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The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price has seen a very strong increase during August 2021.

The buy now, pay later (BNPL) business has seen a lot of volatility over the last six months. In May it saw a low of $84.50. Six months ago it was at almost $150.  

But since the start of the month, Afterpay shares have risen around 34%.

What’s driving the Afterpay share price?

It all kicked off after Afterpay received a takeover bid from Square Inc (NYSE: SQ) at the start of August 2021.

The buy now, pay later business announced that it had entered into a scheme implementation deed where Square will acquire all of Afterpay’s shares.

At the time of the announcement Afterpay said that the transaction had an implied value of approximately US$29 billion, or $39 billion in Australian dollars based on the closing Square share price.

Why did the Square share price matter? Under the terms of the deal, which the boards of directors of both companies have agreed, Afterpay shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.375 shares of Square shares.

If the Square share price goes up, then Afterpay shareholders will get more value. But the opposite is true. If the Square share price goes down, then Afterpay share price could also follow.

The closing of the deal is expected in the first quarter of the 2022 calendar year.

What is the point of the deal?

The deal aims to enable the companies to better deliver “compelling” financial products and services that expand access to more consumers and drive incremental revenue for merchants of all sizes.

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Square, said:

Square and Afterpay have a shared purpose. We built our business to make the financial system more fair, accessible, and inclusive, and Afterpay has built a trusted brand aligned with those principles. Together, we can better connect our cash app and seller ecosystems to deliver even more compelling products and services for merchants and consumers, putting the power back in their hands.

Afterpay’s co-founders and co-CEOs will join Square after the transaction is completed and help lead Afterpay’s respective merchant and consumer businesses.

Afterpay share price snapshot

Whilst Afterpay shares have risen 1.3% since 3 August 2021, it has actually drifted lower by 3.6% since 10 August 2021.

The post August has been a great month so far for the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price edges higher as ‘Afterpay Day’ kicks off
• The Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price is up 35% this month. Here’s why
• 7 traps to avoid right now when buying ASX shares
• One massive reason for keeping Afterpay (ASX:APT) shares
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) shares could still receive a rival bid: analysts

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. 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 National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is having an August to remember.

At close of trade on Friday, shares in the big four bank were trading for $27.41 – down 0.36%.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended 0.29% higher. Since the beginning of the month, NAB shares have risen 5.78% while the benchmark index is 0.85% higher.

This golden August comes off the back of NAB announcing a $2.5 billion share buyback at the end of July. The news saw the NAB share price lift by the end of the day.

Let’s see what’s been affecting NAB this month.

The month so far for NAB

The first significant story that was material to the NAB share price was its confirmation it would purchase the Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C) Australian consumer business for $1.2 billion.

As Motley Fool previously reported, NAB announced it would buy Citi’s home lending portfolio, unsecured lending business, retail deposits business, and private wealth management business for the value of the net assets plus a premium of $250 million.

Citigroup’s Australian consumer business has lending assets of approximately $12.2 billion ($7.9 billion in residential mortgages and $4.3 billion in unsecured debt) and deposits of about $9 billion.

As part of the deal, Citibank senior management and around 800 staff will join NAB on completion. Citigroup’s institutional business in Australia is not a part of the deal.

The purchase is subject to regulatory approval including from the federal Treasurer, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). If all goes as planned, the deal should be completed by March 2022.

Other news that affected the NAB share price included the results out of competitor Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA). In fact, most ASX bank shares lifted that day.

Finally, NAB released a third-quarter trading update. This was not price-sensitive.

NAB’s revenue fell 1% as declines in markets and treasury (M&T) income outweighed higher volumes and margins in its lending businesses.

The bank’s net interest margin (NIM) was broadly stable, reflecting lower deposit and funding costs, partly offset by the impact of low-interest rates and home lending competition.

NAB share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the NAB share price has increased by 55.3%. It has outperformed the ASX 200 by 30 percentage points over the period. Year-to-date, however, it has underperformed the ASX 200 by about 3 percentage points.

NAB has a market capitalisation of approximately $90.7 billion.

The post August has been a great month so far for the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• NAB (ASX:NAB) share price named as a buy by leading broker
• 2 quality ASX dividend shares analysts rate as buys
• 2 high quality ASX dividend shares named as buys
• NAB (ASX:NAB) share price wobbles amid latest global fintech push
• The NAB (ASX:NAB) share price is up 7% in just two weeks

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Motley Fool contributor Marc Sidarous 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 Next Science Ltd (ASX: NXS) share price has staged a remarkable recovery on Friday afternoon. Shares in the Aussie medical device company were down 4.1% before closing 1% higher at $1.48 per share despite no new announcements.

Next Science’s half-year results release is looming on 30 August and investors will be watching the Aussie biotech closely.

Let’s take a look at how the Aussie biotech company’s shares have performed in previous earnings seasons.

What happened to the Next Science share price last earnings season?

Last earnings season was in February when Next Science reported its full-year earnings for the period ended 31 December 2021 (FY20).

The Aussie biotech reported earnings on 22 February including the below highlights:

• Fourth quarter revenue growth up 75% compared to Q4 2019
• Patent portfolio increased to 31 patents
• 2 CE Marks awarded (Bactisure and BlastX)
• Successful $15 million capital raised to fund the commercialisation of XPerience in the US and support long-term growth

The Next Science share price charged higher in the lead-up to (and immediately after) the earnings release. That included an 18.6% surge from February 18 through to February 24.

However, shares in the Aussie biotech didn’t return to that $1.40 per share closing price level again until mid-April.

As it stands currently, the company has a market capitalisation of $293 million based on Friday’s closing Next Science share price of $1.48 per share. The Aussie biotech share fell lower in June after it lowered earnings guidance for the second half of FY21.

Next Science said it is forecasting revenue of between $3.5 million and $4 million through to 30 June 2021. That was lower than initially predicted in the February earnings season with hopes for a similar growth trajectory to continue.

Foolish takeaway

The Next Science share price was smashed on Friday before pulling off a late-afternoon recovery. The ASX biotech share ultimately closed the day up 1% having been down 4.1% around lunchtime.

Investors will be hoping the group’s half-year result on 30 August will be enough to kickstart the Aussie biotech share similar to what we saw in February.

The post What happened to the Next Science (ASX:NXS) share price last earnings season? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Next Science (ASX:NXS) share price jumps on record revenue growth

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 Next Science Limited. 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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Are you looking for some options in the mid cap space? If you are, you might want to check out the ones listed below.

Here’s why analysts think these ASX mid cap shares could be in the buy zone right now:

Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8)

The first mid cap ASX share to look at is this digital audio-visual networking technologies provider. Audinate is the company behind the industry-leading Dante audio over IP networking solution. This solution is used widely across a number of industries and is currently dominating the competition.

Dante replaces traditional analogue audio cables by transmitting perfectly synchronised audio signals across large distances, to multiple locations at once, using nothing more than an Ethernet cable.

Although demand softened during the height of the pandemic, it has rebounded strongly in recent months. For example, Audinate’s fourth quarter revenue jumped 74% over the prior corresponding period. This led to the company reporting a 23% increase in full year revenue to US$25 million in FY 2021.

UBS is positive on Audinate. It currently has a buy rating and $11.30 price target on its shares.

Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

Another mid cap ASX share to look at is Hipages. It is a leading Australian-based online platform and software as a service (SaaS) provider.

Its platform connects tradies with residential and commercial consumers. Furthermore, the Hipages platform not only helps tradies grow their businesses by providing job leads, it also allows them to communicate with customers and run general admin duties.

Hipages has been growing very quickly in FY 2021 despite lockdowns. It ended the fourth quarter with Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) of $5.2 million, which was a 27% increase on the prior corresponding period. It also revealed a 12% increase in total subscription tradies to 31,200, and a 27% jump in average revenue per tradie to $1,638.

Goldman Sachs is positive on the company and sees it as a great long term option. It notes that the company currently captures around 5% of total industry advertising spend. However, it sees potential for this to increase to 40% to 60% in the future as the company builds out its ecosystem.

Goldman Sachs has a buy rating and $4.10 price target on its shares.

The post Brokers name 2 mid cap ASX shares as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 stellar ASX growth shares named as buys
• 3 compelling ASX growth shares that could be buys in August
• 2 mid cap ASX shares that analysts love
• Top ASX shares to buy in August 2021
• 3 intriguing ASX shares to buy before reporting season

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 AUDINATEGL FPO and Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AUDINATEGL FPO. 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 interested in adding some ASX growth shares to your portfolio this month? If you are, you may want to look at the ones listed below that have recently been named as buys.

Here’s what you need to know about them:

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

The first ASX growth share to look at is data services company Appen. Its million-strong crowdsourced experts prepare the data that goes into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning models. A testament to the quality of its service is that many of the biggest tech companies in the world such as Google and Facebook are customers. And while demand softened during the pandemic, there are signs that a rebound is taking place.

Citi recently put a buy rating and $18.00 price target on its shares.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

Another ASX growth share to look at is Life360. It is the growing technology company behind the Life360 mobile app. This is a market leading app for families. It offers useful features such as communications, driver safety, and location sharing. The company has also recently expanded into the wearables market via the acquisition of Jiobit. This increases its total addressable market and opens up cross selling opportunities. At the end of June, it had more than 32 million users on its platform. This was over 4 million more than it had just three months earlier.

Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating and $9.80 price target on its shares.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

A final ASX growth share to look at is this online furniture and homewares retailer. It recently released its FY 2021 results and revealed an 85% increase in revenue to $326.3 million and a 141% jump in EBITDA to $20.5 million. Pleasingly, the company still has a long runway for growth over the next decade. This is due to increasing online penetration rates and its leadership position online. The company estimates that in 2020 just 7% to 9% of category sales were made online.

Morgan Stanley has an overweight rating and $16.00 price target on Temple & Webster’s shares.

The post Here are 3 buy-rated ASX growth shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the Appen (ASX:APX) share price fell 7% last time it reported
• Why the Temple and Webster (ASX:TPW) share price has jumped 18% in a month
• 2 top ASX shares to buy according to WAM
• 2 exciting ASX growth shares that are rated very highly
• 2 quality ASX growth shares rated as buys

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 Appen Ltd, Life360, Inc., and Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group 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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If you’re looking for an easy way to invest, then exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be worth considering. This is because rather than deciding on which individual shares you should buy, ETFs allow you to invest in a large group of shares through just a single investment.

With that in mind, I have picked out three popular ETFs that could be worth a closer look. They are as follows:

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

The first ETF for investors to look at is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. This fund provides investors with exposure to the leaders in the global cybersecurity sector. BetaShares notes that this fast-growing area of the market is heavily under-represented on the ASX. Among the companies you’ll be owning a slice of are cyber security giants Accenture, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, and Okta.

iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (ASX: IXI)

Another ETF to look at is the iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF. This fund gives investors exposure to many of the world’s largest global consumer staples companies. These are well-known companies such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Walmart. Given how demand for these types of products is relatively consistent whatever the economy throws at them, this ETF could be suitable for investors that are looking for lower risk options.

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

A final ETF for investors to look at is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. This ETF gives investors access to companies with exposure to the growing video game market. Among the shares included in the fund are hardware giant Nvidia and game developers Take-Two and Electronic Arts. VanEck notes that these companies are in a position to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports.

The post 3 popular ETFs that could be top options for ASX investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 exciting ASX growth shares that are rated very highly
• 2 highly rated ETFs for ASX investors next week
• 3 excellent ASX tech shares that could be buys
• Healthcare, miners among top performing ASX ETFs in July
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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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS and iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF. 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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The final day of the week ended with some of Australia’s most well-known company’s sending their FY21 numbers out for judgement day. After reporting to the ASX, these three companies were put under the microscope of investors.

We’ll quickly unpack today’s results and then wrap it back up for tomorrow:

Those that delivered today

Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

Shares in Cochlear fell 7.43% after the medical device company reported its FY21 full-year results. Despite solid numbers across the board and positive guidance for the year ahead, investors weren’t satisfied.

The takeaway points:

• Cochlear implant units up 15% to 36,456
• Sales revenue up 10% to $1,493.3 million
• Underlying earnings per share up 40% to $3.60
• Full year dividend up 59% to $2.55
• IT systems upgrade to cost $100‐$120 million over the next four to five years
• FY 2022 guidance: Net profit growth of 12% to 20%

Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD)

The Sydney Airport share price traded uneventfully after reporting on the ASX its full-year results for FY21. Shares in the airport operator hardly budged, finishing the day down 0.26%.

The takeaway points:

• Net loss after tax benefit of $97.4 million. This is up 81.7% on the prior corresponding period’s (pcp) loss. This includes a 36% drop in aeronautical revenue and a 40.6% plunge in retail revenue.
• Revenue down 31.3% on the pcp to $351 million.
• Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of $210.8 million – a 29.8% loss on the pcp.
• A negative cash flow of $565.5 million for the 6 months.

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG)

TPG shareholders were sent for a wild ride on the ASX on Friday after the telco giant reported its first-half results for FY21. Shares moved upwards at the open before swinging ~7% to the downside. Yet, the company’s shares finished the day only down 0.45%.

The takeaway points:

• Revenue increased 71% to $2,630 million
• EBITDA up 67% to $886 million
• Net profit after tax down 8% to $76 million
• Fully franked interim dividend of 8 cents per share

ASX shares reporting next week

What a colossal week of earnings on the ASX. I hope everyone gets a good rest over the weekend because next week will be even busier for shares reporting on the ASX.

Some of the big-name companies set to release their financials next week include Altium Limited (ASX: ALU), Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH), WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M), Appen Ltd (ASX: APX), Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

To see the full line-up check out our ASX Reporting Season Calendar.

The post The ASX reporting wrap-up: Cochlear, Sydney Airport, TPG appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price sinks: How did its result compare to expectations?
• Why Cochlear, Santos, St Barbara, & TPG shares are dropping
• How does the TPG (ASX:TPG) earnings result compare to Telstra?
• The Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price tumbles 7% despite dividend boost
• ASX 200 midday update: Cochlear & TPG sink, Inghams jumps

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler owns shares of Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Altium, Appen Ltd, Cochlear Ltd., and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium, Appen Ltd, Wesfarmers Limited, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk, Cochlear Ltd., and TPG Telecom 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 BCI Minerals Ltd (ASX: BCI) share price has advanced higher this Friday. This comes as the salt and potash developer released its full-year results for the 2021 financial year.

At market close, BCI Minerals finished the day trading for 44 cents, up 2.33%.

BCI Minerals share price lifts on strong growth across the board

The BCI Minerals share price is bucking yesterday’s heavy 15.69% fall to push higher today. For the 12-month period ending 30 June 2021, the company delivered strong earnings. Here are some of the key numbers.

• Total revenue increased 108% to $160.5 million (FY20 $77.2 million);
• Earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rocketed 248% to $28.9 million (FY20 $8.3 million);
• Net profit after tax (NPAT) exploded 5,400% to $22 million (FY20 $0.4 million); and
• No final dividend declared for the full-year.

What happened in FY21 for BCI Minerals?

During the financial year, BCI Minerals focused on completing the Optimised Feasibility Study (OFS) and progressing funding, approvals, tenure and offtake aspects for the Mardie Project.

In addition, the company conducted de-risking activities during the optimisation phase to increase confidence in Mardie estimates and value potential. This included geotechnical work, flowsheet and equipment design, process piloting and progress with funding.

The optimisation results confirmed Mardie can become a Tier 1 asset with a minimum life of 60 years.

In December, the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) approved a 15-year $450 million loan for the Mardie Project. The NAIF loan is expected to sit alongside other debt tranches. A number of commercial banks and other lenders are working through credit approval processes.

Engagement with potential buyers of Mardie’s salt and sulphate of potash (SOP) products continued over the course of the year. Two additional non-binding Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed with Chinese chemical companies for up to 0.5 million tonnes per annum of salt. This brings currently 16 MOUs in place, covering 100% of 3-year salt production and 80% of 3-year SOP production.

What’s the outlook for BCI Minerals?

Looking ahead, BCI Minerals advised it is in a strong capital position to advance the Mardie Project to Final Investment Decision (FID) later this year.

The company has a cash balance of $110 million, with nil debt and ongoing Iron Valley royalty earnings.

In the interim, the company plans to continue investing its cash reserves in developing the Mardie Project. Construction of embankment trial walls is currently underway.

BCI Minerals plans to secure any remaining approvals, tenure, as well as $1.2 billion in funding for the Mardie Project. If successful, this will allow the main construction of the site to commence in early 2022.

The post BCI Minerals (ASX:BCI) share price advances following 108% increase on revenue appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Brokers name 2 mid cap ASX shares as buys
• Here are 3 buy-rated ASX growth shares
• 3 popular ETFs that could be top options for ASX investors
• The ASX reporting wrap-up: Cochlear, Sydney Airport, TPG
• 2 ASX dividends shares with attractive yields

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

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

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

This supermarket giant could be a dividend share to consider buying. This is due to its strong market position, focus on automation, and the normalisation of shopping trends.

It was thanks to a couple of these factors that Coles just handed in a solid full year result for FY 2021. For the 12 months ended 30 June, Coles reported sales revenue growth of 3.1% to $38,562 million and net profit after tax growth of 7.5% to $1,005 million. The latter was a touch ahead of the market’s expectations. This allowed Coles to increase its full year dividend by 6% to a fully franked 61 cents per share.

Analysts at Morgans were pleased with the company’s performance. In response, the broker retained its add rating and lifted its price target to $19.80. It is now forecasting dividends of 61 cents per share in FY 2022 and then 62 cents per share in FY 2023.

Based on the current Coles share price of $18.79, this represents yields of 3.2% and 3.3%, respectively, over the next two years.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Another ASX dividend share to look at is Transurban. It is a toll road operator with a portfolio of important roads throughout Australia and North America. This includes the CityLink in Melbourne, Cross City Tunnel in Sydney, and the AirportlinkM7 in Brisbane.

While traffic volumes have been impacted by the pandemic and recent lockdowns, they are expected to rebound once trading conditions return to normal.

In the meantime, Ord Minnett believes it is worth sticking with the company. Its analysts currently have a buy rating and $15.50 price target on its shares.

The broker 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 current Transurban share price of $14.02, this will mean yields of 2.6% and 3.5%, respectively.

The post 2 ASX dividends shares with attractive yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The Coles (ASX:COL) dividend climbed 6% in FY 2021
• ASX 200 midday update: BHP sinks, CSL outperforms guidance, Coles rises
• Coles (ASX:COL) share price climbs following FY21 results
• 2 blue chip ASX 200 dividend shares that could be buys
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today

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 COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has seen the week out with a whimper rather than a bang this Friday. At the closing bell, the ASX 200 was down an anaemic 0.05% to 7,460 points. Yawn.

So let’s instead take a look at the ASX 200 shares that topped ASX trading volumes this Friday.

The 3 top trading ASX 200 shares this Friday

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

The diversified ASX 200 miner South32 is our first share to check out today. This Friday has seen an impressive 21.53 million South32 shares change hands. South32 reported its FY21 earnings yesterday morning, and the response from the markets has been swift. The miner lost 0.52% yesterday, but has seen a far nastier 3.14% fall during trading today.

Over the past 5 trading days, this miner has lost around 7.7% of its value. It’s likely that the steep sell-off we are seeing during today’s session is behind the elevated number of South32 shares that have swapped hands this Friday.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

ASX 200 telco Telstra is the next cab off the rank today. Telstra has seen a very impressive 25.66 million of its shares change hands today. This appears to be the result of a strong move in the Telstra share price today. At the end of trading, Telstra was up a solid 1.26% to equal its 52-week high of $4.02 a share.

As my Fool colleague Marc reported this morning, this move may have been sparked by reports that Telstra is looking to diversify its earnings base with a potential purchase of Meridian Energy Ltd‘s (ASX: MEZ) Australian electrical generation assets. It’s probably this excitement that is leading to so many Telstra shares trading today.

PIlbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

ASX 200 lithium producer Pilbara is last on our list today, with an astonishing 29.95 million shares bought and sold on Friday. A regular top-trading share, Pilbara’s move today seems to be in pure response to the company’s share price.

Pilbara has had a clanger of a week, falling from $2.38 a share on Monday to $2.02 at the final bell yesterday, a slide of more than 15%.

Seeing as the company has lost a chinky 5.6% just today, it’s likely this intense selling pressure is what is behind so many Pilbara shares changing owners this Friday.

The post Here are the 3 top trading ASX 200 shares this Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price is sinking, still up 140% this year
• What’s going on with ASX lithium shares today?
• Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price hits 52-week high amid diversification rumours
• How does the TPG (ASX:TPG) earnings result compare to Telstra?
• August has been a great month so far for the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price

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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