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Shares in building products manufacturer Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW) are trading 3.4% higher on the day at $24.66 apiece.

The Brickworks share price is catching bids as investors respond positively to a company announcement regarding its property.

Brickworks expects record property earnings in 1H 2022 and has purchased 121 hectares of land at Bringelly, in southwest Sydney, according to the announcement.

Here are the details.

Record property earnings expected next year

Brickworks advised it expects to report record property earnings in the first half of financial year 2022, with property earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) in the range $290-$310 million. That’s a substantial gain of 15%-22.5% on its FY21 EBIT.

The company also announced that it has executed an unconditional contract for the purchase of 121 hectares of land in southwest Sydney.

It says the land will be used as a clay resource to support the Austral Bricks operations in Sydney, replacing the existing clay resource at Oakdale East as a result.

The purchase ensures that brick operations are not adversely impacted by the release of land for property development, the company says.

Brickworks has seen “strong demand and sustained growth” in the value of its property trust over a number of years. The company says the COVID-19 pandemic has only fuelled this growth by accelerating industry trends towards online shopping.

This has seen the company benefitting from “the increasing importance of well-located distribution hubs and sophisticated supply chain solutions”.

To this end, the construction of the state-of-the-art Amazon facility at Oakdale West is due to reach practical completion at the end of December.

This completion, together with other facilities at Oakdale South, will result in “significant development profits, also included in the record first-half earnings”, according to the company’s release.

After a recent independent revaluation, the company realised an average capitalisation rate compression of 50 basis points to 3.6% across leased assets within the property trust.

Management commentary

Speaking on the update, Brickworks Managing Director Lindsay Partridge said:

Given the strong industrial property demand and increasing value of our land at Oakdale, our Austral Bricks plants in western Sydney are currently undergoing a major renewal and rationalisation program. This is highlighted by our new face brick plant at Horsley Park, currently under construction. The completion of this plant in around 12 months’ time, will allow brick operations to be consolidated at the Horsley Park Plant 1 and 2 site, and the remaining 75 hectares of land to be released at Oakdale East, where Plant 3 is located.

Partridge continued:

From a longer-term perspective, the acquisition replenishes our land bank, and given its strategic location in close proximity to the western Sydney International Airport, has future development potential once operational needs are exhausted. Brickworks has a long-standing and successful business model that supports the purchase of land assets on the suburban fringe, used for many decades in our brick making operations. History shows, that as urban development expands, this land has the potential to increase in value through rezoning, thus facilitating transfer to the Property division for development.

Brickworks share price summary

In the last 12 months, the Brickworks share price has gained more than 30% after rallying 28% this year to date.

It has gained almost 6% in the last month of trading and is up around 7% in the last week.

Each of these returns has outpaced the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASXL XJO)’s return of around 11.5% in the last year.

The post Brickworks (ASX: BKW) share price lifts 3% on record forecast property earnings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Top broker tips 30% upside for the Brickworks (ASX:BKW) share price. Here’s why
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The author has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Brickworks. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Brickworks. 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 Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) share price is moving into uncharted territory today, reaching a new all-time high. The company provided upbeat news to the ASX, which appears to have rallied investors into snapping up Charter Hall shares.

At the time of writing, the property company’s shares are swapping hands for $20.74, up 5.07% after earlier touching a record high of $20.76.

What did Charter Hall announce?

The Charter Hall share price is lifting after the company announced an upgraded FY22 earnings guidance and FUM growth update.

In its release, Charter Hall advised its property portfolio will have a net value of around $3.5 billion by 31 December. The group routinely assesses its property platform every six months through independent auditors, giving a clearer picture of its assets.

In addition, Charter Hall noted that the consortium of which it is the lead manager has unconditionally included ALE Property Group (ASX: LEP). A court approval to complete the scheme of arrangement is set for 17 December.

Earlier this year, Charter Hall and industry superannuation fund, Hostplus partnered to take over ALE Properties for $1.68 billion. Post-transaction, Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) and Hostplus would each hold a 50% interest in the acquired business.

Together, the company expects valuations and unconditional transaction activity, and group funds under management (FUM) to come in at $61.3 billion.

Furthermore, Charter Hall stated as a result of the increased FUM, performance fees would also rise during the fiscal year. As such, the group is forecasting FY22 operating earnings per security guidance of no less than 105 cents per security. This is the second time within the last couple of months that the company has upgraded its annual earnings guidance.

Management commentary

Charter Hall managing director and group CEO David Harrison touched on the company’s progress, saying:

It is pleasing to see the hard work we have put into curating and growing high quality portfolios for our fund investors over many years has delivered excellent financial returns, well above expectations and performance fee hurdles.

The resultant performance fees, whilst positive for the Group, also highlights the outperformance delivered for investors given fund investors typically receive 80% of excess total returns above the hurdles established at inception of the funds and partnerships.

About the Charter Hall share price

Over the past 12 months, the Charter Hall share price has gained 44% in value, with year-to-date treading at 40% higher. The company’s shares have continued on an upwards growth trajectory in 2021, hitting an all-time high of $20.76 today.

On valuation grounds, Charter Hall presides a market capitalisation of around $9.65 billion, with 465.78 million shares outstanding.

The post Charter Hall (ASX:CHC) share price pops 5% to record high on earnings upgrade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: CSL acquisition talks, Charter Hall guidance upgrade
• Three quality ASX shares likely to outperform in 2022: fund manager

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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ASX biotech shares provided a mixed bag of results in 2021 with many names underperforming their benchmarks while others flourished amid COVID-19 related tailwinds.

Whilst many Aussie biotechs came in behind the pack this year, the S&P/ASX 300 Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology Index (AXPBKD) has springboarded off its 3-month low in August. It’s climbed almost 9% in that time, indicating strengths in the broad sector.

Now that the effects of the pandemic are starting to diminish, visibility for the Australian biotechnology sector is clearer and several experts have weighed in with their analysis on ASX-listed companies in the space.

So, as we roll on out of 2021 and into the new year, let’s dissect the expert commentary to give investors an outlook on several ASX biotech shares in 2022.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

Shares in Aussie biotech giant CSL have reclaimed losses sustained earlier in the year and are now up more than 4% off their 3-month low in October.

CSL shareholders have endured their fair share of volatility this year to date, with the comany’s shares trading as low as $248.50 in February and as high as $318 in November.

Despite the wide range, both Morgans and Macquarie are bullish on CSL shares coming into 2022.

Both like CSL’s growth profile, backed by long-term tailwinds in the immunoglobulins (Ig) and plasma collection sectors as the impacts of COVID-19 start to settle.

JP Morgan is less constructive on the company, however, noting that US Ig volumes contracted by 9% in the US, CSL’s major market.

“This is consistent with our expectations (and CSL forecasts) as supply has been constrained by the drop in plasma collections,” the firm says.

Despite this, it expects a recovery to begin in the coming months as plasma collection volumes continue to improve in the US, yet isn’t swayed enough to change its neutral rating on the share.

Whilst Morgans and Macquarie value CSL a buy at $324 and $338 per share respectively, JP Morgan is more conservative and has a $285 price target on its share price.

Nevertheless, in the list of analysts provided by Bloomberg Intelligence, 53% of the group has CSL as a buy. The remaining 47% — or 8 analysts — have it as a hold. There are no sell ratings from this group.

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

Share price returns in regenerative medicine player Mesoblast have been jagged these past few months, trading as high as $1.90 and as low as $1.505 in that time.

Despite the volatility, the Mesoblast share price has actually been trading sideways over the previous 3-month period.

Investors first reacted positively to study readouts on its rexlemestrocel-L product candidate back in November. The label, being developed to treat inflammatory diseases in both adults and children, was shown to exhibit a reduction in cardiovascular mortality, heart attacks, and strokes in a recent clinical trial.

The trial confirmed that a single dose of rexlemestrocel-L in conjunction with the current standard of care reduced the onset of heart attacks or strokes by 65% across the study’s population group.

Bell Potter has Mesoblast as a “speculative buy” and values the company at $3.45 per share, whereas Eidson Investment Research has a $6.35 price target on the company’s share price.

Meantime, Jefferies isn’t convinced and caution investors on the risks of investing in early-stage biotechnology products, valuing Mesoblast at just $1.90 per share.

Given the wide spread in analyst sentiment, it appears judgement of Mesoblast’s outlook in 2022 is mixed. In this case, it’s wise to wait on the company’s earnings to develop a more informed decision on the same.

In the last 12 months, the Mesoblast share price has plunged 63% into the red and is also down more than 24% this year to date.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

Shares in oncology company Telix have soared to 12-month highs in recent days and now trade at $7.99 apiece at the time of writing.

Telix’s Illuccix imaging platform for prostate cancer has created a wave of momentum in the past few months. This has seen has investors piling in to grab a spot for the ride in 2022.

The company recently advised it had received approval of its marketing authorisation application (MAA) in Europe for registration of Illuccix. This marks the final stage of regulatory assessment for the platform and is an important milestone in launching the offering on a global scale.

It now expects European approval for registration status to be provided no later than 23 March 2022. This is after it had already received regulatory approvals in Australia and potentially the US.

This regulatory momentum had analysts at several investment firms raising their valuations on the company’s shares, such that the consensus price target for Telix is now $8.07.

Wilsons is most bullish on the company. After the updates, it recently raised its price target by 53% to $10.35 and rates the company as a buy.

Meanwhile, Bell Potter also just upgraded its valuation on the stock and sees it fairly valued at $8.30, while Jefferies and Jarden value Telix at $7 and $7.90 respectively.

6 out of the 7 firms from the list of analysts provided by Bloomberg Intelligence have Telix as a buy right now, reaffirming this bullish sentiment on its outlook for 2022.

Similar to the sector’s performance in 2021, it appears the outlook for ASX biotech shares in 2022 is equally as mixed. Of course, there remains the looming threat of COVID-19 in the domain as well.

The post What’s the outlook for ASX biotech shares in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week

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

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

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

Sure, there are cryptocurrencies with bigger market caps than Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB). But no digital coin has been a bigger winner this year. Shiba Inu’s remarkable gain of well over 66,000,000% puts it in a class of its own.

Past performance doesn’t always translate to future success, though. Here are two cryptocurrencies that could trounce Shiba Inu in 2022.

1. Avalanche

It wasn’t all that long ago that Shiba Inu ranked higher than Avalanche (CRYPTO: AVAX) based on market cap. However, Avalanche pushed Shiba Inu to the side in November and hasn’t looked back since. It’s now the 12th-biggest cryptocurrency on the market, while Shiba Inu is No. 13. 

The key to Avalanche’s momentum is its unique architecture. Avalanche has three interoperable blockchains that enable it to avoid scalability problems and high costs associated with some platforms (cough, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), cough).

Its platform can already process more than 4,500 transactions per second. Its costs are super-low. And no blockchain beats Avalanche’s time to finality (how long it takes for a transaction to be irreversibly added) of less than two seconds.

Unsurprisingly, developers have flocked to Avalanche. There are now more than 150 projects in the Avalanche ecosystem, and the number continues to grow. We’re not just talking about small organizations opting to use Avalanche. Global accounting and consulting firm Deloitte plans to build a cloud-based disaster recovery platform using the Avalanche blockchain.

Some even refer to Avalanche as an “Ethereum killer.” I wouldn’t go that far. My hunch is that Ethereum will be alive and kicking for a long time to come. However, Avalanche just might be a “Shiba Inu beater” in the new year. 

2. Kadena

The most likely cryptocurrencies to fly out of nowhere as Shiba Inu did in 2021 are those that aren’t already the most popular. But these less-known tokens still must have a lot going for them to stand out from the crowd. I think that Kadena (CRYPTO: KDA) stands as one of the most likely contenders to break out in 2022.

Kadena isn’t exactly camping out in nowhere right now. It ranks No. 67 on CoinMarketCap’s list of the top cryptocurrencies. But with a market cap of around $1.8 billion, Kadena could still have plenty of room to run even after soaring more than 7,800% this year. 

This cryptocurrency platform has an impressive pedigree. Kadena was founded by Stuart Popejoy and Will Martino. The two men together developed JP Morgan‘s first blockchain. Popejoy previously led the firm’s emerging blockchain group. Martino served as the tech lead for the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission’s Cryptocurrency Steering Committee. Kadena’s advisory team includes Stuart Haber, the co-inventor of blockchain.

Pedigrees aren’t as important as performance, though. And Kadena shines on this front. It can process 480,000 transactions per second. It can scale to higher transaction speeds as more chains are added to its network. There is no ceiling on Kadena’s throughput. 

Kadena also excels with its real-world utility. It supports non-fungible tokens (NFTs), including fractional NFTs that aren’t tied to a single exchange. Kadena’s smart contracts are exceptionally safe. And its costs are super-low — only marginal transaction fees for consumers and businesses can completely eliminate the transaction fees for their customers. 

There’s no guarantee that Kadena will be one of the top breakout cryptocurrencies of 2022, of course. However, it definitely checks off the right boxes needed to potentially trounce Shiba Inu. 

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

The post 2 cryptocurrencies that could trounce Shiba Inu in 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

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ASX gold shares could be poised to rebound in the new year after a top broker upgraded its forecasts for the sector.

The news could not come at a better time for gold bulls. ASX gold miners are exiting 2021 nursing losses even as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on track to deliver a respectable 12% gain.

Their woeful performance stands in stark contrast to this time last year. Back then, things were looking promising for the precious metal.

How ASX gold shares performed in 2021

But a sudden jump in US government bond yields and the US dollar took the shine off gold and triggered a sell-off. The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price slumped into a bear market with losses of 20% or more for 2021.

The Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price is faring a bit better with a loss of around 10%, although that’s still well behind the rest of the market.

But 2022 could be a more promising year for gold and ASX gold shares, according to Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

Gold on the upgrade path for next year

This isn’t to say that there are boom times ahead for gold. If anything, the broker still holds a somewhat negative outlook for the safe haven asset.

“We have upgraded our long-term gold prices by 7% and our long-term silver prices by 5%,” said Macquarie.

“Cyclically, our commodities team remains negative on gold, especially as a firm USD is likely to present an additional headwind.“

“However, it anticipates gold to bottom at historically elevated levels of around [US]$1,600/oz before embarking on its next upcycle.”

Large cap ASX gold shares to buy

Gold is currently trading around US$1,780 an ounce. It’s down sharply from its August 2020 price of US$2,075 an ounce, but it appears to have found good support around current levels.

Northern Star is the biggest beneficiary of Macquarie’s gold price forecast upgrade among the ASX gold shares it covers. Northern Star’s earnings per share (EPS) estimates got boosted by an average of 34% from FY22 to FY26.

This compares to the average upgrades of 15% for Newcrest and 14% for Evolution.

“We continue to prefer NST from the large-cap names, driven by relatively lower-risk production growth vs NCM and EVN,” added Macquarie.

Other opportunities among ASX small caps for 2022

Among the smaller cap ASX gold shares, the broker’s top picks for their low-cost production growth are the Silver Lake Resources Limited. (ASX: SLR) share price and the Perseus Mining Limited (ASX: PRU) share price.

Gold explorers that are also in Macquarie’s good books for their discovery potential include the Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) share price, De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) share price and Aurelia Metals Ltd (ASX: AMI) share price.

The post Macquarie (ASX:MQG) upgraded these ASX gold shares to ‘buy’ for 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns Macquarie Group Limited and Newcrest Mining Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Talga Group Ltd (ASX: TLG) share price is leaping higher in early afternoon trade, up 7.67% to $1.62 per share.

Below we look at the battery anode and advanced materials company’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announcement that looks to be driving ASX investor interest.

What MOU update was announced?

The Talga share price is soaring after the company reported it has extended its MoU with Mitsui & Co. Europe Plc. That’s a subsidiary of Japanese global trading and investment giant, Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

The MOU has been extended through to 31 August 2022. The companies will now continue to advance the potential co-development of Talga’s Vittangi Anode Project in Sweden via a joint venture (JV).

The extended MOU was also expanded and now includes “marketing, sales and partnership opportunities across Talga’s portfolio of lithium-ion battery products”.

Commenting on the extension, Talga’s managing director, Mark Thompson said:

Talga is very pleased to continue and expand our relationship with Mitsui as a trusted strong global partner in our goal of sustainable battery material technology and products. Since starting to work together much has been achieved, and as demand for battery materials such as Talga’s has grown it is timely to expand our co-operation to also explore new opportunities and developments.

Mitsui has the non-exclusive option to negotiate and enter into relevant binding agreements with Talga before the MOU expires.

Talga’s Vittangi Graphite Project in Sweden

ASX investors are also keeping a close eye on Talga’s Vittangi Graphite Project in Sweden. As The Motley Fool reported on 9 November, the Talga share price leapt 12% after the company reported ‘spectacular’ drilling results at the project.

Talga share price snapshot

The Talga share price has been up down in 2021, with more downs leaving shares 0.3% in the red. For comparison the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 13% year-to-date.

Over the last month, Talga shares are down 23%.

The post Here’s why the Talga (ASX:TLG) share price is surging 8% today 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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At lunch on Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a solid gain. The benchmark index is currently up 0.8% to 7,411.9 points.

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

CSL confirms acquisition talks

The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price is trading flat after confirming media speculation that it is in talks to acquire Swiss-based Vifor Pharma. While no further details have been provided, there is speculation that a $10 billion deal could soon be reached. Vifor Pharma is a leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies.

Charter Hall upgrades guidance again

The Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) share price is charging higher today after upgrading its guidance for FY 2022 once again. According to the release, almost all of its properties have been independently valued, leading to a net valuation uplift of ~$3.5 billion. This is expected to have a positive impact on funds under management and performance fees. As a result, it now expects FY 2022 operating earnings per share no less than 105 cents. This is up from its previously upgraded guidance of 83 cents per share.

Brickworks guidance

The Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) share price is pushing higher after it provided first half earnings guidance for its Property business. Management advised that it expects to report record Property EBIT in the range $290 million to $310 million for the half. This compares to Property EBIT of $253 million in the whole of FY 2021.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Monday has been the Charter Hall share price with a 4.5% gain following its guidance upgrade. The worst performer has been the Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) share price with a 3.5% decline. This follows news that UBS has downgraded its shares to a sell rating.

The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: CSL acquisition talks, Charter Hall guidance upgrade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is in focus. What is the outlook for the buy now, pay later company?

It has been a tricky year for the BNPL business. Whilst the Zip share price only shows a 12% drop this calendar year, there has been a much bigger decline over shorter time periods. Over the last six months it has dropped 32% and it’s down 64% since 16 February 2021.

What is the outlook for Zip in 2022?

The business itself is confident about growth in the short-to-medium-term.

Just this month, Zip said that it remains steadfast in its mission to disrupt the “unfair and broken” credit card with a better and fairer digital alternative, with the goal of becoming the first payment choice everywhere and everyday.

The Zip managing director and CEO Larry Diamond said:

We enter calendar year 2022 with strong momentum, in a solid financial position, with continued focus on execution, unit economics and global synergies.

It is now processing annualised volume of more than $10 billion. After a number of expansions and acquisitions, it now has one of the largest BNPL footprints geographically.

But one expert is not so bullish about the BNPL industry’s prospects.

McLean Roche sounds the warning bell

Grant Halverson is the founder of the payments consultancy organisation McLean Roche.

Mr Halverson believes that the buy now, pay later companies may see higher bad debts next year, which snowballs into lower credit ratings and higher funding costs.

The Australian Financial Review reported why Mr Halverson is negative on the industry:

The moment their bad debts go up their cost of funding will go up three or four times faster than the actual rate rises and the rating agencies will downgrade them, and then they’ll get to junk status.

Because they’re all frantically going at the US they’re racing to the bottom. And that means probably more bad debts because they’ve gone after customers who haven’t got credit ratings.

They’re going to have to try to raise a lot of money. It partly depends on how quickly interest rates go up, because if they go up quickly there could be carnage. If there’s a slower uptick then obviously the carnage will be slower in my view.

There is also concern for the buy now, pay later players that the sector may soon have to face the prospect of merchants being allowed to apply surcharges for the BNPL costs they pay on behalf of customers.

Zip continues to grow quickly

Whilst the Zip share price is falling, operationally it continues to deliver a high level of growth.

In November 2021, Zip achieved record monthly transaction volume of $906.5 million, which was a 52% increase year on year.

Customer numbers increased by 71% year on year to 9.2 million. Zip Business transaction volume grew 44% month on month to $15.2 million.

Its geographic expansion markets delivered $50 million more of volume than the AGM projections.

Zip is now in numerous markets including the USA, Australian, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, Mexico, Poland, Czech Republic, UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

What do analysts think of the Zip share price?

Opinions are mixed about the business.

UBS is neutral (after thinking it was a sell for a while) on the company’s prospects now that the Zip share price has fallen so much. It recognises the progress that Zip is making in the US. It has a price target of $5.20 on the BNPL business.

Morgans rates it as a buy, with a price target of $8.56. It thinks Zip can deliver good growth over time, even if growth is slowing down now.

The post What is the outlook for the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
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• More pain for ASX buy now, pay later shares in 2022: expert
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why is the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price zooming 9% higher today?

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. owns and has recommended ZIPCOLTD FPO. 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 Senex Energy Ltd (ASX: SXY) share price is climbing today after the company announced its takeover by a South Korean company.

The energy producer’s shares are up 2.7% trading at $4.57 at the time of writing.

Senex is a Brisbane-based national gas producer operating in the Surat Basin near Roma, central Queensland.

What did Senex announce today?

Senex advised it has signed off on an $852 million acquisition deal with Posco International Corporation.

The South Korean company will acquire all Senex shares at $4.60 apiece, with Senex agreeing to pay shareholders a dividend of up to 5 cents per share as part of the agreement.

The deal will depend on approval from shareholders, the Korea Exchange (KRX) and the Foreign Investment Review Board.

In another twist, Senex announced today that Hancock Energy Corporation, owned by Gina Rinehart, intended to acquire a 49.9% indirect interest in Senex if the deal went ahead. However, this is not a condition of approval.

Commenting on the news, Senex chair Trevor Bourne said:

Throughout our discussions with Posco International Corporation, the Senex board has been focused on maximising value for our shareholders.

The offer announced today, which is recommended by the board, reflects an attractive value for Senex and the opportunity for our shareholders to realise a certain cash price for their shares.

Deal with Shell Energy

In another release to the ASX today, Senex announced a new domestic gas sales agreement with Shell Energy Limited.

The company will supply roughly 8 petajoules of natural gas at Wallumbilla Hub at a fixed market price.

Senex CEO and managing director Ian Davies welcomed the Shell deal, saying:

We are proud to continue supporting the economy and jobs in local communities, and helping Australia transition to a lower carbon future.

Senex share price snapshot

Investors have seen positive returns in the past year. The Senex share price has lifted 68% over the past 12 months and is up around 81% this year to date.

In contrast, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned 11% in the past year.

The post Senex share price (ASX:SXY) lifts on new $852 million acquisition deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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The Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) share price had clawed back a 0.6% loss in early trade to be up 0.99% at the time of writing.

Below, we take a look at the company’s refinery agreement announcement together with its joint venture (JV) partner Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT).

Neometals shares are up around 7% this morning.

What agreement was announced?

The Mineral Resources share price isn’t getting a lift from the agreement of its wholly-owned subsidiary Process Minerals International with Bondalti Chemicals, S.A. to evaluate commercialisation of its ELi lithium process in Europe.

The agreement was reached with Neometals’ and Mineral Resources’ JV company (70% Neometals, 30% Mineral Resources), Reed Advanced Materials Pty Ltd (RAM).

The planned lithium refinery, to be located in Portugal, would have a capacity of 25,000 tonnes per annum (tpa). It will be the first ELi deployment to produce battery quality lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate.

With lithium demand and production increasing amid the global move to electrification, the company highlights that its system uses electrolysis to produce lithium chemicals. This means it has a smaller carbon footprint than conventional chemical conversion of lithium chloride solutions.

The company also said the pilot plant could use renewable energy, which would further decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Commenting on the agreement, Reed’s managing director Chris Reed said:

We are eager to take another step towards commercialising our ELi process and building a globally competitive, high purity ‘battery quality’ lithium chemical facility. Bondalti is a highly credentialed chemical producer and operator of chlor-alkali facilities which use electrolysis to produce sodium hydroxide.

Moreover, Bondalti’s existing by-product hydrogen and chlorine gases provide a ready market for the by-products of the ELi Process. The synergies of first-class technical skills and infrastructure at Estarreja maximise the probability of technical success in the full-scale pilot plant trials and enhance the potential financial metrics of its first commercial application.

The US$4 million costs for construction and operation along with the 18-month evaluation studies will be co-funded by Bondalti and RAM.

Mineral Resources share price snapshot

The Mineral Resources share price is up 28% in 2021. That compares to a year-to-date gain of 11% posted by the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Over the past month alone, shares in Mineral Resources are up 20%.

The post Minerals Resources (ASX:MIN) share price wobbles on lithium agreement 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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