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Crypto investors will, broadly, have enjoyed some significant price gains in the year just past.

While those gains certainly didn’t come in a straight line, with plenty of gut churning dips along the way, the top altcoins in 2021 delivered some jaw dropping gains, as we discussed here.

Of course, not every crypto gained last year.

Below, we take a look at the 5 worst performing tokens of the year.

As with our top performers, to eliminate the large potential price moves from tiny altcoins, these 5 come from the list of top 100 tokens by market cap and are sourced from data by CoinMarketCap.

2021’s fourth and fifth worst performing digital tokens

The fifth worst performing crypto in 2021 was Pax Dollar (CRYPTO: USDP).

And, in a sign of just how well cryptocurrencies performed last year, Pax Dollar finished the year down just 0.3% trading at US$1.00. The token had a market valuation of US$946 million as at 31 December, making it the number 89 crypto in virtual circulation.

Pax Dollar is what’s known as a stablecoin. It was founded in September 2018.

So, what does Pax Dollar do?

According to CoinMarketCap, the fiat collateralised stablecoin “offers the advantage of transacting with blockchain assets through minimized price risk”.

Which brings us to our fourth worst performing crypto of 2021, fellow stablecoin Dai (CRYPTO: DAI).

Dai lost 0.4% during the year, also finishing at US$1.00. That left it as the 19th biggest token, with a market cap of US$9.2 billion.

Dai is an Ethereum-based stablecoin that’s soft-pegged to the US dollar.

CoinMarketCap tells us it’s “collateralised by a mix of other cryptocurrencies that are deposited into smart-contract vaults” every time new tokens are issued. Dai’s “issuance and development is managed by the Maker Protocol and the MakerDAO decentralised autonomous organization”.

2021’s second and third worst performing altcoins

The third worst crypto performer of 2021 was Bitcoin SV (CRYPTO: BSV).

Bitcoin SV lost 24.2% during the past year, trading for US$123.73 on 31 December. That gave the token a market cap of US$2.34 billion and placed it as the 58th largest crypto in circulation.

Despite making the worst performers’ list, Bitcoin SV hit all time highs this past year, reaching US$491.64 on 16 April 2021.

The token came out following the hard fork of the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) blockchain in 2018. It’s designed to “offer scalability and stability in line with the original description of Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system, as well as deliver a distributed data network that can support enterprise-level advanced blockchain applications”.

Moving on to the second worst crypto performer, we arrive at Celsius (CRYPTO: CEL).

Celsius finished the year down 29.4% to US$3.86. That saw it drop to the number 94 spot of largest crypto list, with a market cap of US$922 million as at 31 December.

The token was launched in June 2018, providing “rewards for depositing cryptocurrency, along with services such as loans and wallet-style payments”. Investors using the Celsius platform receive interest payments for their crypto holdings.

The worst performing crypto of 2021

Coming in at the bottom of the barrel in 2021 is NEM (CRYPTO: XEM).

NEM finished 2021 down 42.7% at 12.8 US cents. That left it as the number 83 crypto in terms of size, with a market cap of US$1.15 billion as at 31 December.

NEM stands for ‘New Economy Movement’ and it has been in active use since March 2015. According to CoinMarketCap, the crypto is an “ecosystem of platforms that use blockchain and cryptography to provide solutions for businesses and individuals”.

The post These were the 5 worst crypto assets to hold in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price having a lousy start to 2022?
• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price shrugs off COVID-induced supply issues
• Here’s why the CBA share price had such a good run in December
• New year’s resolution: Why are ASX lithium shares having such a stellar day?
• Why Elixir Energy, Kogan, St Barbara, and Zip shares are dropping

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 Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is starting the 2022 year in the red in what has been a mixed day for buy now, pay later (BNPL) shares.

Shares in the company are currently trading at $4.30 apiece, down 0.69% on the previous close. They rose as high as $4.37 in early trade but have also slumped as low as $4.21 during a rollercoaster day. For perspective, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) is climbing 1.69%

Let’s take a look at what may be impacting Zip today.

What’s going on with Zip?

The Zip share price is falling today but it is not the only such company suffering. Shares in Openpay Group Ltd (ASX: OPY) are also slumping 2.07% today.

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) is slightly in the green, up 0.63% while Humm Group Ltd (ASX: HUM) is up 0.56%. Sezzle Inc‘s (ASX: SZL) stock is also trading 1.99% higher.

The US market told a similar story with a variety of movements among BNPL shares.

The Affirm Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: AFRM) share price fell 5.32% tp $95.21, while Paypal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL) jumped 3.37% to $194.94.

Zip’s start to the year is consistent with its share price movement for the majority of December, despite an early surge in the final month of the year.

The Zip share price raced ahead after the company provided a positive trading update in early December. Zip revealed its monthly transaction volume increased by $906.5 million, up 52% year on year.

In other non-price-sensitive news released by the company, Zip formed an agreement with travel industry technology company Sabre on December 9. The partnership enables Zip to integrate Sabre’s global distribution system so that travel partners can accept Zip payments.

The company also appointed former Deliveroo CEO Levi Aron as the chief growth officer in the United States.

However, as the month progressed, the company’s shares hit new lows. The share price dived on news the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had ordered Zip and other BNPL shares to provide it with the pros and cons of its offerings.

Zip share price snapshot

The Zip share price has slumped 23% in the past 12 months, falling around 11% in the past month.

In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned more than 13% in the past year.

Zip has a market capitalisation of nearly $2.5 billion based on the current share price.

The post Why is the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price having a lousy start to 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Elixir Energy, Kogan, St Barbara, and Zip shares are dropping
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in December
• These were the 5 top performing ASX BNPL shares of 2021
• Why has the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price tumbled 15% in December?
• In the ‘dog basket’: 6 ASX shares that could rebound in 2022

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Humm Group Limited and PayPal Holdings. 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 Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is edging higher during late afternoon trade. This comes despite the retail conglomerate facing logistical challenges due to the rapid spread of COVID-19.

The news has sent Woolworths shares into positive territory to $38.60, up 1.55%.

COVID-19 creating supply chain dilemmas for Woolworths

Investors appear to be shrugging off the negative news surrounding the supermarket giant, sending Woolworths shares higher today.

A strong rise in COVID-19 cases particularly in the southern states has forced thousands of people to isolate at home. This has led to a severe shortage of workers across many industries such as hospitality, healthcare, and retail.

Notably, Woolworths shelves have been laid bare in popular Sydney stores due to staff obeying stay-at-home orders.

According to insiders, the company is operating on skeleton staff at its distribution centres, resulting in cancelled or delayed deliveries.

While the impact is expected to be temporary, there is no indication of when supply chain operations will return to normal. A spokesperson for Woolworths could not give an indication as to how many workers are currently isolating.

The latest COVID-19 figures have exploded to more than 157,800 active cases in New South Wales and 48,300 cases in Victoria. This is a sharp increase from this time last year when the country had been effectively managing the pandemic.

Adding more pain is reportedly the long wait times to get tested for COVID, with some people waiting up to 5 hours.

Woolworths share price review

It’s been a sound 12 months for Woolworths shares, posting a gain of almost 10% for the period.

The company’s shares proved their resilience against COVID-19, reaching an all-time high of $42.66 in mid-August.

Based on today’s price, Woolworths commands a market capitalisation of roughly $46.82 billion and has approximately 1.21 billion shares outstanding.

The post Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price shrugs off COVID-induced supply issues appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• December has been pretty dire for the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price. Here’s why
• What’s driving the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price higher today?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell
• The stories that rocked the ASX 200 in 2021 revisited
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week

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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The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price has kicked off 2022 in a positive way so far this Tuesday. At the time of writing, CBA shares are up a pleasing 1.42% at $102.43 each.

This latest surge is redolent of the strong month Commonwealth Bank has just enjoyed. Over December, this ASX banking giant rose from $93.18 a share all the way to the flat $101 it closed at on New Year’s Eve. That’s a very healthy gain of 8.4% for the month, and cemented a robust 23% gain for CBA shares over 2021, not including dividend returns.

So how did CBA, the ASX’s largest bank share, manage such a pleasing December?

Well, it was a month that brought no real major developments from CBA. The bank bumped up its fixed lending rates for housing loans during the month. As we reported at the time, CommBank increased its owner-occupier fixed rate by 0.05% during December to 2.54%.

It beefed up longer-term rates even more, raising its 3-year fixed rate by 0.15% to 3.14%. Its 4-year rate also got a hike, rising by 0.25% to 3.34%.

Now, higher rates obviously mean more cash flow for CBA, but this could be counterbalanced by higher wholesale funding costs across the banking sector. Even so, it seems investors were pleased (or, at the very least, didn’t care).

Brokers try to ruin CBA’s Christmas

CBA also had to weather some negative broker notes over December. As my Fool colleague James reported late last month, brokers at Macquarie slapped an ‘underperform’ rating on CBA shares, with a 12-month share price target of $86. Macquarie sees aggressive competition for the home loan market weighing on CBA’s margins. But Macquarie wasn’t the only broker grinching the CBA’s Christmas celebrations.

We also covered fellow broker Morgans‘ ‘reduce’ rating on Commonwealth Bank. It sees CBA shares falling to $73 over the next year or so, and estimates that the share price premium CBA enjoys against the other ASX banks won’t last.

But investors shrugged off these concerns over December, and shot CBA shares higher. Perhaps this was just a result of overall market sentiment, seeing as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) basked in a monthly gain of 2.6% over December. Whatever the reason, CBA has certainly delivered some Christmas cheer to its shareholders.

At the current Commonwealth Bank of Australia share price, CBA shares offer a dividend yield of 3.42%.

The post Here’s why the CBA share price had such a good run in December appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Pilbara Minerals hits record high, energy shares rise
• These were the 5 worst performing ASX 200 shares in 2021
• These were the 5 best performing ASX 200 shares in 2021
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares in December

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 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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Shares in ASX lithium players are off to a stellar start to the trading year in 2022. The sector is outpacing the broad indices by a considerable margin today.

For example, units in the ETFs Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX: ACDC) – a proxy for matching returns for battery and lithium players – are trading more than 3% higher on the day at $96.50.

Meanwhile, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up just 1.5% today at 7,561.6 points at the time of writing.

Why are ASX lithium shares so strong today?

Checking ASX trade data shows considerable trade depth in lithium frontrunners such as Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and Allkem Limited (ASX: AKE), up more than 7% and 6% respectively.

Several other ASX lithium shares such as Liontown Resources Limited (ASX: LTR) and Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) are also posting strong gains during the session, backed by positive sentiment in the wider sector.

While there’s been no price-sensitive information released by any of these kinds of companies today, lithium pricing is the major factor underpinning pricing strengths in the sector.

Demand and supply mechanics for the battery metal ensure lithium prices remain in a cyclical upswing in 2022.

Lithium is still powering up

Lithium went parabolic from January last year and the market has maintained the upward pressure consistently over the last 12 months.

On the demand side, uptake of lithium-style batteries has been sequential alongside the transition into electric mobility.

For instance, global electric vehicle sales jumped 160% during 2021, according to analysis from Trading Economics. Meanwhile, EV deliveries in China are expected to double in 2022 to reach more than 5 million sales.

This cause-effect has sent the price of lithium soaring in the past 12 months, according to analysis from Goldman Sachs, Roskill, International Energy Agency, FactSet, Statista, CRU Group, and Bloomberg Intelligence.

In that time, the price of the battery metal has soared more than 104%. It now trades at 277,500 Chinese Yuan per tonne, yet another record high.

Why does it matter?

What’s relevant for ASX lithium shares today is that prices in the spot and futures markets for lithium took off once again in December, climbing 38%.

Even in the past week prices have spiked another 3.4% at the time of writing. Producers and explorers with direct exposure will see their stock fluctuate alongside volatility in the lithium markets, due to their positioning as price takers on the battery metal.

Companies in adjacent markets with exposure to lithium-ion batteries are benefiting from rising prices in the raw material as well.

Hence, the momentum has spilled over into the new year, which bodes well for ASX lithium shares.

The post New year’s resolution: Why are ASX lithium shares having such a stellar day? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why has the Core Lithium (ASX:CXO) share price leapt 15% since Christmas?
• Why Brainchip, Pilbara Minerals, Straker, and Whitehaven Coal shares are pushing higher
• Happy new high! Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price up another 7%
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Pilbara Minerals hits record high, energy shares rise
• These were the 5 best performing ASX 200 shares in 2021

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

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the new year with a strong gain. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 1.65% to 7,567.7 points.

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

Elixir Energy Ltd (ASX: EXR)

The Elixir Energy share price is down 12% to 18 cents following the completion of its drilling program in Mongolia. Investors may be disappointed with the result of the Bag-1S exploration well. The release reveals that drilling reached a total depth of 779 metres but did not intersect coal.

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

The Kogan share price is down 2.5% to $8.58 despite there being no news out of the ecommerce company. However, Kogan remains one of the most shorted shares on the Australian share market. It appears as though short sellers don’t believe the company will bounce back from its terrible performance in 2021 in a hurry.

St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

The St Barbara share price is down 3.5% to $1.41. This follows weakness in the gold price overnight after investors rotated back into equities amid improving risk sentiment. It isn’t just St Barbara’s shares that are falling today. The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is down 0.25% at the time of writing.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

The Zip share price is down 2% to $4.24. This is despite there being no news out of the buy now pay later provider. However, it is worth noting that overnight on Wall Street’s Nasdaq index, the Affirm share price tumbled a disappointing 5%. It looks as though investors are continuing to be wary about the buy now pay later sector amid potential regulatory scrutiny in the United States.

The post Why Elixir Energy, Kogan, St Barbara, and Zip shares are dropping appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Pilbara Minerals hits record high, energy shares rise
• 2 ASX shares that could be buys for both growth and dividends
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in December
• These were the 5 top performing ASX BNPL shares of 2021
• Top ASX shares to buy in January 2022

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 Kogan.com ltd and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Leigh Creek Energy Ltd (ASX: LCK) share price is on the move for the first trading day of 2022. This comes after the energy producer announced it has passed a milestone hurdle for its in-situ gasification project.

At the time of writing, Leigh Creek Energy shares are up 12.5% to 18 cents.

Leigh Creek granted Section 23 authorisation

Investors are driving the company’s shares higher after it received approval for development in the Leigh Creek area.

According to its release, the company has been granted authorisation under the Aboriginal Heritage Act by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation.

Securing this licence enables Leigh Creek Energy to conduct exploration activities within the former Leigh Creek coalfield in South Australia. This includes the gasification of underground coal deposits using in-situ gasification techniques, drilling of wells, geophysical surveys, and other methods.

The South Australian government allowed the permit after consulting with the local people and the traditional owners of the land. In return, Leigh Creek Energy must minimise disturbance, complying with state government requirements to deliver an environmentally safe project.

Commenting on the news driving the Leigh Creek Energy share price, managing director Phil Staveley commented:

We are pleased with the delegate of the South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation’s positive decision on our project that recognises the significant economic benefits for shareholders, the state economy and Australia’s wider food security.

Our commitment, as a company, is to make a positive difference in the areas and the communities in which we operate. To leave behind a better place than we first encountered. What we achieve in the Leigh Creek area will be the proof.

Leigh Creek Energy share price summary

The Leigh Creek Energy share price has gained 3% since the start of 2021. The company’s shares hit a 52-week high of 31 cents in April 2021, before treading lower in the months after.

Leigh Creek Energy commands a market capitalisation of roughly $147.26 million and has approximately 866.21 million shares on issue.

The post Why the Leigh Creek Energy (ASX:LCK) share price is powering ahead 12% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Leigh Creek (ASX:LCK) share price is crashing 8% downstream 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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The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is having an exceptionally strong start to the trading week, and 2022, this Tuesday. At the time of writing, the All Ords is up a very healthy 1.6% so far today. But one ASX share is putting the index to shame. That is the Kelly Partners Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: KPG) share price.

Kelly Partners shares are currently up a pleasing 6% to $4.61 a share at the time of writing. This comes after the company hit a new all-time high of $4.75 a share earlier this morning. This latest gain means Kelly Partners is now up more than 25% since early December. And an eye-popping 112% over the past 12 months.

So what’s behind this recent share price surge?

Kelly Partners is an accounting and tax agent company that has attracted the attention of income investors for its rather unusual (by ASX standards) practice of paying out monthly dividends. As many investors would be aware of, the standard procedure on the ASX boards is for companies to pay out dividends twice a year. That contrasts with the US norm of quarterly payouts.

But Kelly Partners instead gives its investors a fully-franked paycheque 12 times a year. Its most recent monthly dividend was doled out on New Year’s Eve. This gave investors 0.36 cents in fully franked dividends per share.

Why are Kelly Partners shares raising the roof today?

So why is this company rising so much today? Well, it’s not exactly clear. There has been no major news or announcements out of the company in 2022 as yet. However, the company’s exceptional December, which today’s rally may be an extension of, might explain it. Over the month just gone, Kelly Partners announced not one, but two new acquisitions.

On 15 December, the company announced that it had “signed agreements to acquire an accounting business located in [the] Central Coast” of New South Wales. Kelly Partners estimates that this acquisition will add between $1.08 and $1.35 million in annual revenue to the company. It is scheduled for a 1 May 2022 completion date.

The following day, Kelly Partners announced another acquisition. This time, the company told investors it is to acquire “an accounting business located in Canberra ACT”. This business is estimated to bring in between $880,000 and $1.1 million in revenues to the Group. This deal is expected to wrap up by 1 February.

But these are just two of the six acquisitions Kelly Partners has in its FY2022 pipeline. Two acquisitions have already been completed so far this financial year. The company expects the Central Coast acquisition will be its sixth by the time 1 May rolls around.

It’s this fast-paced growth that might have had investors excited over December and could be what is continuing to drive Kelly Partners shares higher as we get into January.

At the current Kelly Partners share price, this ASX monthly dividend payer has a market capitalisation of $208 million, with a dividend yield of 1.68%.

The post Kelly Partners (ASX:KPG) shares are up 27% since early December and pay monthly dividends appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What’s going on with the Johns Lyng (ASX:JLG) share price today?

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

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Shares in Core Lithium Limited (ASX: CXO) are in the green today and are trading up around 5% at 62 cents apiece.

Core Lithium’s share price has made a recovery on the chart during the rollover into 2022, bouncing from a low of 49.5 cents in late December.

This reversal to the upside is a welcomed turn following a sluggish period for Core Lithium, as shares were gradually marching downwards in the 3 months prior.

Alas, since Christmas, Core Lithium has made a recovery and is now trading back near 52-week closing highs of 64.5 cents reached back in November.

Why is the Core Lithium share price charging higher?

Let’s zoom out for a second and examine a wider time frame, say 12 months. In that time, Core Lithium has climbed almost 265% after rallying 18% across December.

There’s been plenty of support for Core lithium on various pullbacks during the last single year period to date, including at the most recent bout of volatility.

As a result of the December rally, shares are trading back within the longer-term uptrend that’s been in situ this last year.

Furthermore, the company advised it has executed an option agreement to purchase six granted Mineral Licences (MLs) that include over 30 historic pegmatite mines last month.

The MLs are adjacent to pegmatites at the company’s Finniss Lithium Project near Darwin in the Northern Territory. Each of the tenements have a history of tin and tantalum mining and production, Core Lithium says.

The flagship Finniss Project lies within one of the most prospective areas for lithium in the NT – the Bynoe Pegmatite Field – and covers over 500km2 of granted tenements.

Core Lithium expects to commence construction at Finniss before the end of 2021, subject to market conditions and a final investment decision. First production at the site is anticipated before the end of 2022, the company says.

What else could be at play?

Aside from these points, the price of lithium continues to thrust higher in 2022 as strong demand and tightening supply for the battery metal ensures that prices maintain their cyclical upswing.

Lithium went parabolic from this time last year and has maintained the heat ever since. Over the last 12 months, the price of the battery metal has soared over 104% to now trade at 277,500 Chinese Yuan per tonne, another record high.

Prices in the spot and futures markets took off once again in December, climbing 38% in that time alone, as the momentum spills over into the new year.

On the demand side, uptake of lithium-style batteries has been driven by the world’s newfound thirst for electromobility.

For instance, electric vehicle sales are thought to have spiked by 160% globally during 2021, according to analysis from Trading Economics. Meanwhile, China still leads the way in the EV segment, where deliveries are expected to double in 2022 to over 5 million sales.

Core Lithium is an ASX resource share that has direct exposure to the commodity through its Finniss Project. Therefore its movements in its share price are likely to correlate with volatility in the commodity markets.

Considering this relationship and the most recent rally in the price of lithium, the picture begins to form as to what might be garnering interest in the Core Lithium share price.

The post Why has the Core Lithium (ASX:CXO) share price leapt 15% since Christmas? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the Core Lithium (ASX:CXO) share price having such a lousy month?

The author has no positions 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 2022 with a strong gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 1.7% to 7,572.9 points.

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

Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN)

The Brainchip share price is up 18% to a 52-week high of 80.5 cents. This appears to have been driven by reports that Mercedes has included Brainchip’s Akida chip in its Vision EQXX electric concept car. The chip is being used to power its “Hey Mercedes” smart assistant feature.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price has continued its remarkable run and is up a further 8% to $3.45. This is despite there being no news out of the lithium miner. However, the team at Macquarie recently reiterated its outperform rating and lifted its price target to $3.70. This suggests there’s still room for the Pilbara Minerals share price to keep rising.

Straker Translations Ltd (ASX: STG)

The Straker Translations share price is up over 3% to $1.60. This morning the translation technology company announced a binding agreement to acquire IDEST for up to 4.25 million euros. IDEST is based in Brussels, Belgium and is focused on serving international institutions with state-of-the-art, tailor-made translation services.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

The Whitehaven Coal share price is up 6% to $2.77. Investors have been buying Whitehaven Coal and other coal miners after Indonesia banned thermal coal exports. Given that Indonesia is the world’s biggest exporter of thermal coal, there are concerns that supply could be significantly constrained during peak winter demand season. This bodes well for coal prices and Whitehaven Coal.

The post Why Brainchip, Pilbara Minerals, Straker, and Whitehaven Coal shares are pushing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This just caused the Straker Translations (ASX:STG) share price to leap 9%
• Happy new high! Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price up another 7%
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Pilbara Minerals hits record high, energy shares rise
• Why is the BrainChip (ASX:BRN) share price leaping 7% on the first trading day of the year?
• Why the Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) share price is jumping 9% today

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 Straker Translations. 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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