoZone

In February, after Alphabet announced its stock split, I believed Amazon would be the most logical company to next take the plunge. With Amazon following suit, the honor now gets bestowed on automotive replacement parts company AutoZone (NYSE: AZO). Investors have to go back almost 28 years to find the last time (April 1994) AutoZone enacted a stock split. A single share recently set investors back about $1,885, as of March 9.

You might be wondering why AutoZone hasn’t made its shares more affordable to retail investors who don’t have access to fractional-share purchases. The answer seems to be tied to the company’s mammoth share repurchases over the past 24 years. 

As I described last month, the company has been given a green light from its board of directors to make significant share buybacks since 1998. Including the recently reported fourth quarter, AutoZone has spent more than $28 billion repurchasing its stock over 24 years. Over that stretch, the company’s outstanding share count has shrunk from 150 million to slightly below 20 million. I believe that AutoZone’s board likes to highlight its progress in reducing the company’s share count; a stock split, however, would nominally increase the share count. It’s possible that AutoZone’s board believes enacting a stock split would somehow obscure that buyback progress.

Then again, with fewer than 20 million shares outstanding, AutoZone’s ability to repurchase its own stock is shrinking. If the company wants to continue returning capital to shareholders via buybacks, a stock split may be necessary.

Broadcom

The third high-flying stock that could follow in Alphabet’s and Amazon’s footsteps and split is semiconductor solutions giant Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO). Although Avago Technologies — which acquired Broadcom Corp. in early 2016 and then named the combined entity Broadcom — never split its shares, the original Broadcom did so on three occasions (1999, 2000, and 2006).

There are a few good reasons for Broadcom to consider splitting its stock right now. First, as with the other companies on the list, Broadcom’s share price is becoming prohibitively high for retail investors who don’t have access to fractional-share purchases. Shares were near $600 last week and haven’t dipped below $533 in over four months.

Additionally, Broadcom hasn’t been leaning on share buybacks. In fact, Broadcom’s board only recently authorized a $10 billion share repurchase agreement. This is a company that’s focused on boosting its dividend, innovating, and acquiring other companies, rather than buying back shares. In other words, it shouldn’t have the same reluctance to split that I described above with AutoZone.

A split would also make sense given that Broadcom’s business is firing on all cylinders. Its backlog hit $14.9 billion in 2021, with CEO Hock Tan noting in December that the company’s supply was already booked through 2022 and into 2023. Considering that chip shortages are persisting, Broadcom’s share price has a very good chance of heading even higher. 

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

The post Alphabet and Amazon stock splits: 3 high-flying stocks that could split next appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Sean Williams owns Amazon. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Amazon, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Alphabet (C shares) and Broadcom.Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Amazon. 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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The Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) share price has come out of a trading halt to record heavy falls today. This follows the gold resource company’s update in regards to its recent share placement.

During early afternoon trade, Westgold Resources shares are down a sizeable 14.34% to $2.09 apiece.

What’s dragging Westgold Resources shares lower?

Investors are scrambling to sell Westgold Resources shares as the company prepares to dilute existing shareholder value.

According to its release, Westgold Resources advised it has received strong support to raise $100 million through a share placement.

The offer was presented to both institutional and sophisticated investors at an issue price of $2.10 per share. This equates to roughly 48 million new ordinary shares being added to the company’s registry.

The shares will fall under the company’s listing rule 7.1. This allows up to 15% of Westgold Resources shares to be issued without shareholder approval.

The funds collected from the placement will be used to accelerate Westgold Resources’ Murchison and Bryah growth strategy. This revolves around establishing a systematic pathway towards building a 400,000 ounce per annum gold production rate from FY24.

As such, Westgold Resources is targeting the following:

• Increasing existing Murchison mine production – the Bluebird UG Expansion Project
• Accelerating new Murchison mine production – the Fender UG Development Project
• Advancing strategic development assets across the Murchison and Bryah
• Tuckabianna and Fortnum mill expansions – expand group processing capacity above 4Mtpa

Westgold Resources executive director, Wayne Bramwell commented:

The scale of market support of this placement strongly endorses Westgold’s growth plans and speaks to the growing momentum and the evolution of our business.

Westgold will systematically deploy these funds to expand gold production in FY23 and FY24 from Bluebird, Fender and the Tuckabianna trend, underpinning the expansion of our processing hubs. Concurrently, and with a view to FY24 onwards we will rapidly advance the strategic and iconic high- grade Great Fingall and Golden Crown mines.

About the Westgold Resources share price

Over the past 12 months, Westgold Resources shares have moved in circles before accelerating on an upwards trajectory since February.

The company’s share price is flat since this time last year, but up by around 2.5% year to date.

Westgold Resources has a market capitalisation of roughly $889.29 million, with almost 425.5 million shares on its books.

The post Why is the Westgold (ASX:WGX) share price falling 14% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 ASX mining shares smashing 52-week highs 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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With so many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

A note out of Macquarie reveals that its analysts have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on this mining giant’s shares to $60.00. Macquarie has upgraded its earnings estimates and valuation in response to higher commodity prices. The broker also highlights that BHP’s shares are trading on a double-digit free cash flow yield, which bodes well for dividends in the coming years. The BHP share price is fetching $47.48 at the time of writing.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $335.00 price target on this biotherapeutics company’s shares. Citi has been looking at industry data and believes that plasma collections will be above pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Combined with the potential completion of its acquisition of Vifor Pharma, it feels this could give investor sentiment a major boost. The CSL share price is trading at $262.56 on Monday afternoon.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

Analysts at Morgan Stanley have commenced coverage on this IT distributor’s shares with an overweight rating and $16.00 price target. Morgan Stanley believes Dicker Data is well-placed for growth over the medium term thanks to industry tailwinds. Especially given its leadership position in the industry and strong technical capabilities thanks to its new distribution centre. The Dicker Data share price is trading at $13.88 this afternoon.

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

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• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Elders jumps, Magellan and Zip tumble
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• $20k invested in these ASX shares 10 years ago is now worth…
• The CSL (ASX:CSL) share price has struggled to gain traction in 2022. Does that make it cheap?
• ‘What’s not to like’ about BHP (ASX:BHP) shares? Experts weigh in

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. and Dicker Data Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Dicker Data 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 in the green today amid the company’s announcement of a travel technology investment.

The travel company’s shares are currently trading at $18.85, a 1.84% gain, after reaching as high as $18.98 earlier in the session.

Let’s take a look at what Flight Centre announced today.

What did Flight Centre announce?

Flight Centre has boosted its interest in travel technology business TP Connects (TPC) from 22.5% to 70%.

TPC is a Dubai-based software as a service (SaaS) business. Flight Centre said TPC has been at the forefront of changes to traditional distribution models.

Flight Centre said the investment reinforces its commitment to provide customers with the “widest choice of airfares”.

Commenting on the announcement, Flight Centre leisure and supply chief executive officer Melanie Waters-Ryan said:

By investing further in the business, we have greater influence over future developments and the product’s ongoing evolution, while ensuring we continue to deliver the widest choice of airfares to our customers.

Greater influence over future developments will also provide FLT with a better opportunity to be ahead of our competitors’ comparable solutions.

TPC has been at the heart of the evolution in airfare distribution during the past decade, is now ingrained in our business and is integral to the new operating systems and platforms we are delivering in both the leisure and corporate sectors.

Flight Centre said the investment will lower costs, improve margin, and provide the company with access to new revenue schemes.

In other travel shares, the Qantas share price is up 2.16% today, while Webjet is up 1.29%.

Travel shares may be receiving a boost from a fall in oil prices on global markets. The Brent Crude Oil price has fallen 3.76% while the WTI Crude Oil price has dropped 3.87%, according to Bloomberg. Oil prices can impact airline fuel costs.

Flight Centre share price snapshot

The Flight Centre share price has jumped 6.75% since the start of 2022 and has held a 086% gain over the past year.

For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned 5% in the past year.

The company has a market capitalisation of about around $3.8 billion based on its current share price.

The post Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price climbs amid technology investment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why is the Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price having such a volatile time in 2022?
• ASX travel shares rebound despite rising oil prices

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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A number of popular ASX 200 shares are likely to fall tomorrow despite no news coming from the companies.

The conclusion of the February earnings season has led to a vast majority of ASX shares trading ex-dividend in March.

The ex-dividend date is when investors must have purchased a company’s shares beforehand to be eligible for the upcoming dividend. If an investor buys the shares on or after this date, the dividend will go to the seller.

Below, we take a look at the list of shares that are trading ex-dividend tomorrow.

Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) shares will trade ex-dividend for the mining company’s 3 cents per share fully franked dividend. This will be paid to eligible shareholders on 30 March. Sandfire shares are currently swapping hands for $5.55, up 0.91%.

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) shares will also trade ex-dividend on Tuesday for the telco giant’s fully franked 8.5 cents per share final dividend. Shareholders will have to wait until 13 April for their paycheck. TPG shares are fetching for $5.66 apiece, up 1.25%.

Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) shares are set to trade without the rights to the mining outfit’s unfranked 70.4 cents per share final dividend. Yancoal shareholders will then be paid this dividend on 29 April. At the time of writing, Yancoal shares are going for $5.18, up 0.78%.

Foolish Takeaway

To qualify for any of these dividends you need to make sure you are on the share registry at the close of trade today.

After that, you will still qualify for the dividend even if you sell the shares tomorrow or at a later date.

The post These ASX 200 shares trade ex-dividend tomorrow. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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With sky high fuel prices expected to accelerate the already rapid shift to electric vehicles, demand for lithium looks set to continue to increase strongly in the coming years.

This bodes well for prices of the battery making ingredient and the companies mining the white metal.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at two ASX lithium shares that have been rated as buys and tipped to shoot notably higher from current levels. They are as follows:

Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)

The first ASX lithium share to look at is Allkem. It is a top five player in the industry following the merger of Galaxy Resources and Orocobre last year. Allkem has a portfolio of high quality operations and projects across a range of locations and is already benefiting greatly from high lithium prices.

Morgans is very positive on Allkem and recently named the company as its top pick in the sector. It has an add rating and $14.83 price target on the company’s shares. This compares to the latest Allkem share price of $10.46.

Morgans commented: “AKE is a pure play lithium producer with diversified products (spodumene, LiCO and borax) and geographies (WA and Argentina) that is set to expand. The almost completed Naraha plant will allow AKE to grow vertically into the lithium hydroxide market, supported by increased Argentinian brine production.”

“The lithium market has seen strong price increases in CY21 but we don’t see signs of a break to this momentum yet. We expect EV demand to remain strong with geopolitical events and a potentially tight oil market accelerating the shift towards electrification,” it added.

Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL)

Another ASX lithium share to look at is Vulcan. It is the Germany-based lithium developer behind the massive Zero Carbon Lithium Project. Management notes that this is Europe’s largest lithium resource and large enough to satisfy Europe’s lithium needs for many years to come.

While it is not yet producing lithium, management is aiming to commence production in 2024. At which point, it has signed away huge volumes of lithium already to eager buyers.

This went down well with Germany-based broker Alster Research. It currently has a buy rating and $25.00 price target on the company’s shares. This compares to the latest Vulcan share price of $9.10.

It commented: “By finalizing the deal with LGES, Vulcan has now five definitive agreements with high-profile customers. We consider this as a clear sign for the high demand for battery metals from the phasing out of the combustion engine. At this point, Vulcan has marketed its initial production volumes for the first 5-6 years.”

“In the near term, we expect the admission to FSE as a catalyst for the stock, as future capital increases will be accessible to a broader audience. Thus, liquidity and interest will most likely increase. We confirm our PT of AUD 25.00, equivalent to EUR 15.81, and reiterate our BUY recommendation,” Alster added.

The post 2 ASX lithium shares that brokers rate as buys with huge upside potential appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• 3 ASX lithium stocks that brokers rate as buys
• 3 excellent ASX growth shares analysts believe have huge upside potential
• Why did the Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) share price plunge 6% on Monday?
• Get ready! The ASX shares set for a decade-long tailwind: expert

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns Orocobre Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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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