Tag: Motley Fool

The Evolve Education Group Ltd (ASX: EVO) share price dipped lower today. This follows the childcare company’s trading update and earnings guidance for FY21 and FY22.

At today’s market close, the Evolve share price finished at 83 cents, down by 2.92%.

Trading update

In today’s release, Evolve announced it’s achieved a mixed performance across its Australian and New Zealand markets.

For the week ending 23 May, Evolve said its Australian operations were robust. New South Wales and Victoria achieved occupancy rates of 87.8%, with more than 80% in Queensland. The company explained that’s a positive result given the business usually records a better performance in the second half.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand has failed to increase occupancy rates post COVID-19. Over the same time period, occupancy rates in NZ stood at roughly 70%.

Evolve has blamed teacher shortages for the performance due to the lengthy international border closures. It said the entire Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector had been affected but it believed this would self-correct when borders re-opened.

Currently, Evolve operates 115 early education centres in New Zealand and 20 in Australia.

On a positive note, the company expects to continue achieving material cost savings through streamlining its centre-based and support office costs.

Evolve declared a cash balance of around NZ$48 million (A$44.7 million) at the end of May.

Guidance for FY21 and FY22

Looking ahead, Evolve provided an earnings guidance based on current market conditions in Australia and New Zealand.

For the year ending 31 December 2021 (FY21), Evolve expects underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to be between NZ$16 million (A$14.9 million) and NZ$18.5 million (A$17.2 million).

In the year ahead, ending 31 December 2022 (FY22), EBITDA is forecast to be around NZ$23 million (A$21.4 million) and NZ$25 million (A$23.2 million).

Evolve share price summary

It’s been a disappointing 12 months for Evolve investors, with the company’s shares down slightly on this time last year. When comparing year to date performance, the Evolve share price has fallen by more than 30%.

Evolve has a market capitalisation of roughly $140 million, with approximately 159.5 million shares on its registry.

The post Evolve (ASX:EVO) share price dips lower on trading update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Boral (ASX:BLD) share price among the ASX 200’s top performers of 2021
• 2 excellent ASX tech shares named as buys
• BetMakers and Zip were among the most traded ASX shares last week
• iCar Asia (ASX:ICQ) share price tumbles 6% on AGM Presentation
• Here’s why the Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA) share price is jumping 10% today

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3w6jUNy

Boral Limited (ASX: BLD) is among the 10 best performers of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this year. At the time of writing, the Boral share price is $6.85.

Despite having a bad day on the ASX today – it’s currently down 1.01% – the Boral share price has gained 37.8% since the start of 2021.

Let’s look at what the company has been up to for the first half of the year.

2021 so far for Boral

Boral’s half-year results

The first time we heard from Boral this year was in February, when the company released its results for the first half of the 2021 financial year.

On the day of its results being shared, the Boral share price ended the day 1.9% lower than its previous close.

The six months ended 30 December 2020 saw Boral Australia’s revenue fall by 8%. In the same time period, Boral North America experienced a 9% revenue decline. Further weighing on its share price that day was the company’s decision to not offer its investors a dividend.

Joint venture sale and on-market buy-back

On 1 April, Boral announced it was to sell its share in the USG Boral joint venture and commence an on-market share buy-back.

The sale expected to see Boral walking away with around $300 million less debt and $1 billion to reinvest in the business and to return to its shareholders.  

The on-market buy-back would see Boral purchasing up to 10% of its outstanding shares over a 12-month period. The share buy-back began on 20 April.

The news boosted the Boral share price to close 6.7% higher that day.

Also in April was Boral’s announcement of potential changes to the management of its North American fly ash business. These changes could involve Boral entering into a joint venture, a strategic alliance, divesting the business to a third party, or continuing its ownership unchanged. News of the potential business changes boosted the company’s shares to close 0.5% higher.

Takeover bid

Finally, on 10 May, Seven Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SVW) proposed to acquire all of Boral’s shares for $6.50 apiece.

The proposed price was a nil-premium on the Boral share price’s previous close. It valued Boral at around $8 million.

At the time, The Motley Fool Australia reported the offer was likely an attempt to evade ‘creep rules’. In this instance, creep rules meant the group couldn’t increase its holdings in Boral without making a takeover offer.

Seven Group claimed it would have been happy to increase its holdings in Boral from 23.2% to 30%.

Boral recommended its shareholders reject the bid the day after Seven Group offered it.

Over the 2 days the bid was in motion, the Boral share price gained 4.6%.

Boral share price snapshot

It goes without saying that, so far, 2021 has been a good year for the Boral share price.

Additionally, the last 12 months have seen it gain an impressive 79%.

However, while Boral’s performance this year has been great, it’s a long way off being the top ASX 200 performer in 2021.

Currently, Virgin Money UK CDI (ASX: VUK) is leading the ASX 200, having gained 62% since the start of 2021. In second place by a slither is Codan Limited (ASX: CDA), which has gained 61% in the same time frame.

The post Boral (ASX:BLD) share price among the ASX 200’s top performers of 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• A big week of data — and high hopes for the ASX. Motley Fool CIO Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News
• Best ASX value buys for the commodities supercycle
• 2 ASX shares that brokers reckon might be dividend traps
• The AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) old dog with green new tricks
• Is the ASX 200’s stellar 2021 performance normal?

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3g1spUz

If you’re searching for growth shares to buy, then the tech sector could be a great place to search. At this side of the market there are a number of companies with the potential to grow significantly over the next decade.

With that in mind, I have picked out two top tech options that are rated highly. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

The first ASX tech share to look at is Nitro Software. It is a software company that is aiming to drive digital transformation in organisations around the world with its Nitro Productivity Suite.

The Nitro Productivity Suite provides integrated PDF productivity and electronic signature tools to customers through a horizontal, software-as-a-service, and desktop-based software solution. Demand has been very strong for the product from businesses of all sizes. This has led to the company’s recurring revenue growing at a rapid rate in recent years.

This certainly was the case in FY 2020. For the 12 months ended 31 December, Nitro reported a 64% increase in annualised recurring revenue (ARR) to $27.7 million.

Positively, management appears confident this strong grow will continue in FY 2021. It is guiding to ARR in the range of $39 million to $42 million. This will mean year on year growth of 41% to 51.6%. This is still well short of its total addressable market which is estimated to be $28 billion.

Morgan Stanley is positive on the company. It has an overweight rating and $3.70 price target on the company’s shares.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Another ASX tech share to look at is Xero. It has also been growing at a rapid rate in recent years. This has been driven by the shift to the cloud and its successful evolution from a pure accounting platform provider into a full-service business and accounting solution to small and medium sized businesses globally.

The good news is that Xero is still only scratching at the surface of its overall market opportunity. In FY 2021, the company reported an 18% increase in revenue to NZ$848.8 million, which was driven by a 20% increase in subscribers to 2.74 million. This compares to the cloud accounting subscriber total addressable market of 45 million.

Goldman Sachs is very positive on Xero’s future. Thanks to its international expansion, the shift to the cloud, and the monetisation of its app ecosystem, it believes the company could have a multi-decade runway for strong revenue growth.

Goldman has a buy rating and $153.00 price target on its shares.

The post 2 excellent ASX tech shares named as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The tech shares to buy now (and the ones to avoid): analyst
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• 3 exciting ASX tech shares to watch
• ASX 200 up 0.1%: Tech shares fall, gold miners tumble
• 2 outstanding ASX 200 growth shares

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 Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nitro Software Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

Australia’s leading investment platform provider CommSec has released data on the most traded ASX shares on its platform from last week.

Here’s the data:

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

This buy now pay later provider’s shares were the most traded on the CommSec platform last week, accounting for 1.9% of trades. And although 57% of the volume came from the buy side, it wasn’t enough to stop the Zip share price from falling 3.1% over the five days. This reversed the gains the company’s shares made a week earlier after announcing its expansion into Europe and the Middle East.

BetMakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET)

This betting technology company’s shares were popular last week. They were attributable to 1.6% of trades on the platform, with almost two-thirds of the volume coming from buyers. Unfortunately, this couldn’t stop the BetMakers share price from crashing 22% lower during the week. Concerns over its $4 billion takeover approach for the Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH) Wager and Media business have been weighing on its shares.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

Investors were buying this popular ETF again last week. The Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF accounted for 1.5% of trades on CommSec, with 81% coming from buyers. The technology-focused ETF traded broadly flat during the five days but is up over 6% year to date.

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

This investigative analytics company’s shares were heavily traded last week, accounting for 1.3% of trades on the platform. And despite buyers being responsible for 77% of the volume, they couldn’t prevent the Nuix share price from sinking 23% during the week. The Nuix share price was sold off after it downgraded its guidance once again. Nuix shares have lost two-thirds of their value in 2021.

BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI)

Finally, this ethical investment focused ETF was in demand with investors last week. Its unit were attributable to 1.2% of trades on CommSec. A massive 84% of these trades came from buyers, helping to drive the ETF up 1% for the week.

The post BetMakers and Zip were among the most traded ASX shares last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Macquarie and Nuix face ASIC investigation: report
• 2 impressive ASX shares that could be buys in June 2021
• These are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX hits 7,300 points for the first time
• These were the worst-performing ASX 200 shares last week

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 BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Betmakers Technology Group Ltd, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Nuix Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd and Nuix Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2T9jCqA

The iCar Asia Ltd (ASX: ICQ) share price is having a woeful day on the ASX today. This comes after the company provided investors with its Annual General Meeting (AGM) presentation.

At the time of writing, the car listings company’s shares are down 6.15% to 30.5 cents.

Key highlights in the AGM presentation

In its announcement, iCar Asia highlighted the growing market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

According to the ASEAN Automotive Freedom 2020 Statistics, ASEAN is the fifth largest car transaction market in the world. This is followed by China, the United States, Japan, and Germany.

Pleasingly, iCar Asia’s market comprises the three biggest ASEAN countries, namely Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia. The trio alone represents 73% of the company’s entire transactions in its operating markets. Furthermore, iCar Asia is considered the number one network of automotive shopping portals across the South East Asian nations.

Group average monthly revenue increased up by 37% from January to April 2021 when compared against the prior corresponding period. This resulted in achieving revenue of $5.8 million. The improved performance was attributed to the car trading business in Malaysia, predominately its used car segment.

While sales jumped in the double digits, management focused on keeping costs down with operating expenses at $7 million. iCar Asia noted that costs are still higher than revenue due to the lingering impact of COVID-19, particularly affecting Indonesia. Expenses rose 9% over the first 4 months of 2021 against the prior comparable time frame.

A possible catalyst for iCar Asia shares falling today is its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) metric. EBITDA sank 34% to a loss of 2.7 million against FY20’s January to April period which saw a loss of $1.8 million. The EBITDA margin also plummeted to 65% in 2021, a drop of 51% between the two timeframes.

To address the disappointing Indonesian performance, the company is running cross-promotion of new car clients. In addition, iCar Asia launched its iCar Suite in Q4 FY20 as a key subscription revenue driver.

iCar Asia share price snapshot

Over the course of the last 12 months, iCar Asia shares have been volatile moving in large swings. The company’s shares reached a 52-week high of 45 cents, before continuing to decline as low as 23 cents recently. Year-to-date share price performance is down roughly 20%.

On valuation grounds, iCar Asia presides a market capitalisation of about $133 million, with more than 436 million shares outstanding.

The post iCar Asia (ASX:ICQ) share price tumbles 6% on AGM Presentation appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA) share price is jumping 10% today
• What’s happening with CBA (ASX:CBA) shares today?
• What’s been happening with the Sigma (ASX:SIG) share price?
• 2 good ETFs that might be buys
• A big week of data — and high hopes for the ASX. Motley Fool CIO Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2T3SFVo

ASX mining shares have been on a tear this year and bargain hunters will need to look elsewhere for value buys.

The surge in commodity prices to multi-year, if not record highs, recently have put ASX miners on the winners’ podium.

Notwithstanding the recent bout of weakness, ASX mining shares dominate the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) leader board for FY21.

These include the Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN) share price, Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) share price and Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY) share price – just to name a few. These shares have surged by at least 300% this financial year.

ASX value buys lie just outside the mining sector

After such a big run-up for the sector, investors may have to look elsewhere for value buys. The good news is that Jarden knows exactly where you should be looking.

The broker believes that service and equipment providers to miners are undervalued as many have failed to keep pace with commodity bull run.

Discount to asset value not justified

“Concerns around the earnings and margin outlook for the Mining & Infrastructure Services companies have made some investors overly cautious in our view,” said Jarden.

“Share prices of the Mining & Infrastructure Services companies are currently trading well below what we view as the equivalent stage in the prior cycle, as determined by their relative valuation to their NTA backing.”

Net tangible assets compares the value of a company’s hard assets with its market capitalisation. Jarden believes that the discount to NTA for ASX mining services shares is not justified as there are no major differences in the earnings power of their asset base this time.

Best ASX value buys

What’s more, industry conditions are currently very supportive of the sector. Capex spend is trending higher, exploration activity is ramping up and commodity prices are stubbornly high.

The best value buys on the NTA measure are the Emeco Holdings Limited (ASX: EHL) share price and Macmahon Holdings Limited (ASX: MAH) share price, according to Jarden.

The Emeco share price is trading at a 13% discount and Macmahon share price is at a 28% discount.

While the Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) share price and NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH) share price are at a premium, they are trading below their respective historical averages.

Risk-reward favours the bulls

NTA isn’t always a good yardstick for ASX shares. In this case though, it works well as mining services companies have to invest heavily in equipment.

“We are positive on the outlook for the sector, despite near-term risks to margins in FY21E from higher labour inflation,” added Jarden.

“Despite this, we think the ability to purchase many of these companies at discounts to NTA or discounts relative to historical averages provides ideal risk/reward at this point in the cycle.”

The broker has a “buy” or “overweight” recommendation on all the four shares listed above.

The post Best ASX value buys for the commodities supercycle appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• A big week of data — and high hopes for the ASX. Motley Fool CIO Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News
• Why A2 Milk, ASX Ltd, Galaxy, & Imugene shares are dropping today
• 2 ASX shares that brokers reckon might be dividend traps
• The AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) old dog with green new tricks
• Is the ASX 200’s stellar 2021 performance normal?

Brendon Lau owns shares of Galaxy Resources Limited, Emeco Holdings Limited and Monadelphous Group Limited. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2TcGLJ2

The Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX: NVA) share price has been on fire on Tuesday.

In late trade, the gold explorer’s shares are up 10% to 16.5 cents.

Why is the Nova Minerals share price charging higher?

Investors have been bidding the Nova Minerals share price higher today following the release of a positive announcement.

According to the release, Nova Minerals has achieved significant grades at Korbel Main, within its flagship Estelle Gold Project located in the prolific Tintina Gold Belt in Alaska.

The release explains that Korbel drilling is ongoing, with almost 10,000 metres drilled to date and further results to follow in the near term. The results to date are geologically looking very promising.

Management notes they show encouraging gold grade indicators. In fact, wide zones of mineralised intrusive containing internal higher grade “blow out zones” continue to be intersected in infill drilling. This could lead to a significant upgrade to the resource estimate in its next update.

Management commentary

Nova’s CEO, Christopher Gerteisen, appeared to be delighted with the drilling results.

He commented: “The significance of these grades obtained this early in the infill program further confirms a higher-grade feeder zone within the SE Block B area of the Korbel Main deposit. Our expectation is that we will start to consistently intersect internal high-grade ‘blow-out’ zones, and that is exactly what these results show.”

“This could mean a significant upgrade to the resource, with the next update to be released later this year. It will also have a major impact on our pit optimizations moving forward. As such, we see this upcoming interim scoping study as a ‘snap-shot in time’, a starting point, one which we are only set to grow from.”

“We are starting to get a clearer structure of the deposit, which bodes for our move into PFS [pre-feasibility study] after this interim scoping study, where we will continue to hone and improve our capital expenditure and operating expenditure estimates,” he added.

The post Here’s why the Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA) share price is jumping 10% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What’s happening with CBA (ASX:CBA) shares today?
• What’s been happening with the Sigma (ASX:SIG) share price?
• 2 good ETFs that might be buys
• A big week of data — and high hopes for the ASX. Motley Fool CIO Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News
• Why A2 Milk, ASX Ltd, Galaxy, & Imugene shares are dropping today

James MIckleboro does not own any shares 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.

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

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price is slipping in afternoon trade.

CBA shares are currently down 0.6%, after moving 0.5% higher in early morning trade.

With the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) up a slender 0.1% at time of writing, there’s no clear reason for the slide in CBA shares.

Likely the modest retrace we’re witnessing today – and witnessed yesterday when CommBank closed the day down 0.6% – comes as investors take some profits off the table following Friday’s record close.

What helped drive CommBank to a record high on Friday?

After struggling to overcome the long-lingering fallout from the banking Royal Commission, followed by an environment of plunging interest rates, the stars are beginning to realign for CBA shares and the other big banks.

Today, they’re flush with a lot more cash than the minimal levels they’re required to hold by law. And a lot of that money is expected to find its way back into investors pockets, either by way of increased dividend payments or potential share buybacks.

As Reuters reports:

Australia’s big banks are likely to return a record $15 billion or more of cash to investors over the next two years, with investors betting Commonwealth Bank… will move first and helping drive shares of the top lender to all-time highs.

How have CBA shares performed?

Friday saw CBA shares close at a new record high of $102.52. That came after the share price hit a new record intraday high of $102.64 earlier in the day.

Yesterday CommBank closed down 0.6%, to $101.93 per share.

Currently trading at $101.30, CBA shares are currently down 1.1% from Friday’s all-time closing high.

Taking a step back, longer-term shareholders will have little to complain about, with the share price up 40.4% over the past 12 months, more than twice the 18.8% gains posted by the ASX 200 over that same time.

The post What’s happening with CBA (ASX:CBA) shares today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• S&P Global gives ASX bank shares the thumbs up
• The CBA (ASX:CBA) share price made another record high last week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX hits 7,300 points for the first time
• Best returns in a decade leave experts scrambling to upgrade ASX shares
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Bernd Struben 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2S8Ogk1

The Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) share price is not having a great day today. Sigma shares are down 1.56% at the time of writing to 63 cents a share. In fact, the Sigma share price is now down about 4% since last Friday.

So let’s take a look at what Sigma has been up to lately.

Firstly, it’s interesting to note that Sigma has recently announced the impending departure of former managing director and CEO Mark Hooper. Mr Hooper tended his resignation in late April after heading the company for almost 11 years. He will depart Sigma by the end of October.

As we reported at the time, this move wasn’t greeted with enthusiasm by investors, who sent Sigma shares down close to 4% at the time. The company is still searching for a replacement for Mr Hooper.

More recently, merger and acquisition (M&A) rumours have been swirling around Sigma. M&A is reportedly hot right now. According to a report in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) today, Australia is on track for a record year of M&A, with $82.8 billion worth of deals announced in 2021 so far. That is well above the average of $25.8 billion annually over the past 5 years (excluding 2020 when COVID-19 stopped M&A in its tracks).

A separate AFR report this week once again linked Sigma to Australia Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API). API has circled Sigma in the past, most recently in 2018.

While that potential deal fell through, the AFR reports that both companies’ chairs have met up in recent weeks. As the report noted, Sigma is now the larger company, unlike in 2018 when API was the larger company.

About the Sigma share price

Sigma Healthcare is a leading network of independent and franchised pharmacies and healthcare providers across Australia.

Sigma shares have been virtually flat year-to-date, rising 2.42% in 2021 so far, while they have climbed 9.5% over the past year. At the current share price of 63 cents, Sigma has a market capitalisation of $672.6 million.

The post What’s been happening with the Sigma (ASX:SIG) share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX dividend shares to buy today
• Top brokers pick these 3 underperforming ASX shares as their latest buy idea

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3500pu9

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a good way to find diversification.

Some ETFs give exposure to hundreds or even thousands of businesses. While others might have less than 50 positions.

These two ETFs could be ones to think about:

Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

This ETF is about investing in the global share market with businesses that are listed across the world in economically developed countries.

It’s invested in over 1,500 businesses. The portfolio is predominantly invested in US businesses such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Alphabet, Facebook, Tesla, JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Visa, UnitedHealth, Berkshire Hathaway, Nvidia and Home Depot.

But there are portfolio positions that are listed in other countries like Nestlé, ASML, Roche, LVMH, Novartis, Toyota, SAP, Softbank and AstraZeneca.

It’s invested in plenty of countries other than the US like Japan, the UK, France, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

The biggest sector allocation is around 22% of the portfolio to information technology. Other sectors in the portfolio with a double digit allocation include financials, healthcare, consumer discretionary and industrials.

Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF has an annual management fee of 0.18%, which is one of the lowest fees in the global ETF market.

The returns of the ETF have been double digit over the long-term. Since inception in November 2014 it has produced net returns of 13% per annum. However, past performance is not an indicator of future performance.

Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

This ETF has a much more focused portfolio than the Vanguard one. It has a total of 40 positions in the portfolio.

Its biggest holdings are: Cisco Systems, Accenture, Crowdstrike, Zscaler, Splunk, Proofpoint, Fortinet, Akamai Technologies, Juniper Networks and Leidos.

These businesses are global leaders and emerging players in the cybersecurity space. Cybercrime is on the rise in a world where more important information and data is held online.

More than half of the portfolio is invested in businesses that focus on systems software, but other sectors include IT consulting, communications equipment, internet services and infrastructure, application software and so on.

It has an annual management fee of 0.67%. Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF has grown its net assets to approximately $492 million.

The large majority of this ETF’s portfolio is invested in US shares, with a weighting of around 90%. The only other countries with a weighting of more than 1% are: Israel (3.4%), the UK (3.1%), Japan (1.4%) and France (1.4%).

Past performance is not an indictor of future performance, but Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF has produced an average return per annum of 19.3% since inception in August 2016.

The post 2 good ETFs that might be buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 reasons the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX:IVV) could be a buy today
• Here’s why this ETF could be a top option for ASX investors
• 2 quality ETFs that could give your portfolio a boost
• 2 ETFs that could be buys today for any ASX share portfolio
• 2 ASX tech shares that might be buys in June 2021

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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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