Tag: Motley Fool

  • The Novatti (ASX:NOV) share price has hit an all-time high

    Smiling female investor holds hands up in victory in front of a laptop

    Shares in Novatti Group Ltd (ASX: NOV) reached a new all-time high today. The Novatti share price plunged on today’s open before recovering to reach an intraday high of 79 cents.

    At the time of writing, the Novatti share price is 77.5 cents – 4.73% higher than yesterday’s close.

    Let’s take a look at what Novatti does and what it’s been up to recently.

    What does Novatti do?

    Novatti is a fintech business with a focus on payment solution software. It has previously partnered with the likes of Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) and Cathay Pacific Airways.  

    Novatti was first listed on the ASX in 2016.

    What’s Novatti been up to this year?

    The Novatti share price has been generally climbing since mid-February. Intitally, there was little news in the public domain as to why.

    Then, in late February, the company announced Lifepay, a new fintech platform, was to be launched. Novatti, which owns 25% of Lifepay, was to earn fees from users’ activities on Lifepay’s platform.

    While the Novatti share price hit a new all-time high on the back of the news, the gains didn’t last until the session’s close.

    That was the beginning of a series of announcements from Novatti that saw its share price gaining (and sometimes falling) by relatively small increments.

    Then, on 29 April, Novatti announced news that saw its shares gain 32.65% in a single day.

    Novatti announced it had been selected by Afterpay Ltd (ASX: ADT) to deliver Afterpay to New Zealand. The agreement between Novatti and Afterpay would see Novatti using its licence with Visa Inc (NYSE: V) to issue digital Afterpay-branded Visa cards to New Zealand users.

    The following day, Novatti released its quarterly report, which contained news of record revenue.

    Despite the positive release, the Novatti share price fell 4.62% on the news.

    Finally, on 3 May, Novatti announced it had partnered with international financial service provider BC Investment Group Holding. It is now ready to launch its banking business, subject to regulatory approval.

    It’s share price closed that day 4.84% higher than the previous session.

    Novatti share price snapshot

    So far, 2021 has been a stellar year for Novatti shares.

    They are currently 196% higher than at the beginning of the year. They have also gained 220% since this time last year.

    The company has a market capitalisation of around $186 million, with approximately 241 million shares outstanding.

    The post The Novatti (ASX:NOV) share price has hit an all-time high 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 Brooke Cooper 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 Visa. 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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  • These ASX insiders are buying up more shares in their companies

    Group of investors madly grabbing for cash on city street.

    It’s an interesting exercise to review which ASX shares are being purchased by their own directors, board members and other inside staff. Those that are managing the company should theoretically have the most information available to inform their investment.

    While ASX-listed companies must disclose any price-sensitive information to the market, one edge that insiders have is that they’re exposed to the company’s daily operations. This means that, unless you’re an employee of the company as well, you probably won’t have the same level of operational understanding.

    For that reason, let’s take a glimpse into some insiders who have been buying up ASX shares in their own companies recently.

    ASX shares with insider buying interest

    In the pursuit of presenting the most current and relevant information, the following ASX share purchases occurred no later than 25 May 2021. As you’ll see from the list below, there’s quite a diverse assortment of companies that have been attracting insider buying.

    Company Market Capitalisation Value of shares purchased Date of purchase
    Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) $12.81 billion $24,973 25 May 2021
    AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) $4.14 billion $100,000 01 June 2021
    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) $2.10 billion $589,750 04 June 2021
    Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) $1.64 billion $3,367,456 25 May 2021
    Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) $1.30 billion $24,942 25 May 2021
    Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX: JIN) $920.8 million $35,025 26 May 2021

    Riding the resource boom

    The largest ASX-listed company on the list, Northern Star Resources, has been benefitting from a resurgence in the price of gold since early April. The precious commodity has appreciated by around 12% in the last couple of months. Northern Star’s performance is closely linked to that of gold, demonstrated by its approximate 16% share price lift since the start of April. Board member Sally Langer added $24,973 worth of shares on 25 May.

    The second-largest insider buy on the list involves Whitehaven Coal director Raymond Zage. Sparing no expense, Zage dished out over half a million dollars for 350,000 shares. The ASX-listed coal mining share has set new 52-highs recently, as coal prices gallop higher on increased demand and tight supply.

    Sandfire Resources is another resource company enjoying the resource boom. With Copper prices recently hitting all-time highs, the Sandfire share price has enjoyed a 52% rally over the last year. However, it appears Sally Langer is happy to buy at current prices – adding $24,982 worth of shares on 25 May.

    Other ASX shares getting attention

    Next on the list is financial services company AMP. Interestingly, chair Debra Hazelton picked up $100,000 worth of AMP shares 5 days after the company was hit with civil proceedings brought by ASIC in the Federal Court. Today, the company announced a new CEO of the AMP Capital division.

    By far the biggest insider buy on our list, CEO of Centuria Capital Jason Huljich grabbed over $3 million worth of shares in the real estate company. Today the company announced its takeover of Primewest Group Ltd (ASX: PWG) has gone unconditional.

    Lastly, Jumbo Interactive chair Susan Forrester added $35,025 to her holdings. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts have downgraded the online lottery company’s shares to a neutral rating from buy. The broker has, however, held firm with its $15.00 price target. Jumbo is the smallest ASX share on the list by market capitalisation, at $920 million.

    The post These ASX insiders are buying up more shares in their companies 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 Mitchell Lawler owns shares of Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Jumbo Interactive 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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  • Starpharma (ASX:SPL) share price rebounds after receiving Indian approval for COVID-19 product

    asx share associated with COVID vaccine represented by lab tech drawing down syringe

    The Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX: SPL) share price has bounced back from weakness this morning and is pushing higher late on Friday.

    In afternoon trade, the biotechnology company’s shares are up 1% to $1.69.

    This latest gain means the Starpharma share price is now up 60% since this time last year.

    Why is the Starpharma share price pushing higher?

    Investors have been buying Starpharma’s shares on Friday after it confirmed that its COVID-fighting Viraleze antiviral nasal spray has been registered for sale nationally in India via the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

    The CDSCO is part of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

    According to the release, consumers in India can now purchase the Viraleze product via is website. It is also busy finalising local distribution arrangements with potential commercial partners into both the private (consumer) and Government markets.

    In light of this, Starpharma is progressing product supply preparations for the Indian market.

    Huge market opportunity

    The company notes that India has a population of more than 1.3 billion and the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the country has seen the death toll surpass 359,000 people, and more than 29 million cases.

    The release explains that at the peak of the crisis, there were more than 400,000 cases being reported per day, the highest of any country since the pandemic began.

    In light of this, management sees a huge opportunity for Viraleze in the Indian market. This is because it is an easy-to-use antiviral nasal spray, which can be stored at room temperature and does not require cold storage or specialised transportation.

    It contains SPL7013 (astodrimer sodium), which has been shown in laboratory studies to inactivate a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses, including >99.9% of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).

    SPL7013 has also been shown to be virucidal, rapidly inactivating >99.9% of SARS-CoV-2 within 60 seconds with potent antiviral activity shown in multiple strains and variants of the virus. This is a big positive given the various strains that have been developing, particularly in India.

    Starpharma’s CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley, commented: “India continues to record hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 cases every day. Starpharma has worked extremely hard to achieve expedited registration of Viraleze in India given the significant need, and we are pleased that Indian consumers are able to access the product immediately through our webstore www.viraleze.co. We are also well advanced in progressing negotiations for distribution arrangements with potential local commercial partners to enable greater access to the product.”

    The post Starpharma (ASX:SPL) share price rebounds after receiving Indian approval for COVID-19 product 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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    James Mickleboro does not own any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Starpharma Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Starpharma 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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  • iSelect (ASX:ISU) share price rockets 11% to new 52-week record. Here’s why

    Excited office workers through paper in the air, inidcating a positive share price rise in ASX software and digital companies

    The iSelect Ltd (ASX: ISU) share price is going gangbusters today after the online comparison site announced a partnership with Bupa HI Pty Ltd.

    Rising 11.1% to hit a new 52-week record of 40 cents a share, the iSelect share price has since slightly retreated to 38.5 cents per unit – still up 6.94%.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s news.

    What’s the deal?

    In today’s statement to the ASX, iSelect declared its subsidiary, iSelect Health Pty Ltd, added Bupa to its list of health insurance providers that offer their services on its website.

    With a minimum term of 12 months, iSelect is entitled to an unspecified premium for all Bupa sales that originate on its website. According to the statement, this is the first time Bupa and iSelect have partnered together. The company called today’s announcement a “significant milestone”.

    Investors have welcomed today’s news, judging by the iSelect share price movement.

    According to the website Comparing Expert, Bupa is Australia’s second most popular health insurance provider, with 25.4% market share. In total, 53% of Australians have some form of general health cover.

    Management commentary

    iSelect CEO Warren Hebard said

    Expanding our range of providers is essential to ensure we remain Australia’s go-to destination for comparing and saving across insurances, utilities and personal finance. Our highly-trained consultants are ready to compare our new broader range, and we look forward to building and growing our new relationship with Bupa.

    Bupa’s domestic health insurance director Chris Carroll added:

    We know people buy health insurance in different ways and this partnership means more customers can have access to Bupa products and gain peace of mind from our cover.

    We want to make health insurance as easy, convenient and accessible as possible, and partnering with iSelect ensures our policies are in front of people when they are looking to take out cover for themselves and their families.

    iSelect share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the iSelect share price has increased 51% to its current price of 38.5 cents. Only 2 years ago, however, iSelect shares were trading for 62.5 cents each, representing a 38.4% fall since then. It should be noted the COVID-19 pandemic began within this period, with significant impacts on the healthcare sector.

    iSelect has a market capitalisation of $84 million.

    The post iSelect (ASX:ISU) share price rockets 11% to new 52-week record. Here’s why 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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    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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  • Top brokers name 3 ASX dividend shares to buy today

    ASX value buy share price

    Fortunately, in this low interest rate environment, there are countless dividend shares for investors to choose from on the Australian share market.

    But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. To narrow things down, I have picked out three ASX dividend shares brokers think investors should buy:

    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

    According to a note out of Credit Suisse, its analysts have retained their outperform rating and $18.19 price target on this supermarket operator’s shares. This follows a review of supermarket trading conditions. The broker is expecting Coles to declare a 63 cents per share fully franked dividend in FY 2021 and then a 67.6 cents per share dividend next year. Based on the current Coles share price of $16.69, this will mean yields of 3.8% and 4.1%, respectively, over the next two years.

    DEXUS Property Group (ASX: DXS)

    A note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have retained their overweight rating and $11.70 price target on this property company’s shares. This follows the company’s decision to acquire a 7% stake in Australian Unity’s Healthcare Trust for $180 million. Morgan Stanley is forecasting distributions of 50.3 cents per share in FY 2021 and then 48.8 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the current DEXUS share price of $10.81, this implies potential yields of almost 4.7% and 4.5%, respectively.

    Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

    Analysts at Macquarie have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on this iron ore producer’s shares to $27.00. The broker made the move after upgrading its forecasts to reflect high iron ore prices. In respect to dividends, Macquarie is expecting a $3.40 per share dividend in FY 2021 and a $2.43 per share dividend in FY 2022. Based on the current Fortescue share price of $23.32, this represents fully franked yields of 14.5% and 10% over the next two financial years.

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

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    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. 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 Allegiance Coal (ASX:AHQ) share price is up 13% today

    investor wearing a hard hat looking excitedly at a mobile phone

    Shares in Allegiance Coal Ltd (ASX: AHQ) are flying today, gaining 12.8% despite no new announcements to the ASX today. At the time of writing, the Allegiance share price is trading at 75 cents.

    Earlier today, the Allegiance share price reached a new all-time high of 78 cents,18% higher than yesterday’s close.

    Price of coal

    The coal miner’s share price gains come while the price of coal is skyrocketing ­and China is attempting to cool it. Increasing global demand – alongside China’s embargo of Australian coal ­– has sent the commodity’s price soaring.

    Currently, one tonne of coal is selling for US$107.04.

    But enough of politics and commodity prices, let’s look at what Allegiance has been up to lately.

    Recent news

    The last time we heard from Allegiance was in late May.

    Then, Allegiance updated the market with news it had started production at the Blue Seam of its New Elk coal mine in the United States.

    The operation’s start date had previously been delayed due to COVID-19 impacts.

    According to Allegiance, the delay allowed it to sell 4 lots of 70,000 tonnes of cargo from the site to Asian steel mills. It was also in talks to sell another 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes to a steel mill in Europe.

    Allegiance share price snapshot

    2021 has been good to the Allegiance share price on the ASX. It’s gained 93% since the beginning of the year. It is also 110% higher than it was this time last year.

    Allegiance has a market capitalisation of around $185 million, with approximately 280 million shares outstanding.

    The post The Allegiance Coal (ASX:AHQ) share price is up 13% 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 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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  • Why the Mandrake Resources (ASX:MAN) share price is sinking 6%

    a miner hanging his head down as if disappointed.

    The Mandrake Resources Ltd (ASX: MAN) share price is having a woeful day following an update on its capital raise.

    During mid-afternoon trade, the mineral exploration and development company’s shares are down 6.25% to 22.5 cents.

    What did Mandrake announce?

    Investors are scrambling to sell Mandrake Resources shares as the company is set to dilute existing shareholder value.

    According to its release, the mining outfit announced it has $12 million in firm commitments by a way of placement. The offer saw strong demand from both institutional and sophisticated investors.

    In total, 60 million new ordinary shares will be issued at a price of 20 apiece to each participating investor. This represents a discount of around 12.3% to the 15-day volume weighted average price (VWAP).

    Mandrake Resources will use its existing placement capacity to create the new shares. Under listing rule 7.1, this allows up to 15% of its total shares to be issued without shareholder approval. The company will use an extension to the listing rule (7.1A) to issue the remaining shares with the additional 10% capacity.

    The proceeds of the placement will see Mandrake Resources commence an immediate drilling program of the Newleyine PGE-Ni-Cu target. In addition, the company will conduct a geological and geophysical assessment of the area.

    Mandrake Resources will also use the funds to undertake a further reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Berinka Au-Ag-Cu project. This is expected to begin around July or August of this year.

    It is expected the placement offer shares will be settled and allotted to investor portfolios sometime around 17 June 2021.

    Mandrake Resources managing director, James Allchurch said:

    We are pleased to welcome new institutional and sophisticated investors to the shareholder register. The strong response received for this capital raise reflects the potential for our portfolio of assets, in particular the imminent drilling campaign at the Newleyine project.

    About the Mandrake Resources share price

    The Mandrake Resources share price has been one of the best performers on the ASX, rocketing over 900% in the past 12 months. The company’s shares have soared on the back of positive investor sentiment, particularly in the commodity of copper.

    Mandrake Resources commands a market capitalisation of roughly $81 million, with approximately 363 million shares currently on its registry.

    The post Why the Mandrake Resources (ASX:MAN) share price is sinking 6% 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 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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  • The Lynas (ASX:LYC) share price is gaining 7% today

    mining related professional happy and approving of high share price

    It’s been a crazy year to date for the Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) share price, which is gaining once more today. At the time of writing, Lynas shares are swapping hands for $5.815 – 6.7% more than at yesterday’s close.  

    While there’s no news out of the company to explain the increase, it’s not the first time shares in Lynas have shown mysterious volatility.

    Let’s take a gander at what the rare earths producer has been up to lately.

    Latest news from Lynas

    The last time we heard price-sensitive news from Lynas was on 20 April, when the company released its quarterly report. Despite the report’s seemingly positive content, the Lynas share price fell 16.77% over the three days following its release.

    Inside its quarterly report, Lynas shared that it had increased its production of rare earth oxide, while its neodymium and praseodymium production was slightly lower than the previous quarter. Rare earth spot prices had also gained over the quarter.

    Since then, Lynas shares have continued to bounce around. They have both dramatically gained and fallen multiple times for no clear reason.

    Lynas share price snapshot

    Despite experiencing plenty of drama lately, the Lynas share price has been performing well overall.

    It’s currently up by around 45% year to date. It has also gained around 190% since this time last year.

    The company has a market capitalisation of around $5.2 billion, with approximately 901 million shares outstanding.

    The post The Lynas (ASX:LYC) share price is gaining 7% 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 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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  • US inflation numbers are accelerating. How will ASX shares fare?

    US flag, graph, dollar bills

    All eyes have been fixed on the state of the United States economy – even more so than usual. The US has arguably been leading the global economic recovery.

    Its giant stimulus package that was passed in March has given the US economy a major boost. And the country is also a leader in coronavirus vaccine numbers, with roughly half the population now fully vaccinated.

    Last month, US inflation figures for April surprised many commentators – and the markets – with their strength. The US economy posted its highest inflation numbers in 12 years, with a 0.9% rise in the consumer price index (CPI) for the month of April.

    Today we get a look at these same numbers for the month of May.

    What’s happening with US inflation?

    According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the American CPI rose another 0.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. ‘Core inflation’, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.7%.

    Over the past 12 months, prices have risen 5% before seasonal adjustment. This was reportedly the largest annual rise since August 2008. However, it does include a large impact from the coronavirus pandemic last year. So take that figure with a grain of salt.

    Used cars and trucks were one of the largest contributors to this move, with this sector rising by 7.3% over May.

    According to a report in today’s Australian Financial Review (AFR), these figures have some economists concerned about future inflation. And, more pressingly, how central banks like the US Federal Reserve and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will respond.

    The AFR quoted Scotiabank’s Derek Holt as saying:

    Base effects? Oh please. Transitory? We’ll see, but it’s not obvious that price pressures will prove to be fully fleeting… The Fed needs to sound less certain about transitory factors because the Fed’s base effect argument is getting overwhelmed by data.

    The AFR put forward that this opinion was backed up by Allianz adviser Mohamed El-Erian, who said:

    We will likely be told by some not to worry as this is ‘transitory’. That’s unfortunate. As I’ve argued for a while now, both the scale and scope of the micro and macro data necessitate a more open mindset.

    However, others are not so worried. US president Joe Biden’s administration has reportedly said the global shortage of semiconductor chips, which is unlikely to be permanent, is a major contributor to the rising prices.

    What this might mean for ASX shares

    If higher inflation persists over time, that is, beyond any ‘transitory’ phase or chip shortage, it would likely be bad news for ASX shares.

    The RBA and the US Fed have both signaled they are committed to keeping interest rates at their current record low levels until at least 2024. If unexpectedly higher inflation forces their hands earlier than this, it could result in bad news for ASX shares.

    That’s due to higher interest rates generally resulting in downward pressure on share markets. This is because when rates rise, ‘safer’ investments such as term deposits and government bonds will pay higher interest rates. This attracts investors away from ‘riskier’ shares.

    We’ll have to wait and see if these numbers out of the US are indeed just a result of chip shortages and a recovering economy, or the start of a new inflationary period. Investors are probably hoping for the former after this news today.

    The post US inflation numbers are accelerating. How will ASX shares fare? 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 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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  • The Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is lifting by 7% today

    older man holding up a glass of champagne in celebration

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) shares are among the top-performing S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) tech stocks today. At the time of writing, the Zip share price is pushing 7.13% higher to $7.36.

    What’s driving the Zip share price today?

    Today’s meaningful move comes without any price-sensitive announcements from the company.

    The last time we heard from Zip was its global expansion announcement on 24 March. This move would see the company acquire the remaining shares in its two minority investments in Europe and the Middle East.

    Today’s strong move up could be in response to broader market movements across the tech index, Zip’s buy now, pay later (BNPL) peers and a slump in bond yields.

    Life coming back to tech shares

    The S&P/ASX 200 Info Tech Index (ASX: XIJ) took a beating between April and May, with a peak to trough fall of about 20%. This was driven by the weakness in large-cap players such as Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC).

    The tech index has rallied by around 2% today, and is up by around 8% in June.

    Elsewhere, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ: .IXIC) pushed 0.78% higher overnight, putting it within 2% of all-time record highs.

    Zip rivals join in on the rally

    Investors are also buying Afterpay shares on Friday, with the leading BNPL operator pushing 5.02% higher at the time of writing to $104.86. Afterpay shares have rallied by more than 10% in June to reach a 1-month high.

    Another key BNPL stock making some moves is the US-listed, Affirm Inc (NASDAQ: AFRM). Affirm shares have experienced a similar bearish narrative of late, sliding from February highs of US$146.90 to May lows of US$46.50. The company’s shares have staged a comeback in recent weeks, currently fetching US$63.68.

    US bond yields slide overnight

    Since last Friday, benchmark US Government bond yields have copped a 10% fall from about 1.625% to 1.459%.

    The slump in yields coincided with the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) closing at record all-time highs last night, as well as the tech-heavy Nasdaq edging 0.78% higher, just ~1.35% away from April record highs.

    Zip share price snapshot

    Following today’s moves, the Zip share price is now trading around 39% higher so far in 2021. The BNPL operator is also currently sitting around 13% higher than this time last year.

    Based on the current Zip share price, the company has a market capitalisation of around $4.1 billion.

    The post The Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is lifting by 7% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, WiseTech Global, Xero, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, WiseTech Global, 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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