Tag: Motley Fool

The Mineral Resources Limited (ASX: MIN) share price has started the week in a positive fashion.

At one stage today, the mining and mining services company’s shares were up almost 5% to $41.68.

The Mineral Resources share price has pulled back a touch since then but remains up 3% to $40.99 currently.

Why is the Mineral Resources share price charging higher?

The catalyst for the rise in the Mineral Resources share price appears to be the increasingly favourable outlook for lithium prices.

Mineral Resources has exposure to lithium through its Mt Marion Lithium project, which it jointly owns with Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium, and its Wodgina Lithium project. Wodgina is one of the largest known hard rock lithium deposits in the world with an estimated production life of over 30 years.

What’s happening?

According to a report by GlobalData, courtesy of Forbes, there are concerns over lithium shortages due to growing demand for the white metal from the electric vehicle (EV) market.

While this is expected to stifle EV adoption, it is also expected to support higher lithium prices.

The GlobalData report says: “With lithium prices set to rise throughout the next decade, the EV sector in the West will have to face rising battery costs. If they pass costs on to the consumer, EV adoption will likely accelerate at a slower rate than previously expected.”

GlobalData analyst, Daniel Clarke, commented: “The rising price of lithium demonstrates what many in the industry have warned about for some time: the growing divergence between supply and demand for lithium.”

It isn’t just GlobalData that expects demand to increase. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has suggested that the growth in EVs could see lithium demand increase significantly times by 2030. The report notes that last year lithium demand was about 320,000 tonnes and is expected to hit 1 million by 2025 and 3 million by 2030.

All in all, this leaves companies like Mineral Resources well-placed to benefit greatly from the strong demand over the remainder of the decade.

The post Why the Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) share price is storming higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How does the Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price compare to Mineral Resources?
• Is the Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) share price a lithium bargain buy?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why Mineral Resources, Paladin Energy, Regis, and Smartgroup are sinking
• Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) share price slumps 7% on quarterly update

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.

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

Shares in nickel producer Poseidon Nickel Ltd (ASX: POS) are charging higher to trade 4.44% in the green at 9.4 cents.

Poseidon shares have been moving since a company announcement advising of updates at its Black Swan project and “Fill the Mill” strategy.

The company outlined progress at the site plus the favoured outcomes from a July 2021 scoping study undertaken for the project.

From the results, Poseidon reckons that growing its high and low grade indicated resource base at Black Swan will have the best economic outcome for the project moving forwards.

As such, its Fill the Mill strategy is “focused on growing [its] mine inventory at Black Swan with an aim to supporting a project life of more than five years”.

Here are the details.

What did Poseidon Nickel announce?

Poseidon also detailed a number of other progress updates for its Black Swan site.

The nickel miner advised that new high-grade discoveries at its Golden Swan prospect now add another 6,300 tonnes of contained nickel to its Black Swan resources.

In addition, drilling at its Silver Swan site is now underway with the aim of increasing “high-grade mining inventory”. Previous test work “confirms Silver Swan tailings improves the Fe:MgO ratio of concentrate” at this location.

With regards to its Fill the Mill strategy, outcomes from the July 2021 scoping study indicated Poseidon has two attractive production options for mining at Black Swan.

To maximise the production of total nickel tonnes at the site, Poseidon reckons growing the high and low grade indicated resource base at Black Swan is the most attractive option economically.

This includes the resource at Golden Swan, Silver Swan, Silver Swan tailings, and Black Swan disseminated open pit ore feeds, according to the announcement.

It also came up with “relatively low capital and operating expenditure estimates for the larger 1.1Mt plan” and notes recent improvements in the payability of nickel in concentrates due to a “tightening market”.

And with the spot price of nickel fetching near recent 5-year highs at US$20,134/tonne, Poseidon believes the outlook remains positive for the future.

The company also identified the possibility to have a long-life project that could also treat ore from its 100% owned Windarra project.

In addition, for its Black Swan site, the company has signed a 5-year water access agreement with Norton Gold Fields Pty Ltd to help “de-risk” the project.

In fact, since 2018, the company has made several advancements in ‘de-risking’ the project. It says it has done this by growing the mineral resource at Black Swan, looking at ways to remove impurities from the ore and gaining access to grid power to reduce operating costs.

What did management say?

Speaking on the announcement, Poseidon Nickel CEO Peter Harold said:

Since announcing our “Fill the Mill” strategy in July 2021 the Company has made considerable progress on workstreams progressing our Black Swan project towards a restart, targeting late 2022 plant commissioning.

He continued:

Of particular importance, we have released our maiden Golden Swan Resource, commenced resource drilling at Silver Swan to convert Inferred Resources to Indicated and begun drilling of the Black Swan disseminated orebody to increase confidence on the grade and the amount of serpentinite ore in this Resource. We have also released a maiden Resource on the Silver Swan tailings and commenced metallurgical test work on blending the various feed sources through the Black Swan 2.2Mtpa concentrator, derated to 1.1Mtpa.

Poseidon Nickel share price snapshot

It’s been a year of green for the Poseidon Nickel share price, having climbed 32% in that time after rallying 45% this year to date.

These returns have both outpaced the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s performance. It’s risen almost 17% in the past 12 months.

The post Why is the Poseidon Nickel (ASX:POS) share price having such a great day? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Poseidon (ASX:POS) share price lifts on ‘some good hits’
• Here’s why the Poseidon (ASX:POS) share price is sliding today

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3FjEfn4

A new report could increase the pressure investors put on the boards of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) companies after it found the leaders of Australia’s biggest carbon emitting entities aren’t effectively managing climate risks.

It stated such failures leave companies – and their investors – exposed to unnecessary risk.

The Investor Group of Climate Change (IGCC) assessed the boards of 15 ASX 200 companies to create the report.

In doing so, it found directors often aren’t skilled or experienced enough to lead a transition to net zero emissions. Further, companies were generally unclear on how they are addressing such gaps.

The report looked into 15 of Australia’s largest emitters.

These included energy producers and retailers AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL), Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG), Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH), Santos Ltd (ASX: STO), and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL).

Iron ore giants BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) were also involved, as was BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL) and Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX: IPL).

Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) were also reviewed.

Let’s take a closer look at the IGCC’s findings.

ASX 200 boards fail when it comes to climate

The IGCC has found that the boards of ASX 200 companies generally don’t appear to be properly managing climate risk.

The body states many boards still see climate action as a compliance or reputational matter, rather than a business risk.  

Additionally, disclosure of both board members’ climate skills and of a company’s actions to address climate change are lacking. The IGCC states that weak disclosure practices suggest companies may not understand climate risks.

The report’s lead researcher and author, Ian Woods stated:

[M]any companies identified the need for climate skills on their board, but few identified broader transition and disruption expertise, and none were comprehensively disclosing on board skill sets. Based on current disclosure it is hard for investors to form a view on how prepared these boards are for the transition.

Further, many ASX 200 boards place the responsibility of assessing climate risks onto a sustainability committee. However, such committees often only refer to greenhouse gas emissions and treat climate change as one of several environmental issues. They also tend to avoid covering technology developments and scope 3 emissions – those created in a company’s value chain.

Finally, the report found that companies continually underestimate the speed of technology change and innovation when it comes to climate change.

IGCC director of corporate engagement, Laura Hillis commented:

We’re not seeing the progress we need from companies to instil investor confidence…

Boards that fail to recognise the risk of climate change and their role in driving the company transition to a low carbon business, will leave the company and investors exposed to unacceptable financial, strategic and market risks. Not to mention they will miss out on the opportunities on the decarbonisation pathway, including jobs for regional communities.

The post These ASX 200 shares could be set to face fresh pressure over climate action appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• What is the current AGL (ASX:AGL) dividend payout ratio?
• Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price lifts amid US$835 million Pluto deal
• What is inflation? Are Woolworths (ASX:WOW) shares the ‘ultimate inflation hedge’?
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Incitec Pivot and Mesoblast jump, NAB drops

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 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.

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

Shares in medicinal cannabis company Incannex Healthcare Ltd (ASX: IHL) are edging lower and now trade at 57.5 cents.

The Incannex Healthcare share price opened at 60 cents before reversing within minutes to bounce off a low of 56.5 cents.

Despite this, Incannex shares have outperformed this past month, having piled on another 60% in that time.

That’s well ahead of the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ), which has jumped 3.4% in a month, whereas the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 1.48%.

Here are the details.

What’s up with the Incannex Healthcare share price lately?

Incannex’s share price hit its 52-week high in early trade today as investors continue piling into the company.

A raft of company and regulatory catalysts have propped up the Incannex share price over the past few weeks.

For instance, the company recently advised an ethics committee had approved its Phase 2a clinical trial investigating the efficacy of psilocybin for any primary anxiety disorder.

The trial is the first in the world to examine the safety and efficacy of this compound. Psilocybin is the psychoactive component of ‘magic mushrooms’.

Psychedelic medicine has been gaining traction in psychotherapy and psychiatry circles lately. This has brought about a number of clinical breakthroughs to complex mental conditions.

An ethics committee approving the trial is “an exciting step for Incannex… and for the emerging field of psychedelic medicine,” according to the doctor leading the study.

The company also released its quarterly report to finish October, where it outlined several investment highlights.

One key takeout was the company successfully raising $17.66 million from an option exercise program. This includes $8.2 million from its chief medical officer, Dr Sud Agarwal.

What else is playing a part?

In addition, Incannex recently engaged drug manufacturing company Procaps S.A. to develop soft gel capsules for its proprietary IHL-42X label.

Specifically, IHL-42X is indicated in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

OSA is a prevalent condition that has implications for mental, cardiovascular and physical health. Incannex is seeking to find a remedial breakthrough in this condition as well.

According to the company, Procaps has assisted in developing over 500 pharmaceutical and nutritional products in over 50 global markets.

It will now manufacture the capsules for Incannex’s IHL-42X cannabinoid product for use in pivotal Phase 2 and 3 trials.

Aside from this, Incannex also confirmed the recent success of its IHL-65A label in reducing inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

The company showed data that its compound was up to 3.5x more effective at reducing symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis than conventional treatments.

Separately, the company also filed for F-1 registration to list its shares on the United States NASDAQ exchange earlier this year.

An F-1 is basically the same as an initial public offering (IPO) on the ASX. However, it is reserved for non-US companies who wish to list on an American exchange.

Incannex is proposing a public offering of American Depositary Shares (ADS) with each ADS representing 50 ordinary shares in the company.

Incannex Healthcare share price snapshot

The Incannex Healthcare share price has been one to watch these past 12 months. Incannex shares have rallied as much as 524% in that time.

This has come after it has gained another 274% this year to date. That’s well ahead of the broad indices and the benchmark’s returns, 11% and 13% respectively.

The post Here’s why the Incannex (ASX:IHL) share price has rocketed 60% in a month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These were the best performing ASX cannabis shares in October
• Incannex (ASX:IHL) share price leaps 6% on manufacturing update

The author Zach Bristow has no positions 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

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3owd69s

The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price is having a pretty decent day of trading so far this Monday. At the time of writing, Westpac shares are currently up a healthy 0.77% to $22.86 a share. That’s a meaningful outperformance of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is currently up by 0.36% at 7,470 points.

Westpac is also outperforming all 3 of its ASX big four banking rivals so far today. The National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) share price is the only other major bank currently in the green today. NAB shares are currently up by 0.15% at $29.24 a share. And in contrast to Westpac’s solid performance, both the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share prices are in the red, by 0.33% and 0.18% respectively.

So what is going on with Westpac that is giving investors so much confidence in this ASX bank today?

Westpac share price rises amid new bond sale

Well, one possible reason could be the news that Westpac has just secured a US$5.5 billion bond placement. According to reporting in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) today, Westpac has raised US$5.5 billion “via the sale of three, seven, 15 and 20 year SEC registered bonds in a five tranche deal”.

Issuing bonds is one of the major ways a company can raise additional funding for its business. It involves the issuance of a bond, which an investor buys with the expectation of regular interest payments.

Until now, Westpac had spent roughly the last year relying on funding provided through the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) term funding facility, which was initiated as an emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report states that this deal “[marks] Westpac’s return to more normal levels of wholesale funding” after a period of relying on the RBA.

But if you think this deal marks the end of ultra-cheap credit for the ASX banks, hold your horses. Westpac will still be paying rock-bottom interest rates on these new bonds, with the 20-year bonds offering fixed interest investors an interest rate that is 1.23% higher than that of the US government’s treasury bills.

So why is this good for Westpac? The report states that “this week’s debt deal shows Westpac should have little trouble going back to public markets for its funding”. And that would be unequivically good news for shareholders. The cheaper and easier Westpac’s access to new funding is, the greasier its internal wheels get.

At the current Westpac share price, this ASX bank has a market capitalisation of $83.94 billion, with a dividend yield of 5.16%.

The post Westpac (ASX:WBC) just sealed a record bond deal. What could this mean for shareholders? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Morgans just bumped up its target for the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price. Here’s why
• How does the CBA share price performance stack up against the other big banks?
• 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares with big yields
• Why is the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price outperforming on Monday?
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares last week

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 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3ng4YKN

With so many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $226.00 price target on this investment bank’s shares. Citi notes that Macquarie’s shares have risen strongly this year. However, it still believes they can keep rising due to favourable tailwinds such as commodity price volatility and higher energy prices. The latter are supporting its gas marketing business. The Macquarie share price is trading at $202.05 on Monday afternoon.

Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH)

A note out of UBS reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and lifted their price target on this energy company’s shares to $5.65. UBS has upgraded the company’s earnings estimates to reflect higher oil price forecasts due to tighter than expected supply. In addition, the broker notes that the independent expert has recommended the Oil Search-Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) merger. UBS feels this development has de-risked things materially. The Oil Search share price is fetching $4.28 today.

Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO)

Another note out of Citi reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and $115.00 price target on this mining giant’s shares. Citi likes Rio Tinto due to its bullish view on aluminium, which it expects to fall into a deep deficit in 2022. In addition, the broker believes the company will benefit from Chinese demand for higher grade iron ore. The Rio Tinto share price is trading at $91.97 this afternoon.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Lockdowns are easing, but are CSL (ASX:CSL) shares out of the woods yet?
• The Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price has gained 40% this year. Is it still good value?
• Why are ASX 200 resources shares booming again on Friday?
• Oil Search (ASX:OSH) shares undervalued in Santos merger: expert
• Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price surges 9% to shrug off falling iron ore price

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 Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

The AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) dividend has been cut short following the company’s 2021 full-year results in August. This has led to investors continuing to sell off the energy company’s shares, leading to an almost 30% loss since the release.

At the time of writing, AGL shares are adding more pain to shareholder portfolios, down 1.12% to $5.32 apiece.

Let’s take a look at the AGL dividend policy.

A look into AGL’s dividend

The embattled company paid out an interim dividend of 41 cents on 26 March which included a 10-cent special dividend. The dividend was lower than the 47 cents declared in the prior corresponding period.

More recently, AGL’s final dividend came to 34 cents which was paid on 29 September. Notably, this happened to be the lowest amount given to shareholders since its half-year results in 2016.

Both interim and final dividends this year were also unfranked, as compared to the previous seven years. This means those who were eligible for any of 2021’s dividends missed out on the imputed tax credits.

The full-year dividend of 2021 stood at 75 cents, a big difference from the 98 cents recorded in the 2020 financial year.

More on AGL’s dividend payout ratio

In its full-year results, AGL delivered net cash from operating activities of $1,250 million, down 41% on FY20. A reduction in earnings and a small outflow from margin calls, associated with wholesale market positions, led the fall.

Underlying profit after tax dropped to $537 million, down 34% against the prior comparable period.

At the end of June, the company had approximately $600 million in cash and undrawn debt facilities available.

The full-year dividend was in line with AGL’s dividend policy to target a payout ratio of 75% of underlying profit after tax. The payout ratio is essentially the amount of a company’s earnings per share (EPS) that it pays out in dividends.

In response to AGL’s tough market conditions, the board terminated the special dividend program.

The company noted that a sharp decline in wholesale prices for electricity and renewable energy certificates affected its financial performance. AGL regarded the 2021 financial year as one of the most difficult energy markets on record.

AGL share price summary

In 2021, the AGL share price has continued to plummet in value, losing more than 55% for investors. When factoring in the last 12 months, its shares are deeper in the red, down almost 60%.

Based on the current AGL share price, the company has dividend yield of a mammoth 14%, and a market capitalisation of $3.5 billion.

The post What is the current AGL (ASX:AGL) dividend payout ratio? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What’s going wrong for the AGL (ASX:AGL) share price in November?
• Why is the AGL (ASX:AGL) share price underperforming Origin lately?
• How did the AGL (ASX:AGL) share price perform in October?
• Is the AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) share price a value trap?
• Why is the AGL (ASX:AGL) share price having such a good start to the week?

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3Di8LNq

Motley Fool Australia Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips joined Weekend Sunrise on Sunday to discuss the bumper Christmas trading expected for Aussie retailers, plus Afterpay’s move into banking and a welcome fall in the amount of credit card debt we’re carrying.

The post A bumper Christmas, Afterpay goes banking, and good news on credit. Scott Phillips on Weekend Sunrise appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Beyond BNPL: Here’s how Afterpay (ASX:APT) is also targeting spendings and savings
• ASX 200 tech shares in focus as Nasdaq plunges 1.7%
• Why Afterpay, Immutep, Pushpay, and Vulcan shares are falling
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price lifts despite hospitality push creating concerns
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) ‘represents our largest potential’: Jack Dorsey

Motley Fool contributor Scott Phillips owns shares of NIB Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended NIB Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is well into the green in early afternoon trade, up 1.6% to $22.60 per share.

Below we take a look at the ASX energy giant’s divestment announcement that appears to be driving investor interest.

What asset sale was announced?

Woodside’s share price is moving higher today after the company reported it has entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

The agreement will see Woodside sell a 49% non-operating participating interest in the Pluto Train 2 Joint Venture.

Located in northwest Western Australia, Pluto Train 2 is part of the planned Scarborough development. That development will include a new LNG train and domestic gas facilities, which will be built at the existing Pluto LNG onshore facility.

Atop funding its 49% share of capital expenditure, the new JV agreement will see GIP fund approximately US$835 million of additional construction capex.

The transaction, and payment that Woodside will receive, is still subject to a number of conditions.

The payment side remains dependent on the actual cost to develop Pluto Train 2, currently estimated at US$5.6 billion to completion.

Should the capex spend come in at less than US$5.6 billion, Woodside will receive 49% of that underspend from GIP. On the flip side, if capital expenditures overrun the estimate, Woodside will foot the bill for 49% of that overspend (up to US$835 million).

Commenting on the agreement, Woodside’s CEO Meg O’Neill said:

We are very pleased to have GIP joining us in the development of Pluto Train 2, given their impressive credentials and extensive global capability… GIP’s investment will help fund the expansion of the world-class Pluto LNG facility. The LNG supplied from the expanded Pluto facility will assist our customers to achieve their decarbonisation goals through the energy transition…

Pluto Train 2 will be one of Australia’s most efficient LNG trains and with Scarborough gas containing virtually no carbon dioxide, this is an attractive investment in a decarbonising world.

Woodside anticipates the deal to be complete in January 2022. It will retain a 51% participating interest in the Pluto Train 2 JV and remain as operator.

The effective date of the transaction is 1 October.

Woodside share price snapshot

The Woodside share price is down 2% in 2021, trailing the 12% year-to-date gains delivered by the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

Over the past month, Woodside shares are down 10%.

The post Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price lifts amid US$835 million Pluto deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price rises amid hydrogen plant land approval
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Government support of Woodside (ASX:WPL) hydrogen project ‘doesn’t stack up’, says Fortescue
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3CefIh5

Across the country, lockdowns are indeed easing as we move towards Christmas and the end of 2021. But the CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price doesn’t quite look like it’s out of the woods just yet. That’s going off of this ASX 200 healthcare giant’s recent share price performance. CSL shares are, at the time of writing, trading at $310.96 each, up 1.16% for the day so far this Monday.

That puts CSL’s year to date gains at roughly 8.88%. That’s not awful, but when you consider the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up around 13.4% for the same period, some shareholders might certainly be a little disappointed.

And when you look at CSL’s performance over the past year, things don’t get much better. CSL is down over the past 12 months by close to 0.3%. By contrast, the ASX 200 has put on a very healthy 16.6% over the same period. In fact, the CSL share price has barely done anything of note since January 2020. Back then, you could buy the same CSL shares for a very similar share price to what’s being asked today.

Now CSL shareholders probably aren’t used to this kind of share price malaise. This was a company that seemed to grow by double-digits every single year before last year, after all. In 2017, CSL shares went up by roughly 40%. In 2018, it was 32% and 2019 saw them appreciate by a whopping 50% or so.

So what’s going on here?

CSL share price has a year to forget, but is it back to the races?

Well, CSL was a company that struggled in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Its plasma collections business suffered enormously due to global lockdowns while a promising vaccine candidate that CSL developed with the University of Queensland failed to get off the ground.

But that’s the past. So what does the future of the CSL share price look like?

Well, in some good news for investors, one broker has recently upgraded its view on CSL. As my Fool colleague Brendan covered last week, brokers at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) recently upgraded CSL shares to “outperform” from “neutral”, with a 12-month share price target of $338 per share. That implies a potential 12-month upside of close to 10%.

Macquarie believes the headwinds that have been buffeting CSL shares recently are easing. It points to the easing of disruptions in the US plasma collection market and reckons CSL’s new collection platform “may present upside for the group”.

At the current CSL share price of $310.96, this ASX 200 healthcare company has a market capitalisation of $141.6 billion, a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 43.5 and a dividend yield of 0.95%.

The post Lockdowns are easing, but are CSL (ASX:CSL) shares out of the woods yet? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Incitec Pivot and Mesoblast jump, NAB drops
• ASX 200 lithium shares in focus amid China supply shortage
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares last week

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. owns shares of and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2YOH5Ri