Tag: Motley Fool

  • 2 ASX dividend shares with better yields than term deposits

    Woman holding some cash

    Are you wanting to boost your income with some dividend shares? If you are, then you may want to consider the ones listed below.

    Both dividend shares are expected to provide investors with attractive yields that are vastly superior to those on offer with term deposits. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Centuria Industrial Reit (ASX: CIP)

    The first ASX dividend share to look at is Centuria Industrial. It is focused on building a portfolio of high quality industrial assets to deliver income and capital growth to investors.

    This week the company released a trading update which revealed strong nationwide demand for industrial space, particularly from ecommerce-related tenant customers. This resulted in Centirua Industrial reporting 10% rental growth year to date in FY 2022.

    This strong form bodes well for dividends this year. Centuria Industrial REIT is targeting funds from operations (FFO) of at least 18.1 cents per share and a distribution of 17.3 cents per share in FY 2021. Based on the current Centuria Industrial REIT share price of $3.95, the latter will mean a 4.4% dividend yield for investors.

    Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

    Another ASX dividend share to look at is Rural Funds. It is an Australian property company that owns a diversified portfolio of agricultural assets valued at $1.5 billion across a number of sectors including almond and macadamia orchards, premium vineyards, cattle, and cropping.

    Thanks to its ultra long leases and periodic rental increase, Rural Funds has been growing its distribution at a solid rate for many years. The good news is that management is aiming to continue this trend long into the future and is targeting distribution growth of 4% per annum.

    This is expected to be the case again in FY 2022, with the company guiding to a distribution of 11.73 cents per share. Based on the current Rural Funds share price of $3.05, this will mean a yield of 3.9%.

    The post 2 ASX dividend shares with better yields than term deposits 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 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 owns and has recommended RURALFUNDS STAPLED. 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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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

    Smiling man with phone in wheelchair watching stocks and trends on computer

    On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week on a positive note. The benchmark index rose 0.35% to 7,379.3 points.

    Will the market be able to build on this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to fall

    The Australian share market looks set to give back its gains on Tuesday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 30 points or 0.4% lower this morning. This follows a poor start to the week on Wall Street, which in late trade sees the Dow Jones down 0.7%, the S&P 500 down 0.6%, and the Nasdaq trading 0.9% lower.

    Afterpay shareholders to vote on takeover

    The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price will be one to watch today when its shareholders vote on the Square takeover. Since the offer was made in August, the Square share price has collapsed. This means the value of the transaction is now less than where Afterpay shares were trading prior to the offer being made. This should make for an interesting vote today.

    Oil prices fall

    Energy producers such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a difficult day after oil prices tumbled. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.6% to US$71.26 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 1% to US$74.38 a barrel. Oil prices fell amid Omicron concerns.

    Gold price edges higher

    Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a decent day after the gold price edged higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.2% to US$1,787.80 an ounce. The precious metal rose amid increased demand for safe haven assets.

    Altium shares downgraded

    The Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price could come under pressure today after being downgraded by a leading broker. A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have downgraded the electronic design software company’s shares to a hold rating with an improved price target of $45.00. Bell Potter made the move on valuation grounds after a strong gain over the last couple of months.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday 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 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 AFTERPAY T FPO and Altium. 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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  • Could the best be yet to come for the EML Payments (ASX:EML) share price?

    happy woman using phone outside

    The EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price has been put through the wringer this year. Fears of regulatory intervention from the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) plagued the business for much of the calendar year.

    Fortunately, shareholders have enjoyed a rebound in the payment solutions company’s share value in the last month. Yet, the EML share price remains a considerable 41% off its 52-week high of $5.89.

    For this reason, some experts have high hopes for the future of EML Payments.

    EML’s regulatory ball and chain

    It is no secret that investors have been wary of the EML Payments share price since the CBI swept in with regulatory concerns for the company’s PFS Card Services (Ireland) Limited (PCSIL) business.

    However, EML has since worked with CBI to reach a number of items. Namely, the payments company will be allowed to continue signing new customers and launch new programs within material growth restrictions.

    For portfolio manager, Dominic Rose, this materially de-risks the investment case for EML Payments. Rose is portfolio manager of the Montgomery Small Companies Fund and sees potential upside in the EML Payments share price following the clarity around CBI’s imposed conditions.

    What’s important to Rose is that the approximate costs of CBI’s requirements are now accounted for. In addition, the regulator has not implemented a broad-brush approach to setting limits on the company’s various programs.

    Even better, the growth limitations agreed upon are set to be in place for only 12 months or less. Which, all things considered, is a good outcome compared to what was initially feared.

    Based on this, the portfolio manager sees an opportunity for the EML Payments share price to undergo a re-rate.

    Backing the EML Payments share price

    While Rose doesn’t specify a definitive price target for EML, the team at UBS does.

    Much like Rose, the broker considers the risks to be less than what is being reflected in the company’s current value. With the costs now a known factor, the broker is optimistic of further upside from here.

    In a recent note, UBS assigned a price target of $4.40. This would suggest a potential gain of 27.5% in the EML Payments share price, based on its current price.

    The post Could the best be yet to come for the EML Payments (ASX:EML) share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in EML Payments right now?

    Before you consider EML Payments, 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 EML Payments 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

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler owns EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended EML 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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  • Why did the G8 Education (ASX:GEM) share price lift today?

    tiny asx share price growth represented by little girl looking surprised

    The G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM) share price closed in the green today following the company release of a financial update.

    After surging to an intraday high of $1.135 in early trade, shares dropped to $1.09 before bouncing back to $1.10 at the close of trade. This was a 0.46% gain on Friday’s closing price.

    G8 Education is an early childhood education provider that has experienced 119 temporary centre closures since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    What was in today’s update?

    G8 Education reported earnings before interest and tax of $76 million and a net profit after tax of $43 million in the calendar year to date.

    This result was above the consensus estimates on company earnings for the 2021 year.

    The childcare provider also reported an increase in its occupancy rate of 76.5%. This was an improvement of 1.7% on the calendar year 2020 but 2.1% below the 2019 result.

    Net debt for the company was $17 million after the provider forked out $38 million in wage remediation payments.

    G8 Education informed investors its revenue was impacted by parent gap fee waivers when children cannot attend due to COVID-19 restrictions.

    However, the government was able to offset this loss with fee waivers.

    The company said it lost $3,300 per day on average as a result of COVID-19 closures.

    What else is new?

    Allan Gray portfolio manager Dr Suhas Nayak has tipped G8 Education as one of 4 ASX shares tipped for buybacks in 2022.

    Nayak told Motley Fool Australia today that the company’s best course of action may well be to return cash to shareholders via a buy-back, while also improving underlying operations of existing centres.

    He noted earnings that while not yet fully recovered, the company was now in a net cash position and the share price was below its peers.

    G8 education share price snapshot

    The G8 Education share price has slipped 6.78% in the year to date and is down 8.33% in the past 12 months.

    The company has a market capitalisation of about $932 million, based on the current share price.

    The post Why did the G8 Education (ASX:GEM) share price lift today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in G8 Education right now?

    Before you consider G8 Education, 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 G8 Education 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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  • What is the outlook for the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price in 2022?

    city building with banking share prices, anz share price

    What is the outlook for the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price in 2022?

    Whilst 2021 isn’t finished, the big four ASX bank has had a decent year. Since the start of the year, it has gone up 19% whilst the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has risen by approximately 9%. An outperformance of 10% is material over one year.

    Several weeks ago, ANZ released its FY21 result for the 12 months to September 2021 where it made statutory profit after tax of $6.16 billion (up 72%). However, cash profit from continuing operations, before credit impairments and tax, was $8.4 billion, which was flat compared to last year.

    A significant part of the result related to its credit quality, where the total provision for FY21 was a net release of $567 million.

    The credit provision release was due to a combination of factors, with changes to the portfolio volume, mix and risk profile occurring throughout the year, and the economic outlook improving.

    But that’s the past. How are things shaping up for 2022?

    ANZ’s progress and outlook

    ANZ says it’s making good progress in its multi-year transformation, investing in group-wide automation, cloud migration and digitisation to enable low cost, sustainable customer growth.

    It wants to be able to offer the public a compelling digital offering which will help drive long-term customer and revenue growth. Higher revenue could be a boost for the ANZ share price.

    The ANZ CEO Shayne Elliot said:

    We have our eye on the long-term opportunity and made significant progress and these investments, known internally as ANZx, will become more visible to customers into 2022.

    New Zealand is expected to continue to deliver robust returns and maintain its strong market position.

    Institutional is now a better-balanced, more predictable and higher returning business. We are in a strong position to take advantage of the structural tailwinds we believe will impact institutional banking, particularly in a rising interest rate environment and the build out of our banking platforms business. Changes from the implementation of APRA’s proposed capital reforms are also likely to be a further tailwind for institutional.

    ANZ is also looking to sustainable financing as one of the mega-trends that will impact the global economy over the next few years.

    The big four bank thinks that the real impacts of COVID-19 will not be fully understood until at least the end of 2022.

    What do brokers think about the ANZ share price?

    Morgans is quite optimistic on the bank, with a buy rating and a price target of $31. It thinks that ANZ will benefit from rising interest rates, though strong competition remains.

    The broker thinks ANZ is going to pay a large dividend yield over the next couple of financial years. In FY22 it is expected to pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.7% and then 8.6% in FY23.

    Based on the broker’s estimate, the ANZ share price is valued at 12x FY22’s estimated earnings.

    Other brokers are less bullish. Credit Suisse is neutral on ANZ, with a price target of $28.50. Credit Suisse is expecting a little lower dividend and earnings in FY22 compared to Morgans.

    The post What is the outlook for the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider ANZ, 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 ANZ 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

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. 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 are the top 10 ASX shares today

    Top 10 ASX 200 shares today

    Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) delivered a positive start to the week. At the end of the session, the benchmark index finished 0.35% higher at 7,379.3 points.

    While there were a couple of sectors that went an untoward direction, the majority of the market headed upwards on Monday. Investors of energy and real estate shares were the real winners, as the two sectors posted gains of more than 2%.

    However, the question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? Here are the top ten stocks that came through for investors:

    Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

    Looking at the top 200 listed companies, Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the fintech platform provider jumped 7.21% despite there being no announcements from the company. Find out more about Netwealth Group here.

    The next biggest gaining ASX share today was Charter Hall Group Ltd (ASX: CHC). The integrated property group rallied 5.98% after announcing an upgraded FY22 earnings guidance. Uncover the latest Charter Hall Group details here.

    Today’s top 10 biggest gains were made in these ASX shares:

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL) $17.11 7.21%
    Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) $20.92 5.98%
    Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY) $5.95 5.87%
    Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) $9.96 5.73%
    Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) $4.88 5.63%
    Shopping Centres Australasia Property Group (ASX: SCP) $2.98 4.20%
    Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) $9.17 3.85%
    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) $2.70 3.85%
    Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG) $5.625 3.59%
    Technology One Ltd (ASX: TNE) $12.83 3.55%
    Data as at 4:00pm AEDT

    Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check-in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

    The post Here are the top 10 ASX shares today 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

    More reading

    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 Netwealth. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Netwealth and Shopping Centres Australasia Property Group. 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 Magellan (ASX:MFG) share price has had a shocker this year. Could this help reverse the slide in 2022?

    A female financial services professional with a manicured black afro hairstyle turns an ipad screen to show a client across the table a set of ASX shares figures in graph format

    Shares in Australian fund manager Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) finished trading on Monday, up 1.27% at $29.49.

    It’s been a tremulous year for Magellan’s share price, where it has lagged key benchmarks by a considerable amount – a long-term trend that has seen its global equities fund underperform its benchmark by 1.1% over 5 years.

    After more velitations in the past few weeks, namely CEO Dr Brett Cairns walking out, plus both its Chairman and former CEO announcing the split from their spouses, Magellan has suffered another tumble to trade at its lowest point in over 2 years.

    Now the firm is scrambling to ensure that massive outflows of capital don’t continue, and is working to stabilise the performance of its flagship funds for investors. Here are the details.

    What’s Magellan up to?

    After years of underperformance, it’s hard for Magellan to continue justifying relatively high management and performance fees to investors.

    As such, the firm has begun offering significantly lower fees to wealth managers after palming off similar requests for several years, according to reporting from The Australian.

    The report confirms that Magellan has launched a new product for its managed accounts operators and wealth managers, with a fee that is 50 basis points lower than its global fund.

    Moreover, it will avoid charging a performance fee on its new offering, making it potentially more attractive from a cost basis. For reference, active equity managers often charge a percentage fee of total funds under management, plus a performance fee if the fund reaches a certain performance watermark.

    Many hedge funds charge a “2 and 20” structure for example – 2% of funds under management, plus a 20% profit share of any returns above the defined watermark.

    Now Magellan has looked to scrap that similar kind of fee structure and is responding to the requests of its account managers. Apparently, it has been “asked to drop fees for managed accounts” for several years.

    According to Magellan’s general manager of distributions, Frank Casarotti, the firm has been “looking at this for years and the reticence around the retail investor is (unrelated and) very much around the relative underperformance”.

    To date, there are no funds under the new offering, which took off in November. Magellan says the new product should not be considered as being offered at a discount either. It is only offered to operators of managed accounts that reach a threshold of $20 million.

    What’s the outlook for Magellan?

    Going by what the experts say, uncertainty is the main theme on the outlook for the Magellan share price. For instance, the team at UBS reckon that whilst the group’s infrastructure and Airlie funds are cruising along, a turnaround for its global fund is still not evident.

    UBS also notes that a recovery in retail inflows still appears to be a fair slog away. The firm estimates that since June 30 2021, the global equities fund’s underperformance relative to its benchmark is 540 basis points (5.4%) whereas its Airlie offering has outperformed by 600 basis points (6%).

    UBS says it “continues to see downside risks to the revenue outlook (flows/fees)” and retains its sell rating on a $29.50 price target.

    Macquarie has Magellan’s share price rated to outperform and values the group at $38.50 per share, whereas each of Morgan Stanley, Jarden Securities and Evans and Partners have it as a sell.

    In the past 12 months, the Magellan share price has plunged almost 46%, after sliding another 45% this year to date.

    In the last month alone, it has slipped 16% and is down 9% over the past week of trading.

    The post The Magellan (ASX:MFG) share price has had a shocker this year. Could this help reverse the slide in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Magellan Financial Group right now?

    Before you consider Magellan Financial Group, 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 Magellan Financial Group 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 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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  • Could 2022 be a bumper year for the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price?

    Bluescope share price Man jumping from 2021 cliff to 2022 cliff

    The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is having a mixed year.

    Although the energy producer’s shares are trading well off their lows, they are also nowhere near their highs for the year.

    As a result, the Woodside share price is trading approximately 3% lower year to date.

    Is the underperformance by the Woodside share price a buying opportunity?

    If you’re looking for exposure to the energy sector, then the weakness in the Woodside share price could be the opening you’re hoping for.

    According to a recent note out of Morgans, its analysts have put an add rating and $29.95 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the current Woodside share price of $22.28, this suggests there’s upside of 34% for investors over the next 12 months.

    In addition, the broker has pencilled in a $1.21 per share fully franked dividend in FY 2022. This represents a 5.4% yield at current levels, which brings the total return on offer to almost 40%.

    Why does Morgans like Woodside?

    Morgans likes Woodside due to its transformational merger with the petroleum assets of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). Its analysts believe Woodside is getting the better part of the deal.

    The broker explained: “We believe WPL has benefited from being in the right place, at the right time. With: 1) BHP/WPL having an existing relationship, 2) BHP eager to boost its ESG profile, and 3) WPL being a quality operator (safe hands which is important for BHP). From an economic standpoint we think WPL is clearly getting the better of the deal, with synergies not baked into deal metrics and BHP willing to accept a discount. The deal is transformative, lifting WPL into being a top 10 global E&P with +2 billion barrels of 2P reserves, with EBITDA of US$4.7bnpa and growth options.”

    If Morgans is on the money with this one, 2022 could be a bumper year for the Woodside share price.

    The post Could 2022 be a bumper year for the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Woodside, 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 Woodside 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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  • Experts tip 2 beaten up ASX shares for gains in 2022

    a man and a woman kneel in a boxing ring with exaggerated make-up injuries, posing in humorous stance with the woman leaning back on her knees and the man leaning against her bright pink boxing glove as he gasps for air.

    Now that 2021 is fast approaching its expiration date, many investors will no doubt be turning their attention to 2022 and what the imminent year might hold for ASX shares. With the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) returning roughly 10.4% year to date in 2021 so far (touch wood), we can say that it has been a relatively successful year for the sharemarket on the whole.

    But, of course, not all ASX 200 shares had a great year. Two of the worst performers on the entire market have been A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) and AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL).

    As of today’s pricing, AGL shares are down a nasty 51.4% year to date in 2021. A2 Milk shares fared even worse, losing more than 51.9% this year so far.

    But could these ASX dogs stage a compelling turnaround as we venture into 2022?

    Two ASX investing experts think so.

    ASX expert picks out AGL share price

    A recent Livewire Interview with James Gerrish from Market Matters and Jun Bei Liu of Tribeca Investment Partners covered A2 Milk and AGL respectively. These analysts singled out the companies for a 2021 Christmas stocking pick. It made for some interesting reading, particularly for shareholders in the companies.

    So here’s what Mr Gerrish had to say on AGL:

    I’ve certainly got one that’s been depressed over the last 12 months. It’s AGL Energy. It’s down 53%. I think it’s the fourth worst-performing stock on the ASX 200 this year.

    A large portion of that drop is correct, but it now becomes an asset at play. So it is trading at around $5.50 a share. It’s cheaper than its retail business. So that, for me, is a buy and [it] will do better in ’22 than it did in ’21.

    So a definite ‘buy’ for AGL from Gerrish. No doubt that will be music to the ears of long-suffering AGL shareholders going into next year.

    A2 Milk is “going to really recover in the next 12 months”

    But what of A2? Here’s what Jun Bei Liu had to say about A2 Milk shares:

    A2 Milk is our name. I know it’s a tough name and it has certainly polarised the market.

    You can’t go wrong with infant formula. A2 is a name we liked many years ago. It’s got a great brand and it has established distribution channels into Asia. And it’s got a business in the US and Australia market. It’s got a good market position. Now, during the pandemic, they’ve been hurt by pantry stocking… But the good thing is that the company doesn’t have any debt. It’s sitting with close to $600 million of cash. 

    It’s still got a great brand and we’re seeing green shoots in some of its distribution channels… Pricing is up and volumes are good. Green shoots are looking promising and it’s clearly much cheaper than what it was. And the share price is still pretty much at an all-time low. My view is that it’s going to really recover in the next 12 months.

    So there you have it — a bull case for a good 2022 for both AGL and A2 Milk. No doubt investors will be keeping their fingers crossed that these bull cases play out.

    The post Experts tip 2 beaten up ASX shares for gains in 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in A2 Milk right now?

    Before you consider A2 Milk, 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 A2 Milk 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 A2 Milk. 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 A2 Milk. 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 is happening to the Starpharma (ASX:SPL) share price today?

    medical researcher holding laboratory equipment

    The Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL) share price is lifting this afternoon after a bumpy morning of trading. This follows the company release of a sales update today on an anti-viral product against COVID-19.

    At the time of writing, the biopharmaceutical company’s shares are up 3.56%, trading at $1.31.

    In comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) is currently down 0.13% today.

    What did Starpharma announce today?

    Starpharma revealed it has received orders worth more than $2 million for its Viraleze antiviral nasal spray.

    The company launched the product for commercial sale in Vietnam last week, as reported by Motley Fool Australia.

    The nasal spray is said to show antiviral activity against multiple COVID-19 variants and other respiratory viruses including influenza.

    Starpharma highlighted that Vietnam was in the midst of a serious Delta outbreak among its 98 million population. It noted that Viraleze was now available in that country “to retail consumers, clinics, hospitals and pharmacies through local medical distribution networks”.

    Viraleze is available in Europe, Vietnam, India and New Zealand. The company is also advancing discussions with potential commercial partners in other countries.

    Comment from management

    CEO Jackie Fairley welcomed the update, saying:

    We are delighted that the launch of Viraleze in Vietnam was so successful and has already generated significant sales.

    This demand is indicative of the significant need for products like Viraleze which are complementary to vaccines and other preventative strategies.

    Starpharma share price snapshot

    Over the last 12 months, Starpharma shares have ranged 10% lower, falling 16.2% this year to date.

    In contrast, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) has returned about 11% in the previous 12 months.

    This month, the Starpharma share price has gained more than 24%.

    The post What is happening to the Starpharma (ASX:SPL) share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Starpharma , 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 Starpharma 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 Starpharma Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Starpharma Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3pJQrqU