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The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price could be a winner as a result of COVID-19. The company’s flourishing online shopping service has been a massive hit with consumers opting for convenience. However, a pricing war with Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) looks to intensify as the supermarket giant looks to win market share.

At Monday’s closing bell, Woolworths shares ended the day down 0.33% to $39.50.

Woolworths cuts delivery costs

In a bid to entice consumers in the online shopping scene, Woolworths revealed that it is reducing the delivery fees.

For all orders $50 and over, customers who are signed up to the company’s subscription service will receive free deliveries. Normally, this fee charges up to $15 per delivery depending on the shorter same-day or next-day delivery options.

Woolworths is seeking to retain customers but also bring new shoppers by offering a free 30-day trial of Delivery Unlimited. The service costs $119 for an annual subscription, which is 34% lower than previously advertised. Customers pay month-to-month and can cancel anytime.

In addition, using Delivery Unlimited will collect double everyday reward points with every online shop. These points can be redeemed for credit to use on Woolworths products or converted into Qantas frequent flyer points.

On the other hand, Coles offers a free delivery service on purchases of $250 or more. Although, between Tuesday and Thursday, delivery costs can be as little as $2 depending on spend amount.

Both Woolworths and Coles are fighting for market share as the demand of ‘click and collect’ means significant e-commerce sales. Shopping habits have completely changed as a result of the pandemic.

Woolworths share price summary

It’s been a fantastic year for Woolworths shareholders, with the company’s shares accelerating to new all-time highs. Over the past 12 months, Woolworths shares have pushed 15% higher, mostly coming from year-to-date gains, up 14%.

On valuation grounds, Woolworths commands a market capitalisation of roughly $47.87 billion, with approximately 1.2 billion shares on its books.

The post Can Woolworths (ASX:WOW) win its delivery battle against Coles? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the Coles (ASX:COL) share price a buy for the 5% dividend yield?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• What happened to the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price in October?
• Christmas is coming, but is the Coles (ASX:COL) share price already overstuffed?
• Here’s why the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price is down 5% in a 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 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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The PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price will be on watch today.

This follows the release of a very positive announcement that could put a rocket under its shares.

Why could the PointsBet share price shoot higher?

This morning PointsBet released an announcement relating to a public meeting held on Monday by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).

This meeting was to decide which sports betting companies would be recommended for a licence to operate mobile sports wagering in New York when laws change.

According to the release, the NYSGC has recommended PointsBet as one of the nine companies to be awarded a Platform Provider licence to operate mobile sports wagering in the state. Other companies being recommended are FanDuel, BallyBet, BetMGM, DraftKings, Rush Street Interactive, Caesars, WynnBet, and Resorts World.

What’s next?

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.

PointsBet’s US CEO, Johnny Aitken, was pleased with the news, noting that it is an “exciting moment” for the company.

He commented: “Having the potential to secure market access to New York state – expected to be one of the largest and most important markets in the United States – represents another major milestone for our company, our brand, and our technology.”

“We are thankful to the Gaming Commission for this recommendation and believe it speaks volumes to PointsBet’s reputation and ability to deliver an unrivaled, world-class experience. We eagerly await the official opportunity to leverage our exclusive sports betting partnership with NBC Sports and introduce the nation’s premier sports betting product to the countless passionate, sports-loving New Yorkers,” he added.

The PointsBet share price is down 28% in 2021, so this news will no doubt be welcomed by shareholders.

The post PointsBet (ASX:PBH) share price on watch after New York update 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 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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This year kicked off with a bang after a bunch of Americans conspired to plough their money simultaneously into a failing bricks-and-mortar retailer.

Shares for GameStop Corp (NYSE: GME) then surged from US$20 to as high as US$483 in just a couple of weeks.

And with that, the term “meme stock” entered the mainstream lexicon.

There’s been a massive influx of new and young stock investors since the COVID-19 pandemic shut everyone in at home last year. 

Add to that the share market’s spectacular recovery from the March 2020 crash and it’s not entirely a surprise that there is a crowd always seeking to jump on the next moonshot stock.

But, according to one expert, it’s now time to take a cold shower.

Watch out, it’s 2017 all over again

Forager Funds chief investment officer Steve Johnson said that his funds, including the Forager Australian Shares Fund (ASX: FOR), had a fantastic time enjoying the fervour for ASX shares in recent times.

“For us, being agile, open-minded and willing to be contrarian was more important than ever last year. It allowed us to invest in a collection of unloved businesses at once-in-a-lifetime prices,” he wrote in Money magazine.

“And it paid off. The 2021 financial year was the best on record for Forager across both our Australian Shares Fund and International Shares Fund.”

But ASX shares were now entering a different era, and the familiar indicators have Johnson worried.

“Right now, interest rates remain at record lows, stock markets are trading at all-time highs, people are inventing new metrics like revenue multiples to justify absurd prices for growth stocks, inflation is becoming a serious concern and COVID resurgences are weighing on the economic recovery,” he said.

“More importantly, there are very few pockets of undue pessimism.”

The conditions remind Johnson of 2017 when his funds tried to keep looking for hidden gems — then ate humble pie for 2 years.

So faced with the same situation now, he calls on investors to get serious.

“It is time, once again, to be thinking about the benefits of safe and boring,” Johnson said. 

“Once again, like 2017, investor obsession with hyper-growth and high returns has left some of these stocks neglected.”

Your ASX shares don’t always have to stand out

According to Johnson, his team learned an important lesson from the difficult 2018-2019 period.

“You don’t always need to be doing better than the crowd,” he said.

“There is a time and place for contrarian bets. And there’s a time for playing it safe.”

Counterintuitively, taking a simple investment strategy is not actually that easy after a period of finding shooting stars.

“To turn to our loyal client base and say ‘you know how we look for opportunity in unlikely places? Well, we just bought Downer EDI Limited (ASX: DOW)’,” said Johnson.

“That doesn’t sit well with how we view ourselves or what our clients have come to expect. And that’s what makes it so hard.”

The post Investor warning: Time for sensible and ‘boring’ ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top 5 global shares held by Aussie investors in Q3 revealed: eToro
• Why is the Downer (ASX:DOW) share price struggling today?

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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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The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price will be one to watch closely on Tuesday.

This follows the release of the banking giant’s full year results this morning.

NAB share price on watch after profit surge in FY 2021

• Revenue down 2.4% to $16,729 million
• Cash earnings up 76.8% to $6,558 million
• Cash return on equity up 420 basis points to 10.7%
• CET1 ratio of 13%
• Fully franked final dividend per share of 67 cents (full year dividend up 90% to $1.27 per share)
• Credit impairment charge write-back of $217 million
• Collective provisions at 1.35% of credit risk weighted assets

What happened in FY 2021?

For the 12 months ended 30 September, NAB reported a 76.8% increase in cash earnings to $6,558 million. This was driven partly by a lack of notable items in FY 2021. Excluding notable items from the prior corresponding period, NAB’s cash earnings would have increased 38.6% over the 12 months.

A key driver of NAB’s growth was its Personal Banking segment, which reported a 14.4% increase in cash earnings to $1,650 million. Management advised that this reflects lower credit impairment charges and volume growth in home lending.

Also supporting NAB’s growth was its New Zealand Banking business, which reported an 18.7% increase in cash earnings to NZ$1,230 million. This was driven by lower credit impairment charges, combined with higher revenue, volume growth, and increased margins.

NAB’s Business & Private Banking segment delivered a 0.3% increase in cash earnings to $2,480 million in FY 2021. Its broadly stable earnings also reflect lower credit impairment charges, which were partly offset by higher operating expenses.

Finally, the Corporate & Institutional Banking segment acted as a drag on NAB’s performance. It reported a 14.8% decline in cash earnings to $1,207 million. This reflects lower Markets income, combined with higher credit impairment charges. The latter relates to an increase in provisions associated with the partial sale of an aviation portfolio.

NAB’s CEO, Ross McEwan, commented: “Our results this year demonstrate we have navigated a challenging environment well while delivering better experiences for customers and colleagues, resulting in safe growth across our business.”

“Our strategy is achieving results. While there is still much to do, I am encouraged by our progress as we execute with discipline and focus. Over the year, customer and colleague engagement scores increased, and we extended our market leadership in SME business with lending growth of 7%, well ahead of system.”

“Our bank has momentum, our strategy is clear and as lockdown restrictions ease, a pick-up in activity is expected. While some uncertainties exist in the outlook including the impact of tapering support, our balance sheet settings are strong and we are well positioned for the expected economic rebound in Australia and New Zealand.”

How does this result compare to expectations?

According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts were expecting the banking giant to report cash earnings from continuing operations of $6,597 million in FY 2021. This was broadly in line with consensus estimates. Morgans had also pencilled in a fully franked final dividend of 64 cents per share.

This means NAB missed slightly with its cash earnings of $6,558 million but is paying a larger than forecast final dividend at 67 cents per share.

The NAB share price is up 27% in 2021.

The post NAB (ASX:NAB) share price on watch after reporting 77% jump in cash earnings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Which ASX bank shares were the best performers during October?
• How did the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price perform in October?

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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With the Reserve Bank last week declaring the end of bond yield curve control, the era of COVID-19 stimulus is winding down.

This leaves great uncertainty about which direction ASX shares are headed in.

Do stock prices already have rate rises baked in? Or will it still be a shock to investors when it happens?

The unpredictability means that selecting ASX shares to buy based on the characteristics of the underlying business, rather than external influences, becomes more important.

It’s with this lens we examine 2 stocks that Catapult Wealth portfolio manager Tim Haselum this week recommended as “buys”.

Let’s celebrate with drinks and pokies 

Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) only listed on the ASX in late June, but is no newbie to the game.

The $12.8 billion liquor and hospitality venture was spun off from $47.9 billion supermarket giant Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW). 

“The company owns the Dan Murphy’s liquor chain and ALH Hotels,” Haselum told The Bull.

“Alcohol retailing has been strong throughout the pandemic.”

Endeavour shares started life at $6.50 but, at Monday’s close, they were going for $7.18.

As COVID restrictions lift around Australia and people return to hotels, pubs and backyard parties, Haselum has high hopes for the upward stock price trend to continue.

“We see upside from its hotels and poker machines. We expect a stronger performance moving forward.”

Pleasingly, investors received Endeavour’s latest update positively a couple of weeks ago, sending the stock shooting up.

According to CMC Markets, other analysts don’t necessarily share Haselum’s view. Four out of 10 rate the stock as a “strong buy”, but 3 classify it as a “sell”. The other 3 are neutral, calling for a “hold”.

ASX share absolutely beaten-up, but not down for the count

Shareholders for artificial intelligence (AI) services provider Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) have suffered greatly in recent times.

They’ve watched in horror as the former market darling lost almost 70% over the past 12 months.

That’s not putting off Haselum though.

“We like the company and believe it’s undervalued. It has strong rebound potential.”

The portfolio manager liked Appen’s recent acquisition of mobile location data provider Quadrant Global and believes the demand for AI will remain “strong” into the future.

“This language technology and data services company has reduced guidance. But the stock is trading at a discount on these valuations, in our view.”

Other analysts seem to agree with Haselum that Appen is far from permanent damage.

Out of 11 professionals surveyed by CMC Markets, 5 rate the stock as a “strong buy” and one counts it as a “moderate buy”. Only one analyst rates it as a sell, while 4 are recommending a “hold”.

In fact, the team at Citi has a price target of $17.10. Appen shares closed on Monday at $11.

The post Alcohol and intelligence: 2 ASX shares on the way up appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• These ASX shares could be quality options for growth investors
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• Is the Appen (ASX:APX) share price a serious bargain?
• Move over Appen: A new artificial intelligence stock to list on the ASX
• Analysts name 2 excellent ASX growth shares to buy

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns shares of Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Appen 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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The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price was out of form again on Monday.

The embattled infant formula company’s shares dropped 2.5% to $6.23.

This means A2 Milk’s shares are now down almost 16% over the last three weeks.

Is the A2 Milk share price good value now?

Positively for its long-suffering shareholders, one leading broker continues to see value in the A2 Milk share price at the current level.

According to a note out of Bell Potter this morning, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $7.70 price target on its shares.

Based on the current A2 Milk share price, this implies potential upside of ~24% for investors.

What did the broker say?

Bell Potter has been looking at recent industry data to get a picture of how A2 Milk is performing.

While the broker acknowledges that China’s infant formula import volumes continue to demonstrate double digit year on year declines, it highlights that volumes are improving. For example, September volumes were down 24% year on year but up 10% month on month.

Outside this, Bell Potter continues to believe that the A2 Milk share price is not reflective of its turnaround potential. Particularly given its belief that the company could double its earnings by FY 2026.

It explained: “There is no change to our Buy rating. We see the scope for EPS to double by FY26e, if A2M can execute on the China offline expansion strategy, while recovering 50% of the lost sales (from FY20-21) in English label IMF. Exiting the loss making US assets or navigating a turnaround at the MVM asset would likely accelerate this turnaround. We do not see the current share price as reflecting this potential.”

All in all, the broker appears to see this as a buying opportunity for investors.

The post Is the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price dirt cheap? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• October was a rollercoaster month for the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price
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• Is the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price a buy after the selloff?

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 A2 Milk. 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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Ask A Fund Manager

The Motley Fool chats with fund managers so that you can get an insight into how the professionals think. In this edition, Fidelity International portfolio manager Kate Howitt tells why the finance industry is so male-dominated.

The Motley Fool: You were recently named among the top 30 female fund managers in the world and the only Australian. Congratulations.

Kate Howitt: Thank you. That’s an annual ranking that they’ve been doing for a while now. I’ve been on the list 4 [consecutive] times now.

It’s of all female portfolio managers across both equities and bonds, so it’s a really broad set. Citywide has the broadest rankings. I think a couple of years ago [the selection pool] was 1,200 women. It’s gone up a bit since then, which is good.

MF: Why do you think it’s so important for your industry, which obviously is very male-dominated, to have diversity?

KH: Well, I think it’s incontrovertible now that diversity of thought is better for most endeavours. And I don’t think anyone would claim that women or men are necessarily better investors, but when you have a broader perspective in the team, it’s just going to get better results [for] clients. 

Then you can flip it around and say, it’s a really interesting job. And it’s an important role because the role is not only building retirement savings for Australians, but it’s also the efficient allocation of capital. And so, women should have a role in both of those processes, and women should have the option to do a job that is just so fascinating and challenging.

MF: What would be a quick solution to get more girls and women involved in the finance world?

KH: Part of it is the industry needs an image makeover, right? 

I have a teenage daughter, and when young women are setting out to think about what they want to do with their lives, a lot of them think, ‘I want to do something that… is inherently meaningful and good for the community’. And finance has too much of a Wolf of Wall Street image. 

And there’s a sense that finance is something you go into if you’re greedy. Whereas I think of finance as solving problems for the community. It’s intermediating between people who have excess funds and need a return, and people who have great investment opportunities but need the seed capital. Putting those two together, that kind of community problem solving is really what finance is about. 

But we don’t talk about it that way, we don’t think about it that way, we don’t market it to high school girls that way. So, that’s one part of the issue — to have teenage girls not cringe at the thought of telling their friends they want to go into finance. That’d be a start.

Then you’ve got all the issues that would help with one of the big problems, which is the pipeline, which heavily skews male. Then you can move on to secondary challenges, like retention and promotion. 

We’ve got two women on our team. We’ve just promoted them to portfolio managers. One of them has just been on maternity leave, the other one’s just about to go on maternity leave. 

I was promoted to portfolio manager. I called my chief investment officer to confess that I was pregnant for the second time… I was, honestly, a bit embarrassed about it, which is a terrible thing to say.

MF: It shouldn’t be that way, should it? 

KH: Yeah. But she said, “Well, we were going to promote you anyway, so when you come back from maternity leave, you’ll be a portfolio manager.”

There’s that overlap, these critical periods in the career of an aspiring portfolio manager, overlap with those early childbearing and child raising years. 

We’ve got a small team and yet we are about to have our 11th maternity leave that we’ve carried in that analyst team. We’re fine with it, but the industry as a whole needs to get better at getting women through those critical, tricky years.

MF: I’m keen to talk ASX shares with you, but just before we do that, how did you start in the industry yourself?

KH: I did a liberal arts degree, which was fascinating until I got about halfway through and realised that I was going to be qualified to work in a restaurant. And I was in the US, so I had a massive student debt to pay off on top of it. 

So I went to do an MBA at the University of Chicago, which is, of course, the home of the Efficient Market Theory. There’s not too many active fund managers who come out of Chicago. 

I started off at the Boston Consulting Group with guys like [Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) chief] Brad Banducci, and [Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS) chief] Ahmed Fahour, and then I moved from that into AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) in corporate finance. And then moved on to investor relations, which was my first exposure. 

After a couple of years, I started thinking it would be more fun to ask the questions than answer the questions. So I moved from the corporate side of AMP into AMP Capital, into one of their teams.

MF: It was a bit of a journey, wasn’t it? It wasn’t straight from school.

KH: Yeah, a lot of the women I know of my vintage, similarly, they kind of fell into finance. 

A lot of them studied a language and then got hired by a bank, and then they went from there, that kind of thing. I think when you are an industry that’s relying on women kind of accidentally falling into your industry, it’s no wonder we’re not kind of finding enough of them.

The post How to get more women trading ASX shares for a living appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• AMP (ASX:AMP) share price climbs despite ratings downgrade
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• Why AMP, Eclipx, Paradigm, and Praemium shares are surging higher

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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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Could the Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price be worth looking at as more borders open?

The airline has been making numerous moves to capitalise on the border changes that are happening.

For example, Qantas is bringing all of its Australian-based employees back to work by early December 2021, which is happening half a year earlier than expected.

Flights from Sydney to Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Johannesburg and Fiji are resuming ahead of schedule.

Qantas is looking to launch an Australia to India route on 6 December 2021, flying from Sydney with three return flights per week, increasing to daily flights by the end of the year.

The reopening of flights between Sydney and Melbourne (with no quarantine) is another positive that Qantas points to. This route was one of the busiest routes in the world before the pandemic. The airline is hoping to operate 37 return flights per day by the end of the year.

The Qantas CEO Alan Joyce noted how strongly international ticket sales are currently going:

In recent weeks, sales on international flights to and from Sydney have outstripped sales on domestic flights, which shows how important certainty is to people when making travel plans.

While these flights will initially be for Australians and their families, we expect tourists from Singapore, South Africa and India to take advantage of these flights once borders reopen to international visits, which is great news for the industry.

Asset sale to improve the balance sheet

Qantas announced last month that it was selling 13.8 hectares of land in Mascot for $802 million to a consortium led by LOGOS Property Group. Settlement of the vast majority of the lots is expected in the first half of FY22, with the funds being used to reduce debt and accelerate the airline’s recovery.

Qantas has also entered into discussions with LOGOS about potential future development options for the sites being acquired, including the creation of a dedicated precinct for the airline, as well as the sale of an additional 3 hectares of land that adjoins some of the lots being sold. Qantas expects to complete the evaluation of these proposals in early 2022, and if an agreement is reached, this has the potential to raise the total value of the deal to more than $1 billion.

The precinct would take several years to deliver if it decides to go for it, the airline would need it to drive efficiencies in how it operates and make a material contribution towards lowering its emissions footprint.

Qantas will lease back portions of the land for a period of time while arrangements are made to relocate some of the functions that the land is currently used for and while LOGOS progresses its border development plans.

Is the Qantas share price a buy?

The broker UBS thinks so, with a price target of $6.40. UBS thinks the land sale is a good sale to help the company’s balance sheet during this period of difficulty for its profit.

Citi also thinks that Qantas is a buy, though the price target is only $5.93.

Based on UBS projections, the Qantas share price is valued at less than 12x FY23’s estimated earnings.

The post Is the Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price a buy as borders open? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why travel shares led the ASX 200 on Monday
• Why the Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price is flying 4% higher today
• The Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price is lifting, but returning planes to the air isn’t without challenges
• Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price climbs as overseas travel ban lifts
• I’m buying these 2 cheap ASX shares right now: expert

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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The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price has been in recovery mode this year following a challenging 2020. The company is aiming to bring back the travel agenda to people’s lives after an 18-month hiatus.

At Monday’s closing bell, Flight Centre shares ended the day up a robust 5.71% to $21.12. Last month, the company’s shares reached a 52-week high of $25.28 but are still down around 40% from pre-COVID-19 levels.

Flight Centre launches digital travel experience

To coincide with the restart of the travel industry, Flight Centre has introduced a digital travel experience, dubbed “Travel Runway”.

From today, Travel Runway will be showcasing travel experiences in an online environment designed to inspire and educate travellers. The four-day event is aiming to guide customers to begin planning their next holidays. This includes categories such as beach, nature, food and wine, adventure, and luxury.

Coupled with accelerated vaccination rates and easing government restrictions, Flight Centre remains positive about the anticipated travel boom.

Flight Centre general manager of Australia Kelly Spencer commented on the resumption of travel:

…We’re seeing huge week-on-week increases in enquiries for both local and overseas travel. Last week, we saw a 34% increase in flight enquiries and a 35% increase on fly and stay packages on the previous week. It’s never been a better time to see what the world has on offer, and Travel Runway will provide endless inspiration and advice for anyone looking to book a holiday in 2022 and beyond.

In the company’s annual general meeting (AGM), management highlighted that sales revenue increased month-on-month. In particular, both the leisure and corporate segments ticked up a notch during Q4 FY21. Corporate transaction numbers were at 50% before COVID-19, representing around 40% of total transaction value (TTV).

Flight Centre share price snapshot

Up until late August, Flight Centre shares were trading mostly sideways. During the company’s full-year results release in August, its shares skyrocketed almost 60% in just 5 weeks. However, profit-takers decided to lock in gains, sending the company’s shares lower.

Flight Centre has a current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of -3.06 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $4.2 billion.

The post The Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price is still trading 40% below pre-COVID highs. So, what now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Here’s why travel shares led the ASX 200 on Monday
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why API, Evolution, Flight Centre, and Sydney Airport shares are pushing higher
• Why the Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price is flying 4% higher today

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 recommended Flight Centre Travel 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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On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week in a subdued fashion. The benchmark index fell slightly to 7,452.2 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rebound on Tuesday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 12 points or 0.15% higher this morning. This follows a decent start to the week on Wall Street, which in late trades sees the Dow Jones up 0.2%, the S&P 500 up 0.15%, and the Nasdaq trading 0.25% higher.

NAB full year results

The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price will be on watch today when it releases its full year results. According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts are expecting the banking giant to report cash earnings from continuing operations of $6,597 million in FY 2021. This is broadly in line with consensus estimates. The broker has also pencilled in a fully franked final dividend of 64 cents per share.

Oil prices rise

Energy producers such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a positive day after a decent night for oil prices. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.55% to US$81.70 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 0.65% to US$83.28 a barrel. Oil prices were boosted by the passing of the US infrastructure bill.

Gold price rises

Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could be on the rise today after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.6% to US$1,827.7 ounce. The gold price has been rising amid dovish central bank comments about interest rate increase plans.

A2 Milk shares still a buy

The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price is in the buy zone according to the team at Bell Potter. This morning its analysts retained their buy rating and $7.70 price target on the company’s shares. The broker sees scope for the infant formula company’s earnings per share to double by FY 2026.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Analysts name 2 ASX 200 dividend shares to buy
• Own NAB shares? Here’s the bank’s proposal to stop crypto mania getting ‘really ugly’
• October was a rollercoaster month for the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price
• Which ASX bank shares were the best performers during October?
• How did the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price perform in October?

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 A2 Milk. 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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