Tag: Motley Fool

  • Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

    ASX shares Business man marking buy on board and underlining it

    Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models again, leading to the release of a large number of broker notes this week.

    Three broker buy ratings that have caught my eye are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

    BlueBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: BBT)

    According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts have retained their add rating and $2.44 price target on this sports betting company’s shares. This follows news that BlueBet has signed an agreement with the Colorado River Indian Tribes and BlueWater Resort and Casino to pursue online sports betting access in Arizona. Morgans was pleased with the news, noting that this follows a similar development in Virginia. The broker believes the company has a huge opportunity in the US market. The BlueBet share price is trading at $2.00 at present.

    Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

    Another note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their (speculative) add rating and lifted their price target on this lithium company’s shares to $4.53. Morgans notes that US energy company Phillips 66 is investing in Novonix, with the proceeds expected to support an increase in Novonix Anode Materials production capacity. The broker feels the deal de-risks the company’s growth plans. It also believes Novonix is well-positioned in the US market to benefit from increasing demand for battery materials. The Novonix share price is fetching $3.93 currently.

    Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN)

    Analysts at Credit Suisse have upgraded this insurance giant’s shares to an outperform rating and lifted the price target on them to $14.00. This follows the release of a strong full year result earlier this week. Credit Suisse appears confident this strong form will continue, underpinning further growth in earnings and dividends in the near term. The Suncorp share price is trading at $12.77 on Wednesday.

    The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

    *Returns as of May 24th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. 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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  • Should you buy Coles (ASX:COL) shares in August for the dividend yield?

    shopping trolley filled with coins representing asx retail share price.ce

    Since becoming its own ASX 200 listing back in late 2018, the Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price has become known as an ASX dividend heavyweight. Being a large, mature blue chip ASX company, this probably wouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

    After all, even before Coles’ ASX listing, its arch-rival Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) had been paying its shareholders with hefty, fully franked dividends for decades. It wasn’t a stretch to see Coles pursuing a similar path.

    But now we have put a few years between Coles’ spin-off from its old parent company Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), it’s probably a good time to assess how Coles is tracking in the dividend department. So exactly what kind of dividends is Coels offering its investors this August?

    Well, it’s first worth noting that Coles is scheduled to report its FY2021 earnings in exactly a week’s time (18 August). We’ll probably hear what kind of dividends investors can expect from Coles later this year from the company’s management then.

    But let’s go with what we do know today. So Coles’ last two dividend payments came in at 33 cents a share (the March 2021 interim payout) and 27.5 cents per share (the September 2020 final dividend).

    Together, these two payouts come to a total of 60.5 cents per share for the previous 12 months. That gives Coles a trailing dividend yield of 3.33% (or 4.76% grossed-up with full franking) on the current Coles share price.

    Not bad for Coles shareholders, especially considering Woolworths’ trailing dividend yield stands at 2.51% today.

    But what of the future?

    Are Coles shares a buy for dividends this August?

    Well, as I stated, we don’t yet know for sure. But one broker has given it a ‘best guess’. Investment bank Goldman Sachs. Goldman currently rates the Coles share price as a ‘buy’, with a 12-month share price target of $19.40 a share, implying a potential upside of 6.65% on the current Coles share price. 

    When it comes to dividends, Goldman is also bullish. The broker reckons that Coles will be able to keep raising its dividend over the next few years. It is estimating a potential dividend payout of 62 cents per share for FY2022, growing to 73 cents per share by the 2023 financial year.

    No doubt Coles shareholders will be hoping Goldman is right!

    At the current Coles share price, the compnay has a market capitalisation of $24.1 billion

    The post Should you buy Coles (ASX:COL) shares in August for the dividend yield? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Coles, 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 Coles 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 May 24th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 and 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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  • Aussie tech could grow to $250b. What does this mean for ASX tech shares?

    ASX tech shares have certainly become more than a passing fancy for ASX investors. With fabled success stories like Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), it’s certainly hard to ignore this sector in these strange times.

    But could we just be seeing the start of the ASX tech revolution? My Fool colleague Mitchell Lawler reported this morning that the movers and shakers at Afterpay and fellow Aussie (albeit US-listed) tech company Atlassian Corporation PLC (NASDAQ: TEAM) have teamed up in a “push for Australia to become an irresistible hub for tech startups”.

    The best heads at Afterpay and Atlassian will be joined by the best and brightest from 22 other tech leaders to form the Tech Council of Australia (TCA). As well as Afterpay and Atlassian, the members of the new TCA include many ASX-listed tech companies. These include the likes of Airtasker Ltd (ASX: ART), Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL) and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1). But it will also include some unlisted ASX tech players like Canva and SquarePeg. As well as some global tech titans like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Alphabet Incs (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google.

    An ASX tech A-team

    The council’s board will reportedly be made up of Atlassian’s Scott Farquhar, Mina Radhakrishnan from :Different, Afterpay’s Anthony Eisen, and Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht. And its chair will be Robyn Denholm, who is one of the most famous tech stewards in the world in her position as chair of Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA).

    So what does this ‘A-team’ of Aussie tech have in mind for the future of the ASX tech sector?

    Well, according to a report from news.com.au, the TCA has 3 overarching goals:

    • To “help position Australia as the startup capital of the world within 10 years”
    • Aussie tech to employ 1 million people by 2025
    • To grow the value of the Aussie tech industry to $250 billion by 2031

    As my Fool colleague discussed this morning, Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes reckons Aussie tech is worth around $167 billion today, so an increase to $250 billion would represent a meaningful expansion of the local tech sector. According to the news.com.au report, the TCA will aim to reach its goals by:

    • supporting growth of, and investment in, Australia’s tech sector
    • generating more jobs
    • helping develop regulation for new and emerging technologies, and
    • taking on the responsibilities of not-for-profit organisation StartupAus

    Good news indeed for any ASX tech investors out there today!

    The post Aussie tech could grow to $250b. What does this mean for ASX tech shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

    *Returns as of May 24th 2021

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    Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, 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 Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Alphabet (A shares) and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Atlassian, MEGAPORT FPO, Microsoft, Tesla, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and MEGAPORT 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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  • Why the Thomson Resources (ASX:TMZ) share price rocketed 14% higher at lunchtime

    A drawing of a white rocket streaking up, indicating a surging share pirce movement

    The Thomson Resources Ltd (ASX: TMZ) share price began a meteoric rise higher right as most Aussie were sitting down to lunch today.

    At 12:34pm AEDT, the Thomson Resources share price was flat for the day, at 11 cents per share. At time of writing shares for the ASX resource explorer are trading for 12 cents. That’s up 10% since lunchtime, after earlier posting gains of more than 14%.

    Below we take a look at the company’s ASX market announcement, released at 1:00 pm, that appears to be driving investor interest.

    What did Thomson Resources report?

    The Thomson Resources share price is surging after the company reported on the first Mineral Resource estimate in accordance with JORC 2012 for its Conrad silver polymetallic deposit, located in New South Wales.

    The promising results build on a 2008 Mineral Resource estimate delivered by a previous resource company at the site which was reported in accordance with JORC 2004.

    According to the release, the results – which include assays from 6 drill holes completed since the 2008 resource estimate, reported silver, lead, zinc, copper and tin metals.

    Conrad’s total Mineral Resource estimate contains 3.33 Mt at 86 g/t Ag, 1.22% Pb, 0.62% Zn, 0.11% Cu, and 0.17% Sn.

    Commenting on the progress, Thomson Resources’ executive chairman, David Williams said:

    We are very pleased to deliver this strong outcome for the Conrad project with a 20.72 million ounce AgEq [silver equivalent calculations] Mineral Resource Estimate within an Optimised Pit and underground mining configuration, and a significant upgrade of the resource confidence, with 51% in the higher confidence indicated category.

    Thomson is now firmly focused on delivering metallurgical results and new MRE’s reported in accordance with the 2012 JORC Code for the Texas, Silver Spur and Webbs projects, as the next milestones toward our objective of aggregating 100 million ounces silver equivalent resource available to the New England Fold Belt Hub and Spoke central processing strategy.

    The company said higher grade mineralisation remains open at depth beneath 5 of the 6 known shoots at Conrad and “open along strike to the NW adjacent to the Moore and Mystery shoots”.

    This indicates the potential for step out and down plunge drilling in these areas to expand the Conrad underground resource.

    Thomson Resources share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months Thomson Resources’ share price is up 188%, far surpassing the 25% gains posted by the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

    Year-to-date the Thomson Resources share price is down 4%.

    The post Why the Thomson Resources (ASX:TMZ) share price rocketed 14% higher at lunchtime appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Thomson Resources right now?

    Before you consider Thomson Resources, 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 Thomson Resources 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 May 24th 2021

    More reading

    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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  • Why Accent, Bluebet, IAG, & Megaport shares are tumbling lower

    share price dropping

    In late afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.2% to 7,577.6 points.

    Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are tumbling lower:

    Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

    The Accent share price is down almost 7% to $2.61. This decline has been driven by a broker note out of Citi this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the footwear retailer’s shares to a sell rating and cut the price target on them by 19% to $2.50. Citi has a number of concerns such as lockdowns and potential supply chain issues. It notes that Adidas’ production has been impacted by lockdowns in Vietnam.

    Bluebet Holdings Ltd (ASX: BBT)

    The Bluebet share price is down 3% to $2.00 despite there being no news out of the sports betting company. However, with its shares shooting higher this week following a positive US development, this decline could be due to profit taking.

    Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)

    The Insurance share price has fallen 2.5% to $5.14. Investors have been selling the insurance giant’s shares following the release of a mixed full year result. IAG reported a 3.8% increase in gross written premium to $12,135 million but a net loss after tax of $427 million. The latter was driven by a range of one-offs. Excluding these one-offs, its cash earnings rose 170% to $747 million.

    Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

    The Megaport share price has sunk 7% to $16.68. This decline is likely to have been driven by a broker note out of Ord Minnett. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the network as a service provider’s shares to a sell rating and cut the price target on them to $15.00. The broker made the move on the belief that Megaport may need to continue to invest for longer than previously expected to drive its growth.

    The post Why Accent, Bluebet, IAG, & Megaport shares are tumbling lower appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

    *Returns as of May 24th 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 MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Insurance Australia Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group and MEGAPORT 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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  • Why the Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) share price hit its 52-week high

    woman throwing arms up in celebration whilst looking at asx share price rise on laptop computer

    The Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ) share price is enjoying fresh new 52-week highs today. This comes despite no news being released from the regional bank since its board appointment in late July.

    At the time of writing, Bank of Queensland shares are up 1.8% to $9.62 apiece.

    What’s driving Bank of Queensland shares higher?

    You would be forgiven for thinking that with half of Australia currently in lockdown, the Bank of Queensland share price would suffer.

    However, the company’s shares have rallied higher to reach pre-COVID levels, reflecting optimism among investors.

    The Bank of Queensland completed its acquisition of ME Bank in July, achieving a critical milestone in its multi-brand strategy. It aims to compete with the big banks offering portfolio diversification and a common digital retail bank technology platform.

    In addition, the company moved to strengthen its board, with the inclusion of ME Bank director Deborah Kiers.

    Bank of Queensland also provided its quarterly capital update for the period ending May. It noted that it expanded the common equity tier 1 (CET1) to 14.1% compared to 10% at the end of February.

    The total capital ratio increased to 18%, up from 13.8% from the prior period.

    What do the brokers think?

    Following the APRA Basel III Pillar 3 in late July, two brokers rated the company with varying price points.

    First up, investment bank JPMorgan raised its 12-month price target for Bank of Queensland shares by 2.1% to $9.80.

    Credit Suisse rated the company’s shares with a more bullish outlook, adding 15% to $11.50. Based on the current share price, this implies an upside of approximately 19.5%.

    Bank of Queensland share price summary

    The last 12 months have seen Bank of Queensland shares continue their upward growth trajectory, up over 60%. Year-to-date has also lifted, gaining close to 28% for shareholders.

    Bank of Queensland commands a market capitalisation of roughly $6.1 billion, making it the 88th largest company on the ASX.

    The post Why the Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) share price hit its 52-week high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Bank of Queensland right now?

    Before you consider Bank of Queensland, 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 Bank of Queensland 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 May 24th 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 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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  • Why the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price is closing in on a 52-week high

    A high-five between father and daughter who are setting up an app on a laptop

    The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is on form again on Wednesday.

    In afternoon trade, the banking giant’s shares are up over 1% to $27.30.

    This means the NAB share price is now trading within a whisker of its 52-week high of $27.84.

    Why is the NAB share price pushing higher?

    Today’s gain by the NAB share price appears to have been driven by the release of a strong full year result by rival Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) this morning, which has given investor sentiment in the banking sector a boost.

    In case you missed it, Australia’s largest bank reported cash earnings growth of 19.8% to $8,653 million. This was stronger than expected, with the analyst consensus estimate at $8,464 million.

    Also catching the eye of investors was Commonwealth Bank’s decision to return $6 billion to shareholders via a share buyback. This was significantly higher than what the market was expecting.

    What else has been driving its shares higher?

    Also giving the NAB share price a boost this week was an announcement on Monday.

    That announcement reveals that the bank has signed an agreement to purchase Citigroup’s Australian consumer business.

    The proposed acquisition includes a home lending portfolio, unsecured lending business, retail deposits business, and private wealth management business. The deal will add deposits of $9 billion and lending assets of approximately $12.2 billion. The latter comprises residential mortgages of approximately $7.9 billion and unsecured lending of approximately $4.3 billion.

    Goldman Sachs was positive on the deal. In response, the broker held firm with its conviction buy rating and $30.34 price target on its shares. Based on the current NAB share price, this implies potential upside of 9% before dividends.

    Goldman said: “We see strategic merit in the transaction, which would contribute to an improvement in the returns drag NAB has suffered vs. peers from being underweight Consumer Banking and having a Consumer Bank that relatively under-earns, given a lower exposure to unsecured lending. We calculate that the transaction would result in a c. 1.5% better EPS outcome than if the equivalent capital was bought back on-market.”

    The post Why the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price is closing in on a 52-week high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider NAB, 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 NAB 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 May 24th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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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  • CBA (ASX:CBA) share buyback ahead of forecast: broker

    thumbs up

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price is climbing higher on Wednesday after Australia’s biggest bank delivered its highly anticipated full-year results.

    At the time of writing, shares in CBA are commanding a $108 price, up 1.39%. Today’s rally puts the bank’s gain over the past 12 months at more than 43%.

    A major contributing factor to CBA’s strength today might lay in the monstrous $6 billion share buyback it announced.

    Exceeding Citi’s expectations

    It has been a joyous day for CBA shareholders following the release of the bank’s full-year results. To briefly summarise, Australia’s largest bank reported a net profit after tax of $8,843 million, representing a 19.7% increase year over year.

    The significant jump in earnings was helped along by a large reduction in loan impairment expenses and provisions. According to the release, loan impairments were down 78% to $554 million.

    All in all, these figures were reportedly in line with leading broker Citi. However, one metric that the broker wasn’t expecting was the massive $6 billion buyback program. Instead, analysts had been expecting in the ballpark of $5 billion. A beat that is likely pushing CBA higher on the ASX today.

    Commenting on the large off-market buyback, Citi analysts said:

    It appears CBA’s rationale for $6 billion revolves around the $6.2 billion of excess capital generated by divestments. Post buyback, CBA retains ~$5 billion of organically generated excess capital.

    However, not everything was rosy in the eyes of the broker.

    What’s baked into CBA on the ASX?

    While the share buyback will likely drive an increase in return on equity and dividends per share, Citi seems apprehensive about the forward tailwinds for the big bank.

    More to the point, analysts relayed that CBA’s revenue momentum was secluded to Australian mortgages and a strong New Zealand print. Meanwhile, contraction took place in its business banking revenue, despite growth in its lending amount.

    On top of that, trading revenue dropped by roughly 40% as share market volatility subsided.

    However, despite an overall in-line result, the revenue outlook appears more challenged than our expectations. Consequently, investors will be asking the question of at which point is excess capital and provisions in the share price?

    Citi analysts

    Based on the CBA share price at the time of writing, the bank is trading on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21.7 times.

    The post CBA (ASX:CBA) share buyback ahead of forecast: broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Commonwealth Bank right now?

    Before you consider Commonwealth Bank, 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 Commonwealth Bank 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 May 24th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler owns shares of Commonwealth Bank of Australia. 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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  • WAM Leaders (ASX:WLE) share price returns to trading after capital raise

    a man turns over an open sign in a window, signifying open for business.

    The WAM Leaders Ltd (ASX: WLE) share price has just returned to ASX trading after a trading halt lifted on the Listed Investment Company (LIC).

    WAM Leaders first announced the halt yesterday pending a capital raising announcement. It stated that its shares will return to the ASX boards “following the announcement of the proposed outcome of the capital raising”.

    Well, today we got the news that said capital raising had been completed.

    The company will raise $277.2 million from the program. This will result in the issuing of 25 million additional shares to the market. It initially allowed existing retail shareholders to apply for new shares on a a pro-rata basis. This consisted of a 1-for-5 entitlement offer at a price of $1.44 a share.

    Today, WAM Leaders announced that the offer closed fully subscribed. More than 80% of the funds raised came from WAM Leaders shareholders. The LIC allowed the shortfall to be made up by “eligible professional and sophisticated investors”.

    WAM raises $277 million in new funds

    WAM Leaders tells us that these developments will allow the LIC to grow to having “more than $1.5 billion” in assets under management. As such, this makes the company “one of the largest Listed Investment Companies on the ASX”.

    Here’s some of what WAM founder chair Geoff Wilson had to say on the news:

    We greatly appreciate the trust, loyalty and support we have received from WAM Leaders shareholders. More than 80% of the funds in the Entitlement Offer were taken up by existing WAM Leaders shareholders, raising more than $193.6 million…

    We are pleased to provide shareholders with a stream of fully franked dividends. In particular those shareholders who have committed additional capital to the Company through the Entitlement Offer.

    In the latter remarks, Mr Wilson was referring to the offer’s attached carrot. This incentive is that the new shares will receive the FY2022 interim dividend of 4 cents per share that the company will pay out later this year.

    The company tells us that this dividend will be worth an annualised yield of 5.6% (or 8% grossed-up with full franking) at the entitlement price of $1.44 per share.

    Lead portfolio manager Matthew Haupt added this:

    The WAM Leaders Investment team is excited and honoured to be entrusted with the additional capital raised from shareholders. We stand ready to capitalise on the many opportunities we have identified.

    About the WAM Leaders share price

    At the time of writing, the WAM Leaders share price has successfully returned to trading. It is down 2% so far this afternoon to $1.50 a share. This LIC is one of the growing stable of WAM Listed Investment Companies that the venerated investor now runs.

    In this LIC’s case, it concentrates on the larger companies in the ASX 200. Management attempts to identify “large-cap companies with compelling fundamentals, a robust macroeconomic thematic and a catalyst”. Since its inception in May 2016, WAM Leaders has returned an average performance of 14.9% per annum (not including fees and taxes).

    The post WAM Leaders (ASX:WLE) share price returns to trading after capital raise appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in WAM Leaders right now?

    Before you consider WAM Leaders, 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 WAM Leaders 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 May 24th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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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  • European Lithium (ASX:EUR) share price soars 30% following presentation

    golden hawk flying high in the sky

    The European Lithium Ltd (ASX: EUR) share price has soared into the green during this afternoon’s session.

    Today’s gain comes after an update from the European lithium exploration company regarding its Austrian drilling program.

    Let’s investigate further.

    What did European Lithium release?

    Firstly, European Lithium delivered the update to its Wolfsberg Lithium Project via an investor presentation.

    The release detailed results from the company’s recently completed pre-feasibility study (PFS), amid other progress points.

    European Lithium explained it had several positive findings from the PFS. For instance, the project now has a net present value (NPV) of US$339.4 million, “based on JORC compliant resource” at almost 11 million tonnes.

    Moreover, as a “key investment highlight” from the report, European seeks to be “the first local lithium supplier into an integrated European battery supply chain”.

    In addition, production is “anticipated to commence (in) 2023”, potentially leading the company to be “the first battery-grade lithium producer in Europe”, as per the release.

    Regarding its sustainability and clean energy obligations, European stated:

    (European Lithium is) Setting the highest standards to fuel a sustainable future of European electromobility and storage systems, committed to use of cutting-edge technology, for clean production.

    Investors are buying the company’s shares in droves following the announcement, pushing the European Lithium share price well into the green.

    To illustrate, European Lithium shares are not exchanging hands at 8.4 cents apiece, up 29.23% gain on the day.

    European Lithium share price snapshot

    The European Lithium share price has posted a year to date return of 80%, extending the previous 12 month’s climb of 72%.

    As a result, these results have outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s return of around 25% over the past year.

    The post European Lithium (ASX:EUR) share price soars 30% following presentation appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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