Tag: Motley Fool

  • Here’s why this top broker is tipping 20% upside for the Pilbara (ASX:PLS) share price

    a woman stands next to a large green battery smiling and eating an apple with a lifting green arrow line in the background, indicating rising stock prices.

    One top broker thinks that the Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) share price offers upside of around 20% over the next year.

    Brokers project where they think a share price is going to be in a year from now with what’s called a price target.

    Price target on the Pilbara Minerals share price

    The brokers at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) currently rate Pilbara Minerals as a buy.

    Macquarie’s price target on Pilbara is $2.80, around 20% higher than it is today.

    The latest note from Macquarie referred to the announcement regarding restarting the Ngungaju Plant.

    Ngungaju Plant

    Near the end of November 2021, the lithium miner said that it has upsized its finance facility by US$20 million to US$130 million and increased the working capital facility by US$10 million to US$25 million. That means that total senior secured debt facilities increased by US$30 million to US$155 million.

    Those additional funds will primarily be used to fund the staged restart of Ngungaju Plant, including the reimbursement of amounts already by the company.

    Wet commissioning at the Ngungaju Plant, and first ore produced from the coarse production circuit, commenced on 7 October 2021, which is the first step of the re-commissioning of the operation.

    First concentrate from the Ngungaju Processing Plant was delivered on 13 October 2021. The fines spodumene processing circuit is expected to commence production during the quarter for the three months to March 2022.

    Management said the increased facility limit is another demonstration of the strength of the business, the quality of the asset and follows an “extraordinary year of growth and transformation”.

    Strong lithium prices

    Another thing that both the broker and the company itself is focused on, is the strong lithium price. In investor minds, the higher lithium price is helpful for the Pilbara Minerals share price.

    On 26 October 2021, Pilbara announced the results of its third Battery Material Exchange (BMX) auction. It said that it was selling a cargo of 10,000 of dry metrics tonnes (dmt) with a target trade of 5.5% lithia, with a deferred delivery date of February 2022. There was “strong interest”, with 25 bids during the 45-minute auction window. It said it intends to accept the highest bid of US$2,350 per dry metric tonne.

    Pilbara Minerals notes the continuing strong conditions in the global lithium market. Price reviews under existing off-take agreements have commenced in light of the stronger lithium prices.

    Other broker ratings on the Pilbara Minerals share price

    Other brokers are less optimistic about the business.

    Citi is currently ‘neutral’ on the business with a price target of $2.20 – lower than where it is now.

    Credit Suisse has a price target of just $2.05, with a sell rating, or ‘underperform’.

    The post Here’s why this top broker is tipping 20% upside for the Pilbara (ASX:PLS) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Pilbara Minerals right now?

    Before you consider Pilbara Minerals, 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 Pilbara Minerals 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 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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  • Own QBE (ASX:QBE) shares? New CEO reveals insurer’s biggest challenges

    a group of business people in business attire join their hands in the middle of a circle in a team celebration as they smile broadly in celebration of a milestone event.

    Shares in QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) kicked off the week with a slight fall today.

    At the end of the session, the insurance company was down 1.4% to $11.84. Though, investors have watched as the QBE share price has floated between ~$11 and ~$12.50 since the beginning of August.

    While the market hasn’t received any major announcements recently, investors might be watching on to see how the company tracks with its relatively new CEO at the helm.

    Andrew Horton joined the company as its group CEO in September 2021. Shortly after, Horton shared what he thought were QBE’s greatest challenges that lay in front of him.

    People maketh the company

    The QBE share price might be up nearly 55% from its COVID-19 lows, but the company’s new CEO still foresees some big challenges ahead.

    During an interview with Insurance Business, Horton suggested the biggest challenge would be getting the people and culture right. In fact, the former CEO of Beazley — a London-based insurance company — went as far as to say, “If we can get the people and culture bit right, then everything else is relatively straightforward.”

    Horton explained that while this task might sound easy, it poses a very difficult mission when dealing with an organisation with over 11,500 people.

    Horton stated:

    It sounds very easy, but if it’s not natural to everybody, it’s going to be quite hard. That’s why I need to start with the executive group, being supportive of each other and thinking towards the enterprise, and then cascade that down to the organization. I think that will be the challenge.

    The increased focus on people follows a high turnover in senior leadership. This is an aspect of the business that Horton hopes to address and bring some stability to.

    Furthermore, from his experience at Beazley, Horton recognises that once the culture and people are in good order, external interactions also improve. The example given was better interactions with brokers and clients, which feed into the success of the overall company.

    How have QBE shares performed?

    Impressively, QBE shares have outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), both on a year-to-date and 12-month basis. Since the beginning of 2021, the QBE share price has appreciated 38.5% in value. Meanwhile, the Australian benchmark has climbed a much lower 8.4%.

    Oddly, the Australian insurance company is beating the benchmark despite its trailing 12-month earnings still being in the negative. Potentially, investors are more focused on the 12.9% increase in revenue for the year at the end of June 2021.

    The post Own QBE (ASX:QBE) shares? New CEO reveals insurer’s biggest challenges appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in QBE Insurance Group right now?

    Before you consider QBE Insurance 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 QBE Insurance 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

    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. 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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  • APA (ASX:APA) share price leaps 5% amid hydrogen disruption plans

    A graphic of a tree and a green leafy capital letter H on a blue sky background, indicating a share price rise for ASX companies dealing in hydrogen energy

    The APA Group (ASX: APA) share price had a brilliant day on Monday despite no price sensitive news released by the company.

    However, it did announce its plan to test if Victoria’s high-pressure gas transmission system can be safely used to blend hydrogen.

    As of Monday’s close, the APA share price is $9.85. That’s 4.45% higher than it was at the end of Friday’s session.

    For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed 0.05% higher today.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s news from the energy infrastructure company.

    APA share price gains amid hydrogen proposal

    Australia’s latest hydrogen project has been put forward, with APA planning to test if Victoria’s existing infrastructure can accommodate part of the transition to low-carbon energy.

    APA CEO and managing director Rob Wheals said:

    This landmark hydrogen study… could put Victoria in the box seat to achieve the least cost, fastest, and most efficient transition to a low-carbon future…

    Victoria’s gas infrastructure will be vital to connecting Victorians to the energy solutions of tomorrow… and APA’s pipelines are adjacent to some of the best geographical areas for hydrogen production in Australia.

    The company’s proposition is part of its Victorian Transmission System access arrangement submission to the Australian Energy Regulator.

    The Victorian Transmission System transports nearly all the natural gas used in Victoria through its network of pipelines.

    APA’s submission still needs the approval of the regulator.

    Other benefits?

    Wheals also noted, if approved, the project would benefit from APA’s pilot project in Western Australia. The project is investigating converting a section of gas pipe to carry hydrogen:

    Our work in Western Australia will significantly reduce the costs of the proposed Victorian study as a result of the advancements we have already made in partnership with Future Fuels CRC and the University of Wollongong.

    The proposition follows the Australian Energy Ministers’ recent decision to speed up the process of amending the National Gas Law.

    Doing so could help include hydrogen blends, biomethane, and other renewable methane gas blends in the national energy regulatory framework.

    The proposal will test 9 sections of the Victorian network under pressurised hydrogen conditions.

    Right now, the APA share price is 0.7% higher than it was at the start of 2021. It has also gained 13.2% since this time last month.

    The post APA (ASX:APA) share price leaps 5% amid hydrogen disruption plans appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider APA 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 APA 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

    Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended APA 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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  • Why did the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price outperform its sector today?

    two smiling men in high visibility vests and miners helmets stand side by side with a large mound of earth and mining equipment behind them.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has actually finished up in the green this Monday, after spending most of the day scaring investors with red ink. The ASX 200 ended up at 7,245 points at market close today, up 0.05%. The Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price did a little better though.

    Fortescue shares closed the trading day at $17.15 each, up 0.3%. But that was a pretty decent showing for Fortescue. Why? Because most of its iron ore mining peers fared far worse.

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), for example, ended up finishing up the trading day down a nasty 1.6% at $39.59 a share. Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) travelled even worse. Its last trade was at $93.82 a share, down 1.78%.

    So why did Fortescue come out on top in a sector that seemed to be targeted for a selloff today?

    Fortescue shares defy the share market

    Well, one possible cause could be the iron ore price itself. According to Business Insider, iron ore has been on an upward trajectory for the past week. At the start of December, iron ore was being priced at roughly US$95 a tonne. Today, it is commanding US$101.50 a tonne.

    But why would that benefit Fortescue and not the other major iron ore miners like BHP and Rio?

    Well, Fortescue, unlike its two rivals, is more of a ‘pure’ iron ore miner than the others, despite its recent moves into the hydrogen space.

    BHP has extensive operations in oil, coal and copper. Likewise, Rio also is in the business of extracting aluminium, titanium, copper and diamonds.

    As such, one could argue that a higher iron ore price benefits Fortescue to a greater degree than the other more diversified ASX 200 miners like BHP and Rio. That might be why we saw the smaller pure-play iron ore miner Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) also rise today (up 0.45% a $4.43 a share).

    Of course, this means Fortescue (and Champion Iron by extention) could be more exposed than the others if the iron ore price falls. But fortunately for investors, that isn’t the case today.

    At the current Fortescue share price, this ASX 200 miner has a market capitalisation of $52.8 billion, with a trailing dividend yield of 20.87%

    The post Why did the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price outperform its sector today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Fortescue Metals right now?

    Before you consider Fortescue Metals, 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 Fortescue Metals 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 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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  • BHP (ASX:BHP) share price struggled on Monday despite acquisition talks ‘progressing’

    Female miner uses mobile phone at mine site

    The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was choppy today whilst the ASX digested a number of catalysts ranging from the Omicron COVID-19 variant to fiscal policy out of the US. 

    Shares in resources giant BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) finished the day trading 1.59% in the red at $39.59.

    BHP shares started the day in the red and attracted a considerable amount of short interest. This activity came amid a company update regarding its planned acquisition of Noront Resources Ltd, announced in November.

    Whilst the announcement wasn’t price-sensitive in any way, BHP went into detail about the moving parts of the transaction and gave a concise update of its status. Let’s take a closer look.

    What did BHP announce?

    The company advised that its wholly-owned subsidiary, BHP Lonsdale Investments Pty Ltd, is progressing discussions with Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd in support of BHP’s 75 Canadian cents per share offer to acquire Noront Resources.

    Noront Resources is focused on the development of high-grade nickel, copper, platinum and palladium deposits and “world class” chromite deposits in Canada, BHP says.

    BHP advised today that it is extending the expiry of its offer from 7 pm (Toronto Time) on December 14 2021, to allow more time for those discussions to progress.

    As such, the earliest time that BHP will acquire Noront shares under its offer will be at the new expiry time.

    Furthermore, pursuant to the extension of the expiry time, BHP Lonsdale and Noront also announced that they have amended the support agreement relating to Noront’s support of the offer.

    The pair agreed to do so “in order to extend the “outside date” in that agreement from December 14, 2021 to January 21, 2022”.

    BHP says the outside date is important because if certain stipulations haven’t been met by this time, “both Noront and the Offeror become permitted to terminate the Support Agreement”.

    This isn’t BHP’s first venture in Canada either ­– it has invested in diamonds, potash, exploration, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) research, and environmental preservation throughout its time in America’s northern cousin.

    Even though BHP and Wyloo Metals are considering a mutually beneficial arrangement regarding the Noront acquisition, there is no assurance that any agreement will be reached between BHP and Wyloo Metals.

    BHP share price snapshot

    It’s been a difficult time for BHP shareholders these past 12 months who have seen their holdings slide by 5% in that time.

    This year to date, BHP shares have fallen 7% even as commodity prices have delivered strong free cash flow for the company early in CY21.

    In the last month, BHP has reversed course however and is now 10% in the green after rallying 3% in the past week.

    The post BHP (ASX:BHP) share price struggled on Monday despite acquisition talks ‘progressing’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider BHP 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 BHP 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 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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  • Moneyme (ASX:MME) share price slides 9% despite record trading update

    Group of entrepreneurs feeling frustrated during a meeting in the office. Focus is on man with headache.

    The MoneyMe Ltd (ASX: MME) share price plunged today despite the company reporting record financial results.

    At the market close, the MoneyMe share price was down 8.54%, trading at $1.82.

    MoneyMe is a digital consumer credit business that uses technology to help people manage their personal finances.

    What did MoneyMe announce?

    In today’s release, MoneyMe reported record originations of $170 million for the first two months of the second quarter (Q2 FY22). In the same time period, contracted future revenue increased to $158 million.

    The company also reported better than expected take-up of its Autopay product.

    Total gross customer receivables, which means sales made on credit for which payment has not been received, increased to $542 million. The company also noted that Autopay credit sales hit $111 million.

    In addition, MoneyMe advised it has settled a $50 million drawdown announced in September through a partnership with Pacific Equity Partners.

    Despite this, the MoneyMe share price fell sharply this morning and stayed down in what has been a bumpy day of trading across the broader ASX market.

    For some perspective, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) spent much of the day struggling in the red, before heading north to finish the day up 0.05% at 7245.1 points. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was down 0.03% at the close.

    Management commentary

    Commenting on the trading update, MoneyMe managing director Clayton Howes said:

    I am delighted with MoneyMe’s accelerated growth, with the group achieving record originations and record revenues while maintaining strong credit performance.

    We see this as a signal that our dynamic product, brand and service experience is paying off.

    Moneyme share price snapshot

    Despite today’s disappointing outcome, the MoneyMe share price has lifted 28.17% over the past 12 months. The yearly high is $2.48, while the 52-week low is $1.30.

    Based on its current share price, MoneyMe has a market capitalisation of roughly $312 million.

    The post Moneyme (ASX:MME) share price slides 9% despite record trading update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider MoneyMe, 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 MoneyMe 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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  • 3 fantastic ASX growth shares to buy right now

    3 asx shares represented by investor holding up 3 fingers

    There are a large number of ASX growth shares to choose from on the Australian share market.

    Three that come highly rated are listed below. Here’s why these ASX shares are being tipped as buys:

    Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

    The first ASX growth share to consider this month is this pizza chain giant. It has been tipped to continue its strong growth over the next decade thanks to its expansion at home and overseas, acquisitions, and its focus on technology. In respect to its expansion, management sees scope to more than double its store network to 6,650 stores in existing markets by 2033. The key words there are “existing markets.” The company also has its eyes on other regions and the balance sheet strength to make acquisitions that expand its addressable market.

    Goldman Sachs is positive on Domino’s. It currently has a buy rating and $147.00 price target on the pizza chain operator’s shares.

    Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS)

    Another ASX growth share to look at is Healius. It is one of Australia’s largest pathology and diagnostic imaging providers. Thanks to elevated demand for COVID-19 testing and a solid performance from the rest of its business, Healius is poised to deliver another very strong result in FY 2022. For example, during the first quarter, Healius reported a 43.7% increase in group quarterly revenue over the prior corresponding period to $689.9 million.

    Macquarie is positive on the company’s outlook. The broker currently has an outperform rating and $5.65 price target on Healius’ shares.

    Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

    A final ASX growth share to look at is Hipages. It is a leading Australian-based online platform and software as a service (SaaS) provider connecting consumers with trusted tradies. Hipages has over 30,000 tradies using its platform. Combined with strong consumer usage, this has been driving impressive growth in recent years. For example, the company outperformed its upgraded full year revenue guidance in FY 2021 with a 22% year on year jump to $55.8 million. Further strong growth is expected in FY 2022 and beyond by the team at Goldman Sachs.

    In light of this, the broker has a buy rating and $4.95 price target on its shares.

    The post 3 fantastic ASX growth shares to buy right now 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 shares of and has recommended Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited and Hipages Group 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 did ASX BNPL shares get hammered today?

    A person smashes a wall with a hammer, sending bricks flying

    Monday proved to be a bad day for ASX buy now, pay later (BNPL) shares as a new report found that BNPL services are worsening the burden of financial hardship on some consumers.

    Let’s take a look at what might have weighed on ASX BNPL shares today.

    ASX BNPL shares tumble on Monday

    The share prices of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P), and Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) each tumbled into the red on Monday.

    Sezzle reported the worst fall. It slid a whopping 15.61% to trade at $3.19 at the close on Monday.

    The Zip share price also tumbled 9.73% to close at $4.36.

    Despite spending most of the day in the red, the Humm Group Ltd (ASX: HUM) share price finished flat at 74 cents.

    Meanwhile, Afterpay shares slipped 4.13% to trade at $94.18 after announcing the new date on which shareholders will vote on its acquisition by Square Inc (NYSE: SQ).

    In comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lifted 0.13% higher in late trading after being in the red most of Monday. The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) wasn’t so lucky, falling 0.11%.

    ASX BNPL shares might have been weighed down by findings released by Financial Counselling Australia today. The body found BNPL companies are failing to support customers in hardship.

    BNPL increasingly used by those in financial hardship

    FCA has called on the Australian Government to review the legal framework used by BNPL providers, and on the BNPL industry to improve how it treats customers in hardship, after it found a sharp increase in the use of BNPL services by those in financial distress.

    FCA CEO Fiona Guthrie said current laws allowed customers to mishandle BNPL services:

    BNPL can be used quite happily… but it can also be misused, and that’s because it falls outside of our credit laws.

    What we need are safeguards, we need to find a way of making sure that this product operates in a safe way.

    The body surveyed financial counsellors, finding 84% reported more than half of their clients had BNPL debt. That compares to just 31% 12 months ago.

    Particularly noteworthy, respondents reported many people burdened with BNPL debt didn’t consider it to be debt. Thus, the debt often wasn’t reported to financial counsellors or services.

    It reported Australians are increasingly using BNPL to purchase essentials such as food and bills. It also found that many prioritised BNPL repayments over essential expenses so as to not lose access to the services.

    National Debt Helpline financial counsellor Deb Shroot also commented:

    What we’re seeing is that, clients have maybe a credit card, a couple of personal loans, and… numerous BNPL products. This could be up to seven or eight different BNPL products from different companies…

    We’re getting phone calls about BNPL products every single day.  

    Financial counsellors were also asked to rate different BNPL providers’ hardship practices with 1 being awful and 10 being brilliant.

    Of those rated, the ASX’s largest BNPL share, Afterpay came out on top. It was given a rating of just 5.9 out of 10.

    Zip’s hardship practices were rated 5.5 out of 10 while Humm was the worst rated service provider – it was given a rating of 4.7 out of 10.

    The post Why did ASX BNPL shares get hammered 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 Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Square, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Humm Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Can NAB (ASX:NAB) shares ever close in on CBA’s market cap?

    Two businesspeople in suits run, one chasing the other.

    It has long seemed that National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) was serving a life sentence as Australia’s fourth-largest ASX bank share. Out of NAB, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ), it was NAB that was usually at the tail end of the famous big four.

    So it’s rather startling to find NAB is now the ASX’s number 2 bank, behind CBA of course. 

    Yes, NAB’s current market capitalisation stands at $91.8 billion. That’s way ahead of ANZ, which is on a market cap of $76.26 billion as of today’s share pricing. Perhaps even more strange is that the ASX’s oldest bank, Westpac, is now the baby of the big four family, with a market cap of $76.1 billion on today’s pricing. CBA is still way out in front though, with its monstrous $166.17 billion size.

    Can NAB overtake CBA as the ASX’s biggest bank?

    So now NAB has claimed its silver medal, many shareholders might be wondering if the Red Star can play at the high roller tables as the ASX’s biggest bank one day. In an article published in The Australian last week, NAB CEO Ross McEwan says that NAB’s recent good fortunes can be put down to the work he has overseen at the bank in tidying up its famous business banking division:

    [Hiring] 550 more bankers and associates, we have been streamlining systems, tidying up the product, just making it easier for them to get out in the marketplace.

    But if NAB ever wants to overtake CBA as the ASX’s largest bank, it will probably have to reverse the premium investors now place on CBA shares compared to the other 3 majors. To illustrate, CBA’s current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 20.7. In contrast, NAB still only commands an earnings multiple of 14.9.

    McEwan: Consistency is the key

    McEwan says the key to unlocking that door is consistency, pointing to “a couple of decades of consistent results” at Commonwealth Bank:

    We have had two very clean sets of results over the last year. The market likes consistency…

    NAB, if we are open and honest with ourselves, we have not. We have tripped up on regular occasions and my aim is to get this bank very consistent so people buy into the stock and want it in the portfolio because of the consistency of returns. Momentum in the bank again, and I think the market likes it. So let’s see where it goes over the next few years.

    Displacing CBA as the ASX’s largest bank is arguably a lofty goal. But NAB shareholders will probably be delighted at the very prospect.

    At the current NAB share price of $28.04 (at market close on Monday), this ASX bank has a dividend yield of 4.53%.

    The post Can NAB (ASX:NAB) shares ever close in on CBA’s market cap? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of National Australia Bank 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 Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Here are the top 10 ASX shares today

    Top 10 - asx shares today

    Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) clawed back its earlier weakness to cement the day in the green. At the closing bell, the benchmark index finished 0.13% higher at 7,250.4 points.

    The market was pulled in two directions on Monday as investors fled from the more ‘growth’ orientated companies to less volatile options. This shift follows the United States Federal Reserve chair suggesting a tapering in cheap money sooner rather than later. Consequently, the tech sector wore a hefty 2.1% fall today, while utilities and consumer staples experienced the opposite reaction.

    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, Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the wholesale distributor company surged 7.60% after posting a strong half-year result. Find out more about Metcash here.

    The next biggest gaining ASX share today was APA Group (ASX: APA). The Australian energy infrastructure company experienced a 4.77% appreciation in its share price today. This was despite there being no announcements from the company today. Uncover the latest APA Group details here.

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

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS) $4.25 7.60%
    APA Group (ASX: APA) $9.88 4.77%
    Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) $3.93 4.24%
    Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) $9.11 3.41%
    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) $2.515 3.07%
    Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX: IPL) $3.06 3.03%
    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) $17.86 2.94%
    Bluescope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL) $21.03 2.74%
    Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) $40.65 2.68%
    Summerset Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SNZ) $12.71 2.09%
    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.

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    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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended APA Group and COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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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