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If you’re wanting to add some growth shares to your portfolio in September, then you may want to check out the two listed below.

Here’s why analysts are tipping these ASX shares as buys:

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

The first ASX growth share to look at is IDP Education. It is a provider of international student placement and English language testing services.

While trading conditions have been difficult because of the pandemic, the company appears well-positioned for growth once trading conditions normalise. Particularly given its recent acquisition of the British Council’s Indian International English Language Testing System for A$240 million. This transaction is expected to be approximately 13% earnings per share accretive (pre-synergies) on a pro forma calendar year 2019 basis.

Goldman Sachs is very positive on the company and believes it has strong long term growth potential.

It commented: “The long term growth opportunity for IEL is compelling. The company is reinvesting in digital capability that will increase its competitive advantage and strengthen its relationship with tertiary education institution clients. We estimate IEL to have <5% market share of the Canada and UK markets, with significant opportunity to gain share in a highly fragmented and under-penetrated market.”

The broker currently has a buy rating and $34.00 price target on its shares.

Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

Another ASX growth share to look at is Nitro Software. It is a software company that is aiming to drive digital transformation in organisations around the world via its Nitro Productivity Suite. This product provides integrated PDF productivity and electronic signature tools to customers.

Demand for its offering continues to grow thanks to its quality and a number of positive industry tailwinds. This includes the global shift to remote and digital work, which is being accelerated by the pandemic.

During the first half of FY 2021, the company delivered a 56% increase in its annualised recurring revenue (ARR) to US$33.8 million. This puts it on track to achieve its FY 2021 guidance for ARR of between US$39 million and US$42 million.

Bell Potter is very positive on the company. It is the broker’s “number one pick given the slight pullback in share price following the 1H2021 result – which was good but not great – and our expectation the next few results (i.e. 2H2021, 1H2022 and 2H2022) will all show strong top line growth on the back of the increase in sales staff in 1H2021 and also the recent commencement of charging for eSigning.”

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $4.00 price target on its shares.

The post 2 ASX growth shares that could be buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Brokers name 2 ASX 200 shares to buy
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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares on Monday
• 3 top ASX growth shares for investors in September

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 Idp Education Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nitro Software 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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If you’re looking to add some exchange traded funds (ETFs) to your portfolio, then you may want to read on.

Listed below are two popular ETFs that are very popular with investors right now. Here’s what you need to know about them:

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The first ETF to look at is the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF. It aims to track the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index before fees and expenses. This index comprises 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the NASDAQ market, and includes many companies that are at the forefront of the new economy.

BetaShares notes that this area of the market is underrepresented on the ASX. As a result, the ETF may benefit local investors that often have a large allocation to financials and mining companies and little exposure to technology.

Among the companies you’ll be buying a slice of are global giants such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla.

In respect to the latter, Tesla appears well-placed for growth over the long term thanks to the ongoing adoption of electric vehicles and its energy storage business. In respect to the former, the company notes that public sentiment and support for electric vehicles are at a never-before-seen inflection point.

VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

If you already own the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF, then you may want to consider complementing it with the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. This ETF gives investors exposure to a portfolio of the largest companies involved in video game development, eSports, and related hardware and software globally.

VanEck notes that these companies are in a position to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports. Furthermore, it notes that the fund gives investors the option to diversify their portfolio by providing opportunities away from tech giants Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft.

Among its major holdings are graphics processing units (GPU) giant Nvidia and games developers Take-Two Interactive (GTA, Red Dead), Electronic Arts (FIFA, Sims, Apex Legends), and Activision Blizzard (Call of Duty).

The post 2 popular ETFs for ASX investors to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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 BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors ETF Trust – VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports 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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At the current Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price, could it be a good one to consider for dividends?

What did Woolworths do with the dividend in FY21?

The Woolworths board decided to increase the final dividend by 14.6% to 55 cents. That brought the full year dividend to $1.08 per share, an increase of 14.9%. That came after continuing operations earnings per share (EPS) increased 20.2% to 119.6 cents.

How big will the dividend be in FY22 and FY23?

There are a number of estimates for the Woolworths dividends over the next couple of years.

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) is one of the analysts that has estimated how big the dividend could be. In FY22, Macquarie is expecting Woolworths to pay an annual dividend of $0.93 per share, which would be a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.3%.

In FY23, Macquarie is expecting the dividend to be $1.03 per share, which would be a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.7%.

Commsec’s projections for the Woolworths dividend is for a little bit higher. In FY22, Commsec numbers suggest a 3.6% grossed-up dividend yield and in FY23 the forecast suggests a 3.75% grossed-up dividend yield.

How are Woolworths earnings going?

Woolworths reported in FY21 that continuing net profit increased 20.1% to $1.5 billion after continuing sales grew by 4.9% to $55.7 billion. FY21 continuing earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) before (significant items) rose 11.1% to $2.76 billion.

Breaking that down into the divisions, Australian food EBIT was up 9% to $2.43 billion, New Zealand food EBIT fell 6.4% to $336 million and Big W EBIT jumped 344.9% to $172 million.

Looking to the outlook, Woolworths plans to open 10 to 25 new full range supermarkets annually.

Australian food total sales for the first eight weeks have increased by 4.5%, cycling growth of 11.9% in the prior year. Woolworths attributed this growth to lockdowns across the country, particularly in NSW. More people are shopping online.

In New Zealand food, Woolworths said that two-year average growth momentum has continued to improve in FY22, with sales benefiting from recent lockdowns.

However, Big W sales were down 15.1% in the first eight weeks of FY22 due to the impact of lockdowns and cycling sales growth of 21.1%.

Group COVID costs have been $41 million in the first eight weeks, or 0.5% of sales.

Is the Woolworths share price a buy?

Macquarie currently rates the Woolworths share price as neutral, with a price target of $41.50.

However, Credit Suisse thinks that the Woolworths share price is a sell with a price target of $31.02. The broker doesn’t think that Woolworths is going to generate much growth over the next couple of years.

The post Is the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price a buy for dividends? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• It hasn’t been a great week for the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price
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• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price lower after selling stake in meal box company
• Marley Spoon (ASX:MMM) share price sinks 8% after Woolworths sells its stake
• Here’s why the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price is in focus today

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

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The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is having a rough trot this month despite no news having been released by the company.

The hard slog for Woodside has also come despite relatively steady oil prices.

Since the end of August, the Woodside share price has fallen just 1.2%. However, it fell more than 3% over the past week.

The Woodside share price finished Friday’s session trading at $19.27. It gained 0.36% over the course of the day.

Let’s take a look at what’s been driving Woodside lower on the ASX.  

What’s up with Woodside?

The Woodside share price has been struggling this week despite oil prices remaining relatively steady.

The month started off well for the price of oil, and while it’s been up and down since, it ultimately hasn’t moved much.

The steady oil price comes despite reports China attempted to debase the oil market on Friday. According to reporting by Bloomberg, China released crude oil from its strategic reserve in an attempt to cool oil prices.

While today’s news hasn’t noticeably affected Woodside’s stock or the price of oil today, it may soon dent confidence in the sector.

Other news that might be weighing on the Woodside share price is its planned merger with BHP Group Ltd‘s (ASX: BHP) oil assets. The two companies announced their intent to merge in August.

Under the proposal, Woodside will onboard BHP’s oil assets while BHP would walk away with a 48% holding in the newly expanded Woodside.

Another potential weight on Woodside’s shares is the company’s competitors, Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH), which have been inundated with expectation recently.

The market’s anticipation ended with Friday’s announcement that the pair will be merging to create a $21 billion competitor for Woodside.

However, the confirmation of the Santos-Oil Search merger didn’t seemingly hurt the Woodside share price on Friday.

Woodside share price snapshot

Last week’s slip was just the latest fall faced by Woodside’s stock.

It is currently 16% lower than it was at the start of 2021. However, it has gained 5% since this time last year.

The post September is not being kind to the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price 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 BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price has fallen by around 10% in September 2021. We’re only a third of the way through of the way through the month.

What could be causing this difficulty for BHP?

There have been a couple of things that may be on investor’s minds.

The dividend?

A few weeks ago, BHP declared a very big dividend for FY21. The board decided to increase the annual dividend by 151% to US$3.01. This came after a big year of profit growth and cashflow.

The final dividend for FY21 was US$2 per share, in Australian dollar terms it was AU$2.715 per share.

The ex-dividend date for that final dividend was 2 September 2021. That means investors on or after 2 September 2021 are no longer entitled to that final dividend, meaning investors could say the BHP share price is worth AU$2.72 less in the short-term.

China turns the screw?

It has been reported by various media, including the Australian Financial Review, that China is reducing its steel production, telling steel producers to cut the amount they’re making.

The AFR reported that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said production cuts in key steel making cities in the country’s north would be extended until March next year.

This drop in Chinese demand may be an important factor for why the iron ore price has fallen from above US$230 per tonne to below US$140 per tonne.

How important is iron ore for the BHP share price?

In overall terms, BHP’s FY21 result showed a lot of profit. The profit from operations rose 80% to US$25.9 billion, attributable profit increased 42% to US$11.3 billion and net operating cashflow grew 73% to US$27.2 billion.

Looking at the underlying numbers, underlying attributable profit rose 88% to US$17 billion, and underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 69% to US$37.4 billion.

BHP’s underlying EBITDA from the iron ore segment was US$26.3 billion, being 70% of the total. The big miner’s iron ore underlying EBITDA rose 80.6% compared to FY20. BHP’s FY20 iron ore underlying EBITDA was 65.9% of the total. Iron ore has clearly been important in the last two financial years.

Is the BHP share price worth looking at?

One of the only brokers that rate the BHP share price is a buy is Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) with a price target of $54. One of the things that Macquarie is focused on is higher expectations for oil prices as the world recovers from COVID-19.

However, there are brokers such as Credit Suisse and Morgans that rate BHP as a hold with lower earnings expectations for its iron ore business.

The post September is not being kind to the BHP (ASX:BHP) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
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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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Are you looking for some quality ASX dividend shares to add to your income portfolio this month?

Then you might want to look at the ones listed below. Here’s what you need to know about these dividend shares:

Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP)

The first ASX dividend share to look at is Stockland. It is a property company which owns, manages and develops a diverse range of property assets. These include retirement villages, retail centres, business parks, offices, and logistics centres.

It was back on form in FY 2021, reporting a statutory profit of $1.1 billion. This was up from a $21 million loss in FY 2020.

The team at Citi were pleased with Stockland’s performance. In response, the broker put a buy rating and $5.03 price target on the company’s shares.

In addition, its analysts are forecasting dividends per share of 28 cents in FY 2022 and 28.5 cents in FY 2023.

Based on the current Stockland share price of $4.49, this will mean yields of 6.2% and 6.3%, respectively.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Another ASX dividend share to consider is Transurban. This leading toll road operator has a portfolio of important roads in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, Greater Washington, United States and Montreal, Canada.

Analysts at Ord Minnett remain very positive on the company. Although they acknowledge that the near term will be impacted by lockdowns, they appear confident that its road will bounce back swiftly once restrictions ease.

Longer term, the broker believes Transurban is well-placed for the next phase of its growth thanks to a significant pipeline of opportunities.

As a result, its analysts have a buy rating and $15.50 price target on its shares at present.

In addition, Ord Minnett is forecasting dividends of 36.5 cents per share in FY 2022 and then 48.4 cents per share in FY 2023. Based on the latest Transurban share price of $13.98, this will mean yields of 2.6% and 3.5%, respectively.

The post Analysts name 2 ASX dividend shares to buy now 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 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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It has been a fantastic year for the Life360 (ASX: 360) share price.

So far in 2021, the family-focused app maker’s shares have risen an incredible 139%.

Can the Life360 share price keep climbing higher?

The Life360 share price may be smashing the market in 2021, but one leading broker doesn’t believe it has peaked just yet.

According to recent note out of Bell Potter, its analysts have retained their buy rating and lifted their price target on the company’s shares to $10.75.

With the Life360 share price currently fetching $9.30, this means there’s still potential upside of 15.5% over the next 12 months.

What did the broker say?

Bell Potter was pleased with Life360’s performance during the first half of FY 2021. The broker notes that the company’s revenue of US$48 million and EBITDA loss of US$4.8 million were in line with its forecasts.

And while the broker acknowledges that Life360 intends to invest more heavily and will record greater than previously forecast losses, this isn’t enough to impact its bullish view.

Bell Potter continues to be a big fan of the company due to its attractive valuation compared to peers, its large and resilient subscriber base, and its potential to enter and disrupt other markets.

In respect to the latter, the broker commented: “Life360 has the potential to leverage its large and growing user base to enter new markets and disrupt the legacy incumbents. An example is roadside assistance where Life360 launched a subscription-based product called Driver Protect which disrupted the market and helped enable monetisation of its user base. Other markets Life360 could potentially enter include insurance, item & pet tracking, senior monitoring, home security and/or identity theft.”

All in all, while the Life360 share price has rocketed higher this year, the broker doesn’t believe the gains are over just yet.

The post Why the Life360 (ASX:360) share price could be heading higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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 Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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ASX energy shares play a vital role in powering the economy. These companies are involved in producing and supplying energy, developing oil and gas reserves, and refining and fuel production.

Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL), engaged in petroleum exploration and production, is the ASX’s largest energy stock. Santos Ltd (ASX: STO), an oil and gas producer, and AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL), which produces and sells electricity, are also major players.

Results for ASX energy shares were mixed in the August earnings season — the sector is currently in a state of flux, with several mergers and demergers planned.

As society moves toward cleaner energy sources, industry participants are restructuring and refining operations as they position their businesses for the future. 

How have ASX energy shares performed against the market?

Shares in the energy sector have underperformed the broader market in 2021. The AGL share price has declined steadily, falling almost 50% over the course of the year. By contrast, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has gained more than 10% year to date.

AGL’s share price fall means the company was removed from the S&P/ASX 50 (ASX: XFL) in the most recent quarterly rebalance. Share in Woodside Petroleum have also dropped this year, currently down more than 16% year to date, while the Santos share price is around 6% lower for the year. 

Who are the winners this earnings season? 

Santos was a winner this earning season, reporting record half-year production and sales volumes.

Production increased 23% while sales volumes were up 15%. Product sales revenue reached US$2,040 million, providing a free cash flow of US$572 million.

Net profit was US$354 million, up from a loss of US$289 million in 2020. This allowed for the payment of a fully franked dividend of US5.5 cents per share, 162% higher than the previous interim dividend. 

Santos is progressing a planned merger with Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH), under which Santos will acquire all shares in Oil Search for consideration of new Santos shares. Oil Search shareholders are expected to hold approximately 38.5% of the merged group, with Santos shareholders owning approximately 61.5%.

The merged entity is expected to have a pro forma market capitalisation of A$21 billion, positioning it among the 20 largest global oil and gas companies. 

Improved oil and gas prices in 1H 2021 boosted Woodside Petroleum’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), which increased to $1,496 million from $974 million in 1H2020.

The company reported that sales revenue was boosted by a recovery in LNG and oil demand towards pe-pandemic levels. Underlying profit increased by 17% to $354 million for the half-year.

The company declared an interim dividend of US 30 cents per share, representing a payout ratio of approximately 80% of underlying profit after tax. The result reflected a strong rebound in market conditions following the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 in 2020. 

The day before the release of its half-year results, Woodside announced plans to enter a merger with BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). The plan is for the companies to combine their respective oil and gas portfolios by an all-stock merger. This will create a global top 10 independent energy company by production.

BHP’s oil and gas business would merge with Woodside, and Woodside would issue new shares to BHP shareholders. The expanded Woodside would be owned 52% by existing Woodside shareholders and 48% by existing BHP shareholders. 

And the losers? 

AGL’s earnings (EBITDA) fell 18% in FY21 to $1,666 million, reflecting a challenging year for the energy company.

Results were impacted by lower wholesale electricity prices, reduced electricity generation output at peak periods, and the roll off of legacy supply contracts.  Underlying profit after tax fell 34% to $537 million, reflecting the impact of increasing generation supply and lower demand arising from the pandemic and milder weather.

A statutory loss of $2,058 million was reported, including $2,929 million of impairment losses previously announced. Despite challenges in the wholesale market, AGL continues to consolidate its position as Australia’s largest multi-product energy retail with solid organic and inorganic growth. The company added 254,000 services to customers in FY21, with customer churn flat across the year. 

AGL has confirmed it intends to undertake a demerger to create two energy businesses with separate listings on the ASX. AGL Energy Limited is to become Accel Energy Limited, a baseload power producer focused on redeveloping its sites as low-carbon industrial energy hubs.

AGL Australia Limited, an energy retailer backed by flexible energy trading, storage and supply, will be demerged. The demerger is intended to protect value and provide greater strategic focus for both entities. 

What is the outlook for ASX energy shares?

AGL has provided guidance for underlying EBITDA of $1,200 million to $1,400 million and net profit after tax of $220 million to $340 million in FY22. The company expects to deliver a $150 million reduction in operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortisation) in FY22 compared to FY20.

AGL has expressed cautious optimism regarding its outlook, noting it is well-positioned to benefit from any sustained recovery in wholesale electricity prices. Plans are progressing to implement the demerger in the fourth quarter of FY22. 

Thanks to improved oil prices, Santos says it is on track to deliver free cash flow of more than $1.1 billion in 2021.

Santos and Oil Search are expected to sign a binding merger agreement in the coming weeks, with the due diligence period set to expire on 13 September 2021. The merger is expected to create a regional champion with a diversified portfolio of long-life, low-cost oil and gas assets. Substantial potential synergies are expected to be unlocked. 

The Woodside BHP merger is expected to take place during the second quarter of the 2022 calendar year.

The expanded Woodside will boast a high margin oil portfolio and long life LNG assets with resilient, high margin operating cash flows. These assets are expected to generate attractive returns for the next decade but will need to be positioned within society’s transition to clean energy. 

The post How have ASX energy shares performed during the August 2021 earnings season? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 rises, Santos and Oil Search merge
• Why the Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price is leaping out of the trading pause
• Santos (ASX:STO) share price climbs as Oil Search merger confirmed
• September hasn’t been a great month so far for the AGL (ASX:AGL) share price
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

Motley Fool contributor Katherine O’Brien 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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It has been a week to forget for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). Due to a selloff on Thursday, the benchmark index dropped 1.5% or 116.3 points over the five days to end the week at 7,406.6 points.

Fortunately, not all shares dropped lower with the market. Here’s why these were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week:

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

The TechnologyOne share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 last week with a gain of 11.3%. The catalyst for this was a bullish broker note out of Bell Potter. According to the note, the broker has upgraded the company’s shares to a buy rating and lifted its price target on them by 28% to $12.50. Bell Potter notes that last month the company announced the progressive cessation of support from October for customers who use its on-premise solution. It believes this will accelerate the rate of customers switching to its software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering.

Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC)

The Alumina share price wasn’t far behind with a gain of 9.3%. This appears to have been driven by rising aluminium and bauxite prices following a coup in Guinea. There are concerns that this coup could disrupt the supply chain, which appears to have seen end users scramble to get hold of product this month. Not even Macquarie putting an underperform rating and $1.30 price target on the company’s shares could hold them back.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

The Soul Patts share price was on form and rose 8.1% over the five days. This follows a busy week for the investment house. Over the period, the company released a profit update for FY 2021, confirmed its merger ratio, and was subject of divestment speculation. In respect to the latter, Soul Patts is allegedly advancing plans for an IPO of its wholly-owned copper subsidiary Round Oak Metals.

Nickel Mines Ltd (ASX: NIC)

The Nickel Mines share price was a positive performer and recorded a gain of 6.4% for the week. Last week analysts at Credit Suisse put an outperform rating and $1.40 price target on the nickel producer’s shares. This compares to the latest Nickel Mines share price of $1.08. Credit Suisse was pleased with the company signing an agreement with PT Iriana Mutiara Mining for a staged acquisition of the Siduarsi nickel/copper project in Indonesia. Rising nickel prices also supported its shares.

The post These were the best performing ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) shares last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These were the worst performing ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) shares last week
• ASX 200 rises, Santos and Oil Search merge
• Here are the 3 heaviest traded ASX 200 shares this Friday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares on Friday
• Why the Nickel Mines (ASX:NIC) share price is leaping 8% on Friday

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 Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company 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 BWX Ltd (ASX: BWX) share price certainly has been on form in 2021.

Since the start of the year, the personal care products company’s shares have risen a sizeable 19% to $4.95.

Can the BWX share price keep climbing from here?

The good news for investors is that one leading broker believes the BWX share price can keep on rising.

According to a note out of Bell Potter, its analysts have retained their buy rating and lifted their price target on the company’s shares to $6.10.

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

Why is Bell Potter bullish?

Bell Potter was pleased with BWX’s solid performance in FY 2021, particularly given the COVID-19 headwinds it was facing.

In case you missed it, BWX reported a 3.4% increase in revenue to $194.1 million and an 11.6% lift in EBITDA to $34.5 million. This was in line with management’s guidance for FY 2021.

Although Bell Potter acknowledges that the company is facing near term uncertainty, it remains very positive on its outlook. This is due to improving trading conditions in the US, margin expansion, and its acquisition of Go-To Skincare.

It commented: “Looking through near-term uncertainty we remain positive on the outlook for BWX, with improving conditions in North America, distribution gains and expanding margin outlook from BWX’s new facility all on track to deliver for the company over the next 12-24 months.”

“Factoring in changes from BWX’s result, and the Go-To Skincare acquisition and BWX’s Equity raising, we upgrade our EBITDA forecasts by +15.2% and +24.3% in FY22/FY23e respectively, driving no material change to our EPS in FY22e and an upgrade of +2.9% in FY23. We Maintain our Buy recommendation on BWX, with a revised price target of $6.10ps,” the broker concluded.

The post Top broker says BWX (ASX:BWX) share price is a buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 beauty ASX shares delivering attractive growth
• Why the BWX (ASX:BWX) share price is moving higher today
• Why Blackmores, BWX, Fortescue, & Wesfarmers shares are dropping
• BWX (ASX:BWX) share price slips 6% on placement update
• BWX (ASX:BWX) share price halted following FY21 results and Go-To acquisition

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 BWX 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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