Tag: Motley Fool

We Fools like to tout the virtues of long-term investing. Holding a basket of quality ASX shares with a long-term horizon is one of, if not the, best way to invest for maximum wealth creation. Well, that’s the Warren Buffett playbook, and it seems to have worked pretty well for him over 6-plus decades of investing.

But what about those investors who don’t like investing? And perhaps have followed one of Buffett’s other pieces of wisdom – buy an index fund and just keep adding to it.

This ‘passive investing’ method is also recommended by many investors – and for good reason. By entrusting your capital to an index fund, your money can just follow ‘the market’ over time. Sure, you might not get a juiced-up return. But you also don’t have to put nearly as much work into it.

So how would an investor who has followed this method of index investing have fared over the past year? Or 5 years?

How has the ASX 200 historically performed?

Let’s take a simple S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fund like the iShares Core S&P/Asx 200 Etf (ASX: IOZ). This exchange-traded fund (ETF) is your typical Aussie index fund – just investing in every company on the ASX 200, proportioned by market capitalisation.

This index fund has returned an average of 9.82% per annum over the past 3 years, 9.97% over the past 5, and 8.37% since its inception in December 2010. However, it’s also returned 28.12% over the past 12 months, including 10.4% in 2021 so far alone (remember, it’s only June). Is that normal?

Well, no, not if you define normal as the long-term returns we discussed earlier. But wait, what about the market crash last year, you might say. Isn’t that distorting these numbers somewhat? Well, in a way. But the market crash happened over March and April last year. By early June 2020, the ASX 200 had already recovered close to 25% from its March lows. So we can take a large part of the ‘2020 crash factor’ away from the returns of the past 12 months.

Long story short, the returns that passive index investors have enjoyed over the past 12 months are not normal, at least by the ASX 200’s historical standards. Now, no one knows what the markets will do over the next year or two (or even the next day or two). But history tells us that we probably shouldn’t be expecting a 28.12% return every year from now on.

That might leave some investors disappointed. But that’s the way the cookie crumbles, as they say. But who knows, maybe if we all temper our expectations, we might be pleasantly surprised.

The post Is the ASX 200’s stellar 2021 performance normal? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 up 0.1%: Tech shares rise, Ansell names new CEO
• Breakdown in gold and inflation link leaves more questions than answers
• 2 ASX 200 shares that could be buys for dividends
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• ASX 200 drops, Altium soars, Skycity drops, NAB falls

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/3uYvx7X

At lunch on Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is bouncing back from yesterday’s decline. The benchmark index is currently up 0.1% to 7,290.5 points.

Here’s what is happening on the market today:

Tech shares rise

Tech shares such as Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) are pushing higher today and helping drive the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) up 0.7%. Investors have been buying tech shares following another positive night on the Nasdaq index. The tech-heavy index recorded a 0.5% gain during overnight trade. This compares to a 0.35% decline by the Dow Jones.

Travel shares rebound

News that Victoria will be ending its lockdown on Thursday has gone down well with the market and particularly the travel sector. The likes of Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) and Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) shares are pushing higher today, with investors seemingly banking on this giving the domestic travel market a big boost in the coming weeks and months.

Ansell names its new CEO

The Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) share price is trading lower despite announcing its new CEO. This morning the health and safety products company announced that Neil Salmon will become its new Managing Director and CEO on 1 September. This follows a comprehensive internal and external search for a successor. Mr Salmon is currently the company’s President of the Industrial Global Business Unit. He will be replacing the retiring Magnus Nicolin.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price is the best performer on the ASX 200 on Tuesday with a 4.5% gain. This morning UBS responded to the payments company’s trading update by retaining its buy rating and $5.30 price target. The worst performer has been the Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT) share price with a 2.5% decline on no news.

The post ASX 200 up 0.1%: Tech shares rise, Ansell names new CEO appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Ansell (ASX:ANN) share price lower despite CEO appointment
• Breakdown in gold and inflation link leaves more questions than answers
• 2 ASX 200 shares that could be buys for dividends
• The tech shares to buy now (and the ones to avoid): analyst
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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 recommended Ansell Ltd, EML, Flight Centre, Pro Medicus and Webjet. 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/3v1Pvin

Shares in Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) are falling this morning despite news the company has taken a stake in CSIRO-backed hydrogen energy generation and storage startup Endua.

At the time of writing, the Ampol share price is trading at $29.71 – 0.34% lower than yesterday’s closing price.

Endua is developing hydrogen energy generation and storage modules, aiming to deliver environmentally friendly, off-grid electricity at a moment’s notice.

Let’s take a closer look at the news of Ampol’s new partnership.

Ampol partners with Endua

Ampol has committed to help develop and commercialise Endua’s hydrogen energy technology, initially focusing on providing a clean energy alternative to the off-grid diesel generators market.

Currently, off-grid industries and remote communities generally source power from expensive and environmentally damaging diesel generators.

According to the CSIRO, Australia’s off-grid diesel generators use $1.5 billion worth of diesel and create 200,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Endua hopes its power generation and storage technology will allow those reliant on diesel generators to use hydrogen energy instead.

Its device uses electrolysis technology, developed with the CSIRO, to produce hydrogen and storage in a modular power bank, capable of driving power loads up to 150kW from a single pack.

Endua CEO Paul Sernia is among the founders of electric vehicle fast charger producer, Tritium. Tritium is currently eyeing a $2.2 billion Nasdaq listing.

On Endua’s vision, Sernia said:

We believe it’s possible to give everyone access to clean power, whether in the city or the outback. We’re solving the hardest problems in the move to net zero, for all purposes, not just those that ‘fit’ the renewables profile.

Ampol’s partnership will see it providing access to Endua’s technology to its ~80,000 business-to-business customers. It will allow companies reliant on diesel generators to access a low-carbon, off-grid energy solution.

Ampol’s partnership with Endua was a key part of Ampol’s recently unveiled decarbonisation strategy, although Endua wasn’t named in the strategy’s original announcement.

According to the Australian Financial Review, Ampol has taken a 20% stake in Endua.

Endua received $5 million funding from the CSIRO. The CSIRO says Endua’s work is solving “some of the hardest problems in the transition to renewable energy”.

Commentary from Ampol management

Ampol managing director and CEO Matthew Halliday commented on the company’s investment:

We are excited to be involved with Endua, which is part of our commitment to extending our customer value proposition by finding and developing new energy solutions that will assist with their energy transition.

Ampol share price snapshot

The Ampol share price has been having a solid year so far on the ASX.

Currently, the Ampol share price is almost 5% higher than it was at the start of 2021. It has also gained around 5% since this time last year.

The company has a market capitalisation of around $7 billion, with approximately 238 million shares outstanding.

The post Ampol (ASX:ALD) partners with startup developing hydrogen power banks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 ASX shares tipped to pay higher dividends: fund manager
• Here’s why the Ampol (ASX:ALD) share price gained 11.5% last month
• The Ampol (ASX:ALD) share price is rising on Tesla partnership news
• Latest 2 ASX shares to be upgraded by brokers to “buy” today
• Federal support package targets Ampol (ASX:ALD) and Viva (ASX:VEA)

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/3ipzLTq

On Monday I looked at three ASX shares that brokers have given buy ratings to this week.

Unfortunately, not all shares are in favour with them right now. Three that have just been given sell ratings are listed below. Here’s why these brokers are bearish on these ASX shares:

A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their sell rating and $5.85 price target on this infant formula company’s shares. The broker notes that UK multinational consumer goods company Reckitt has divested its China-based infant formula business for an enterprise value of US$2.2 billion. While this deal makes a2 Milk look cheap on paper based on its multiples, the broker believes they are very different businesses. Furthermore, a2 Milk’s sales mix is changing and it lacks local manufacturing. In light of this, it doesn’t believe investors should value a2 Milk using this deal and holds firm with its current valuation. The a2 Milk share price is fetching $5.76 today.

ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX)

A note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have downgraded this stock exchange operator’s shares to a reduce rating with a $65.87 price target. This follows the release of the company’s trading update for the month of May. It appears to have found the update underwhelming, noting that capital raisings and IPOs were the only highlight from the month. And with Morgans not anticipating any real improvements in the second half, it feels its shares are overvalued at the current level. The ASX share price is trading at $74.30 this morning.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

Another note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have downgraded this iron ore producer’s shares to a reduce rating with an $18.70 price target. The broker made the move on the belief that the iron ore cycle is maturing and cost pressures are building in Western Australia. It suspects the latter could lead to a softer than expected fourth quarter performance. Morgans also has a few concerns over the Iron Bridge operation, stating that further downgrades cannot be ruled out. The Fortescue share price is fetching $22.69 today.

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

More reading

• These ASX shares just got hit with a broker downgrade today
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX hits 7,300 points for the first time
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• What’s with the Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) share price today?
• The 10 ASX dividend shares delivering the highest yields

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 recommended A2 Milk. 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/3v35LPQ

The Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX: CPH) share price has been a strong performer this morning.

At the time of writing, the cannabis and psychedelics company’s shares are up 6% to 17 cents.

This means the Creso share price is now up 16% since this time last week.

Why is the Creso share price storming higher?

Investors have been buying the company’s shares this morning after it released an update on its soon to be acquired Halucenex Life Sciences business.

According to the release, Halucenex has made the strategic decision to expand the recruitment of its phase II Treatment Resistant Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) clinical trial.

The release explains that the trial will now include participants that have not served in the military or undertaken roles as first responders.

The decision to expand the trial scope was made following an overwhelming amount of inbound enquiries that the company received from individuals that suffer from debilitating mental health conditions and are seeking alternative treatment methods.

Halucenex expects the addition of non-veterans to the clinical trial will allow it to collate an additional data set. This will provide real world examples of the efficacy of psilocybin when used as an alternative treatment route.

Management commentary

Halucenex’s Founder & CEO Bill Fleming commented: “The inclusion of non-veterans in our pending clinical trial is a strategic decision that will provide a number of benefits to Halucenex and Creso Pharma. Following various regulatory shifts in the US and the exacerbating effect COVID-19 has had on mental health conditions across the population, it is becoming more and more apparent that psychedelic treatments could become mainstream in the near future, so to include every day people in our R&D will provide us with examples of how psilocybin can be used more broadly to treat mental health issues.”

“Further, expanding the trial scope will add to the growing body of evidence for psychedelic based medicines, and assist the Company as it progresses further research and licensing agreements in North America and more broadly,” he added.

This sentiment was echoed by Creso’s Non-executive Chairman, Adam Blumenthal.

He said: “Halucenex’s management continue to make steps towards creating psychedelic compounds and therapeutics that can be used for both veterans and first responders, as well as every day individuals. To broaden the clinical trial participant scope, is a very promising development and will lay a very strong foundation for the Company as it pushes towards becoming a best-in-class provider of cannabis, cannabinoids and psychedelic alternative medicines, to meet the growing need for treatments to improve wellbeing.”

The post Why the Creso (ASX:CPH) share price is racing 6% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the Creso (ASX:CPH) share price is up 35% in two days
• Why the Creso (ASX:CPH) share price is shooting 11% higher
• Why Aristocrat Leisure, Creso Pharma, Nuix, & Resolute are charging higher
• Why the Creso Pharma (ASX:CPH) share price is on fire today
• Creso Pharma (ASX:CPH) share price sinks 9% on update

James Mickleboro does not own Creso Pharma shares. 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/2TJCKvD

Under-fire technology firm Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL) and its major shareholder Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) are reportedly facing an investigation by the corporate watchdog.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), according to the Sydney Morning Herald, has notified both companies to not destroy documents going back to 2018.

The regulator’s probe will reportedly explore accusations that financial forecasts were inflated in the prospectus that led to Nuix’s listing in December.

The newspaper reported that “several executives” involved in the initial public offering (IPO) have been served section 19 notices, which are precursors to an ASIC investigation. Not complying with section 19 exposes subjects to jail sentences.

Nuix declined to comment to The Motley Fool on the investigation.

But a spokesperson did say the company “understands and appreciates” issues raised by investors about missed prospectus forecasts.

“The CEO, chair, and other senior leaders and board members acknowledge that recent financial performance, while still strong, has not been where we thought it would be.”

Nuix still doesn’t have an investor relations head. The spokesperson told The Motley Fool that one would be appointed soon.

ASIC declined to comment to The Motley Fool, while Macquarie did not respond.

Year of discontent for Nuix and all involved

With the possible exception of former chair and founder Tony Castagna, Nuix’s fortunes this year have presented a headache for investors, Macquarie, the company itself and regulators.

Repeated downgrades to the initial prospectus forecasts in the first few months of its ASX life has seen the Nuix share price plummet from a high of $11.86 to now $2.75. 

The current worth is about half the IPO price.

As well as the financial performance, last month the Federal Police reportedly started an investigation into irregular paperwork involving Castagna’s share options. Those options allowed Castagna to turn $3,000 he put in in 2005 into $80 million upon the float.

Although Macquarie still holds 30.1% of the company, it has also suffered reputational damage from the saga.

At least two law firms are currently exploring class-action lawsuits on behalf of aggrieved IPO investors. The Motley Fool has contacted one firm but it did not respond.

Nuix’s listing was highly anticipated. The company provides data analytics software that calls large government and law enforcement agencies among its clients. 

The flagship product is the Nuix Engine, an unstructured data processor. The software helped journalists plough through 11.5 million documents during the Panama Papers investigation in 2016.

The post Macquarie and Nuix face ASIC investigation: report appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX hits 7,300 points for the first time
• 2 ASX shares that multiple brokers really like
• These were the worst-performing ASX 200 shares last week
• 5 ASX shares tipped to pay higher dividends: fund manager
• More of this leading broker’s best ASX share ideas for June

Tony Yoo owns shares of Macquarie Group Limited and Nuix Pty Ltd. 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 Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended 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/3pwFDfp

The Cogstate Limited (ASX: CGS) share price is rocketing higher on Tuesday morning.

At the time of writing, the neuroscience technology company’s shares are up 73% to $1.60.

Why is the Cogstate share price rocketing higher?

Investors have been bidding the CogState share price higher on Tuesday following a very positive development.

According to the release, Eisai and its development partner, Biogen, have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Accelerated Approval for aducanumab for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

The accelerated approval has been granted based on data from clinical trials demonstrating the effect of aducanumab on reducing amyloid beta plaques. This is a biomarker that is believed to predict clinical benefit, in this case a reduction in clinical decline.

The release advises that under the accelerated approval conditions, which provide patients suffering from the disease earlier access to treatment, Biogen will conduct a controlled trial to verify the clinical benefit of the drug in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

This is the first new treatment approved for Alzheimer’s disease since 2003 and is the first approved therapy that targets the fundamental pathophysiology of the disease.

However, if the Biogen trial fails to verify clinical benefit, the FDA may initiate proceedings to withdraw approval of the drug.

How does this benefit Cogstate?

Cogstate stands to benefit from this development due to its agreement with Eisai, which gives the Japan-based pharmaceutical company the rights to exclusively develop and distribute Cogstate digital cognitive assessment technologies in healthcare and other markets worldwide.

The release explains that following the approval of aducanumab by the FDA, Eisai no longer has the right to accelerated termination of the Cogstate-Eisai agreement.

Therefore, in addition to the minimum contractual royalty payments over commercial years 1-5 of US$10 million, Eisai is now also contractually obliged to make the minimum royalty payments to Cogstate over commercial years 6-10. This will mean an additional aggregate payment of US$20 million over that period.

The Cogstate share price is now up 385% over the last 12 months.

The post Why the Cogstate (ASX:CGS) share price is rocketing 73% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Ansell (ASX:ANN) share price lower despite CEO appointment
• Breakdown in gold and inflation link leaves more questions than answers
• Apple employees don’t ever want to go back to the office
• Why the Altium (ASX:ALU) share price rocketed 39% higher
• Is the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price still a buy after its AUSTRAC update?

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/2S8jLux

The Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) share price is trading lower on Tuesday morning despite announcing its new CEO.

At the time of writing, the health and safety products company’s shares are down 0.5% to $40.03.

What did Ansell announce?

According to the announcement, the company has promoted Neil Salmon to the role of Managing Director and CEO effective 1 September 2021. This follows a comprehensive internal and external search for a successor. He will be replacing the retiring Magnus Nicolin.

The release explains that Mr Salmon joined Ansell in 2013 as its CFO and was appointed President of Ansell’s Industrial GBU in 2019. A new head of the Industrial GBU will be appointed in due course.

Ansell’s Chairman, John Bevan, believes that Neil Salmon will be the ideal leader for Ansell in its next phase of development.

He commented: “Neil has the right combination of financial and operational experience and capability for the CEO role at Ansell. He has worked alongside Magnus for many years and was a key contributor to the strategies which transformed Ansell during that time. More recently, Neil also led our Industrial GBU with its over 7,500 strong manufacturing, marketing and product development workforce located in multiple jurisdictions.”

“His leadership was critical in the management of the initial challenges of the pandemic, positioning the business where it could maximise benefits from the recovery as it emerged. Ansell’s strategies are delivering well. Neil understands the drivers of Ansell’s success in recent years and I’m confident Neil will build on that momentum,” Mr Bevan added.

The new CEO appears up for the challenge of leading the company.

Mr Salmon said: “It is a considerable responsibility to lead Ansell at this time of enormous need for our personal protection products worldwide. I thank the Board for the opportunity to build on Ansell’s success and I acknowledge the outstanding leadership of Magnus Nicolin in taking the company so far.”

The post Ansell (ASX:ANN) share price lower despite CEO appointment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ABS says Aussie economy is now bigger than before COVID
• ASX 200 up 0.65%: BHP & Rio higher, energy shares jump
• 2 ASX coronavirus shares that could be buys
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• 2 ASX 200 COVID-19 shares to buy

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 recommended Ansell 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/3xagSs1

There are questions about gold’s long track record of being an inflation hedge that will leave ASX gold investors wanting.

The precious metal has offered good protection against rising prices in the past. But some experts believe the game has changed, reported the Australian Financial Review.

If so, this will have implications for ASX gold shares as we head into a higher inflationary environment.

These include the Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price, Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price – just to name a few.

Gold’s inflation credentials being questioned

Worries that central banks will lose control of inflation have rocked the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) and global equities.

Historically, that gives gold a big reason to shine. But modern-day monetary policy may have broken gold’s link to inflation.

“Over the past 40 years, gold has been the textbook inflation hedge, but times have changed,” The AFR quoted Chris Weston, head of research at broker Pepperstone.

“With central banks so willing to change financial conditions using their balance sheets, what we’ve seen over the last decade is that in periods when bond yields fall due to deflationary pressures, gold has worked incredibly well.”

Best time to invest in gold

He isn’t the only expert that has voiced a counter-consensus similar view for gold. And if this theory is proved right, gold is a better investment during periods of disinflation and panic.

The COVID-19 market meltdown last year certainly supports the thesis. The yellow metal surged to a record high above US$2,000 as central banks pumped cash into the financial system as disinflation risks grew.

But gold started retreating as economic conditions rebounded and inflation worries started appearing.

Weston pointed out that some of gold’s biggest bull runs in the last 15 years have occurred during periods of disinflation and not inflation.

Don’t throw ASX gold shares out with the bathwater

However, correlation is not causation. I can think of instances where gold could rally in an inflationary environment.

If central bankers want to deflate asset bubbles as gently as possible, they will likely want to cap the rise in bond yields. This is regardless of inflation as we know these monetary gurus are not worried about that.

In other words, if inflation is allowed to run on a long leash and government bond yields are kept on a short one, gold could get a new reason to shine.

ASX gold miners can still prove to be rich pickings

Another interesting point is that even the experts who believe the link between gold and inflation has been cut don’t necessarily see much downside risk for the commodity.

And with gold trading around US$1,900 an ounce, ASX gold shares are still making a very pleasing margin.

The post Breakdown in gold and inflation link leaves more questions than answers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX 200 shares that could be buys for dividends
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• ASX 200 drops, Altium soars, Skycity drops, NAB falls
• These ASX shares just got hit with a broker downgrade today
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are on the move today

Brendon Lau owns shares of  Newcrest Mining Ltd and Evolution Mining Ltd. 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/3v2Ukro

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Employees of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) are grousing about having to return to the office. 

In a letter to CEO Tim Cook, the employees say the new hybrid work policy that lets them work from home two days a week and up to two weeks a year with a manager’s approval is overbearing because it doesn’t take into consideration their feelings about working from an office again. They’re demanding they be allowed to continue working from home if they want to.

Many companies are calling their employees back to the office as the economy reopens and more people become vaccinated against COVID-19. The Apple employees, however, aren’t expressing concern about potential health and safety risks of returning; rather, they bemoan a lack of understanding about “the lived experiences of many of Apple’s employees.”

They say Cook’s decision to end the remote work policy without first consulting them shows a disconnect between management and their workers’ feelings. It also undermines the company’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity, they say, because not every employee works well in the same conditions.

As a result, they have five “formal requests” for Apple:

• Allow teams to decide for themselves whether they will work from home.
• Regularly survey employees about certain listed issues.
• Ask during exit interviews about employee churn due to remote work.
• Implement an action plan to accommodate disabled employees whether they work from home, the office, or a combination.
• Study the environmental impact of employees returning to the office versus working from home.

The employees acknowledge the pandemic forced Apple to quickly adapt to new realities, but the record quarterly earnings report it just posted shows remote working is a success.

Working from home should be the “new normal” and the tech stock’s employees ought to be allowed to continue doing so, their letter to Cook said.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Apple employees don’t ever want to go back to the office appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The tech shares to buy now (and the ones to avoid): analyst
• 3 reasons the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX:IVV) could be a buy today
• ASX investors were buying this US share over Tesla last week
• Don’t play the game you can’t win…
• Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) job ad sparks Bitcoin rumours among enthusiasts

Rich Duprey 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 Apple. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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