Tag: Motley Fool

  • Potential buys: 2 compelling ASX payment shares

    customer making payment at a cafe using CBA albert

    There are some ASX payment shares that could make compelling ideas to think about for the long-term.

    The world is steadily moving towards contactless payments and online payments for products and services. There are a group of businesses that are enabling that transition.

    Whilst Visa, Mastercard and PayPal get a lot of the global attention, there are some ASX payment shares that are also leading the charge for certain clients.

    Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR)

    Tyro is a business that provides payment solutions and value-adding business banking products. It had close to 37,000 Australian merchants using Tyro at 31 December 2020.

    It processed more than $12 billion of transactions in the first half of FY21. Tyro processed more than $20 billion in FY20. In the 2020 financial year it made $93.5 million of gross profit, then in the first half of FY21 it made $61.2 million of gross profit.

    In FY21 the business processed over $25.4 billion of transactions, which was an increase of 26%. July 2021 (to 30 July) saw an increase of 24% over the prior corresponding period in July 2020.

    Tyro says it’s Australia’s fifth largest merchant acquiring bank by the number of terminals in the market, behind the four major ASX banks of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ).

    While it’s focused on in-store payments, it recently expanded into e-commerce. For merchants, it provides point of sales systems, least-cost routing and alternative payment types such as Alipay.

    The ASX payment share is currently rated as a buy by the broker Morgan Stanley with a price target of $4.60.

    Pushpay Holdings Ltd (ASX: PPH)

    Pushpay is a business that specialises in providing donation technology and management services for churches.

    There was a large adoption of digital donations in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pushpay said that it has become evident across the sector that the market has undergone a transformative shift. The company also said that digital solutions will play a crucial role in the future of the church. It has not seen a meaningful proportion of digital giving revert to non-digital means.

    In FY21, Pushpay saw total processing volume increase by 39% to US$6.9 billion. This drove revenue higher by 40% to US$179.1 million and net profit went up by 95% to US$58.9 million.

    The ASX payments share continues to expect strong revenue growth as it continues to execute on its strategy to grow market share through continued innovation of products, acquisitions and expansion into the Catholic market.

    Pushpay believes that it has an “exciting future”.

    The post Potential buys: 2 compelling ASX payment shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Tyro Payments right now?

    Before you consider Tyro Payments, 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 Tyro Payments 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 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 PUSHPAY FPO NZX and Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended PUSHPAY FPO NZX. 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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  • These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week

    Businessman cheering at desk with arms in the air

    It was a great week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). The benchmark index stormed 2% or 145.8 points higher to end the period at 7,538.4 points.

    While a good number of ASX 200 shares climbed higher with the market, some climbed more than most. Here’s why these were the best performers on the index last week:

    Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

    The Afterpay share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 last week by some distance with a 36.7% gain. Investors were scrambling to buy the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares after it received a $39 billion takeover proposal by US payments giant Square. The Afterpay Board is recommending investors accept the offer of 0.375 shares of Square Class A common stock for each Afterpay share they hold. On the day of the offer, this implied a transaction price of approximately $126.21 per Afterpay share. However, due to a rise in the Square share price since announcing the deal, the offer has increased in value.

    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

    The Pilbara Minerals share price was the next best performer with a gain of 18.1% last week. This appears to have been driven by increasingly bullish sentiment in the lithium sector and a positive broker note out of Macquarie. In respect to the latter, Macquarie put an outperform rating and $2.00 price target on the company’s shares. It was pleased with the results of the lithium miner’s battery materials exchange (BMX) auction.

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

    The Zip share price wasn’t far behind with a gain of 16% over the five days. Investors were buying the BNPL provider’s shares after the aforementioned acquisition of rival Afterpay by Square. There are hopes that Zip may also receive a takeover approach of its own. Particularly given recent speculation that Klarna has been building a position in the company.

    News Corp (ASX: NWS)

    The News Corp share price was on form and rose 11.3% last week. The majority of this gain was made on Friday following the release of the media giant’s full year results. According to the release, News Corp reported a 4% increase in revenue to US$9.4 billion and a net profit of US$389 million. The latter compares to a US$1.6 billion net loss in the prior corresponding period.

    The post These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week 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. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) offer shows infrastructure interest: expert

    lady walking through empty airport to travel indicating tough times for asx 200 travel shares

    The Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) share price has been relatively uneventful for the past month. This stagnation in the airport operator’s shares follows the rejection of its $8.25 per share offer from a consortium of private equity investors.

    At market close on Friday, shares in ASX-listed Sydney Airport were fetching $7.64 apiece. This represents a 7.4% discount on the rejected bid.

    Management rejected the offer on the basis it undervalued the company. Which may not be too far from the truth if the feeding frenzy for infrastructure assets continues. One respected Australian fund manager shared their view on the current M&A environment.

    Milestone moments

    It has been the story of recent months… companies, particularly private equity firms, have been flushed with cash after tightening the belt in 2020. As a result, the piggy bank has become weighty, and firms are eager to take a hammer to it.

    At the same time, investors are on the hunt for returns. In combination, the market is bearing down on one of the hottest M&A periods in recent history. The proposed acquisition of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) by US-listed payments company Square is a fair indication the action is yet to be on the decline.

    Portfolio Manager and Head of Research at Airlie Funds Emma Fisher recently discussed the M&A phenomenon.

    What’s really interesting about the flavour of M&A that we are saying right now is the fact if you look at some of the big deals… the Sydney Airport takeover bid recently, Spark Infrastructure, Telstra selling their infrastructure towers, and even the IPO of PEXA… the common thematic there is these are all long-duration infrastructure style investments that are essentially being bid for in mid-20s EBITDA [Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation] multiples.

    Fisher added to this commentary,

    And this is all happening at a time when the debate in the public markets is really around inflation. The public market’s narrative is I’ll stay away from long-duration assets… over the course of the year bond yields have actually been rising.

    So there’s clearly this bifurcation between public markets that are very worried about inflation and the implication for long-duration assets, and private players who are sitting on mounds of cash, and are very happy to deploy that – often at very high multiples to access unique long-duration assets.

    What’s next for Sydney Airport on the ASX?

    While management is adamant the takeover bid undervalued the company’s share price, future offers can’t be ruled out. In the meantime, investors can expect to see the Sydney Airport ASX release of its 2021 half-year results on Friday 20 August (ASX Reporting Season Calendar).

    Finally, based on Friday’s closing Sydney Airport share price, the company commands a market capitalisation of $20.7 billion.

    The post Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) offer shows infrastructure interest: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Sydney Airport right now?

    Before you consider Sydney Airport, 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 Sydney Airport 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 Mitchell Lawler owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 ASX dividend shares named as buys in August

    Happy young man and woman throwing dividend cash into air in front of orange background

    Are you looking for some dividend shares to boost your income portfolio? If you are, then you might want to look at the ones listed below.

    Here’s why these ASX dividend shares could be in the buy zone:

    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.

    Macquarie is a big fan of the company and currently has an outperform rating and $4.32 price target on its shares.

    The broker believes Aurizon is well-placed with almost $1 billion in balance sheet capacity to drive its growth through acquisitions. It has suggested that potential acquisition targets could be grain companies with port and logistics assets.

    In the meantime, Macquarie is forecasting partially franked dividends of 27.8 cents per share in FY 2021 and then 28.6 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the latest Aurizon share price of $4.06, this represents very attractive yields of 6.8% and 7%, respectively.

    Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS)

    Another ASX dividend share to look at is Bravura Solutions. It is a leading provider of software products and services to the wealth management and funds administration industries.

    While a subdued result is expected in FY 2021 because of Brexit and COVID-19, management appears confident that demand will bounce back once these headwinds ease. In fact, a recent update has shown big improvements in its performance, potentially setting it up for a strong year in FY 2022.

    Goldman Sachs is positive on the company and believes it is well positioned due to its strong market position, high degree of recurring revenue, and its emerging microservices ecosystem strategy.

    The broker has a buy rating and $3.90 price target on its shares. It is forecasting dividends per share of 9 cents in FY 2021, 10 cents in FY 2022, and then 12 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current Bravura share price of $3.59, this will mean yields of 2.5%, 2.8%, and 3.3%, respectively.

    The post 2 ASX dividend shares named as buys in August appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    These Dividend Stocks Could Be Your Next Cash Kings (FREE REPORT)

    Motley Fool Australia’s Dividend experts recently released a brand-new FREE report revealing 3 dividend stocks with JUICY franked dividends that could keep paying you meaty dividends for years to come.

    Our team of investors think these 3 dividend stocks should be a ‘must consider’ for any savvy dividend investor. But more importantly, could potentially make Australian investors a heap of passive income.

    Don’t miss out! Simply click the link below to grab your free copy and discover these 3 high conviction stocks now.

    Returns As of 15th February 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. owns shares of and has recommended Bravura Solutions Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bravura Solutions Ltd. 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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  • 3 great ASX tech shares that might be good buys

    asx shares involved with cloud tech represented by illuminated cloud on circuit board

    ASX tech shares could be a smart place to look for opportunities. There are some great businesses that might be quality ideas to own for the coming years.

    Technology businesses are often the ones introducing new services into our lives and typically have good gross profit margins as well.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    Xero is a leading cloud accounting business which offers subscribers a wide array of time-saving tools and easy-to-understand reporting. A key advantage of the offering is that users can access it anywhere on any device.

    The ASX tech share continues to see its subscriber base grow in both size and diversity. In FY21 the total number of Xero subscribers increased by 20% to 2.74 million. Subscribers are becoming increasingly valuable as the average subscriber sticks around for longer – Xero’s total lifetime value of subscribers went up 38% to $7.65 billion in FY21.

    Xero has a very strong market position in New Zealand and Australia. But it’s also growing quickly in other locations. In FY21, UK subscribers increased 17% to 720,000, North American subscribers rose 18% to 285,000 and ‘rest of the world’ subscribers grew 40% to 175,000.

    The business has a very high gross profit margin. In FY21 it had increased to 86%, up from 85.2%.

    But Xero’s net profit isn’t soaring yet – it’s still heavily investing for long-term growth because it sees a lot of opportunities around the world in the business and accounting software space.

    Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

    This is a leading ASX tech share that is actually an exchange-traded fund (ETF) which invests in 100 of the biggest non-financial businesses on the NASDAQ. That’s a stock exchange in the US where most of the West’s biggest tech companies are listed.

    For an annual management fee of just 0.48% per annum, investors get a lot of exposure to names like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Alphabet, Facebook, Tesla, Nvidia, PayPal and Adobe. These are some of the strongest technology businesses in the world.

    A large proportion of the ETF is invested in tech and tech-like investments, but there are some other businesses in there for a bit of diversification such as Costco, PepsiCo and Moderna.

    Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. But, since inception in May 2015, it has returned an average of 22.5% per annum.

    MNF Group Ltd (ASX: MNF)

    MNF offers a number of different services for clients. It enables providers to deliver their services using phone or mobile numbers that are local to their customers. MNF’s product suite includes a range of resale-ready white-label services that communication providers can rebrand and sell.

    It enables companies like Zoom, Google and Twilio to launch and scale communication services.

    The FY21 half-year result saw a large amount of growth for the business. HY21 recurring revenue increased 15% to $55.7 million, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 16% to $19.6 million, underlying net profit rose 30% to $8.4 million and earnings per share (EPS) jumped 62% to 7.83 cents.

    The ASX tech share is expecting its EBITDA to be within the top half of its EBITDA guidance of $40 million to $43 million.

    According to Commsec, the MNF share price is valued at 23x FY22’s estimated earnings.

    The post 3 great ASX tech shares that might be good buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in MNF Group right now?

    Before you consider MNF Group, 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 MNF Group 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 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, MNF Group Limited, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, MNF Group Limited, and Xero. 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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  • Galaxy (ASX:GXY) shareholders vote in favour of Orocobre (ASX:ORE) merger

    a chalk drawing of a car is connected to a real green battery, signifying clean energy

    The Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY) share price and the Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) share price will be ones to watch next week.

    This follows the release of an update on their planned merger after the market close.

    What was announced?

    This afternoon Galaxy announced that the requisite majorities of its shareholders voted in favour of its proposed merger with Orocobre.

    According to the release, 96.94% of Galaxy shareholders present voted in favour of the merger, with 98.69% of the votes cast in its favour.

    What now?

    With Galaxy’s shareholders voting in favour of the merger, its completion is close to being a formality.

    The release explains that Galaxy will now seek approval of the scheme of arrangement by the Supreme Court of Western Australia. This will be at a hearing scheduled for 13 August 2021.

    If the court approves the scheme at the hearing, Galaxy intends to lodge a copy of the orders with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on 16 August 2021. At that point, the scheme will become effective.

    If this occurs, Galaxy shares will be suspended from trading with effect from the close of trade on 16 August 2021. After which, implementation of the scheme is expected to occur on 25 August 2021, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions precedent.

    Finally, the new Orocobre shares will then commence trading on ASX on a normal settlement basis on 26 August.

    Why merge?

    Both companies expect the merger to create value for shareholders and leave the merged entity well-placed to benefit from increasing demand for lithium.

    Back in April, Galaxy’s Chairman, Martin Rowley, commented: “This transaction has the potential to be a significant value-creating opportunity for Galaxy and Orocobre shareholders. The Scheme provides shareholders of Galaxy with the opportunity to share in the significant benefits of being part of a larger diversified group and the synergies expected to be available to help enhance and progress our portfolio of world class assets. The merged entity’s growth opportunities in both brine and hard rock position it uniquely to take advantage of expected rising EV demand for lithium.”

    Investors certainly appear to agree. Since the announcement in April, the Galaxy share price is up 34% and the Orocobre share price is up 37%.

    The post Galaxy (ASX:GXY) shareholders vote in favour of Orocobre (ASX:ORE) merger appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Galaxy, 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 Galaxy 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 James Mickleboro owns shares of Galaxy Resources 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 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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  • Here’s what happened to the Bingo (ASX:BIN) share price

    It’s been an eventful year for the Bingo Industries Ltd (ASX: BIN) share price.

    Following a successful takeover offer, shares in Bingo were de-listed from the ASX exchange earlier last month. The company’s removal from the official list was carried out at the close of trading today.

    Let’s recap on what happened to the Bingo share price this year.

    But first, a quick take on the company

    Bingo is a recycling and waste management company with a network of resource recovery and recycling centres across NSW and Victoria.

    The company operates more than 300 trucks in Sydney and Melbourne and is heavily geared towards the construction industry.

    Since listing on the ASX in 2017, the Bingo share price had grown to become part of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

    The acquisition

    The Bingo share price launched into 2021 with a bang. Media reports swirled around a potential acquisition proposal for the waste management business.

    Bingo’s management confirmed the interest, acknowledging that the company had received an offer of $3.50 per share from a private equity consortium.

    The consortium — headed by CPE Capital and including Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) — launched the bid valued at $2.3 billion.

    At the time, shares in Bingo were trading at around $2.75 per share.

    The buyout proposal was made at a multiple of almost 20 times earnings estimates.

    Initially, the company acknowledged that it was considering the takeover bid. Bingo noted that the buyout proposal also involved an alternative structure involving cash and unlisted scrip.

    The Bingo share price stayed below the $3.50 per share proposal as the consortium conducted its due diligence.  

    Three months after the initial takeover offer, Bingo announced that it had entered into a Scheme Implementation Deed with MIRA.

    The company noted that shareholders would receive $3.45 per share less any special dividend declared.

    After remaining stagnant for more than 5 months, the Bingo share price was revived in mid-July as 18.26 million shares were exchanged.

    The catalyst came from the company announcing that 97% of Bingo shareholders had voted in favour of the proposed takeover.

    Following court approval and payment of a special dividend, shares in Bingo ceased trading on the ASX on the 16th of July.

    More on Bingo

    During the takeover period, Bingo released its earnings report for the first half of FY21, noting a 3.1% decline in revenue for the 6 months of $241.1 million.

    Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also declined 20.5% for the period to $65.2 million.

    Bingo cited the poor performance on a softening of the addressable market due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The post Here’s what happened to the Bingo (ASX:BIN) share price 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 Nikhil Gangaram has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why the Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) share price is up 80% in a month

    Rising mining ASX share price represented by man in hard hat making excited fists

    The Lake Resources NL (ASX: LKE) share price has soared into the green today, extending its long run into the money.

    At the closing bell, Lake Resources shares were exchanging hands at 66 cents apiece, an approximate 15% gain from the market open.

    Here we cover some of the tailwinds behind Lake Resources shares over the last month or so.

    Drilling, options and happy results

    Last month, Lake revealed drilling had commenced at its flagship lithium brine project in Argentina.

    According to the release, the new drill testing regime increases capacity of lithium production by around double the current amount.

    Moreover, Lake also realised more favourable sampling and testing results from assays conducted at the Argentinian site.

    In addition, Lake recently announced it was granting a bonus issue of options to eligible shareholders, granting one free bonus option for every 10 Lake Resources shares on the books.

    The options can be exercised on or before their expiry of 15 October at a strike price of 35 cents. However, Lake is sweetening the deal for its shareholders.

    For every option that is exercised, Lake will then issue a second option to the investor. In effect, this gives shareholders the right – but not obligation – to exercise their option at a strike price of 75 cents.

    The designated strike price on these options represents a 13.6% premium on the current Lake Resources share price.

    Finally, Lake Resources released its quarterly results on 2 August, detailing a number of progress points achieved.

    Most notably, Lake received a wealth of interest to finance its Kachi Lithium project, based on its “exceptional quality” product with low carbon footprint. The company also refreshed its pre-feasibility study on the site, to reflect lithium market dynamics.

    This fundamental momentum has carried through into the company’s growth engine over the past month.

    Lake Resources shares have climbed 80% into the green over this time. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has posted a return of about 3%.

    Lake Resources share price snapshot

    The Lake Resources share price has posted a year-to-date gain of 804%. It has also soared 1,733%. over the past 12 month.

    These returns have far outpaced the broad index’s return of around 25% over the past year. Over the past week alone, Lake Resources shares have climbed 53.5%.

    The post Why the Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) share price is up 80% in a month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Lake 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 Lake 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 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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  • 2 ASX 200 bank shares rated as buys

    Bank ATM site with a woman in mask looking at her bank card

    The banking sector has been on form this year and, along with the mining sector, has helped drive the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) notably higher.

    Positively for investors, analysts are still seeing plenty of value in the sector, particularly for those in search of income.

    For example, two ASX bank shares that have recently been given buy ratings are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

    The first ASX bank share to look at this month is Australia’s fourth largest bank, ANZ.

    ANZ has rebounded very strongly from the pandemic. For example, during the first half, the company reported a statutory profit after tax of $2,943 million and cash earnings from continuing operations of $2,990 million. This was up 45% and 28%, respectively, on the second half of FY 2020.

    This appears to have impressed analysts at Morgans. The broker currently has an add rating and $34.50 price target on its shares. This compares to the latest ANZ share price of $28.50.

    As for dividends, Morgans is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 145 cents in FY 2021 and 165 cents in FY 2022. This implies potential yields of 5.1% and 5.8%, respectively.

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

    Another ASX bank share that has been performing strongly in FY 2021 is Westpac. Like ANZ, it reported a significant increase in profits during the first half of its financial year.

    For the six months ended 31 March, Australia’s oldest bank reported cash earnings of $3,537 million. This was a 256% increase over the prior corresponding period and a 119% lift over the second half of FY 2020.

    Goldman Sachs has been pleased with its performance. So much so, it currently has a buy rating and $29.03 price target on its shares. This compares favourably to the current Westpac share price of $25.12.

    The broker is also forecasting generous dividend yields in the near term. Based on where its shares trade today, Goldman expects yields of ~4.7% and ~5% in FY 2021 and FY 2022, respectively.

    The post 2 ASX 200 bank shares rated as buys 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.*

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking Corporation. 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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  • ASX 200 rises, Betmakers soars, REA Group drops

    bull market encapsulated by bull running up a rising stock market price

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose by around 0.4% today to 7,538 points.

    Here are some of the highlights from the ASX:

    Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET)

    The Betmakers Technology share price jumped around 13.5% today after making an announcement to the market.

    Betmakers pointed out that New Jersey in the US has officially legalised fixed odds betting on horse racing. It is the first state in the US to do so.

    A bill to authorise fixed odds wagering on horse races through a fixed odds wagering system was passed unanimously in both the Senate and General Assembly in New Jersey on 21 June 2021. This has been signed by the Governor of New Jersey to become law.

    Betmakers has an exclusive 10-year fixed odds agreement on thoroughbred horse racing in New Jersey with New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen Association and Darby Development LLC, the operator of the Monmouth Park racetrack.

    The Betmakers CEO Todd Buckingham said:

    The introduction of fixed odds betting on horse racing by law in New Jersey is a historic moment for wagering in the United States and a landmark achievement for Betmakers.

    Betmakers also said that it sets a precedent legal framework that is relevant for discussions with other States in the US.

    REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

    The REA Group share price fell around 5% after releasing its FY21 result.

    The ASX 200 share reported that revenue increased by 13% to $928 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) including associates rose by 19% to $565 million.

    Net profit after tax (NPAT) grew by 18% to $318 million and earnings per share (EPS) went up 21% to 247 cents.

    The full year dividend increased by 19% to $1.31 per share.

    Owen Wilson, the CEO of REA Group, said:

    This has been a defining year for REA, successfully navigating the pandemic to deliver an excellent financial result and emerge an even stronger business.

    Our flagship site realestate.com.au delivered stellar results, extending its position as the clear market leader in digital real estate and it is now Australia’s eighth largest online brand overall.

    However, lockdowns are hurting the performance in FY22, though this may be mitigated by price increases. July listing volumes were down 3% year on year. Melbourne listings were up 3%, but Sydney listings were down 22%.

    ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD)

    The ResMed share price edged higher after releasing its fourth quarter and FY21 results.

    Fourth quarter revenue increased by 14% to $876.1 million and underlying profit grew 7%.. It produced underlying EPS of $1.35. The quarterly dividend increased by 8% to $0.42 per share.

    This brought FY21 revenue to $3.2 billion, an increase of 8%. Underlying profit grew 12%. It generated underlying EPS of $5.33, an increase of 12%.

    ResMed said it’s seeing the ongoing recovery of core sleep apnea and COPD patient flow across the business.

    The ASX 200 business was able to produce growth in the final quarter of FY21 despite the COVID-related ventilator sales in the prior corresponding period. However, there were also tailwinds from a competitor’s quality issue.

    ResMed CEO Mick Farrell said:

    Looking ahead, we are confident in our ability to grow steadily through our fiscal year 2022 and to deliver for all our stakeholders. We’re driving accelerated adoption of digital health solutions in sleep apnea, COPD, and out-of-hospital care, accelerating our ResMed 2025 strategy.

    The post ASX 200 rises, Betmakers soars, REA Group drops appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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. owns shares of and has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd, REA Group Limited, and ResMed Inc. 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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