Tag: Motley Fool

  • Why the De Grey Mining (ASX:DEG) share price is storming 7% higher today

    gold, gold miner, gold discovery, gold nugget, gold price,

    The De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) share price is charging higher, up almost 7% to $1.16 in early afternoon trade.

    The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is in the green as well, up 0.5%.

    Below we take a look at the latest gold results from the ASX resource explorer that look to be spurring investor interest.

    What gold results were announced?

    The De Grey Mining share price is leaping after the company reported strong gold results from its Diucon deposit at Hemi, located in Western Australia.

    The new resource definition results include:

    • 63 metres at 4.3grams of gold per tonne from 87 metres in drill hole HERC770
    • 9m @ 3.0g/t Au from 83.2m in HEDD106, and
    • 27m @ 5.3g/t Au from 55m in HERC787

    According to the release, extension and infill drilling are both currently underway at the miner’s Diucon and Eagle projects. Reverse circulation (RC) and diamond holes are targeting depth extensions and additional lodes to the south.

    Management commentary

    Commenting on the results, De Grey’s general manager exploration, Phil Tornatora said:

    Recent drilling at Diucon has increased the depth of mineralisation to approximately 550 metres below surface. Zones of higher gold grades, commonly associated with visible gold, continue to be intersected.

    The southern lodes have been tested to a maximum depth of only around 200 metres vertically, and drilling is extending these at depth. In addition, the main zones of mineralisation continue to be extended along strike to the west and at depth, all of which are expected to contribute to an upgraded resource base at Diucon.

    Tornatora added that De Grey is also conducting infill drilling it increase the resource confidence from JORC Inferred to Indicated classification.

    De Grey Mining share price snapshot

    The De Grey Mining share price is up 9% since this time last year. That’s right in line with the 9% gains posted by the All Ords over the past 12 months.

    Over the past month, shares in De Grey Mining are down 5%.

    The post Why the De Grey Mining (ASX:DEG) share price is storming 7% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in De Grey Mining right now?

    Before you consider De Grey Mining, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and De Grey Mining wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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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  • Openpay (ASX:OPY) share price sinks 6% in grim day for ASX BNPL shares

    shocked man looking at laptop with declining arrows in the background showing a falling share price

    Friday is proving to be disastrous for the Openpay Group Ltd (ASX: OPY) share price, and the buy now, pay later (BNPL) sector in general.

    The industry’s pain comes amid the launch of an inquiry into BNPL companies by the United States’ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

    At the time of writing, the Openpay share price is 84.5 cents, 6.11% lower than its previous close.

    For context, the broader market is currently in the green. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.56% while the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has gained 0.47%.

    Let’s take a look at what’s going on with ASX-listed BNPL providers on Friday.

    Openpay share price tumbles alongside BNPL peers’

    The Openpay share price is suffering today, but at least it’s not alone.

    Right now, the share price of the sector’s biggest participant, Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) is experiencing a 7% fall, while that of Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) has tumbled 5%. Sezzle Inc‘s (ASX: SZL) stock is also trading 6% lower.

    Interestingly, the Humm Group Ltd (ASX: HUM) share price is bucking the trend, recording a 1.4% gain.

    Looking internationally, the Affirm Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: AFRM) share price fell 10.5% overnight, while that of Paypal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL) slipped 1%.  

    CFPB launches inquiry into BNPL services

    United States’ financial law implementation and enforcement body, CFPB, is concerned about the burgeoning BNPL industry’s effects on the health of the financial sector and consumers’ finances.

    In reaction to its worries, it has launched an inquiry into the industry. The inquiry will focus on debt levels, regulatory conformity, and data collections.

    It’s put the call out to 5 industry giants, Afterpay, Zip, Paypal, Affirm, and Klarna, to provide information on the pros and cons of their services.

    According to CFPB director Rohit Chopra, the body will use the information collected from the companies to “report to the public about industry practices and risks”.

    The entity is working with its international partners to conduct the inquiry. It specifies such partners exist in Australia.

    Right now, the Openpay share price is 64% lower than it was at the start of 2021. It has also slipped 27% since this time last month.

    The post Openpay (ASX:OPY) share price sinks 6% in grim day for ASX BNPL shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Openpay right now?

    Before you consider Openpay, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Openpay wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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 and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. 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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  • ReadyTech (ASX:RDY) share price leaps on $14 million acquisition

    A man activates an arrow shooting up into a cloud sign on his phone, indicating share price movement in ASX tech shares

    The ReadyTech Holdings Ltd (ASX: RDY) share price is marching higher today, up almost 3% at the time of writing.

    The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is in the green too, up a more subdued 0.48%.

    ReadyTech, an SaaS business, is focused on providing cloud-based software to the education, employment and government sectors.

    Below we take a look at the acquisition announcement that looks to be driving investor interest in the ASX tech share.

    What acquisition was announced?

    The ReadyTech share price is gaining after it reported it has acquired Open Windows Software Pty Ltd.

    Open Windows provides source-to-contract management modules to private and government customers, with most of its customers in local and state government.

    According to the release, ReadyTech will pay $4.8 million upfront for the acquisition. That consists of just over $4 million in cash from its cash reserves, with the remaining $768,000 to be paid in ReadyTech shares.

    ReadyTech will also pay up to $9.5 million in deferred consideration, which it reports “will be structured into milestone earnouts over 4.5 years”. That will be paid in a combination of shares and cash.

    The acquisition was completed yesterday. The company expects it to deliver recurring revenue of $1.5 million in FY22.

    Commenting on the acquisition, ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne said:

    Open Windows has a strong reputation for its modular SaaS based approach, unique workflow process design, modern user interface, and ability to handle the complex requirements of multi-party contract management and procurement supply chains.

    Open Windows further fortifies ReadyTech’s product-market fit and is suitable to cross-sell to a broad range of our customer base. In particular, Open Windows’ focus on local government makes it a highly strategic and compelling fit for our Government & Justice segment.

    ReadyTech share price snapshot

    At $3.66, the ReadyTech share price is up an impressive 80% since this time last year. By comparison, the All Ords has gained just over 9% in the last 12 months.

    Over the past month, ReadyTech shares have lost around 8%.

    The post ReadyTech (ASX:RDY) share price leaps on $14 million acquisition appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in ReadyTech right now?

    Before you consider ReadyTech, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and ReadyTech wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Readytech Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Readytech Holdings 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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  • Why is the Latrobe Magnesium (ASX:LMG) share price on the slide today?

    Bored man looking at his iMac with his head held in one hand feeling dismayed but unfazed by Latrobe Magnesium's share price slide today

    The Latrobe Magnesium Limited (ASX: LMG) share price is heading south on Friday. This comes after the magnesium producer announced an update on the revised terms of a project finance facility.

    During early afternoon trade, Latrobe Magnesium shares are swapping hands for 9.4 cents, down 5.05%. It’s worth noting that the Latrobe Magnesium share price has lost more than 20% in value over the past month.

    Latrobe Magnesium renegotiates contract terms

    Investors are selling Latrobe Magnesium shares despite the company successfully renegotiating more favourable contract terms.

    In its release, Latrobe Magnesium advised that the interest rate on its $23 million project finance facility has been amended. The reduced 12% interest payable follows close discussions with RnD Funding, which has agreed to the new terms.

    Latrobe Magnesium noted that the lower interest rate is a function of the additional security available to RnD Funding. This follows Latrobe Magnesium’s purchase this week of the property at 20 Tramway Road, Hazelwood North for $4.5 million.

    In addition, the company is expecting to receive between $12 million to $15 million of R&D tax refunds until 23 October 2023. Depending on the amount and time that the incentivised payment is collected, Latrobe Magnesium stated that the effective interest rate could be closer to 10%.

    When the loan is first drawn down, the term is 5 years. However, the company intends to refinance the balance to make it as cost-effective as possible. Latrobe Magnesium estimates that this will occur in or about October 2023 at an interest rate of about 6% per annum.

    About the Latrobe Magnesium share price

    Over the past 12 months, Latrobe Magnesium shares have accelerated by 370%.

    Based on today’s price, Latrobe Magnesium presides a market capitalisation of $147.28 million. It has approximately 1.57 billion shares outstanding.

    The post Why is the Latrobe Magnesium (ASX:LMG) share price on the slide today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Latrobe Magnesium right now?

    Before you consider Latrobe Magnesium, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Latrobe Magnesium wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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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  • Why the Audio Pixels (ASX:AKP) share price is shooting 32% higher

    Rising share price chart.

    The Audio Pixels Holdings Ltd (ASX: AKP) share price has returned from its trading halt and is shooting higher.

    In afternoon trade, the Israel-based digital speaker developer’s shares are up a massive 32% to $25.10.

    Why is the Audio Pixels share price shooting higher?

    The catalyst for the rise in the Audio Pixels share price on Friday has been the release of an announcement relating to its long-developed digital loudspeaker products.

    According to the release, the company has signed a comprehensive agreement with Earth Mountain (Shanghai) Intelligent Technology to mass produce Audio Pixels’ transformational digital loudspeaker products.

    While details on Earth Mountain (Shanghai) Intelligent Technology are very limited on the internet, the release explains that it is a full-service semiconductor company with a focus on the mass commercialisation of devices and systems rooted in Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS).

    A search also shows that Earth Mountain was founded by representatives of Israel-based ORAD Ltd, which specialises in solutions for complex technology multidisciplinary projects in security and in perimeter protection.

    The agreement

    The agreement sees Earth Mountain guarantee Audio Pixels with a long-term resilient supply of tens of millions of digital loudspeaker chips per year from the first quarter of 2022. Though, it is important to note that this is not a sales order but merely the promise of supply if sales are made.

    Former poker play and current Audio Pixel’s Chairman, Fred Bart, commented: “This agreement with EM represents a major milestone toward the commercialization of our technologies is all the more valuable given that it comes at a time when industry at large is struggling to secure semiconductor fabrication capacity. Our collaboration with EM enables us to expedite and broaden the number of customers and applications for our ground-breaking technologies”

    Earth Mountain’s CEO, Helen Du, said: “We are excited to be a part of Audio Pixels’ international ambitions to transition sound reproduction technologies into the digital era. We hope to expand our relationship in AKP beyond this fabrication and commercialization agreement to include promotion, distribution and support for the products throughout greater China.”

    The post Why the Audio Pixels (ASX:AKP) share price is shooting 32% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Audio Pixels right now?

    Before you consider Audio Pixels, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Audio Pixels wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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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  • Could 2022 be the year ASX 200 tech shares get some love?

    digital screen of bar chart representing asx tech shares

    This year has been a brutal one for investors of tech shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

    Not so long ago, companies in the information technology space were the darlings of the Australian share market. The allure of potentially far superior returns (even multibaggers) within the space attracted new investors hand over fist. In turn, we witnessed the creation of the ‘WAAAX‘ shares and a new ASX index known as the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX).

    However, the tides shifted throughout this year as fears of higher interest rates strained valuations of ASX 200 tech shares. To put it into perspective, only two of the five WAAAX shares have posted a positive return this year.

    Despite a fruitless 2021, could the tech sector be the recipient of some affection next year?

    Fund managers hone in on tech shares for 2022

    If the Sohn Hearts & Minds Investment Conference earlier this month was anything to go by, fund managers are locking onto the unloved sector. Nearly two-thirds of the 13 stock picks at the conference fell into the tech category. Though only one pure tech play featured in the list was a constituent of the ASX 200.

    The one ASX 200 tech share making the cut was multi-cloud connectivity provider, Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1). Unlike many other ASX-listed tech shares, the company founded by Bevan Slattery managed to outperform the benchmark index this year — rising 28.5%.

    However, investing great Charlie Munger delivered a shot across the bow to investors at the conference. The other half of the iconic duo at Berkshire Hathaway warned that valuations still looked crazier than in the dotcom era. A broad market rally has Munger believing equities are expensive, especially for ‘great’ companies.

    ASX 200 tech shares experts are keeping an eye on

    Let’s take a quick look at a couple of ASX 200 tech shares that have made it onto the experts’ ‘good’ list coming up to Christmas.

    The first company that could be looking attractive as we head into 2022 is Life360 Inc (ASX: 360). The family safety app provider is a buy for Tribeca Investment Partners’ Jun Bei Liu and Market Matters’ James Gerrish. A combination of high organic growth and reasonable valuation has this tech company ripe for the picking in the eyes of these experts.

    Another ASX 200 tech share that has investors intrigued coming up to the end of the year is Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR). The payments solution company is a buy for Gerrish — looking out 12 months from now, the fund manager reckons total transaction value should increase ‘very strongly’.

    The post Could 2022 be the year ASX 200 tech shares get some love? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Life360, Inc., MEGAPORT FPO, and Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO and Tyro Payments. 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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  • What’s dragging the Incannex (ASX:IHL) share price 5% lower today?

    Falling cannabis asx share price represented by cannabis leaves on a declining line graph

    The Incannex Healthcare Ltd (ASX: IHL) share price is in the red today after a company update on its potential NASDAQ listing.

    Shares in the medicinal cannabis company were swapping hands at 47.5 cents at the time of writing, down 5%.

    Let’s delve into what might be weighing on the Incannex share price today.

    What did the company announce?

    Incannex is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on the United States NASDAQ exchange early next year under the ticker NASDAQ: IXHL.

    As reported by my Foolish colleague Zach, the company filed the F-1 form for listing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission back in August.

    However, the company advised today that shareholder approval for the issue of 180 million shares as part of the offering had now expired.

    The number and price of the American Depositary Shares to be issued under the potential offering still needs to be decided.

    Despite this, Incannex informed investors it was still in a position to conduct an offering in January 2022.

    The company told investors it had taken several months to address comments raised by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. However, these issues have now been “adequately addressed”.

    The company is seeking a dual listing, so Incannex shares will continue to be listed on the ASX during and after the potential US offering.

    Management comment

    Commenting on today’s update, CEO and managing director Joel Latham said:

    We are grateful to our team for their work on the registration process and now look forward to marketing the offering and listing on Nasdaq in January when institutional investors are back on deck after the relatively short winter holiday period in the northern hemisphere.

    It’s been a momentous year for Incannex with six research and development programs that continue to progress rapidly.

    Incannex Healthcare share price snapshot

    The Incannex share price has gained a whopping 206% since January this year.

    However, shares in the company have dived nearly 10% in the past week and 15% in the last month.

    Based on the current share price, Incannex has a market capitalisation of roughly $574 million.

    The post What’s dragging the Incannex (ASX:IHL) share price 5% lower today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Incannex right now?

    Before you consider Incannex, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Incannex wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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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  • BNPL whacked! Why the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price is down 7% to a new 52-week low today

    A woman holds her hands to the side of her face as she sits back in shock at something she is reading or seeing on her computer screen.

    Much to the relief of ASX investors no doubt, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is actually enjoying a day in the green so far this Friday.

    At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is up a healthy 0.49% at 7,331 points. That may come as a reprieve to many investors, who have had to watch the ASX 200 go backwards for most of the week.

    But somehow, no one told buy now, pay later (BNPL) shares like Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT).

    BNPL shares are getting whacked on the ASX boards today and poster child and pioneer Afterpay is taking the brunt of it. The Afterpay share price is currently down a nasty 7.37% and is going for $82.90 right now.

    Earlier in today’s session, Afterpay shares hit $81.30, which is a new 52-week low for the company. Afterpay hasn’t seen that kind of pricing for its stock since early October last year.

    But it’s not just Afterpay. The entire ASX BNPL sector is awash with red ink today. Look at Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P). Zip shares are down 6.29% to $4.17 after also hitting a new 52-week low earlier today at $4.05.

    Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) is down 7.12% to $3. And Openpay Group Ltd (ASX: OPY) has lost 6.11% at 85 cents a share. All 4 of these BNPL shares have hit 52-week lows today.

    BNPL share Afterpay hits 52-week low

    So we don’t need to look too far to see what’s going on here. As we covered this morning, these falls come amid a new probe into the BNPL sector that has just been launched by the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

    This probe is examing whether the US BNPL space needs further regulation. While only Afterpay and Zip are being targeted by this investigation, the fallout seems to be extending to other ASX BNPL shares, going by the above share price movements.

    Circling back to the Afterpay share price, it wouldn’t have helped that the Block Inc (NYSE: SQ) share price fell by more than 4.5% overnight as well.

    Block (formerly known as Square) is the company set to acquire Afterpay in the next few months. Since Afterpay shareholders are to receive a fixed ratio of 0.375 Block shares for every Afterpay share they own, any falls in the Block share price reduces the value of this takeover for Afterpay investors.

    So not a good day at all for ASX BNPL investors this Friday.

    The Afterpay share price is now down more than 30% in 2021 so far.

    The post BNPL whacked! Why the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price is down 7% to a new 52-week low today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Afterpay right now?

    Before you consider Afterpay, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Afterpay wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns Block, Inc. 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 has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) share price lifts despite lithium project plans suspended following protests

    A group of miners in hard hats sitting in a mine chatting on break

    The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price is currently up 0.8%. It’s underperforming the BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price which is up 1.4%.

    Rio Tinto is best known as a global powerhouse in the iron ore industry. But it had been hoping to expand into the lithium world with a huge mine project in Serbia called Jadar.

    However, the business has been facing pressure with large protests against the planned mine with concerns on the environmental impacts and protections.

    There have been concerns by protestors about long-term damage to rivers and farmland where the Jadar project is located.

    Rio Tinto’s lithium mine has been reportedly suspended

    According to reporting by The Guardian, local authorities in western Serbia have suspended plans to allow the mining to go ahead.  

    The mining had been expected to start soon. However, a town council in Loznica has reportedly voted to suspend a regional development plan that allowed the mining of lithium.

    This vote came after the suspension last week of two laws in Serbia’s parliament that would help Rio Tinto start the mine.

    The Guardian quoted the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, who said:

    Whether there will be a mine depends on people [in western Serbia] and the study on environmental impact assessment. These are the two conditions that the president stated earlier.

    Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić has said that “we will have to speak in a different way to Rio Tinto and others”.

    The miner’s response

    It was reported by The Guardian that Rio Tinto said in a statement on Thursday that it worked in accordance with laws and the highest professional standards throughout its 10-year presence in Serbia in order to launch “the largest mining investment in this part of the world”.

    A lot is riding on this project

    Rio Tinto has committed US$2.4 billion to the Jadar lithium-borates project in Serbia, which it hopes will be one of the world’s largest greenfield lithium projects. It could have a growing influence on the Rio Tinto share price over time, if approved.

    It boasted that it would add 1% directly and 4% indirectly to GDP, with many Serbian suppliers involved in the construction of the mine. Rio Tinto also said it would create 2,100 jobs during construction and 1,000 mining and processing jobs in production.

    First saleable production was planned for 2026, with full production in 2029.

    Rio Tinto has noted that this mine could be help the global energy transition and give the miner exposure to the important commodity of lithium. The Jadar project could supply enough lithium to power over one million electric vehicles per year.

    The post Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) share price lifts despite lithium project plans suspended following protests appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Rio Tinto right now?

    Before you consider Rio Tinto, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Rio Tinto wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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 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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  • Here’s why the Leigh Creek (ASX:LCK) share price is crashing 8% downstream today

    Close up of a sad young Caucasian woman reading about Leigh Creek Energy's declining share price on her phone

    The Leigh Creek Energy Ltd (ASX: LCK) share price is one of the worst performers on the ASX this morning. This comes after the energy producer announced an institutional share placement to a United States-based investor.

    At the time of writing, Leigh Creek Energy shares are down 8.57% to 16 cents.

    What are the details of the placement?

    Investors are driving down the Leigh Creek Energy share price today as the company is set to dilute shareholder value.

    According to its release, Leigh Creek Energy advised it has secured up to $20 million (before costs) through a placement. The leading investor in energy transitions, Energy Exploration Capital Partners, LLC is the sole participant in the equity raise.

    There will be 3 different phases to the placement. The initial issuance of 14.8 million shares will see net proceeds of $7.5 million handed to Leigh Creek Energy. It will be priced at the average of the 5 daily volume-weighted average prices (WVAP) less a 10% discount.

    Following on, the second and third phases may take place provided that the market price for the company’s shares don’t fall below 8.5 cents. Leigh Creek Energy could potentially receive further net proceeds of $3.9 million and $3.6 million respectively. The latter is subject to shareholder approval, which is expected to be sought within the next 3 months.

    Additionally, another $5 million is available with consent from Energy Exploration Capital Partners.

    Leigh Creek Energy will use the funds from the placement for a number of key aspects of its flagship project. The Leigh Creek Urea Project (LCUP) will see stage 1 onsite works followed by ongoing stage 2 study and development costs.

    Leigh Creek Energy managing director, Phil Staveley, commented:

    This is the next, vital, stage in our overall, larger project funding strategy, which will be executed over the course of the next year. EECP originally invested in LCK 12 months ago, based on our prospects at that time. LCK has achieved a lot since then.

    It is a testament to our performance that EECP are not only still shareholders but that today they are also prepared to invest a larger additional amount.

    Leigh Creek Energy share price summary

    Since this time last year, the Leigh Creek Energy share price has largely moved in circles and registered a loss of 5.88%.

    Leigh Creek Energy commands a market capitalisation of roughly $133.4 million and has approximately 847.1 million shares on issue.

    The post Here’s why the Leigh Creek (ASX:LCK) share price is crashing 8% downstream 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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