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The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is having a nice start to the trading week today. BHP shares are up by 0.45%, at the time of writing, to $48.97 per share. That looks pretty good against the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is rather flat so far today, having fallen by 0.11% to 7,287.7 points.

The share price puts BHP close to its all-time high of $51.82, which it reached early last month. BHP shares have been a spectacular performer for ASX 200 investors in recent years. The Big Australian is up almost 16% year to date, around 35% over the past 12 months, and more than 160% over the past 5 years.

But that doesn’t even include the hefty returns investors have also enjoyed from BHP in the form of dividends. How much have these dividends been worth? And what can ASX investors expect from BHP in terms of income today?

BHP shares – Big Huge Payouts?

BHP’s last dividend was paid out in March (on 23 March to be precise). This interim dividend came in at $1.31 per share, fully franked. Prior to that, BHP paid out a final dividend of 75.46 cents per share, also fully franked, back in September last year.

Those dividends were high by BHP’s historical standards. The two dividends paid out prior to those two were an interim dividend of 99.4 cents per share and a final dividend of $1.14 per share, also both fully franked.

So these two most recent dividends amount to a collective $2.06 per share. That would give BHP shares a trailing dividend yield of 4.21% on current pricing. With full franking considered, this grosses up to 6.01%. That’s arguably pretty solid for an ASX 200 share in this investing climate.

Where to next for BHP’s dividend?

Since both the BHP share price and its raw dividend payouts are close (or at) historical highs, many investors might be wondering what’s next for the mining giant. Well, one broker who thinks there is plenty left in the tank is investment bank Goldman Sachs.

According to CommSec, Goldman has BHP shares rated as a buy with a 12-month price target of $53.90 a share. It reckons BHP will manage to pay out US$2.52 ($3.21) in dividends by the end of FY2021 and US$2.58 ($3.34) in FY2022.

Talk about making it rain. That would imply BHP has a forward yield of 6.56% for FY2021 and 6.82% for FY2022, based on the current share price. I’m sure shareholders are hoping these forecast dividends indeed end up in bank accounts over the next year or two.

The post How much is the BHP (ASX:BHP) dividend worth today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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There are some ASX shares that might be impressive investments to consider.

Businesses that are generating underlying profit growth could be able to produce good growth over time.

These two potential ASX share investments could be good ideas:

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

This is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in the US share market. Specifically, it invests in 100 of the biggest businesses that are listed on the NASDAQ – a US stock exchange.

It’s one of the larger ETFs on the ASX with assets of around $1.8 billion. Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF is invested in many of the world’s biggest businesses, that happen to be in the technology sector. That includes: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook, Tesla, Nvidia and PayPal.

But, the ETF is not simply a FAANG ETF (though Netflix is in there too), investors can get diversification to many other businesses in different industries such as Comcast, Cisco Systems, Intel, PepsiCo, Broadcom, T-Mobile, Texas Instruments, Costco, Qualcomm, Applied Materials, Intuit, Starbucks, Advanced Micro Devices, Intuitive Surgical, Booking, Moderna and Zoom.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF has an annual management fee of 0.48%.

Many of the above businesses are leaders in their sector in the US, or indeed globally. That allows them to benefit from economies of scale, higher margins and attractive profit profiles.

Since inception in May 2015, the ETF has produced an average return per annum of 20.9%. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance though.

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

Accent is one of the leading ASX retail shares.

It sells through a variety of different stores and brands in Australia including Platypus, Hype, The Athlete’s Foot, Trybe, Skechers, Vans, Timberland, CAT and Dr Martens.

The company is regularly adding to its portfolio, such as the recent acquisition of Glue Store, which has a focus on the youth market. Accent says that the fragmented youth apparel market provides it with a significant opportunity to grow stores and capture market share.

This acquisition gives the business the ability to leverage its retail expertise to improve the Glue merchandise offering and customer experience. The deal was at an attractive acquisition price, with a “significant” opportunity to improve profitability.

Glue has a network of 21 stores across the country, with 14 of them in NSW. Its product range includes leading domestic and global brands and growing owned vertical brands.

Accent is rapidly growing its digital sales. In the first half of FY21, online sales accounted for 22.3% of total sales. Digital sales grew by 109.6%, with orders increasing by 100% and the conversion rate improving by 31.6%. It continues to invest in its e-commerce technology offering.

It has 21 different websites across all of its brands. The ASX share has close to 600 stores, which enables it to provide an omnichannel distribution model to shoppers with a key presence in both metro and regional areas.

The business has 8 million contactable customers. Loyalty programs are going to be rolled out starting in the second half of FY21.

Accent has a goal of continuing to grow profit over the long-term and pay dividends to shareholders.

According to Commsec, the Accent share price is valued at 19x FY21’s estimated earnings, with a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.3%.

The post 2 impressive ASX shares that could be buys in June 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group. 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 Australian Clinical Labs Ltd (ASX: ACL) share price is pushing higher on Monday.

In afternoon trade, the pathology services provider’s shares are up 2% to $3.76.

Despite this gain, the Australian Clinical Labs share price is still trading 6% below its May IPO price of $4.00.

Why is the Australian Clinical Labs share price pushing higher?

Investors have been buying the company’s shares this morning following the release of a bullish broker note out of Goldman Sachs.

According to the note, the broker has initiated coverage on the company with a buy rating and $4.80 price target. Based on the current Australian Clinical Labs share price, this implies potential upside of almost 28% over the next 12 months.

Goldman Sachs was the joint lead manager and underwriter of the company’s IPO last month.

What did Goldman Sachs say?

Goldman believes that Australian Clinical Labs will benefit from a series of operational investments. These include its unified Laboratory Information System and upgraded central laboratory network.

In addition to this, over the long term, the broker expects the company’s growth to track around market growth of 3% to 5%. However, it sees scope for the company to achieve the upper end of this range if it executes well on growth strategies in New South Wales and Queensland.

Furthermore, it notes that with leverage of 1.0x net debt/EBITDA, there is the opportunity to accelerate its growth through acquisitions.

Attractive valuation

Another reason to be positive on the Australian Clinical Labs share price is its valuation. Particularly in comparison to rivals Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) and Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL).

Goldman commented: “We believe current trading multiples are undemanding: FY22E EV/EBITDA 6.8x (vs. HLS 9.1x; SHL 11.3x) and FY22E EV/EBIT: 16.2x (vs. HLS 20.1x; SHL 17.6x).”

“Whilst the forward EBIT growth profile of +4% (FY22-25E) is less attractive than HLS (+7%), it is above SHL (+2%), and hence in-line with the peer average. ASX 200 HC [healthcare sector] trades on 21x EBITDA for +8% CAGR,” it added.

This could make it worth considering if you’re looking for healthcare options.

The post Top broker tips Australian Clinical Labs (ASX:ACL) share price to shoot higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Sonic Healthcare 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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The Cimic Group Ltd (ASX: CIM) share price is trading higher today after the company addressed recent media speculation about the future of its jointly-owned Ventia business.

At the time of writing, the construction conglomerate’s share price is trading 0.83% higher at $21.82.

Cimic’s update follows a story published by yesterday’s The Australian, as well as similar reporting by The Australian Financial Review, claiming Cimic and Apollo Global Management are pursuing an initial public offering (IPO) of services business Ventia.

Rumours confirmed

This morning’s update from Cimic confirms Ventia has appointed advisers to assist in reviewing strategic options – which may include an IPO. Cimic owns a 47.5% stake in the essential services provider.

In late May, the AFR reported Ventia had covertly tested investor appetites during April. Reportedly, those who attended secret pitches to major fund managers were made to sign non-disclosure agreements.

While it’s believed neither Cimic nor other major shareholder Apollo initiated these meetings, both parties will be pivotal in the next steps forward. Analysts estimate if Ventia were to spin off as a separately listed company, its valuation could be more than $3.5 billion.

How’s business?

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, Ventia managed to grow its revenue and earnings in 2020. The company increased revenue by roughly 42% to $3.22 billion. Meanwhile, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) climbed by more than 12% to $265.5 million.

In December 2020, Ventia was awarded two substantial contracts with Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) and Anglo American. These contracts totalled an estimated revenue of $786 million.

As one of the largest essential services providers across Australia and New Zealand, Ventia is familiar with servicing large-scale projects, including utility infrastructure, asset management and engineering.

Cimic share price under construction

It has been a bumpy past twelve months for the Cimic share price, which has fallen by around 19% during the period. However, the last couple of months have been fruitful.

A flurry of contract wins and maintained guidance have fortified shareholder confidence. Since 21 April 2021, the company’s share price has rallied by around 28%.

No doubt Cimic shareholders will be watching with anticipation to see whether Ventia’s IPO goes ahead.

The post Cimic (ASX:CIM) share price lifts on confirmed Ventia IPO talks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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 Telstra Corporation 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week on a disappointing note. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 0.3% to 7,273 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are sinking:

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

The Flight Centre share price is down almost 4% to $15.39. A number of travel shares are trading lower on Monday. This may have been driven by concerns over the Melbourne lockdown and its impact on the domestic travel market.

Mesoblast limited (ASX: MSB)

The Mesoblast share price has continued its slide and is down a further 4% to $1.77. Investors have been selling the allogeneic cellular medicines company’s shares since the release of its third quarter update last week. Mesoblast reported a loss after tax of US$26.5 million for the quarter. This brings its financial year to date loss to US$76.75 million.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)

The NAB share price has fallen 3.5% to $26.57. This morning the banking giant revealed that it has been hit with an AUSTRAC investigation in relation Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing non-compliance concerns. According to the release, AUSTRAC believes there is “potential serious and ongoing non-compliance” regarding the NAB business group’s customer identification procedures and ongoing customer due diligence.

SKYCITY Entertainment Group Limited (ASX: SKC)

The SKYCITY share price has tumbled 9.5% to $3.08. This morning the casino and resorts operator also revealed that AUSTRAC is investigating its Adelaide operation in relation to Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing non-compliance concerns. The release explains that the potential serious non-compliance includes concerns relating to ongoing customer due diligence.

The post Why Flight Centre, Mesoblast, NAB, & SkyCity shares are sinking appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Flight Centre Travel Group 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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With so many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Airtasker Ltd (ASX: ART)

According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts have upgraded this outsourcing marketplace provider’s shares to an add rating with an improved price target of $1.29. The broker has been pleased with the company’s performance in the UK and US markets. It also notes that the company has just announced the acquisition of the US-based Zaarly business. This provides Airtasker with established operations in two US cities. The Airtasker share price is trading at $1.17 today.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

A note out of UBS reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and $17.10 price target on this network as a service provider’s shares. According to the note, the broker is pleased with the progress the company is making with its SD-WAN partnerships. Outside this, UBS has previously spoken about its belief that Megaport is well-placed to benefit from the long-term structural story of the shift to cloud. The Megaport share price is fetching $15.24.

Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL)

Analysts at Ord Minnett have retained their buy rating and $11.90 price target on this buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares. This follows news that Sezzle has signed a three-year deal with US retail giant Target. The broker believes this is a game changer for the company and has updated its forecasts to reflect this. It suspects Sezzle could reach 1.25% of Target’s volumes in beauty, fashion and apparel in FY 2022. The Sezzle share price is trading at $9.01 on Monday afternoon.

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

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker Limited and Sezzle Inc. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO and Sezzle Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC) share price has been frozen ahead of an acquisition and capital raising announcement.

Shares in the telecommunications infrastructure company entered a trading halt prior to open this morning. The Superloop share price remains halted at $1.04.

Why is the Superloop share price halted?

According to the release, the telecommunications infrastructure company has entered a trading halt ahead of announcing a material acquisition and a capital raising.

While yet to be confirmed, Superloop is rumoured to be readying to launch a $100 million equity raising with the help of Canaccord Genuity and UBS. The capital injection will go towards funding the acquisition of a private broadband company.

The trading halt will remain in place until after Superloop releases further details or commencement of trading on Wednesday 9 June 2021.

Superloop cash burner

Despite Superloop being a loss-making company, the last time it went to investors for additional capital was back in September 2019.

At 31 December 2021, the company’s 12-month trailing earnings came in at a loss of $3.11 million. Additionally, the Superloop share price has fallen by 4% over the last year.

Further details pertaining to the material acquisition and capital raise will be reported on once released.

The post Superloop (ASX:SLC) share price frozen ahead of acquisition news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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 SUPERLOOP FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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ASX copper shares have broadly enjoyed a strong year on the back of rocketing copper prices.

How strong?

Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) has gained 41% over the past 12 months.

Oz Minerals Limited (ASX: OZL) has rocketed 145% higher over that same time.

And these aren’t small-cap ASX copper shares we’re talking about here. Sandfire has a market cap of $1.3 billion, while Oz Minerals’ market cap is some $8.4 billion.

For some comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 19% since this time last year.

What’s driving the big rallies for ASX copper shares?

While not all ASX copper share have witnessed similar market-beating gains, producers of the red metal have enjoyed a strong tailwind in the form of rocketing copper prices.

On 8 June 2020, a tonne of copper was trading for US$5,700 (AU$7,355). Today that same tonne is worth US$9,955. That’s down a bit from the US$10,460 peaks copper reached in mid-May, largely due to some efforts by China to halt soaring commodity prices. But it’s still up 75% year-on-year.

And those 75% gains go straight to the bottom line for ASX copper shares.

Why this copper rally has legs

The performance of ASX copper shares over the past 12 months is water under the bridge.

Looking at what’s yet to come, the demand for copper is expected to continue growing as the world looks to decarbonise and turns to EVs and renewable energy sources. Both EVs and solar installations require far more copper than conventionally powered sources.

Meanwhile, new copper supplies remain limited, opening the door for leading ASX copper shares to potentially continue to outperform.

According to Richard Adkerson, CEO of copper giant Freeport-McMoRan Inc (quoted by Bloomberg):

In the short-run, actions can have an impact, commodity trading can have an impact. But the commodity market for copper today is extraordinarily strong. Both on the demand side, we’ve got new sources of demand, and supply scarcity is a real factor in the marketplace…

It’s hard to find another commodity that has the supply side support that copper has. And now we’ve got a new era of copper demand where we’re not just relying on China’s growth for new demand but lots of things for growth outside of China.

If the global copper supply does remain subdued in the face of strong demand, ASX copper shares could be in for another run higher.

The post Why ASX copper shares could have more market-beating gains ahead appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

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Investing in 2021 has so far been largely defined by market fears of inflation. Whilst the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has, on the whole, had a great year considering its year to date gains of around 9% and a series of recent new record highs, there has been a lot of volatility in between.

This is especially so in the tech shares sector. One of the root causes of this volatility has been fears of inflation, and the higher interest rates that come with it.

It’s worth noting that both the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) have given strong indications that they don’t see a case for interest rates going up before 2023 at the earliest. Even so, this hasn’t stopped investors from speculating a far earlier rate rise. Or government bond yields essentially doubling over the past 6-7 months or so, which indicates that markets aren’t entirely buying what the RBA and the Fed are selling.

Today, we have an interesting development along that line.

According to Bloomberg, the US Treasury Secretary (which is a rough equivalent to our Treasurer) Janet Yellen has stated that higher interest rates could be good for the US economy. In an interview, Secretary Yellen said that the Biden Administration should push ahead with its massive spending programs that are currently being proposed. Even if it results in inflation.

Here’s some of what she told Bloomberg:

If we ended up with a slightly higher interest rate environment it would actually be a plus for society’s point of view and the Fed’s point of view… We’ve been fighting inflation that’s too low and interest rates that are too low now for a decade.

What would higher interest rates mean for ASX shares?

Well, it’s worth noting that if the US starts raising interest rates, our RBA would probably have to follow suit. And that would of course mean higher interest rates in Australia as well.

But how would this impact the share market? Well, interest rate rises are normally not conducive to higher share markets. Higher rates normally mean that ‘risky’ assets like shares lose some of their appeal in the eyes of many investors since term deposits and other ‘safer’ investments become more attractive. So while higher rates might be good for the economy, this probably won’t translate into higher shares, at least in the short term.

But with interest rates at near-zero levels currently, there really is only one way they can go in the future. So perhaps that’s what ASX investors should be preparing for right now. After all, the Fed and the RBA have both told us they are coming at some point. Whether that be in 2023, 2024 or even 2022 is the real question.

The post Do higher interest rates look more likely than ever now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) has hit the headlines as reports allege up to 150 of the airline’s staff could be involved in organised crime. At the time of writing, the Qantas share price is down 2.16% to $4.765.

Several Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) mastheads published the claims yesterday. They reported federal crime agencies have reason to believe some Qantas staff have been involved in drug smuggling and other crimes that have compromised Australia’s border security.

Qantas’ chief security officer Luke Bramah responded to media reports last night, saying he finds them “disturbing”.

Let’s take a closer look at the news circulating.

Qantas in the headlines

According to reporting by Nine’s 60 Minutes, The Age, and The Sydney Morning Herald, a classified federal law enforcement intelligence operation found numerous Qantas employees linked to organised crime.

In response to the allegations, Bramah said Qantas has not been notified of any potential wrongdoing by its employees, saying:

None of Australia’s law enforcement agencies have told us of the existence of a report that suggests there are potentially 150 Qantas employees who have connections to organised crime. Nor have they raised concerns with us about our vetting or background checking processes.

We’ve written to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, AFP, Border Force and Aviation and Maritime Security seeking details of the report.

Bramah also said Qantas is the only commercial airline that has an accreditation with Australian Border Force. The accreditation means all employees flying internationally must pass a fit and proper test.

Qantas stated that if concerns of an employee’s behaviour were raised by law enforcement agencies, they would be acted upon.

The reports claim a person with connections to a motorcycle gang works in Qantas’ middle management team at Sydney Airport. The reports allege the person has been recruiting criminals to the airline to help transport drugs.

They also reported the intelligence operation found $1 billion worth of cocaine entered Australia through a corrupt Qantas baggage handler. Further, they stated five Qantas staff have links to Islamic extremism.

Qantas share price snapshot

The Qantas share price has had a turbulent time on the ASX lately.

Currently, Qantas shares are around 1.65% lower than at the start of 2021. The Qantas share price is, however, around 3% higher than where it was this time last year.

The airline has a market capitalisation of around $9 billion, with approximately 1.8 billion shares outstanding.

The post Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price suffers as drug smuggling claims surface appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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