Tag: Motley Fool

  • European Metals (ASX:EMH) share price jumps 20% on lithium update

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

    Amid a day of carnage on the ASX, the European Metals Holdings Ltd (ASX: EMH) share price is flying higher. Up by 20.35% at one point today, it has since retreated to $1.275 – still up an impressive 10.39%. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is currently down by 1.83%.

    Today’s gains come after the company announced it has the ability to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s news from European Metals.

    European Metals share price rides the lithium train

    In a statement to the ASX, European Metals said, after successful locked-cycle tests (LCT), it is clear its Cinovec lithium project has the capacity to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate. Cinovec is located on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic.

    According to the company, battery-grade lithium carbonate was produced in every LCT. In four LCTs, lithium recoveries of up to 92% were observed.

    Lithium is surging on the commodities market as demand for electric vehicles explodes. It is an essential component in the manufacture of batteries for electric cars. Lithium is currently trading at around US$13,800 per tonne. According to the website Trading Economics, the metal’s value has increased an incredible 91.4% since the beginning of this year.

    The rising price of lithium, combined with today’s announcement, seems to have investors pretty pumped over European Metals shares today.

    Management commentary

    European Metals executive chair Keith Coughlan said:

    In a significant vote of confidence for our Pre-Feasibility Study, the proposed process methodology has been confirmed by excellent locked-cycle test results which also include new processes involving recycle streams.

    The recovery of up to 92% of the lithium in the zinnwaldite concentrate at this early stage of DFS test work is very promising for increased recoveries during the planned process optimisation work. Further, an improved fluoride removal step, which is cheaper and cleaner, represents only the beginning of further optimisation work which we expect will result in greater lithium recoveries and even stronger economics for the Cinovec Project.

    We look forward to providing further updates on the Definitive Feasibility Study work as it unfolds.

    European Metals share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the European Metals share price has increased by almost 480%. However, since reaching an all-time high of $1.92 in March, the company’s value has fallen by around 34%.

    Given 175.1 million shares outstanding, European Metals has a market capitalisation of approximately $219 million.

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

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  • Why BHP, EML Payments, Laybuy, & St Barbara are sinking today

    A stockmarket chart on a red background with an arrow going down, indicating falling share price

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is under significant pressure on Wednesday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 1.75% to 6,941.4 points.

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

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

    The BHP share price is down 3% to $48.97. This appears to be in relation to comments out of Beijing on Tuesday. The Chinese government stated that it plans to increase its domestic iron ore production and exploration and widen import channels in an effort to become less reliant on Australian iron ore.

    EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML)

    The EML Payments share price has crashed 40% to $3.11. The catalyst for this is news that the Central Bank of Ireland has raised concerns over EML Payments’ PFS Card Services Ireland business. The central bank’s concerns are in relation to Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Financing matters. Management notes that 27% of its total revenue goes through this business. The worst case scenario could see the business lose its financial service authorisation in the market.

    Laybuy Holdings Ltd (ASX: LBY)

    The Laybuy share price has fallen 14% to 58.5 cents. This follows the successful completion of the buy now pay later provider’s capital raising this morning. According to the release, Laybuy raised $35 million at a 26.5% discount of 50 cents per new share. It will now seek to raise a further $5 million from retail investors at the same price. These funds will be used to accelerate its growth in the UK market.

    St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

    The St Barbara share price has fallen a further 6% to $1.75. This gold miner’s shares were sold off on Tuesday after it downgraded its production guidance and increased its cost guidance for FY 2021. This didn’t go down well with analysts at Macquarie. In response, they have downgraded its shares to an underperform rating and cut their price target to $1.80.

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    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 recommends EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended EML Payments. 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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  • Bitcoin price woes continue as China cracks down on cryptocurrency

    Silhouettes of business people sitting around discussing bitcoin in China

    Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) woes continue to pile up this month as China announced its sweeping ban against financial institutions and payment companies providing services related to cryptocurrency. 

    China’s hard stance on cryptocurrency

    In a joint statement from the National Internet Finance Association of China, the China Banking Association and the Payment and Clearing Association of China, the government bodies said: 

    Recently, virtual currency prices have soared and plummeted, and virtual currency trading speculation has rebounded, which has seriously infringed on the safety of the people’s property and disrupted the normal economic and financial order.

    Virtual currency is a specific virtual commodity that is not issued by the monetary authority, has no monetary properties such as legal compensation and compulsion, is not a real currency, and should not and cannot be used as currency in the market.

    Alongside bans against financial and payment institutions from cryptocurrency-related activities, the move also prohibited activities such as the marketing and promotion of virtual currency-related business activities. 

    The statement encouraged individuals to improve their financial awareness and understanding of risks, saying: 

    Virtual currency has no real value support, and prices are extremely easy to be manipulated. Related speculative trading activities have multiple risks such as false asset risks, business failure risks, and investment speculation risks.

    Consumers must increase their risk awareness, establish correct investment concepts, refrain from participating in virtual currency trading hype activities, and beware of personal property and rights damage. Personal bank accounts should be cherished and not used for virtual currency account recharge and withdrawal, purchase and sale-related transaction recharge codes, and transfer of relevant transaction funds, etc., to prevent illegal use and personal information leakage.

    Bitcoin price continues to slide 

    China’s hard stance against cryptocurrencies adds to recent Bitcoin price woes. Last week, Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk announced the company would no longer accept Bitcoin as a payment option. 

    Bitcoin has now hit a 4-month low of US$41,300 at the time of writing. The Bitcoin price has slumped 10% this week alone and is down more than 30% since its all-time high of US$64,854 reached on 14 April. 

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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    Kerry Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Bitcoin and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Here’s why the BARD1 (ASX:BD1) share price is crushing it today

    medical asx share price increase represented by three excited doctors with hands in the air

    BARD1 Life Sciences Ltd (ASX: BD1) shares are galloping into the green today. This follows the company announcing it is presenting EXO-NET data at the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles conference.

    At the time of writing, the BARD1 share price is trading at $2.62, up 6.5%.

    EXO-NET data rallies shares

    Investors are buying up BARD1 shares today on the back of the company’s presentation of EXO-NET data.

    Yesterday, the company announced it will launch its EXO-NET product at the virtual International Society of Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) annual meeting. The product is the first to be produced on the company’s molecular NET technology.

    The conference is a hub for showcasing the best in extracellular vesicle science. BARD1 is presenting the results of its EXO-NET product at the conference. According to the company, EXO-NET is shown to be a novel approach for the rapid, pure, and high-yield capture of exosomes from complex samples. Such samples include body fluids such as plasma, urine, and saliva.

    According to the release, BARD1 researchers showed that EXO-NET provides superior exosome-specific nucleic acid and protein yield and purity compared to market-leading products and methods.

    An important trait, the new product can capture exosomes in 15 minutes.

    Management commentary

    Commenting on the opportunity for BARD1’s latest product, chief scientific officer Dr Peter French said:

    Being able to showcase the superior performance, flexibility and ease of use of EXO-NET on the global stage at ISEV2021 provides the Company with a great opportunity to embed EXO-NET into a range of research projects that are isolating and characterising exosomes for potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

    Adding to these comments, CEO Dr Leearne Hinch stated:

    It is exciting to release the results of our exosome research demonstrating that our next-generation EXO-NET product out-performed competitor products capturing exosomes rapidly, with high purity and yield from complex biofluids. EXO-NET has the potential to become the exosome isolation product of choice for researchers globally.

    Unsurprisingly, the optimistic commentary surrounding the product has the BARD1 share price picking up in today’s trade.

    BARD1 share price recap

    Despite a 36% fall from its 52-week high, the BARD1 share price has delivered superior returns over the last 12 months. While the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained around 25% in the past year, BARD1 shares have skyrocketed by more than 235%. 

    Accounting for today’s move in the BARD1 share price, the company’s market capitalisation now stands at $197 million. 

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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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  • Money3 (ASX:MNY) share price on the rise after positive update

    A hand moves a building block from green arrow to red, indicating negative interest rates

    The Money3 Corp Ltd (ASX: MNY) share price is on the rise today after a rocky start. This movement comes after the company announced a positive update to the ASX.

    At the time of writing, the financial services company’s shares are exchanging hands for $2.89, up 0.7%.

    Quick take on Money3

    Founded in 2000, the Victorian-based business specialises in non-bank automotive finance throughout Australia and New Zealand. This includes flexible secured and unsecured personal loans for a period of up to 5 years. Money3’s brands include Cash Train and Personal Finance Co.

    Money3 upgrades guidance

    Investors are warming to Money3’s encouraging release.

    In a statement to the ASX, Money3 advised that due to improved trading conditions, it expects its net profit after tax (NPAT) to increase. This is based on the company’s strong new loan originations which recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.2%. In addition, favourable economic conditions along with anticipated cash collections during Q4 FY21 is driving the profit expectation.

    Accordingly, Money3 upgraded its profit guidance for FY21 to $38 million. This represents a jump from the $36 million that was previously indicated in its February half-year results.

    Comments from the CEO

    Money3 CEO, Scott Baldwin touched on the company’s progress, commenting:

    We continue to experience strong organic new loan originations through the second half of the financial year and expect this trend to continue into FY22.

    While the forecasted result is uplifting, used vehicle pricing is predicted to stabilise. The company estimates to carry a large number of pre-approved loans in FY22, due to delays in new asset delivery.

    How has the Money3 share price performed?

    Over the last 12 months, Money3 shares have moved higher to post a gain of more than 80% for investors. The company’s share price reached an all-time high of $3.38 in late April, before heading lower from profit-taking.

    Based on today’s price, Money3 presides a market capitalisation of roughly $580 million, with 208 million shares outstanding.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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

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  • Why Appen, ELMO, Nuix, & Paradigm shares are pushing higher

    rising asx share price in food and consumer staples sector represented by happy face made from cut up banana

    In early afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a disappointing decline. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 1.8% to 6,937.6 points.

    Four ASX shares that haven’t let that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are pushing higher:

    Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

    The Appen share price has jumped 11.5% to $12.53. Investors have been buying the embattled artificial intelligence data services company’s shares after it announced a new organisational structure. The new structure is aligned to its product-led and customer-centric strategy. In addition to this, Appen reaffirmed its guidance for FY 2021.

    ELMO Software Ltd (ASX: ELO)

    The ELMO share price is up 1% to $4.68. This gain appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Morgan Stanley this morning. In response to the company’s trading update on Tuesday, Morgan Stanley has retained its overweight rating and lofty $9.70 price target on its shares.

    Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

    The Nuix share price has risen 5.5% to $3.69. This also appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Morgan Stanley today. In response to the analytics company’s investor briefing yesterday, the broker has held firm with its overweight rating and $7.50 price target. Morgan Stanley left the event feeling positive about the industry and Nuix’s future. Though, it acknowledges that it may take for time for the market to become as confident.

    Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: PAR)

    The Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals share price has climbed 5% to $2.20 after reporting its first revenue. This morning the biopharmaceutical company revealed that it has generated revenue from the provision of its Zilosul product under the pay-for-use Special Access Scheme. While no figures have been provided, management warned that revenues would be modest at this stage.

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    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 recommends Elmo Software. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Nuix Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elmo Software 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.

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  • Nuix (ASX:NXL) share price up 6% despite fresh claims of bad business

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    The latest news in a series of reports against Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL) broke today, with Fairfax publications claiming they’ve uncovered a gap in the company’s recording of options. Despite the bad press, the Nuix share price is on the rise today.

    At the time of writing, the Nuix share price has gained 5.71%, with shares in the company swapping hands for $3.70 apiece.

    The first of the reports, the result of a joint investigation by the Australian Financial Review, The Age, and The Sydney Morning Herald, was published on Monday. It claimed the company has a history of poor governance and questionable financial disclosers.

    After claims against the software company hit headlines on Monday, its share price closed 9.4% lower than the previous session. Nuix’s majority shareholder Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) was also implicated in the reports, with its share price also falling 5% Monday.

    The Nuix share price recovered yesterday, gaining 12.7% on the back of its investor day presentation, which addressed the claims directly and even included an apology from CEO Rod Vawdrey.

    But today brings with it a new battle between Nuix and the press. Let’s take a look at the news hitting Fairfax headlines this morning.

    Options reporting mystery

    The three Fairfax publications have once again questioned Nuix’s past financial reporting.

    This time, the reports relate to options that were apparently purchased by Blackall (formerly named Ferodale). Blackall was said to be controlled by former Nuix board member Tony Castagna.

    The reports state that Nuix claims to have issued 300,000 options at 1 cent each to Blackall in 2005. Apparently, the entry issuing the options noted the options were intended for Castagna. 

    The options were supposedly cashed out for $80 million at Nuix’s float last year.

    According to the publications, aside from a single piece of paperwork in 2005, there was no note of the options’ existence until 2011. They question whether the options were created in 2011 and backdated to 2005.

    As has been previously reported, Macquarie purchased its stake in Nuix in 2011. The publications state Macquarie paid $6.03 per share when it bought into Nuix. That would make the options worth a total of $1.8 million in 2011.

    According to the reports, and two corporate law experts quoted within them, Nuix has questions to answer whether it backdated the options or not. 

    One expert stated that backdating the options to 2005 would be a criminal offence. Meanwhile, the other said the same about not maintaining proper books and logs of options.

    Nuix has not responded to today’s allegations.

    Nuix share price snapshot

    Nuix shares have delivered disappointing returns for shareholders so far in 2021.

    Since it floated in early December, the Nuix share price has fallen by around 53%.

    The company has a market capitalisation of around $1.1 billion, with approximately 317 million shares outstanding.

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    Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends 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.

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  • ASX 200 down 1.7%: Appen jumps 12%, EML Payments crashed 37%

    man with head in hands after looking at stock market crash on computer, asx 200 share market crash

    At lunch on Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is well and truly out of form and sinking lower. The benchmark index is currently down 1.7% to 6,945.2 points.

    Here’s what is happening on the market today:

    Appen restructure

    The Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) share price is charging higher today after announcing a new organisational structure. The new structure is aligned to its product-led and customer-centric strategy. Management notes that the changes reflect Appen’s evolution from being the leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) data annotation services to the provider of a broad range of AI data annotation products and solutions that unlock growth in new markets. In addition to this, management reaffirmed its guidance for FY 2021.

    EML Payments shares to return

    The EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price is crashing lower today after returning from its trading halt. Investors have been selling the payments company’s shares after the Central Bank of Ireland raised concerns over its PFS Card Services Ireland business. These concerns relate to PFS Card Services Ireland’s Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF), risk and control frameworks, and governance. Management notes that 27% of its revenue goes through this business.

    Webjet full year results

    The Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) share price is trading lower today after the release of its full year results. The online travel agent recorded total transaction value (TTV) of $453 million and revenue of $38.5 million in FY 2021. And despite cutting its expenses materially, Webjet posted an underlying loss of $88.8 million. One positive, though, was that management revealed that its performance improved greatly in April.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 today has been the Appen share price with a 12% gain. This follows its restructure update. Going the other way, the worst performer has been the EML Payments share price with a massive 37% decline following its AML/CTF update.

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    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 recommends EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended EML Payments. 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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  • ASIC fines broker Macquarie (ASX:MQG) $126,000

    Man in business attire holding up red card to denote a fine

    The cash brokering entity of Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Macquarie Securities (Australia) Limited, has paid a $126,000 fine to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).

    The infringement notice was handed down yesterday after Macquarie Securities was found to have failed to follow its clients’ instructions during a share buy-back.

    This is the fifth time ASIC has fined Macquarie Securities. Let’s take a closer look at what the brokering entity did.

    Problematic preferencing

    ASIC’s market disciplinary panel (MDP) announced yesterday that Macquarie Securities broke its rules by “entering into a market transaction that was not in accordance with [its] client’s instructions”.

    According to the panel, Macquarie Securities purchased 1.2 million shares for $2.46 apiece on ASX Centre Point as part of a buy-back. It said that, in fulfilling the transaction, the company used a preferencing bid against its client’s wishes.

    ASX Centre Point is a “dark market”, an anonymous mid-point matching system operated by the ASX. Traders on ASX Centre Point must place their orders in an order book where information on upcoming transactions is not publicly available before the orders are matched with trades.

    In this instance, Macquarie Securities placed a preference on its client’s buy-back bid, meaning its order would be filled ahead of others. The preference resulted in the order being filled ahead of two priority sell orders.

    However, the client’s instructions were to complete the buy-back during the “ordinary course of trading”. Therefore, Macquarie Securities’ preferencing of the ASX Centre Point order went against their wishes.

    The ASIC panel described stated the company’s prioritisation of its buy-back orders as “careless”.

    This is Macquarie Securities’ fifth fine from ASIC, although it’s the first time the watchdog has fined the company for not following its clients orders.

    The broker isn’t the only entity to be caught up in poor behaviour during buy-back exercises.

    Previously, the MDP has sanctioned UBS Securities Australia Ltd and Credit Suisse Equities (Australia) Ltd for their conduct during on-market buy-backs.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

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    Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie 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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  • What’s with the Helloworld (ASX:HLO) share price?

    A traveller dressed in colourful shirt and panama hat looking puzzled, indicating uncertainty in the travel share price

    The Helloworld Travel Ltd (ASX: HLO) share price is back where it started today after the company made two positive announcements this morning. They include a contract extension with the Australian Government and a trading update for the March quarter. 

    After opening 1.47% higher at $1.73, the Helloworld share price has retreated back to yesterday’s closing price of $1.705.

    What did Helloworld announce?

    Government contract extension

    Helloworld advised that the Government’s Department of Finance has exercised its option to extend its travel management services with QBT Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Helloworld.

    The company will continue to provide its services for the Australian government for the one-year period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

    Business update 

    Helloworld also advised today that its business was experiencing a strong recovery across all its corporate businesses. These include QBT, TravelEdge, Show Travel and APX in New Zealand. 

    The update highlighted a 580% increase in April corporate total transaction values (TTV) on the previous year, but still down around 45% on 2019. The uptick in volume was underpinned by consistently open borders across both sides of the Tasman. 

    This represents a significant improvement from what was previously reported in its February half-year results. The results indicated that its corporate Australian operations were running at 42% of prior year TTV, while New Zealand TTV was running at 29% prior year levels. 

    Helloworld also highlighted that its New Zealand-based retail and wholesale businesses are experiencing a surge in bookings following the announcement of the Cook Islands bubble. 

    Despite the significant rebound in New Zealand operations, this segment reflects approximately 13% of group TTV based off FY20 figures. The Australian segment accounts for a majority, or 85% of the group’s $5 billion FY20 TTV. 

    Why is the Helloworld share price down to 7-month lows? 

    The Helloworld share price has shed almost half its value from a high of $3.20 in late November 2020 to $1.705 today. 

    Depressed ASX travel shares surged in late November last year following COVID-19 vaccine trial updates from Pfizer. The positive updates and implications for the travel industry sent the Helloworld share price surging 75% from $1.88 to $3.20 between 9 November and 25 November. 

    However, this situation might reflect too much optimism before any positive financial or operational benefits materialise. With domestic travel only recently picking up, but still down on 2019 figures, and international travel at a standstill, the Helloworld share price has possibly drifted lower without any new catalysts.

    Helloworld peers including Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) and airlines such as Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) are also trading at similar price levels compared to November last year. 

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    Kerry Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Helloworld Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited and Helloworld Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    The post What’s with the Helloworld (ASX:HLO) share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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