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The Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) share price is on course to end the week in the red.

In morning trade, the hearing solutions company’s shares are down 4.5% to $226.26.

Why is the Cochlear share price tumbling lower today?

Investors have been selling down the Cochlear share price this morning after it released an announcement.

As you might have guessed from the share price reaction, the announcement wasn’t a positive one.

According to the release, a complaint has been made by the University of Pittsburgh against Cochlear for patent infringement. It has been filed by the University in United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Waco division.

The release explains that the complaint names Cochlear and USA subsidiaries Cochlear Americas Corporation and Cochlear Clinical Services as defendants.

Cochlear to defend the lawsuit

Cochlear believes that none of its products infringe the University’s patent and will defend the lawsuit.

The company also highlights that its legacy products and related patents predate the University’s patent by several years. These earlier legacy products and patents embody the alleged invention of the patent and, accordingly, Cochlear believes the patent is invalid.

The patent in question is related to a wireless energy transfer system. It was filed at the US Patent Office in 2009 and will expire in 2030.

The company also advised that the lawsuit is not expected to disrupt Cochlear’s business or customers in the United States.

What now?

While the company appears confident in its ability to defend the lawsuit, the Cochlear share price performance would indicate that the market has a few niggling doubts.

Which is understandable given its multi-year courtroom battle with the Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research (AMF) and Advanced Bionics (AB).

Late last year the company was ordered to pay AMF and AB US$280 million in patent infringement damages following a six-year legal dispute.

Cochlear shareholders will be hoping this latest patent infringement complaint doesn’t end up the same way.

The post Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price down 4% on US patent infringement complaint 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. owns shares of and has recommended Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear 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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The Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) share price is climbing this morning as the resources giant released its annual report.

Whitehaven shares jumped 2.89% shortly after market open this morning to $3.20 apiece. That’s after gaining a whopping 7% in yesterday’s trading session.

Read on for more details.

Whitehaven’s annual report

It was a challenging year for Whitehaven, marred by headwinds and controversy. Not to mention significant challenges in the coal markets earlier in the year.

All of that seems to have settled now. However, Whitehaven still reported a significant down-step in its profitability over FY20-21.

Here is a summary of some of the takeouts of its annual report, which were also presented in the company’s FY21 earnings report late last month.

• Revenue down 10% year over year (YOY) to $1.55 billion
• Statutory earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) decrease of 33% over the year prior, to $204.5 million
• Net loss after tax (NLAT) of $87.3 million, compared to a profit of $30 million in FY20, before significant items
• NLAT after significant expenses of $543.9 million
• $74/tonne unit cost, in line with FY20 cost of $75/tonne
• Cash generated from operations of $169.5 million, an 11% YOY drop

What happened in FY21 for Whitehaven Coal?

The key takeout from Whitehaven’s annual report is that it recognised an NLAT of $87.3 million, before significant items.

The coal giant recorded this compared to a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $30 million the year prior. Whitehaven attributes this NLAT to “the decrease in EBITDA margin on sales of produced coal.”

Specifically, it realised a decrease in margin from $21/tonne in FY20 to $14/tonne this year. The headwinds in realised coal prices were “mainly due to a $9/tonne decrease in average realised prices” from FY20 to FY21.

Foreign exchange challenges didn’t help Whitehaven’s coal sales either, as weakness in the AUD relative to the USD has made it difficult to fetch as high a price for Australian coal.

In addition, the company recognised “significant expenses totalling $650 million” compared to “nil” in FY20.

These expenses relate to “impairments (that) were allocated to Narrabri,” which came due to “the reduction in JORC reserves at Werris Creek.”

The release notes a number of reasons for the reduction in JORC reserves. However price assumptions around “uncertainties in coal markets” and the fact rail and intangible assets “are no longer expected to be utilised” are key drivers.

As a result of these expenses, this “resulted in a net loss after tax of $543.9 million.”

Whitehaven’s stated dividend policy is to distribute 20% to 50% of its net profit after tax to shareholders. However, given the company’s NLAT this year, the “board has not declared a dividend.”

What did management say?

Speaking on its annual report, Whitehaven managing director and CEO Paul Flynn said:

FY21 was very much a year of highs and lows both operationally and in terms of factors outside our control. COVID-19 continued to present challenges for coal markets and at home.

Continuing on the state of the coal markets, Flynn added:

Looking back over the last 12 months, coal markets were as dynamic as they have ever been. While we saw cyclical lows in pricing, towards the end of the year coal prices reached historic highs as the global economic
recovery picked up pace amid continuing tightness in supply.

What else did Whitehaven say in its annual report?

The price of coal has regained steam over the 12 months, coming from lows of US$52/tonne this time last year.

Coal currently trades at US$185.9/tonne, which Whitehaven sees as a plus for its ongoing operations in FY22.

In addition, “availability of high CV thermal remains tight,” according to Whitehaven, backed by “strong China coal demand.”

This is spurred on by geopolitics in the Asia–Pacific region, which has in turn “elevated seaborne coal prices to record levels.”

On the supply side, “all high quality, high CV thermal coal supply remains tight,” and prices are forecast to “remain strong through CY21, CY22 and CY23.”

These appear to be positives for Whitehaven, which may realise a higher price for its produced coal in FY22.

The Whitehaven Coal share price has gained 89% this year to date, extending its return over the last 12 months to 233%.

After bursting out of the gates this morning, Whitehaven shares have since settled back at $3.13 at the time of writing.

The post Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) share price on the rise after annual report release 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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The Tesserent Ltd (ASX: TNT) share price won’t be going anywhere on Friday after the company requested a trading halt.

What’s the trading halt for?

The cybersecurity and networking solutions provider requested a trading halt on the basis of a capital raising to support pending acquisitions.

Tesserent shares are expected to remain frozen until Tuesday, 28 September or when the announcement regarding the capital raising is lodged.

The company had $14.8 million in cash and cash equivalents for the year ended 30 June 2021.

The Tesserent share price last traded at 23.5 cents on Thursday.

That’s a lot of acquisitions

Tesserent is deploying an aggressive acquisition strategy to strengthen its cyber security capabilities in areas such as public and private sector consulting services and managed services.

Since the beginning of FY20, the company has acquired the following assets:

• Seer Security on 31 July 2020
• Airloom Holdings on 2 September 2020
• Ludus Information Security on 11 September 2020
• iQ3 on 11 November 2020
• Lateral Security Services (New Zealand) on 12 February 2021
• Secure Logic on 28 April 2021
• Loop Secure on 18 August 2021.

Tesserent share price going nowhere in 2021

The Tesserent share price has struggled to make headway in 2021. It is down 32% year to date to 23.5 cents.

Despite share price headwinds, the company has demonstrated a strong track record for successfully integrating its strategic business acquisitions, which in turn have strengthened its growth prospects.

In a statement on its preliminary FY21 results, Tesserent said it will continue to drive its acquisition strategy.

According to the statement:

There are also a number of potential acquisitions currently in review which if completed, will further add to the inorganic earnings growth and deepen the Cyber 360 model.

Tesserent delivered a bumper FY21 performance with revenue lifting 233% to $67.3 million.

Its normalised net profit after tax was $4.9 million. This is a big improvement on the $5.1 million loss in FY20.

The post Why the Tesserent (ASX:TNT) share price is frozen today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

After the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, many investors viewed tech stocks with a skeptical eye. Full of promise yet with little follow-up, profitable tech stocks were few and far between. Even worse, losses were commonplace. But Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) rose from the ashes of the dot-com bubble with heaps of cash, proceeding to pay its first dividend in 2003. Since then, the tech company has managed to increase both its stock price and its dividend payout by leaps and bounds.

Thanks to a combination of strong revenue growth, fast-growing profits, and consistent annual dividend increases, the software giant has become a must-have for many dividend investors — and the company’s latest dividend increase reiterates its strength as a dividend stock.

Microsoft’s dividend: The details

Earlier this month, the $2.2 trillion-dollar tech company announced an 11% increase to its quarterly dividend. It’s payable on Dec. 9 and to shareholders of record on Nov. 18. The new quarterly dividend of $0.62 comes out to $2.48 annually, giving Microsoft a dividend yield of about 0.8%.

Impressively, the dividend hike actually marks an acceleration from the 10% dividend increase the company announced in 2020.

In conjunction with its dividend increase announcement, Microsoft’s board of directors also approved a $60 billion share repurchase program. This gives the company even more ways to return cash to shareholders — albeit indirectly in the form of buying back shares and thus increasing shareholder ownership in the company.

The robust dividend hike and Microsoft’s new share repurchase program together reflect the strength of the software company’s underlying business and its recent performance. Microsoft’s revenue for fiscal 2021 (which ended on Jun. 30, 2021) rose 21% year over year to $46.2 billion, while net income grew 47% to $16.5 billion.

A dividend-paying powerhouse

The company’s double-digit dividend increase helps drive home why investors shouldn’t search solely for dividend yield when looking for dividend stocks to buy. They should also consider the growth prospects of a company’s dividend.

Sure, Microsoft’s dividend yield of less than 1% may seem unappealing at first glance, but investors should realize that it’s likely the software giant’s dividend growth will average a growth rate of approximately 10% annually for the next five years. With tailwinds of strong top- and bottom-line growth and dividend payments currently accounting for less than one-third of the tech giant’s total annual earnings, there is substantial room for upside in Microsoft’s dividend payments.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Microsoft remains a top-notch dividend stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Daniel Sparks has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Microsoft. 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.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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The Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price and the Vita Group Limited (ASX: VTG) share price are both rising this morning.

At the time of writing, the telco giant’s shares are up slightly to $3.99. Whereas the retailer’s shares are up 6% to 98 cents.

Why is the Telstra share price rising?

The Telstra share price is rising today after Vita announced the sale of its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) retail business to the telco.

According to the release, the two parties have agreed a cash consideration of $110 million, subject to a net working capital and net-debt adjustment mechanism.

The release notes that the proposed transaction involves the sale of Vita’s Telstra branded retail stores and the Sprout business. Furthermore, Telstra will take over the employment relationship with the majority of staff involved with the stores and support teams.

The Vita Board believes the proposed transaction provides benefits to shareholders through realising value from the ICT channel and Sprout business now. This is rather than trading through to the conclusion of the Telstra Dealer Agreement in 2025 in an uncertain economic environment and changing ICT landscape.

What now for Vita?

If the transaction completes successfully, the Vita Board expects to distribute a large portion of the proceeds to shareholders.

It is proposing a fully franked special dividend of approximately $65 million to $75 million, representing $0.39 to $0.45 per share, plus franking credits of up to approximately $0.17 to $0.19 per share.

After which, Vita intends to utilise the remaining portion of proceeds, currently estimated to be approximately $35 million, to fund the further growth of its Artisan Aesthetic Clinics business.

It currently has 20 clinics across the country and is competing with Silk Laser Australia Ltd (ASX: SLA) in the growing beauty clinics market.

The post Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price higher on Vita (ASX:VTG) deal 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 recommended SILK Laser Australia Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SILK Laser Australia 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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ASX shares on the smaller end of town can sometimes feel like a double-edged sword.

Their size and growth ambitions can, at times, deliver explosive returns. On the flip side, many small caps are fraught with execution risk and often struggle to turn a profit.

In an interview with Livewire, Nathan Hughes from Perpetual Limited (ASX: PPT) and Mike Murray from Australian Ethical Investment Limited (ASX: AEF) discuss small cap ASX shares with plenty of potential.

Experts rate these 2 ASX shares

Beacon Lighting Group Ltd (ASX: BLX)

Beacon Lighting tends to fly under the radar compared to other retail ASX shares such as Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH) and Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV).

Hughes is a big fan of the retail company. He thinks there’s a “long runway for growth here and that will come from a few different things”.

“So there’s continued rollout of their existing store network. There’s direct to consumer online, so they’re going to new markets globally, which is really in its infancy. And they’re also using their existing relationships here in the existing store network to penetrate into the trade channel.

“So using their relationships with big builders, volume builders and trying to move down the trade path away from a purely retail path,” he said.

From a growth perspective, Hughes pointed out that the company has “grown revenues at about 10% per annum compound since listing (2014).”

CogState Limited (ASX: CGS)

This ASX share has exploded in recent months, rallying 140% since June to fresh all-time highs.

CogState is a neuroscience technology company focusing on scientifically validated digital brain health assessments.

Murray is excited about the company’s testing for cognition and its involvement in clinical trials, typically to do with Alzheimer’s disease.

“The really game-changing event is that there was a new drug that’s been approved in the US for Alzheimer’s and that stimulated a whole lot of new clinical trial work within Alzheimer’s.

“The other thing they’ve done is they’ve licenced this technology as almost like a direct to consumer test, globally. And if you think that you might go to the doctor in the future and not just get your blood pressure tested, you might get your cognition tested for early signs of dementia or cognitive decline.”

The post 2 small cap ASX shares with exciting growth potential: experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Kerry Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended ADAIRS FPO and Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. and 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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The Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) share price has had a stellar run recently.

In the last 3 months, shares in the health insurer have rallied nearly 12%.

Let’s take a look at what’s been fuelling the Medibank share price.

Why is the Medibank share price booming?

There have been several catalysts that have helped propel the Medibank share price higher since June.

Working back, the initial push came from the health insurer’s premium relief payments policy.

On 29 June, the company announced that it will return approximately $105 million to customers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through premium relief payments.

Medibank noted that the premium relief program would cover approximately 2 million accounts.

Positive outlook notes from various brokers and funds also help improve sentiment towards the health insurer.

The Medibank share price received an additional boost in late August after releasing its full-year report.

How did Medibank perform in FY21?

Medibank released a promising full-year report for FY21, fuelled by consumers prioritising their health and wellbeing.

The company’s report was headlined by a 40% increase in net profit after tax (NPAT) of $441 million.

Other highlights from Medibank’s full-year report included:

• Revenue increase of 1.99% on the prior corresponding period (pcp) to $6.9 billion
• 4,900% increase in net investment income of $120 million
• Earnings per share (EPS) of 16 cents – up 39.8% on the pcp
• A full-year dividend payout of 12.7 cents per share

Medibank is forecasting a 2.4% growth in underlying average net claims in FY22.

The company also has a $15 million target for productivity savings and is targeting a heavier focus on inorganic growth for FY22.

Snapshot of the Medibank share price

In addition to a solid past 3 months, shares in Medibank have also had a stellar year thus far.

Since the start of 2021, shares in the health insurer have soared more than 17% higher.

By comparison, the broader S&P/ASX200 Index (ASX: XJO) has only managed to climb 11% higher for the year.

The Medibank share price closed yesterday’s session slightly higher at $3.55.

The post Here’s why the Medibank (ASX:MPL) share price is up 12% in the last 3 months appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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September has not been kind to the EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price.

Since the start of the month, shares in the payments company have tumbled more than 5%.

In comparison, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) has clawed 1.3% higher for the month.

Let’s take a look at why investors have been bidding the EML share price lower this month.  

What’s been weighing down the EML share price?

Despite a strong start to the month, shares in EML have struggled to stay in the green.

Interestingly, the payments company has not released any major or price-sensitive news since the start of September.

As a result, there are various catalysts that could explain the recent weakness in EML’s share price.

In addition to broader volatility in domestic and international markets, the company has also had to battle uncertainty surrounding its Irish regulation issues.

The EML share price was rocked earlier this year after the Central Bank of Ireland voiced concerns over the company’s anti-money laundering financing compliance.

Additionally, investors could be re-rating shares in the payments company following its full-year results.  

How did EML perform in FY21?

For FY21, EML reported a record year with growth across a majority of its financial metrics.

Highlights from the company’s full-year report included;

• Group gross debit volume (GDV) up 42% to $19.7 billion.
• Record revenue of $194.2 million, an increase of 60% on FY20.
• Record underlying group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of $53.5 million, up 65%.
• Gross profit margins of 67%, down from 73% in FY20 due to a shift in business segments.
• New business GDV pipeline of $10.5 billion, with more than 300 prospects.
• Costs and provisions totalling $11.4 million in FY21 in relation to the Central Bank of Ireland regulatory investigation.

For FY22, EML is expecting to generate underlying EBITDA in a range of between $58 million to $65 million.

In response, the EML share price tanked more than 5% after releasing its report.

Snapshot of the EML share price

Despite a promising start to the year, the EML share price was shaken by regulation issues in Ireland.

Shares in EML have struggled to recover from the events and remain more than 5.5% lower for 2021.

The EML share price gained some of its losses back yesterday, closing higher at $3.96.

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

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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. owns shares of and has recommended EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended EML Payments. 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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The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price is in focus this morning following the bank’s announcement that its New Zealand branch will be welcoming a new boss.

Catherine McGrath is set to take over the CEO position at Westpac New Zealand on 5 November.

The Westpac share price finished yesterday’s session trading at $25.07 after gaining 0.6% over the course of Thursday.

Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming changes for Westpac New Zealand.

Westpac New Zealand’s new CEO

The Westpac share price is on watch this morning amid word of its New Zealand business’ new boss.

From 15 November, Catherine McGrath will take on the CEO position at Westpac New Zealand.

McGrath’s most recent role was as head of channels at London-based bank, Barclays, where she oversaw 16,000 people.

She has also held executive roles at ASB Bank New Zealand and senior roles at Lloyds Bank.

Currently, Westpac’s New Zealand business is being run by interim CEO Simon Power, after former-CEO David McLean’s retirement.

Following McGrath’s appointment, Power will return to his role as general manager of institutional and business banking at Westpac New Zealand.

McGrath’s appointment is still subject to regulatory approvals.

Commentary from management

Westpac Group’s CEO, Peter King, commented on the news that might have put the bank’s share price in focus, saying:

Westpac New Zealand is a strong business that has been serving New Zealanders for 160 years. In our recent portfolio review of the business, we identified ways to improve service for customers, including improving our digital capabilities, an area in which Catherine has considerable management expertise.

Westpac New Zealand’s chair-elect, Pip Greenwood, also commented:

Catherine joins Westpac New Zealand at a time of opportunity for our business, as we support New Zealanders through the challenges of COVID-19, and we seek to differentiate ourselves through leading customer service.

Westpac share price snapshot

The Westpac share price has been performing well this year.

It has gained 27% year to date. It is also 53% higher than it was this time last year.

The post Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price in focus amid new NZ CEO appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price has been trending upwards over the past 12 months. This comes as Australia’s third-largest bank has enjoyed positive investor sentiment, despite the economic impact caused by COVID-19.

At the end of Thursday’s market close, ANZ shares finished 1.07% higher to $27.38.

What’s going on with ANZ?

There are a couple of reasons why the ANZ share price has moved forward in 2021.

First and foremost, the bank released its third-quarter business update to the market on 18 August.

ANZ highlighted its CET1 ratio came in at 12.2%, a slight reduction from the 12.4% recorded in the previous period. In addition, the $1.5 billion buyback, which commenced on 4 August, is expected to reduce its CET1 ratio by 35 basis points.

The company also revealed a total provision release of $32 million for the quarter. This comprises an individual provision charge of $21 million and a collective provision release of $53 million.

The provision balance stood at $4.25 billion, with a collective provision coverage ratio of 1.24%.

In terms of the COVID-19 impact, ANZ noted that it has handed out roughly 1,300 customer loan deferrals during the current lockdown. This reflects about $600 million in value or 0.2% on its total home loan portfolio.

The other possible catalyst for the ANZ share price rise is Australia’s speedy vaccination program.

State governments have confirmed that once the majority of their populations are fully vaccinated, they will ease restrictions. This will see businesses get back to work and restart Australia’s economy. In turn, people will be able to service their loans, and the default rates will drop.

How much is ANZ forecast to pay in dividends?

With the bank scheduled to report its full-year results on 28 October, investors may be wondering about the dividend payments.

ANZ paid a fully franked dividend of 70 cents per share in July for the first half of FY21. This is above the 35 cents recorded in the prior period (FY20).

Goldman Sachs is forecasting a total FY21 dividend payment of 140 cents, implying a 70 cent-per-share final dividend payment. This would give ANZ a fully-franked current dividend yield of 5.11% and a forecasted payout ratio of roughly 65%. Not a bad return when including the strong ANZ share price rise.

It’s worth remembering that the company has consistently maintained or increased its dividend payments over the last 40 years. However, this does not account for the last 18 months due to COVID-19.

ANZ share price snapshot

In 2021, the ANZ share price has continued to rise in value, gaining more than 20% for investors. When factoring in the last 12 months, its shares are further in the green, up 60%.

On valuation grounds, ANZ presides a market capitalisation of approximately $77.12 billion, with 2.84 billion shares on its books.

The post The ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price is now trading on a forecast 5.11% fully-franked dividend yield appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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