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  • Volpara (ASX:VHT) share price rising following Q4 business update

    A hand holding a graph trending up, indicating a surging share price on the ASX

    The Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT) share price is rising this morning following the release of a trading update. The healthcare technology company has been making tailwinds recently, reflecting a surge in its shares from March onwards. 

    At the time of writing, the Volpara share price is trading at $1.44, up 0.015%.

    How did Volpara perform?

    Volpara shares are on the move today after the company provided investors with a business update for Q4 FY21.

    For the period ending 31 March, Volpara experienced its largest ever quarterly sales performance. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) soared US$1.1 million in the period, bringing total ARR to US$18.6 million for the full year. This represents organic growth of 20% in ARR when compared to FY20. That’s not including the recently acquired CRA Health business. Management highlighted that strong result attained is despite increased churn related COVID-19 costs and customer-related COVID-19 IT delays.

    Underpinning the performance, Volpara noted that it won its biggest sales contract to date for its Volpara live image positioning software. In addition, multiple customers expanded their existing deals, along with new major contracts from well-recognised academic centres. The company estimates that at least one of its software products is used by 32% of women in the United States.

    Average revenue per user (ARPU) lifted to US$1.40 at the end of Q4. This compares to the ARPU of US$1.22 achieved at the end of the prior quarter. The company stated ARPU’s in Q4 ranged from US$1.00 to US$5.65.

    Outlook

    Looking ahead, Volpara is also focusing its efforts towards its risk and genetics growth strategy for FY22. Educational patient letters are set to be launched in October 2021 to engage directly with women needing breast cancer screening.

    As part of the company’s realignment, CEO of Volpara Health, Katherine Singson, and director of United States sales, Debra Saunders, will depart. Current group CEO, Dr. Ralph Highnam, will assume the extra responsibilities from Ms. Singson. In addition, experienced industry executive Jill Spear will take over the reins from Ms. Saunders.

    Words from the CEO

    Dr. Ralph Highnam touched on the company’s results, saying:

    The contracts that Volpara secured in Q4, despite the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, show the clear clinical need for our products, the strength of our sales and marketing teams globally, and the successful pivot to a greater focus on risk and genetics.

    We are very pleased with how the financial year has ended, and we look forward to accelerating out of COVID-19 in FY22 and to working ever closer with our new colleagues at CRA Health in Boston following its acquisition in early February.

    Volpara share price summary

    The Volpara share price is relatively flat when looking at its performance over the course of the last 12 months. The company’s shares reached a high of $1.715 in early February, before falling to a low of $1.19 in March.

    The company’s shares finished yesterday at a price of $1.425.

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    Aaron Teboneras 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 VOLPARA FPO NZ. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VOLPARA FPO NZ. 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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  • 2 things investors need to look for in Johnson & Johnson’s earnings tomorrow

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

    company meeting taking place

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

    In the unlikely event that you haven’t heard much about it lately, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will report its first-quarter earnings before the market opens tomorrow. Investors are bound to be overflowing with questions about the healthcare giant’s performance. 

    Two days after the earnings report, the company will have its annual meeting of shareholders. Whether you’re a shareholder or a potential buyer, tuning in will shed light on the future of the company, not just the most recent quarter. In particular, there are a few items that investors should pay close attention to, starting with the company’s latest coronavirus vaccine troubles.

    1. When and how will the coronavirus vaccine issues be resolved?

    The biggest thing to look for in the earnings report will be any clues about how management is going to handle the latest hitches with the company’s vaccine. In late March, manufacturing issues were slated to cause vaccine shipments to drop by 80%. These problems had their origin in a factory run by Emergent BioSolutions, where an accident led to the loss of up to 15 million doses. It’s unlikely that such a costly mistake will happen twice, but more clarity on how J&J plans to improve quality control will doubtlessly be on investors’ minds.

    Then there’s the even more recent (and more pressing) problem. After eight recently vaccinated people developed severe blood clotting and one person died, the vaccine’s rollout in the U.S. is slamming to a halt at the behest of regulators. Across the Atlantic, the European Commission seems equally displeased at J&J’s abrupt announcement that its vaccine deliveries to the E.U. would be delayed until it knew more about the blood clotting issue. So far, the company’s response to the problem seems somewhat disorganized, which is very much out of character.

    In all likelihood, the one-dose vaccine will return to deployment as soon as regulators understand the scope of the newly revealed risk. According to Janet Woodcock at the Food and Drug Administration, the process could be as quick as “a matter of days.” But, investors need to watch the issue carefully, especially with regard to management’s plans for a contingency in which the vaccine can’t be administered to certain populations due to the clotting hazard. Even a small reduction in its total addressable market could have a significant and negative impact on its expected revenue over the course of a year.

    2. Are earnings still shrinking?

    Vaccine woes aside, the company’s efficiency will be in focus with the release of its earnings report. While it isn’t a cause for alarm, J&J’s earnings shrunk by 2.7% in 2020 compared to 2019 even as sales grew by 0.6%. More recently, in the fourth quarter of 2020, earnings plummeted by 56.7% year over year, which might raise a few eyebrows if similarly sized contractions continue into 2021. Some of this drop is attributable to the negative economic impact of the pandemic, but there could be other factors at play. Management is unlikely to address the topic directly, but shareholders may find a few hints nonetheless.

    JNJ Revenue (Quarterly) Chart
    Data by YCharts.

    Specifically, investors should keep an eye on the company’s cost of goods sold (COGS) as well as its selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses. Both have risen by upwards of 12% over the last three years, but it hasn’t stopped J&J’s free cash flow from steadily growing in the same period.

    In closing, investors and potential buyers should keep in mind that the earnings update is just one bundle of new information. For a multinational corporation of its size, the results of one quarter aren’t going to define whether the stock is a good long-term investment. Still, worse-than-expected data could be an excellent opportunity to buy it at a rare discount.

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

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    Alex Carchidi has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Johnson & Johnson. 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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  • Temple & Webster (ASX:TPW) share price tumbles on third quarter update

    Investor covering eyes in front of laptop

    The Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) share price is under pressure on Tuesday morning.

    At the time of writing, the furniture and homewares focused ecommerce company’s shares are down 5% to $10.18.

    Why is the Temple & Webster share price under pressure?

    Investors have been selling the company’s shares this morning following the release of its third quarter update.

    According to the release, for the three months ended 31 March, Temple & Webster delivered a 112% increase in revenue over the prior corresponding period.

    At the end of the period the company had ~750,000 active customers. This is up 10.6% from 678,000 at the end of the first half.

    What about the fourth quarter?

    Positively, while the company’s growth has moderated so far in the fourth quarter, its revenue is still higher than the prior corresponding period.

    During the month of April, Temple & Webster achieved a 20% increase in revenue over the prior corresponding period. This is particularly impressive given that April 2020 was the fastest growing month last year due to the nationwide lockdowns.

    Pleasingly, the company also reported that COVID-19 cohorts continue to perform better than historical cohorts.

    Why are its shares trading lower?

    Possibly weighing on Temple & Webster’s share price was management’s commentary relating to the future and its focus on revenue growth rather than earnings.

    The company believes that COVID-19 has permanently accelerated online adoption in the Australian furniture and homewares market.

    It explained: “… we estimate more than 20% of furniture & homewares was bought online in the US during 2020, and we believe Australia is following the same trajectory. We estimate that in 2020, ~9% of Australian furniture & homewares were bought online, an almost doubling of the ~5% bought in 2019. Online penetration in both markets is expected to continue to increase significantly.”

    In light of the above and its online market leadership position, the company has reaffirmed its growth strategy.

    This will see it building strong brand awareness to achieve a national brand status, using “tactical” pricing and promotions to increase conversion, investing in 3D and artificial intelligence capabilities, differentiating its range through new category additions and private label expansion, and growing its B2B sales teams.

    This will of course come at a cost. As a result, management intends to focus on delivering strong double digit revenue growth with EBITDA margins in the 2% to 4% range.

    Temple & Webster CEO & Co-Founder, Mark Coulter, said “You only need to look at the US to see how the e-commerce market is playing out, and why we remain bullish about the shift from offline to online. We are at the start of this once in a generation shift, and now is the time to put our foot down to secure market leadership and ensure we are the brand for the next generation of furniture shopper.”

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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 Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group 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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  • Eroad (ASX:ERD) share price pushes higher following fourth quarter update

    Busy freeway and tollway, transurban share price

    The Eroad Ltd (ASX: ERD) share price has been a solid performer on Tuesday morning.

    At the time of writing, the transportation technology services company’s shares are 1% to $4.77.

    Why is the Eroad share price charging higher?

    Investors have been buying Eroad shares this morning following the release of an update on its performance during the fourth quarter of FY 2021.

    According to the release, the company sold 2,726 contracted units during the quarter. This includes 1,054 MYEROAD Clarity Dashcam units in March. Management notes that this reflects continued growth across its markets.

    The majority of the company’s new units were in the New Zealand market. Eroad added 2,295 units during the quarter in its home market after it secured a large New Zealand Enterprise customer, Toll New Zealand. This was supported by a 182 unit increase in North America and a 249 unit increase in Australia.

    This left Eroad with a total of 126,203 contracted units at the end of the period.

    Eroad guidance

    Management also provided an update on its guidance for FY 2021 and FY 2022.

    In respect to the former, Eroad continues to expect a small increase in second half revenue compared to the first half. Whereas EBITDA is anticipated to be similar to the first half’s figure. This reflects the acceleration of product development and increased sales and marketing costs associated with the launches of key products.

    Looking to FY 2022, Eroad anticipates that revenue growth will strengthen, but not be at the level experienced in FY 2020.

    It commented: “In New Zealand, EROAD expects similar growth to the last four years. In North America, targeting an increased addressable market through improved product market fit, to deliver increased unit growth. In Australia, growth during the next 2 years will come predominantly from an Enterprise pipeline of 15-20,000 vehicles.”

    “As EROAD continues to accelerate new product delivery for future growth in FY23 and FY24, it anticipates spending 24-27% of revenue on R&D during FY22. However, the company anticipates EBITDA margin to be maintained but improving at the end of FY22, to provide further increased EBITDA margin.”

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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 EROAD Limited. 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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  • Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) share price higher after Q1 update

    mining asx share price rise represented by female mining exec talking happily on phone

    The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price is edging higher following the release of its first quarter update.

    At the time of writing, the mining giant’s shares are up 0.5% to $121.45.

    How did Rio Tinto perform in the first quarter?

    Rio Tinto was a relatively positive performer during the first quarter of FY 2021.

    For the three months ended 31 March, the company achieved Pilbara iron ore shipments of 77.8 million tonnes. This was 7% higher than the first quarter of 2020.

    However, production was down 2% on the prior corresponding period to 76.4 million tonnes. This was driven by above average wet weather in the mines through February and fixed plant reliability. Labour resource availability and weather challenges also disrupted maintenance.

    And while tropical Cyclone Seroja has impacted mine and port operations in April, Rio Tinto’s full year iron ore guidance remains unchanged. As does its Pilbara iron ore 2021 unit cost guidance of $16.7-$17.7 per tonne.

    Rio Tinto’s mined copper production came in at 120.5 thousand tonnes, which was 9% lower than the same period last year. This was due to lower recoveries and throughput at Escondida and Kennecott, which was partly offset by higher grades from the Oyu Tolgoi open pit.

    The company also advised that its Oyu Tolgoi shipments have been affected by Chinese border restrictions due to increased cases of COVID-19 in Mongolia. It continues to work closely with authorities and its customers to manage the risk of supply chain disruptions.

    Elsewhere, bauxite production was down 2%, aluminium production was up 3%, and titanium dioxide slag production was down 5%.

    Management commentary

    Rio Tinto’s new Chief Executive, Jakob Stausholm, was pleased with the quarter.

    He said: “We achieved an overall solid operating performance in the first quarter. We have maintained guidance ranges in all our products, with site teams successfully managing the effects of significant rainfall, in particular at our Australian iron ore assets.”

    Mr Stausholm also spoke about the controversies that ultimately led to the exit of former Chief Executive JS Jacques.

    He commented: “It has been a period of deep reflection for the company, and I have personally spent a significant amount of time listening, learning and taking actions, in particular to better manage Traditional Owner partnerships and cultural heritage. I have appointed a new leadership team and the transition is progressing well. We have set out clear priorities to develop a stronger Rio Tinto.”

    “Our focus is to become the best operator, strive for impeccable ESG credentials, excel in development and secure a strong social licence. This ambition will enable us to continue to deliver superior returns to shareholders, invest in sustaining and growing our portfolio, and make a broader contribution to society,” he concluded.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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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  • Challenger (ASX:CGF) share price sinks 10% following third quarter update

    Thumbs down Facebook icon over dark screen

    The Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) share price has come under pressure following the release of its third quarter update.

    In morning trade, the annuities company’s shares are down 10% to $5.90.

    How did Challenger perform in the third quarter?

    Challenger was on form again during the third quarter and delivered further growth across the business.

    According to the release, group assets under management rose 8% for the quarter and now exceed $100 billion. This means Challenger is now Australia’s third largest active asset manager.

    Supporting this growth was a 6% increase in Life investment assets. Management notes that this was driven by record quarterly annuity sales of $1.6 billion and record quarterly Life book growth of 9.2% for the quarter.

    Also growing during the third quarter was its funds under management (FUM) for the Funds Management business. Challenger recorded a 9% increase in FUM, including $7 billion of net flows.

    Challenger’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Richard Howes, was pleased with the quarter and notes that its strategy is paying off.

    He said: “Challenger’s performance in the third quarter demonstrates our strategy to diversify revenue is working. We have been investing in our distribution, product and marketing capability over recent years which is extending our customer reach and diversifying our product offering and distribution channels.”

    What does this mean for FY 2021?

    Based on its performance in the third quarter, management appears confident the company will achieve its normalised net profit before tax guidance for FY 2021.

    However, this is only expected to be at the bottom end of the $390 million to $440 million guidance range. This may be what is weighing on the Challenger share price today.

    Management notes that its guidance reflects the sharp decline in credit spreads over the year, which were not fully reflected in customer pricing.

    Positively, Challenger is responding to the investment conditions by significantly adjusting annuity pricing. However, this won’t be in time to impact its FY 2021 earnings.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Challenger 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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  • Why the Seven (ASX: SVW) share price is on watch

    Giant magnet attracting banknotes to symbolise a capital raising

    The Seven Group Holdings (ASX: SVW) share price is on watch today after an update on its institutional equity capital raise.

    Why is the Seven share price on watch?

    This morning, Seven reported that it has successfully completed a $500 million fully underwritten institutional placement. That has resulted in 22.2 million new, fully paid, ordinary shares for those investors taking up the offer.

    The “significantly oversubscribed” placement is a step forward for Seven and its capital management goals. Seven received strong support from new and existing domestic and international institutional investors.

    The new shares from the placement come at an issuance price of $22.50 per share. That represents a 4% discount to the 16 April 2021 closing Seven share price of $23.43.

    Proceeds from the placement, alongside the $50 million Share Purchase Plan (SPP), will be used for a variety of purposes. These include reducing overall net debt, restoring balance sheet flexibility, and improving liquidity. Seven has also flagged strategic investments, opportunistic acquisitions, and growing dividend payments as key focus areas going forward.

    Managing director and CEO Ryan Stokes said:

    We have a strong track record of disciplined capital allocation and remain committed to working to generate superior returns from our existing businesses and new opportunities to deliver value to all shareholders.

    The $50 million SPP is non-underwritten with the potential to scale at Seven’s discretion. The SPP will be open to eligible retail shareholders at the lower of $22.50 per share or a 2.5% discount to volume-weighted average price (VWAP) in the last 5 days of the SPP offer period.

    The issue date for the institutional New Shares is 22 April 2021, with the retail SPP shares to be issued on 18 May 2021.

    The Seven share price is one to watch when it returns to trade following the institutional placement. Shares in the conglomerate are up 77.4% in the last 12 months despite a slow start to 2021.

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

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  • Why the Perseus Mining (ASX:PRU) share price is on watch

    asx share price rise represented by woman in hard hat on phone looking excited

    The Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) share price is one to watch in early trade after the Aussie miner’s latest quarterly report.

    Why is the Perseus share price on watch today?

    Perseus this morning provided its quarterly report for the period ended 31 March 2021 (Q3 2021). The period was highlighted by strong production and sales increases for the Aussie gold miner.

    Perseus reported a 29 per cent increase in gold production to 88,458 ounces. Up from 68,614 ounces in the December quarter. That was largely thanks to ramp up efforts at the group’s Yaouré mine during Q3 2021.

    Those strong production numbers came at a lower cost of US$852 per ounce compared to $915 in the December quarter. All-in site cost (AISC) fell 3.6% to US$999 per ounce with a financial year to date AISC of $1,000 per ounce.

    It wasn’t just strong production numbers that make the Perseus Mining share price worth watching this morning. Gold sales jumped 30.1% higher to 87,215 ounces during the quarter. For context, Perseus recorded 127,085 ounces in the first two quarters combined, with 66,644 ounces in the December quarter.

    Commissioning was successfully completed at the Yaouré Gold Mine with commercial production formally declared on 31 March 2021. That helped to boost Perseus’ numbers while demand remained strong during the period.

    Perseus reported notional cash flow of US$41.7 million for the quarter, down from US$44.6 million in Q2 2021. The lower cash flow figure fell despite strong production as the average sales price dropped 3.5% from last quarter to US$1,628 per ounce.

    The Perseus Mining share price is one to watch after also providing an update on the outlook for the final quarter. Perseus said it is on track to achieve its goal of more than 500,000 ounces of gold production per year. The Aussie mining company is expecting that to come at a cash operating margin of US$400 per ounce or more.

    Foolish takeaway

    The Perseus Mining share price is on watch after its latest quarterly update highlighted by strong production figures. “Encouraging” exploration results and an update on its production targets make the Aussie gold miner worth watching.

    The Aussie miner currently boasts a market capitalisation of $1.8 billion and is underperforming the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XJO) by 6.6% in 2021.

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  • ASX miners in focus as the copper price looks poised to crack above 10-year highs

    Copper price record asx share price rise represented by a rising arrow on green chart

    The rally in ASX copper shares could extend for a few more months as experts believe the metal is heading to fresh 10-year highs.

    That’s not only great news for ASX copper producers, but there’s another less obvious group of ASX shares that look set to ride this uptrend. I’ll touch on that more later.

    Why copper prices could set new record highs

    The benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange jumped 1.8% to US$9,379.50 a tonne on Monday night.

    It’s now within striking distance of its February high of US$9,617 – it’s highest point in a decade.

    Commodity analysts believe the path of least resistance is up for the commodity, reported Reuters.

    ASX mining shares riding on Dr Copper

    The bullish sentiment largely explains why the OZ Minerals Limited (ASX: OZL) share price and Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) share price have outperformed. These pure-play copper miners have outrun the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) in the past six months.

    The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price also benefits from rising copper prices. But its diversified business means it will not enjoy the full benefit of the rallying copper price.

    As mentioned earlier, there’s another group of ASX shares that have been largely overlooked by copper bulls. These are ASX gold shares.

    Copper offsets weakness in the gold price

    Copper and gold are normally found together. ASX gold miners sell the copper to lower to cost of production for their gold operations.

    This means a high copper price will allow miners like the Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price to expand their margins. This may in effect offset the weakening gold price.

    Copper price forecasts

    Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen believes it’s only a matter of time before copper hits US$10,000 a tonnes, reported Reuters.

    Citigroup echoed a similar view as it’s forecasting it to hit US$10,500 within three months.

    There are a few reasons for their upbeat outlook.

    What’s driving copper prices higher

    The acceleration in global economic growth bodes well for industrial production. Copper is a key input in that process.

    The recent drop in US government bond yields and the greenback is also helping. These events aren’t only creating a tailwind for shares, but also make copper more attractive. Commodity prices, which are expressed in US dollars, tend to more in opposite direction to the greenback.

    Throw in ebullient markets, tight supply and a strong demand outlook, and you can see why the experts at ING are also expecting copper to test the February highs.

    Foolish takeaway

    We also shouldn’t forget that the electric vehicle craze, which sent ASX lithium miners like the Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY) share price and Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) share price soaring, bodes well for copper too.

    However, it isn’t all good news for copper. ING pointed out that the current restocking cycle is ending and the crackdown on easy credit by the Chinese government may dampen enthusiasm for the metal, reported Reuters.

    But I don’t think these headwinds will be enough to derail the copper rally – not in the near-term at least.

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    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of BHP Billiton Limited, Galaxy Resources Limited, Newcrest Mining Limited, Orocobre Limited, OZ Minerals Limited, and Sandfire Resources Ltd. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

    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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  • This major US bank has bought 6% of Zip (ASX:Z1P) shares

    asx share price boosted by us investment represented by hand waving US flag across winning athlete

    Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) has been slowly accumulating Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) shares since 31 December 2020.

    On Monday, Zip announced the new substantial holder, which has now acquired a significant 34 million shares, or 6.15% of the company. 

    Banking giant is now a Zip shareholder 

    Bank of America is one of the world’s top ten largest banks, servicing individual consumers through to large corporations with a full range of banking, investment, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. 

    The bank boasts a market capitalisation of approximately US$336 billion (A$432 billion), or just shy of three times the value of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

    Yesterday’s substantial shareholding hasn’t just come out of the blue. 

    Zip engaged with Bank of America as its financial adviser and placement agent for its transformational QuadPay acquisition. The banking giant has also assisted Zip with its recent $400 million convertible bond raising

    What does this mean for the Zip share price? 

    Zip disclosed its mandatory substantial holding announcement yesterday as is required by the ASX. Investors appeared ambivalent to the news with the Zip share price falling 4.5% during Monday’s session. What the investment means for the Zip share price longer term remains to be seen.  

    Disclosure of Zip’s new substantial shareholder might take some investors down memory lane – when Chinese internet giant Tencent bought 5% of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) back in May 2020. This resulted in the Afterpay share price surging some 28% on the day of the announcement. 

    The key difference here is that Afterpay formally acknowledged and welcomed the new shareholder, which it said provided significant learning opportunities for the BNPL provider: 

    We feel very privileged to welcome Tencent as a substantial shareholder in our business. Being able to attract a strategic investor of this calibre is extremely rewarding and is a testament to our team and the strength of our differentiated business model.

    Tencent’s investment provides us with the opportunity to learn from one of the world’s most successful digital platform businesses. To be able to tap into Tencent’s vast experience and network is valuable, as is the potential to collaborate in areas such as technology, geographic expansion and future payment options on the Afterpay platform.

    To date, Afterpay has yet to announce any formal collaboration with Tencent. But the announcement clearly had investors excited for what could happen next. In contrast, Zip has updated the market on its latest substantial shareholder with little fanfare.  

    However, Bank of America’s substantial shareholding could arguably further rumours of Zip’s potential secondary listing in the United States. 

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

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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 ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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