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There are a few different ASX shares that are currently rated highly by brokers.

If a business is rated as a buy, it means the business could be good value and may be able to do well over the next 12 months.

Brokers are certainly not right all the time. But if multiple analysts think that a business is a buy, then it may be worth considering if they are an opportunity. However, it’s possible that all of the brokers are wrong at once.

With that in mind, here are two to consider:

Credit Corp Group Ltd (ASX: CCP)

Credit Corp is a market leader of debt collecting in Australia and it is rapidly growing in the US.

FY21 saw an 11% increase in net profit after tax to $88.1 million. The US division really drove the result, doubling profit to $17.7 million.

Credit Corp is currently rated as a buy by at least three brokers, including Ord Minnett, which has a price target of $32 on the business.

Based on the broker’s numbers, the Credit Corp share price is valued at 23x FY22’s estimated earnings. It’s also expected to pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.4%.

Whilst Credit Corp is scheduled to hold its AGM this week, it did provide an outlook and guidance update with its FY21 result.

Credit Corp said it entered FY22 with considerable momentum, having invested heavily during FY21 and secured a record committed starting purchased debt ledger pipeline for FY22.

The ASX share said that it is expecting to produce earnings growth of 8% at the top end of its range for net profit to be between $85 million to $95 million. Ord Minnett thinks Credit Corp could end up beating this guidance.

IOOF Holdings Ltd (ASX: IFL)

IOOF is a diversified financial business, with a significant portion of the business being related to financial advice.

It’s currently rated as a buy by at least four brokers, including Morgan Stanley which has a price target of $5.50 on the business.

The broker highlights the recent FY22 first quarter update, which showed that fund outflows were not as bad as expected.

In that quarterly update, the ASX share said that it saw continued growth in funds under management and administration (FUMA), with restated FUMA up $2.4 billion to $321.1 billion.

The funds under administration business saw an increase of $1.8 billion over the quarter to $222.8 billion. Positive market movements of $3.4 billion were offset by pension payments of $0.8 billion and net outflows of $0.9 billion.

Meanwhile, the funds under management (FUM) increased by $0.6 billion over the quarter to $98.3 billion. Market gains of $2 billion were offset by net outflows of $1.4 billion.

After IOOF’s recent acquisitions, including MLC, it said that its previously stated combined acquisition pre-tax synergy run rate target of $218 million per annum by the end of FY24 and the FY22 synergy run-rate range of $80 million to $100 million, remain on track. It’s also evaluating whether there are additional synergies that can be found.

Morgan Stanley thinks it’s valued at 11x FY22’s estimated earnings, with a grossed-up dividend yield of 9.25%.

The post Brokers highly rate these 2 ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares last week
• Why Codan, IOOF, Orocobre, and PointsBet shares are tumbling
• 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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On Wednesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back on form and stormed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.9% to 7,392.7 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to rise again

The Australian share market looks set to rise on Thursday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 29 points or 0.4% higher this morning. This follows a solid night on Wall Street, which in late trade sees the Dow Jones up 0.2%, the S&P 500 up 0.5%, and the Nasdaq up 0.85%.

Oil prices sink

Energy shares including Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a difficult day after oil prices sank overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 4.4% to US$80.21 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 3.9% to US$81.43 a barrel. Traders were selling oil amid another big rise in US stockpiles.

Domino’s rated as a buy

The team at Goldman Sachs has held firm with its buy rating on the Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) share price following its annual general meeting. The broker has, however, trimmed its price target to $147.00. This follows a weaker than expected performance during the first 18 weeks of FY 2022 in the Japanese market. Group same store sales remain up 4.3% over the period.

Gold price drops

Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could come under pressure today after the gold price dropped. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 1% to US$1,771.2 an ounce. Traders were selling gold following the US Federal Reserve’s meeting. The central bank intends to start tapering its bond purchases.

AGMs being held

A number of ASX 200 companies are holding their annual general meetings today and could provide updates on their performances. Among the companies holding their meetings are Credit Corp Group Limited (ASX: CCP), Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING), NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF), and Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P).

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

More reading

• Why did the Orocobre (ASX:ORE) share price leap 6% today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this Wednesday
• Why has the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX:HACK) share price leapt 7% in a month?
• Why did the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price have such a lousy month 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. owns shares of and has recommended ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited and NIB Holdings 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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The Dubber Corp Ltd (ASX: DUB) share price continued its unrelenting climb on Wednesday. Miraculously, the appetite for shares in the cloud-based call recording software company was large today, despite its quarterly report being handed out on Friday last week.

By the end of the session, more than 1.7 million shares had been traded in the company. The sustained positive sentiment saw the Dubber share price finish at $3.32, up 5.1%.

So, what was in the company’s latest quarterly that has resulted in such an insatiable demand?

What made it a killer quarter for Dubber?

• Revenue increased 149% year on year to $8.1 million
• Subscribers nearly doubled to more than 450,000
• Annual recurring revenue (ARR) rose 140% year on year to $43.5 million
• Operating cash receipts skyrocketed 231% year on year to $9.1 million
• Completed the acquisition of AI meeting recorder and notetaker, Notiv
• Finished the quarter with $126 million cash on its balance sheet.

What it means for the Dubber share price?

Whichever way you slice it, this was a standout quarter for the unified call recording and voice intelligence solution provider. All of the typical software-as-a-service (SaaS) metrics indicated substantial growth, demonstrating growth at scale.

During the September quarter, Dubber witnessed organic SaaS subscription growth of more than 30,000. The total subscriber base grew by a far greater number but the company maintains a policy of not including foundation partner program subscribers in this metric.

Moreover, the total subscriber base surpassed 450,000 by the end of the quarter. Impressively, this represented an increase of 98% on the prior corresponding period. Likewise, important financial figures such as annualised recurring revenue and cash receipts also expanded by triple-digit values. This incredible growth bodes well for the Dubber share price.

Additionally, the company highlighted an increase in activity in the global unified communications markets. This was particularly noticed in financial services sectors where compliance requires call recording. As a result, these enterprises continue to utilise Cisco Webex and Microsoft, where Dubber’s tools are embedded.

Comments from management

Chalking up another quarter of strong growth for the Australian tech company, management shared some key points with shareholders. In this case, Dubber CEO Steve McGovern stated:

We see an accelerating trend towards the importance of enhanced voice data capability beyond just that required for compliance purposes.

This trend is being observed by our service provider partners, allowing us to expand engagements with existing partners and attract new service providers through initiatives such as the Foundation Partner program.

On the back of this positive performance, the Dubber share price has gained 6.4%. This takes the company’s year-to-date share price return to 89.7%.

The post Dubber (ASX:DUB) share price rally continues days after a quarter to remember appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 high quality ETFs getting ASX investors excited
• Ansell (ASX:ANN) share price climbs 2% amid takeover rumours
• Here’s why the Tyro (ASX:TYR) share price tumbled 15% today
• Why did the Orocobre (ASX:ORE) share price leap 6% today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today

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. owns shares of and has recommended Dubber Corporation. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Dubber Corporation. 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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If you don’t have sufficient funds to build a diverse portfolio, then exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be a quick fix.

The is because ETFs give investors access to a large number of different shares through a single investment. This allows you to spread your funds far wider than you would if you were buying individual shares.

With that in mind, I have picked out three ETFs that are very popular with ASX investors right now. Here’s what you need to know about them:

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

The first ETF to look at is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. This ETF gives investors exposure to the leading companies in the global cybersecurity sector. This means you’ll be buying a slice of companies such as Accenture, Cisco, Cloudflare, Fortinet, Okta, Splunk, Zscaler, Crowdstrike.

Due to the growing threat of cyberattacks globally, demand for cybersecurity services has been increasing strongly. And with this trend expected to continue long into the future, these companies could be in a strong position for growth over the 2020s.

VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

Another ETF for investors to look at is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. This ETF gives investors access to companies involved in the growing video gaming market. Among the exciting shares you’ll be owning are hardware giant Nvidia and game developers such as Electronic Arts, Roblox, and Take-Two.

VanEck notes that these companies are in a position to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports. This could bode well for the ETF over the 2020s.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

A final ETF to look at is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. At the last count, this ETF was providing investors with exposure to a whopping 1,504 of the world’s largest listed companies.

Among the companies you’ll be buying a slice of are giants including Apple, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, and Visa. The manager of the fund, Vanguard, notes that the ETF allows investors to take part in the long-term growth potential of international economies. This could make it a good option if your portfolio lacks international exposure.

The post 3 high quality ETFs getting ASX investors excited appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why has the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX:HACK) share price leapt 7% in a month?
• 3 great ASX tech shares that might be good buys
• Here’s why Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX:VGS) could be a top passive investment idea
• 2 excellent ETFs for ASX investors right now
• 3 stellar ASX tech shares to buy right now

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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors ETF Trust – VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. 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 Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) share price ended Wednesday’s session higher after it was the subject of more takeover rumours.

According to reports in The Australian, the personal protective equipment maker could be on the radar of international rivals seeking new acquisitions.

As of Wednesday’s close, the Ansell share price is $32.61. That’s 2.32% higher than it was at the end of Tuesday’s session.

For context, both the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) gained 0.8% on Wednesday.

Let’s take a closer look at the rumours surrounding Ansell today.

Ansell share price gains amid takeover rumours

The Ansell share price spent Wednesday in the green. The gains came after The Australian flagged the possibility Ansell is being viewed as a takeover target by its larger competitors.

The publication stated healthcare and safety product manufacturer 3M (NYSE: MMM) and protective equipment producer Dupont do Nemours Inc (NYSE: DD) are both on the lookout for new businesses to buy.

Further, it said Ansell, with its $4.17 billion market capitalisation, could be prime acquisition fodder. Particularly as debt is currently cheap and the business is performing well.

The company’s bottom line was positively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as people turned to using personal protective equipment to help stave off the virus.

Ansell reported US$2 billion worth of sales for financial year 2021, a 25.6% increase on the prior financial year.  

It also saw its net profit after tax boosted 57% on that of the prior comparable period, reaching US$248 million.

It’s not the first time The Australian has flagged Ansell as a takeover target this year.

In February, the publication stated private equity suitors could be readying themselves to make a bid for the ASX-listed company.

Despite reporting increased profits, the Ansell share price has struggled on the ASX this year.

It is currently 6% lower than it was at the start of 2021. It has also fallen 22% since this time last year.

The post Ansell (ASX:ANN) share price climbs 2% amid takeover rumours appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Ansell (ASX:ANN) share price hits a new 52-week low today
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today
• Why Ansell, Predictive Discovery, Strike Energy, & Zip shares are sinking
• Why the Ansell (ASX: ANN) share price is crashing today
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Westpac’s $1.3bn earnings hit, Ansell sinks

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ansell 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 Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR) share price dropped 15% today after the payments business gave a presentation at its annual general meeting (AGM).

While investors may already have seen how it performed in FY21, the company’s latest thoughts may be new information.

Looking ahead

The payments business outlined a number of things that it’s doing to expand its operations.

Tyro said that it has an appetite to continue investing to capture segment share growth opportunities. This will require a step-up in operational and capital expenditure investment in key project areas including the Tyro Go dongle, its e-commerce platform and a next generation terminal.

But that’s not the only thing that Tyro is working on. It’s extending its merchant cash advance product.

Tyro also said that there is an opportunity with Medipass in combination with its existing health solutions to create the leading unified claiming and payments platform for Australian healthcare practitioners.

The payments company is looks to deploy its IP in the alliance model into other market opportunities. It has gone into an alliance with the regional bank Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN). Tyro also said that it has a pilot in operation with Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) that includes 29 of its retail locations where business customers can view and sign up to Tyro terminals.

Management also said that the business has continuing appetite for bolt on acquisitions to gain scale, leverage its platform or add capabilities.

The company declined to give any guidance.

Trading update

Tyro gave a trading update as part of its AGM for FY22 in the year to date to 29 October 2021. How the business is performing can have an impact on the Tyro share price.

In the payments business, it says that it averaged 1,259 new merchant applications per month for the first four months of FY22.

The transaction value to 29 October 2021 was up 25% year on year to $8.97 billion. The transaction value in the two weeks since NSW came out of lockdown was up 46%. The e-commerce value to 31 October 2021 was up 1,848% to $178.6 million.

Turning to the banking business, loan originations to 31 October 2021 was $20.6 million, up 1,447%. Deposit balances were $97.7 million at 31 October 2021, an increase of 7%.

Finally, Tyro said that its gross profit to 31 October 2021 was $38.5 million, an increase of 14%.

That gross profit increased was lower than what was achieved in FY21, where gross profit grew by 28% to $119.4 million.

Tyro’s payment terminals problems

During the last financial year, Tyro suffered from a terminal connectivity issue in January 2021. The business established a remediation program to provide financially-impacted merchants a channel to seek to claim financial loss caused by the incident. As of yesterday, 93% of all remediation claims relating to the terminal incident have been resolved.

Tyro said it is developing a dongle ‘failover’ solution for every merchant, which is an industry first. However, it is facing legal proceedings in the Federal Court on behalf of certain merchants. Tyro said it’s going to defend these proceedings.

The post Here’s why the Tyro (ASX:TYR) share price tumbled 15% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Beach, Flight Centre, Tyro, and Whitehaven Coal are dropping
• Tyro (ASX:TYR) share price tumbles after being hit with class action
• 2 ASX tech shares that experts love right now
• How did ASX fintech shares perform in the FY22 first quarter?

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. owns shares of and has recommended Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Tyro Payments. 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has enjoyed a pretty successful day of trading on the ASX boards today. The ASX 200 has finished up with a healthy 0.93% gain to 7,392 points. But one ASX 200 share put the broader index to shame. That would be the Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) share price.

Orocobre shares finished trading today at $9.70 each, up a pleasing 6.71% for the day. That’s nearly 7 times the ASX 200’s gains. But nothing shareholders in Orocobre wouldn’t be used to by now. This is a company that’s up roughly 116% year to date in 2021 alone, after all. It’s also up more than 289% over just the past 12 months, and a jealousy-inducing 411% since the 15 May low in 2020.

So what could have sparked such a bullish push upwards today?

Orocobre share price shoots the lights out

Well, it’s not entirely clear, unfortunately. There have been no major news or announcements out of Orocobre this Wednesday, or indeed since Wednesday last week.

However, we see a clear trend playing out on the ASX boards today that could provide some insight. Orocobre is one of the ASX’s most prominent lithium companies. And it is also not the only company in the ASX lithium space enjoying some outsized gains today.

The ASX 200’s biggest lithium play Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) also enjoyed a robust day in the green today, up 5.43% to $2.33 a share. Its fellow lithium company Galan Lithium Ltd (ASX: GLN) is up 6.25% to $1.62 a share. Even the ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX: ACDC) is seeing some gains.

So we can probably say with some confidence that we saw a sector-wide move here today.

But why?

My colleague James Mickleboro posited a possible explanation in the Fool’s midday market update today: “Investors appear optimistic that clean energy investment will be given a major boost at the COP26 meeting this week.” It’s also worth pointing out that lithium shares like Orocobre are very hot right now, and have seen some wild swings in valuation over the past few months (and years) and sentiment shifts. Put another way, these large swings in lithium companies like Orocobre are not exactly uncommon.

Whatever the reason behind today’s moves in Orocobre shares, there will no doubt be plenty of chuffed shareholders out there.

At the current Orocobre share price, this ASX 200 lithium company has a market capitalisation of $5.79 billion.

The post Why did the Orocobre (ASX:ORE) share price leap 6% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this Wednesday
• Why has the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX:HACK) share price leapt 7% in a month?
• Why did the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price have such a lousy month in October?
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: CBA enters crypto market, AMP jumps

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

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Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) delivered a positive session for investors. At the end of the trading day, the benchmark index finished 0.93% higher at 7,392.7 points.

It would be a challenge to find a poor-performing company on the ASX today. More than 70% of the top 200 companies pushed higher on Wednesday. The upwards climb in valuations was led by financials and lithium miners. Meanwhile, tech and telcos couldn’t keep up with the positive pace, falling into the red.

However, the question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? Here are the ten stocks that rose to the occasion:

Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

Looking at the top 200 listed companies, AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the financial services giant jumped 9.30%. The blockbuster intraday performance from the usually tame share price of AMP followed the divestment of Resolution Life Group. Find out more about AMP here.

The next biggest gaining ASX share today was Imugene Ltd (ASX: IMU). The biotechnology company finds itself in the top 10 once again despite no new announcements today. Imugene’s share price climbed an additional 6.73% during today’s session. Uncover the latest Imugene details here.

Today’s top 10 biggest gains were made in these ASX shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP)	$1.175	9.30%
Imugene Ltd (ASX: IMU)	$0.555	6.73%
Orocobre Ltd (ASX: ORE)	$9.67	6.38%
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)	$2.32	4.98%
Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)	$2.47	4.22%
Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)	$39.13	4.04%
Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)	$1.945	4.01%
Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)	$8.32	3.87%
James Hardie Industries PLC (ASX: JHX)	$53.98	3.83%
BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL)	$20.92	3.41%

Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check-in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this Wednesday
• Why AMP, Eclipx, Paradigm, and Praemium shares are surging higher
• Why has the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX:HACK) share price leapt 7% in a month?
• Why did the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price have such a lousy month in October?
• AMP (ASX:AMP) share price leaps 9% on life insurance sale

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

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The Arcadia Minerals Ltd (ASX: AM7) share price has had a remarkable day on Wednesday. In fact, its incredible performance places it as the fourth-highest gaining share on the ASX today.

At market close, shares in the battery-focused metals explorer finished at 25.5 cents apiece, up 27.5%. At one point, the Arcadia Minerals share price rocketed 57.5% higher, reaching 31.5 cents per share, setting an all-time high for the company.

Let’s take a look at what all the fuss is about.

Why is the Arcadia Minerals share price soaring today?

The story begins with the Arcadia Minerals share price being placed in a trading halt at the request of the company on Monday. At that time, details were sparse with the request simply stating it was in relation to an announcement of a proposed lithium acquisition. Fast forward to the present and we now know the magnitude of the news.

According to the release, the company’s 50% owned subsidiary known as Brines Mining Exploration Namibia Ltd has conditionally agreed to acquire 100% of three licenses containing an inferred JORC (joint ore reserves committee) mineral resource.

Additionally, the inferred mineral resource contains lithium, potassium, and boron. The company is predominantly interested in the potential for lithium extraction. The licenses to be acquired indicate a resource of 15.1 million tons at 828 parts per million of lithium.

Moreover, the resource area covers only 6% of the acquired exposed clay pans. As such, the company believes there could be potential for further exploration that may result in the expansion of the resource. At this stage, Arcadia plans to commence exploratory drilling in November 2021.

It was noted the resource holds potential for lithium-in-brine aquifers. In response, investors are bidding up the Arcadia share price today.

Terms of the deal

The details of the license acquisitions are a little complex, but here they are for perusal:

• The right to acquire 25% for a consideration of ~A$87,000 by May 2022
• ~A$176,000 for the right to acquire 100% within 2 years following initial acquisition
• A further ~A$615,000 payable following the completion of a definitive feasibility study showing over 500,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent from the brines.

Additionally, the three mining licenses are adjacent to the company’s existing Bitterwasser lithium project. This existing project covers an area of 3,438 square kilometres. Granting shareholders approve the acquisition, Arcadia’s landholding will increase to 4,031 square kilometres.

The Arcadia Minerals share price is up 31% since its listing in June this year.

The post Arcadia Minerals (ASX:AM7) share price rockets 27% on lithium project update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price having such a stellar day?
• Why the Talga (ASX:TLG) share price is charging 10% higher today
• These top brokers weigh in on the IAG (ASX:IAG) share price
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this Wednesday
• How did the AGL (ASX:AGL) share price perform in October?

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

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The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price has taken off today amid the bank’s release of numerous annual reports.

While none of the reports are marked price sensitive, the market was bidding up the ANZ share price on Wednesday.

The bank has also featured in reports a Federal Court case originally brought against it has been branded a calamity.

At the close of trade, the ANZ share price is $28.47, 2.26% higher than its previous close.

Let’s take a closer look at the news surrounding ANZ on Wednesday.

ANZ share price up amid a flurry of reports

The ANZ share price enjoyed a day in the green today amid the release of its 2021 annual report, its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) supplement, and various other reports.

The reports follow from ANZ’s financial year 2021 results, released to the market last week.

The bank’s ESG supplement noted it invested $139.7 million in communities in 2021. It also put $1.43 billion towards more affordable, accessible, and sustainable homes to buy and rent since 2020.

It also boasts that 35.3% of its leadership teams are women. Further, it has reduced its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 47% on its 2015 baseline.

Additionally, in ANZ’s annual report, CEO Shayne Elliott commented on the bank’s future:

Customers want the same experience in banking they can get from online shopping or travel – convenient, safe, always on. At the same time… investors and regulators are rightly more sensitive to banks operating in an ethical, environmentally sustainable and transparent manner. Politicians are also holding the industry to greater account… Fortunately, we had already made significant progress in readying the organisation for the next phase of our evolution.

For the last couple of years we have been working on a program we’ve internally referred to as ‘ANZx’. This [will improve] the digital capability, the digital ‘mindset’ if you like, of our entire organisation. The first phase of this will be the launch soon of a new proposition we are calling ANZ Plus…the very first step in what will be a multi-year roll out of what will eventually become the cornerstone of how our retail and small business customers bank with us in the future…

Market watchers can delve deeper into ANZ’s APS 330 Pillar 3 Disclosure, upcoming dividend and annual general meeting dates, and corporate governance statement.

What’s next for ANZ?

ANZ has outlined some of its future plans, including the abovementioned ANZ Plus.

ANZ Plus is part of a “digital transformation”. It will include a mobile app, 2 new bank account offerings, and access to financial coaches.

The bank’s digital transformation will also see its institutional banking business become simpler and more connected. For example, ANZ has built a business to allow its customers to integrate their systems with the bank’s, to automate payment reconciliation processes.

Finally, ANZ pointed to its recently launched small business digital lending platform, ANZ GoBiz, as a marker of the future.

GoBiz’s process means the bank can now provide loans in 2 days. Previously, the same process could take more than 30 days.

ANZ in the headlines

However, ANZ’s newly released reports aren’t the only happenings potentially exciting the market today.

A Federal Court judge has reportedly slammed the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) over a criminal case originally brought against ANZ, Citigroup (NYSE: C), Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB), and 6 executives.

The prosecution claims the accused acted as a cartel, colluding to control shares not sold during a $2.5 billion capital raise conducted by ANZ in 2015.

Last week the prosecution dropped charges against ANZ and its executive, Rick Moscati.

According to reporting by The Australian, today Justice Michael Wigney said the case was a “complete shemozzle”. CDPP reportedly must file new charges before 24 November.

The post Why is the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price having such a stellar day? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• The ANZ share price is up 24% so far in 2021. Here’s why
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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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