Tag: Motley Fool

  • Here’s why the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price has beaten the ASX 200 in the last 3 months

    CBA share price money laundering asx bank shares represented by large buidling with the word 'bank' on it

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price has been treading higher in recent times. In fact, shares in Australia’s largest bank have outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the past 3 months. Correspondingly, a 3% gain versus a 0.9% lift.

    At Friday’s closing bell, CBA shares increased their lead further by adding 0.89% to $101.70. On the other hand, the ASX 200 Index lost 0.43% to 7,338.3 points.

    What’s driving CBA shares higher?

    Investors have been buying up on the CBA share price in 2021 as the company continues to impress the market.

    According to last month’s full-year results, CBA reported a 19.7% jump on statutory net profit after tax to $8,843 million. This was driven by an improvement in Australia’s economic conditions and outlook.

    Cash earnings swelled 19.8% to $8,653 million, with loan impairment expenses declining 78% to $554 million.

    In addition, net interest margin fell 4 basis points to 2.03% due to higher liquid assets. The impact of a low-rate environment had been largely offset by management actions. The bank achieved lower wholesale funding costs and a favourable funding mix.

    It’s worth noting that CBA has conducted a $6 billion off-market share buy-back to reduce surplus capital and increase shareholder value. The capital management program will see about a 3.5% reduction of its total shares on the registry.

    Basically, this means that when CBA buys back its shares, the number of shares on its registry will decrease. With a lesser amount, this effectively increases the value of each share as the revenue and profits remain the same.

    Historically, when this occurs, a company’s share price tends to rise over time.

    CBA share price snapshot

    Over the last 12 months, CBA shares have advanced almost 60%, with year to date hovering above 20%. In comparison, the ASX 200 Index has achieved returns of 24% and 12% respectively.

    CBA has a market capitalisation of roughly $179.95 billion, making it the largest company on the ASX.

    The post Here’s why the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price has beaten the ASX 200 in the last 3 months appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider CBA, 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 CBA 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.

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  • These 2 ETFs could be good long-term growth options

    map of australia featured on a globe being held by many hands

    Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a really good way to get diversification and get exposure to businesses that are growing globally.

    Some ETFs are focused on an individual country, like Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), whilst others are about specific industries or global share markets.

    It might be a good idea to find ETFs that give exposure to international growth because of the domestic focus of many Aussie investors.

    Here are two to consider:

    Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

    This ETF is about getting exposure to businesses that are listed across the world in ‘developed’ countries.

    There are numerous countries represented in the portfolio including the US, Japan, the UK, France, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Hong Kong, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Singapore, Finland, Belgium, Israel, Norway, Ireland and so on.

    It has a total of just over 1,500 positions spread across all of those countries. So it’s very diversified.

    Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF’s investments are also spread across numerous sectors. Plenty of the sectors that typically demonstrate growth characteristics are the ones with the biggest exposures (of more than 5%) in the portfolio: IT (23.2%), financials (12.9%), healthcare (12.8%), consumer discretionary (12%), industrials (10.5%), communication services (9.4%) and consumer staples (6.9%).

    The usual US-listed global tech names are in the portfolio, like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Alphabet. But there are also large non-US holdings such as Nestle, ASML, Roche, LVMH, Novartis, Toyota, AstraZeneca, Shopify and Novo Nordisk.

    All of this diversification comes at a cost of just 0.18% per annum. The net returns of the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF has been an average of 15.7% per annum over the last five years.

    Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

    This ETF is a much more focused investment than the Vanguard one, it’s all about the global cybersecurity sector, if you hadn’t already guessed.

    BetaShares says that with cybercrime on the rise, the demand for cybersecurity services is expected to grow strongly for the foreseeable future. Worldwide spending on cybersecurity is predicted to increase to almost US$250 billion by 2023. It is invested in businesses that are leading the fight against cybercrime around the world.

    There are a total of 36 names in the portfolio, with the following being the biggest ten positions: Palo Alto Networks, Accenture, Cisco Systems, Okta, Crowdstrike, Cloudflare, Tenable, Cyberark Software, Fireeye and F5 Networks.

    Whilst the sub-sector of ‘systems software’ makes up more than half of the portfolio, there are also double digit allocations to ‘communications equipment’ and ‘internet services and infrastructure’.

    Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF comes with an annual management cost of 0.67%. Despite that, over the last three years the ETF has produced an average return per annum of 22% after fees. But, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

    The post These 2 ETFs could be good long-term growth options appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF right now?

    Before you consider Betashares Global Cybersecurity 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 Betashares Global Cybersecurity 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

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why ANZ (ASX:ANZ) and this dividend share could be buys

    fingers walking up piles of coins towards bag of cash signifying asx dividend shares

    If you’re looking to add some ASX dividend shares to your portfolio next week, then the two listed below could be worth considering.

    Here’s what you need to know about these top dividend shares:

    Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

    The first ASX dividend share to consider is ANZ. This banking giant could be a top option for income investors with little exposure to the banking sector. This is due to its attractive valuation, cost reduction plans, and its strong balance sheet.

    In addition, the team at Morgans believe the bank is well-placed to grow its dividend in the coming years. This is largely due to its focus on absolute cost reduction and the quality of its loan book.

    Morgans is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of $1.45 in FY 2021 and then $1.65 in FY 2022. Based on the current ANZ share price of $27.41, this will mean yields of 5.3% and 6%, respectively.

    ANZ is the broker’s top pick in the sector and has an add rating and $34.50 price target on its shares.

    Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT (ASX: CQE)

    Another ASX dividend share to look at is the Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT.

    It is the largest Australian ASX-listed real estate investment trust that invests in social infrastructure properties. The company notes that it is focused on pursuing high quality opportunities in social infrastructure to enhance income stability, resilience and capital growth.

    This includes a large number of childcare centres, Mater Misericordiae’s corporate headquarters, and the new purpose-built South Australian Emergency Services Command Centre.

    The beauty of this strategy is that these properties come with very long leases and are in demand. For example, at the end of FY 2021, the company had a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 15.2 years and 100% occupancy.

    This went down well with the team at Goldman Sachs. The broker recently put a buy rating and $3.81 price target on the company’s shares.

    In FY 2022, the company is planning to pay a distribution of 16.7 cents per share. Based on the current Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT share price of $3.71, this will mean a 4.5% yield.

    The post Why ANZ (ASX:ANZ) and this dividend share could be buys 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 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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  • 2 sporty ASX shares for investors on AFL grand final weekend

    stadium signifying brisbane broncos share price

    If you’re a sports fan, then this weekend is going to be a fun one for you.

    In Brisbane the NRL preliminary finals are taking place, and across the country in Perth the Bulldogs and Demons will battle it out in the AFL grand final.

    With that in mind, I thought I would pick out a couple of sporty ASX shares that might be of interest. They are as follows:

    Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

    If you’re sporty or into fitness, there’s a very good chance you’ve supported Accent’s solid growth over the last few years.

    Accent is the footwear focused retail group behind a number of popular store brands. These include The Athlete’s Foot, Hype DC, Sneaker Lab, Platypus, and Stylerunner.

    The popularity of these store brands was there for all to see in FY 2021. Thanks to their strong market positions, Accent was able to capture increased consumer demand. This helped drive a 19.9% increase in sales to $1.14 billion.

    And thanks to margin expansion, the company reported an impressive 38.6% jump in net profit after tax to $76.9 million.

    The team at Bell Potter are positive on its long term growth outlook. So much so, the broker has a buy rating and $2.90 price target on its shares.

    Catapult Group International Ltd (ASX: CAT)

    Another sporty ASX share to look at is Catapult. It is a global sports analytics company that provides elite sporting organisations and athletes with real time data and analytics to monitor and measure athletes.

    Its products are used by many of the biggest sports teams and organisations across the world. This includes league wide deals with the AFL and NRL.

    Catapult bounced back from the pandemic and was on form in FY 2021, reporting 35% growth in its key annualised contract revenue (ACV) metric.

    This went down well with the team at Morgans. They have put an add rating and $2.45 price target on its shares.

    The post 2 sporty ASX shares for investors on AFL grand final weekend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Catapult, 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 Catapult 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 Catapult Group International Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Catapult Group International Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group. 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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  • 2 top blue chip ASX 200 shares rated as buys

    Three different hands against a blue backdrop signal thumbs up, indicating share price rise on the ASX market

    If you would like to bolster your portfolio with some blue chips, then you might want to take a look at these ASX 200 shares.

    Here’s why these two blue chip ASX shares are highly rated:

    ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

    The first blue chip ASX 200 share to look at is ResMed. It is one of the world’s leading sleep treatment companies. ResMed has been an exceptionally strong performer over the last decade thanks to its industry leading products and successful acquisitions. This has allowed the company to capture a big slice of a sleep treatment market growing at a quick rate due to the increasing prevalence of sleep disorders.

    The good news is that the company still has a very long runway for growth. This is due to the growing awareness of sleep disorders and new products. In addition, ResMed stands to benefit from a major product recall by a key rival.

    Credit Suisse is bullish on the company’s prospects. It recently retained its outperform rating and lifted its price target to $44.00. The broker believes ResMed can grow at above-industry rates over the medium term.

    Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL)

    Another blue chip ASX 200 share to look at is Sonic Healthcare. It is one of the world’s leading providers of medical diagnostics, with a reputation for excellence in pathology, diagnostic imaging, and primary care medical services. This is across operations in the ANZ, European, and North American markets.

    Sonic has been growing very strongly during the last 18 months. While this has been driven largely by strong demand for COVID-19 testing services, the rest of the business is performing positively as well.

    Pleasingly, this strong form is expected to continue. In fact, with COVID testing unlikely to be going away any time soon, the company has been tipped to keep growing strongly for the foreseeable future.

    In addition, Sonic has a very strong balance sheet. This gives the company opportunities to accelerate its growth with acquisition.

    The team at Morgans are very positive on Sonic’s outlook. The broker has an add rating and $45.98 price target on the company’s shares.

    The post 2 top blue chip ASX 200 shares rated as buys 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 James Mickleboro owns shares of SEEK Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ResMed Inc. and SEEK Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 3 exciting ASX growth shares analysts love

    a graphic image of three upward pointing arrows with smoke coming from their bottoms, indicating the arrows are taking off.

    If you’re planning to add some growth shares to your portfolio, then you may want to look at the shares listed below.

    All three of these ASX growth shares have been tipped as buys recently. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)

    The first ASX growth share to look at is Breville. It is the leading appliance manufacturer behind the Sage and Breville brands, to name just two. Breville has been growing at a strong rate over the last few years thanks to a combination of acquisitions, its international expansion, and its continued investment in research and development. Positively, these same factors are expected to drive further growth in the years to come.

    Morgans is positive on the company’s long term growth outlook. As a result, its analysts currently have an add rating and $34.00 price target on its shares.

    Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

    Another growth share to look at is Kogan. This ecommerce company may have been struggling with inventory issues, but its future remains very bright. This could potentially mean the recent weakness in the Kogan share price is a buying opportunity for long term focused investors. Particularly given its strong market position, growing private label offering, and the structural shift to online shopping.

    Credit Suisse remains positive on the company and appears to believe investors should look beyond its short term issues and focus on its positive long term growth outlook. Its analysts have an outperform rating and $14.06 price target on its shares.

    PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)

    A final growth share to look at is PointsBet. It is a sports wagering operator with operations in the ANZ and US markets. PointsBet offers innovative sports betting products and services via its scalable cloud-based platform. These are resonating well with punters, which has led to the company growing its revenue at a rapid rate in recent years.

    Ord Minnett currently has a buy rating and $13.10 price target on the company’s shares. It is positive on PointsBet’s long term growth prospects.

    The post 3 exciting ASX growth shares analysts love appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider PointsBet, 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 PointsBet 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 Kogan.com ltd and Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet Holdings 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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  • How to turn $20,000 into $300,000 in 10 years with ASX shares

    It's raining cash for this man, as he throws money into the air with a big smile on his face.

    I’m a big fan of buy and hold investing and believe it is the best way for investors to grow their wealth. To demonstrate how successful it can be, I like to pick out a number of popular ASX shares to see how much a single $20,000 investment 10 years ago would be worth today.

    This time around I have picked out the three ASX shares that are listed below:

    Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD)

    While it may not have been a smooth ride, particularly during the pandemic, this corporate travel booker’s shares have smashed the market over the last 10 years. This has been driven by the company’s highly successful growth through acquisition strategy and its focus on technology. This has underpinned a significant increase in its revenue and earnings over the period. Over the 10 years, Corporate Travel Management’s shares have generated a total return of 32.4% per annum for investors. This would have turned a $20,000 investment into ~$330,000.

    Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

    This integrated commercial and industrial property company has been a great place to invest over the last 10 years. This is thanks to Goodman’s highly successful focus on investing in and developing high quality industrial properties in strategic locations close to large urban populations and in and around major gateway cities globally. This has underpinned strong earnings and distribution growth, leading to its shares generating a total average return of 24.2% per annum since this time in 2011. This would have turned a $20,000 investment into ~$175,000.

    Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV)

    The Premier Investments share price has been a market beater over the last decade. This has been driven largely by the successful expansion of its Smiggle brand internationally and the strong growth of the Peter Alexander brand. During this time, the retail conglomerate’s shares have generated an average total return of 20.7% per annum. This would have turned an investment of $20,000 in the company’s shares in 2011 into $131,000 today.

    The post How to turn $20,000 into $300,000 in 10 years with ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Corporate Travel Management right now?

    Before you consider Corporate Travel Management, 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 Corporate Travel Management 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 owns shares of and has recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Premier Investments 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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  • What is the outlook for the Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price

    Happy couple laughing while shopping in supermarket

    The Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price has had a stellar year thus far.  

    Since the start of the year, shares in the conglomerate have soared more than 12%.  

    Let’s have a look at what the future might hold for the Wesfarmers share price.  

    What’s been happening with the Wesfarmers share price?

    With a large proportion of the Australian population being under some form of COVID-19 induced lockdown, the shares in Wesfarmers have surely benefited.

    After soaring to 52-week highs, shares in the conglomerate gave back a large chunk of its gains.

    The main catalyst can be attributed to the company’s full year report.

    Despite delivering solid growth in FY21, Wesfarmers flagged that earnings in the group’s retail businesses for the first half of FY22 may be below the prior corresponding period.

    As a result, investors may be questioning the outlook for shares in Wesfarmers.

    Outlook on the Wesfarmers share price

    A recent article published by my Foolish colleague has addressed what the future may look like for investors in Wesfarmers.

    The article focused on two prominent fund managers and their take on the conglomerates future.

    The panellists noted that Wesfarmers remains well capitalised and cited the dominant position that Bunnings holds in the sector.

    The fund managers were also impressed by the company’s strong balance sheet, capital allocation and durability.

    According to the panellists, these strengths have been reflected in the Wesfarmers share price over the last 5 years.

    In a separate piece, another colleague of mine has also elaborated on why shares in the conglomerate could be a long-term buy.

    More on the Wesfarmers share price

    Wesfarmers recently made headlines after making a ‘sweetened’ bid to acquire Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API).

    The conglomerate has offered to buy 100% of API’s outstanding shares at $1.55 per share under a revised scheme arrangement.

    Wesfarmers made its intentions about expanding into the beauty and pharmaceutical sector clear earlier this year.

    The conglomerate lodged a $687 million takeover bid for API in July, which was rejected by the pharmaceutical company.

    Up until recently, the Wesfarmers share price was having a stellar year. However, in the past month shares in the conglomerate have fallen more than 14% from their record highs.

    The Wesfarmers share price finished yesterday’s session trading at $57.36.

    The post What is the outlook for the Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Wesfarmers, 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 Wesfarmers 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 owns shares of and has recommended Wesfarmers 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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  • 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares with generous yields

    Couple counting out money

    Fortunately, in this low interest rate environment, there are plenty of shares offering investors attractive dividend yields.

    Two dividend shares that are currently rated as buys are listed below. Here’s why they could be buys next week:

    Centuria Industrial Reit (ASX: CIP)

    The first ASX dividend share to look at is Centuria Industrial. It is focused on building a portfolio of high quality industrial assets to deliver income and capital growth to investors. At present, its portfolio is well positioned with an 89% weighing to Australia’s high performing eastern seaboard industrial markets.

    The majority of its tenant base is linked to the production, packaging and distribution of consumer staples, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals. It has also just announced the acquisition of eight freehold urban infill industrial assets for a total of $351.3 million. Management notes that this expands the company’s exposure across key industrial sub-sectors. These include distribution centres, cold storage, and transport logistics.

    The team at Macquarie are bullish on the company. Last week the broker retained its outperform rating and lifted its price target to $4.22. It is also forecasting a 17.3 cents per share distribution in FY 2022. Based on the latest Centuria Industrial share price of $3.77, this equates to a 4.6% yield.

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

    If you don’t already have exposure to the banking sector, then Westpac could be a dividend share to buy. This is due to improving trading conditions, its strong balance sheet, and its bold cost reduction targets.

    It is partly due to the latter that analysts at Citi are very positive on the bank. They note that Westpac is aiming to reduce its cost base to $8 billion in the coming years. This compares to its $12.7 billion cost base at present.

    In addition, the broker believes its shares are trading at an attractive level for investors. So much so, Citi has a buy rating and $30.00 price target on its shares. This compares to the latest Westpac share price of $25.25.

    Citi is forecasting fully franked dividends of $1.16 per share in FY 2021 and then $1.30 per share in FY 2022. This represents yields of 4.6% and 5.1%, respectively, over the next couple of years.

    The post 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares with generous yields 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 James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking Corporation. 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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  • 2 excellent international ETFs for ASX investors

    businessman holding world globe in one hand, representing asx etfs

    Exchange traded funds (ETFs) continue to grow in popularity with investors and it certainly isn’t hard to see why.

    As well as being an easy way to invest your hard-earned money, they provide investors with opportunities that were unattainable a decade ago. But given the many options, it can be difficult to decide which ones to buy ahead of others.

    To help narrow things down, I have picked out two ETFs that are highly rated right now. They are as follows:

    iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

    The first ETF for investors to look at is the iShares S&P 500 ETF. It aims to provide investors with the performance of the famous S&P 500 Index, before fees and expenses.

    BlackRock, which runs the ETF, highlights that the fund gives investors exposure to the top 500 U.S. stocks through a single investment. It feels Australian investors can use this to diversify internationally and seek long-term growth opportunities for a portfolio.

    Among its largest holdings are Amazon, Apple, Facebook, JP Morgan, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla.

    The iShares S&P 500 ETF has provided in investors with a return of 20.7% per annum since 2011.

    VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

    Another ETF to consider is the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. This ETF gives investors exposure to a diversified portfolio of fairly valued companies with sustainable competitive advantages.

    Traditionally, companies with sustainable competitive advantages have generated strong returns for investors. And this has proven to be the case with this ETF.

    The index the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF tracks has generated a return of 22.6% per annum over the last 10 years.

    There are currently 50 US based stocks in the fund. These include Amazon, Bank of America, Boeing, Intel, McDonalds, Microsoft, Philip Morris, Salesforce, and Yum Brands.

    The post 2 excellent international ETFs for ASX investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and iShares Trust – iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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