Tag: Motley Fool

  • Here’s why the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price is rising again today

    Couple cheer and celebrate after winning on online bet while sitting on sofa

    The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has continued its positive run on Tuesday despite the ASX 200 sinking lower.

    In afternoon trade, the infant formula company’s shares are up over 1% to $6.07.

    This means A2 Milk shares are now up over 13% since this time last week.

    Why is the A2 Milk share price rising today?

    The A2 Milk share price has been rising on Tuesday following the release of a mixed note out of Citi.

    According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating and $7.20 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the current A2 Milk share price, this implies potential upside of almost 19% over the next 12 months.

    What did the broker say?

    The note reveals that Citi believes there could be more bad news looming for A2 Milk. The broker is basing this on the fact that the company has yet to announce its performance rights for its CEO. It feels if things were going better, this would have now been announced.

    Citi feels more bad news could weigh heavily on the A2 Milk share price. However, it also suspects that further share price weakness would make the company vulnerable to a takeover in or around the $7.00 per share mark. This is based on comparable acquisition multiples.

    And judging by the company’s share price performance today, it appears as though some investors are focusing more on the potential takeover approach instead of the suspected continued underperformance of the company.

    What’s next?

    Time will tell how A2 Milk is actually performing. However, the good news is that investors won’t need to wait overly long to find out. The company is scheduled to hold its annual general meeting in approximately seven weeks.

    All eyes will certainly be on A2 Milk shares that day.

    The post Here’s why the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price is rising again today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in A2 Milk right now?

    Before you consider A2 Milk, 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 A2 Milk 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 James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price is up 4% today

    a hand holding a marker pen sits alongside a hand written sign that says OIL PRICE with an upward arrow taking the place of the I in both the words OIL and PRICE.

    The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is a top performer on Tuesday, rallying 4.5% to a 2-month high of $23.91.

    Oil markets continued to gather momentum overnight, with Brent crude oil adding 1.73% to US$79.4/b and crude oil rallying 1.9% to US$75.2/b.

    Why oil prices are surging

    The bullish performance of oil has been supported by recent supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Ida.

    According to a recent report from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, 16.18% of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico remains halted.

    In addition to supply pressures, oil demand is expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2022, according to OPEC’s recent monthly report.

    The bullish narrative for oil doesn’t stop there.

    At the S&P Global Platts Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference on 27 September, industry participants said that:

    … a sharp decline in upstream investments and OPEC’s cautious approach in lifting the group’s production volumes could lead to an undersupplied market next year, with Asian end-users and consumers mostly finding crude and commodities prices overheated.

    Further, US oil producer Hess Corporation’s president and chief operating officer Greg Hill said:

    Global upstream investment before the COVID-19 pandemic was around $650 billion, but it has tumbled to around $300 billion, a decline of around 50%.

    Analysts at S&P Global Platts Analytics forecast demand in India and South Korea to rise above their respective 2019 levels next year. This is in addition to China which is forecast to increase regional demand above pre-COVID levels by around 3%.

    What this means for the Woodside share price

    As with any commodity-related company, the Woodside share price lives and dies by the price of oil.

    The recent bullish performance and outlook for oil has helped drive a V-shaped performance for Woodside shares.

    At the beginning of September, the Woodside share price was down around 16% year-to-date.

    Its shares are now sitting 4.4% higher year-to-date.

    The post Why the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price is up 4% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Woodside, 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 Woodside 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 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 Mach7 (ASX:M7T) share price is roaring 6% higher today

    two doctors smile as they sit together at a desk looking at a patient's Xray.

    The Mach7 Technologies Ltd (ASX: M7T) share price is pushing firmly into positive territory on Tuesday. This comes after the healthcare imaging platform provider announced new sales to an existing client.

    At the time of writing, Mach7 shares are up 6.53% to a 2-month high of $1.06.

    Mach7 secures purchase orders

    While the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has fallen 0.63% to 7,338 points, the Mach7 share price has headed north.

    According to its announcement, Mach7 advised it has received purchase orders from Trinity Health for an array of its products. These include Mach7 Enterprise Imaging Platform, eUnity Diagnostic Viewer, eUnity Enterprise Viewer, and Mach7 Universal Worklist.

    Based in Michigan, Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the United States. The company services 92 hospitals, as well as 100 continuing care locations that provide care programs and senior living facilities for the elderly.

    Mach7 noted the initial purchase orders have a combined value of $3.6 million for software and services. The revenues are expected to be recognised in the current financial year.

    In addition, following software deployment, the orders will contribute another $3.8 million in support fees over the next 7 years. In total, this brings the initial contract value to $7.4 million for Mach7.

    Mach7 CEO Mike Lampron commented:

    I am excited for the opportunity to [partner] with Trinity Health, one of the top healthcare delivery networks in the United States.

    I believe the full Mach7 solution is well-positioned to deliver on the strategic objectives of Trinity’s Unified Clinical Imaging Platform Strategy and I look forward to being a part of their initiative.

    About the Mach7 share price

    Over the past 12 months, Mach7 shares have moved sideways to register a 5% loss for the period. Year-to-date also hasn’t been great for investors with the company’s shares down more than 15% despite today’s gain.

    Based on the current share price, Mach7 commands a market capitalisation of roughly $251 million with 236.8 million shares outstanding.

    The post Why the Mach7 (ASX:M7T) share price is roaring 6% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Mach7 right now?

    Before you consider Mach7, 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 Mach7 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 MACH7 FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MACH7 FPO. 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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  • Essential Metals (ASX:ESS) share price tumbles 20% on lithium update

    worker with head down at oil drilling site

    The Essential Metals Ltd (ASX: ESS) share price is plummeting on news of its recent drilling campaign.

    The company has announced its Dome North drill program doesn’t appear to have found any lithium-mineralised pegmatite.

    At the time of writing, the Essential Metals share price is 17.5 cents, 20.45% lower than its previous closing price.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s announcement from the exploration and mining company.

    Essential Metals’ worrying announcement

    The Essential Metals share price is plunging on news of the company’s Pioneer Dome Lithium Project.

    The update was filled with optimism about the project’s future development but the market’s sentiment might be lingering on its lack of spodumene.

    Essential Metals noted, “geological logging of the drill chips does not indicate the presence of visual spodumene”.

    However, the company doesn’t expect to receive assay results from its Dome North drill program until early-to-mid-October.

    While the findings have seemingly disappointed the market, the company said they’re important for future targeting of pegmatites in and around the underexplored Dome North Resource.

    Further, Essential Metals is planning a new phase of drilling for the final quarter of 2021 in hopes of upgrading the project’s Cade and Davy deposits. Currently, the deposits are ‘inferred’ and the company wants to boost them to ‘indicated’.

    Though, the company noted that diamond drill rigs are hard to come by right now. It’s doing what it can to secure the needed drill rigs.

    It is also undertaking studies needed to receive regulatory approvals and advance the project’s technical and financial studies.

    These include scoping studies, surveys of flora and fauna and groundwater sources, and preparations for a mining lease application.

    Essential Metals expects the studies will be finished by December and a mining lease will be granted in 6 to 12 months.

    Essential Metals share price snapshot

    Despite today’s notable dip, the Essential Metals share price has been performing well on the ASX lately.

    It is currently 118% higher than it was at the start of 2021. It has also gained 25% since this time last year.

    The post Essential Metals (ASX:ESS) share price tumbles 20% on lithium update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Essential Metals right now?

    Before you consider Essential Metals, 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 Essential Metals 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 is the Eastern Iron (ASX:EFE) share price halted?

    Worker in hard hat looks puzzled with one hand on chin

    The Eastern Iron Limited (ASX:EFE) share price won’t be going anywhere today.  

    Shares in the exploration company entered a trading halt earlier, whilst also releasing several other updates.

    Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening with the Eastern Iron share price.  

    Why is the Eastern Iron share price halted?

    Earlier today Eastern Iron requested that its shares be placed in an immediate trading halt.

    The exploration company noted that securities will remain in a halt until the release of an announcement regarding an updated mining study for its Nowa Nowa iron project.

    Easter Iron noted that the trading halt was requested so that the company can manage its continuous disclosure obligations.

    According to the company, the trading halt will last until Thursday 30 September 2021 or when the announcement is released to the market.

    What else did Easter Iron announce?

    In addition to its trading halt, Easter Iron also announced changes to its Board.

    The company has appointed Mr Jason Hou to the Board following the resignation of Mrs Therese-Marie Taylor.

    Eastern Iron noted that Mr Hou has a professional background in finance and is well known to the company through his financial consulting services.

    More on the Eastern Iron share price

    Eastern Iron is an iron ore exploration company with its flagship Nowa Nowa Iron project located in Victoria.

    Shares in Eastern Iron have had a stellar year thus far.

    Since the start of 2021, shares in the company have stormed more than 344% higher.

    Much of the company’s share price gain has been realised this past month.

    There have been several catalysts that have helped propel the Eastern Iron share price higher.

    Shares in the company took off in early September after announcing a joint venture with Ya Hua International Investment and Development Co Ltd to acquire and develop lithium projects.

    The Eastern Iron share price received another boost following a strategic placement and equity raising earlier this month.

    The placement of $1.05 million was made to Ya Hua, making the company a substantial shareholder of Eastern Iron.

    An additional tranche of $2.52 million will be placed to sophisticated and institutional investors.

    Before entering a trading halt, the Eastern Iron share price closed yesterday’s session at 4.3 cents.

    The post Why is the Eastern Iron (ASX:EFE) share price halted? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Eastern Iron right now?

    Before you consider Eastern Iron, 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 Eastern Iron 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 Nikhil Gangaram 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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  • Tesserent share price slumps 6% following capital raise

    a man sits at a computer in deep thought with hand on chin in a darkened room as though it is late and night and he is working on cybersecurity issues.

    The Tesserent Ltd (ASX: TNT) share price is under pressure on Tuesday after the company received binding commitments to raise $25 million.

    At the time of writing, shares in the cybersecurity and cloud services company are down 6.38% to 22 cents.

    Tesserent share price dives on successful capital raising

    Tesserent successfully raised approximately $25 million at an offer price of 21 cents per share.

    This represents a 10.6% discount to its last traded price on Thursday, 23 September of 23.5 cents.

    According to the company’s announcement, the placement was “significantly oversubscribed” with strong support from new and existing investors.

    The capital raising will issue up to approximately 119 million new shares, representing approximately 11.1% of the existing shares on issue.

    The resulting dilution for existing shareholders and offer discount is likely weighing on the Tesserent share price on Tuesday.

    Management commentary

    Tesserent’s co-CEO Julian Challingsworth commented on the capital raising, saying:

    We are pleased at the success of this equity raising to support the enhancement of our core capabilities and operational footprint in strategic high growth locations with a focus on the federal government market.

    What’s the capital raising for?

    It is understood that Tesserent will use the proceeds to fund strategic acquisitions and pay off deferred acquisition payments including:

    • ~$6 million for the upfront cash component for Loop Secure
    • ~$5 million for the deferred cash consideration and earn-out component of Airloom
    • ~$11 million for the 40% cash consideration of strategic acquisitions under the acquisition strategy previously closed to market
    • ~$3 million relating to planned investments and capital raising costs

    Tesserent share price snapshot

    The Tesserent share price is down 35% year-to-date.

    This is despite the company successfully executing its aggressive acquisition strategy and delivering triple-digit revenue growth in FY21.

    The post Tesserent share price slumps 6% following capital raise appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Tesserent, 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 Tesserent 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 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 Great Boulder (ASX:GBR) share price is plunging 15% today

    plummeting gold share price

    The Great Boulder Resources Ltd (ASX: GBR) share price has slipped from its all-time high in recent days and now trades at 17.5 cents.

    In fact, Great Boulder shares have been on a bumpy ride since we started walking through September, having climbed 105% in a matter of weeks.

    Read on for more details.

    A quick rundown on Great Boulder Resources

    Great Boulder Resources is in the minerals exploration business, with particular niche expertise in nickel, copper, cobalt and gold resources in WA.

    The company has its footprint located in Australia and derives all of its revenue from the local market.

    At the time of writing, Great Boulder has a market capitalisation of $73 million.

    Why is the Great Boulder share price down today?

    In order to answer this question, we first have to take a step back and take a look at what led us here in the first place.

    On 2 September, Great Boulder announced initial results from the third phase of its reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at its Mulga Bill prospect in WA.

    The assay results revealed significant gold grades across 6 holes at the prospect, which are the highest grades ever recorded at the site.

    Immediately the Great Boulder share price jumped 108% to 17.5 cents on the day of the announcement.

    Since, shares in the mining exploration company have trended sideways, before making another jump on 23 September to reach all-time highs of 20.5 cents apiece.

    As of today, the company released another announcement on its Mulga Bill prospect, noting it had found another gold mineralisation at the site.

    Final results from the company’s RC drilling program at Mulga Bill “highlight the continuity of significant gold mineralisation on the eastern trend at (the site) over 400 metres in strike”.

    Speaking on the results, Great Boulder’s managing director, Andrew Paterson said:

    Infill RC drilling continues to define the high-grade zones in the central area of Mulga Bill. We have now completed a fourth round of RC drilling which is continuing to build our confidence in the high grade gold structures.

    Investors appear to have wanted more milk from the cow in the Mulga Bill prospect, and have sold Great Boulder shares on the news.

    It remains unclear exactly as to why investors are unhappy with the news, but the company did release a response to a query from the ASX regarding its share price and volume today as well. Perhaps this is weighing in some.

    Currently, the Great Boulder share price is trading down 18% on the day, back towards its average September price level.

    Great Boulder Resources share price snapshot

    The Great Boulder share price has gained a mammoth 258% this year to date, extending its gains in the past 12 months to 243%.

    Both of these results have outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO)’s return of about 25% in the last year.

    The post Why the Great Boulder (ASX:GBR) share price is plunging 15% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Great Boulder Resources right now?

    Before you consider Great Boulder Resources, 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 Great Boulder Resources 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 author Zach Bristow has no positions 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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  • ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Beach shares jump, a2 Milk rises

    Man looks shocked as he works on laptop on top a skyscraper with stockmarket figures in graphic behind him.

    At lunch on Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is giving back yesterday’s gains and more. The benchmark index is currently down 0.8% to 7,323.4 points.

    Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

    Beach shares charge higher

    The Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price is charging higher today after the release of an investor update. According to the release, the company has outlined its low risk strategy targeting production of 28 MMboe by FY 2024. This represents a 27% increase on the midpoint of its FY 2022 guidance of 21 to 23 MMboe. This target excludes exploration upside and pre-final investment decision projects.

    Origin’s successful investment

    It has been a good day for the Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price following an update on its investment in Octopus Energy. According to the release, the UK based energy retailer and emerging technology business has received a 211 million pounds investment from Generation Investment Management for a 7% stake. This investment values Octopus at approximately 3 billion pounds or $5.5 billion. As a comparison, last year Origin agreed to invest a total of $507 million for a 20% stake in the company. Origin has also invested to maintain its current interest.

    A2 Milk shares rise

    Also performing positively today is the A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price. The infant formula company’s shares are pushing higher today after analysts at Citi retained their buy rating and $7.20 price target. The broker believes there could be more bad news on the horizon. However, it suspects that any share price weakness could be greeted by a takeover offer.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Tuesday has been the Beach share price by some distance. Its shares are up 8% at lunch following its investor update. The worst performer has been the Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price with a 7% decline on no news.

    The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Beach shares jump, a2 Milk rises appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in A2 Milk right now?

    Before you consider A2 Milk, 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 A2 Milk 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 MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk and MEGAPORT FPO. 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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  • Will Ethereum overtake Bitcoin?

    a planet surrounded by cryptocurrency symbols

    Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has long been the most popular cryptocurrency, almost becoming synonymous with the category in the public consciousness.

    For almost as long, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has played the bridesmaid as the second most prevalent digital currency.

    But one expert reckons Ethereum has several aspects going for it that could give it a fighting chance to overtake Bitcoin.

    According to Saxo Markets cryptocurrency analyst Mads Eberhardt, the last time Ethereum had a chance to do this was during the 2017 boom.

    “In late 2017, the most discussed topic in the crypto space… was whether Ethereum would flip Bitcoin in terms of market capitalisation,” he said.

    “It never happened in 2017, as the Ethereum bull run in 2017 was somewhat unsustainable, as it was mainly driven by the ICO [initial coin offering] bubble.”

    Ethereum’s ‘crypto winter’ boost

    After that, cryptocurrency prices plunged and went sideways for much of 2018 and 2019.

    During this “crypto winter”, Bitcoin’s lead grew as a “safe-haven asset”. But, functionally, Ethereum started having a remarkable time.

    “In the crypto winter, serious innovation took place in the crypto community, whereas numerous new use cases on Ethereum were presented… non-fungible tokens (NFTs), stablecoins, decentralised trading, insurance, and lending, counting protocols like MakerDao, Uniswap, Compound, and OpenSea,” said Eberhardt.

    Once cryptocurrencies regained momentum last year, Ethereum took off. It went from $213 in late March 2020 to now more than $4,000.

    Eberhardt believes those real-life applications developed over the crypto winter convinced the market of the usefulness of Ether.

    “Investors get the sense that Ethereum can facilitate authentic use cases in strong contrast to previous highly speculative ICOs.”

    Ether is already bigger than Bitcoin on some measures

    According to Eberhardt, the Ether-Bitcoin “flip” has already happened on some metrics.

    “The use of notably decentralised protocols and stablecoins on Ethereum have made Ethereum settle over 3 times the value of Bitcoin on its network on a daily basis, while the total amount of fees paid daily is 50 times higher than on Bitcoin.”

    This is not surprising to Eberhardt because of Ethereum’s utility, as opposed to Bitcoin’s role as just a “store of value”.

    “In this context, the transaction fees paid markedly say something about Ethereum’s scalability being almost as bad as Bitcoin’s,” he said. 

    “As Ethereum is able to handle only around 15 transactions per second, the fees have escalated significantly over the past year, effectively acting as a detriment to Ethereum’s growth.”

    However, this scalability issue will be resolved in an upgrade dubbed ETH 2.0, due next year.

    Is flipping inevitable?

    Technology upgrades are crucial to Ether’s ability to overtake Bitcoin in market capitalisation, according to Eberhardt.

    “This involves increasing scalability within an acceptable short timeframe, adequately keeping the intense competition coming its way at arm’s length,” he said.

    “In terms of regulation, decentralised protocols using Ethereum can be subject to heavy regulation, imaginably limiting the growth of Ethereum. On the contrary, the green agenda can hurt Bitcoin due to its extreme energy consumption.”

    The other side of the equation is whether Bitcoin’s role as a store of value is further recognised by institutional investors.

    Prominent listed companies like Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) and MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ: MSTR) revealed earlier this year that they have billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin on their books.

    “There was an expectation earlier this year succeeding the purchases by several companies that others would follow the lead. Since then some minor companies have bought Bitcoin, but not to the degree expected previously.”

    So it remains to be seen whether Ether can overtake Bitcoin. Both currencies have challenges to overcome in the next 12 months or so.

    JP Morgan analysts this week reported that institutional investors have reduced their exposure to Bitcoin and transferred it to Ethereum.

    “Researchers found that big investors are eschewing Bitcoin futures, pivoting instead to Ethereum as the number two cryptocurrency by value gains momentum thanks to the ongoing non-fungible token craze and expectations Ethereum-based decentralised finance will rival traditional finance,” reported Forbes.

    The post Will Ethereum overtake Bitcoin? 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 Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended MicroStrategy. 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 Coronado (ASX:CRN) share price has leapt 30% in a month

    Group of smiling miners in coal mine

    The Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN) share price is spending some time in the red on Tuesday morning, now trading at $1.33 apiece.

    Yet Coronado shares have delivered outsized returns over the last month, having gained 30% – well ahead of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s drop of 2% during this time.

    Let’s see what’s been fuelling this growth.

    But first – a quick recap on Coronado Global Resources

    Coronado is in the business of producing high-quality metallurgical coal, also known as coking coal. It is an essential ingredient for steel production worldwide.

    The company has a portfolio of operating mines, mining complexes and projects in Queensland and the US, with a footprint that also spans across the Asia Pacific, India and Brazil.

    At the time of writing, Coronado Global has a market capitalisation of $2.25 billion.

    What’s fuelling the Coronado share price lately?

    We can’t assess Coronado Global’s share price without first addressing the elephant in the room and that’s the current prices coal is fetching on commodity markets.

    Coal pricing has been on a rampage in 2021, reaching all-time highs in June. It now trades at US$204.8/tonne, a 274% increase over the last 12 months.

    Coronado is an ASX resources share that produces a commodity, meaning its share price will fluctuate with volatility in the broader commodity markets.

    With this information in mind, and with a recent uptick in coal pricing since August, a picture starts to form as to what’s driving returns here.

    Coronado Global’s share price has also been on the move after two key updates in the company’s growth narrative.

    In late June, the company announced the resignation of its secretary, vice president and chief legal officer Richard Rose.

    Rose joined Coronado in 2017 and saw the company through its ASX listing in 2018. Coronado said Rose would stay on until a replacement was found either internally or externally.

    Last month, the company released its half-year results. In its report, the company recognised a 10% year on year (YoY) increase in saleable production while revenue grew 12% YoY.

    Despite the growth, Coronado Global’s net loss after tax (NLAT) increased by 22% to $123 million from the year prior.

    Coronado Global Resources share price snapshot

    The Coronado share price has been an outperformer this year to date, having posted a return of 22% since January 1.

    This extends its return in the past 12 months to 48%, well ahead of the broad index’s return of about 25% in the last year.

    The post Why the Coronado (ASX:CRN) share price has leapt 30% in a month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    The author Zach Bristow has no positions 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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