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Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models again, leading to the release of a number of broker notes this week.

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

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts have retained their buy rating on this mining giant’s shares with a trimmed price target of $49.20. The broker has been looking at the mining sector ahead of the release of quarterly updates later this month. It believes BHP will deliver a reasonably solid quarterly update, with copper and met coal production expected to increase quarter on quarter. Outside this, the broker continues to like BHP due to its attractive valuation, its optionality with a +US$20 billion copper pipeline and strong production growth, and its robust free cash flow generation. The BHP share price is trading at $44.67 on Thursday.

Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM)

A note out of Citi reveals that its analysts have initiated coverage on this gold miner’s shares with a buy rating and $69.00 price target. The broker is feeling positive on the Newcrest Mining owner due to the sky high gold price and its expectation that prices will remain high in the second half of 2024. The only risks it sees are execution risks relating to the miner’s strategies. However, it appears relatively confident that the company can deliver meaningful free cash flow growth in the coming years. The Newmont share price is fetching $56.98 this afternoon.

Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA)

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have also retained their buy rating but cut their price target on this packaging company’s shares to $3.00. According to the note, Goldman was disappointed with Orora’s trading update earlier this week. While it was somewhat expecting the company to downgrade its Saverglass earnings expectations, it was surprised to see management do the same for its legacy business earnings. It notes that the key source of disappointment was its North America business, which had thus far demonstrated earnings resilience and strong margin expansion. In light of this, the broker has downgraded its earnings estimates through to FY 2026 and its valuation accordingly. However, it still sees plenty of value on offer with its shares and good (5%+) dividend yields over the coming years. The Orora share price is trading at $2.24 on Thursday afternoon.

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

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More reading

• Why hot ASX copper shares could have further to run
• Guess which ASX 200 gold stock this leading broker just tipped for 21% gains
• Should I buy BHP or Rio Tinto shares in April?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Are your big ASX 200 mining dividends in for a chop?

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Orora. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The price of copper has marched 12% higher over the past six months, bringing ASX copper shares along for the ride.

Today, the electrifying metal is perched at its highest point in 14 months, commanding a US$4.19 per pound price. Despite the recent performance, some analysts believe the rally is set to continue. If true, further upside in ASX copper stock might be only a matter of time.

Positive prognosis for Doctor Copper

Commodity prices are a function of supply and demand. Because of this, we can study the market for any expected changes in either of those two to give a glimpse into where prices might head in the future.

More supply and less demand can lead to much lower prices. Less supply and less demand can result in unchanged prices. But, less supply and more demand… that can be a recipe for a dramatic price increase, depending on the severity.

As it turns out, developments that could aid in reduced supply and greater demand for copper have unfolded over the past week.

Firstly, China moved closer toward potentially cutting copper production by 10% last week. These talks have come about as Chinese copper smelters struggle to refine the base metal economically. For example, a cargo of copper ore from ASX share BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) reportedly offered $3 per tonne for treatment and 0.3 cents per pound for refining — a decade low, according to industry sources.

Secondly, loan changes could boost the demand side of the equation. As reported by Reuters, China’s central bank overnight announced the removal of minimum down payments on vehicle financing stipulated by the government.

Changes are being made to revitalise consumer spending in the largest vehicle market in the world.

China accounted for 69% of all new electric vehicle sales globally in December 2023. Hence, loosening loan conditions could mean increased demand for copper-heavy EVs.

An analyst at Wilsons, an Australian wealth firm, is also bullish on the year ahead for copper, saying:

Leaving aside copper’s strong long-term demand outlook, from a perspective the global macro environment is also supportive of copper demand over the next 12 months.

BHP and Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) are the firm’s top picks in the sector.

How are ASX copper shares performing today?

Aussie copper miners are basking in a mostly green day after copper prices surged overnight. Some are even setting fresh 52-week highs in today’s session, including:

• Sandfire Resources — up 2.8% to $9.09
• WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1) — up 15.6% to $14.50
• Metals Acquisition Ltd (ASX: MAC) — up 3.9% to $21.06

The BHP share price is down 0.4% despite the rally in copper prices. Shares in the ASX mining giant have underperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the past 12 months, falling 2.8% versus the benchmark’s 8% gain.

The post Why hot ASX copper shares could have further to run appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Should I buy BHP or Rio Tinto shares in April?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Are your big ASX 200 mining dividends in for a chop?
• 3 ASX shares I think will lead the next bull market charge

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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It’s understandable that many income investors search for ASX dividend shares that offer the safest streams of passive income.

For retirees and other investors who rely on dividend income to fund their living expenses, nothing is perhaps more important than having a good idea of what kind of paycheques one can expect over at least the next 12 months.

Unfortunately for us all, there’s really no such thing as a ‘safe’ dividend share. No company is under any obligation to increase or even maintain a dividend payment from year to year. Or pay a dividend at all, for that matter – a lesson we all painfully learned during the pandemic.

But there are still shares that can come close. So today, let’s talk about two of what I think are the safest dividend shares you can buy on the ASX today, judging by their records of paying out dividends for decades.

2 ‘safe’ ASX dividend shares paying income for decades

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Wesfarmers may not exactly be a household name. But many of this sprawling retail and industrial conglomerate’s underlying brands are. They include Bunnings, Kmart, OfficeWorks, Target, Kleenheat Gas, King Gee and many more.

Wesfarmers is one of the oldest shares of the Australian stock market. It has managed to change with the times over its long history but has also retained assets that continue to deliver growth to its portfolio.

Nowhere is this more evident than Wesfarmers’ dividend track record. As an example, Wesfarmers paid out a total of $1.10 per share in dividends in 2009. By 2019, this had grown to $2.78 per share.

The company’s more recent payouts have been diluted thanks to the Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) spinoff in 2018. But investors have still enjoyed a dividend pay rise every year since 2020, which is significant considering the impacts of the pandemic.

Today, Wesfarmers shares offer a fully-franked dividend yield of 2.92%.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL)

Next up, we have one of my favourite ASX dividend shares in investing house Soul Patts.

Like Wesfarmers, Soul Patts is a highly diversified business. It owns a huge portfolio of underlying assets, which include a concentrated ASX stock portfolio. This is dominated by stakes in companies like TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG), New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) and Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW).

Soul Patts’ assets also house a diversified, broader ASX stock portfolio, property, bonds, private credit and venture capital investments.

There may be no such thing as a safe dividend share, but in my view, Soul Patts is about as close as it gets. After all, this is a company with a 24-year and continuing streak of delivering annual dividend pay rises to its investors.

In 2012, this company gave its investors payouts worth a fully-franked 46 cents per share. But by 2023, that had risen to 87 cents per share.

Right now, Soul Patts shares are trading on a fully-franked dividend yield of 2.67%.

The post 2 safe ASX dividend shares that have paid income for decades appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• This ASX 200 stock is down 11% in under a month. Should you buy before it trades ex-dividend?
• Where I’d instantly invest $10,000 in ASX shares for passive income
• Are Wesfarmers shares an ASX bargain buy or overvalued right now?
• 2 of my top ASX 200 shares to consider buying before April
• Why today is a good day to own Wesfarmers shares

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Brickworks, Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Brickworks, Coles Group, Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have been on a tear over the past half year.

Six months ago, shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stock were trading for $98.09. Today those same shares are worth $118.70, up 21%.

March even saw CBA shares break into new all-time highs, closing at $121.45 on 8 March.

And despite numerous analysts cautioning that its valuation is looking stretched, CommBank could continue to outperform, in part due to its market-leading adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).

CBA shares and AI

Perpetual Investment Management portfolio manager Anthony Aboud believes AI can benefit every ASX 200 bank stock.

But he calls out CBA shares as likely to gain the most, with Australia’s biggest bank quick to embrace AI. In FY 2023, the bank’s information technology expenses increased by 8% year on year.

“If you were to believe that there would be cost out efficiencies through AI initiatives, CBA has historically been the one bank which could be able to capitalise on that first,” Aboud said (quoted by Bloomberg).

As CBA moves to automate more of its processes, he said this will bring down costs, which will come as good news to shareholders.

And those costs are sizeable. According to Bloomberg data, CBA spent north of $7 billion in FY 2023 on its workforce.

In February, CBA shares got a lift after the bank reported it was rolling out cutting-edge AI technologies developed by Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT).

As we reported at the time, CBA’s group chief information officer, Gavin Munroe, said the bank’s software engineering teams had been given access to Microsoft’s GitHub co-pilot. And he said their productivity was rocketing as a result.

Other tailwinds for the ASX 200 bank stock

Also offering some potential tailwinds for CBA shares is the outlook for lower interest rates.

Aboud said that as the RBA starts to cut the official cash rate, “Margins will probably stay stable” for CBA and the other big banks.

 “The probability of bad debts increasing with lower interest rates is probably lower, so they’ll probably do OK in that environment,” he added.

Indeed, if CBA opts not to pass on the full amount of any future rate cuts to borrowers, it could boost earnings and profits in the year ahead.

Investors are also increasingly optimistic inflation will come under control without Australia entering a recession.

As always, before buying CBA shares or another ASX stock, be sure to do your own research first, or reach out for some expert help.

The post Why this expert expects CBA shares will capitalise on AI appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• ASX expert: Sell CBA shares now
• Why March was a record-smashing month for the CBA share price
• Own CBA shares? It’s payday for you!
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Are CBA shares really worth $120?

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. 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 Scott Phillips.

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Much to the relief of Aussie investors, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a much better session on Thursday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.5% to 7,819.2 points.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are falling:

A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M)

The A2 Milk share price is down almost 3% to $5.85. This is despite there being no news out of the infant formula company. However, it is possible that profit taking could be weighing on its shares today. After all, they remain up approximately 38% year to date despite this decline. Investors have been bidding the A2 Milk share price higher this year thanks to a stronger than expected performance in FY 2024. During the first half, A2 Milk reported a 3.7% increase in revenue to NZ$812.1 million and a 15.6% jump in net profit after tax to NZ$85.3 million.

Lindsay Australia Ltd (ASX: LAU)

The Lindsay Australia share price is down 2% to $1.03. This decline has been driven by the logistic services provider’s shares going ex-dividend for its interim dividend. In February, Lindsay Australia released its half-year results and reported a 23.9% increase in operating revenue to a record of $417.9 million and a 21.7% jump in underlying EBITDA to a record of $52.1 million. This allowed the company’s board to increase its interim dividend by 10.5% to a fully franked 2.1 cents per share. Eligible shareholders can now look forward to receiving this dividend later this month on April 19.

Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ)

The Meridian Energy share price is down 2% to $5.47. Investors have been selling this energy company’s shares despite there being no news out of it today. Though, given that utilities are generally regarded as safe haven assets, it’s possible that some investors are dumping its shares today and moving back into risk assets after the market recovered from yesterday’s selloff. Meridian Energy shares remain up 10% over the last 12 months.

Opthea Ltd (ASX: OPT)

The Opthea share price is down over 2.5% to 73 cents. This morning, this retinal disease focused global biopharmaceutical company released a presentation relating to its Sozinibercept product. Management believes it has the potential to be the first product in more than 15 years to improve visual outcomes. It is addressing a high unmet need for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). And while the company estimates that it has a multi-billion dollar commercial opportunity in a growing market, investors don’t appear to be overly convinced based on its share price performance.

The post Why A2 Milk, Lindsay Australia, Meridian Energy, and Opthea shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 7 ASX small-cap shares that are cheaper than the ASX 200 in March 2024
• Why is the A2 Milk share price up 46% year to date and at a 52-week high?
• This new catalyst could make A2 Milk shares a buy
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 positions in and has recommended Lindsay Australia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk and Lindsay Australia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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With the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) touching a new all-time high earlier this week, it’s fair to say that the ASX 200 stocks making their investors happy are outnumbering those that have had a rough month right now. But one ASX 200 stock that decisively falls into the latter category right now would be Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW).

Since hitting a new 52-week (and all-time record) high of $31.37 around a month ago, the Brickworks share price has been falling ever since. Today, this diversified construction materials company is trading at $27.74 a share.

That may be up 0.33% for the day, but it puts Brickworks down a hefty 11.6% from its new high from early March.

If Brickworks had just traded ex-dividend, then maybe investors might find this drop easier to digest. However, investors can brace for another share price drop when Brickworks is actually scheduled to trade ex-dividend for its upcoming interim payment of 24 cents per share, fully franked, on 9 April next week.

Brickworks is a company that has an enthusiastic shareholder base, headlined by its largest shareholder,  the respected Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL). It can also boast of a long history of delivering market-beating returns to investors. So is this pullback a buying opportunity today?

Is this ASX 200 stock a ‘buy-the-dip’ opportunity?

Well, much of the recent selling pressure afflicting this ASX 200 stock appears to have stemmed from Brickworks’ latest half-year earnings report.

As we covered on 21 March, Brickworks reported a 6% decline in revenues to $547 million for the six months to 31 December. The company also revealed an underlying net loss of $37 million for the period.

However, one ASX expert reckons these earnings are nothing for shareholders to worry about. Late last month, my Fool colleague James covered the views of ASX broker Citi.

Citi thought that Brickworks’ earnings were actually better than expected. In the wake of said earnings, this broker retained a ‘buy’ rating on this ASX 200 stock alongside a 12-month share price target of $35. If realised, this would see investors enjoy a potential upside of more than 26% over the coming 12 months, not including dividend returns.

Citi seemed to be buoyed by Brickworks’ optimism over its future rental income potential, as well as the Australian construction industry more broadly.

So that’s how one ASX expert sees this ASX 200 stock right now. No doubt, investors will be hoping that Citi is on the money here. But let’s wait and see if Brickworks can indeed surpass its previous all-time high and hit $35 a share.

The post This ASX 200 stock is down 11% in under a month. Should you buy before it trades ex-dividend? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why I think these 2 ASX dividend shares are ideal for income investors
• Where I’d instantly invest $10,000 in ASX shares for passive income
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stocks have been handing investors some seriously outsized gains of late.

This comes amid a surging gold price.

The yellow metal hit new record highs again overnight, trading north of US$2,302 per ounce.

At the time of writing, that same ounce is worth US$2,301. That’s up 16% from US$1,984 at the beginning of 2024.

This has helped propel the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) – which also contains some smaller gold miners outside of ASX 200 gold stock – up 23.2% since 28 February, when bullion was fetching US$2,030 per ounce.

It’s also seen shares in the world’s largest gold miner, a relative newcomer to the ASX, surge by 24.6% since 28 February.

And a leading broker thinks there’s more outperformance to come.

Any guesses?

If you said Newmont Corp (ASX: NEM), give yourself a virtual gold star.

ASX 200 gold stock tipped for 21% share price gains

Citi has a bullish outlook for Newmont shares, with a price target of $69. (Broker data courtesy of The Australian.)

That’s 21.3% above the current Newmont share price of $56.88.

With its world-class gold and copper mines, Newmont is well-positioned to capitalise on the soaring gold price. (Copper prices are up more than 8% year to date.)

Like other ASX 200 gold stocks, Newmont has been catching tailwinds amid rising expectations of interest rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve and other global central banks. Gold, which pays no yield itself, tends to command higher prices in low or falling interest rate environments.

Central banks have also continued to buy near-record amounts of bullion, supporting global demand.

And, of course, gold’s haven status has been on display, with the price rising amid escalating geopolitical tensions across much of the world.

What’s been happening with Newmont?

Newmont, as you’re likely aware, was previously solely listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

That changed after the giant American gold miner acquired ASX 200 gold stock Newcrest Mining last year. The final successful takeover offer was accepted in April 2023.

This saw Newcrest exit the ASX on 26 October. Newmont shares, now dual listed, began trading on the ASX the following day, 27 October.

Newmont reported its full-year results on 23 February.

Commenting on those results, CEP Tom Palmer called 2023 “a transformational year”.

Following Newmont’s successful acquisition of Newcrest, Palmer said, “Our principal focus for 2024 is to integrate and transform our leading portfolio of Tier 1 assets into a unique collection of the world’s best gold and copper operations and projects.”

Palmer added:

With stable production and structured reinvestment throughout the year, we are strongly positioned to deliver on our commitment sin 2024 and set the stage for meaningful growth in 2025 and beyond.

Shares in the ASX 200 gold stock are up 0.5% in early afternoon trade today.

The post Guess which ASX 200 gold stock this leading broker just tipped for 21% gains appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• ASX 200 gold shares surging as gold price hits new records. Now what?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Top ASX shares to buy in April 2024

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is bouncing back from yesterday’s horror session and is pushing higher in afternoon trade. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.5% to 7,822.5 points.

Four ASX shares that are rising more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are storming higher on Thursday:

Imugene Ltd (ASX: IMU)

The Imugene share price is up almost 5% to 11 cents. This has been driven by news that the clinical stage immune-oncology company has received a notice of grant from the Chinese Patent Office. Imugene has been granted claims to protect its oncolytic virotherapy, CF33. This includes VAXINIA (CF33-hNIS) and CHECKvacc (CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1). Oncolytic viruses are designed to both selectively kill tumour cells and activate the immune system against cancer cells. They have the potential to improve clinical response and survival. The patent protects the method of composition and method of use of Imugene’s licensed oncolytic virotherapy all the way out to 2037.

Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)

The Liontown Resources share price is up 5% to $1.21. This is despite there being no news out of the lithium developer today. However, it is worth noting that a number of lithium stocks are rebounding strongly on Thursday following a positive night for their peers on Wall Street. And as I noted here yesterday, one leading broker is tipping big returns from Liontown shares. Bell Potter has a speculative buy rating and $1.90 price target on its shares.

Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)

The Pointsbet share price is up 2.5% to 82 cents. This morning, this sports betting company announced that the sale of its US business is now complete. Pointsbet has received US$50 million, representing the final instalment of the headline purchase price of US$225 million. As a result, it has transferred the remaining United States-based sports wagering, advanced-deposit wagering, and iGaming operations, together with Banach technology to Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG). Shareholders can now look forward to receiving some of the proceeds from the sale through a capital return. Details will be announced later this month.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)

The Regis Resources share price is up 4% to $2.01. This follows another positive session for the gold price overnight. It hit a record high as geopolitical tensions increased. In other news, this morning Morgan Stanley responded to yesterday’s quarterly update by retaining its overweight rating and $2.45 price target on the gold miner’s shares. This implies over 20% upside for investors.

The post Why Imugene, Liontown, Pointsbet, and Regis Resources shares are storming higher 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. has positions in and has recommended PointsBet. 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 Scott Phillips.

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No one knows the inner workings of a company better than those in the boardroom. That’s why digging deeper can be worthwhile when an insider buys or sells. And, today it’s been disclosed that a director of an S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) company converted some shares to cash.

The company in question is up a market-beating 58% over the last year. At the same time, calendar year revenue for this $13 billion behemoth business has grown from $599 million at the end of 2022 to $980 million by the end of 2023.

So, who is taking some of their chips off the table while business is booming?

Cashing out $4 million worth

A change of director’s interest notice published this morning reveals which ASX 200 shares have been kicked to the curb.

According to the notice, CAR Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) co-founder and non-executive director Walter Pisciotta sold 110,915 shares in the company. The transactions took place on the 27 and 28 March, in addition to the 2 April.

The on-market sales amounted to $3.97 million from a company held under a family trust.

It is helpful to give the sale some context. Despite liquidating nearly $4 million worth of shares in this ASX 200 company, Pisciotta still retains a significant financial interest in the online vehicle marketplace.

Even after the sale, Pisciotta holds 8.7 million shares worth $305 million through Clear-Way Investments Pty Ltd. Although, the ownership does not qualify as a substantial holding (more than 5% of shares on issue) — working out to be around 2%.

No information was supplied for why Pisciotta cashed out some of his shares. However, given the relatively small portion of his total stake, it is unlikely due to any change in view on the company’s future prospects or quality.

What do brokers think of this ASX 200 share?

As reported by The Motley Fool last week, CAR Group currently resides in Macquarie’s model portfolio. Analysts at the investment bank believe a 7.5% weighting towards the online auto classifieds company is reasonable, yet brand it with a price target of $32.70, 6% below the current $34.87.

The price target given by Goldman Sachs is a little more optimistic. Citing a reasonable valuation, analysts at Goldman slapped this ASX 200 share with a target price of $39.40. This would suggest a potential 13% upside from here.

The post Guess which ASX 200 insider just dumped $4 million in company shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top five ASX 200 shares in Macquarie’s model growth portfolio
• 13 ASX 200 shares with ex-dividend dates next week

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Car Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares are having another positive session.

In morning trade, the gold miner’s shares have climbed almost 2% to a new 52-week high of $14.94.

This means that its shares are now up approximately 19% since this time last year, which is more than double the market return over the same period.

But if you thought this market-beating performance was new, think again.

Northern Star shares are arguably one of the least talked about success stories on the Australian share market.

Over the last 15 years, the company has gone from being just a minnow to a titan of the gold sector. This has led to the gold miner’s shares delivering an average total return of 58.85% per annum over the period.

To put this staggering return into context, a $5,000 investment in Northern Star shares back in 2009 would now be worth a whopping $5.2 million. That’s not a typo.

And let’s not forget the countless dividends it has paid out over the years.

Would I be crazy for buying Northern Star shares at $15?

Well, the first thing to acknowledge is that investing in Northern Star today is very different to 15 years ago. A $5,000 investment today is almost certainly not going to turn into $5 million after a decade and a half.

But that doesn’t mean that some decent returns won’t be coming for investors that jump in today.

For example, the team at Macquarie is feeling very bullish on the gold miner. Its analysts updated their near term commodity price forecasts last month and lifted their gold price assumptions through to 2028.

This led to the broker increasing its earnings estimates for Northern Star and ultimately its valuation.

Macquarie currently has an outperform rating and $17.00 price target (previously $16.00) on Northern Star’s shares.

Based on its current share price, this implies potential upside of approximately 14% for investors over the next 12 months.

If the broker’s recommendation proves accurate, a $5,000 investment today in the gold miner would turn into $5,700 in a year.

But the returns won’t necessarily stop there. Macquarie is expecting Northern Star to pay dividends of 36.5 cents per share in FY 2024 and then 38.7 cents per share in FY 2025. This will mean dividend yields of 2.5% and 2.6%, respectively.

Combined, this would mean a total return 12-month of over 16% for investors. So, overall, it doesn’t appear to be too late to buy high-flying Northern Star shares.

The post Would I be crazy to buy Northern Star shares at almost $15? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
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• ASX 200 gold shares surging as gold price hits new records. Now what?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Why ASX 200 gold stocks dazzled shareholders in March

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 positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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