Tag: Motley Fool

  • August has been a great month so far for the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price

    Happy couple laughing while shopping in supermarket

    The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price has had a stellar month thus far.

    Since the start of the month, shares in the supermarket giant have bolted more than 6% to record highs.

    In comparison, the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has only managed to scrape 0.65% higher since the start of August.  

    Let’s take a look at what’s been fuelling the Woolworths share price this month.

    What’s fuelling the Woolworths share price?

    There have been several catalysts pushing the shares in Woolworths higher in August.

    The most prominent catalyst has been the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A large proportion of the country’s population has experienced some form of lockdown this month. As a result, supermarkets like Woolworths are poised to benefit as consumers scramble for staple items.

    Woolworths has looked to capitalise on this increased demand by launching a digital wallet for its Everyday Rewards loyalty program.

    The Woolworths share price received an additional boost earlier this month after launching a new range of home accessories. According to the company’s management, the new inventory is aimed at customers working from home who are looking to improve their space.

    In addition, the Woolworths share price has also seen flow-on effects this month following the demerger of its Endeavour business in May.

    The demerger saw Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) become a separately listed entity that owns retail and drinks businesses.

    These include popular bottle shop chains Dan Murphy’s and BWS as well as 300 licensed venues and 12,000 gaming machines.

    Outlook for Woolworths

    The Woolworths share price will receive extra attention this reporting season.

    Investors will be keeping a keen eye on the supermarket giant following a strong result from its rival Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). In addition to a strong set of financial results, Coles also delivered a 6.1% increase in its dividend for FY21.

    As a result, investors will be curious about what to expect from Woolworths.

    According to broker Goldman Sachs, Woolworths is expected to deliver full-year revenue of $55,414.5 million. In addition, analysts predict the supermarket giant will deliver a full-year dividend of 86 cents per share.

    Woolworths is scheduled to release its results for the full year on 26 August.

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

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

    Before you consider Woolworths, 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 Woolworths 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 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 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 Treasury Wines (ASX:TWE) dividend bumped up by 60%

    wine glass full of coins

    The Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) share price struggled on the ASX yesterday, despite the winemaker and distributor boosting its final dividend to 13 cents per share.

    Treasury Wine released its earnings for the financial year 2021 yesterday. For the 12 months ended 30 June 2021, the company brought in $250 million of net profit after tax.

    Those profits saw it hand its investors a dividend representing 62.5% more than its previous financial year’s final dividend.

    Unfortunately, the boosted dividend wasn’t enough to get the market excited about the formerly embattled company. The Treasury Wine share price slipped 1.5% yesterday, finishing the day trading at $12.50.

    Let’s take a closer look at Treasury Wine’s dividend’s growth.

    Treasury Wines dividends for FY21

    A 13-cent final dividend wasn’t enough to get the Treasury Wine share price back into the green yesterday.

    However, it might have some of the winemaker and distributor’s investors jumping for joy.

    Taking into account the company’s 15-cent interim dividend – which it gave to its shareholders in March 2021 – Treasury Wine has paid out 28 cents worth of dividends for FY21.

    How do the company’s FY21 dividends stack up?

    Investors might have breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the company’s recently announced dividend.

    Treasury Wine’s interim dividend for FY21 was 25% less than its interim dividend for the 2020 financial year. The company paid its shareholders a 20-cent interim dividend in FY20. However, it dropped its FY20 final dividend to just 8 cents.

    That means the company’s total dividends for FY21 are in line with those of the previous comparable period.

    Additionally, all of Treasury Wine’s dividends have been fully franked since 2018.

    Some investors see greater value in franked dividends as they have the potential to lower a shareholder’s tax bill.

    The post The Treasury Wines (ASX:TWE) dividend bumped up by 60% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Treasury Wine Estates right now?

    Before you consider Treasury Wine Estates, 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 Treasury Wine Estates 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 Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates 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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  • TPG (ASX:TPG) share price on watch after 71% jump in first half revenue

    group of friends checking facebook on their smartphones

    The TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) share price will be one to watch this morning.

    This follows the release of the telco giant’s first half year results since its merger with Vodafone Australia.

    TPG share price on watch after delivering strong first half growth

    • 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

    What happened in FY 2021 for TPG?

    As I mentioned above, this was effectively the first half year result the company has released since its merger with Vodafone Australia. The prior corresponding period included only four days’ contribution compared to a full six months in the first half of FY 2021. This ultimately led to TPG reporting a 71% increase in revenue to $2,630 million.

    And while things were not as positive on the bottom line, this was largely due to a one-off non-cash benefit of $226 million in the prior corresponding period. This led to net profit after tax falling 8% to $76 million during the first half of FY 2021. A better reflection of its performance will be its EBITDA metric. This increased 67% to $886 million, which could bode well for the TPG share price today.

    During the first half, TPG increased its overall broadband subscriber base by 23,000 to 2.2 million. However, due to the NBN rollout, the average number of DSL subscribers declined by 237,000 compared to the prior corresponding period. This caused a $23 million decline in gross profit as the average gross profit contribution from providing an NBN service was $16 per month lower than for a DSL service.

    The company’s mobile customer based declined during the half, but at a significantly reduced rate of decline compared to 2020. The company lost 136,000 mobile subscribers in the six months to 30 June 2021 compared to a decline of 737,000 in 2020. Reduced numbers of international visitors and temporary visa holders due to COVID continued to be a major driver of these customer number declines.

    What did management say?

    TPG’s Chief Executive Officer, Iñaki Berroeta, was pleased with the half considering the challenges it faced.

    He said: “The group’s EBITDA result is pleasing and demonstrates a solid underlying performance achieved through the realisation of $38 million in merger cost synergies and strong commercial management.”

    “In an environment with continued headwinds from COVID-19, NBN margin erosion and the new RBS levy, and residual challenges from the merger delay and 5G vendor restrictions, we are performing well. Through the groundwork we have laid across the company over the past year since the merger, we are now in a stronger position to take advantage of our growth potential.”

    Potentially giving the TPG share price a lift was Mr Berroeta highlighting its infrastructure assets. There has been speculation that the company may follow the lead of Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) by trying to unlock value through asset sales.

    He said: “With 7.5 million consumer and business services, the largest family of owned telco brands in Australia, and a valuable portfolio of infrastructure assets, there is enormous potential to drive greater shareholder returns and exceptional customer experiences.”

    What’s next for TPG?

    The good news for the TPG share price is that the company is entering the second half in a strengthened position following solid progress on integration activities and its strategic priorities.

    It is on track to reach 85% 5G population coverage in ten of Australia’s largest cities and regions by the end of the year. This is expected to support future growth in mobile and home wireless.

    Management revealed its second half priorities. It explained: “The company’s key strategic focus areas for the second half of 2021 are bringing more fixed customers onto its own infrastructure, lifting its impact in the enterprise and government market, improving mobile performance and achieving its $70 million merger cost synergy target for 2021.”

    No guidance has been provided for the full year.

    TPG share price performance

    The TPG share price is down a disappointing 7% year to date. This compares to a 32% gain by the shares of rival Telstra. Shareholders may be hoping this result is an inflection points for its shares.

    The post TPG (ASX:TPG) share price on watch after 71% jump in first half revenue appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider TPG, 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 TPG 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 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 Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended 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 Accent (ASX:AX1) dividend has lifted by 22%

    A boy hold money and dressed in business suit next to money bags on a desk, indicating a dividends windfall

    The Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1) dividend received a nice boost following the company’s FY21 full-year results yesterday.

    No doubt, investors will be licking their lips when the footwear retailer pays the final dividend next month.

    Below we take a look at Accent’s FY21 scorecard and its dividend.

    How did Accent perform in FY21?

    The footwear retailer delivered outstanding growth for the 12 months ending 27 June 2021.

    The group recorded total sales of $1.14 billion, up 19.9% over the prior corresponding period. Sales momentum continued throughout the year, with strong demand via its digital segment. Online sales soared by 48.5% to $209.9 million, accounting for 21% of Accent’s total retail sales.

    In addition, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) improved to $242 million, up 19.3%. while net profit after tax (NPAT) surged to $76.9 million, up 38.6%.

    In light of the robust performance, the Accent board decided to bump up its fully-franked full-year dividend to 11.25 cents per share. This makes up a final dividend of 3.25 cents and the interim dividend of 8 cents declared in February 2021.

    Based on the current Accent share price of $2.26 apiece, this gives the company a trailing dividend yield of just over 4.9%.

    Accent chair David Gordon highlighted the company’s achievement, saying:

    The Accent team has delivered another excellent year. Consistent with our policy, no JobKeeper funds have been used in the calculation or payment of management bonuses or shareholder dividends.

    … It is a testimony to that effort that we have achieved another record profit and record dividend this year.

    Accent dividend key dates

    Accent released the distribution amount and payment dates of its final dividend for the 2021 financial year yesterday. Here’s a summary of the important dates Accent shareholders will need to know.

    Ex-dividend date

    The ex-dividend date will be 8 September 2021.

    Typically, one day before the record date, the ex-dividend date is when investors must have purchased Accent shares. If the investor does not buy Accent shares before this date, the dividend will go to the seller.

    Record date

    The record date for Accent’s final dividend is 9 September 2021.

    Essentially acting as the cut-off date, this is the date where the company identifies which investors are on its register. Those who are on Accent’s books will be eligible to receive its upcoming dividend.

    Payment date

    The payment date for Accent’s dividend will be 16 September 2021.

    This is when investors can expect to see the final dividend of 3.25 cents per share land in their accounts.

    The post The Accent (ASX:AX1) dividend has lifted by 22% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Accent, 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 Accent 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 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 recommended Accent Group. 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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  • Why this leading broker thinks the SEEK (ASX:SEK) share price is a buy

    A clockface with the word 'Time to Buy'

    The SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK) share price has been a very strong performer over the last 12 months.

    During this time, the job listings giant’s shares have stormed a remarkable 57% higher.

    This is almost triple the return of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the same period.

    Can the SEEK share price keep rising?

    The good news for investors is that one leading broker still sees a lot of value in the SEEK share price.

    According to a note out of Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) from the middle of June, its analysts upgraded the company’s shares to an outperform rating with an improved price target of $40.00.

    Based on the latest SEEK share price of $31.05, this implies potential upside of 29% over the next 12 months.

    Why is Macquarie positive on SEEK?

    The note reveals that Macquarie believes SEEK could increase the yields on its ads by almost 25% before it expects there to be any push back from recruiters and impacts on ad volumes.

    This follows a survey of recruiters by Macquarie which suggests that it has plenty of room to move on pricing.

    In addition, another positive for SEEK is that the broker expects the company’s removal of discounts to provide a near term yield tailwind.

    Finally, with the broker forecasting a sizeable reduction in Australian unemployment rate over the next few years, it expects this to underpin strong ad volumes growth in FY 2022. Particularly given SEEK’s leadership position.

    Is anyone else bullish?

    Another broker that sees value in the SEEK share price is UBS. Last week the broker retained its buy rating and $35.00 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the latest SEEK share price, this implies attractive upside of almost 13% over the next 12 months.

    SEEK is due to release its full year results on 24 August.

    The post Why this leading broker thinks the SEEK (ASX:SEK) share price is a buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider SEEK, 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 SEEK 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 James Mickleboro owns shares of SEEK 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 has recommended SEEK 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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  • Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price on watch after hitting FY21 earnings guidance

    a woman leans forward with her hand behind her ear, as if trying to hear information.

    The Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) share price will be one to watch on Friday.

    This follows the release of the hearing solutions company’s full year results this morning.

    Cochlear share price on watch after achieving guidance

    • Cochlear implant units up 15% to 36,456
    • Sales revenue up 10% to $1,493.3 million
    • Underlying net profit up 54% to $236.7 million (compared to guidance of $225 million to $245 million)
    • Net profit margin expanded from 11% to 16%
    • 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%

    What happened in FY 2021 for Cochlear?

    For the 12 months ended 30 June, Cochlear returned to form and reported a 10% increase in revenue to $1,493.3 million. This growth was driven by solid performances across all its segments, which could bode well for the Cochlear share price today.

    Cochlear implants revenue increased 10% to $898.6 million, Services revenue rose 11% to $438.5 million, and Acoustics revenue jumped 12% to $156.2 million.

    Things were even better on the bottom line thanks to margin expansion. Cochlear reported underlying net profit after tax growth of 54% to $237 million. This was within its guidance range of $225 million to $245 million. Management advised that this strong growth reflects strong trading, market share gains, market growth, and rescheduled surgeries from FY 2020.

    However, while Cochlear’s profit was within its guidance range, it appears to have fallen short of the market’s expectations. According to CommSec, the analyst consensus was a net profit after tax of $245.5 million. This could potentially weigh on the Cochlear share price today.

    What did management say?

    Management appears pleased with the company’s performance during the 12 months.

    It said: “During FY21 we have been focused on ensuring we emerge from the pandemic in a stronger competitive position, with our strategic priorities continuing to guide our investments. Over the past 12 months, we have maintained our people and market presence, ensuring the health and safety of our employees while providing ongoing support to our recipients, clinics and professional customers.”

    “Our focus on long‐term growth has continued with increasing levels of investment across R&D projects and market growth activities. Despite the challenging trading conditions, new products have been successfully launched across all product categories, with market share gains realised in many markets.“

    What’s next for Cochlear?

    One thing that could boost the Cochlear share price today is management’s guidance for the year ahead.

    It expects its net profit after tax to grow between 12% and 20% to $265 million and $285 million in FY 2022. This reflects market growth, a continuing recovery in surgery rates, investment in market growth activities, and some near‐term COVID impact.

    Though, it has warned that a more material disruption from COVID remains a risk factor that does not form part of its guidance.

    Cochlear share price performance

    The Cochlear share price has been an exceptionally strong performer in 2021. Since the start of the year, its shares have stormed 35% higher.

    This is triple the return of the ASX 200 over the same period.

    The post Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price on watch after hitting FY21 earnings guidance appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Cochlear, 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 Cochlear 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 James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • The Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price is trading on a forecast 2.78% fully franked dividend yield

    An older woman high fives an older man with big smiles after seeing good news on their laptop.

    The Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price has gained 35% since this time last year. This comes as the retail conglomerate enjoys improved trading conditions despite COVID-19 affecting Australia’s wider economy.

    During Thursday’s trading session, Wesfarmers shares touched a new all-time high of $66.16. At market close, its shares finished the day up 1.73%, trading at $65.99.

    Why is the Wesfarmers share price pushing higher?

    Investors are pushing up the Wesfarmers share price despite no market-sensitive news coming from the company since July.

    According to its last update, Wesfarmers proposed a takeover to acquire 100% of Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API). The $687 million offer came as the retail conglomerate seeks to further diversify its growing portfolio with entry into the pharmaceutical market.

    The news sent Wesfarmers shares flying from the time of the release and in the following weeks.

    However, the API board recently rejected the offer, indicating that the proposal undervalued the business.

    At this stage, Wesfarmers has not increased its bid to API shareholders.

    How much is Wesfarmers forecasted to pay in dividends?

    With the company scheduled to report its full-year results on 27 August, investors may be wondering about the dividend payments.

    Wesfarmers paid a fully franked dividend of 88 cents per share in March for the first half of FY21, slightly below the 95 cents in the prior period (FY20). That dividend payment comprised 77 cents along with a special dividend of 18 cents per share.

    Goldman Sachs is forecasting a total FY21 dividend payment of $1.84 cents, implying a 96 cents per share final dividend payment. This would give Wesfarmers a fully-franked current dividend yield of 2.78%. Not a bad return when including the strong Wesfarmers share price rise.

    The company has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 39.37 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $74.8 billion.

    The post The Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price is trading on a forecast 2.78% fully franked dividend yield appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Wesfarmers, 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 Wesfarmers 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 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 owns shares of and has recommended Wesfarmers 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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  • August has been a great month so far for the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price

    two women jumping into the air

    It has been a great month so far for the Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price.

    Since the start of August, the telco giant’s shares have risen 5%.

    As a comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has recorded a 1% gain over the period.

    Why is the Telstra share price outperforming this month?

    Investors have been bidding the Telstra share price higher this month after the market responded positively to the release of its full year results.

    In case you missed it, for the 12 months ended 30 June, Telstra reported an 11.6% reduction in total income to $23.1 billion and a 9.7% decline in underlying EBITDA to $6.7 billion. The latter was within the company’s guidance range of $6.6 billion to $6.9 billion.

    This allowed Telstra to maintain its fully franked 16 cents per share dividend.

    Share buyback

    Also giving the Telstra share price a big lift was its announcement of a major share buyback.

    In respect to the former, the company has decided to return $1.35 billion to shareholders via an on-market share buyback. This follows the recent InfraCo Towers transaction.

    Telstra CEO, Andy Penn, commented: “When we launched T22, we committed to establishing a standalone infrastructure business unit for three reasons: to give transparency of those assets, to bring a harder commercial edge to how we operationalise them, and to create optionality with a view to maximising shareholder value. This share buy-back is a clear demonstration of how we are creating additional long-term value for our shareholders.”

    Improving outlook

    Finally, arguably giving the Telstra share price the biggest boost was its outlook commentary.

    Mr Penn said: “We are clearly building financial momentum and I am very pleased to be able to say that our underlying business will return to full-year growth in FY22. We have confidence because we see strong performance in our mobile business, continued discipline on our cost reduction target, green shoots in some of our growth businesses and a diminishing impact from the nbn.”

    Telstra is guiding to underlying EBITDA of $7 billion to $7.3 billion in FY 2022. This represents year on year growth of 4.5% to 9%.

    The Telstra share price is now up 32% in 2021.

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

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

    Before you consider Telstra, 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 Telstra 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 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 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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  • The Origin (ASX:ORG) dividend has dropped 20%

    Young boy cries and covers eyes with torn money on table

    The Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price spent yesterday in the red after the company posted a $2.2 billion loss for the 2021 financial year (FY21).

    After such a hit to its bottom line, it probably didn’t shock investors that Origin had cut its final dividend. The company’s final dividend for FY21 will be unfranked and worth 7.5 cents. That’s 2.5 cents less than the fully franked final dividend Origin handed its shareholders in FY20.

    On the back of the news, the Origin share price fell a hefty 4.12%. It finished the day at $4.19.

    Let’s see just how far the company’s dividends fell in FY21.

    The fall of the Origin dividend

    The Origin share price had a tough run on the ASX yesterday, as news swirled the company had cut its dividend again.

    Yesterday, the company announced it will be giving its shareholders a 7.5-cent unfranked final dividend in October 2021.

    Including its previous interim dividend – worth 12.5 cents and unfranked – Origin handed 20 cents per share back to its investors in financial year 2021.

    That’s significantly less than what it gave out during financial year 2020. In fact, it’s 20% less.

    At the end of the 2020 financial year, Origin handed out a 10-cent final dividend. That was after it gave its shareholders a 15-cent final dividend in March.

    Not to mention, the company’s 2020 financial year interim dividend was fully franked. Some investors see greater value in franked dividends as, in some instances, they can be used to lower an investor’s tax bill.

    Of course, a company generally has to post a profit and, therefore, pay tax before it can give out franked dividends. That’s a feat the company didn’t manage to do in the 2021 financial year.

    Origin’s 2021 financial year final dividend is also the smallest dividend it’s paid since 2005. At least back then its dividend was fully franked.

    The post The Origin (ASX:ORG) dividend has dropped 20% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Origin Energy right now?

    Before you consider Origin Energy, 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 Origin Energy 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 Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

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

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  • 2 strong ASX tech shares that might be good buys

    Monadelphous share price rio tinto A small rocket take off from a laptop, indicating a share price surge

    ASX tech shares could be the right place to look for strong opportunities with good growth potential.

    Technology companies typically have higher gross profit margins than ‘normal’ businesses because of the offering, which is often intangible. It’s very easy to transmit a digital service than ship a physical couch.

    These two ASX tech shares could be long-term opportunities:

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    Xero has become one of the world’s largest accounting software companies.

    It has a very strong market position with small and medium businesses in Australia and New Zealand, with 1.1 million and 446,000 subscribers respectively.

    But it’s also growing at a very solid pace in other areas around the world. For example, in the UK it had 720,000 subscribers at the end of FY21. In North American it had 285,000 subscribers and in the ‘rest of the world’ it had 175,000 subscribers.

    Xero has a very high gross profit margin. In FY21 it had risen to 86%, up from 85.2% in FY20.

    Its subscriber value and revenue numbers continue to grow each year. In FY21, it saw 18% revenue growth to NZ$848.8 million. The annualised monthly recurring revenue (AMRR) rose 17% to NZ$963.6 million. The total lifetime value of subscribers increased 38% to NZ$7.65 billion.

    In FY21, the ASX tech share generated free cashflow of NZ$56.9 million despite all of the investing it’s doing.

    Xero says that it will continue to focus on growing its global small business platform and maintain a preference for reinvesting cash generated to drive long-term shareholder value.

    Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

    This exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a portfolio of 100 of the largest non-financial businesses on the NASDAQ, which is a stock exchange in the US.

    It happens to be the home of many of the world’s biggest tech companies, which means it owns a number of strong global tech companies with very resilient economic moats.

    Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF has holdings like Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet (Google), Facebook, Amazon. It would be a hard job for any business to try to disrupt these juggernauts.

    Microsoft has a suite of strong offerings for clients and consumers like its Office tools, Outlook email, LinkedIn and Xbox. Apple has a big market share of smartphone hardware and services, whilst Alphabet is in the smartphone world, online video, search and so on.

    The Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF also has numerous other businesses in the portfolio that are among the global leaders at what they do. Businesses like PayPal, Netflix, Adobe, PepsiCo, Costco, Moderna and Intuit are just a few of the other names in the portfolio.

    As a group of businesses, this ETF owns many competitively advantages businesses. This has shown up in the net returns of the ASX tech share, with an average return per annum of 27.2% over the last five years. But past performance is no guarantee of future performance.

    The post 2 strong ASX tech shares that might be good buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Xero, 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 Xero 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. owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3z477gi