Tag: Motley Fool

  • AMP (ASX:AMP) share price on watch after revealing $325 million impairment charge

    Young woman dressed in suit sitting at cafe staring at laptop screen with hands to her forehead looking tense

    The AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price was a particularly poor performer on Thursday.

    The financial services company’s shares fell 5% to $1.05 despite there being no news out of it.

    Unfortunately, further pressure could be heaped on the AMP share price on Friday following the release of an announcement this morning.

    Why is the AMP share price on watch?

    All eyes will be on the AMP share price on Friday after it announced that it will recognise additional impairment charges of approximately $325 million post-tax in its FY 2021 financial results.

    According to the release, the charges, which are mostly non-cash, reflect a comprehensive review of its balance sheet.

    This includes the partial impairment of deferred tax assets, a write-down of intangibles, onerous lease contracts arising from lower future accommodation requirements and other impairments and adjustments, including a review of advice assets.

    Management notes that the impairments bring forward a range of expenses as required by accounting standards.

    The release explains that the impairments are expected to have an impact on capital of approximately $220 million and will be recognised as a significant item against statutory profit. However, they will not impact AMP’s underlying net profit after tax.

    AMP was also quick to point out that it remains in a strong capital position, with a pro forma 30 June 2021 surplus of approximately $440 million.

    AMP’s Chief Executive Officer, Alexis George, commented: “As we have developed our strategies for the post-demerger businesses of AMP and Private Markets we have reviewed our balance sheet to ensure that assets recorded are in line with the future strategic direction. The charges are mainly non-cash and related to legacy issues, and our action will ensure that both businesses are in a stronger position to take advantage of opportunities in the future.”

    The AMP share price is down 33% in 2021.

    The post AMP (ASX:AMP) share price on watch after revealing $325 million impairment charge appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider AMP, 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 AMP 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 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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  • Top broker gives its verdict on the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price

    a couple consider the advice from a man with documents laid out on a table and the man holding a tablet in his hand.

    The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price was out of form on Thursday.

    This was despite the banking giant announcing that the ACCC has given the green light to its $1.2 billion acquisition of Citi’s Australian consumer business.

    The NAB share price ended the day 0.5% lower at $28.32.

    Is the NAB share price in the buy zone?

    The team at Bell Potter appeared pleased to see the ACCC give its approval to the acquisition.

    In response to the news, the broker has reiterated its buy rating and $32.00 price target on the bank’s shares. Based on the current NAB share price, this implies potential upside of 13% over the next 12 months.

    And if you include the $1.33 per share fully franked dividend the broker is forecasting in FY 2022, this potential return stretches to almost 18%.

    What did the broker say?

    Bell Potter notes that the ACCC isn’t concerned with NAB’s plan to acquire Citi’s consumer business.

    It commented: “The ACCC will not oppose NAB’s buy of the Citi consumer business as the transaction should not lessen competition. This is even after the fact NAB and Citi overlap in retail banking products and services including home loans, transactions/savings, wealth management, personal and credit cards.”

    Though, the broker highlights that this isn’t the end of the approval process. The acquisition now rests with regulatory approvals from the Commonwealth Treasury and APRA. But if all goes to plan, completion is scheduled for first half of calendar year 2022.

    Why does Bell Potter like NAB?

    The team at Bell Potter is positive on NAB for a number of reasons. These include its agribusiness and commercial banking capabilities, high quality mortgage loan book, and cost and growth discipline.

    Overall, it believes this leaves the bank well-placed to increase its return on equity (ROE) over the coming years.

    Its analysts commented: “The bank is now focused on the lower risk, capital efficient Australian and New Zealand retail, business and corporate banking market space. Our investment strategy is predicated upon NAB improving its NIM (through repricing and pricing discipline), maintaining tight cost management and lifting its overall ROE to levels that are closer to those of its major bank peers.”

    The post Top broker gives its verdict on the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider NAB, 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 NAB 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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  • Analysts name 2 ASX dividend shares to buy

    Happy young man and woman throwing dividend cash into air in front of orange background

    Are you looking for some top ASX dividend shares to add to your income portfolio? If you are, you might want to look at the ones listed below.

    Here’s what you need to know about these highly rated dividend shares:

    Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

    The first dividend share to consider is ANZ. It could be a top option in the sector right now thanks to its strong position in business banking. This gives ANZ some protection from the aggressive and margin crushing competition in retail banking for home loans.

    The team at Morgans is very positive on the bank. The broker currently has an add rating and $31.00 price target on its shares. This compares favourably to the current ANZ share price of $27.27.

    Morgans is also expecting the bank’s dividend to grow nicely in the coming years. It has pencilled in fully franked dividends per share of $1.47 in FY 2022 and then $1.64 in FY 2023. This implies yields of 5.4% and 6%, respectively.

    Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT (ASX: CQE)

    Another dividend share to look at is the Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT. It is a real estate investment trust with a focus on social infrastructure.

    Among the properties the company invests in are bus depots, police and justice services facilities, and childcare centres. These are properties with specialist use, limited competition, and low substitution risk.

    Goldman Sachs is a fan of the company and has a conviction buy rating and $3.91 price target on its shares. It believes the REIT is positioned for a solid growth outlook thanks to its strong balance sheet. It notes that this provides it with headroom and liquidity to pursue investment opportunities, particularly government and healthcare sale and leaseback assets.

    In addition, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 16.9 cents in FY 2022 and 17.7 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT share price of $3.82, this will mean yields of 4.4% and 4.6%, respectively.

    The post Analysts name 2 ASX dividend shares to buy 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 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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  • Is the Coles (ASX:COL) share price a buy in the lead up to Christmas?

    a happy, smiling woman rides on the back of a trolley down the aisles of a supermarket.

    The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price has been on a positive run in recent weeks.

    Since this time in September, the supermarket giant’s shares have climbed over 6%.

    This compares favourably to a broadly flat S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the same period.

    Can the Coles share price keep rising?

    The good news is that a number of brokers believe the Coles share price can still climb higher from here.

    One of those is Morgans. According to a recent note, the broker has put an add rating and $19.90 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the current Coles share price of $18.07, this implies potential upside of 10% for investors over the next 12 months.

    In addition, the broker has pencilled in a fully franked dividend of 61 cents per share in FY 2022. This brings the total potential return to approximately 13.5%.

    What did the broker say?

    Morgans was pleased with Coles’ performance in the first quarter. Both its Supermarkets and Liquor businesses delivered like for like (LFL) sales results ahead of the broker’s expectations.

    The broker commented: “Supermarkets LFL sales increased 1.4% (vs MorgansF +0.1%) driven by ongoing at-home consumption with NSW, ACT and VIC in lockdown during the quarter and strong online growth, while the picnicware campaigns resonated with customers. […]  Liquor LFL sales increased 1.4% (vs MorgansF -1.6%) despite cycling elevated COVID-driven growth of 17.8% in the pcp.”

    This ultimately led to the broker upgrading its earnings forecasts, which it feels has left the Coles share price trading at an attractive level.

    Morgans concluded: “COL is a defensive business with strong market positions and a healthy balance sheet. While Supermarkets and Liquor sales growth is likely to moderate as economies reopen and the risk of lockdowns decrease due to higher vaccination rates, trading on 23x FY22F PE and 3.5% yield we continue to see the stock as offering good value.”

    The post Is the Coles (ASX:COL) share price a buy in the lead up to Christmas? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Coles, 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 Coles 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 owns shares of and has recommended 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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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

    woman in wheelchair happy while investing online

    On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought very hard to record a small gain. The benchmark index rose 0.1% to 7,407.3 points.

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

    ASX 200 expected to edge lower

    The Australian share market looks set to end the week in a subdued fashion. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 7 points or 0.1% lower. This follows a reasonably good night of trade on Wall Street, which late on sees the Dow Jones down slightly, but the S&P 500 up 0.2% and the Nasdaq up 0.45%.

    NAB rated as a buy

    The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price could be good value according to analysts at Bell Potter. According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating and $32.00 price target on the bank’s shares. This follows news that the ACCC has given the green light to NAB’s acquisition of Citi’s Australian consumer business.

    Oil prices soften

    Energy producers including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could end the week in the red after oil prices softened. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.45% to US$78.03 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is flat at US$82.25 a barrel. Oil prices slipped as traders wait to see how OPEC will respond to US led oil reserve releases.

    Annual general meetings

    Annual general meeting season continues on Friday with a host of companies holding their events. These include copper producer Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR), telco Uniti Group Ltd (ASX: UWL), and gold miner Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX). These companies could provide investors with a trading update at their respective events.

    Gold price rises

    Gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a decent finish to the week after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.25% to US$1,788.3 an ounce. The gold price rose after the US dollar weakened.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday 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 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 recommended Uniti 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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  • 2 high quality ASX shares for a retirement portfolio

    Are you looking for retirement portfolio options? If you are, then you may want to look at the high quality shares listed below.

    Here’s why these ASX shares could be top options for retirees:

    Centuria Industrial Reit (ASX: CIP)

    The first ASX retirement share to consider is this industrial-focused property company. Centuria Industrial owns a portfolio of high quality industrial assets that has been constructed with the aim of delivering consistent income and capital growth to investors.

    The company notes that its portfolio is heavily weighted to areas of the economy that are growing fast and are in demand from tenants. This includes properties linked to the production, packaging, and distribution of consumer staples, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals.

    One leading broker that is particularly positive on Centuria Industrial’s outlook is Macquarie. It currently has an outperform rating and $4.16 price target on its shares. The broker is also forecasting dividends per share of 17.3 cents in FY 2022 and 18.7 cents in FY 2023.

    Based on the current Centuria Industrial share price of $3.76, this represents yield of 4.6% and 5% yields, respectively.

    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

    Another ASX share that could be a good option for a retirement portfolio is this leading toll road operator. Transurban owns a portfolio of 17 roads in Australia, four in North America, and a significant project pipeline across its networks that could support its growth in the coming years.

    And while lockdowns were weighing on its performance, traffic looks set to bounce back strongly now restrictions are easing. Combined with the aforementioned project pipeline, this is expected to support strong distribution growth in the coming years.

    Morgans is positive on the company. It currently has an add rating and $14.79 price target on its shares.

    In addition, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 39 cents in FY 2022 and then 57 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current Transurban share price of $14.06, this will mean yields of 2.8% and 4.1%, respectively.

    The post 2 high quality ASX shares for a retirement portfolio 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 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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  • Are Newcrest (ASX:NCM) shares an inflation-hedging buy?

    St Barbara share price Minder underground looks excited a he holds a nugget of gold he has discovered.

    The Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price has been an underwhelming one in recent times. Over the past 12 months, shares in the gold miner have eroded 10.5% in value. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 11.6%.

    During the past year, the precious metal has traded roughly flat, currently valued at approximately A$2,490 an ounce. This is despite global economies dramatically increasing the supply of money through significant monetary policies.

    Although the Reserve Bank of Australia is adamant it won’t be raising interest rates anytime soon, some investors are already concerned about the potential impacts of rising inflation.

    So, could the Newcrest share price still serve as an inflation hedge?

    Two fund managers think it could be

    It is no secret that gold and gold mining companies are often considered an inflation hedge, but not all companies are made the same.

    There are more than 180 self-defined gold mining companies on the ASX, with only the 12 largest holding a market capitalisation greater than $1 billion. For Sydney-based Perennial Partners, the two biggest publicly listed gold mining companies are of most interest.

    In its recent report, the fund manager noted both the Newcrest share price and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) as inflation hedge bets it likes. This is despite the team behind the fund holding a positive outlook for the overall economy.

    Interestingly, Perennial Partners isn’t the only fund eyeing off Newcrest at these prices. In a submission to the Australian Fund Managers Foundation stock picking competition, known as the ‘The Golden Bull‘, Firetrail Investments made Newcrest its top pick for the year ahead.

    The high conviction fund manager described why the gold mining giant was its pick, stating:

    Newcrest is one of the biggest producers globally, they’ve eliminated all debt and have multiple growth irons in the fire. With gold having endured a flat 12 months, possibly due to the rise of cryptocurrencies as a sexier market hedge. It’s all pointing to a potentially explosive year for the gold price, and these guys are one of the purest ways to play that on the ASX.

    Looking beyond the Newcrest share price

    While the gold price has been reasonably flat and the Newcrest share price has been falling, the miner’s revenue and profits have been climbing.

    In its full-year results for FY21, revenue increased 17% to $4.58 billion. At the same time, statutory earnings jumped a remarkable 80% to $1.16 billion. This allowed the company to increase its final dividend by 129% to 40 US cents per share fully franked.

    Based on the current Newcrest share price, the company is trading on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.3 times.

    The post Are Newcrest (ASX:NCM) shares an inflation-hedging buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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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  • 3 ASX health care shares that burned the market today

    rising medical asx share price represented by excited doctors dancing in ward

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was rangebound today and closed the session 0.11% in the green at 7,407.5 points.

    Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) matched the broader market and also finished 0.11% higher today.

    These 3 ASX health care shares stood out as clear winners amongst the packs, with each beating the market by 10% today. Here are the details.

    Emyria Ltd (ASX: EMD)

    Clinic and software operator Emyria came out 10% on top today despite there being no market sensitive information from the company.

    However, Emyria shares took off in an almost vertical fashion last week and haven’t slowed since. The company did release a flurry of announcements this week. Even still, investors were piling in and driving up prices in the days beforehand.

    For instance, it announced a collaboration with strategic investor Tattarang, where the private investment group secured $5 million in Emyria via a share placement.

    The funds will be used to accelerate synthetic cannabinoid registration programs with the TGA and FDA, and advance Emyria’s novel MDMA-analogue development program with the University of Western Australia.

    Then it followed up two days later advising it had received a $1.162 million R&D tax incentive refund, which kept its share price tracking upwards until today.

    All in all, it’s been a pleasant gain this month for Emyria shareholders. After a slight hiccup mid-month, the Emyria share price has gained over 92% so far in November.

    Control Bionics Ltd (ASX: CBL)

    Shares in Control Bionics also came out on top today, closing around 11.5% higher at 45.75 cents. Control’s share price has been rolling downhill these past 3 months and has come off a 3-month low of 40.5 cents as of yesterday.

    However, its presentation at the Morgans Investment conference yesterday appears to have gained investors’ attraction once more. In the display, the company noted that it is aiming to combine its “NeuroNode wearable technology with high quality eye-gaze camera technology creating market leading products that delivered faster communication speed and significantly less fatigue than existing competition globally”.

    It also noted revenue of almost $4 million in FY21 and a healthy balance sheet with $12 million in liquidity as of 30 June 2021.

    Control Bionics also intends to expand its product range within the assistive technology market for autism. Today’s gains are welcomed after a difficult year for the company’s share price, having posted a loss of 61% in the past 12 months.

    Singular Health Group Ltd (ASX: SHG)

    Shares in technology-driven imaging player Singular Health jumped 10% to finish at 27.5 cents. In fact, Singular Health shares have climbed 17% in the past 2 days, after hitting the ceiling at 30 cents last week.

    Investors appear to have had a mixed reaction to confirmation that Singular is forming a 50/50 joint venture (JV) with TerraCentric Pty Ltd under the name of GeoVR Pty Ltd.

    The sole purpose of the JV is to commercialise 3D and virtual reality software GeoVR technology. Specifically, the new company will focus on mineral exploration data to be visualised in a fully interactive 3D environment.

    The move was labelled as a critical step by the company in diversifying away from traditional medical markets.

    Following the release, shares jumped slightly, before tumbling over 21% in a matter of days. So today’s gains are a hard one to pinpoint but are definitely part of the wider volatility in this name.

    For instance, the Singular Health share price has traded as high as 30 cents and closed as low as 16 cents in the past 3 months – a 130% spread in pricing.

    These 3 ASX health care shares all cruised past the market today amid strengths in the wider sector.

    The post 3 ASX health care shares that burned the market 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

    The author Zach Bristow 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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  • The Lynas (ASX:LYC) share price has hit 10 9-year highs so far this month. Here’s why

    Young businessman standing on the top of the mountain punching fist in the air.

    Far from the grizzly rain that Guns and Roses associated with November, it’s been a decisively sunny month so far for the Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) share price. Today alone, Lynas managed to put on a healthy 0.92% to finish the trading day at $8.75 a share.

    But today also saw Lynas hit a new 52-week high of $8.80 as well. Normally, a new 52-week high (or in this case, a 9-year high) would be a cause of celebration for shareholders.

    But considering this is the ninth straight new high Lynas has made over November thus far, shareholders might have not even noticed yet. Or maybe the party just hasn’t stopped, considering the Lynas share price is now up close to 110% in 2021 so far.

    So why has Lynas had such a stupendously successful eleventh month of the year?

    Well, we can likely put it down to a few factors.

    What’s behind the Lynas share price’s November sun?

    The most pressing of these could be the announcement the company released at the start of the month. On 1 November, Lynas announced it had inked a letter of agreement with Japan Australia Rare Earths (JARE). This agreement reconfirmed JARE’s long-term support for Lynas and its operations.

    As my Fool colleague Tristan reported at the time, JARE, along with Lynas, are both “parties to a long-term senior loan facility, with a principal balance of US$145 million, an interest rate of 2.5% per annum, and a maturity date of 30 June 2030”.

    JARE’s ongoing support is likely a positive development for Lynas going forward. Particularly factoring in this line of credit. JARE has already agreed to defer more than one interest payment for Lynas, so investors may have been buoyed by this as well.

    Further, Lynas delivered its quarterly activities report back in late October. When it did, it also informed investors that demand for its products was already very high. But Lynas is expecting even higher demand going into 2022.

    Apart from these potential factors, it’s not entirely clear why Lynas has had such a strong November so far. It’s also worth pointing out that ASX lithium, battery, rare earths, and renewable energy shares have all enjoyed enormous interest from ASX investors in 2021. It’s very possible that Lynas’ success over November has been driven by this alone.

    Whatever the reason, it’s just another top-notch month (so far) that Lynas shareholders can add to their bedposts.

    At the last Lynas share price of $8.75, this ASX rare earths company has a market capitalisation of $7.9 billion. It also has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 48.6.

    The post The Lynas (ASX:LYC) share price has hit 10 9-year highs so far this month. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Lynas Rare Earths right now?

    Before you consider Lynas Rare Earths, 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 Lynas Rare Earths 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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  • 2 growing small cap ASX shares to watch

    A male sharemarket analyst sits at his desk looking intently at his laptop with two other monitors next to him showing stock price movements

    At the small end of the Australian share market, there are a number of companies with the potential to grow materially in the future.

    Two that investors may want to get better acquainted with are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Alcidion Group Ltd (ASX: ALC)

    The first small cap ASX share to watch is this Alcidion. It is a healthcare informatics solutions company behind innovative healthcare software products including Miya, Patientrack and Smartpage.

    Miya combines artificial intelligence-based predictive analytics, clinical decision support (CDS), and mobile alerts in an easy-to-use analytics dashboard. This allows doctors to map the patient journey and view critical patient insights in real-time.

    Patientrack uses predictive algorithms to support time-critical care and help clinicians know every patient’s status in real-time. This means doctors can intervene and prevent patient deterioration faster than ever before. Patientrack uses predictive algorithms to support time-critical care.

    Finally, Smartpage is a quick messaging and task management platform. It delivers the simplicity of favourite messaging services with the security of encryption. It enables hospital staff to communicate and collaborate instantly.

    The team at Bell Potter is positive on Alcidion’s future. In light of this, it currently has a buy rating and 45 cents price target on the company’s shares.

    BlueBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: BBT)

    Another small cap ASX share to watch is BlueBet. It is a mobile-first, online bookmaker aiming to provide more innovative wagering products to customers of Australian and international racing and sports.

    BlueBet currently offers wagering products on 31 sports in Australia and internationally, plus entertainment and politics wagering markets. These include traditional wagering products as well as more innovative products, such as Exotics, Same Game Multis and Same Race Multis.

    BlueBet has been growing very strongly over the last couple of years. This has been driven by the increasing popularity of mobile sports betting and strong customer growth. The good news is that management is confident that this trend can continue. It also believes it is well positioned to substantially grow its current share of the market in Australia, and has its eyes on the enormous US market.

    Morgans is a fan of BlueBet. It currently has an add rating and $2.57 price target on the company’s shares.

    The post 2 growing small cap ASX shares to watch 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 shares of and has recommended Alcidion Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alcidion Group Ltd and BlueBet 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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