Tag: Motley Fool

  • Here’s why the Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX:CRYP) share price is surging 7% today

    a bearded man sits at his desk with hands behind his head and feet on his desk smiling widely while looking at his computer screen which has market data on it, indicating a please share price rise.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a rather wild day of trading so far this Tuesday. After initially exploring both negative and positive territory this morning, the ASX 200 has now turned positive again and, at the time of writing, is up by 0.02% at 7,453 points. But that’s nothing compared to one ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF). That would be the BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX: CRYP).

    The BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF has only been on the ASX boards since last week when it floated on the morning of 4 November. But it soon was the talk of the ASX town, breaking the record for trading volumes for a new managed investment within hours of its listing.

    And it might well be the talk of the town again today. The Crypto Innovators ETF is currently up a sizeable 7.12% so far this Tuesday at $12.34 a unit at the time of writing.

    So what’s behind this huge leap upwards in valuation for this new ASX ETF?

    Well, there’s little doubt the news that the global cryptocurrency market has just hit US$3 trillion for the first time ever overnight is helping. This follows the flagship cryptocurrency Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) hitting a new all-time high overnight as well.

    CRYP ETF’s major holdings shoot the lights out

    But let’s also check out what’s been happening with CRYP’s major underlying holdings. As an ETF, CRYP invests in a basket of underlying shares. In this ETF’s case, these shares are selected to provide “exposure to global companies at the forefront of the dynamic crypto economy”.

    So, according to the provider, CRYP’s current top 5 holdings are as follows:

    1. Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd
    2. Silvergate Capital Corp
    3. Marathon Digital Holdings Inc
    4. Coinbase Global Inc
    5. Microstrategy Inc

    All 5 companies are US shares (except for the Canadian Galaxy Digital) so let’s see how they performed in last night’s trading (our time).

    Galaxy Digital shares were up 6.16% to C$42.22.

    Silvergate saw a 0.94% gain to US$217.18 a share.

    Marathon Digital shares were up a whopping 17.99% to US$75.30.

    Coinbase put on a robust 5.01% to US$353.92 a share.

    And Microstrategy was up 7.84% to US$860 a share.

    So, as you can see, these top 5 holdings in CRYP had an extremely successful night of trading overnight. This would also be feeding into sentiment for this ETF today.

    The BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF charges a management fee of 0.67% per annum.

    The post Here’s why the Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX:CRYP) share price is surging 7% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider CRYP, 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 CRYP 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 Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Bitcoin and Coinbase Global, Inc. 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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  • Why Macquarie sees another 20% growth in the Megaport (ASX:MP1) share price

    Concept images of four piles of coins, each getting higher, with trees on them.

    The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price is soaring higher today to trade up 4.1% at $20.26.

    That marks a record high for the ASX tech company, having rallied 21% in the past month alone. This comes after it bounced off its 52-week low on 29 March.

    As such, shares in the global elastic interconnection services provider have come in well ahead of the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX). The broad sector has gained around 4% over the past month.

    And with this flurry of buying activity from investors comes attention from analysts at investment banking giant Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), who have initiated coverage on the tech share.

    Let’s get straight into it and see what the experts at Macquarie are saying about the Megaport share price.

    Can Megaport shares gain another 20%?

    The team at Macquarie certainly thinks so, particularly given the outcome from its trading update last month.

    In its report, Megaport recognised substantial gains in recurring revenue of 14% from the previous quarter, totalling $8.6 million.

    In fact, overall revenue surmounted to almost $25 million from the quarter, another 8% quarterly gain.

    This, Macquarie reckons, is being under-appreciated by the market, as investors may be overlooking Megaport’s growth schedule.

    As such, the broker has initiated coverage of the company by posting an outperform rating on the Megaport share price.

    Analysts at the firm like the way Megaport generates revenue, by leasing port access of its virtual platform to tech customers.

    It notes this business model – which is labelled as ‘Network-as-a-Service’ – appears to be robust and has attracted the likes of Zoom, Uber, and eBay as customers.

    Macquarie reckons Megaport will continue to rebound its operations. This began around the same time it appointed a new chief revenue officer in February.

    Alluding to its own projections, Macquarie notes that once 40% of all Megaport’s sellable ports are utilised, it is set to realise substantial margin improvements throughout its statement of income.

    As such, it forecasts the company’s port utilisation to hit 75% by FY24, well ahead of the 47% achieved in FY21.

    With these bullish points in mind, the broker patched a $24 price target on the company’s shares. That implies an 18% upside potential at the time of writing.

    Megaport share price snapshot

    The Megaport share price has soared around 30% in the last 12 months and 42% this year to date.

    It has climbed 21% in the last month alone and lifted around 8% this past week.

    Each of these results have outpaced the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO)’s returns across all time frames.

    The post Why Macquarie sees another 20% growth in the Megaport (ASX:MP1) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Megaport, 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 Megaport 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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    The author Zach Bristow has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • The NAB (ASX:NAB) dividend doubled in FY21: Here’s what you need to know

    It's raining cash for this man, as he throws money into the air with a big smile on his face.

    This morning National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) released its full year results and revealed a huge increase to its dividend.

    Though, that hasn’t been enough to stop the banking giant’s shares from sliding lower today.

    In early afternoon trade, the NAB share price is down 2% to $28.50.

    NAB doubles dividend

    While shareholders may be disappointed to see the NAB share price in the red today, they will no doubt be pleased to see the bank grow its dividend materially in FY 2021.

    In case you missed it, the banking giant reported cash earnings of $6,558 million in FY 2021. This was up 76.8% over the prior corresponding period and allowed the NAB board to declare a fully franked final dividend of 67 cents per share. This was ahead of what the team at Morgans was forecasting. The broker was expecting a final dividend of 64 cents per share.

    This brought the full year NAB dividend to $1.27 per share fully franked, which was up 112% on FY 2020’s 60 cents per share dividend.

    Based on its cash profits, this dividend represents a payout ratio of 63.7% of earnings. This is likely to increase in the future with NAB announcing plans to adjust its capital and dividend settings during FY 2021. It will now target a payout ratio range of 65% to 75% of cash earnings.

    NAB’s Non-Executive Director and Chair, Philip Chronican, commented: “We are pleased to have increased dividends across the full year to 127 cents per share, compared to a reduced level in 2020. This outcome is closer to the level of shareholder return the Board is targeting going forward, with future dividends to be guided by a target payout ratio range of 65-75% of sustainable cash earnings, subject to circumstances at the time.”

    When will shareholders be paid?

    According to the release, the final 67 cents per share fully franked NAB dividend will be paid to eligible shareholders in approximately five weeks on 15 December.

    To be eligible to receive this payment, investors need to be owning the bank’s shares before they trade ex-dividend on Monday 15 November. This means you’ll need to own them at Friday’s close. If you don’t and you buy shares on Monday or afterwards, the rights to the dividend will remain with the seller.

    The post The NAB (ASX:NAB) dividend doubled in FY21: Here’s what you need to know 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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  • ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price struggles despite CEO predicting economic boom

    asx shares and the economy represented by finger pressing restart on a device titled economy

    The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price is down more than 1% today. That’s despite the ANZ CEO talking of expectations of an economic boom.

    Australian households have collectively been amassing a large cash pile over the pandemic, with some spending categories being limited because of pandemic restrictions. The ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott thinks that there is a lot of pent-up demand as the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra exit lockdowns and enter the festive shopping season.

    The Australian Financial Review quoted Mr Elliott, who said:

    My view is that in the next six months we’re in for a bit of an economic boom. We know our customer base – we can see it – they’ve been saving money at a rapid rate. So people are sitting on really high savings balances and they’ve paid down debt.

    We are entering into a period of freedom, travel and being able to do things and I think people psychologically feel that they’ve earnt it and they’ve earnt the right to go and do things.

    The vaccination rates are so high that I think we’re exiting lockdowns into an economy that won’t really be interrupted by COVID, unless there is a new virus variant.

    There is all the stimulus and savings built up during the NSW and Victoria lockdowns and limited labour supply, that I think the economy should have a cracking year in 2022.

    Is the ANZ share price experiencing boom times?

    As mentioned, it’s down more than 1% today and it has fallen more than 5% since the middle of August 2021.

    ANZ recently reported its FY21 result, at the end of October 2021.

    In that result, the big four ASX bank reported that its statutory profit after tax increased 72% to $6.16 billion, whilst continuing operations cash profit grew by 65% to $6.2 billion.

    However, continuing profit before credit impairments and tax was almost flat, rising slightly to $8.4 billion. The continuing underlying profit before credit impairments, tax and large items was down 6% to $9.5 billion.

    The headline numbers were boosted by the credit provision charge actually being a credit release of $567 million, compared to a charge of $2.74 billion in FY20.

    ANZ explained that the Australian retail and commercial segments saw lending and deposits growth and delivered a “good margin performance” across the division. Home loan revenue growth was in the low double digits. However, second half volumes were impacted by a competitive refinancing market, customers paying down loans faster and “processing issues”.

    The bank has been working on a range of improvements that are already having a “positive impact” on the processing times.

    Lending indicators, such as loans that are over 90 days past due and deferrals have performed, better than the bank was expecting.

    Dividends and capital

    The big four ASX bank had a common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio of 12.3%, which was around $6 billion above APRA’s unquestionably strong benchmark.

    In August 2021, ANZ commenced a share buyback of $1.5 billion.

    With the dividend, ANZ decided to more than double its annual payment, going from $0.60 per share to $1.42 per share. At the current ANZ share price, that represents a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.25%.

    Do brokers think the ANZ share price is an opportunity?

    Whilst there are several hold/neutral ratings on ANZ shares, a few brokers do think it’s a buy.

    Morgans thinks ANZ is a buy, with a price target of $31. That implies a potential rise of around 10% over the next year, if the broker is right.

    Based on the broker’s numbers, ANZ shares are valued at 12x FY22’s estimated earnings with an estimated forward grossed-up dividend yield of 7.5%.

    The post ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price struggles despite CEO predicting economic boom appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider ANZ, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    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 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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  • Scentre (ASX:SCG) share price struggles as trading update fails to excite investors

    a man and a woman hold hands wearing masks as they carry shopping bags and stroll through a retail shopping centre.

    The Scentre Group (ASX: SCG) share price is hovering in negative territory despite a positive trading update from the company.

    At the time of writing, the shopping centre-focused property company’s shares are travelling 0.32% lower to $3.16 apiece.

    Scentre rebounds from COVID-19

    In a statement to the ASX, Scentre announced its centres are continuing to perform consistently year-to-date.

    For the 10-month period ending 31 October, the group collected $1.8 billion in gross rent from its customers. This is an increase of $187 million over the prior corresponding period including the extensive lockdowns experienced.

    Up until the end of September, 2,010 lease deals were signed, bringing in 868 new merchants and 191 new brands. The group achieved steady portfolio occupancy rates at 98.5%, highlighting resilience across its platform.

    When government-mandated restrictions were lifted this year, each of the Australian states recorded a strong rebound in customer visits. Particularly, New South Wales and Victoria witnessed an uptick during late October following successful COVID-19 vaccination programs.

    Scentre Group CEO Peter Allen commented:

    All Westfield Living Centres have remained open during the period, operating with COVID Safe protocols. Our QLD, WA and SA centres continued to trade well during this quarter, consistent with the first half of the year.

    Customers are again rapidly returning to our Westfield Living Centres in NSW, VIC and ACT now that restrictions have eased. We are also looking forward to welcoming back more businesses and customers to our Auckland centres from tomorrow.

    As we move into the new COVID-19 normal, Scentre expects to distribute at least 14 cents per security in 2021. This is the original distribution guidance provided in February of this year.

    About the Scentre share price

    It has been an outstanding 12 months for Scentre shares, posting a gain of 30% for the period. Yesterday, its shares leapt to a new fresh 52-week high of $3.17 before some slight profit-taking took hold.

    Based on today’s price, Scentre commands a market capitalisation of roughly $16.34 billion and has approximately 5.19 billion shares outstanding.

    The post Scentre (ASX:SCG) share price struggles as trading update fails to excite investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Scentre, 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 Scentre 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 Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why the Actinogen (ASX:ACW) share price is sinking 16% on Tuesday

    man bending over to look at red arrow crashing down through the ground

    Shares in Australian biotech Actinogen Medical Ltd (ASX: ACW) are crawling lower today, currently trading down 15.79% at 16 cents apiece.

    Investors are selling Actinogen shares today despite the company receiving clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commence a phase 2 trial on its Xanamem label.

    Here are the details.

    But first – what even is Actinogen Medical?

    Actinogen is a biotechnology and research company. It is working on a medical breakthrough in neurological disorders that cause cognitive impairment.

    Its lead drug candidate, Xanamem, is being investigated for potential breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease, Fragile X syndrome and other neurological diseases.

    Many kinds of neurological conditions are either genetic, irreversible or have no known effective treatments – and unfortunately, no cure.

    The compound works by modulating the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol, which has been shown to impair brain function and has been associated with several neurodegenerative conditions.

    At the time of writing, Actinogen Medical has a market capitalisation of $317 million.

    Why is the Actinogen share price sinking lower?

    Actinogen advised it has received approval from the FDA to commence a Phase 2 trial on its Xanamem candidate, under an Investigational New Drug (IND) designation.

    Being a Phase 2 trial, it is investigating the efficacy and safety of the Xanamem compound in treating male adolescents and young adults with Fragile X syndrome.

    Fragile X syndrome is a hereditary disorder that causes mild to moderate intellectual disability, alongside behavioural and learning challenges.

    It is thought to affect 1 in 4,000 males and 1 in 5,000–8,000 females worldwide. As observed, it primarily affects males, as it relates to genetics and the passing down of genes from parent to child.

    Actinogen’s trial will enrol around 50 patients. The cohort will receive treatment over 12 weeks to observe the effects of Xanamem on Fragile X syndrome.

    Investors can expect readouts from the study’s results sometime in 2023, per the announcement.

    Aside from this, Actinogen also advised it had signed a letter of intent with Worldwide Clinical Trials Limited (WWC) to ‘operationalise’ the trial.

    The move appears to be strategic from Actinogen, given that WWC is a research organisation that specialises in neurological, paediatric and rare diseases.

    The letter of intent was signed for an amount of $944,724 and funds will be used “for start-up activities to enable prompt activation of [trial] sites”.

    It has a duration of 60 days whilst a full contract is negotiated but can be cancelled with a full refund of any unused monies.

    Actinogen Medical share price snapshot

    It’s been a year of outsized returns for the Actinogen Medical share price, having posted a gain of 673% in the last 12 months after rallying 710% this year to date.

    Each of these results has shot past the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO)’s climb of around 20% in that time.

    The post Why the Actinogen (ASX:ACW) share price is sinking 16% on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Actinogen Medical right now?

    Before you consider Actinogen Medical, 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 Actinogen Medical wasn’t one of them.

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    The author 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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  • ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: NAB result disappoints, PointsBet surges

    Man looks shocked as he works on laptop on top a skyscraper with stockmarket figures in graphic behind him.

    At lunch on Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record another small decline. The benchmark index is currently down 0.2% to 7,439.4 points.

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

    NAB full year results disappoint

    The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is trading lower today after its full year results fell a touch short of expectations. For the 12 months ended 30 September, NAB delivered a 76.8% increase in cash earnings to $6,558 million. This compares to Morgans’ estimate of $6,597 million. Also potentially weighing on its shares was management’s FY 2022 commentary. It warned that competitive pressures are expected to continue in FY 2022, impacting housing lending margins.

    PointsBet shares jump

    The PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price is surging higher today after revealing that the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) has recommended it for a licence to operate mobile sports wagering in New York when laws change. PointsBet was one of nine companies to be awarded a Platform Provider licence. Official approval procedures are still to follow, with the recommended operators to undertake independent system testing ahead of official launch. This is expected in early 2022.

    Newcrest announces acquisition

    The Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price is trading lower today despite announcing a major acquisition. This morning the gold mining giant announced that it has agreed to buy Canadian metals and mining company Pretium Resources for A$20.03 per share or 0.8084 Newcrest shares for each Pretium share held. On an undiluted basis, this values Pretium at around $2.8 billion. Newcrest expects the acquisition to boost production by >300Koz per annum to over 2Moz.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Tuesday has been the PointsBet share price with a gain of almost 8% following its New York update. The worst performer has been the CSR Limited (ASX: CSR) share price with a 4.5% decline. A good portion of this decline is due to the building products company’s shares going ex-dividend today.

    The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: NAB result disappoints, PointsBet surges 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 Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet 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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  • Zip (ASX:Z1P) CEO: ‘We’d be very, very profitable, but we’re reinvesting for growth’

    one hundred dollar notes planted in the ground representing growth asx shares

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is edging lower on Tuesday, currently down 0.12% to 7,443 points. However, it’s a better story for the Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price. At the time of writing, Zip shares are up by 1.79% to $6.24 apiece.

    This rise comes amid some interesting developments for Zip. Earlier this year, we covered how Zip was planning to expand into the world of cryptocurrency (and potentially share) trading.

    And yet the Zip share price has still been struggling lately, with this buy now, pay later (BNPL) company down roughly 4.4% over the past 12 months.

    Perhaps this sluggish share price performance can be blamed on Zip’s lack of profitability. After all, even though Zip reported $403.2 million in revenue for FY2021, along with transaction volumes of $5.8 billion and a cash gross profit of $198 million, it still recorded a net earnings loss of $22.9 million for FY21. That means Zip still lacks a positive price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio.

    What the Zip CEO had to say

    But seeming lack of profitability isn’t bothering Zip in the slightest. According to recent reporting in The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), Zip co-founder and CEO Larry Diamond reckons Zip could easily be profitable right now if the company wasn’t ploughing so much cash into more growth.

    “If we dropped all of our growth capex, sure, we’d be very, very profitable, but we’re reinvesting for growth,” he told the SMH.

    Diamond said Zip is moving in on the cryptocurrency space simply because “you always give customers what they want”.

    But it might be a while until we Aussies get it. The company will reportedly be introducing its crypto product into the US markets first, and “within the next year”. This will initially focus on purely investing in digital coins, but Zip does have plans to facilitate customers using the coins to pay for purchases.

    However, Zip might have some stiff competition when it does get to offering crypto services here in Australia. As the Fool covered recently, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) might also be planning to move into the crypto services space. If it does, it will be joining Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), which announced its own crypto plans earlier this month. 

    But Zip should be used to some healthy competition by now, given how crowded the BNPL sector has become.

    At Zip’s latest share price of $6.24, this company has a market capitalisation of $3.56 billion.

    The post Zip (ASX:Z1P) CEO: ‘We’d be very, very profitable, but we’re reinvesting for growth’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Zip Co right now?

    Before you consider Zip Co, 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 Zip Co 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. owns shares of and has recommended ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why is the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) share price having such a tough time of late?

    a hand reaches out with australian banknotes of various denominations fanned out.

    The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) share price has been falling in recent times. It has dropped more than 10% over the last three months.

    It was in August that the regional bank reported a mixed set of numbers in FY21.

    If you didn’t catch the result, here are some of the highlights:

    Bendigo Bank’s FY21 numbers

    Total income on a cash basis were up 4.5% to $1.7 billion. Statutory net profit increased by 172% to $524 million.

    Cash earnings after tax grew by 51.5% to $457.2 million. On a per-share basis, earnings went up 43.4% to 85.6 cents.

    The balance sheet also strengthened, with the common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio improved by 32 basis points to 9.57%.

    However, the net interest margin (NIM) fell by 7 basis points to 2.26%. Bendigo Bank explained that this happened due to significant growth in fixed lending and competitive new business rates. The funding mix and deposit repricing benefits provided a tailwind throughout the year, according to the bank.

    Bendigo Bank pointed out that it was successful in achieving growing customer numbers and increasing market share in both lending and deposits. It has been working on a transformation which has helped its efficiency, productivity, speed to market and the customer experience. Its net promoter score (NPS) of 27.3 was “well in excess” of the industry average of 25.7 points and the average of the major banks (29.8 points).

    Outlook

    Investors sometimes decide that an outlook can be very important how to value a business, which could impact the Bendigo Bank share price.

    The regional bank noted that the historic low interest rate environment continues to place pressure on its margins. However, it’s taking advantage of “strong” customer lending demand across its consumer, business and agribusiness divisions.

    It’s expecting its lending to grow quicker than the overall loan system, whilst maintaining a focus on costs, improving productivity and preserving a “strong and resilient” balance sheet.

    Annual general meeting (AGM)

    Bendigo Bank is holding its AGM today. The managing director and CEO, Marnie Baker, had a few more comments about the outlook, who said:

    The depth of the economic contraction through the pandemic has not been as severe as initially expected, which has improved the forward outlook…I’m encouraged by the recent rise in consumer and business confidence, the reopening of domestic and international borders and the resilience demonstrated by the Australian economy in the last financial year.

    With that said, the operating environment for the banking industry has its challenges, with net interest margins experiencing continued compression and the lending environment remaining highly competitive.

    We continue to manage our cost base relative to revenue expectations, delivering on our commitment to further reduce our cost to income ratio and lift shareholder returns.

    Is the Bendigo Bank share price a buy today?

    The brokers at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) think that it is worth a buy, with a price target of $11. Macquarie believes the low valuation makes up for the difficulties that the bank is currently seeing. The broker is expecting margins to remain challenged by the current environment, though it thinks revenue can keep rising.

    Macquarie thinks that Bendigo Bank is valued at under 14x FY22’s estimated earnings with a forward grossed-up dividend yield of 8.5%.

    The post Why is the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) share price having such a tough time of late? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited and 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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  • Brokers name 3 ASX dividend shares to buy now

    A happy male investor turns around on his chair to look at a friend while a laptop runs on his desk showing share price movements

    Are you looking for dividend shares to add to your income portfolio? Then the three listed below could be top options.

    Here’s why analysts rate these dividend shares highly:

    Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

    The first dividend share to look at is Adairs. It is a leading homewares and furniture retailer with both a physical presence and growing online presence. The latter includes through both its core brand and its online only Mocka brand.

    The team at UBS are positive on Adairs. A recent note reveals that its analysts have a buy rating and $5.40 price target on the company’s shares. As for dividends, UBS is forecasting fully franked dividends of 19.6 cents per share in FY 2022 and 29.9 cents per share in FY 2023. Based on the current Adairs share price of $3.53, this will mean yields of 5.5% and 8.5%, respectively.

    DEXUS Property Group (ASX: DXS)

    Another ASX dividend share to look at is Dexus. It is an Australian real estate company focused on office, industrial and retail properties. It has just added to its high quality portfolio through the acquisition of $1.5 billion worth of industrial assets. These assets include Jandakot Airport in Perth and a logistics centre leased to Australia Post.

    Macquarie is positive on the company and has an outperform rating and $11.67 price target on its shares. The broker is also forecasting dividends per share of 52.9 cents in FY 2022 and 57.3 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current Dexus share price of $11.31, this will mean yields of 4.7% and 5.1%, respectively.

    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

    A final ASX dividend share to look at is Transurban. It is a toll road operator with a portfolio of important roads throughout Australia and North America. This includes the CityLink in Melbourne, Cross City Tunnel in Sydney, and the AirportlinkM7 in Brisbane. Although traffic volumes have been impacted by the pandemic and recent lockdowns, they are expected to rebound now that Australia is reopen.

    Morgans expects this to be the case and 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 $13.83, this implies yields of 2.8% and 4.1%, respectively. Morgans has an add rating and $14.79 price target on its shares.

    The post Brokers name 3 ASX dividend shares to buy now 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 ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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