Tag: Motley Fool

  • China brings the hammer down on Bitcoin and all other crypto transactions

    A picture of a broken Bitcoin symbol on a Chinese flag.

    On Friday, many cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), experienced an unceremonious fall after China tightened its stranglehold with further regulation on digital assets.

    The Chinese government has a long track record for detesting all forms of cryptocurrency. However, the latest move marks the most all-encompassing ban on blockchain-based currencies. In reaction, crypto markets shuddered in fear of what the regulation could mean for investors.

    In the space of 5 hours, Bitcoin fell ~8.5% to A$56,650. Meanwhile, the second-largest crypto, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), dropped ~9.7% to A$3,860.

    Crypto gets outlawed in China

    Although the pain was felt in the crypto markets on Friday, the source stems from a memo posted by the People’s Bank of China on 15 September 2021. This memo was reposted on Friday, adding to the fear and panic exhibited by investors.

    According to the release, China has moved to make all cryptocurrency transactions illegal. The regulation, which covers all regions and municipalities, is in response to the reasons stated:

    Recently, virtual currency trading hype activities have risen, disrupting economic and financial order, breeding illegal and criminal activities such as gambling, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes, and money laundering, seriously endangering the safety of people’s property.

    The new regulations go beyond previous laws, which banned domestic exchanges. Now foreign exchanges such as Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN) are also barred from facilitating transactions to Chinese residents.

    Additionally, this action follows a recent crackdown on Bitcoin mining in China — with some reports indicating the practice has dropped by over 90% since China’s enforcement.

    Furthermore, the latest ban involves strong backing by a total of 10 China-based agencies. These include the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and the Public Security Bureau.

    Where is the Bitcoin price now?

    In the meantime, the Bitcoin price has somewhat stabilised around A$60,000. At this stage, investors of cryptocurrencies appear to be waiting for clarity to the extent of the potential fallout before reacting again.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    This apprehension to act drastically on China’s latest regulations might be due to the frequency of bans in the past. While the latest regulation could be more impactful, it is not the first time cryptocurrencies have been stifled by China.

    The post China brings the hammer down on Bitcoin and all other crypto transactions appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Bitcoin, 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 Bitcoin 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 Mitchell Lawler owns shares of Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Bitcoin and Ethereum. 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3m5Uo7x

  • September hasn’t been a great month so far for the Coles (ASX:COL) share price

    A sad little girl sits in a supermarket trolley, indicating a decline in share market price

    The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price has been struggling in September.

    At the time of writing, shares in the supermarket and liquor retailer are trading for $17.05 – down 0.06% on Friday’s close. That’s despite the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rising a pretty healthy 0.76%.

    Over the course of the month, it’s even bleaker for Coles. Shares in the company are down 4.6% while the ASX 200 is only 1.2% lower.

    So, what’s going on with Coles? Let’s take a closer look.

    Lockdowns are ending soon

    One reason for the sluggish Coles share price of late may be because investors believe the COVID-19 gravy train for consumer staples is coming to an end.

    Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Coles’ main competitor, has also seen a similar slump. Its share price is down 4.5% over the course of a month.

    While the majority of Australians are currently in lockdown, this is poised to end soon. The New South Wales, Victorian, and ACT governments have released roadmaps for ending stay-at-home restrictions. On current projections, these jurisdictions should be leaving lockdown sometime between mid and late October.

    Hard lockdowns have historically been a boon for consumer staples. As consumer options are limited and people are confined to their homes, sales at supermarkets do very well.

    In its full-year results, Coles reported record revenue, earnings, net profit, and final dividend, fully franked, of 61 cents per share. This was up 6.1% on the prior corresponding period (pcp). The Coles share price rose on the announcement.

    These results came off the back of an exceptional FY20 for the company. Sales rose a record 6.9% for the period. Profit was also up to new levels.

    With lockdowns eventually coming to an end, investors may be looking to get out while they’re ahead.

    Coles share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the Coles share price has decreased around 2%. This is vastly under the performance of the ASX 200.

    Over the last 6 months, however, its shares have increased by 6.79%. The 52-week high is $18.94 per share and the 52-week low is $15.28 per share.

    Coles has a market capitalisation of approximately $23 billion.

    The post September hasn’t been a great month so far for the Coles (ASX:COL) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Coles, 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 Coles 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 Marc Sidarous 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 owns shares of and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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/2Y0HYFX

  • 2 excellent ASX growth shares analysts rate as buys

    Big green letters spell growth, indicating share price movements for ASX growth shares

    There are a good number of growth shares to choose from on the Australian share market.

    So many, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy ahead of others. To help narrow things down, I have picked out two ASX growth shares that have been rated as buys. They are as follows:

    Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

    The first ASX growth share to look at is Temple & Webster. It is Australia’s leading online furniture and homewares retailer with over 200,000 products on sale and 778,000 active customers at the end of FY 2021. The latter was a 62% increase year on year.

    And while the pandemic certainly has given its growth a boost, Temple & Webster still has a very long runway for growth ahead of it. This is due to the accelerating shift to online shopping, its strong market position, and the low penetration of online furniture and homewares shopping.

    In addition, management is investing heavily in its sales growth at the expense of margins. It believes this will allow Temple & Webster to cement its leadership position and leave it well-placed for long term growth.

    Morgan Stanley is supportive of this strategy. So much so, the broker has an overweight rating and $16.00 price target on its shares.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    Another ASX growth share that could be in the buy zone is Xero. It is a leading cloud-based accounting software provider for small to medium sized businesses.

    Like Temple & Webster, Xero has been growing at a very strong rate in recent years. For example, in FY 2021 the company reported strong growth across all key metrics.

    This includes a 20% increase in subscribers to 2.74 million, a 38% jump in total subscriber lifetime value (LTV) to NZ$7.65 billion, and a 17% lift in annualised monthly recurring revenue (AMRR) to NZ$963.6 million.

    Management advised that this result reflects continued momentum in Australia and New Zealand together with a notable recovery across Xero’s International markets.

    The good news is that Xero’s growth is only really getting started. In fact, management estimates that it has a total addressable market of 45 million subscribers globally. This means it has only captured 6% of the market at present.

    Goldman Sachs is very positive on its future and expects its strong growth to continue throughout the 2020s. In light of this, it recently reaffirmed its buy rating and $165.00 price target on the company’s shares.

    The post 2 excellent ASX growth shares analysts rate as buys 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 Temple & Webster Group Ltd and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group Ltd. 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/3F566bg

  • Why the Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) share price is down 10% today

    man grimaces next to falling stock graph

    The Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) share price might have hit a near-term top, sliding 38% from its 16 September highs of $1.21.

    At the time of writing, Paladin Energy shares are down 10.24% to 74.5 cents.

    Why the Paladin Energy share price is plunging

    Uranium prices ease

    Uranium prices skyrocketed from around US$30/lb in mid-August to above US$50/lb in late-September.

    This drove a sharp re-rate across the uranium sector, from large cap players like Paladin Energy to newly-listed explorers like 92 Energy Ltd (ASX: 92E).

    It looks like the opposite is now taking place as uranium prices ease to US$44.3/lb, according to Trading Economics.

    Despite the recent pullback, the Paladin Energy share price is still up 48% in September.

    Uranium producers need higher prices

    Uranium prices plunged from all-time highs of US$140/lb in 2007 to the mid-$20s between 2016 and 2020.

    The record low prices drove Paladin Energy to the brink of administration in 2018, surviving a complex 7-month restructure where debt was swapped out for equity.

    According to Canadian uranium explorer Standard Uranium, around 46% of the world’s identified uranium resources have an extraction cost higher than US$59/lb.

    Even after uranium’s recent surge to US$50/lb, production for most players remains uneconomical.

    In the case of Paladin Energy, the company’s March capital raising presentation highlighted life of mine production cash costs of US$27/lb. That’s in addition to freight and logistics of US$0.95/lb, sustaining capex of US$2.90/lb and government royalties set at 3% of sales.

    What’s next for uranium?

    Uranium prices have largely been bolstered by Sprott’s Physical Uranium Trust, the world’s largest uranium fund focused on buying physical uranium.

    The fund amassed 28 million lbs of uranium by 18 September, according to Sprott’s Twitter.

    The last time Sprott provided an update regarding physical uranium purchases was on 17 September, the day after the Paladin Energy share price briefly touched a 9-year high of $1.21.

    The lack of sustained buying activity from Sprott might be the reason why uranium prices have eased in recent days.

    Looking at the bigger picture, Standard Uranium believes uranium could play a key role in the global move towards cleaner energy.

    The Canadian uranium explorer said that uranium demand is set to grow given the 444 operating nuclear reactors worldwide. That’s in addition to 54 more under construction and 100 planned for development.

    The post Why the Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) share price is down 10% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Paladin Energy right now?

    Before you consider Paladin 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 Paladin 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 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2Y0H0JP

  • Here’s why the Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price is up 10% in a week

    A young male worker climbs a ladder.

    The Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) share price has enjoyed a strong start to the week. Shares in the Aussie oil exploration and production company have jumped 2.11% at the time of writing.

    It means shares in the energy group are now up 10.03% in the past 5 days. So, what’s driving Oil Search’s valuation higher right now?

    Why the Oil Search share price is up 10% in a week

    There have been no price-sensitive announcements from Oil Search in recent days. However, underlying commodity strength could be playing a significant part in recent moves.

    The Oil Search share price surge has coincided with a surge in something else: crude oil. Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil have both been charging higher in recent weeks, enough to hit 3-year highs. Brent crude oil climbed 62 cents to US$78.81 per barrel on Monday while WTI topped US$75 per barrel.

    Tight supply conditions and strengthening demand for the key commodity have been supporting recent oil price gains. That’s as energy providers have dipped into their inventories, with supply unable to ramp up and meet short-term demand spikes.

    Those crude oil price gains have been reflected in the Oil Search share price this week. Shares in the Aussie company have rocketed 10.03% higher in the past 5 days to $4.12 per share.

    That means Oil Search’s market capitalisation has climbed to $8.5 billion, having gained 10.92% year to date. It’s been a similar story for many of the ASX 200 energy shares in recent days.

    The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is up 2.89% today, while Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares have added 1.74% at the time of writing.

    Those Santos gains will be of particular interest after the group recently confirmed a mega-merger with Oil Search to create a new $21 billion oil producer.

    Foolish takeaway

    The Oil Search share price has been one of many ASX energy shares climbing higher in recent days as crude oil prices continue to rise.

    The post Here’s why the Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price is up 10% in a week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Oil Search right now?

    Before you consider Oil Search, 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 Oil Search 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 Ken Hall 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3ud39Ap

  • Why Limeade, Paradigm, Sandfire, & Vita shares are falling

    In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a solid gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.7% to 7,393.6 points.

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

    Limeade Inc (ASX: LME)

    The Limeade share price is down 12.5% to 69 cents. Investors have been selling this HR technology company’s shares after it lost a major contract. The US$1.9 million a year deal with American Airlines will terminate on 1 January. Limeade said the US$14 billion airline group was ending the contract due to cost-cutting.

    Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: PAR)

    The Paradigm share price is down over 4% to $2.01. This morning the biopharmaceutical company’s US clinical trial plans were hit with a further delay by the US FDA. The regulator has requested modifications to the company’s adrenal screening and mitigation plan for its Investigation New Drug (IND) submission for pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS) to treat knee osteoarthritis.

    Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR)

    The Sandfire share price is down 12.5% to $5.44. This morning the copper miner announced the successful completion of the institutional component of its equity raising. Sandfire has raised $926 million at $5.40 per new share, which represents a 13.2% discount to its last close price. These funds are being used to acquire the Matsa mining complex in Spain.

    Vita Group Limited (ASX: VTG)

    The Vita share price is down 3% to 85.5 cents. This decline appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Ord Minnett. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the retailer’s shares to a hold rating and cut the price target on them by 16% to 93 cents. This follows news that the company is selling its ICT stores to Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    The post Why Limeade, Paradigm, Sandfire, & Vita shares are falling appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Telstra, 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 Telstra 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 Limeade, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. 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/3iu0de7

  • The NextDC (ASX:NXT) share price is down 3% on Monday

    a group of four people, coworkers, sit together looking dejected around a desk with a computer on it in an office setting.

    The NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price has slipped into the red during Monday’s session and now trades at $13.10 despite there being no market-sensitive information for the company.

    That’s a 3.53% drop from the open and a significant lag behind the S&P/ASX 200 Communications Index (XJT) which is 0.7% higher today.

    What’s causing this disconnect today? Here we do the digging to find out.

    Why is the NextDC share price down today?

    There is no market-sensitive news for the data solutions company today. At the same time, the broad indices are each outperforming so it appears something else is at play.

    NextDC’s shares have been in a headlock over the past two weeks. Nothing in particular appears to be spurring this on, other than that NextDC’s valuation has been particularly rich lately. Why is this important to know?

    Let’s break this down into its simple parts using the example of NextDC’s price-to-sales ratio (P/S), a common financial metric used to value shares.

    On 6 September, Next’s share price was $14.04 and was trading on a P/S ratio of 28. It has since come down to a P/S of 26.4. However, its industry median price/sales ratio is 17.27.

    As such, NextDC is trading at a valuation around 50% higher than the majority of its competitors, using the P/S ratio as a proxy.

    Many investors allocate their capital based on a share’s valuation. How they do this is actually an inverse relationship – they will decrease their position size or sell some individual shares as valuation increases, and vice versa.

    Modern financial theory also suggests that shares with high relative valuations are likely to decrease, being “overvalued”. By the same token, shares with lower relative valuations are likely to increase in price due to being “undervalued” from these market effects.

    So if investors believe a share’s price is overvalued, it is likely that it will decrease to a more fair price from selling pressures, according to modern financial theory.

    What else is up with NextDC shares?

    Aside from this, zooming out over the last 6 months, it’s clear to see that the NextDC share price has been on a steady march northwards across this time.

    Given a recent shakeup in global share market indices in the last month or so, it could be that investors who have gained a profit in NextDC shares are happy to take their profits and realise cash gains instead.

    This is not uncommon activity in the share market, especially when a particular share appears to be overvalued compared to the rest of the market.

    In the absence of any market-sensitive information, it appears the sum of all these forces may be placing downward pressure on the NextDC share price.

    NextDC share price snapshot

    The NextDC share price has had a difficult year to date, climbing 7% since January 1. Over the last 12 months, it’s only been able to gain a little over 5%.

    In the last month, NextDC shares have slipped a further 2.4% into the red and almost 5.4% in the past week.

    This is well behind the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s return of about 25% over the past year.

    The post The NextDC (ASX:NXT) share price is down 3% on Monday 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

    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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/39Fty0b

  • Why the Impedimed (ASX:IPD) share price is rocketing 9% today

    The Impedimed Limited (ASX: IPD) share price is on the move during mid-afternoon trade. This comes as the medical technology company announced a positive update in regards to its SOZO Heart Failure Program.

    At the time of writing, Impedimed shares are up 9.52% to 11.5 cents.

    What did Impedimed announce?

    According to the release, Impedimed advised it has established its SOZO Heart Failure Program at Advocate Health Care’s Heart Institute located in Chicago Illinois.

    The program will be guided by Dr Ali Valika, MD, a specialist certified in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology.

    Advocate Aurora Health comprises 26 hospitals and over 500 sites of patient care. The building in Illinois represents one of two premier, not-for-profit health systems in the United States. It’s worth noting that 350 specialists perform more than 20,000 heart procedures each year, mostly in Illinois.

    Dr Ali Valika aims to optimise fluid levels in heart failure patients both in clinic and after discharge.

    ImpediMed stated that it was able to use its existing footprint within the Advocate Aurora Health system to move forward with the new program. The Advocate Aurora Health system currently has 10 SOZO devices under a Lymphoedema Prevention Program.

    Impedimed managing director and CEO, Richard Carreon commented:

    After the significant COVID-19 delays it is fantastic to initiate the SOZO heart failure program at such a highly respected/credentialed medical institution. We are looking forward to working with Dr. Valika and his team in advancing the use of SOZO and improving outcomes in the heart failure patients.

    We are expecting other hospitals to initiate SOZO heart failure programs shortly, adding to the clinical and reimbursement evidence required to underpin widespread commercialisation.

    Impedimed share price summary

    Over the past 12 months, Impedimed shares have pushed almost 90% higher. However, year-to-date, its shares have fallen close to 10% for the 9 months.

    Based on today’s price, Impedimed commands a market capitalisation of roughly $171.9 million, with approximately 1.5 billion shares on issue.

    The post Why the Impedimed (ASX:IPD) share price is rocketing 9% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Impedimed, 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 Impedimed 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. 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3AJB3iE

  • A sea of red for ASX uranium shares. Is the run over?

    questioning whether asx share price is a buy represented by man in red shirt scratching his head

    ASX uranium shares have enjoyed some monstrous gains in the past month thanks to skyrocketing uranium prices.

    Between 31 August and 16 September, the largest ASX-listed uranium player, Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) surged almost 120% from 51 cents to 9-year highs of $1.120.

    Prospective explorers such as Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL), Peninsula Energy Ltd (ASX: PEN), 92 Energy Ltd (ASX: 92E) and Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) delivered similar triple digit gains over the same period.

    But more recently, ASX uranium shares have been running out of steam, many of which have declined 20-30% from recent multi-year highs.

    Why are ASX uranium shares tumbling?

    The sharp re-rate across the uranium sector was fueled by Sprott’s Physical Uranium Trust, a Canadian investment fund focused on aggressively buying physical uranium off the spot market.

    Uranium is an illiquid commodity that does not trade on an open market like copper or oil. Buyers and sellers typically negotiate contracts privately.

    By 18 September, Sprott had already amassed 28 million lbs of uranium, according to the fund’s Twitter.

    To add some perspective, uranium investment firm Yellow Cake PLC reported total spot volume for 2020 of 92.2 million pounds.

    Broadly coinciding with Sprott’s shopping spree, uranium spot prices rallied above US$50/lb on 20 September, the highest since June 2012.

    Previously, many ASX uranium shares halted production and exploration activities due to weak uranium prices. The recent move to multi-year highs has encouraged many players such as Paladin Energy and Boss Energy to pick up where they left off.

    Since then, prices have eased to around US$44/lb according to Trading Economics.

    In addition, Sprott’s buying activity appears to be slowing down, with the fund’s last uranium purchase on 17 September.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    With both spot prices and Sprott’s uranium fund taking a breather, ASX uranium shares have followed suit.

    Is the run over for uranium?

    Director of Sprott, Rick Rule, told Kitco News that current uranium prices are still cheap.

    He said that the fund was going to make an application to list the Uranium Trust on the New York Stock Exchange, where “the overwhelming majority of the volume that [investors] enjoy in their precious metals trusts occurs.”

    From a more fundamental perspective, many investors have backed ASX uranium shares as it plays into the theme of green energy.

    In a separate interview with Kitco, CEO of Sprott Inc, Peter Grosskopf said, “We think uranium is entering a new bull market as the world looks for a mix of clean energy in the new green energy revolution.”

    “If you want a low carbon grid, you can achieve it by spending an enormous amount of money and having a highly inefficient grid, which is inherently unstable, or you include nuclear as a core part of the power base. We think uranium has been underplayed for the last 15 years.” 

    The post A sea of red for ASX uranium shares. Is the run over? 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 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.

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

  • The Sezzle (ASX:SZL) share price is falling 3% today

    an exhausted shopper slumps on an outdoor seat with various coloured shopping bags either side of her.

    The Sezzle Inc (ASX:SZL) share price is plummeting today despite no news having been released by the company.

    In fact, the last time the market heard from Sezzle was nearly a month ago when the company released its earnings for the six months ended 30 June 2021.

    Additionally, Sezzle is still seemingly working towards listing its stock in the United States.

    At the time of writing, the Sezzle share price is $6.15, 2.84% lower than its previous close.

    Making today’s dip more curious is how the rest of the buy now, pay later (BNPL) market is behaving.

    While shares in Sezzle are plummeting, Zip Co Ltd‘s (ASX: Z1P) stock is gaining 2.5%. The Laybuy Holdings Ltd (ASX: LBY) share price is also up 2% while that of Splitit Ltd (ASX: SPT) is up 1.1%.

    Meanwhile, shares in Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) are down 1.4%.

    With no obvious rhyme nor reason as to why ASX-listed BNPL shares are performing the way they are today, let’s take a look at what might be driving the Sezzle share price down.

    Sezzle share price slides on Monday

    The Sezzle share price is in the red today despite no news having been released by the company.

    However, it’s managing to hold onto its recent gains. Over the course of Thursday and Friday, Sezzle’s stock gained an impressive 8.7%.

    The gains were likely helped along by the broader tech sector. The S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) recovered from a poor start to the week to gain 2.8% on Thursday. However, it fell 0.1% on Friday and is trading relatively flat today.

    The post The Sezzle (ASX:SZL) share price is falling 3% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Sezzle, 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 Sezzle 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. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. 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/3i6dZTO