Tag: Motley Fool

  • These ASX 200 dividend shares increased their payouts this earnings season

    A happy construction worker or miner holds a fistfull of Australian money, indicating a dividends windfall

    There were a number of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) companies on watch in the August earnings season. While growth shares generally reported strong results, investors had their eye on the ASX 200 dividend shares as well.

    Here are a few of the big names that increased their payouts to shareholders in the last month or so.

    ASX 200 dividend shares that increased payouts

    1. WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

    WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) has long been known as a “WAAAX” growth share. However, the Aussie tech group boosted its dividend by a whopping 141% increase in its full-year dividend.

    WiseTech reported a 63% jump in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to $206 million. The group announced a 3.85 cents per share dividend, up 141% on its FY20 final dividend and more than the 3.30 cents per share payout for the entirety of FY20.

    The payout surge sent the ASX 200 dividend share soaring in August as investors processed the surprise result.

    2. CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

    CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) also increased its payout to shareholders after the Aussie biotech’s strong FY21 result.

    CSL reported a 10% jump in constant-currency net profit to US$2.375 billion and bumped its dividend as a result.

    The group’s final dividend of US$1.18 per share translated to a full-year dividend of US$2.22 per share – up 10% on FY20’s payout.

    The news didn’t stop the ASX 200 dividend share from sliding lower on its results day before ultimately climbing 6% higher in August.

    3. Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

    Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) was yet another ASX 200 dividend share to boost its dividend in the latest earnings season.

    The Aussie retail conglomerate reported a 16.2% jump in net profit to $2,421 million for FY21. The group announced a 90 cent per share ordinary dividend to bring its full-year dividend up to 178 cents – a 17.1% increase on the FY20 payout.

    That doesn’t include the $2 per share proposed return of capital as Wesfarmers looks to give back some spare cash to its investors.

    The post These ASX 200 dividend shares increased their payouts this earnings season appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall 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 CSL Ltd. and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Wesfarmers Limited and WiseTech Global. 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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  • Top broker says CSL (ASX:CSL) share price is a buy

    Young doctor raising arms in air with hands in fists celebrating a new development

    The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price has been underperforming the market again in 2021.

    Since the start of the year, the biotherapeutics company’s shares have risen 8.5%.

    This compares to a 12.5% gain by the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the same period.

    Is the CSL share price good value?

    One leading broker that believes the underperformance in the CSL share price is a buying opportunity is Morgans.

    According to a recent note, the broker has put an add rating and $324.40 price target on its shares.

    This compares to the latest CSL share price of $309.08.

    What did Morgans say?

    Morgans was pleased with CSL’s performance in FY 2021, noting that its full year sales and profits were stronger than expected despite facing tough trading conditions. This resilient performance is partly why it remains positive on the CSL share price.

    The broker was particularly impressed with CSL’s Seqirus business, which smashed forecasts thanks to strong demand for influenza vaccines.

    Commenting on the result, Morgans said: “FY21 results were solid, beating on both top (US$10,310m, +10% cc; Morgans US$9,816m) and bottom lines (US$2,375m, +10% cc; Morgans US$2,174m). Seqirus (15% of profit) was exceptional (US$1,736m, +30% in cc, EBIT US$483m, +95%, margin +7.4pp to 27.8%), underpinned by increased sales of seasonal influenza vaccines (+41%; record doses c130m) and ongoing shift to more differentiated products.”

    What about FY 2022?

    Morgans acknowledges that FY 2022 will be a transitional year, with weaker margins, and an expected decline in profits.

    It said: “FY22 guidance is targeting cc NPAT between US$2,150-2,250bn (-9% to -5%) on revenue growth between 2-5%, with management flagging a “transitional year”, core plasma products “robust”, but margins contracting on increased costs, and Seqirus strength ongoing.”

    However, it remains positive on the long term and believes CSL shares would be a great addition to a balanced portfolio.

    It concluded: “We view CSL as a core holding and best positioned among its peers to meet growing patient demand, but the near term remains challenged, with timing uncertainty around a full recovery in plasma collections and increasing costs.”

    The CSL share price is up almost 200% over the last five years despite its recent underperformance.

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

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

    Before you consider CSL, 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 CSL wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended CSL Ltd. 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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  • 3 quality ASX growth shares analysts rate as buys

    ASX shares profit upgrade chart showing growth

    If you’re planning to add some growth shares to your portfolio in September, then you might 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:

    Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

    The first ASX growth share to look at is Domino’s. This pizza chain operator has been growing at a solid rate for a long time. This has been driven by the expansion of its store network at home and overseas, acquisitions, and its focus on technology. The good news is that management isn’t resting on its laurels and is aiming to continue expanding and growing its sales for some time to come. This could make it a top long term pick.

    Citi is a fan of Domino’s. It currently has a buy rating and $159.05 price target on its shares.

    Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

    Another 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 with its key solution – Nitro Productivity Suite. Demand has been growing strongly in recent years and has continued in FY 2021. For example, during the first half it reported a 56% increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR) to $33.8 million.

    Wilsons has been pleased with its performance so far in FY 2021. It recently retained its overweight rating and lifted its price target to $4.22.

    PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)

    A final growth share to look at is PointsBet. It is a sports betting and iGaming provider with operations in the ANZ and US markets. It has been growing at a rapid rate thanks to the increasing popularity of mobile sports betting and its US expansion. Pleasingly, it is still only scratching at the surface of its US opportunity and has a significant runway for growth over the next decade.

    Goldman Sachs is very bullish on PointsBet. It currently has a buy rating and $14.75 price target on its shares. The broker believes the company is well-placed to win a 10% share in the US states it operates in.

    The post 3 quality ASX growth shares analysts rate 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

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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 Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited, Nitro Software Limited, and 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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  • 2 ETFs for strong diversification in September 2021

    The letters ETF on wooden cubes with golden coins on top of the cubes and on the ground

    Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be an effective way to gain diversification in just one investment. The two in this article could be good to think about in September 2021.

    Aussies may benefit from investing in non-ASX shares for geographic diversification and probably sector diversification as well. The ASX is quite focused on resource businesses and banks.

    Some ETFs have very low management fees, allowing investors to get exposure to global blue chips for a low price.

    So that’s why these two ETFs could be ideas this month:

    iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

    Warren Buffett himself is a fan of S&P 500 funds for the diversification and low costs that they offer.

    iShares S&P 500 ETF is one of the cheapest ETFs on the ASX. It has an annual management fee of just 0.04%. That means almost all of the gross returns can turn into net returns for investors.

    There have been a lot of returns over the last decade, though past performance does not guarantee future results. In the past ten years, the ETF has delivered an average return per annum of 19.9%.

    A portfolio-based investment like this one simply provides the combined return of its underlying holdings. At the end of August, these were its largest positions: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Facebook, Alphabet, Tesla, Nvidia, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. These businesses are some of the global leaders at what they do. 

    As the name suggests, it actually owns 500 businesses. These holdings are some of the largest and most profitable in the US and indeed the world. They come from many different sectors, but technology, healthcare and consumer discretionary are the three industries with the largest representations.

    Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

    This ETF actually provides even more diversification than the S&P 500 one.

    It’s not just invested in US shares, it is invested in many major developed countries like Japan, the UK, France, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and so on.

    Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF also has ownership of more businesses. Its number of holdings is just over 1,500.

    All of that diversification comes with an annual management fee of 0.18% per annum.

    In terms of the biggest holdings, it has a similar list to the S&P 500: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon.com, Facebook, Tesla, NVIDIA, JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson and Visa. But because there are more positions (around 1,500), the allocation is smaller to these huge US companies because the money has to be split more ways.

    There are obviously plenty of non-US shares in there too like Nestle, Roche, LVMH, Novartis, Toyota, AstraZeneca, Shopify and Novo Nordisk.

    Whilst technology is the industry that still gets the biggest allocation with this ETF too, the financials sector is higher up the allocation list. Healthcare is a close third.

    The returns here haven’t been quite as high as the S&P 500 – over the last five years the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF has returned an average of 15.3%.

    The post 2 ETFs for strong diversification in September 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in iShares S&P 500 ETF right now?

    Before you consider iShares S&P 500 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 iShares S&P 500 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

    More reading

    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 recommended Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares 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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  • 2 top ASX dividend shares named as buys

    A woman holds a lightbulb in one hand and a wad of cash in the other

    If you’re wanting to overcome low interest rates, then you may want to look at the dividend shares listed below.

    Both shares are expected to provide investors with generous yields that are vastly superior to those offered with term deposits and savings accounts.

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

    Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ)

    The first ASX dividend share to look at is Aurizon. It is Australia’s largest rail freight operator, transporting more than 250 million tonnes of Australian commodities each year.

    Last month Aurizon released its full year results and revealed a 1% decline in revenue to $3.019 billion and a flat net profit after tax of $531 million. While not a result to get excited about, it was in line with expectations and allowed the company to declare another generous dividend.

    Credit Suisse was pleased with the result and has put an outperform rating and $5.30 price target on its shares. Its analysts are forecasting dividends per share of 29.5 cents in FY 2022 and then 30.9 cents in FY 2023.

    Based on the current Aurizon share price of $3.79, this represents yields of 7.8% and 8.1%, respectively.

    South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

    Another dividend share to look at is South32. This mining giant has exposure to a diverse group of commodities, including alumina, aluminium, energy coal, metallurgical coal, manganese ore, nickel, silver, lead, and zinc.

    The key commodity at present is aluminium. This is due to the belief that aluminium is in the early stages of a multi-year bull market. Combined with largely favourable outlooks for many of its other commodities, this bodes well for future earnings and dividend growth.

    Goldman Sachs is very positive on the company. It currently has a conviction buy rating and $3.60 price target on its shares.

    In addition, based on the latest South32 share price, Goldman is forecasting double-digit dividend yields from FY 2022 through to FY 2025.

    The post 2 top ASX dividend shares named 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 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 Aurizon Holdings 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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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

    Business man watching stocks while thinking

    On Wednesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was ran out of steam and edged lower. The benchmark index fell 0.1% to 7,527.1 points.

    Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to fall

    The Australian share market looks set to fall again on Thursday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 15 points or 0.2% lower this morning. This follows a mixed night of trade on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones fall 0.15%, the S&P 500 trade flat, and the Nasdaq rise 0.3%.

    BHP shares go ex-dividend

    The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is likely to trade sharply lower on Thursday. This is due to the mining giant’s shares trading ex-dividend for its fully franked final dividend. BHP will then be paying eligible shareholders the 273.6 cents per share dividend later this month on 21 September.

    Oil prices fall

    Energy producers such as Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have an off day after oil prices fell overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.4% to US$68.24 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 0.45% to US$71.30 a barrel. OPEC has revealed that it plans to stick to gradual output hikes.

    Gold price softens

    Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a subdued day after the gold price edged lower. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.1% to US$1,816.6 an ounce. The release of key economic data in the US appears to be weighing on the safe haven asset.

    Other shares going ex-dividend

    It isn’t just BHP that is going ex-dividend today. A number of ASX 200 shares are also going to trade without the rights to upcoming dividends. This includes biotherapeutics giant CSL Limited (ASX: CSL), funeral company InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC), health insurer NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF), and retail giant Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday 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. owns shares of and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended InvoCare Limited and NIB Holdings 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 200 falls, Metcash down, 4DMedical drops

    share price dipping

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 0.1% today to 7,527 points.

    Here are some of the highlights from the ASX:

    Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS)

    Metcash gave an update for the first 16 weeks of FY22 to 15 August 2021. The ASX 200 company said that trading has continued to be strong in all pillars and “well above” pre-COVID levels in FY20.

    There were a few drivers of this trading, including more local neighbourhood shopping and consumers moving from the city to regional areas.

    Metcash told the market that total food sales increased by 3.1% compared to the same period in FY20, though compared to FY21 food sales were down 7.4%.

    Total liquor sales were 23.1% higher compared to the same period in FY20 and 9.5% higher compared to FY21.

    The total hardware sales increased 37.8% compared to the same period in FY20 and were 16.3% higher compared with the same period in FY21. Strong demand is continuing to put pressure on stock availability, particularly timber.

    Metcash also said that its store networks have improved competitiveness because of its MFuture program which aims to improve the performance of the ASX 200 business.

    4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

    4DMedical announced today that it has successfully completed phase one of its clinical pilot program with Australia’s leading medical imaging provider, I-MED Radiology Network.

    This pilot provided I-MED radiologists with the ability to use XV lung ventilation analysis software in patient settings to provide insights into patient care.

    The company said that the phase one pilot received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback from radiologists and patients.

    The software was used on various respiratory diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, sarcoidosis, silicosis and long COVID.

    Phase two will be completed over the remaining year to assess a potential commercial partnership.

    4DMedical said that while the partnership is not generating revenue at this stage, it’s aiming to secure a contract with I-MED provided that phase two is successful.

    The 4DMedical share price fell by 4% today.

    EBOS Group Ltd (ASX: EBO)

    The EBOS Group share price edged lower today after announcing that it had completed the purchase of Sentry Medical. This acquisition is a designer, marketer and distributor of a broad range of medical consumable products, including its own brands and agency brands.

    Sentry is based in Australia and supplies customers including wholesalers, hospitals, general practitioners, dental surgeries, aged care facilities, pharmacies, government agencies and vet clinics.

    EBOS said this acquisition will further strengthen its presence in the distribution of medical consumables to the institutional healthcare market, which is a growing business for EBOS.

    The post ASX 200 falls, Metcash down, 4DMedical drops 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 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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  • 3 fantastic ASX shares that could be buys

    Investor riding a rocket blasting off over a share price chart

    Are you interested in adding some more ASX shares to your portfolio?

    Three ASX shares that could be worth considering this month are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    The first ASX share to look at is Altium. It is an award-winning printed circuit board (PCB) design software provider. It could be worth considering due to its leading position in a market exposed to the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence booms. The proliferation of electronic devices is expected to lead to increasing demand for its software over the next decade.

    This morning Citi upgraded its shares to a buy rating with a $35.40 price target. This compares to the latest Altium share price of $29.95

    Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

    Another ASX share to consider is Appen. It has a million-plus team of crowd sourced experts preparing the data that goes into artificial intelligence and machine learning models. It does this for some of the biggest tech companies in the world such as Google and Facebook. While demand has been subdued recently and led to Appen falling short of expectations in the first half of FY 2021, it has been tipped to bounce back strongly. Especially given how the artificial intelligence and machine learning markets have been tipped to grow materially in the future.

    Citi remains positive on the company. It has a buy rating and $18.80 price target on its shares. This compares very favourably to the current Appen share price of $10.53.

    Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

    A final ASX share to look at is Cochlear. It is one of the world’s leading hearing solutions companies and has a long track record of delivering earnings growth. While the pandemic was weighing on its performance, it has bounced back strongly recently. Looking longer term, the company appears well-placed for growth over the next decade. This is thanks to the ageing populations tailwind and its industry leading products.

    Macquarie is very positive on the company’s long term outlook. It has an outperform rating and $256.00 price target on its shares. The Cochlear share price is currently fetching $231.30.

    The post 3 fantastic ASX shares that 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. owns shares of and has recommended Altium, Appen Ltd, and Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium and Appen 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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  • Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price lifts 3% as NSW targets November international travel

    a man stands before a chalk board with line drawings of paper planes with various curling flight trajectories and paths.

    The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price rose by 3% today.

    COVID-19 continues to cause major disruption to domestic and international travel.

    However, there may be light at the end of the travel tunnel with the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian making comments about when the state will start welcoming international travellers.

    According to reporting by The Guardian, when asked about whether the state would allow vaccinated Australians to come home from overseas for Christmas, Ms Berejiklian said:

    If they are double dosed vaccinated, I think home quarantine is a definite. The traditional hotel quarantine system is no longer relevant when you have 80% of your population double vaccinated.

    And it’s no longer relevant when the key issue is rates of vaccination. So things will look different.

    And as I said if other states aren’t ready to welcome home Aussies at 80% double dose New South Wales will be.

    And if means more citizens come through to the Sydney airport so be it, the more flights, the better. But obviously we’re working through those issues and discussing them at national cabinet and with the Prime Minister.

    On top of that, The Guardian also reported that the Prime Minister Scott Morrison has commented:

    In states that aren’t locking others out … there will be the opportunity for people to go and travel and return to Australia and quarantine at home, and that people in those states who are overseas can come back to Australia.

    The caps that are on flights coming into those places … that aren’t locking others out, they will be able to receive more and more, and that will be a big change.

    What does this mean for the Flight Centre share price?

    Investors have sent the Flight Centre market capitalisation 3% higher than it was yesterday as it seems the business now has a target to work towards when it comes to international borders starting to open.

    Flight Centre itself has said that it’s targeting a return to monthly profitability in both corporate and leisure during FY22. This relies on vaccine efficacy as well as governments opening borders and keeping them open.

    The company previously said that had experienced strong and immediate rebounds after travel restrictions are lifted.

    To reach break-even, the company needs to generate around half of its pre-COVID total transaction value (TTV) an 40% of its leisure pre-COVID TTV.

    The post Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price lifts 3% as NSW targets November international travel appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Flight Centre right now?

    Before you consider Flight Centre, 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 Flight Centre 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 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 recommended Flight Centre Travel 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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  • These 3 ASX 200 shares were the most heavily traded on Wednesday

    blue arrows representing a rising share price ASX 200

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a bit of a down day on the share markets this Wednesday. At the time of writing, it looks as though the ASX 200 is set to end the trading day down 0.12% at 7,525 points. Rather than dwelling on that figure, let’s instead check out the ASX 200 shares that were the most heavily traded today.

    3 heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday.

    Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC)

    Alumina and aluminium producer Alumina is our first ASX 200 share to check out today, with an impressive 22.65 million shares having swapped hands today. That’s despite the absence of any major news or announcements from the company today.

    In saying that, we are saw some fireworks with the Alumina share price this Wednesday. AWC shares finished the day up a healthy 4.49% to $1.86 apiece. It’s probably this strong buying pressure that is resulting in such high trading volume with this company today.

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    ASX 200 telco Telstra is next up on our list today. This telco has also not given anything away today. However, the Telstra share price is also on fire (although not quite as enthusiastically as Alumina’s). Telstra shares finished the day up a robust 1.30% to $3.89 at the time of writing. This is probably why we saw a high volume of Telstra shares, specifically 21.22 million, change hands today. 

    Spark Infrastructure Group (ASX: SKI)

    Our final and most traded ASX 200 share today is ASX renewables share Spark Infrastructure. This Wednesday saw a sizable 39.07 million Spark shares bought and sold.

    Strangely, this is despite an absence of any major news or announcement out of the company. Or a major change to the Spark share price for that matter. Spark shares finished the day at $2.83 a share. However, they did dip to $2.80 earlier in the day, which might be the reason why we are seeing more shares trade than usual. Still, this is certainly a strange case to finish on!

    The post These 3 ASX 200 shares were the most heavily traded on Wednesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Telstra Corporation Limited. 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 Telstra Corporation 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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