Tag: Motley Fool

  • Guess which sector September’s top performing ASX 200 shares all came from

    Oil worker drilling on the oil field

    ASX 200 shares in the oil and gas industry topped the leaderboards in September thanks largely to a jump in oil prices.

    Brent crude oil briefly rallied above US$80 a barrel for the first time in three years amid expectations that oil demand will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

    Analysts at Goldman Sachs were quick to raise their forecast for oil by US$10 to US$90 a barrel.

    Oil has enjoyed favourable supply side-dynamics, notably Hurricane Ida that impacted the US state of Louisana in August and took a major toll on global output.

    From a demand perspective, OPEC’s monthly oil report said:

    … recovery in various fuels is expected to be stronger than anticipated and further supported by a steady economic outlook in all regions. Oil demand in 2022 is now projected to reach 100.8 mb/d, exceeding prepandemic levels.

    A bumper month for ASX 200 oil and gas players

    Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) was the best performing ASX 200 energy share, rallying 42.38% last month to a 5-month high.

    The largest ASX-listed oil and gas player, Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) was also ripe for a rebound, surging 22.52% in September to a 3-month high.

    Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares added 18.7% last month to a 2-month high.

    Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) lagged behind slightly, rallying 17.3% to a 7-month high.

    What’s next for oil?

    Analysts expect a tight oil market to remain in place for the remainder of the year.

    According to S&P Global, the Joint Technical Committee of OPEC+ report flags that the market will be undersupplied by 1.2 million barrels a day in October and 900,000 barrels a day in November.

    Supply constraints against the backdrop of growing demand may continue to pave tailwinds for ASX 200 oil and gas players.

    OPEC+ will hold another meeting on Monday, 4 October which may serve as a major catalyst for oil prices.

    In response to the tight oil market, it’s possible that OPEC will opt to raise quotas and drive additional supply into the market.

    The post Guess which sector September’s top performing ASX 200 shares all came from 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 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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  • Why the Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) share price is charging higher today

    Miner with thumbs up at mine

    The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price has started the month in fine form.

    In morning trade, the gold miner’s shares are up 4.5% to $3.65.

    Why is the Evolution Mining share price charging higher?

    Investors have been bidding the Evolution Mining share price higher today for a couple of reasons.

    One was a strong rise in the gold price overnight amid heightening market volatility. This has boosted the gold miners today, leading to the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index rising 2.1%.

    Also supporting the Evolution Mining share price was the release of an announcement.

    According to the release, the company’s Cowal Gold Operation has been granted regulatory approval to develop an underground mine by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment (DPIE).

    The development will extend the operation’s permitted mine life to 2040 and is part of the company’s plan to safely and reliably produce in excess of 350,000 ounces of gold per annum from Cowal.

    It will come at a cost. Management estimates that an investment of $380 million will be necessary for the development. Though, it has previously stated that it expects to generate a strong return on investment from the underground mine.

    Management commentary

    Evolution Mining’s Executive Chairman, Jake Klein, was very pleased with the news.

    He said: “The approval of this new underground mine at Cowal is a significant milestone for this world class operation. We have a bright future at Cowal with permitted mine life extended to 2040, and further job security for our local employees and contractors. We would like to acknowledge and thank the Bland, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils, the DPIE and the NSW Government, the NSW Minerals Council, the traditional custodians of the land the Wiradjuri people and the local community for their support of this important project.”

    The Evolution Mining share price is still down a disappointing 31%.

    The post Why the Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) share price is charging higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Evolution Mining right now?

    Before you consider Evolution Mining, 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 Evolution Mining wasn’t one of them.

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

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

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  • Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) share price dips despite positive update

    A man scratches his head in confusion.

    The Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) share price is falling by the wayside today regardless of the company announcing a positive update.

    At the time of writing, Pro Medicus shares are down 1.25% to $53.93. This means that its shares have now dropped 10.5% in a month.

    What’s dragging Pro Medicus shares lower?

    A catalyst for the Pro Medicus share price falling into the red today is the broader market weakness.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is tumbling 1.72% lower to 7,205 points following the Dow Jones’ heavy losses overnight.

    In today’s statement, Pro Medicus advised its wholly-owned United States (US) subsidiary, Visage Imaging, Inc has signed its equal-largest contract to date.

    The 7-year, $40 million deal is with US leading healthcare provider, Novant Health.

    Headquartered in North Carolina, Novant Health is a community-based integrated delivery network (IDN) that spans three states.

    The company services 6 million patients annually across 15 medical centres and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics.

    Based on a transactional licensing model, the contract will see Pro Medicus’ Visage products implemented throughout Novant Health. This includes its Visage 7 Enterprise Imaging Platform and Visage 7 Workflow module.

    The suite will be employed in the Microsoft Azure cloud, delivering a unified diagnostic imaging platform across the network.

    Planning for the rollout is to commence immediately, with initial go-lives targeted for the second half of the financial year.

    The latest deal represents Pro Medicus’ seventh major North American contract in less than 18 months.

    The health imaging software company has doubled down on its efforts to rapidly grow in the North American market.

    Novant Health joins an increasing number of Visage clients that opt for a fully cloud-based solution. This is a rising trend amongst healthcare providers across the US.

    Management commentary

    Pro Medicus CEO, Dr Sam Hupert said:

    … Like several of our other recent deals, it includes more than one of our products, in this case, Visage 7 Workflow as well as Visage 7 Viewer, validating our strategy of providing clients maximum flexibility by offering a highly modular, multi-product solution.

    Our pipeline remains strong. Deals like this confirm our view that Visage 7, with its proven cloud-native technology and modular design, provides us with a significant strategic advantage that enables us to address opportunities across a growing segment of the market both in North America and other regions.

    About the Pro Medicus share price

    Over the past 12 months, Pro Medicus shares have accelerated to post a 102% gain, with year-to-date up 53%.

    The company is trading on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 185.15 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $5.7 billion.

    The post Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) share price dips despite positive update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Pro Medicus right now?

    Before you consider Pro Medicus, 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 Pro Medicus 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. owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus 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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  • Qantas share price rises as border opening set to be brought forward

    a man stands before a chalk board with line drawings of paper planes with various curling flight trajectories and paths.

    The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price is outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) as it’s reported that the international border opening is going to happen sooner.

    Qantas shares are currently up 0.8%, it is worth noting that the ASX 200 is actually down 1.8% at the time of writing.

    International border to reopen?

    According to reporting by various news media outlets, including the Australian Financial Review, Australia may be getting closer to seeing international travel again.

    The Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to announce later today that international borders could open as early as next month, helping people who are stranded overseas, or those wanting to leave the country.

    All restrictions on vaccinated Australians will be lifted for inbound and outbound passengers once the 80% double dosed vaccinated rate has been reached.

    The travel bans will be lifted on a state by state basis as each region passes the 80% mark. Some states, such as New South Wales, are further ahead with the vaccine progress than others.

    Ultimately, the international borders are expected to open before Christmas. This could lead to home quarantine for arrivals, rather than using the current hotel system. Both NSW and South Australia are doing tests for this potential system.

    The closed borders have seemingly impacted the Qantas share price since the onset of COVID-19 because of its limited ability to generate earnings from international flights.

    However, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said she hasn’t agreed to the plan yet. The Guardian quoted Ms Palaszczuk from her news conference today:

    I’m not going to agree to anything when I haven’t seen any formal paperwork. It would be irresponsible and I think that Queenslanders would expect me to see some paperwork, to understand the issues before an announcement is made. So it’s a bit disappointing that we haven’t been given that due courtesy before National Cabinet.

    What I’ve said clearly and Dr Young has said this and the Health Minister has said this. We need to be in a situation where every eligible person, so every eligible person in that cohort is offered a vaccine.

    What could this mean for the Qantas share price?

    Qantas predominately makes profit when flights are in the air, not when planes are stuck on the ground.

    International borders opening up sooner may mean that Qantas can start generating international flight profit sooner.

    Qantas said in its FY21 full year result that it suffered a $12 billion revenue impact from the COVID-19 crisis in FY21. It led to an underlying loss before tax of $1.83 billion and a statutory loss before tax of $2.35 billion.

    The airline was already planning that from mid-December 2021, flights would start from Australia to COVID-safe destinations, which were/are (according to Qantas) likely to include Singapore, the US, Japan, the UK and Canada, as well as Fiji.

    However, Qantas did say that a record performance by Qantas Freight was mostly offsetting the cost of idling international operations. It was still seeing “strong cash generation” and growth in members with its Qantas Loyalty business.

    The post Qantas share price rises as border opening set to be brought forward appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Qantas, 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 Qantas wasn’t one of them.

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

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

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  • Can you buy a lithium ETF on the ASX today?

    green lithium battery being held by person

    2021 has seen investors chasing a few hot trends. Over the year to date, we have had spiking interest in a range of ASX shares, including renewable energy companies and uranium shares. But one of the hottest and most consistent areas of interest are lithium shares.

    2021 has been quite a year for the lithium sector. We have seen companies like Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) explode in value. Pilbara is currently up more than 135% year to date, and Orocobre is up more than 91%.

    So with investors scrambling to get a foothold in the promising lithium space, there might be a few investors wondering if they can look to an exchange-traded fund (ETF) instead. ETFs are used more and more these days for sector-specific investments after all. The ASX boasts ETFs that track the gold sector, oil futures and even the price of platinum. So what are investors’ options when it comes to lithium?

    Well, the ASX does have one dedicated lithium ETF. That would be the ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX: ACDC).

    ACDC ETF delivers on lithium

    The rather aptly named ACDC ETF is a relatively new one, having started life back in August 2018. Since then, it has managed to book an average annual return of 27.7%.

    It’s also managed to average 27.5% per annum over the past 3 years, and an eye-watering 65.5% over just the past 12 months.

    So what does this ETF invest in? Well, according to the provider, ACDC “offers investors exposure to the energy storage and production megatrend, including companies involved in the supply chain and production for battery technology and lithium mining”.

    Looking at its current portfolio, we can see that this ETF is tilted towards the United States, Japan and South Korea. 22.4% of its holdings are domiciled in the US, with another 21.7% in Japan and 11.9% in South Korea. Australia is next up with an 8.3% allocation.

    We recently went through ACDC’s holdings here on the Fool. But if you’re up for a refresher, here’s how the current ACDC portfolio stands, as of 31 August:

    1. BYD Co Ltd with a portfolio weighting of 5.3%
    2. Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) with a weighting of 5.2%
    3. Livent Corp (NYSE: LTHM) with a weighting of 4.1%
    4. SolarEdge Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: SEDG) with a weighting of 3.9%
    5. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KRX: 005930)with a weighting of 3.5%
    6. Bollore SE (OTCMKTS: BOLL) with a weighting of 3.4%
    7. Eos Energy Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ: EOSE) with a weighting of 3.4%
    8. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) with a weighting of 3.3%
    9. ABB Ltd (NYSE: ABB) with a weighting of 3.3%
    10. Minerals Resources Limited (ASX: MIN) with a weighting of 3.1%

    However, ACDC is not ASX investors’ only option, if one is willing to look beyond the ASX boards. My Fool colleague Tony recently discussed a US-based lithium ETF as well – the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (NYSEARCA: LIT). It seems investors have a few options if they want to pursue the lithium space for their portfolios today.

    The post Can you buy a lithium ETF on the ASX today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF right now?

    Before you consider ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF, 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 ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF wasn’t one of them.

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. 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 for the NEXTDC (ASX:NXT) share price

    A man activates an arrow shooting up into a cloud sign on his phone, indicating share price movement in ASX tech shares

    The NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price was out of form in September.

    Weakness in the tech sector led to the data centre operator’s shares falling 9% during the month.

    This means the NEXTDC share price is now down 16% from its 52-week high.

    Is the NEXTDC share price in the buy zone?

    One broker that is likely to see the recent weakness in the NEXTDC share price as a buying opportunity is Morgans.

    According to a recent note, the broker has an add rating and $14.64 price target on its shares.

    Based on the current NEXTDC share price of $11.86, this implies potential upside of 23% over the next 12 months.

    What did Morgans say?

    Morgans was pleased with the company’s performance in FY 2021 and its outlook for the year ahead.

    It commented: “NXT’s FY21 result was slightly better than guidance and our forecasts. FY22 revenue and EBITDA guidance is in line with market expectations. For both years growth was/is expected to be 20-30% pa. It was a good year and a good outlook.”

    However, it is the company’s long term outlook that makes Morgans particularly bullish on the NEXTDC share price.

    The broker explained: “We retain our Add recommendation and highlight that NXT remains our preferred pick. We see a clear pathway for long-term growth, substantially higher EBITDA and material free cash flow, over the medium term. In the shorter term we think there are catalysts to continue driving the share price higher.”

    One of those catalysts is the massive structural growth of cloud and digitisation which continues to require significant digital infrastructure. Morgans notes that NEXTDC is a key supplier at the forefront of this trend.

    As a result, it feels there is a high likelihood of Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) exercising the options they have for capacity within its centres.

    It commented: “MW contracted but not yet billing and BAU sales through the channel unpin NXT’s capacity to generate ~$200m of EBITDA in FY23. With new facilities coming online and management continuing to invest in growing and evolving the business, our forecast is for $186m (with upside risk). Options with CSPs could push this to $300m (assuming 100% billing).”

    Morgans appears to believe this could cause a significant rerating of the NEXTDC share price if the bullish case plays out.

    All in all, this could make it worth considering NEXTDC as a long term investment.

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

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

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

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  • Why the Novonix (ASX:NVX) share price rocketed 47% higher in September

    Vanadium Resources share price person riding rocket indicating share price increase

    The Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) share price was on fire again in September.

    The lithium-ion battery technology company’s shares were one the best performers on the All Ordinaries index with a 47% gain.

    What makes this all the more impressive is that in August, the Novonix share price rose 75%.

    This means its shares are now up by 436% since the start of the year.

    Why is the Novonix share price shooting higher?

    Investors have been bidding the Novonix share price higher over the last couple of months due to a number of positive developments.

    One of those was its agreement with Phillips 66, which saw the US energy giant acquire a 16% stake in Novonix.

    Phillips 66 believes this investment will support its development of an entirely domestic supply chain for the growing US electric vehicle (EV) market and other energy storage systems.

    Whereas Novonix revealed that Phillips 66’s investment will provide it with the capital needed to support growth and ongoing R&D. This includes continuing to scale its synthetic graphite production and developing new technologies for higher-performance energy storage applications.

    What else is boosting its shares?

    Also giving the Novonix share price a boost were changes in the S&P/ASX Indices at the September rebalance.

    Those changes saw Novonix’s shares join the ASX 300 index at the commencement of trade on 20 September.

    When a share is added to an index it can often lead to increased demand on the buy side. This is due to index funds needing to buy shares.

    In addition, some fund managers have strict investment mandates only allowing them to buy shares from certain indices. This could mean there were some fund managers waiting in the wings to invest once they were given the opportunity to do so.

    Investors will no doubt be hoping that October is just as successful for Novonix’s shares. Time will tell if it is.

    The post Why the Novonix (ASX:NVX) share price rocketed 47% higher in September appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Novonix, 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 Novonix wasn’t one of them.

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

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

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  • Here’s why the Newcrest (ASX:NCM) share price is in the spotlight today

    Newcrest share price Woman holding gold bar and cheering

    The Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price will be in focus today after the gold price firmed even as Wall Street crashed.

    Gold futures added around 2% to US$1,757 an ounce when the S&P 500 tumbled 1.2%. This is setting up the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) for a 1.6% fall this morning.

    Respite for the Newcrest share price

    But the Newcrest share price could outperform thanks to the gold price. Of course, it isn’t only Newcrest that will benefit from the bounce in the precious metal.

    Other ASX gold shares like the Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price should benefit too.

    Best value ASX gold shares to buy

    However, several experts believe that Newcrest represents the best value buy in the sector. This is in part due to its scale. Newcrest is the largest gold producer listed on the ASX.

    The miner operates both open bit and underground mines at key projects Cadia, Lihir, Telfer/Havieron, Fruta del Norte and Red Chris.

    Newcrest has recorded resources of 119.4 million ounces of gold, according to Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG). That’s miles ahead of the second biggest miner, Norther Star, which has 56.5 million ounces of gold.

    Scale and cost to support the Newcrest share price

    What’s more, the Newcrest share price benefits from being having one of the lowest cost operations among its peers. It’s C1 cash cost (a measure of operating costs) stands at under $400 (US$289) an ounce.

    It’s all-in sustaining cost (a more complete measure of cost) comes in at just over $1,000 (US$723) an ounce.

    This leaves Newcrest plenty of profit margin even if the gold price were to continue its retreat after hitting record highs of over US$2,000 an ounce.

    Macquarie is recommending the Newcrest share price as “outperform” with a price target of $31 a share.

    Cloudy outlook for gold

    Gold has lost its lustre since bond yields started rising. The 10-year US government bond yield has rebounded to over 1.5% as the Federal Reserve indicated that it was winding back its Quantitative Easing (QE) program and could hike rates as early as next year.

    Both QE and record low interest rates have suppressed bond yields around the world, but the tide is turning.

    That’s not good news for gold, which is seen as a rival to US government bonds. Both asset classes are regarded as safe-haven investments.

    Foolish takeaway

    The key difference is that bonds pay a regular distribution. As yields rise, investors have a greater incentive to buy government debt – all else being equal.

    Expectations of a strong economic recovery that is prompting central banks to curtail QE and lift rates is also hurting gold. Gold tends to do better during times of economic uncertainty.

    For these reasons, the Newcrest share price and other gold shares have lagged the market. Newcrest has lost 16% of its value since the start of this calendar year when the ASX 200 has rallied 10%.

    The post Here’s why the Newcrest (ASX:NCM) share price is in the spotlight today 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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of Macquarie Group Limited and Newcrest Mining 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 owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why did the AMP (ASX:AMP) share price have such a terrible September?

    senior couple disappointed and sad at their financial situation

    Last month was lousy for the AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price despite no news having been released by the financial services company.

    AMP’s stock started September trading at $1.10.

    The month just gone saw it hit an all-time low. It reached 88.5 cents for the first time in its 22-year life as an ASX-listed company on 21 September.

    At the time of writing, the AMP share price has rebounded slightly. It is currently 99 cents.

    That represents a 10% drop over the course of September.

    For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 2.6% over the month just been.

    So, what drove the AMP share price downwards in September? Let’s take a look.

    The month that was for AMP

    The AMP share price had an awful September on the ASX, dropping 10% despite no news having been released by the company.

    While there was no news from AMP, the company hit headlines a number of times. It has had a lawsuit taken up against it and the future control of its AMP Capital Wholesale Office Fund has been questioned.

    However, as there’s been no price sensitive news out of AMP since August, its poor month’s performance is likely the continuation of an existing trend.

    The AMP share price has been generally falling since 2018, when the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry dragged the financial institution through the coals.

    The Royal Commission uncovered misconduct committed by AMP. It led to AMP admitting it had deceived the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and charged its customers fees without providing a service.

    ASIC dropped its investigation into AMP’s alleged criminal misconduct in July. Though, the good news hasn’t noticeably bolstered the financial services provider’s stock in the long term.

    AMP’s planned demerger might have also weighed on its share price last month. AMP announced its plan to demerge from its Private Markets business in April.

    The company provided an update on the demerger in August. It hopes to be running AMP and its Private Markets business separately by the end of 2021 ahead of a demerger in the first half of 2022.  

    AMP share price snapshot

    Last month’s poor performance has added to AMP’s recent woes.

    Its stock’s value has fallen 36.5% over the course of 2021. It is also trading for 26.6% less than it was this time last year.

    The post Why did the AMP (ASX:AMP) share price have such a terrible September? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider AMP, 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 AMP 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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  • How has the EML (ASX:EML) share price been performing compared to Tyro?

    a smiling woman with a satisfied look on her face lies on a rug in her home with her laptop open and a large cup on the floor nearby, gazing at the screen.

    The EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price has had a rocky 2021 when compared to its peer, Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR).

    Since the start of the year, EML shares have tumbled around 7% while Tyro shares have soared above 20%.

    This is despite the EML share price adding 3.46% during yesterday’s market close, finishing at $3.89.

    Let’s take a look at the comparison between the two companies.

    Compare the pair

    While broader market volatility has played a part this year, the EML share price has suffered particularly in September.

    In fact, the payments company’s shares have fallen around 5% last month, while Tyro has gained 5%.

    EML updated the market on Thursday, advising it has completed the acquisition of leading European payments provider, Sentenial. However, while the formal procurement was nothing unexpected, the company has been generally quiet since its full-year results in mid-August.

    On the other hand, Tyro has also been silent on the news front, only reporting its usual weekly trading update. Although during late August, two brokers weighed in on the company’s share price.

    Analysts at Macquarie raised their price target for Tyro shares by 7.1% to $3.75. Investment firm, JPMorgan followed suit but cut its rating by 6.7% to $4.20. Based on the current share price of $3.89, this implies an upside of 7.4%.

    It is worth noting though, EML shares did strongly rise throughout the year, before plummeting 45% in May. Regulatory concerns over the company’s anti-money laundering financing compliance from the Central Bank of Ireland led investors to flee.

    Since then, its shares have slowly been ticking upwards, but are well down from April 2021 levels. A complete contrast to Tyro shares which have moved higher throughout the year.

    About the EML share price

    When zooming out to share price performance over a 1 year period, EML shares have in fact travelled 35% higher. At current, the share price sits in the middle of its 52-week range of $2.47 to $5.89.

    On valuation grounds, EML commands a market capitalisation of roughly $1.45 billion and has approximately 373 million shares on issue.

    The post How has the EML (ASX:EML) share price been performing compared to Tyro? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in EML Payments right now?

    Before you consider EML Payments, 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 EML Payments wasn’t one of them.

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

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended EML Payments and Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended EML Payments. 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3mfO5OQ