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If you’re planning to add some growth shares to your portfolio this month, then you might want to look at the shares listed below.

All three of these ASX growth shares have been tipped as buys recently. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

The first growth share to look at is Altium. It is a leading printed circuit board (PCB) design software provider. It is the company behind the Altium Designer and cloud-based Altium 365 platforms, the Octopart search engine, and the Nexus workflow PCB solution.

With PCBs found inside almost all electronic devices, the company is exposed to the proliferation of electronic devices globally due to the rapidly growing Internet of Things and artificial intelligence markets.

While demand has softened during the pandemic, it is beginning to rebound and is expected to get stronger in the coming years. So much so, management expects to more than double its revenue over the next five years.

Analysts at Credit Suisse are positive on the company. The broker currently has an outperform rating and $42.00 price target on its shares.

Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

Another ASX growth share to look at is Hipages. It is a leading Australian-based online platform and software as a service (SaaS) provider. The Hipages platform connects consumers with trusted tradies to simplify home improvement. At the last count, there were over 34,000 tradies using the platform.

It recently released its fourth quarter update and revealed strong growth across all key metrics. This led to Hipages outperforming its upgraded full year revenue guidance with a 22% year on year jump to $55.8 million.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs are very bullish on the company’s prospects. The broker believes it has a huge growth runway ahead as its ecosystem builds. Goldman has a buy rating and $4.10 price target on its shares.

PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)

A final growth share to look at is PointsBet. It is a sports wagering operator and iGaming provider with operations in the ANZ and US markets. PointsBet has been growing at a rapid rate thanks to the increasing popularity of mobile sports betting and innovative new products.

For example, for the 12 months ended 30 June, PointsBet’s full year turnover jumped 228% to $3,781.4 million. Driving this strong growth was a 117% annual increase in Australian active clients to 196,585 and a 661% increase in US active clients to 159,321.

Pleasingly, its growth is only really getting started. This is particularly the case in the United States where regulation changes are creating huge opportunities.

Goldman Sachs is a big fan of PointsBet due to its massive opportunity in the United States. It estimates that the company has a US$50 billion total addressable market (TAM) in the US.

The broker currently has a buy rating and $14.90 price target on its shares.

The post 3 stellar ASX growth shares named as buys 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. owns shares of and has recommended Altium, Hipages Group Holdings Ltd., and Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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A new landmark report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was released earlier this week. It provided a stark warning about the impacts of human industrialisation on the global climate.

The IPCC report found human activity could likely lead to a 1.5-degree Celsius increase in global average temperatures above pre-industrial levels within just the next two decades.

The report also warned that opportunities to reverse the warming trend were rapidly diminishing, and governments needed to do more to reach net-zero carbon emissions sooner.

This all makes for some pretty sobering reading. But it may also prompt you to reflect a little more deeply about the types of companies you are invested in. Perhaps it’s time to really think about how much the companies that make up your portfolio are contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.

And it’s not only so that you can sleep better at night – it might even boost your returns, too. As governments create further economic incentives for companies to become more environmentally friendly, forward-thinking “greener” companies may actually be the ones most likely to succeed and become profitable.

So, let’s say you do want to shift some of your investments into more climate-friendly companies. It can be pretty difficult to know where to start. Luckily, there are plenty of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) currently trading on the ASX that offer easy access to a diversified basket of ethically conscious companies.

ETFs trade on the ASX just like ordinary shares, but they actually pool together money from a group of small investors and use that cash to purchase shares in a range of companies, based on a specified investment mandate.

While there are quite a few options available on the ASX, here are three ETF ideas to consider.    

Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX:ETHI)

With more than $1.76 billion in net assets, the Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF is easily the largest fund on this list. The fund only invests in international (non-Australian) companies that pass its strict ethical screening process, and it prefers companies that are proven “climate leaders”.

The fund invests globally, although close to 70% of its holdings are in the US, according to its June 2021 fact sheet, with smaller allocations going to Japan and the Netherlands.

ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX:ACDC)

This battery and lithium fund – which trades on the ASX with the appropriate ticker ACDC – is the smallest fund on this list with just over $300 million in net assets to its name. This might interest shareholders wishing to gain exposure to the developing trend in electronic vehicles.

The fund aims to replicate the performance of the Solactive Battery Value-Chain Index, which includes companies involved in the mining and refinement of lithium and associated products used in energy storage. The fund’s largest holding is currently Australian lithium miner Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS).

Vanguard Ethically Conscious International Shares Index ETF (ASX:VESG)

The last fund on the list is this ethically conscious option from Vanguard. It offers investors access to some of the world’s largest companies – think Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) – but screens out any companies involved in fossil fuels, nuclear power, gambling, and a range of other unsavoury enterprises.

The fund tracks the FTSE Developed ex Australia Choice Index (formerly the FTSE Developed ex Australia ex Non-Renewable Energy, Vice Products and Weapons Index). It has delivered the best year-to-date returns of the funds included on this list – up more than 20% so far in 2021.

The post 3 ASX ETFs that invest in companies fighting climate change appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Rhys Brock owns shares of Pilbara Minerals Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2022 $1,920 calls on Amazon, long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short January 2022 $1,940 calls on Amazon, and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon and Apple. 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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Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) shares have been out of form in recent weeks.

Since this time last month, the iron ore miner’s shares have tumbled 11%.

During the same period, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has risen almost 4%.

Where next for Fortescue shares?

Unfortunately for shareholders, one leading broker believes Fortescue shares could continue to slide.

According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts have retained their reduce rating and $19.30 price target on the company’s shares.

Based on the latest Fortescue share price of $22.30, this implies further downside potential of almost 14%.

What did Morgans say?

Morgans has concerns over how Fortescue shares may perform once they go ex-dividend next month.

Its analysts highlight that in February, all three large miners fell by more than three times their dividend in the month after going ex-dividend.

Last week it explained: “With Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) due to go ex-dividend tomorrow (12 August) this is a pressing concern and material to our short-term investment strategy for the bulk miners. The iron ore miners have shown a diminishing ability to carry their dividends as the iron ore cycle has progressed.”

“In February, we saw all three large miners fall by more than three times their dividend in the month after going ex-dividend. With more signs of the iron ore cycle slowing, we see a similar risk this dividend season. In particular for RIO & BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), who have both outperformed iron ore prices over the last month, while Fortescue’s share price has trailed its bigger peers.”

“While we expect the big miners to come under selling pressure once they go ex-dividend, we do expect strong equity market support around their dividend announcements. For example RIO which rose on a large dividend being announced at its result while 1H21 earnings slightly trailed estimates. This is a tactical call not relevant for all long-term investors.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Morgans also has operational concerns as well.

It concluded: “FMG is battling difficult execution/cost pressures around its Iron Bridge magnetite project, slipping C1 cost performance and growing market concern around its aggressive grassroots push into global renewables.”

The post Top broker names Fortescue (ASX:FMG) shares as a sell appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What is the outlook for the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price?
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• The Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price is down 8% in a week. Here’s why
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• How does the Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) dividend compare to the materials sector?

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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Could it be a good time to buy shares of Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)? The Woolworths share price has been rising in recent months.

In just the last month the Woolworths share price has risen by almost 6%. Since 3 May 2021, Woolworths shares have risen by 23%.

What has happened recently?

COVID-19 has been a very strange and difficult time for many people and businesses.

Last year during the original onset of COVID there was a large amount of demand for food at supermarkets as households stocked up on necessities.

But that was last year.

COVID-19 is again affecting many areas of the country. Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra are under lockdowns currently.

This might be reducing demand for food from non-supermarket establishments and increasing it for companies like Woolworths, Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), and Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) which supplies IGA.

It’s reporting season in August 2021 and investors will probably get a trading update about what’s happening in the current environment. But that’s not until 26 August 2021.

Aside from the demerger of Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV), the last material update that the market got was for the 13 week period to 4 April 2021.

FY21 third quarter update

In that update, Woolworths said that its quarterly group sales were up 0.4% to $16.57 billion. That includes group e-commerce sales of $1.34 billion, an increase of 64.2% year on year.

Woolworths’ third quarter of FY20 was a strange time. The first half of that quarter was normal living, the ‘before’ time. Then the second half of that quarter was when supermarkets went crazy. That’s why Woolworths Australian food sales saw FY21 third quarter sales in the first seven weeks rise 8.2%, but the following six weeks showed a decline of 9.6% against the last six weeks of the FY20 third quarter.

Overall, Australian food sales were down 0.7% in the third quarter. New Zealand food sales were down 6.9% in New Zealand dollar terms. Big W sales jumped 18.3% for the quarter, which is the only remaining major non-food business.

Time will tell what the sales have been like in the fourth quarter of FY21 and in the weeks after June 2021.

Is it time to look at Woolworths shares?

Brokers are not particularly hopeful about the Woolworths share price.

For example, Citi has a price target of $37.60 for the supermarket business. That suggests the shares could drop around 7.5% over the next 12 months. Citi thinks that it might be a better performer than Coles.

The broker Credit Suisse goes even further, rating it as a sell with a price target of $32.92. That means that the broker thinks the Woolworths share price might fall almost 20% over the next 12 months if it’s right. Valuation is a key reason for that rating.

According to Credit Suisse, Woolworths is trading at 26x FY21’s estimated earnings with a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.75%.

The post Is now a good time to buy Woolworths (ASX:WOW) shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price at new high despite development ruling
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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended 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 A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has been among the worst performers on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in 2021.

Since the start of the year, the fresh milk and infant formula company’s shares are down a disappointing 49%.

In light of this, investors may be wondering if the a2 Milk share price is good value now.

How do you value the a2 Milk share price?

One way that investors might value the a2 Milk share price is with a price to earnings (PE) ratio.

The PE ratio measures a company’s current share price against its earnings per share (EPS).

This method can be useful for valuing companies like a2 Milk in normal times, but things are far from normal for the company right now. The collapse in the daigou channel and excess supply have weighed heavily on its near term earnings. This means that its shares are trading on elevated earnings multiples currently.

For example, a recent note out of UBS reveals that it expects earnings per share of ~11 cents in FY 2021. Based on the current a2 Milk share price, this will mean a PE ratio of ~59x.

For a company that has downgraded its guidance four times in FY 2021, has an uncertain outlook, and is seeing its earnings go backwards, that would appear to be vastly overvalued. So why are investors happy to pay this to own its shares?

Forward PE

Investors appear to be looking beyond FY 2021 and to the future when valuing the a2 Milk share price.

Going back to the UBS note, its analysts expect the company’s earnings to rebound in FY 2022 and have pencilled in EPS of ~24 cents.

Based on this, the company’s shares are trading at a more reasonable 25x FY 2022 earnings. This compares to the ASX 200’s PE ratio of 23x earnings according to Blackrock.

Though, it is worth remembering that this is a forecast and a2 Milk still needs to achieve it. Which, unfortunately as we have seen from its disastrous performance over the last 12 months, is far from guaranteed.

The post How do you value the a2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price? 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 recommended A2 Milk. 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 wanting to overcome low interest rates, then you may want to look at the dividend shares listed below.

Both shares are expected to provide investors with generous yields that are vastly superior to those offered with term deposits and savings accounts. Here’s what you need to know about these dividend shares:

Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ)

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

Last week it released its full year results and revealed a 1% decline in revenue to $3.019 billion and a flat net profit after tax of $531 million. This was in line with the expectations of leading broker Credit Suisse.

Its analysts remain positive on the company and have an outperform rating and $5.30 price target on its shares. This is notably higher than the current Aurizon share price of $4.00.

The broker is also expecting generous dividends in the near term. It is forecasting dividends per share of 29.5 cents in FY 2022 and then 30.9 cents in FY 2023. This represents yields of 7.4% and 7.7%, respectively.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

If you’re not averse to investing in the resources sector, then another ASX dividend share to consider is South32.

This mining giant has exposure to a diverse group of commodities. These include alumina, aluminium, energy coal, metallurgical coal, manganese ore, nickel, silver, lead, and zinc.

Goldman Sachs is very positive on the company due to its exposure to aluminium. It believes the metal is in the early stages of a multi-year bull market and expects South32 to benefit greatly.

As a result, the broker has South32 shares on its conviction buy rating with a $3.70 price target. This compares to the latest South32 share price of $3.01

As for dividends, Goldman is forecasting dividends per share of 6.9 US cents in FY 2021 and then 22.1 US cents in FY 2022. Based on the latest South32 share price and current exchange rates, this will mean yields of 3.1% and 10%, respectively, over the next two years.

The post Brokers rate these ASX dividend shares as buys 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 recommended Aurizon Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price might be a good idea to consider for long-term income.

What’s Wesfarmers?

You won’t see the name “Wesfarmers” in a shopping centre and the parent business itself is not a leading online retailer. But Wesfarmers is one of the biggest retailers in the country with a number of category-leading retail businesses.

It operates the department store businesses Target and Kmart in Australia. The hardware store Bunnings is the crown jewel of Wesfarmers when it comes to profit generation. Office supplies business Officeworks is another leader in the portfolio. Catch is a rapidly growing e-commerce business.

Wesfarmers share price performance

The business has seen a lot of investor interest over recent times. Over the last month the Wesfarmers share price is up around 10% and in the last year it has risen by more than a third.

But Wesfarmers doesn’t have much direct control over the share price performance. But it is committed to dividends and shareholder returns.

The shareholder returns goal

Wesfarmers has said that its primary objective is to “provide a satisfactory return to shareholders.”

The business has a number of strategies to try to deliver on this goal.

It aims to strengthen its existing businesses through “operating excellence” and satisfying customer needs. Next, it aims to secure growth initiatives through entrepreneurial initiatives. Wesfarmers also looks to renew the portfolio through value-adding transactions. Finally, the company looks to ensure sustainability through responsible long-term management.

It has been pretty successful with this strategy. At 31 May 2021, it was able to say that its total shareholder return (which is dividends plus growth of the Wesfarmers share price) was an average of 19.9% over five years, compared to an average return of 10.5% for the All Ordinaries Accumulation Index.

Continuing strength of existing businesses

Some of the Wesfarmers businesses are producing a lot of growth, which is helping the overall Wesfarmers numbers. FY21 half-year net profit after tax (NPAT) grew by 25.5% to $1.4 billion.

There were two divisions that were largely responsible for that growth. In underlying earnings before tax (EBT) terms, Bunnings grew by 35.8% to $1.275 billion and Kmart Group saw EBT growth of 42% to $487 million.

Those two businesses, which are important drivers of the Wesfarmers share price, are also the two most profitable divisions. Bunnings saw a return on capital of 76.6% and Kmart Group saw a return on capital of 35.5%.

But Wesfarmers is always looking to improve its business. For example, it’s working on improving Bunnings’ commercial offer to better service builders, tradespeople and organisations. It’s going to open Adelaide Tools stores outside South Australia in FY22. Wesfarmers has also agreed to acquire Beaumont Tiles.

The company is also investing to improve its supply chain efficiency to improve costs and support higher volumes.

Useful acquisitions

Management are always on the look out for acquisitions that can improve or diversify the business.

For example, it is involved with the Mt Holland lithium project and will leverage Wesfarmers’ WesCEF chemical processing capabilities. Construction will commence in the second half of the 2021 calendar year with the first production expected in the second half of 2024. It’s looking for further project expansion to improve returns and further “step out” opportunities in the electric vehicles value chain.

Acquisitions have been an important part of the puzzle for the Wesfarmers share price. Bunnings itself was an acquisition a few decades ago.

Wesfarmers recently launched a takeover approach for Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API). The (first?) bid was knocked back by API.

Wesfarmers share price valuation and dividend forecast

According to Commsec, Wesfarmers share is valued at 30x FY23’s estimated earnings. It’s forecast to pay a dividend of $1.95 per share in FY23, translating to a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.3%.

The post The Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price could offer good dividend income appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price is up 9% in a month
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• Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price rises amid latest digital push
• These 10 ASX 200 shares hit new 52-week highs this Monday
• Pricing-power shares like Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) help fight inflation: expert

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended 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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The fund manager Wilson Asset Management (WAM) has recently identified two top small cap ASX shares that it owns in its portfolio that could be ideas.

WAM operates several listed investment companies (LICs). Some focus on larger companies like WAM Leaders Ltd (ASX: WLE) and WAM Capital Limited (ASX: WAM).

There’s also one called WAM Microcap Limited (ASX: WMI) which targets small cap ASX shares with a market capitalisation under $300 million at the time of acquisition.

WAM says WAM Microcap targets the most exciting undervalued growth opportunities in the Australian microcap market.

The WAM Microcap portfolio has delivered gross returns (that’s before fees, expenses and taxes) of 24.2% per annum since inception in June 2017, which is superior to the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index average return of 12%.

These are the two small cap ASX shares that WAM outlined in its most recent monthly update:

Silk Logistics Holdings Ltd (ASX: SLH)

WAM explains that Silk Logistics is one of the largest third-party logistics suppliers in Australia.

Over the last several years, the business have been active with making acquisitions. The business has been successful at this, according to the fund manager. Silk Logistics has benefited from industry consolidation.

The business recently listed, in July 2021. The Silk Logistics share price increased by 25% on the first day of trading.

WAM explained that Silk Logistics is a beneficiary of the tailwinds in the logistics sector triggered partly by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a surge in demand for delivery services.

The fund manager likes the long-term outlook for the ASX share, targeting industries less impacted by economic downturns such as food and packaged agriculture products.

It was also pointed out that Silk Logistics is investing in tracking technology that “gives visibility” to the inefficiencies in a supply chain, adding to its customer service offering and improving its competitive position.

Swoop Holdings Ltd (ASX: SWP)

Swoop is the other ASX share that WAM Microcap noted.

This business is an Australian internet provider that is headquartered in Victoria and has expanded into South Australia. It listed onto the ASX a few months ago – there was apparently a lot of demand from both institutional investors and retail investors for the capital raising which was $20 million in size.

Talking about the bull case for the business, the fund manager said that it’s a beneficiary of the increased demand for home internet in a world where many more people are working from home because of COVID-19.

WAM believes Swoop’s growth potential has increased after the acquisition of the South Australian based wireless broadband provider Wan Solutions, which trades as Beam Internet. The deal means Swoop can use Beam’s recently upgraded network to grow well in the South Australian market.

The post Wilson Asset Management believes these 2 leading small cap ASX shares are a buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Swoop (ASX:SWP) share price is soaring 7% today
• Wilson Asset Management thinks these 2 top small cap ASX shares are a buy

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

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Monday will be an exciting day for the Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC) share price.

The company will be releasing its FY21 results, and market watchers will likely be ready to react to the property and infrastructure group’s performance.

The Lendlease share price finished yesterday’s session trading at $12.59, up 0.24%.

Let’s look at how the company’s share price went after the FY20 earnings release last year.

How Lendlease investors reacted to FY20 earnings

The last time Lendlease reported its full financial year’s earnings, its share price gained 1.39% to close at $11.68.

However, over the 3 sessions following the release of its results, its shares fell 4.2%.

The company’s earnings for FY20 were in the red. It reported a statutory loss after tax of $310 million.  

The loss was driven by Lendlease’s non-core businesses, which finished the financial year down $406 million.

Lendlease’s divestment of its engineering business didn’t help things – it cost $368 million.

Luckily for the Lendlease share price, the company’s core businesses brought in an after-tax profit of $96 million.

COVID had an impact in the final quarter of FY20. The pandemic brought delays for the company’s urbanisation pipeline developments and weakened Lendlease’s trading conditions.

Additionally, some of Lendlease’s internationally-based construction projects were hindered or halted when some cities and regions were put into lockdowns.

However, the company did sign two new major urbanisation projects for its portfolio over the financial year. Together, the projects were worth about $37 billion.

What’s happened to the Lendlease share price since?

Since then, the Lendlease share price has gained 8%.

It completed the sale of its engineering business and its work on the Melbourne Metro project.

The company’s half-year report stated its business had partly recovered from the worst of its recent troubles.

We’ll see to what extent its recovery has continued on Monday.

Lendlease share price snapshot

On Monday, all eyes will be on Lendlease and its share price, with investors waiting to see if the company recovered over FY21.

The company’s shares need all the good news they can get. They’re currently trading for 4% less than they were at the start of 2021. However, they’re 9.3% higher than they were this time last year.

The post How did the Lendlease (ASX:LLC) share price respond last earnings season? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• ‘Unloved’ for 5 years, this ASX share is ready to rocket
• ASX 200 midday update: Kogan FY 2021 update, Altium sinks
• Lendlease (ASX:LLC) share price edges higher on divestment news

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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Reporting season went up a gear last week when a large number of companies released their latest results.

Three of the best results from last week are summarised below. Here’s what they reported:

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

Arguably the best result from last week came from Australia’s largest bank. The CBA share price stormed to a record high after its full year result revealed a 19.8% increase in cash earnings to $8,653 million. This was ahead of the analyst consensus estimate of $8,464 million. This strong form and its exceptionally strong capital position allowed the bank to announce a $6 billion off-market share buyback. This was also notably ahead of the market’s expectations.

QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE)

This insurance giant has been struggling in recent years but returned to form during the first half of FY 2021. QBE released its first half result and revealed strong gross written premium (GWP) and profit growth. QBE achieved GWP growth of 26.9% to US$10,203 million, which underpinned an adjusted cash profit after tax of US$463 million. This compares to a US$66 million loss in the prior corresponding period. Management advised that the result was driven by a strong premium rate environment, improved customer retention, and new business growth across all regions.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

One of the most well-received results last week came from this telco giant. The Telstra share price climbed to a 52-week high after it delivered a profit result in line with guidance. This allowed Telstra to maintain its 8 cents per share fully franked final dividend, bringing its full year dividend to 16 cents per share. Another positive was the announcement of a $1.35 billion on-market share buyback. But perhaps the biggest positive was management’s guidance for the year ahead. It expects its underlying EBITDA to return to growth at long last. Management expects growth of 4.5% to 9% in FY 2022.

The post 3 of the best ASX results from week two of reporting season 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 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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