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It has been quite the year for the ASX share market in 2021, with more than 150 initial public offerings (IPOs), bountiful dividend payouts, a boom in mergers and acquisitions, and a flurry of high-flying ‘green shares’. It was exciting for ASX market writers, too! Ultimately it was you — our readers — who decided what the big news this year would be.

We’ve compiled some of our most popular articles among readers this year to reflect on what captivated investors in 2021.

Is Fortescue Future Industries listed on the ASX?

In October, Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) revealed its new green hydrogen subsidiary, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI). Considering the excitement around green energy alternatives, investors were flocking to find out how they could get hold of some FFI.

As we covered, the subsidiary is not a directly listed ASX share. However, owning shares in the $59 billion iron ore mining parent company can give investors some indirect exposure to the Fortescue Future Industries business.

The Fortescue Metals share price has gained 28.9% since announcing its hydrogen venture.

3 top ASX dividend shares to buy for 2021 and beyond

It looks like investors made a New Year’s resolution to increase their passive income in 2021. One of our most popular articles all year was published in January. It laid out 3 ASX dividend shares offering a reasonable yield. Maybe its popularity shouldn’t be a surprise given the low interest rate environment.

Nonetheless, the companies were Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), and Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL). Updating for present-day figures, these ASX shares are offering trailing dividend yields of 3.87%, 3.45%, and 2.06% respectively.

5 lithium shares that are fast-charging up in 2021

Following an 8-fold increase in the share price of US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) in 2020, attention quickly turned to the companies whose materials are expected to be highly sought-after in the EV era. As a result, ASX lithium shares sprung to life.

In our January coverage, we took a closer look under the hood of 5 ASX-listed lithium suppliers. Most of these companies went on to outperform the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this year.

These are the top performing lithium stocks in 2021 so far

Clearly, the appetite for ASX lithium shares was large throughout this year. The interest in the electrifying sector carried through to our article in March summarising the top performing ASX lithium shares in 2021 up to that point in time.

Remarkably, all 5 of the companies covered had posted gains of more than 150% between January and March alone. That is equivalent to a compound return of more than 35% each month for the first 3 months of 2021. For reference, the ASX share taking the crown was Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE), which is now up 1,087% year-to-date.

Is Canva coming to the ASX?

Last, but not least, our readers were incredibly curious to know if Canva was coming to the ASX. The graphic design platform garnered the interest of many ASX shares investors as it rapidly ascended from its US$6 billion valuation in 2020. By April 2021, the Sydney-based company had reached a valuation of US$15 billion after raising another US$71 million in funding.

Yet, here we are at the end of 2021 and Canva has not shown any intention of becoming an ASX share.

However, the company has since gone on to raise more capital privately. By September, it had reached a monumental US$40 billion valuation.

The post The ASX share market coverage that captivated readers in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AMP shoots higher, travel shares rise
• This week, Fortescue (ASX:FMG) produced its own hydrogen for the first time. What does this mean?
• 2022 will be a shocker, so this is what to do: experts
• 3 ASX 200 dividend shares to buy for 2022 and beyond
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler owns Tesla. 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 COLESGROUP DEF SET, Telstra Corporation Limited, and 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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Well, 2021 isn’t going to end the way many of us had hoped it might.

Thanks to the rise of the new COVID variant, our 26 year-old and his partner are stuck at their place for Christmas, thanks to a housemate testing positive a couple of days ago. It’s a tough pill to swallow for all of us, but especially for his 8 year-old little brother.

Out of an abundance of caution, we also got tested yesterday, and at the time of writing we’re still waiting for the results. We’re hoping they’re back before our planned Christmas lunch with our extended family tomorrow – otherwise it’ll be a quiet Christmas for us, too.

And we’re not alone. Many people will spend Christmas apart, who’d otherwise be with family and friends.

It’s so very 2021.

And yet.

And yet, I can’t help but reflect on how fortunate we are.

On the pandemic front, we live in a time when scientific discovery made identification of the virus possible. And when cutting edge science made a vaccine available in crazy-fast time, using brand-spanking-new technology. And when top-grade medical treatment reduced the severity and breadth of the harm.

When our governments were (generally) smart, willing and able enough to support what otherwise would have been a cratering economy. And when we (and previous generations) had voted to make healthcare both free and universal.

We live largely free of war and conflict. In one of the most prosperous countries on Earth. With access to sufficient healthy food, comfort and means of connection.

If we’re going to live through a pandemic, doing it here, in Australia, and now, in 2021, is about as good as you could hope for.

I’m not going to talk about money, or stocks, or finance, today. I’ll probably do a 2021 wrap-up another time.

Today is for the other stuff, that’s more important. Today is about recognising that things haven’t been ideal, but that we have a helluva lot to be thankful for.

It’s also about remembering those who are going to do it tough, tomorrow. Those who’ll be separated from family and friends, either because of COVID or myriad other reasons.

And it’s about remembering those who’ll have empty chairs at their tables; perhaps for the first time, or perhaps not. Many of us will be celebrating Christmas but also missing loved ones who are no longer with us.

We’re thinking of you, and hoping you’ll find some Christmas joy, even if it’s tinged with sorrow. (And if you find yourself in a dark place, please talk to someone. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.)

And every year, thousands and thousands of Australians will miss all or part of Christmas because they’re serving you and me.

Many of our armed forces will be deployed away from home, tomorrow. Our hospitals will be full of doctors, nurses and support staff who will probably wear Santa hats, if COVID regulations allow, but will otherwise be doing what they do every day – and more over the last 22 months – taking care of us.

Our ambos will be treating our sick and injured, and getting them to hospital as quickly and safely as possible. Our fireys will be attending car accidents and house fires. Our coppers will be attending crime scenes, managing traffic, dealing with violence and generally keeping us from harm.

And our utility workers will be keeping the lights on and the water flowing; retail staff and hospitality staff will be keeping us supplied and fed; media staff will entertain and inform us; and many, many more will be serving us in other ways.

Thank you to all of you who are working tomorrow.

And a personal thank you, from me and on behalf of the entire Motley Fool team, for being with us throughout 2021.

We know there are a million other things you could be doing, and a thousand other places you could get your finance fix. That you spend some of your time with us is truly appreciated.

Whether you’re a casual reader or a paying member, thank you. We appreciate and deeply value the trust you’ve placed, and continue to place, in us.

And, to conclude, I want to share the latest in our annual Christmas tradition – a Foolish Christmas Carol.

Yeah, it’s a little corny. And if it’s not your thing, that’s cool. But it’s a bit of fun, and we hope it gives you a smile.

From all of us, to all of you, and with all our love, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

—–

God Rest Ye Foolish, Gentlemen

God rest ye Foolish gentlemen
(All genders though, today)
Remember our good fortune
This coming Christmas Day
Then make good use of compound’s pow’r
Don’t you be led astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
(Time we’ll employ)
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

In Australia, and globally
Our patience, this year worn
Remember that the good times come
The sun will rise each morn
So Murphy’s Law or just bad luck
We won’t give up in scorn
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
(Trading’s not a toy)
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Fear not then, Foolish investor
Let nothing you affright
Though markets can be volatile
We think the future’s bright
Just save, invest and stay the course
We think that path is right
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
(The fruits we’ll enjoy)
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

God rest ye Foolish gentlemen
(All genders though, today)
We thank you for your trust and faith
We hope you’ll hap’ly stay
We’ve done our best to see you through
And not lead you astray
Oh wishing you lots of Christmas joy
(From your Foolish envoy)
Oh wishing you lots of Christmas joy

—–

Fool on (merrily)!

The post Merry Christmas appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The ASX share market coverage that captivated readers in 2021
• Why AMP, Hipages, Pilbara Minerals, and Webjet shares are storming higher
• Imricor Medical (ASX:IMR) share price spikes 6% after expanding trial sites
• Could 2022 be a good year for the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price?
• Why has the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price gained 5% this week?

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

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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on track to end the week with a solid gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.6% to 7,433.4 points.

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

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP)

The AMP share price has jumped 7% to $1.01. Investors have been buying this financial services company’s shares after it announced a divestment from its private markets business, PrivateMarketsCo. AMP has entered into a binding agreement to sell its infrastructure debt platform to Ares Holdings for a total cash consideration of $428 million. The agreement follows PrivateMarketsCo’s strategic decision to focus on managing equity investments in real estate and infrastructure.

Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

The Hipages share price has surged 7% higher to $3.88. This is despite there being no news out of the tradie marketplace provider. However, it is worth noting that earlier this month Goldman Sachs reiterated its buy rating and lifted its price target on the company’s shares to $5.15.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is up 5% to $2.95. Investors have been buying this lithium miner’s shares over the last few trading sessions following a bullish broker note out of Macquarie. That note reveals that the broker is expecting lithium prices to remain at record levels for the next four years. In response, Macquarie has retained its outperform rating and lifted its price target to $3.70.

Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)

The Webjet share price is up 2.5% to $5.33. This appears to have been driven by news that Australians will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot four months after their second vaccine from January 4. This waiting period will be narrowed to just three months at the end of January. This could be a boost to travel markets if it helps control the latest outbreak.

The post Why AMP, Hipages, Pilbara Minerals, and Webjet shares are storming higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AMP shoots higher, travel shares rise
• Here’s why the AMP (ASX:AMP) share price is racing 6% higher today
• Christmas is a bumper time for travel, so why is the Webjet (ASX:WEB) share price still struggling in December?
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this Thursday
• What is the 2022 outlook for the Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price?

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 Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. and Webjet 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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It’s the lead-up to Christmas, and many eyes are watching the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price surge higher once more.

But it’s likely not the holiday spirit driving the company’s stock higher.

At the time of writing, Afterpay’s shares are trading for $86.9 apiece. That’s 1.76% higher than their previous close and 5% higher than they were at the end of last Friday’s session.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.56% right now.

So, what might be boosting the buy now, pay later (BNPL) giant’s shares this week? Let’s take a look.

What’s driving the Afterpay share price higher?

It’s been a good week for the Afterpay share price – and those of its peers have also been gaining.

Right now, the Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is 5.7% higher than it was at the end of last week. That of Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) has also gained 7.5%.

Meanwhile, the Humm Group Ltd (ASX: HUM) share price is sporting a whopping 22% gain, spurred by a 22% surge on Monday.

The BNPL sector’s movements might be a simple correction following last Friday’s devastating blow.

This time last week, many ASX BNPL stocks were tumbling amid news the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau called on 5 of the sector’s largest participants to help investigate its concerns about the industry.

However, the Afterpay share price might be being spurred by international happenings this week.

The company’s future acquirer, Block Inc (NYSE: SQ) (formerly named Square), has seen its share price gain 5.9% since Monday’s close after starting the week with a 5.2% dip.

As Afterpay’s planned takeover is an all-scrip deal, the value of its acquisition is dependent on the Block share price. Therefore, they tend to move in unison.

However, despite this week’s uptick, the Afterpay share price is still firmly in the long-term red.

It has fallen 26% since the start of 2021. It’s also 19% lower than it was this time last month.

The post Why has the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price gained 5% this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Afterpay, Bega, FAR, and WiseTech shares are falling
• Why is the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price soaring 5% today?
• Why Afterpay, Lovisa, Liontown, and Pilbara Minerals shares are racing higher
• These 5 ASX shares grew revenue by more than 70% in the last year
• $4.5 million brawl over Afterpay (ASX:APT) options settled

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. owns and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Block, Inc., and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Humm 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 vascular catheter specialist Imricor Medical Systems Inc (ASX: IMR) are lifting on Friday and now trade 6% higher at $1.05.

Investors are driving up the price of Imricor shares following a company announcement advising it has added another 2 institutions to the list of sites adopting its iCMR ablation solutions.

Imricor’s lead product, the Vision-MR Ablation Catheter, is specifically designed to work under real-time MRI guidance, with the intent of enabling higher success rates along with a faster and safer treatment compared to conventional procedures.

It touts itself to be a leading innovator in the space, and with that in mind, let’s take a look at what the company released today.

What did Imricor announce today?

The company announced that the German Heart Centre Berlin and the Charité Medical University Virchow-Klinikum campus, both in Berlin Germany, are the latest two institutions to adopt Imricor’s iCMR ablation solutions.

Imricor says these new customers bring the total of Imricor sites to 13. The company has since signed an Equipment Purchase Agreement (EPA) with the German Heart Centre Berlin to outfit an existing CMR facility for iCMR procedures. Both institutions will then utilise the iCMR lab at the Heart Centre.

Both new customers will separately purchase Imricor’s catheters and other consumables via a purchasing organisation called Sana Einkauf & Logistik Group Purchasing Organisation.

Imricor has already executed a Master Purchasing Agreement with Sana in April 2020, establishing pricing for the company’s consumable products and making them available in the Sana catalogue for hospitals who purchase devices via this route.

The terms of this particular agreement sets pricing for the one-time purchase of capital equipment needed to outfit an iCMR lab at the German Heart Centre Berlin.

Imricor says the collaboration is significant as it is a “key strategic goal of Imricor to grow the number of sites performing realtime iCMR cardiac ablation procedures in Europe”. Planning is underway for
procedures to commence in the first half of 2022, per the release.

Management commentary

Speaking on the announcement, Imricor’s Chair and CEO, Steve Wedan said:

The addition of these two world-renowned institutions is a major step forward for Imricor, and we are very excited to add them to our customer base. These sites have well-established facilities and programs like the MRI Core Lab and the CMR-Academy and we look forward to growing and deepening our relationships and collaborations with them in the coming months and years.

The Imricor share price has slipped almost 53% in the last 12 months after sliding another 53% this year to date.

In the past month, it has also plunged over 22%. Thus, any gains from today are a welcomed reprieve for shareholders.

The post Imricor Medical (ASX:IMR) share price spikes 6% after expanding trial sites appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Could 2022 be a good year for the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price?
• Sonic (ASX:SHL) share price hits 52-week high amid COVID booster change
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AMP shoots higher, travel shares rise
• What’s going on with the Inoviq (ASX:IIQ) share price today?
• Universal Biosensors (ASX:UBI) share price up on “global first” 30-second COVID-19 test

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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2021 was a year that was going extremely well for the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price. I say ‘was’ because the last quarter of the year was certainly not as kind to Westpac shares as the first three.

Between 1 January and 28 October, the Westpac share price rose a very pleasing 33.62%. But the past few months have brought this ASX 200 bank down to earth somewhat. Between 28 October and today, Westpac has dropped a little over 18%. That pulls its year-to-date gains down to almost 9% at the time of writing.

If you throw in Westpac’s two 2021 dividends, that return gets slightly better. Westpac paid out two dividends this year. Those were an interim dividend of 58 cents per share that investors received back in June and the final dividend of 60 cents per share that was paid out earlier this week. Those dividends would have added an extra few percentage points to Westpac’s 2021 overall return.

So now that 2021 is almost in the rearview mirror, what might 2022 hold for Westpac shares?

Top ASX brokers spill on the Westpac share price

Well, let’s see what some expert ASX investors think of the Westpac share price outlook.

ASX broker Goldman Sachs is currenlty neutral on Westpac. Goldman rates Westpac shares with a 12-month share price target of $25.60 (implying a potential upside of around 20%). However, it still has some hesitations for this ASX bank share. Goldman has its eye on Westpac’s margins, which it is worried will provide a “weak platform for revenue growth in FY 2022”.

It’s also worried about Westpac’s higher exposure to the housing market, especially in New South Wales. However, it also takes note that Westpac may be able to buy back more of its shares under the current share buyback program due to the recent falls in the Westpac share price.

Goldman Sachs isn’t the only broker that is currently sitting on its hands when it comes to Westpac shares. As my Fool colleague James covered earlier this week, fellow broker Bell Potter is also currently rating Westpac shares as a hold. Bell Potter has a $22 share price target on Westpac right now. It is adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude towards the bank’s ‘Fix, Simplify and Reform’ plans, since these reforms “soak time and money”.

Not all brokers are as ambivalent though. As we checked out earlier in December, broker Morgans currently rates Westpac as a ‘buy’, with a share price target of $29. This broker reckons Westpac shares are good value at these levels, pointing to its current dividend yield (sitting at 5.51% today).

So there you have it, some expert opinions on what 2022 holds in store for the Westpac share price. Time will only tell who ends up being right, so let’s see how Westpac fares in 2022!

 

The post Could 2022 be a good year for the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s what Bell Potter thinks of the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price
• The final Westpac (ASX:WBC) dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price falls despite asset sale announcement
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week

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 Westpac Banking Corporation. 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 Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) share price has hit a 52-week high amid a rule change regarding when Aussies are eligible to get their COVID-19 booster vaccination.

Sonic says its staff perform crucial frontline roles in combating the pandemic, with its laboratories testing tens of thousands of people every day for COVID-19. In mid-November, it had performed 36 million COVID-19 PCR tests in total around the world to that date, as well as conducting COVID-19 serology testing and, in some markets, whole genome sequencing to help identify variants.

In Australia, it’s also the largest non-government COVID vaccination provider. In the middle of November 2021, it had provided more than 1 million COVID vaccinations.

COVID booster change

According to reporting by various media, such as The Guardian, the amount of time between COVID vaccinations will be reduced to four months from 4 January and then it will be reduced to three months on 31 January, based on updated advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).

Greg Hunt, the health minister of Australia, said the country should today pass the 2 million mark for boosters given. According to The Guardian, he said:

It’s no surprise we will be bringing forward the eligibility for the booster dose to four months as of 4 January. The planning behind that is that will open up a new cohort. Currently that means that we will go from about 3.2 million people who are eligible today to approximately 7.5 million who will be eligible as 4 January. That means that the cohort has expanded.

It will be expanded again on the 31st of January to three months and that will take it out to 16 million Australians who will be eligible at that point in time and as we have said all along, eligibility is the beginning of access, it doesn’t mean that somebody is overdue the very day they become eligible.

These dates have been set out of an abundance of caution to give Australians early continued protection and the advice we have is that the protection as it is is very strong against severe illness, but what we’ll see is a much stronger protection against transmission.

What could this mean for COVID and the Sonic share price?

However, whilst the ATAGI has approved the change in the booster dates, it said in a statement that booster vaccinations alone will not be enough to stop a huge surge of COVID-19 due to Omicron.

It said:

ATAGI expects that booster vaccination alone will not be sufficient to avert a surge due to Omicron. However, maximising booster coverage by expanding eligibility and encouraging high uptake, in combination with enhanced public health and social measures, may prevent a large surge in case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths. ATAGI also acknowledges the demands that the booster and paediatric COVID-19 vaccination programs will have on the immunisation workforce.

Sonic’s share price, profit and revenue seemingly continues to be partly impacted by the level of testing that it’s doing.

Over the last month, the Sonic share price has risen 11% as Omicron infections multiply.

In the four months to October 2021, before this surge of Omicron, Sonic’s revenue had grown 5% and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) had risen 16% as it benefits from operating leverage.

The base business, which excludes COVID-19-related services and is predominately pathology, continues to grow. It was up 6% in the first four months of FY22.

The post Sonic (ASX:SHL) share price hits 52-week high amid COVID booster change appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AMP shoots higher, travel shares rise
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Experts rate these 2 ASX healthcare shares as buys in 2022
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: BNPL shares sold off, Corporate Travel returns
• Sonic Healthcare (ASX:SHL) share price struggles despite US acquisition

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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sonic Healthcare 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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At lunch on Christmas Eve, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to end the week in a very positive fashion. The benchmark index is currently up 0.6% to 7,429.1 points.

Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

AMP shares shoot higher

The AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price has been a strong performer today after announcing a divestment from its private markets business, PrivateMarketsCo. AMP has entered into a binding agreement to sell its infrastructure debt platform to Ares Holdings for a total cash consideration of $428 million. The agreement follows PrivateMarketsCo’s strategic decision to focus on managing equity investments in real estate and infrastructure.

Rio Tinto to pause Serbian lithium plans

The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price is pushing higher today despite reports that it will pause its Jadar project in Serbia due to community protests. Protestors have been hitting the streets to voice concerns about its environmental impact. This would be a blow for Rio Tinto given how it believes Jadar could be one of the world’s largest greenfield lithium projects.

Travel shares rise

Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) and Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) shares are rising on Friday. This appears to have been driven by news that Australians will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot four months after their second vaccine from January 4. This will be reduced to three months at the end of January. Companies benefiting from COVID-19 testing such as Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL) are underperforming the ASX 200 on the news.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Friday has been the AMP share price with a 7% gain following its divestment announcement. The worst performer has been the Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC) share price with a 2% decline on no news.

The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AMP shoots higher, travel shares rise appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Sonic (ASX:SHL) share price hits 52-week high amid COVID booster change
• Here’s why the AMP (ASX:AMP) share price is racing 6% higher today
• Rio Tinto share price gains despite reports $3.3b lithium project to be halted
• 2022 will be a shocker, so this is what to do: experts
• Christmas is a bumper time for travel, so why is the Webjet (ASX:WEB) share price still struggling in December?

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 Reliance Worldwide Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited, Reliance Worldwide Corporation Limited, Sonic Healthcare Limited, and Webjet 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 Inoviq Ltd (ASX: IIQ) share price is racing higher during early Friday afternoon. This comes after the medical diagnostics company announced it has secured a new patent for diagnosing lung cancer.

At the time of writing, Inoviq shares are up 4.21% to $1.115 apiece. In contrast, the All Ordinaries (ASX: XAO) is up 0.63% to 7,755.9 points.

Inoviq granted new patent protection

Investors are pushing Inoviq shares higher after digesting the company’s positive update.

In its release, Inoviq advised that it has been granted a patent to add to its growing portfolio. Approved by the Chinese Patent Office, the latest addition will seek to further protect Inoviq’s intellectual property.

Titled, ‘Lung Cancer Diagnosis’, the new patent explains the methods towards detecting antibodies to BARD1 peptides. This is for diagnosing lung cancer and developing an autoantibody test kit in the world’s second biggest health care market.

The new patent is set to expire on 5 February 2035.

Inoviq CEO, Dr Leearne Hinch commented:

This patent enforces intellectual property protection in China for a potential BARD1-Lung cancer test that detects autoantibodies associated with lung cancer. Patent family PCT/EP2014/073834 now has seven granted patents in Australia, China, Israel, Japan, Korea, Singapore and the USA.

Quick take on Inoviq

Formerly known as BARD1 Life Sciences, Inoviq is an Australian-based medical diagnostics company that is focused on developing and commercialising non-invasive diagnostic tests for early detection of cancer.

The company’s proprietary technology platform is based on novel tumour markers with potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications across multiple cancers. The pipeline includes two development-stage autoantibody tests for early detection of lung and ovarian cancers.

Inoviq is headquartered in Perth, Australia, and has contract research laboratories at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Inoviq share price summary

In the past 12 months, Inoviq shares have accelerated to more than 60%. However, year-to-date performance has further jumped to post a gain above 66%.

Based on valuation metrics, Inoviq presides a market capitalisation of roughly $102.60 million, with approximately 92.02 million shares outstanding.

The post What’s going on with the Inoviq (ASX:IIQ) share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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 Universal Biosensors Inc (ASX: UBI) share price is in the green after the company announced a licensing deal to commercialise a new rapid COVID-19 test.

Shares in the biotech are swapping hands for 89 cents at the time of writing, up 0.57%. Shortly after the market open, the share price jumped to an intraday high thus far of 94 cents. This is 6.8% higher than yesterday’s close.

Let’s take a look at the news driving positive investor sentiment today.

What is impacting the Universal Biosensors share price?

Universal Biosensors informed ASX investors that it has signed a deal with IQ Science Limited. The deal will commercialise a new rapid COVID-19 test.

The SARS-CoV-2 N-protein detection test will use the company’s electrochemical strip and device technology.

Initial internal validation work found the COVID-19 test can detect the virus within just 30 seconds.

Universal Biosensors has been working with IQ Science founder Dr Shalen Kumar on the technology for 6 months.

The licensing agreement is globally exclusive. Commercialisation fees will be paid either after the test gains regulatory approval, or when the test generates $1 million in sales.

Universal Biosensors will manage funding for the project and gaining all the regulatory approvals required to commercialise the test. If the test is not taken to the market within the next 5 years, the licence will become non-exclusive.

Management comment

Commenting on the COVID-19 test agreement, Universal Biosensors CEO John Sharman said:

The deal with IQ Science is an important breakthrough for UBI since it will be the first time our platform will use aptamers as a detection technique.

Aptamers are a next generation biorecognition element which when combined with our existing technology platform should allow us to detect and measure a large number of targets.

Based on what we know is available in the world today, a COVID-19 Test offering an accurate result within 30 seconds of the patient sample will be the first of its kind globally.

Universal Biosensors share price snapshot

The Universal Biosensors share price has surged by roughly 106% in the past 12 months. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up by more than 11% over the same period.

The company has a market capitalisation of roughly $159 million based on its current share price.

The post Universal Biosensors (ASX:UBI) share price up on “global first” 30-second COVID-19 test 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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