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The price action of ASX biotech shares was nothing short of a mixed bag in 2021.

Several of the majors underperformed the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology index (AXPBJD), whereas many small-cap names came through the ranks to shine brightly ahead of peers.

The broad index itself was choppy throughout 2021, taking a deep plunge throughout December to finish just 2.1% higher for the year.

Investors watching the ASX biotech space will be keen to see how the sector rolls out of the blocks this year.

Commentary on the broader healthcare sector points to a decade of accelerated growth and heavy capital investment, thrust forward by policies bought on by COVID-19.

With these points in mind, we take a look back and see the year that was for the best performing ASX biotech shares.

Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU)

The Imugene share price was a star performer in 2021 and rallied 300% across that time. The biotech finished the year strongly with a set of positive announcements regarding its clinical trial pipeline.

Imugene first advised it had received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) approval to initiate a phase I clinical trial of its oncolytic virotherapy candidate called VAXINIA.

It then advised the FDA had awarded IND approval for Imugene to initiate a new phase 2 clinical trial of its immunotherapy drug candidate, HER-Vaxx.

Announcements and updates concerning the HER-Vaxx segment were the major driving force for Imugene’s share price in 2021.

For instance, the company announced it formed a strategic partnership with clinical-stage biotechnology company Eureka Therapeutics in November.

The pair will investigate the therapeutic potential of combining their technologies for the treatment of solid tumours.

Just after this, Imugene announced it had signed a clinical supply agreement with pharmaceutical juggernauts Merck KGaA (ETR: MRK) and Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE).

Together the group will investigate Imugene’s HER-Vaxx therapy in combination with Avelumab – a label developed by Pfizer and Merck – as a combination therapy in a certain type of gastric/gastroesophageal cancer.

Avelumab works by blocking a certain molecule that suppresses the immune system, whereas HER-Vaxx is specifically designed to treat tumours.

Following these announcements, the Imugene share price spiked towards new 52-week highs.

In early trading on Tuesday, the Imugene share price is up 6.75% to 42.7 cents.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

Shares in global biotech juggernaut CSL finished in the green in 2021 – but not before undergoing some downside volatility in December.

Just prior to this, CSL had fallen sharply off its 52-week high of $318 in November, as concerns around blood plasma collections in the US surmounted and the new Omicron COVID-19 variant began its impulse throughout financial markets.

After thrusting past this 1-year high, this ASX biotech share reversed course and bottomed at $272 by the middle of December, a substantial drop of $46 per share in less than a month.

However, news of the company’s acquisition of Swiss-based biotech company Vifor Pharma for $17.2 billion in cash sent CSL’s share price bouncing off this low.

By the time the company completed its capital raising round for the purchase, investors had already driven CSL shares back to $290 and change to finish the year.

Aside from this momentum to close out 2021, CSL share price action was quite volatile across the year, with a spread of 29% between minimum and maximum closing prices in that time.

Nevertheless, analysts at several investment banks are bullish on the company following its recent acquisition. Citi upgraded its recommendation on CSL shares to a buy and values the company at $340 per share. Morgans is equally as bullish and assigned a price target of $334 per share.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

Shares in oncology company Telix Pharmaceuticals traded in a relatively narrow ascending channel during most of 2021 after popping in May last year.

The company finished the year up 96% and closed the final session at $7.75 apiece.

News around Telix’s novel imaging platform for prostate cancer, Illuccix, was the major catalyst that saw investors screaming to secure a spot in the company’s growth engine last year.

Adding to the company’s flywheel in 2021 was the FDA approving its Illuccix technology for use as a diagnostic imaging platform for prostate cancer.

The company also now expects European approval for registration status no later than 23 March 2022 for the Illucix platform. This comes after it was awarded marketing authorisation application (MAA) in the bloc.

The team at Bell Potter has Telix as a buy and values the company at $9.65. Meanwhile, Wilsons’ recently upgraded its price target on the company to $10.35.

Both Jarden and Jefferies also reckon Telix is a buy, valuing the company at $8.50 and $7 respectively.

Neuroscientific Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NSB)

Neuroscientific Biopharmaceuticals was a decent performer among ASX biotech shares in 2021, gaining 36%.

Flying largely under the radar, the company traded as high as 51.5 cents in September last year, before levelling off and fetching 33.5 cents apiece to close out the final session of 2021.

This price action came after investors bid up NSB’s share price from a low of 21 cents back in February, and then got ahold of it once more in September.

During that time NSB advised that AusIndustry approved an Advance and Overseas Finding under the R&D tax incentive program (TIP) for the development of the company’s lead drug candidate, EmtinB.

The studies will investigate EmtinB as a novel therapeutic treatment for ocular conditions that damage the optic nerve.

Meanwhile, the tax program enables the company to receive R&D tax incentive rebates on up to $25 million of R&D expenditure incurred during 2021, 2022, and 2023. Investors drove up NSB shares in a linear fashion following the release.

Then, in December, the ASX biotech share released positive study readouts from a safety assessment of EmtinB following an in vitro screening program.

Specifically, the researchers were examining ways to predict “drug-induced toxicities in humans prior to first-in-human Phase I clinical studies”.

Why is this relevant? It boils down to the fact some drug interactions produce unintended adverse side effects in humans.

This interplay has regulators advocating drug makers such as NSB to produce known “anti-targets” – like the screening program in this latest update – as part of risk mitigation in drug development.

Doing so improves the known safety and risk profiles of various drugs to improve patient outcomes.

The market sent the Neuroscientific Biopharmaceuticals share price 11% higher on the day of the announcement.

Memphasys Ltd (ASX: MEM)

Shares in ASX biotech Memphasys finished 2021 marginally in the red. However, considering its performance in the final quarter of 2021, it is a worthy mention.

Memphasys started 2021 trading up around 11.5 cents apiece before taking a massive plunge to land just below 6 cents in March.

It stayed around those levels for the bolus of the year, trading sideways in a narrow channel with a spread of just 1.3 cents.

That was before shares popped in November after Memphasys received validation and verification for its Felix device.

Shares in the medical device and biotechnology company subsequently closed out the month 58% in the green after peaking at 11 cents apiece.

Its share price has since reverted back to its current levels at 9.3 cents. However, it has found support around this level and is trading sideways once more.

Furthermore, the company announced it made its first commercial sale of the Felix System for clinical IVF use in December. The order was made from a women’s centre in Coimbatore, India, marking the first steps in cash flow receipts for this segment.

The post Here are the 5 best performing ASX biotech shares of 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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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.

The stock market has been roaring ahead in the last part of December, with investors taking full advantage of a Santa Claus rally to enjoy further gains. The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) has been lagging behind the record performances of its fellow benchmarks, but even the Nasdaq saw solid gains on Thursday afternoon, rising more than half a percent as of 1:30 p.m. ET.

Nasdaq stocks have pulled back somewhat in the past month, but the index has nevertheless been a stellar performer in 2021. That has many investors wondering whether 2022 could bring even better gains for the index — or whether they should tone down their expectations after such an impressive run.

Huge gains continue

There’s still more than a day of trading before Wall Street closes the books on this year. But based on where the Nasdaq stands today, 2021 will go down as another successful year that defied many people’s expectations.

The Nasdaq is up more than 22% so far for the year. That marks the ninth gain in the past 10 years for the index. Over that span, the Nasdaq has risen more than 500%, for an average gain of almost 20% per year.

What’s especially impressive about the Nasdaq’s performance this year is that it followed two even stronger years. The index rose 35% in 2019 and then 44% in 2020, despite seeing a big bear market move downward at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. This year’s economic rebound has helped bolster sentiment about the stock market generally, and even a cooling of interest in high-growth tech stocks hasn’t hurt the Nasdaq dramatically.

What will 2022 bring?

It’s tempting to think that after three strong years that have produced gains of almost 140%, the Nasdaq is due for a downward year. It’s true that there’s always a chance of an extended stock market pullback. There’s no question that valuations are at levels that many investors find stretched at best, with some seeing the potential for a crash being well above average.

However, the same arguments have been true in the past, and the Nasdaq hasn’t always done what investors feared. 2021 is a great example, as some believed that the pandemic merely pulled forward demand rather than creating sustained growth. Many Nasdaq stocks are well off their highs from earlier in the year, but on the whole, the index has defied bearish calls.

The Nasdaq’s run of gains in the 2010s is an even stronger example of how betting on a pullback can be costly. Three years of double-digit percentage returns from 2012 to 2014, including a 38% rise in 2013, led many investors to believe a pullback in the Nasdaq was imminent. However, the index continued to rise for the next three years, including a 28% jump in 2017. When the decline came in 2018, it was mild, with investors suffering losses of just 4%.

What to watch

Even with those long-term assurances, you can bet that investors will watch certain things closely. The Federal Reserve could play a key role, with its interest rate policy decisions having a big impact on high-growth stocks. Also, those who own individual stocks will look for the companies most likely to outperform the index.

Trying to guess whether a given year will be a winner or a loser is usually more costly than successful. The best way to proceed is to keep a mindset that puts you into top-quality stocks that you can hold for the long haul. 

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

The post Can the Nasdaq keep soaring in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares jump to surpass landmark US$3 trillion market cap. What’s next?
• How the Macquarie (ASX: MQG) share price went in 2021
• 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
• Are AnteoTech (ASX:ADO) rapid COVID tests available in Australia?

Dan Caplinger 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.

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

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The US tech giant Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) has done it again. Not only is the world-famous iPhone maker still reigning supreme as the world’s largest publically-traded company, it also just passed another major milestone in US trading last night (our time).

During intra-day trading on US markets, Apple hit a new all-time high, reaching US$182.88 a share. That share price put Apple stock at a market capitalisation of US$3 trillion for the first time ever. It also marked the first time that a publicly-listed company has ever commanded a market cap of this magnitude.

Apple hits US$3 trillion market cap

Even though Apple hit this new milestone during intra-day trading, it’s worth noting that the stock closed at US$182.01 by the end of the session, giving it a market cap of US$2.99 trillion. It’s been a long time coming for Apple, but also highlights this company’s neck-cracking growth over the past few years in particular.

Remember, it was only in August 2018 that Apple first hit the US$1 trillion marker, the first time any US company has had ‘the big T’ in front of its market cap. It only took another two years for Apple to double, hitting US$2 trillion in August 2020. It has taken even less time again for Apple to add the additional ‘tril’ that we saw this morning.

As it stands today, Apple shares are now up a very pleasing 517.4% over the past five years.

So now that Apple has hit this latest milestone, what next for this tech giant? Is this just a pitstop on the way to a US$4 trillion market cap for Apple? Its performance over the past few years might give the impression that it’s only a matter of years, if not months, away.

Is the big 4 next?

Our Fool colleagues over in the US reckon the stars might have aligned for Apple to have a 4 in front of its market cap in the not-too-distant future. In some analysis done last week, they argued that Apple stock could gain another US$1 trillion in market cap through valuation expansion alone. Pointing out that Apple’s tech rival Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) currently trades on a free cash flow multiple of 42, Apple’s ~31 multiple could leave a lot of runway for growth.

But the company could also be assisted by pure fundamentals too. Here’s what US Fool contributor Daniel Sparks had to say on that:

But even without this much multiple expansion, strong fundamentals could lift Apple shares meaningfully in 2022 and beyond. Consider that the company is seeing strong double-digit revenue growth recently, with record fiscal fourth-quarter revenue across every geographic and product segment…

Suffice to say, Apple’s business is firing on all cylinders. With momentum in every geographic and product segment, it wouldn’t be surprising to see double-digit growth rates in the company’s revenue and free cash flow in fiscal 2022, providing solid substance for more share gains.

But, as with anything in the investing world, nothing is certain. It’s possible that this is just the latest stop on Apple’s journey to a US$4 trillion market cap. it’s also possible that last night’s new highs prove to be Apple’s peak. But no one can deny this world-famous company has had an amazing run over the past decade.

The post Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares jump to surpass landmark US$3 trillion market cap. What’s next? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How the Macquarie (ASX: MQG) share price went in 2021
• 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
• Are AnteoTech (ASX:ADO) rapid COVID tests available in Australia?
• The five best crypto performers of 2021 revealed

Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. 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. owns and has recommended Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple. 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 last year has been sensational for Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) investors.

The crowning glory perhaps was that the investment firm actually became the 4th largest bank in Australia, ushering it into what many thought was an unbreakable club — the big four.

The milestone was achieved through a spectacular rise in share price over the course of 2021. 

Macquarie stocks climbed an awesome 48.3% for the 2021 calendar year. 

That’s while giving out what would be a 4.4% dividend yield for those who owned Macquarie shares at the start of that period.

Macquarie shares closed 2021 on $205.40 after starting the year at $138.48.

Macquarie is the ASX share to hold for years

Perennial Value Management portfolio management director Stephen Bruce picked the share as one he would be happy to hold onto for years to come.

“If you want to pick a stock which will adapt to whatever the environment is presenting, I think Macquarie Group have demonstrated that they’re an organisation that… [has] still managed to maintain that flexibility and nimbleness and adaptability to see where opportunities are and take them,” he told The Motley Fool last month. 

“And similarly, to see when things are on the decline and to move out of things that have seen their best days.”

While the other big banks remain static with their market dominance, Macquarie has benefitted from investor confidence in their growth prospects.

The financial powerhouse, long dubbed ‘The Millionaires’ Factory’, is seen as heavily investing in green energy and carbon reduction themes in recent years.

Bruce told The Motley Fool that the way Macquarie invests has also slightly changed over the years.

“If we think about the outlook now and what we think it might be like in 4 years, if you continue on with the green and energy transition theme, Macquarie [has] largely invented it,” he said.

“They were the leaders in infrastructure as pioneers of infrastructure-as-an-asset class. And now that’s obviously becoming a very crowded space, but they’ve proactively moved down the value chain into greenfield developments and actually creating the assets rather than just buying them.”

Macquarie shares are still good value to start 2022

This “early mover position” has Macquarie well prepared for further growth despite its valuation ballooning the past 12 months.

“It’s nowhere near the value it was when it was $140, but you can make an argument that if we look at it now, it’s probably operating in the best conditions you can imagine really across all of its businesses,” said Bruce.

“People are fighting for infrastructure assets so prices are really, really high. There’s heaps of money flowing into the funds they manage. The performance bids will be good.”

Alphinity Investment Management client portfolio manager Elfreda Jonker also told The Motley Fool that Macquarie shares remain decent value.

“If you look at the valuation, it’s trading on a PE [ratio] of around 19 times, so that’s ahead of its long term average of around 16,” she said. 

“But in our view, we do think that the way they are busy changing the business model and really just expanding the different business avenues that they’re in, we think this company can continue to generate really strong earning scores, particularly over the next number of years.”

The post How the Macquarie (ASX: MQG) share price went in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns Macquarie Group 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 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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The BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) share price is off to a flying start for 2022 following a company update.

At the time of writing, the artificial intelligence (AI) technology company’s shares are up 7.35% to 73 cents.

What did BrainChip announce?

In the morning, BrainChip provided investors with a board appointment which has led its shares to push higher.

According to its release, BrainChip advised that it has announced the inclusion of highly experienced director, Pia Turcinov to its board.

Serving as a non-executive director effective today, Ms Turcinov brings a wealth of experience to the role. Her knowledge spans across several industries for the last 30 years with a particular focus on innovation, technology, and diversification.

Furthermore, Ms Turcinov holds a number of qualifications in law and business management. She regularly mentors and publicly speaks on topics relating to entrepreneurship, technological disruption and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Incoming non-executive director, Ms Turcinov commented:

I’m excited to be joining the BrainChip Board as they launch a best-in-class neuromorphic AI chip that I believe can change the world. I look forward to bringing my unique qualifications and diverse experience to assist BrainChip through this new period of growth, helping the company build worldwide strategic AI partnerships.

BrainChip CEO, Sean Hehir added:

…She joins us at an exciting time and her extensive knowledge and experience in strategically leveraging entrepreneurship, innovation, commercialisation, economic and supply chain development will be greatly valued.

In separate news, Mercedes Benz has also partnered with BrainChip to use its Akida technology in the EQXX Concept car.

While still in the infancy stage, neuromorphic computing is currently being developed to efficiently power the vehicle.

Mercedes Benz noted that once integrated, energy consumption will be significantly reduced to run its latest intelligence technologies.

BrainChip share price snapshot

Over the last 12 months, BrainChip shares have gained 60%. The company’s share price reached a 52-week high of 77 cents per share in March 2021, before moving in circles.

On valuation grounds, BrainChip has a market capitalisation of around $1.15 billion, with almost 1.7 billion shares on its registry.

The post Why is the BrainChip (ASX:BRN) share price leaping 7% on the first trading day of the year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Are AnteoTech (ASX:ADO) rapid COVID tests available in Australia?
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• Why the Novonix (ASX:NVX) share price rocketed 650% in 2021
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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 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 Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) share price is starting the year with a bang.

In morning trade, the coal miner’s shares are up 9% to $2.85.

This means the Whitehaven Coal share price is now up 14% since this time last month.

Why is the Whitehaven Coal share price zooming higher?

The catalyst for the strong gain by the Whitehaven Coal share price this morning has been a rise in the coal price.

This was driven by news that Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal, has banned coal exports.

According to Reuters, Indonesia banned the shipments because of concerns it could not meet its own power demand. The country’s President, Joko Widodo, has threatened to revoke business permits for any miners who fail to meet domestic market requirements.

The team at Morgan Stanley has warned that this ban could lead to “meaningful upside” to its forecast for high-quality thermal coal at the Newcastle, NSW port averaging US$140 a tonne in the first quarter of 2022.

The broker, courtesy of Bloomberg, comments: “Losing 40% of the seaborne market overnight, in the midst of peak winter demand, could set us up for another coal price spike.”

Coal miners rise

It isn’t just the Whitehaven Coal share price rising on the news. A number of other ASX shares with exposure to coal are also pushing higher this morning.

This includes the Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN) share price with a 3.5% gain, the New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) share price with a 4.5% gain, and the Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) share price with its gain of 6%.

All in all, this has helped drive the resources sector notably higher on Tuesday. At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX 200 Resources index is up 2%, which is double the ASX 200’s gain.

The post Why the Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) share price is jumping 9% today 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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The AnteoTech Ltd (ASX: ADO) share price has soared since the start of the pandemic as the company has worked to create a COVID-19 rapid antigen test.

Enthusiasm surrounding the now-developed point-of-care rapid testing device has helped boost the company’s stock by more than 1000% since the start of 2020.

AnteoTech’s EuGeni testing device is now reportedly widely used in the United States and Europe. However, the Queensland-based company’s test is facing ongoing delays for Australian approvals, much to the frustration of AnteoTech’s boss.

At the time of writing, the AnteoTech share price is 31.5 cents, 3.28% higher than its previous close.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX:XJO) is up 0.86% right now.

Is the AnteoTech COVID rapid test locked in TGA delays?

AnteoTech’s calls for more rapid testing have been answered, but the company’s product still can’t be found in Australia.

AnteoTech CEO Derek Thomson reportedly told Queensland’s The Courier Mail, the company pushed the state government to accept rapid tests as a measure to screen for the virus. Last week, the publication quoted Thomson as saying:

We’ve always said that rapid testing has a place to be used to control the pandemic and now we’re seeing that play out…

There’s too much stress on the PCR testing system in all Australian states and it’s really not necessary to go to the full extent of doing a PCR test when you’ve got rapid tests readily available now.

Days after Thomson’s comments, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declared the state would allow arriving travellers’ entry after they receive a negative rapid test. Previously, arrivals had to receive a negative PCR test.

Further, Palaszczuk announced close contacts in Queensland will soon be given access to 18 million free rapid antigen tests at COVID-19 testing sites yesterday, saying:

We know the transition to RAT tests for close contacts will reduce some of the pressure we have seen at testing clinics in recent weeks, ensuring those with symptoms can be tested sooner.

Still, Thomson reportedly noted it’s “quite frustrating” the Therapeutic Goods Administration hasn’t approved the use of the AnteoTech’s COVID-19 rapid antigen test.

That’s despite the potential its approval could lead to millions more 15-minute tests being made available to Australians. The EuGeni testing device has been proven to be accurate 97.3% of the time.

The post Are AnteoTech (ASX:ADO) rapid COVID tests available in Australia? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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The Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) share price was one of the best performers on the Australian share market in 2021.

During the 12 months, the lithium-ion battery technology company’s shares recorded a stunning gain of almost 650%.

This was despite the Novonix share price finishing the year 26% below its highest levels of the year.

Why did the Novonix share price shoot higher in 2021?

Investors were scrambling to buy Novonix shares last year for a number of reasons.

One of course was the ongoing shift to renewable energy solutions, which is expected to lead to a significant demand for lithium-ion batteries over the next decade and beyond.

Another key driver of the Novonix share price gain was an announcement relating to a deal with US energy giant Phillips 66.

According to the release, Phillips 66 acquired a 16% stake in Novonix for US$150 million. It believes this investment will support its development of an entirely domestic supply chain for the growing US electric vehicle (EV) market and other energy storage systems.

In addition, Novonix revealed that Phillips 66’s investment will provide it with the capital needed to support growth and ongoing research and development activities. These include continuing to scale its synthetic graphite production and developing new technologies for higher-performance energy storage applications.

What else happened?

Also giving the Novonix share price a boost late in the year was news that it has been added to the illustrious S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) at the December rebalance. This came just three months after the company’s shares were added to the ASX 300 index.

When a share is added to a key index it can often lead to increased demand on the buy side. This is due to index funds needing to buy shares.

Furthermore, some fund managers have strict investment mandates that allow them to only buy shares from certain indices. This could mean there were some fund managers waiting in the wings to invest once they were given the opportunity to do so.

Shareholders will no doubt be hoping 2022 is another year of market-beating returns. Time will tell if that is the case.

The post Why the Novonix (ASX:NVX) share price rocketed 650% in 2021 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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Whether you’re a crypto fan or crypto sceptic, there’s no denying the numbers.

2021 was a banner year for the world’s top digital currencies.

While there was plenty of volatility along the way, steely nerved investors who bought into the top 5 tokens on 1 January 2021 and held on through 31 December will be sitting on some seriously outsized gains.

Below we take a look at those 5 top performers.

To weed out potential price spikes from tiny altcoins, these leading 5 were all taken from the list of top 100 tokens by market cap, and sourced from data by CoinMarketCap.

With that said…

2021’s fourth and fifth best performing digital tokens

Coming in at number 5, with a 2021 price gain of 10,121% is Terra (CRYPTO: LUNA).

Terra ended the calendar year trading at US$85.54. That gave the token a market valuation of US$24.98 billion, the 10th biggest crypto in virtual circulation and the biggest to make it onto our top performers list.

So, what does Terra do?

According to CoinMarketCap, “Terra is a blockchain protocol that uses fiat-pegged stablecoins to power price-stable global payments systems.” Launched in April 2019, Terra says it offers fast and affordable settlements.

Moving on to the number four best performing crypto, we have Polygon (CRYPTO: MATIC), which posted an 11,816% gain in 2021.

Polygon was trading for US$2.56 on 31 December. That gave it a market cap of US$15.03 billion and made it the number 14 token by market cap.

Polygon, CoinMarketCap tells us, is “a platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development”, capable of building numerous different kinds of applications

2021’s second and third best performing altcoins

The third best crypto performer of the year just gone by is The Sandbox (CRYPTO: SAND).

Sand gained 13,458% during the calendar year, trading for US$5.02 on 31 December. That gave the token a market valuation of US$4.59 billion and brought it up to number 39 in the global list of cryptocurrencies.

The Sandbox is relatively old, by crypto standards, having launched back in 2011. Using blockchain technology, the token provides a virtual world than enables users to “create, build, buy and sell digital assets in the form of a game”.

While you’re unlikely to hear investors in The Sandbox complaining, fellow gaming related crypto, Axie Infinity (CRYPTO: AXS), stole the second best performing spot with a 2021 gain of 16,573%.

On 31 December Axie Infinity was worth US$98.81, giving it a market cap of US$6.02 billion. That moved it up on the list to become the 27th biggest token by market valuation.

Also blockchain based, Axie Infinity is a “trading and battling game that is partially owned and operated by its players… [allowing] players to collect, breed, raise, battle and trade token-based creatures known as Axies.”

Which brings us to…

The best performing crypto of 2021

While most everyone would welcome the returns from the 4 top performing altcoins listed above, none compare to the whopping 46,704% gain posted by 2021’s number 1 crypto gainer, Gala (CRYPTO: GALA).

Gala finished the year trading at 48.1 US cents. That gave it a market valuation of US$3.36 billion, making it the number 46 crypto in virtual circulation as at 31 December.

Like The Sandbox and Axie Infinity, Gala is also rooted in the gaming world. According to CoinMarketCap, “Players can own non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and influence the governance of games within the Gala Games ecosystem.”

Since launching in 2019, Gala Games now has 1.3 million monthly active users. The platform has sold 26,000 NFTs to date, with one selling for US$3 million.

The post The five best crypto performers of 2021 revealed appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

2021 was a strong year for the stock market, and investors hope that 2022 can provide a repeat performance and give them double-digit returns once again. On the first trading day of the year, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) seemed ready to keep up its momentum, with futures contracts on the index rising three-quarters of a percent as of 7:15 a.m. ET.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) put in another amazing performance in 2021, with its stock adding another 50% for the year. The growth of its electric vehicle (EV) business has been stellar, and over the weekend, Tesla reported impressive delivery numbers that complemented the numbers from its Chinese competitors quite well.

More records fall for Tesla

Shares of Tesla climbed more than 7% in premarket trading on Monday morning. The EV manufacturer’s fourth-quarter delivery and production numbers came out, and they marked another high note for bullish shareholders in the stock.

Tesla’s Sunday report showed it produced almost 306,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2021. That brought its total production for the year to more than 930,000 vehicles, most of which were mass-market Model 3s and Model Ys. Delivery figures were even more impressive, with 308,600 cars and SUVs going out in the fourth quarter, bringing the total for the year to 936,172.

Many had thought that Tesla’s initial hope for a 50% rise from the 500,000 vehicles it delivered in 2020 was overly ambitious. However, the final numbers show the huge demand for Tesla EVs as well as the company’s ability to get its manufacturing capacity up. Investors are hoping for similar outperformance in 2022.

Chinese EV makers weigh in

Also on the rise were shares of EV manufacturing companies located in China. Tesla’s numbers helped lift the whole industry, but its competitors also reported solid production and delivery numbers of their own.

Nio (NYSE: NIO) shares were up more than 2% in premarket trading. The company delivered nearly 10,500 vehicles in December, up 50% year over year, and topped the 25,000 mark for quarterly deliveries. All told, Nio delivered 91,429 vehicles in 2021, which was more than double its 2020 count.

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) delivered vehicles at an even faster rate. The Chinese company reported 16,000 deliveries in December, up 181% year over year. That marked more than 41,750 vehicles in the fourth quarter, which was more than triple the year-ago figure, and total deliveries for 2021 came in at 98,155. That prompted a nearly 3% rise in the stock price in premarket trading Monday.

Finally, Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) saw its shares also rise almost 3%. Li delivered 14,087 of its electric cars during the month of December. Fourth-quarter deliveries came in at 35,221, up 144% from year-earlier levels. For the year, Li delivered almost 90,500 EVs.

The future of EVs

Despite the fundamental success of all of these businesses, stock performance among EV companies has been mixed. XPeng and Li have managed to post gains over the past year, but Nio lost 35% of its stock price as investors seemed surprised that its Chinese competitors’ delivery figures raced past its own.

The growth of the entire EV industry is likely to continue in 2022, and the question will be who benefits the most from that growth. As new players like electric truck disruptor Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) and established automakers like Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) start moving toward bringing more EVs to market, Tesla will have to maintain its immense customer loyalty and first-mover advantage to produce the sort of gains shareholders have gotten used to seeing. 

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

The post Can Tesla Lead EV Stocks Higher in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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