Tag: Motley Fool

  • Creso Pharma (ASX:CPH) share price jumps on new deal

    Back view of a man lifting hish hands high in front of hemp plants grown for cannabis.

    The Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX: CPH) share price is climbing higher on Tuesday following a positive update by the company.

    At the time of writing, the medicinal cannabis company’s shares are up 1.97% to 10.7 cents. It’s worth noting that in early trade, its shares touched an intraday high of 12 cents before pulling back.

    What did Creso Pharma announce?

    In today’s statement, Creso Pharma advised that its wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, Mernova Medicinal Inc, has secured a number of purchase orders.

    A mix of bulk supply orders and ongoing sales with local partners has led the company to lock in more than $800,000 in revenue. The orders are for its indoor grown, hand trimmed, hang dried, cured, artisanal cannabis products.

    Mernova’s customers consist of Cannabis NB, Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, Yukon Liquor Corporation, and Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation.

    Creso Pharma noted it continues to see a strong uptake of its dried flower and pre-roll joint range, Ritual Sticks.

    Recently, 14 new strains were developed under its Ritual Greens brand. The company anticipates sales of these products to new and existing partners in the coming months.

    Mernova managing director Jack Yu commented on the news possibly driving the Creso Pharma share price:

    Recent purchase orders from both provincial partners and bulk suppliers highlight the traction we are generating in the Canadian market. We continue to receive very good customer feedback on our range of dried flower and pre-roll joint products, which is leading to consumer uptake.

    Work to introduce new strains, innovative products and grow our footprint in Canada is ongoing and I am confident that Mernova will continue to generate sales growth.

    About the Creso Pharma share price

    Over the last 12 months, the Creso Pharma share price has gained almost 200%. However, year-to-date the company’s shares have moved the other way, posting a loss of around 40% for shareholders.

    Based on today’s price, Creso presides a market capitalisation of roughly $135 million and has approximately 1.2 billion shares outstanding.

    The post Creso Pharma (ASX:CPH) share price jumps on new deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Creso Pharma right now?

    Before you consider Creso Pharma, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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

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  • September’s best performing ASX 200 energy shares unmasked

    three children wearing superhero costumes, complete with masks, pose with hands on hips wearing capes and sneakers on a running track.

    September was a stellar month for the leading S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy shares.

    In a month that saw the broader ASX 200 fall by 2.7%, the top-3 ASX 200 energy shares gained a collective 31%.

    Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) led the pack, gaining a whopping 42.9% in September.

    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC), meanwhile, saw its share price surge by 27.7% over the month.

    And shares in our number 3 top gainer, Woodside Petroleum Ltd (ASX: WPL), leapt 22.5% in September.

    What’s driving the big share price gains?

    There are numerous factors that determine a company’s share price. But when it comes to ASX 200 energy shares, the price of the fossil fuels they mine from the earth is critical.

    And energy prices have been rocketing.

    On the supply side, there’ve been bottlenecks due to pandemic related production issues, storms in the major oil producing Gulf of Mexico, a broad pullback in new exploration over the past 18 months, and a determined OPEC keeping a lid on the cartel members’ own output.

    On the demand side, while demand for jet fuel remains well below pre-pandemic times, demand for most ground and sea transport is rebounding quickly.

    The result?

    Brent crude prices leapt from US$71.59 per barrel to US$78.52 per barrel during the month of September. And they’ve kept edging higher with a barrel of Brent crude currently trading for US$81.26.

    Coal is enjoying an even stronger run with demand remaining strong for Australia’s high quality coking coal. That’s the kind that’s used to make steel, as opposed to thermal coal used for power generation.

    Coking coal prices have gained some 300% over the past 12 months, reaching record prices of more than US$200 per tonne.

    Little wonder then that the leading ASX 200 energy share trounced the index in September.

    How have these ASX 200 energy shares been performing in 2021?

    We know the above 3 ASX 200 energy shares smashed the benchmark performance in September.

    But how have they held up over the course of the calendar year where the ASX 200 has gained 9%?

    Not so well for the Beach Energy share price, our September leader, which is down 21% year-to-date.

    Our number two ASX 200 energy share Whitehaven Coal, on the other hand, has enjoyed an eye-popping 106% share price gain so far in 2021.

    And Woodside Petroleum comes in right about at the benchmark, with shares up 8% year-to-date.

    The post September’s best performing ASX 200 energy shares unmasked appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Whitehaven Coal right now?

    Before you consider Whitehaven Coal, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    The 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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  • Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) share price slides 4% despite major ore reserve milestone

    woman and two men in hardhats talking at mine site

    The Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) share price struggling to catch a bid even after the company announced a major ore reserve milestone at its Tumas Project.

    At the time of writing, Deep Yellow shares are down 4.04% to 95 cents.

    Located in Namibia, Deep Yellow has carried out exploration activities at Tumas since 2016. During this time, the company has expanded its resource more than threefold and continues to carry out exploration activities to drive its resource base.

    Deep Yellow share price flat despite major ore reserve milestone

    Deep Yellow successfully completed resource upgrade drilling at sites across the Tumas Project which led to a 121% increase in its updated ore reserve estimates.

    The company was pleased to announce a significant upgrade to its previous ore reserves from its pre-feasibility study (PFS) announced on 10 February.

    The PFS defined a probable ore reserve base of 31 million pounds of uranium at 344 parts per million with a life of mine of 11.8 years.

    Today’s result has proved sufficient to achieve the company’s key focus area of its definitive feasibility study (DFS) which was to establish sufficient ore reserves to support a life of mine of more than 20 years.

    Deep Yellow’s updated ore reserve show 68.4 million pounds of probable ore reserves at 345 parts per million.

    Management commentary

    Commenting on the major DFS milestone, Deep Yellow managing director John Borshoff said:

    A major risk milestone for Tumas has been overcome and we are very pleased with the results, which have confirmed Tumas as a long life of mine operation and demonstrated great potential to develop the Project into a tier-one uranium deposit.

    Importantly, significant potential remains to grow Tumas through upgrading remaining Inferred Resources and further exploration of Tumas Palaeochannel, with approximately 40% yet to be fully tested, providing Deep Yellow with exceptional, additional optionality for optimisation of the DFS, which is expected to be completed in the latter part of CY2022.

    Deep Yellow share price so far

    The Deep Yellow share price boomed between late August and mid-September after uranium spot prices skyrocketed from US$30/lb to a 9-year high of US$50/lb.

    After surging more than 100% to an 8-year high of $1.37, Deep Yellow shares have since retraced to around the $1.00 level.

    Likewise, uranium prices have also cooled, currently fetching around US$43.5/lb.

    The post Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) share price slides 4% despite major ore reserve milestone appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Deep Yellow right now?

    Before you consider Deep Yellow, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Kerry Sun 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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  • Top broker tips Xero (ASX:XRO) share price to rise 24%

    A tattooed man stands in front of a chalkboard with lots of cash notes drawn on it, as if it's raining money.

    The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price is tumbling on Tuesday along with the rest of the tech sector.

    In morning trade, the cloud accounting platform provider’s shares are down 3% to $133.30.

    This means the Xero share price is now down over 12% since this time last month.

    Is the Xero share price weakness a buying opportunity?

    According to the team at Goldman Sachs, the Xero share price could be in the buy zone today.

    A note out of the investment bank this morning reveals that its analysts have reiterated their buy rating and $165.00 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the current Xero share price, this implies potential upside of almost 24% over the next 12 months.

    What did the broker say?

    Goldman notes that rival Intuit, the company behind the QuickBooks (QBO) platform, has just held its investor day event.

    Its analysts highlight that the event provided targets and increased disclosure on a number of items which the broker sees as supportive of its positive view on the Xero share price.

    The broker commented: “1. Xero International subscriber momentum stronger than Intuit in FY21, with +412k net adds (ex NA), vs. Intuit +11% growth (i.e. 160k net adds). 2. Intuit ecosystem strategy proof point for Xero, with c.38% of QBO FY21 revenues from Online Services (vs. XRO 7%), noting that 40% of QBO customers now use an ecosystem service or 3rd party app. 3. QBO ARPUs continue to track strongly, supported by mix shift to higher ARPU subs, higher platform revenues and less discounting internationally. 4. Reiterated financial targets for c.30% QBO revenue growth, driven by +10 to +20% Sub/ARPU growth respectively, in line with GSe FY22E Xero Revenue Growth +33%.

    Goldman also notes that the recent pullback in the Xero share price has brought it down to lower than average multiples. Particularly in comparison to key peer WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC).

    It concludes: “We re-iterate our Buy on Xero (12m TP of A$165), noting Xero has closed its premium vs. the ASX InfoTech index to 140% vs. 2 year average 179% (12mf EV/Sales), and is -27% cheaper on 12mf EV/Sales vs. key peer WTC. We expect revenue acceleration into FY22 to drive outperformance (+4% vs. VA Consensus) with significant LT opportunities to unlock further value (NZ$76bn TAM).”

    The post Top broker tips Xero (ASX:XRO) share price to rise 24% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended WiseTech Global and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended WiseTech Global and Xero. 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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  • Li-S Energy (ASX:LIS) share price falls 15% over its first week on the ASX

    a baby scratches his head looking slightly bemused.

    The Li-S Energy Ltd (ASX: LIS) share price has slumped over the course of its first week on the ASX. Though, it’s still well above the offer price on its prospectus.

    This time last week, the market was abuzz waiting for Li-S Energy’s much-anticipated Initial Public Offering (IPO). And Li-S Energy didn’t disappoint.

    Li-S Energy debuted on the ASX at 11am last Tuesday. Its stock quickly took off to finish its first day’s trade at $2.33 – a whopping 174% higher than its IPO offer price of 85 cents.

    Since then, the company’s stock has slipped 15.02%.

    At the time of writing, the Li-S Energy share price is $1.98, 1.49% lower than its previous close and 132% higher than its prospectus’ offer price.

    Li-S Energy is working towards developing lithium-sulphur batteries using boron nitride nanotubes and other nanomaterials. According to the company, its lithium-sulphur batteries have greater capacity, stability, performance, and cycle life than traditional lithium-sulphur batteries.

    Let’s take a closer look at Li-S Energy’s first week on the ASX.

    Li-S Energy share price dips over first 7 days’ trade

    The Li-S Energy share price has been slipping over the course of its first week on the ASX despite no price sensitive news being released by the company yet.

    In fact, aside from the day of its IPO, Li-S Energy’s stock has only recorded 2 days in the green.

    It gained 3.4% on its second day as a listed entity and shot 8.6% higher yesterday for no obvious reason.

    Unfortunately, the good sessions haven’t managed to outweigh the bad and Li-S Energy’s stock has been left in the red.

    Interestingly, Li-S Energy’s largest shareholder, PPK Group Limited (ASX: PPK), is following a similar trajectory. Since Li-S Energy’s float, the PPK share price has fallen 21%.

    Li-S Energy is a spinout of PPK Group, alongside Deakin University and PPK’s BNNT Technology Limited.

    PPK currently holds 50.1% of Li-S Energy’s voting power while Deakin has another 13%.

    The post Li-S Energy (ASX:LIS) share price falls 15% over its first week on the ASX appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Li-S Energy right now?

    Before you consider Li-S Energy, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

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

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

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  • Why this broker sees 23% upside in the REA (ASX:REA) share price

    Happy couple holding sold sticker inside Mirvac apartment

    The REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share price has come under pressure on Tuesday morning.

    At the time of writing, the property listings company’s shares are down 1.5% to $153.65.

    This means the REA’s shares are now trading flat in 2021.

    Is the REA share price good value?

    While 2021 has been underwhelming for the REA share price, one leading broker appears to believe this could be a buying opportunity for investors.

    According to a recent note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts have a buy rating and $190.00 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the current REA share price, this implies potential upside of over 23%.

    What did the broker say?

    Goldman is expecting REA’s listings to fall in FY 2022 because of lockdowns and the Federal Election.

    Nevertheless, the broker remains very positive on the REA share price due the prospect of positive jaws (when income grows quicker than sales) and margin expansion.

    It explained: “We now forecast FY22E listings to decline -3% (from -1%) given: (1) SYD/MEL lock-downs in 1H22 – although these listings will likely just be deferred to 2H22; (2) Federal Election in 2H22, albeit this will be a less significant impact than prior Elections given no proposed changes to Negative Gearing; (3) Strong 2H21 comps, with REA believing listings volumes were above average in this period. They also acknowledged cost inflation (but still guided to positive jaws in FY22) given the ongoing war for talent. We outline staff cost (as share of total costs) and forecast margin expansion across our classifieds coverage – with consensus forecasting > 100bps expansion for SEK/DHG in FY22E.”

    All in all, Goldman believes the company is well-placed to deliver solid earnings growth in the coming years. It expects REA’s net profit to grow 13.7% in FY 2022 to $373 million and then 18.2% to $441 million in FY 2023.

    Based on this, the broker feels the REA share price is trading at an attractive level for investors.

    The post Why this broker sees 23% upside in the REA (ASX:REA) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA 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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  • 3 obscure ASX shares to boom from ‘revenge spending’

    Young boy looks shocked as he lifts glasses above his eye in front of a stockmarket graph.

    For about the last year or so, investors have snapped up ASX shares of physical retailers, with the logic that they have excellent post-COVID recovery prospects.

    So are there any retail sector stocks left that haven’t already had their resurgence priced in?

    TAMIM Asset Management head of Australian equities Ron Shamgar reckons there are still some gems if you look past the usual suspects.

    “There’s only so many TVs and couches you can buy,” he told Switzer TV Investing.

    “So we’re looking at a few retailers that are not as obvious to most investors.”

    He added that retailers would benefit from a wave of “revenge spend” in the coming months.

    “We’re all sick of being stuck at home and being locked down for a few months,” he said. 

    “People, as soon as they get the chance, they’re going to spend, they’re going to shop, they’re going to go out. They’re not going to spend a minute at home… There’s going to be a huge boost to the economy.”

    Younger folks are ready to unleash after lockdown

    Shamgar’s first pick was youth apparel retailer Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI).

    “They, in my opinion, will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of that revenge spending thematic,” he said.

    “The younger demographic, they’re all going to go out to bars and restaurants… Everyone’s going to want the latest fashion trends to go out [in].”

    Shamgar also likes Universal’s store growth potential.

    “They have 68 stores currently in Australia, but they’re targeting at least 100. And they have a clear path to those stores because they’re not [yet] respresnted in all the main shopping centres,” he said.

    “We think they can get to 100 within 3 years. And the market loves a good store rollout growth story for a retailer.”

    The company showed positive results for the 2021 financial year, according to Shamgar.

    “They reported 36% revenue growth to $210 million. And It’s a very profitable business — EBIT was up 86% to $44 million.”

    The TAMIM team thinks Universal shares are worth $9. On Friday afternoon, they were trading for $7.95, which is more than 44% up for the year thus far.

    These ASX shares smell good

    Scented candle and diffuser merchant Dusk Group Ltd (ASX: DSK) is another retail chain Shamgar has high hopes for.

    On Friday afternoon the stock was going for $3.12, which is a nice 56% lift from last year’s initial public offer price of $2.

    Shamgar’s team reckons it has more to run though, calculating that it’s worth $4.

    “It’s a really nice experience to go into the stores — it smells really nice,” he said.

    “10% of its current market valuation is in net cash… And it’s paying a 10% dividend yield as well, so that’s quite impressive.”

    Like Universal, Dusk has some store expansion potential.

    “Longer term we think they’re going to expand outside of Australia, into New Zealand and the UK, which is really the key for PE re-rate, because it is trading on a cheap multiple at the moment,” said Shamgar.

    This ASX share has a subsidiary that’s worth double itself

    Joyce Corporation Ltd (ASX: JYC) has been around for 135 years. 

    These days its big business is a 50% stake in Kitchen Connection, which is a retailer with 25 stores that sells kitchen and wardrobe parts and services. Joyce Corp’s other assets include furniture retailer Bedshed, cash and property.

    With the coronavirus pandemic triggering a boom in home renovations, the kitchen business has gone gangbusters.

    “If Kitchen Connection was a separately listed company, we think it would trade at a $200 million market cap.”

    Joyce itself is only worth $100 million on a good day. On Friday afternoon, at $3.25 per share, its market capitalisation was $91.6 million.

    So the maths is simple.

    “With Joyce owning half of Kitchen Connection, it’s essentially the current market cap. And then you get the cash, property and the Bedshed business essentially for free.”

    Shamgar’s team reckons Joyce shares are actually worth $4.50.

    “And there is the possibility that they will acquire the remaining part of Kitchen Connection over time, which will be a big boost to the share price.”

    The post 3 obscure ASX shares to boom from ‘revenge spending’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns shares of Dusk Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dusk 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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  • Baby Bunting (ASX:BBN) share price drops following trading update

    The Baby Bunting Group Ltd (ASX: BBN) share price is on the move this morning.

    At the time of writing, the baby products retailer’s shares are down 1.5% to $5.45.

    Why is the Baby Bunting share price falling?

    Investors have been selling down the Baby Bunting share price today following the release of a trading update at its annual general meeting (AGM).

    According to the release, Baby Bunting’s comparable store sales are down 1.3% year to date to 3 October. However, if you exclude its ACT and NSW stores, comparable store sales would have been up 4.7%.

    And while it hasn’t been enough to stop the Baby Bunting share price from falling, this update is actually a big improvement on its performance earlier in FY 2022.

    Baby Bunting’s CEO, Matt Spencer, commented: “When we last updated the market on 13 August, comparable store sales were negative 6.4% for the first 7 weeks of the year. Since then, we have seen a positive trend in comparable store sales growth, despite the ongoing lockdowns experienced across Victoria, NSW and the ACT.”

    “From week 7 to week 14, we have seen positive comparable sales growth of 3.2% which takes us to a negative 1.3% comparable store sales performance year-to-date. If you exclude our NSW and ACT stores, since week 7 we have experienced comparable store sales growth of 10.0% with a year-to date comparable store sales growth of 4.7%.”

    What else did the company say?

    Also failing to give the Baby Bunting share price a lift was its online sales growth. The company reported strong online sales growth despite cycling a period of explosive growth a year earlier. The release explains that online sales (including click & collect) are up 37.7% year-to-date. During the prior corresponding period, its online sales rose 126%.

    Another positive is that the company’s margins continue to widen. Baby Bunting reported a gross profit margin up 120 basis points to 38.7% year-to-date. This has been supported by strong private label and exclusive product sales. Private label and exclusive products make up 44.3% of sales year-to-date. This is up from 38% in the prior corresponding period and brings it closer to its long term goal of 50% of sales.

    Looking ahead, the company expects to open 6 to 8 new stores in Australia in FY 2022, and two in New Zealand towards the end of FY 2022.

    Management also revealed that the transformation program is progressing well. It is anticipating the launch of its new Australian website and phase 2 of its loyalty program in early November.

    Due to COVID-19, no guidance was given at the AGM.

    Mr Spencer explained: “Governments are progressing along their roadmaps for re-opening which is a positive. Nevertheless, there remains uncertainty about the business and trading conditions that will prevail in different parts of Australia. Accordingly, guidance for the rest of the year ahead cannot be given at this time.”

    The Baby Bunting share price is up 12% in 2021.

    The post Baby Bunting (ASX:BBN) share price drops following trading update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Baby Bunting right now?

    Before you consider Baby Bunting, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

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

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  • Why did the Santos (ASX:STO) share price have such a great month in September?

    An oil miner with his thumbs up.

    The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price was a standout performer in September, gaining 18.5% over the month.

    To put that in better perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lost 2.7% in September.

    So, what’s driving the Santos share price sharply higher?

    Energy prices at 7-year highs

    If your bottom line rests on oil and gas prices, then naturally you expect to be rewarded when those prices lift off.

    And indeed, rewards are what Santos’ shareholders experienced in September, as the Santos share price soared from $6.05 at the close of August to $7.17 per share at the close of last month.

    Part of what’s driving shares higher is the surging crude oil price. Brent crude leapt from an already high US$71.59 per barrel on 1 September to end the month at US$78.52 per barrel, a 9.6% increase.

    And it’s kept on going from there. Brent crude is currently trading at US$81.26 per barrel, its highest price in 7 years.

    This comes as natural gas shortages are driving increased demand for crude oil. According to energy giant Saudi Aramco, “the global natural-gas shortage has boosted crude consumption by 500,000 barrels a day,” Bloomberg reports.

    Crude supplies have also been disrupted by the hurricane in the oil rich Gulf of Mexico, and continuing issues with producing during the pandemic.

    And yesterday’s decision (overnight Aussie time) by OPEC to stick with its gradual production increases, boosting supply by 400,000 barrels per day commencing in November, looks to be adding more upward pressure to prices as it fell short of consensus forecasts.

    According to Rob Thummel, a portfolio manager at energy focused Tortoise, “The consensus was that it was going to be an 800,000 barrel-a-day temporary boost in November.”

    While spiking crude costs may not help fuel the global recovery, it’s certainly been beneficial to the Santos share price.

    Santos share price snapshot

    The Santos share price has gained 45% over the past 12 months, compared to a gain of 23% on the ASX 200.

    Year-to-date Santos shares are up 10%.

    The post Why did the Santos (ASX:STO) share price have such a great month in September? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    The 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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  • These were the best performing ASX hydrogen shares of September

    a wide smiling businessman in suit and tie rips open his shirt to reveal a green chest underneath.

    September is a notoriously tough month for global markets but a number of ASX hydrogen shares have pushed through.

    While the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 2.6% over the course of last month, some ASX hydrogen and hydrogen-adjacent shares managed to record decent gains.

    So, without further ado, here were the top-performing ASX-listed companies working or looking to break into the hydrogen sector in September.

    Top performing ASX hydrogen shares of September

    Pure Hydrogen Corporation CDI (ASX: PH2)

    The Pure Hydrogen share price bested those of its peers last month, gaining 14.2%. At the end of September, its shares were swapping hands for 24 cents apiece.

    The gas and hydrogen producer released several updates last month, including its strategy to profit from hydrogen projects in Botswana.

    The Pure Hydrogen share price gained 8.7% on the strategy’s release.

    Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

    Origin Energy is a newcomer to the hydrogen scene. In fact, the energy producer and retailer is still in the testing phase of hydrogen production.

    Origin’s feasibility study into producing hydrogen and ammonia in Tasmania using renewable energy is due to be completed in December.

    The Origin share price gained 6.2% in September. It finished the month trading at $4.73.

    Global Energy Ventures Ltd (ASX: GEV)

    Another hydrogen-adjacent share topped the list of the best performers last month.

    The Global Energy Ventures share price gained 5.4% over September, finishing the month trading at 7.8 cents.

    The company is developing shipping solutions for natural gas and green hydrogen. It owns the world’s first large scale compressed hydrogen ship, allowing marine transportation of hydrogen.

    The company’s stock was boosted last month when it received a renewable hydrogen energy grant from the Western Australian government. The grant will help fund a feasibility study into exporting green hydrogen.

    Honourable mention for a not-quite ASX hydrogen share

    Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

    An honourable mention goes to a company that’s still just looking to break into the hydrogen space.

    Santos has flagged hydrogen as one of its potential future endeavours a number of times. Perhaps most recently, it’s come on the back of news of its merger with Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH).

    As The Motley Fool Australia reported, the oil and gas producer’s CEO and managing director Kevin Gallagher commented that extra cash brought about by the merger might allow the companies to advance potential hydrogen initiatives.

    The Santos share price gained a whopping 18.5% over the course of September.

    The post These were the best performing ASX hydrogen shares of September appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Pure Hydrogen right now?

    Before you consider Pure Hydrogen, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

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

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

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