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Earlier this week the Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) share price charged higher after its third quarter operational update impressed the market.

In case you missed it, the investment bank revealed that it had a record quarter thanks to its market-facing Commodities and Global Markets and Macquarie Capital businesses. While not releasing any actual figures, management advised that their combined profit contribution was up “substantially” on the prior corresponding period.

All in all, this led to analysts across the country upgrading their profit expectations for the full year.

Is the Macquarie share price good value?

The team at Morgans has been running the rule over the update and has given its verdict on the Macquarie share price.

However, unfortunately for shareholders, the broker believes that the company’s shares are trading at a fair value now and sees limited upside in the near term.

According to the note, the broker has retained its hold rating and $200.00 price target on the company’s shares. This suggests potential upside of 3.5% for investors based on the current Macquarie share price of $193.28.

Morgans commented: “Overall MQG produced a record result in 3Q22, with FY22 outlook commentary more favourable than previously. The operational briefing was more longer-term focused, but again it reinforced MQG’s favourable growth profile. We upgrade FY22F/FY23F EPS by ~17% driven by an uplift to forecasts in MQG’s markets facing businesses.”

However, for valuation reasons, the broker isn’t shifting from its hold rating.

It concluded: “MQG is a quality franchise exposed to structural growth areas, and the company is clearly firing on all cylinders with a favourable operating environment. However, MQG’s share price has run hard, and with MQG now trading on ~19x FY22F PE, we see the stock as closer to fair value – HOLD.”

The post The Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price has ‘run hard’: What’s next? 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 recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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A multi-decade battle to resume production at what was once one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines could be nearing its end. The news appears to have sent the share price of ASX mining stock Bougainville Copper Limited (ASX: BOC) on a rollercoaster ride.

This afternoon, the Bougainville Copper share price exited a trading halt to hit 99 cents, 147.5% higher than its previous close. It ended the day at 89 cents, up 122.5%.

Also today, the Autonomous Bougainville Government announced it’s reached a resolution to re-open the Panguna Mine for the first time since 1989.

The company believes the government’s announcement could be the reason behind its share price’s surge.

Let’s take a look at what may have got the market excited about the $209 million would-be miner.

A walk through history

Nearly 33 years ago, Bougainville Copper – a then subsidiary of Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) –  was forced to walk away from the Panguna Mine after a civil war was born out of the company’s practices.

According to the Human Rights Law Centre, Bougainville Copper discharged waste from the mine into the island’s river systems.

Doing so is said to have caused major and ongoing environmental devastation.

Meanwhile, the island’s residents felt the profits of such practises were being unevenly distributed.

The resulting civil war is estimated to have cost the lives of between 15,000 and 20,000 people.

Bougainville Copper states 62% of the cash from the project was given to the Papua New Guinean government, representing around 17% of Papua New Guinea’s internally generated revenue over its 17-year production life.

The company’s mining licence was removed in 2014 and replaced with an exploration licence.

Rio Tinto ultimately devested from Bougainville Copper in 2016, handing its 53.8% shareholding to a trustee.

From there, it was spread between the Autonomous Bougainville Government – for the benefit of Panguna landowners and Bougainville residents – and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

In response to a report by the Human Rights Law Centre, Rio Tinto agreed to predominantly fund an assessment of the legacy impacts of the Panguna Mine last year.

Nowadays, Bougainville Copper’s website states:

Bougainville Copper’s main objective is to work cooperatively towards realising the vision of resuming active exploration and sustainable … mining at Panguna.

What’s going on with the Bougainville Copper share price today?

Fast forward to today, the Bougainville Copper share price rocketed before being put in the freezer this morning.

It has since exited said freeze after the company responded to today’s news: The Autonomous Bougainville Government – which become independent in 2020 – has announced it’s resolved to reopen the Panguna Mine.

The joint resolution was signed by clan chiefs and representatives from the 5 major clans of the Panguna area – Basikang, Kurabang, Bakoringu, Barapang, and Mantaa.

The nation’s president, the honourable Ishmael Toroama, said, “Today marks the ending and the beginning of a new chapter, a chapter to realise Bougainville’s independence.”

Proceeds from the mine are expected to boost the nation’s economic future and guarantee its independence.

In response to the government’s announcement, Bougainville Copper said:

[T]his would appear to demonstrate unity amongst the landowners and, would also boost confidence in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville as it pursues economic independence…

[The company] was not involved in the landowner summit nor was it referenced in the [government’s release] article…

The Judicial Review of the ABG’s decision not to renew the exploration licence over Panguna remains in process and we anticipate proceedings to commence in the first quarter of 2022.

The post Here’s why this ASX mining share leapt out of a trading halt to launch 147% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Healthy income… Is CSL (ASX:CSL) still an ASX 200 dividend growth share?
• 2 ASX healthcare shares bucking the trend to hit new highs on Friday
• Is the beaten-up Cettire (ASX:CTT) share price a compelling idea?
• Why AGL, Magellan, Xero, and Zip shares are sinking
• Carnaby Resources (ASX:CNB) share price drops 8%, with investors unimpressed by exploration success

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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A few years ago, this writer penned an article examining the potential of CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) as a dividend growth share. At the time, we looked at CSL’s record of raising its dividend every year since 2013, making it an arguable dividend growth share. But that was two years and a pandemic ago.

So, how are CSL shares faring in the dividend stakes today?

CSL has, of course, been an ASX share that has had a share price stall in recent years. At the current price of $249 a share, CSL is still well below the all-time high of almost $340 a share that we saw back in early 2020. The company has been trading sideways ever since, and has had a rough couple of months recently. The CSL share price remains down more than 15% year to date, and down more than 21% since late November.

But all of that is immaterial to this company’s dividends. So, let’s take a look.

At the time of writing the aforementioned piece on CSL’s dividend back in 2019, CSL had just paid out its final dividend for the year. That was a US$1 per share dividend, which took its 2019 total to US$1.85.

So, how did CSL do in the year of the pandemic, 2020? That was a year that saw many ASX 200 blue-chip shares forced to slash their dividends. Those included Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and the other big four banks, as well as Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).

Well, CSL managed to grow its dividend that year. It paid out two dividends, an interim payment of 95 US cents, as well as a final dividend of US$1.07 per share.

CSL shows its dividend chops

And 2021 was even better. CSL bumped its interim dividend to US$1.04 a share, and its final payment to US$1.18. Unusually for CSL, that final dividend also came with some franking credits, albeit only at 10%.

So that means CSL has now given its investors an annual dividend pay rise every year since 2013. That’s starting to become an impressive streak, in the ballpark of other ASX dividend royalty like Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL).

There is a caveat though. Although CSL has delivered a rising stream of dividends, these are (evidently) denominated in US dollars. The fluctuations ASX investors have seen in the Aussie dollar against the US dollar have not translated into an annual increase in Aussie dollar terms.

To illustrate, ASX investors would have received approximately $2.941 in dividends per share from CSL in 2020, but only $2.939 per share in 2021. Not too much of a difference, but enough to change the trend in Aussie dollar terms.

Even so, CSL arguably has an impressive record of raising its dividends. It will be interesting to see what 2022 throws up for investors. CSL will report its half-year earnings to the market on 16 February.

At the current CSL share price, this ASX 200 blue chip has a trailing dividend yield of 1.18%.

The post Healthy income… Is CSL (ASX:CSL) still an ASX 200 dividend growth share? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended CSL Ltd. and 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 market may be a sea of red on Friday but that hasn’t stopped some shares from pushing higher.

In fact, the two ASX healthcare shares listed below have just climbed to new highs. Here’s why they are flying high today:

Anteris Technologies Ltd (ASX: AVR)

The Anteris Technologies share price climbed to a multi-year high of $19.92 on Friday. This brings its year to date gain to a sizeable 54%.

The catalyst for this recent gain has been the receipt of a confidential, non-binding proposal to merge with NASDAQ-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Medicus Sciences Acquisition Corp (MSAC). No financial terms have been revealed.

The release notes that MSAC currently has no commercial operations and was established as a blank cheque company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, or business combination with one or more businesses.

The SPAC appears to see potential in Anteris Technologies’ DurAVR 3D single-piece aortic heart valve replacement product. Management notes that this product addresses the needs of tomorrow’s younger and more active aortic stenosis patients by delivering superior performance and durability through innovations designed to last the remainder of a patient’s lifetime.

Cronos Australia Ltd (ASX: CAU)

The Cronos Australia share price climbed 13% to hit a new 52-week high of 39.5 cents on Friday. When the cannabis company’s shares reached that level, it meant they had almost doubled in value since the start of the year.

Investors have been bidding its shares higher in recent weeks thanks to a strong second quarter update last month. That update revealed cash receipts growth of 36% to $16.5 million for the quarter, which took its first half cash receipts to $28.5 million. This includes cash receipts from the CDA Health business, which it merged with at the end of last year.

Management described the merger with CDA Health as a “game changer for Cronos Australia and its shareholders.”

The post 2 ASX healthcare shares bucking the trend to hit new highs on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the beaten-up Cettire (ASX:CTT) share price a compelling idea?
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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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The Cettire Ltd (ASX: CTT) share price has fallen hard since the start of the year. It’s down 28%. Does this mean that the business is now a compelling idea?

It has fallen even further if we look further back. Since the middle of November it has actually dropped by 45%.

The (ASX) share market can be volatile as a whole. Individual shares can move dramatically in the space of a few weeks or even just a few days.

But, regardless of what’s going on with the Cettire share price, it is continuing to report fast growth and also expanding its product offering.

HY22’s triple-digit growth

The luxury product retailer announced a FY22 first half set of numbers that saw the company’s top line grow rapidly.

It said that sales revenue jumped 181% to $113.7 million and the product margin soared 178% to $42.7 million and the delivered margin increased by 118% to $24.7 million. Statutory net profit after tax was a loss of $8.3 million, down from a loss of $2.3 million. The business is investing heavily for growth. Active customers rose 208% to 209,000.

The company also pointed out that its profit margins improved in the first half of FY22 compared to the second half of FY21, with the delivered margin rising from 20.5% to 21.7%.

Cettire’s operating cash flow grew by 43% to $12.3 million despite all of the spending on marketing and so on that it’s doing.

Revenue growth accelerated in January 2021, with gross revenue growth of 242%.

Further growth initiatives

Around 80% of Cettire’s web traffic accessing the site comes through mobile internet. So the coming launch of the company’s mobile apps provides scope to improve and optimise the transaction flow and support improved conversion rates over time.

The business is launching into the luxury beauty category, which will expand the company’s total addressable market and is a “key step in propelling Cettire towards its ambition of being the world’s leading online luxury destination.” The Cettire share price may continue to be influenced by the company’s ability to capture more of the global beauty market.

Chinese expansion

The latest move by the company is to enter the mainland luxury China market.

Why China? It’s expected to be the world’s largest market for personal luxury goods by 2025, representing around 25% of the A$600 billion global market. Cettire pointed out this is a $150 billion total addressable market. China is a key priority for the company’s expansion.

Management are expecting that Cettire will be available to Chinese consumers in the second half of the 2022 calendar year.

As part of the market entry, it has entered into a partnership with JD.com a leading Chinese e-commerce platform that has over 550 million active customers and is China’s largest online retail platform. This had an initial positive reaction from the Cettire share price.

Chinese customers will have access to Cettire’s extensive luxury selection and post-sales support. JD.com will help to drive traffic, brand awareness and accelerate Cettire’s growth.

Cettire is also developing a local talent pool in mainland China, commencing with the first of a number of senior technology hires late in 2021. It’s intended that the local Chinese team will help develop features specific to the mainland Chinese market, including Chinese language websites.

The post Is the beaten-up Cettire (ASX:CTT) share price a compelling idea? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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. owns and has recommended Cettire Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cettire 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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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks set to end the week in the red. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.7% to 7,239.4 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are sinking:

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

The AGL share price is down 6% to $6.83. This morning the team at Morgans responded to the energy company’s half year results by retaining its hold rating and cutting its price target to $7.24. Although AGL delivered a better than expected result, the broker continues to believe that it is a difficult investment proposition ahead of its demerger.

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

The Magellan share price is down 4% to $18.33. Investors have been selling down the struggling fund manager’s shares following the release of an out of cycle funds under management (FUM) update. That update reveals that Magellan’s FUM has fallen 6.85% since the end of January to $87.1 billion. And with several ratings agencies putting its funds under review or downgrading them, there are fears that its FUM could continue to fall from here.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

The Xero share price has fallen 4.5% to $110.49. This follows broad weakness in the tech sector on Friday following a very strong inflation reading in the United States. This has sparked fears that interest rates will rise even quicker than expected, which could weigh on the valuations of tech shares like Xero.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

The Zip share price is down 6% to $2.88. The catalyst for this appears to be the release of a disappointing quarterly update from buy now pay later rival Affirm overnight. The Affirm share price crashed 21.5% during the session and then a further 7% in after-hours trade.

The post Why AGL, Magellan, Xero, and Zip shares are sinking appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Do Affirm’s warnings raise red flags for the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price?
• Why are these ASX 200 tech shares tumbling more than 6% on Friday?
• What’s the outlook for AGL (ASX:AGL) shares according to these brokers?
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: IAG upgrades guidance, Magellan sinks again
• Magellan (ASX:MFG) share price slides 6% as FUM bloodbath continues

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 Xero and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Xero. 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 Carnaby Resources Ltd (ASX: CNB) share price has sunk by as much as 13% today, despite another positive discovery at its Queensland site.

At the time of writing, the Carnaby Resources share price is trading 8.06% down at $1.71. However, the materials sector (ASX: XMJ) is the best performer today, up 0.8%.

So, why are ASX investors unenthused by the copper and gold explorer’s latest announcement?

Let’s take a closer look…

Copper mineralisation at Nil Desperandum

Carnaby Resources has exploration sites in the Pilbara Mallina Basin and Yilgarn Margin in Western Australia, and in the Mt Isa Inlier in Queensland.

Today’s announcement comes from its Queensland site — more closely, the Nil Desperandum Prospect of the Greater Duchess Copper-Gold Project.

The miner has hit a 70-metre downhole of copper sulphide mineralisation from 195 metres at the NLRC069 drill hole zone. It held a “visual estimate” of between 1 to 18% chalcopyrite, which is yet to be officially confirmed.

Another mineralisation of the same nature was intercepted at the NLRC067 drill hole, with a 63-metre downhole zone from 169 metres. The interception also contained the same percentage of chalcopyrite and is awaiting results.

With the results pending, and with the spread of COVID-19 in Queensland creating delays to drilling, Carnaby is focusing on the Lady Fanny target on the same site.

Comment from management

Managing director Rob Watkins called the copper mineralisation found in these zones “excellent”.

(…) the copper grades are clearly increasing in depth in the southernmost hole drilled which intersected 41m @ 4.1% copper in NLDD044.

While we must wait to complete heritage surveys before we can target the IP anomalies over 400m strike southwest of NLDD044, we have no shortage of quality drill targets to pursue at the Lady Fanny Prospect, where six lines of IP are in progress targeting below shallow drill results of up to 27m @ 2.8% copper, 0.9% g/t gold in LFRC009.

We eagerly await results from drilling at Nil Desperandum and IP geophysics from Lady Fanny.

Carnaby Resources share price snapshot

It hasn’t all been downhill for Carnaby Resources.

Last Friday, the Carnaby Resources share price shot up 33% to $1.80 apiece. This came after the company announced it had intersected strong copper sulphide mineralisation at the same site. In the month before, it soared after pleasing assay results.

The miner has a market capitalisation of $246 million and a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 573.

The post Carnaby Resources (ASX:CNB) share price drops 8%, with investors unimpressed by exploration success appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Carnaby Resources, News Corp, Piedmont Lithium, and PointsBet shares are pushing higher
• Boom! Carnaby Resources (ASX:CNB) share price rockets 33% on ‘major discovery’
• Here’s why the Carnaby (ASX:CNB) share price is rocketing 33% today

Motley Fool contributor Alice de Bruin 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 Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) price is down about 1% since this time yesterday, currently trading for US$43,232 (AU$61,311).

That puts the world’s biggest crypto by market cap down 9% so far in the calendar year and down 37% from its 10 November all-time high.

More importantly, perhaps, the Bitcoin price remains down from US$47,000.

Why is US$47,000 an important level?

If you bought Bitcoin anytime over the past 5 months, odds are you’re nursing a loss today.

Why?

Because according to Blockforce Capital, US$47,000 is the average price crypto investors paid for the token over the past 5 months.

As Bloomberg reports, Brett Munster, portfolio manager at Blockforce Capital says that crypto investors who bought in since mid-September could be hesitant to buy any more until the Bitcoin price goes higher and they can at least recoup their initial investment.

The indicator, called a short-term cost basis, is an “impediment to creating some consistent momentum,” Munster says.

The Bitcoin price today is also hovering near the tokens 200-day moving average (MA).

While that’s a coincidence, Munster says the 200-day MA is “a widely recognized indicator for determining which direction markets are trending in”.

With the 200-day MA for the Bitcoin price aligning with the price the average investor will have paid for the token over the past 5 months, “this threshold could provide resistance as those recent buyers may look to recoup their investment and sell off,” Munster says.

Where to next for the Bitcoin price?

The Bitcoin price hit a recent low of US$33,725 on 24 January, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

The big question for crypto investors now, is where is the token likely to head next.

According to Munster (quoted by Bloomberg):

While it’s still too early to declare with any certainty that $33k was the bottom, there is reason to believe that there is now much more asymmetry to the upside than downside. That doesn’t mean Bitcoin couldn’t fall back down again, but the data seems to suggest that the upside potential now outweighs the downside.

The post Is this ‘impediment’ holding back the Bitcoin price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Could Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) be eyeing off a $150,000 future?
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• $3.6 billion crypto heist thwarted, sending this obscure cryptocurrency skyrocketing
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The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and recommends Bitcoin. 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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Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) may be reporting its financial results next week, but its AGM in a couple of months is already in focus. The Woodside share price is trading at $26.51 today, a slight fall of 0.04%.

In comparison, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is sliding 0.65% today.

Let’s take a look at what might impact the AGM.

Climate debate heating up

Woodside is set to face off against some of its investors at its annual general meeting. This meeting will likely be held in April.

Shareholder activist group Market Forces says it has worked with shareholders at both Woodside and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) to call on the companies to reduce production in line with net-zero emissions by 2050.

The group says the action follows 19% of Woodside shareholders and 13% of Santos shareholders voting for the companies to scale back production at last year’s AGM.

Market forces asset management campaigner Will van de Pol said:

The need for these resolutions has only increased over the past year, with both companies pursuing mergers to drastically increase their oil and gas production capacity, and moving ahead with billions of dollars worth of new projects that are incompatible with the Paris Agreement’s climate goals and International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario.

Woodside and Santos have not only rejected investors’ demands for alignment with global climate goals, they’ve actually moved in the complete opposite direction.

However, Woodside publicly states on its website it is aiming for net-zero by 2050. In its fourth-quarter report, released on 20 January, Woodside highlighted its plans to invest $5 billion in new energy products and lower-carbon services by 2030. CEO Meg O’Neill stated:

This significant investment will position Woodside as an early mover in the new energy market and support the decarbonisation goals of our customers.

Yet Market Forces remains skeptical of the operational emissions targets set by Woodside and Santos.

It says: “Both Woodside and Santos claim to support the Paris Agreement’s climate goals … Yet the vast majority of these companies’ emissions – those generated when their oil and gas is burned – is not covered by their targets, allowing them to continue undermining the Paris goals by increasing production.”

Woodside is due to report its full-year results next week on Thursday, 17 February.

Woodside share price snapshot

The Woodside share price is up 5% over the past year and more than 20% year to date. It has gained nearly 14% in the past month but has climbed 2% in the past week.

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

Woodside has a market capitalisation of about $25.6 billion based on the current share price.

The post Own Woodside (ASX:WPL) shares? Here’s why the oil giant will face off against investors at its AGM appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
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• Own ASX energy shares? Citi issues stark oil production warning

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has decided to give investors a backwards step so far this Friday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 Index has lost a disappointing 0.67% and is currently sitting at 7,240 points.

But rather than letting that get us down, let’s instead check out the ASX 200 shares that are topping the market’s volume charts, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume so far on Friday

Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)

Insurance Australia Group (or IAG as it’s better known) is our first ASX 200 share of the day. This insurance giant has had a hefty 11.98 million of its shares swap hands so far this Friday. This appears to be in response to IAG’s half-year earnings report that the company delivered this morning.

As my Fool colleague James reported at the time, IAG gave investors a bit of a mixed bag. But even so, IAG shares are pushing higher in the aftermath. The company is currently up a pleasing 4.4% to $4.75 a share. This is probably why we are seeing some elevated trading volumes going on today.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Pilbara Minerals is next up today. This ASX 200 lithium producer has seen a sizeable 12.74 million of its shares bought and sold on the markets as it currently stands.

Again, there’s not much to report on Pilbara today, apart from a nasty share price fall. Unlike South32, Pilbara is taking things even further than the market, and is currently down by 3.4% at $3.24 a share. It’s this move downwards that has likely sparked so many Pilbara shares trading on the share market this Friday.

South32 Ltd (ASX :S32)

ASX 200 resources company South32 is our final and most traded ASX 200 share so far today. This diversified miner has had an impressive 12.83 million of its shares trade on the share market thus far this Friday. Unlike IAG, there’s not much to report about South32 today in an official capacity.

However, this company has experienced a rather decisive share price move which could explain this volume. South32 shares are pushing around 1% higher so far this Friday, in defiance of the broader market. It’s likely that it’s this move that has resulted in so many South32 shares finding a new home today.

 

The post Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares this Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why IAG, Rio Tinto, Unibail, and Westpac shares are pushing higher
• Here’s why the IAG (ASX:IAG) share price is charging 4% higher today
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: IAG upgrades guidance, Magellan sinks again
• IAG (ASX:IAG) share price on watch amid earnings miss but guidance upgrade
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

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 owns and has recommended Insurance Australia Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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