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The Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB) share price is down on Thursday after the company released its full-year report for FY21.  

Despite reporting a record profit, shares in the logistics company are trading lower for the day.

Let’s take a look at how Qube performed for the full year.

Highlights from Qube’s full-year report for FY21

• Record underlying earnings (NPATA) of $159.6 million  
• Annual net profit of $91.6 million, 4.7% increase on prior corresponding period (pcp)
• Underlying revenue of $2,0032.4 million, a 7.9% increase on pcp
• 14.1% increase in Underlying EBITDA of $182.9 million on pcp

Qube noted its strong balance sheet. As a result, the company increased its full-year dividend by 15.4% to 6 cents per share.

In addition, Qube said it has repaid FY21 JobKeeper payments that the company applied for and received.

What happened with Qube in FY21?

In its announcement, Qube noted that the key drivers of the earnings growth were its operating division and Patrick container ports.

For the full year, the company’s operating division experienced high volumes across most parts of the business. In particular, container, grain, forestry, motor vehicles and bulk volumes were particularly strong.

Patrick contributed $41.3 million of Qube’s profit, a 59% increase on the year prior.  The company noted that Patrick benefitted from growth in market volumes and increased landside and ancillary charges.

In addition, Qube’s property division reported a $2.1 million loss compared with a $4.9 million loss a year earlier.

What did management say?

Qube’s Managing Director Paul Digney highlighted:

This strong result reconfirms Qube’s robust diversified logistics strategy as the driver of earnings growth even during a pandemic. The result reflects high volumes across most of Qube’s core markets, including containers, grain, forestry, energy and bulk, as well as higher container volumes and ancillary charges for Patrick. The second half of FY21 was particularly robust as the economy recovered from the effects of COVID and Qube also benefitted from a strong grain harvest.

What’s next for Qube?

For FY22, Qube expects to deliver solid underlying earnings growth.

However, the company acknowledged that forecasts were based on no deterioration in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qube expects to be in a stronger financial and operating position once it completes the sale of its Moorebank freight hub.

As a result, the company expects to emerge with a more predictable earnings profile from its attractive, highly diversified, and strong cash generative logistics operations.

At the time of writing, shares in Qube are trading around 2% lower for the day at $2.98.

The post Qube (ASX:QUB) share price struggles despite record profit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Starpharma (ASX:SPL) share price tanks 3% on 67% revenue drop
• Swoop (ASX:SWP) share price rockets 20% on revenue growth
• Archtis (ASX:AR9) share price slips on $3.3 million loss
• Why the Kuniko (ASX:KNI) share price is rocketing 96% higher today
• Atlas Arteria (ASX:ALX) share price jumps after net profit soars 800%

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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The Swoop Holdings Ltd (ASX: SWP) share price is soaring during mid-afternoon trade. This comes after the telecommunications company released its FY21 full-year results before market open today.

At the time of writing, Swoop shares are swapping hands for $1.54 apiece, up 19.84%.

Swoop records strong increases across key metrics

The Swoop share price is flying after the telecommunication services provider delivered its results for the 12 months ending 30 June 2021. Here are some of the key financial updates:

• Pro forma revenue of $30.9 million, up 104% year on year;
• Pro forma gross margin of $16.8 million, up 118%; and
• Pro forma earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $4.9 million, up 165%.

What happened in FY21 for Swoop?

Swoop completed the acquisition of three materially accretive regional fixed wireless operators in June and July. They included Beam Internet, Speedweb, and Community Communications.

The company advised that its infrastructure now spanned more than 390 towers, up from 259 towers in FY20. Furthermore, Swoop is now one of the country’s largest fixed wireless network providers.

Services In Operation (SIO) also registered strong momentum with 30,723 subscribers, up 24% on the prior corresponding period. This comprised a revenue mix of residential (48%), followed by wholesale (42%), and business (10%).

What did management say?

Swoop CEO Alex West welcomed the results, saying:

We had a fantastic year which was capped off by our successful listing on the ASX. I am thrilled with the growth we have achieved and the opportunities that exist for further acquisitions.

Along with the board, the executive team and I are pumped to be creating the next national Australian telco with the business on track for an equally successful FY22.

What’s the outlook for Swoop in FY22?

Looking ahead, Swoop provided guidance for an equally robust result for FY22. The business is forecasting revenue greater than $40 million, and EBTIDA of $10 million. This represents a growth of 33% and 106%, respectively.

Swoop noted that achieving FY22’s guidance would come from predominantly recurring revenue with some contribution from projects and regional grants.

Swoop share price snapshot

Since the company’s listing in May 2021, the Swoop share price has accelerated by more than 300%.

Based on the current share price, the company has a market capitalisation of around $176.2 million.

The post Swoop (ASX:SWP) share price rockets 20% on revenue growth 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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The Archtis Ltd (ASX: AR9) share price is sliding after the company released its results for financial year 2021 (FY21) this morning.

Right now, the Archtis share price is 33.5 cents, 2.9% lower than its previous close.

Archtis share price slumps despite 743% revenue increase

Here’s how the cyber security provider performed through FY21:

• $4.6 million of revenue, 743% more than that of FY20
• Loss before tax of $3.3 million
• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) came to a loss of $1.5 million, still a 44% improvement on that of FY20
• $3.1 million of profit, a 1,159% increase
• No dividends

The company’s annual recurring revenue over FY21 was $1.9 million, 681% more than in FY20.

It also received cash receipts worth $7.4 million, 846% more than it did in the previous period.

Archtis ended the period with $12.7 million in cash.

What happened in FY21 for Archtis?

Here’s what drove the Archtis share price in FY21:

Archtis announced its plans to acquire and merge with Nucleus Cyber in October. The merger took place in December.

The merger expanded Archtis’ footprint in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

It also produced cross-selling opportunities with Nucleus Cyber’s existing product offering within the Microsoft Corporation‘s (NASDAQ: MSFT) software suite.

Archtis also secured its largest deal ever in FY21. That was was with the Australian Department of Defence and is worth $4.2 million.

Then, in the fourth quarter, the Department of Defence bought two multi-year contracts worth a total of approximately $1.4 million for the licensing of NC Protect. The defence department will use Archtis’ software to secure information collaboration across the Microsoft suite.

What did management say?

Archtis’ chair Dr Miles Jakeman commented on the results driving the company’s share price today, saying:

Financial Year 2021 (FY21) will go down as a bittersweet period for the company as we entered into new global market opportunities. Amongst the personal loss and economic challenges experienced by hundreds of millions of people across the globe, Archtis is pleased to deliver a transformational and record-breaking financial year.

Archtis’ financial performances this year was substantially higher in every single reporting metric…

Remote work has brought new challenges to collaboration and has exposed a broader need around security; particularly associated with breaches and loss of sensitive information originating from employees and contractors (insider threats). Nation-states, corporate espionage and human error have exponentially added to the challenges global organisations are facing in securing their data. The old security model is broken and archTIS is leading the way toward new and innovative methodologies that make collaboration more secure, easier to use, simple to deploy and scalable.

What’s next for Archtis?

Investors focused on the Archtis share price in FY22 should keep an eye out for these developments:

The company is planning to continue driving towards triple-digit growth in annual reoccurring revenue in FY22.

It’s also going to focus on creating superior products and capture a larger global market share. It will be looking out for acquisition opportunities to expand its product offerings.

Archtis will continue working on pipeline opportunities with Microsoft, Thales, Raytheon, and other partners.

Finally, the company has pointed to MarketsandMarkets research that shows the global data-centric security market’s size will increase from US$3,460 million in 2020 to US$9,763 million by 2026.

It’s safe to assume Archtis is hoping to get a slice of that exceptional growth.

Archtis share price snapshot

Despite today’s fall, the Archtis share price has gained 8% year to date. However, it has dropped 31% since this time last year.

The post Archtis (ASX:AR9) share price slips on $3.3 million loss 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.

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.

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The Kuniko Ltd (ASX: KNI) share price has been an exceptionally strong performer on Thursday.

In afternoon trade, the battery metals explorer’s shares are up 96% to a record high of $1.50.

This means the Kuniko share price is now up a staggering 650% since spinning out of Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL) earlier this week.

Why is the Kuniko share price rocketing higher?

Investors have been bidding the Kuniko share price higher today following the release of an update on its exploration activities in Norway.

According to the release, geochemical sampling programs are now underway, kicking off a significant schedule of activity across its projects in Norway.

The company notes that it is exploring a suite of historical producing battery metals projects, with minimal previous modern exploration.

For example, the Skuterud Mine produced over one million tonnes of cobalt from 1773- 1898, and at the time was both the world’s largest cobalt producer and the largest company in Norway.

In addition, the company’s Vangrøfta licence hosts the historical Fredrick IV mine, from which 30 years of small-scale production occurred up until 1908. Positively, more recent rock chip samples reported rock chip results up to 16.75% copper, 3.33 g/t gold, and 0.216% cobalt from historical mine workings and dumps at the project.

New data to augment existing data sets, and to be integrated with upcoming airborne geophysical programs, is scheduled for September. The same month the first new assay data is expected to be released.

Management commentary

Kuniko’s Chairman, Gavin Rezos, commented: “Kuniko has been positioned to meet the high demand for a sustainable supply of ethically mined battery metals sourced from within the European Economic Area (EEA) in response to the EV revolution.”

“Norway, which has a long history of mining and is a world leader in renewable energy production, is now looking to reinvest in its mineral deposits as it transitions away from North Sea fossil fuels production to help the EEA meet this demand.”

“Kuniko aims to extend historical battery metals resources on our project sites by applying modern exploration and processing methods, whilst applying the same ESG culture to our projects to demonstrate a zero-carbon footprint that we have learnt from Vulcan, who importantly has retained a 25.85% stake in the company,” he added.

The Kuniko share price began trading on the ASX at 20 cents on Tuesday.

The post Why the Kuniko (ASX:KNI) share price is rocketing 96% higher today 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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The Atlas Arteria Ltd (ASX: ALX) share price has stepped into the green on Thursday as the toll-road developer reported its FY21 half-year results.

Atlas shares are currently changing hands at $6.38 apiece, a 1.83% jump on the day.

Let’s investigate further.

Atlas Arteria share price climbs on strong profit and recovery in road traffic volumes

• Weighted average traffic in the first half was 17.5% above the same time last year
• Statutory next profit after tax (NPAT) of $71 million, from a loss of $123 million a year ago
• Excluding “notable items”, NPAT grew by 845% year on year to $86 million from $9.1 million
• More than $250 million in capital expenditure “delivered across all businesses” in 1H 2021
• First half distribution guidance of 15.5 cents per security.

What happened in FY21 for Atlas Arteria?

In a positive for the Atlas Arteria share price, the company recognised a recovery in weighted average traffic volumes towards pre-pandemic levels. It recorded an approximate 18% year on year increase in traffic volumes, however, this was still about 20% below 2019 levels.

The company’s APRR business grew its traffic numbers by 19% year on year, resulting in an 18.6% increase in toll revenue to $1.68 billion. This carried through to an EBITDA of $1.3 billion, which is a 23% growth on the year prior.

For its Warnow Tunnel toll road, traffic decreased almost 9% this half, which also reduced toll revenue by 7% to $8.5 million. Atlas explained that Warnow was “more significantly impacted by COVID-19” than any other site in 2020, due to a resurgence in cases there.

Furthermore, at its Dulles Greenway asset, toll revenue gained 1.8% to $34.6 million and EBITDA grew by 2% for this business also. Compared to the first half in 2019, “traffic was down 41.2%, toll revenue was down by 39.8% and EBITDA was 45.3% down”.

At the end of the first half, the Dulles Greenway business had US$196.9 million in cash reserves on its balance sheet.

As a result, the company grew its overall NPAT to $86 million, an 844% growth from the year prior, although a 2.4% decrease from 2019.

Finally, there is another point that could weigh in on the Atlas Arteria share price. The company declared first-half “distribution guidance” of 15.5 cents per security, reflecting “underlying performance” of its businesses.

What did management say?

Speaking on the results, Atlas Arteria CEO Graeme Bevans said:

Our roads provide critical infrastructure that connect communities. Our European businesses have benefitted from the COVID-safe operation of French industry and growing European trade. We are well positioned to take advantage of increasing travel in response to improving vaccination levels and the new EU health pass encouraging safe mobility through the region.

Regarding the company’s financial position, Bevans added:

Our balance sheets are very well positioned. At the corporate level we currently have no debt, ample liquidity, strong cash flows from APRR and Warnow Tunnel and remain well placed to pursue growth opportunities as they arise.

What’s next for Atlas Arteria?

Management did not provide explicit guidance in terms of figures in its report, however, it did explain that European summer traffic “has been averaging more than 5% above 2020 and 2019 levels”.

In regards to the second half of 2021, the company is “well-positioned to benefit from increased travel” as COVID-19 restrictions ease in Europe.

Other than this, Atlas seems focused on driving ESG and other sustainability initiatives throughout the coming periods.

The Atlas Arteria share price has posted a loss of 1.46% since January 1. This result had lagged the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s return of around 14% this year to date.

The post Atlas Arteria (ASX:ALX) share price jumps after net profit soars 800% 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 Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX: RMS) share price has edged lower on Thursday despite reporting record revenue, earnings and dividend numbers in its latest full-year results.

At the time of writing, the Ramelius share price is trading flat at $1.537 after spending most of the day in the red.

Ramelius share price edges lower despite smashing records

Some of the key takeaways from the gold miner’s financial year 2021 (FY21) results include:

• Revenue up 38% on the prior corresponding period (pcp) to A$634.3 million
• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) up 33% on pcp to A$341.0 million
• Net profit after tax up 12% on pcp to A$126.8 million
• Final dividend of 2.5 cents per share (FY20: 2.0 cents per share)

Despite record numbers for each of these metrics, the Ramelius share price has failed to fire up on Thursday afternoon.

What happened in FY21 for Ramelius?

Ramelius reported a 22% increase in gold sold to 277,450 ounces at an average realised price of A$2,282 per ounce.

The group’s all-in sustaining cost (AISC) jumped 13% from FY20 to A$1,317 per ounce. Ramelius’ AISC margin was steady on FY20 figures at 42%.

Earnings per share fell 5% lower in FY21 due to a higher number of shares on issue in FY21. Higher gold prices helped offset increased production costs at the Mt Magnet site and boosted EBITDA numbers higher.

What did management say?

Ramelius managing director Mark Zeptner was positive about today’s results:

Once again Ramelius has posted a fantastic result for the year with record gold production and a record net profit after tax which further builds upon last year’s results. This is a testament to the growth strategy pursued by the company and the continual focus on delivering on our plans.

FY22 is shaping up to be another record year, based on the mid-point of our production guidance, and with the introduction of ore from the Tampia Gold Mine and development of the very high grade Penny underground, the next few years are looking very solid.

What’s next for Ramelius and its share price?

Ramelius is targeting FY22 guidance of 260,000 to 300,000 ounces of gold at an AISC of A$1,425 to A$1,525 per ounce.

The Ramelius share price is down 13.7% in 2021 and underperforming the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) this year.

The post Ramelius (ASX:RMS) share price slips despite record earnings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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. 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 Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is pushing higher today after reporting solid sales, profit, and dividend growth in FY 2021.

In afternoon trade, the retail conglomerate’s shares are up 1% to $41.20.

What happened in FY 2021?

For the 12 months ended 30 June, Woolworths reported a 5.7% increase in sales to $67,278 million. This was driven largely by its key Australian Food business and supported by strong performances by the Big W business and the now demerged Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) business.

Thanks to an expansion in its margins, Woolworths’ earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) grew 13.7% to $3,663 million and its net profit after tax increased 22.9% to $1,972 million.

Woolworths dividend increased

Much to the delight of shareholders, this allowed the board to increase the final Woolworths dividend to 55 cents per share. This represents an increase of 14.6% over the prior corresponding period.

This brought the full year Woolworths dividend to a fully franked 108 cents per share, which is an increase of 15% year on year.

Based on the current Woolworths share price, this equates to a fully franked 2.6% dividend yield.

While the Woolworths dividend isn’t the largest that you’ll find on the Australian share market, it still smashes term deposits and savings accounts.

What else was announced?

Also giving its shares a boost today was news that its capital returns won’t stop at the Woolworths dividend.

This morning the retail giant announced plans to return funds to shareholders via a $2 billion off-market share buyback program.

Woolworths Group Chairman, Gordon Cairns, commented: “We have announced a $2 billion off-market share buy-back and declared a second half dividend of 55 cents per share, bringing our full year dividend to 108 cents per share, a 14.9% increase on F20. Endeavour Group is also expected to pay a dividend relating to H2 as previously communicated in the demerger booklet. Taken together, the growth in total dividends for the year is expected to be broadly in line with the growth in Group NPAT before significant items. Woolworths Group’s buy-back and final dividend will return approximately $1.1 billion of franking credits to shareholders.”

The post The Woolworths (ASX:WOW) dividend has jumped 15% 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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The Life360 (ASX: 360) share price has soared more than 5% to record highs after releasing its half-year report for FY21.

Investors are bidding shares in the technology company higher after it announced a positive growth outlook.

Let’s take a look at how Life360 performed for the half-year.  

Highlights from Life360’s’ half-year report for FY21

• 27% year on year (yoy) increase in revenue of US$48.0 million
• 36% yoy increase in Annualised Monthly Revenue (AMR) of US$105.9 million
• Global Monthly Active User (MAU) base of 32.3 million, up 28% yoy
• Global Paying Circles of 1.0 million, an increase of 19% yoy  
• Average Revenue Per Paying Customer (ARPPC) of US$84.43 for the US and US$44.22 for International, up 14% and 4% yoy respectively.
• Statutory EBITDA loss of US$10.4 million compared with loss of US$7.) million in the prior year
• Underlying EBITDA loss of US$4.8 million compared with US$2.6 million in the prior year.
• Statutory net loss of US$10.7 million compared with US$7.2 million in the prior year.
• Cash used in operating activities of US$4.9 million improved from US$5.5 million in the prior year.

For the 6 months ending 30 June 2021, Life360 noted a cash balance of US$50.8 million and debt of US$2.1 million. In addition, the company reported net subscriber revenue retention above 100% for the half-year.

What happened with Life360 in the first-half of FY21?

Life360 cited a surge in its Paying Circles membership as a key driver in revenue growth. The company noted that Paying Circles members increased by 161,000 year on year, with record gains in the second quarter.

Indirect revenue from data revenue and lead generation also contributed to revenue, increasing 11% year on year to $11.6 million.

Losses for the half-year increased, with Life360 citing expansion and growth initiatives for the rise.

What did management say?

Life360 Co-Founder and CEO Chris Hulls noted:

The first half of 2021 delivered accelerating performance of our key user metrics, benefiting from the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, particularly in the US. Growth is accelerating across the board, and we’re seeing the back-to-school wave we anticipated. Even with the Delta variant, our confidence for the rest of the year remains extremely high.

What’s next for Life360?

For its core business, Life360 expects annualised monthly revenue to hit $US120 million to $US125 million by December 2021.

In addition, the company plans on increasing investment in marketing and research which would increase its underlying EBITDA loss. For the calendar year, Life360 expects an underlying EBITDA loss in excess of $US15 million.

The company noted that the current Delta outbreak was taken into account when generating guidance.

However, Life360 also cautioned that ultimate changes in social distancing patterns and government restrictions remain unclear.

In addition, Life360 noted intentions to pursue a US listing and acknowledged plans to expand its offering beyond location services.

At the time of writing, the Life360 share price is 5% higher on the day at $9.26, not too far off its record high of $9.35.

The post Half-year report sends Life360 (ASX:360) share price to record high 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 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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The Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG) share price is rocketing on the back of the company’s financial year 2021 (FY21) earnings.

Right now, the Hipages share price is $3.21, 5.94% higher than its closing price yesterday.

Hipages share price jumps on $55 million revenue

Here’s how the online platform connecting tradies to customers performed in FY21:

• $55 million in revenue, up 19% on that of FY20.
• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of $11.7 million, 91% higher
• Net profits after tax of $1.2 million, 128% more than that of FY20
• Pro forma operating cash flow of $12.7 million

Hipages achieved its previously upgraded forecasts for FY21, a feat it says is a testament to its operating model.

After the company began transitioning to a subscription-based model, 94% of its revenue now comes from reoccurring sources.

Monthly reoccurring revenue also increased to $5.2 million in June.

The company provided tradies with 1.5 million jobs over FY21, 12% more jobs than it provided in FY20.

Hipages’ operating expenses grew by 9% in FY21 due to greater investment in marketing and technology in the second half.

What happened in FY21 for Hipages?

Here’s what drove the Hipages share price in FY21:

Perhaps the most exciting news from Hipages in FY21 was its debut on the ASX.

Hipages’ Initial Public Offering (IPO) occurred in November 2020, with its share price finishing its first day on the ASX at $2.46.

The company also launched Tradiecore, a service software platform that helps tradies manage their businesses. Hipages says the launch was an important step in the company’s evolution to a full-service software-as-a-service model.

Hipages conducted a successful brand campaign across radio and digital channels in the fourth quarter. The campaign boosted Hipages’ tradie customer brand awareness from 35% to 49%.

Finally, Hipages commissioned market research to find the size of its addressable market within the tradie ecosystem. The research confirmed the addressable market to be worth more than $110 million across residential and commercial sectors.

What did management say?

Hipages’ CEO and co-founder, Roby Sharon-Zipser, commented on the results driving the company’s share price today, saying:

It has been a milestone year for hipages, our first as a listed company. I am proud of the strong performance we delivered to exceed our upgraded prospectus forecasts for revenue, EBITDA and [net profit after tax], the way we executed our strategy and our team’s commitment to supporting our customers through ongoing challenges from COVID-19…

Our ongoing investment in brand, product and platform continues to attract customers on both sides of our marketplace, driving the flywheel effect and delivering strong growth in jobs coming from repeat consumers and unpaid channels…

We will keep investing in our technology to continue to improve the experience for consumers and tradies to ensure we remain the number one online marketplace for trade services in Australia.

What’s next for Hipages?

Investors will be keeping an eye on the Hipages share price in FY22 as the company works towards a number of goals.

First off, it’s planning to migrate its remaining transactional tradie base to the company’s subscription product by the end of FY22.

Additionally, Hipages is working to assist its tradie customers during the current COVID-19-induced lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne.

The lockdowns are expected to have a moderate effect on Hipages’ revenue’s growth rate.

However, Hipages’ subscription model has been resilient through previous lockdowns. The company expects a strong rebound in activity on its platform when restrictions ease, as has occurred in the past.

Looking past COVID-19, Hipages says the Australian home improvement market is buoyant and underpinned by low interest rates and household liquidity.

Hipages share price snapshot

The Hipages share price has gained 30% since it listed on the ASX. Its shares are also trading for 31% more than Hipages’ prospectus‘ offer price of $2.45 apiece.

The post Hipages (ASX:HPG) share price soars 6% on realised guidance 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. owns shares of and has recommended Hipages Group Holdings 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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The Flight Centre Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is pressing higher on Thursday. This positive move follows the release of the travel agent’s full-year results for FY21 this morning.  

At the time of writing, shares in the travel company are up 3.91% to $16.99. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic clearly disrupting its operations, investors are buying up shares. This might suggest the market is willing to look beyond current circumstances for travel-exposed companies.

In a similar fashion, Qantas is rallying today after unveiling a monstrous $2.3 billion loss for FY21.

Let’s take a closer look at Flight Centre specifically.

What’s happening with the Flight Centre share price?

Perhaps borrowing a page out of Virgin Australia’s latest ad campaign – Flight Centre is embodying the “you can’t keep a good thing down” spirit today. While the sentiment might ring true, the theme didn’t extend to its full-year results.

Looking at its results, the pandemic pulled the pin on the travel agent’s performance in FY21. Namely, group total transaction value imploded by 74.2% to $3,945 million. This had a flow-on effect on revenue, falling 79.1%.

Worryingly, the lack of travel due to the reintroduction of lockdowns and restrictions – in conjunction with the removal of JobKeeper – meant underlying losses after tax came in at $364 million.

As a result, cash and cash equivalents were reduced from $1,867 million at June 2020 to $1,291 at June 2021. Although, the company’s management believes it is well-capitalised and can manage its cash burn.

Management commentary

Commenting on the year ahead, Flight Centre chair Gary Smith said:

While FY22 will inevitably present its share of COVID-related challenges, we are focused on matters that are within our control and start the year with renewed optimism that we are making solid early progress on the path to recover; and are building strong platforms for the future by investing in the assets, programs and initiatives that will fast-track our rebound and drive future growth in shareholder value.

Additionally, Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner highlighted the potential of delivering a profit in FY22. While it might seem farfetched, Mr Turner is optimistic of returning to pre-COVID TTV levels by June 2024.

This optimism is being reflected in the surging Flight Centre share price today.

Where to from here?

Much like Qantas, Flight Centre has opted for the no guidance route. This is due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19.

While vaccination targets are expected to be reached later this year, New South Wales eclipsed 1,000 new locally acquired cases overnight.

On the other hand, management revealed that the financial year has started off on the right foot. This is based on global gross TTV tracking at 26% of pre-COVID levels in July.

In short, the market appears to be embracing the Flight Centre share price as the country readies for re-opening.

The post Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price lifts 4% as investors look to vaccinated future appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 midday update: A2 Milk and Appen sink, Flight Centre rises
• Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price on watch after $364 million loss in FY21
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• Which ASX shares are leading the ASX 200 today?
• What happened to the Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price last earnings season?

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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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