Tag: Motley Fool

  • Why did the Woolworths share price smash the ASX 200 in March?

    A man in a supermarket strikes an unlikely pose while pushing a trolley, lifting both legs sideways off the ground and looking mildly rattled with a wide-mouthed expression.A man in a supermarket strikes an unlikely pose while pushing a trolley, lifting both legs sideways off the ground and looking mildly rattled with a wide-mouthed expression.

    We’re still in March (barely), but we already know that the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is most likely heading for an overall loss for the month. The ASX 200 has had a pretty dire month over March, as most investors would be aware.

    Despite today’s 0.63% lift for the Index, the ASX 200 is still down a meaningful 1.25% since the end of February. But let’s talk about the Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price.

    Woolworths shares defied the market comprehensively over the month (nearly) just gone. Since the end of February, Woolies shares have risen from $36.92 a share to the $37.88 we are seeing at this point of Friday’s session. That’s a gain worth just over 2.6%, meaning that the Woolworths share price has beaten the broader market by close to 3% over March as it currently stands:

    So what happened for Woolworths shares that made this ASX 200 blue chip a safe haven for investors over what was a rather wild month for most shares?

    Why has the Woolworths share price smashed the ASX 200 in March?

    Well, it’s hard to put a finger on it. There weren’t any major announcements from the supermarket giant over the month.

    But we can probably conclude that the half-year earnings report Woolworths delivered back in February probably helped. Investors seemed very impressed with the numbers Woolies put up.

    As we went through at the time, these saw the company reveal a 4% rise in sales to $33.17 billion, as well as a 14% surge in net profits after tax (NPAT). To top it off, Woolworths announced that its interim dividend would get a 17.9% boost up to a fully-franked 46 cents per share.

    As it stands today, the Woolworths share price is a healthy 3.2% higher than where it was the day these earnings were released. So investors seem to have given this report card a tick of approval. This probably helped hold up the Woolworths share price over the past month.

    ASX brokers love Woolies shares right now

    Another factor that may have helped keep the Woolworths share price above water is the love it has been receiving from ASX brokers.

    Earlier this week, we covered the conviction buy rating that ASX broker Goldman Sachs currently has on Woolies shares. And the $41 share price target that came with it. 

    Goldman gave this stamp of approval thanks to “consumer stickiness and loyalty among peers” and a “strong ability to drive market share gains via its omni-channel advantage, as well as pass through any cost inflation to protect its margins”.

    So this might have helped boost sentiment for Woolies shares over the past month too. In addition, consider that Woolworths is a consumer staples share.

    Consumer staples shares are typically thought of as ‘safer’ in times of market stress, given that their customers tend to keep coming through the doors, regardless of the economic weather.

    So it’s probably a combination of these factors that helped the Woolworths share price smash the ASX 200’s returns over March. Let’s see how the company does in April.

    The post Why did the Woolworths share price smash the ASX 200 in March? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Woolworths Group Limited right now?

    Before you consider Woolworths Group Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Woolworths Group Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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 Scott Phillips.

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  • Rio Tinto share price lifts on copper project news

    A smiling miner wearing a high vis vest and yellow hardhat and working for Superior Resources does the thumbs up in front of an open pit copper mine, indicating positive news for the company's share price today following a significant copper discoveryA smiling miner wearing a high vis vest and yellow hardhat and working for Superior Resources does the thumbs up in front of an open pit copper mine, indicating positive news for the company's share price today following a significant copper discovery

    The Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) share price is pushing higher on Friday. Its gains come amid news the company’s entered a joint venture to kick start work at one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper deposits.

    Canada-listed First Quantum Minerals will acquire a 55% stake in Rio Tinto’s Peru-based La Granja copper project for $105 million. The company has also committed to invest up to $546 million to fund its initial development.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant bought the project in 2006. Today’s agreement is said to be key to unlocking its progress.

    The Rio Tinto share price is $119.47 at the time of writing, 1.88% higher than its previous close.

    For comparison, the ASX 200 has risen 0.71% right now.

    Let’s take a closer look at the $169 billion Aussie mining company’s latest deal.

    Rio Tinto enters $651m copper joint venture

    The Rio Tinto share price is outperforming today as the market seemingly takes notice of the potential offered by a major copper project – one a company executive labelled “exciting but complex”.

    The high-altitude La Granja project boasts an indicated and inferred mineral resource of 4.32 billion tonnes at 0.51% copper.

    Extensive drilling previously completed by Rio Tinto expanded the project’s declared resource and the understanding of its ore body. It also established partnerships with host communities, local and national governments.

    The transaction announced today is expected to be finalised in the third quarter of 2023. After that, First Quantum will operate the project through to its feasibility study.

    From that point, all expenditures will be applied on a pro-rata basis according to the pair’s respective ownership of the project.

    Rio Tinto copper chief executive Bold Baatar commented on the new joint venture, saying:

    La Granja is an exciting but complex project that has the potential to be a significant new source of the copper that is needed for the energy transition.

    This partnership underscores not only La Granja’s potential to be a significant copper producer, but Peru’s position as one of the world’s most important mining investment destinations.

    Developing La Granja would also further strengthen Rio Tinto’s copper portfolio following the acquisition of Turquoise Hill Resources and commencement of underground mining at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia.

    Rio Tinto share price snapshot

    The Rio Tinto share price has performed well in recent months.

    The stock has gained 3% since the start of 2023 and is trading flat year-on-year.

    Meanwhile, the ASX 200 has also lifted 3% year to date. Though, it’s fallen 4% over the last 12 months.

    The post Rio Tinto share price lifts on copper project news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Rio Tinto Limited right now?

    Before you consider Rio Tinto Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Rio Tinto Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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. 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 Scott Phillips.

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  • Why is the Harvey Norman share price diving on Friday?

    $100 notes in a dishwasher, symbolising dividends.

    $100 notes in a dishwasher, symbolising dividends.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks like it is on track to record its fifth straight session of gains in a row for the week. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has put on an additional 0.72%, which lifts the Index back above 7,170 points. But let’s talk about a pretty conspicuous outlier in the Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (AS: HVN) share price. 

    Although the broader market is lifting today, Harvey Norman shares seemingly aren’t playing ball. The famous ASX 200 retailer closed at $3.72 a share yesterday. But this morning, the company opened at just $3.59 a share and is currently going for $3.60, down a substantial 3.23% from where the company closed at yesterday.

    So what’s going on here? Why are investors seemingly punishing this ASX 200 share on a day when most ASX shares are rising in value?

    Harvey Norman share price plummets as shares trade ex-dividend

    Well, they’re not. Harvey Norman is falling today for perhaps the very best reason to have one of your shares fall in value. Today is the day Harvey Norman trades ex-dividend for its upcoming shareholder payment.

    At the end of last month, Harvey Norman reported its latest half-year earnings for the six months to 31 December. It was a bit of a disappointing report, with the company revealing a 15.1% drop in profits after tax to $365.9 million, and an 8% decline in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to just over $694 million.

    This led to Harvey Norman announcing an interim dividend of 13 cents per share, fully franked. That represents a 35% decline on the interim dividend investors bagged last year, which was worth 20 cents per share, fully franked. It’s also under the final dividend of 17.5 cents per share that investors received in November last year.

    Nevertheless, today is the day that Harvey Norman has traded ex-dividend for this reduced payment. When an ASX share goes ex-dividend, it effectively cuts off any new investors in the company from receiving an upcoming dividend.

    So everyone who owned Harvey Norman shares as of market close yesterday is eligible to receive the payment. Anyone who buys the shares from today onwards isn’t.

    This is why we tend to see a company’s share price fall when it goes ‘ex-div’. It reflects this inherent loss of value going forward.

    So eligible shareholders can now look forward to receiving their latest dividend on 1 May.

    At the current Harvey Norman share price, this dividend, combined with last year’s final payment, gives this ASX 200 share a trailing dividend yield of 8.46%

    The post Why is the Harvey Norman share price diving on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Harvey Norman Holdings Limited right now?

    Before you consider Harvey Norman Holdings Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Harvey Norman Holdings Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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 positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • The latest Telstra dividend is being paid today. Here’s the lowdown

    Woman in celebratory fist move looking at phone

    Woman in celebratory fist move looking at phone

    It has been a great time to own Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares.

    Yesterday the telco giant’s shares hit a multi-year high and today is payday for shareholders for its latest dividend.

    The Telstra dividend

    Last month, Telstra released its half-year results and delivered a solid set of numbers.

    For the six months ended 31 December, the company reported a 6.4% increase in total income to $11.6 billion and an 11.4% jump in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to $3.9 billion.

    This was driven largely by momentum from its mobile business, as well as support from the recent acquisition of Digicel Pacific.

    In respect to its mobile business, Telstra reported continued growth in revenue, average revenue per users (ARPU), services in operation (SIO), and earnings. Mobile services revenue was up 9.3%, postpaid handheld ARPU was up 4.5%, and SIOs were up by net 68,000 services.

    In light of this strong performance, the Telstra board elected to increase its interim dividend by 6.3% to 8.5 cents per share. This is now being paid to eligible shareholders today.

    What’s next?

    The good news for investors is that more of the same is expected in the second half.

    According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts are forecasting a fully franked 8.5 cents per share final dividend. This will bring its full-year dividend to 17 cents per share, which will be up from the 16.5 cents per share dividend it paid in FY 2022.

    After which, the broker is forecasting another increase to 18 cents per share in FY 2024.

    Based on the current Telstra share price of $4.22, this will mean yields of 4% in FY 2023 and 4.25% in FY 2024.

    Goldman also sees room for its shares to climb higher. The broker has a buy rating and $4.60 price target on them.

    The post The latest Telstra dividend is being paid today. Here’s the lowdown appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Telstra Corporation Limited right now?

    Before you consider Telstra Corporation Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Telstra Corporation Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • Why is the Sayona Mining share price having such a stellar end to the week?

    happy mining worker fortescue share pricehappy mining worker fortescue share price

    The Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) share price is ending the week on a high after the company announced the successful restart of the North American Lithium (NAL) project.  

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lithium producer has a 75% stake in the Canadian project, with the other 25% held by Piedmont Lithium Inc (ASX: PLL).

    Sayona Mining shares are currently trading for 21 cents apiece, 2.44% higher than their previous close.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s news from the ASX 200 lithium favourite.

    Sayona Mining and Piedmont Lithium announce NAL restart

    The Sayona Mining share price is in the green this morning on news the $80 million restart of the NAL project has been completed on time and on budget.

    Sayona Québec, a subsidiary of Sayona Mining and Piedmont Lithium, bought the project in 2021.

    It’s now expected to be the only major source of new spodumene production in North America for two years.

    The ASX 200 company plans to ship 120,000 metric tons of spodumene from the project this year, supplying the likes of Tesla and LG Chem. Looking forward, the company is targeting 226,000 metric tons of annual production.

    Production at the hydroelectricity-powered project will be supported by Sayona Québec’s Abitibi Hub projects.

    Management commentary

    Sayona Mining managing director Brett Lynch commented on today’s news, saying:

    Our project team has maintained a forward-looking focus to improve lithium capture, achieve more consistent runtimes, and streamline operating costs from the past-producing operation.

    Improvements were made as planned in our timeline and budget, and we are eager to see the impact the upgrades bring to both product quality and operational efficiency as we prepare for our first commercial shipments of spodumene concentrate expected in July of this year.

    Piedmont president and CEO Keith Phillips added:

    NAL is positioned to be a key contributor to the electric vehicle and battery supply chains as demand for lithium continues to rapidly expand along the electrification economies in both Canada and the US.

    Sayona Mining share price snapshot

    The Sayona Mining share price has outperformed the ASX 200 in 2023.

    The stock has gained 10% so far this year.  However, it has tumbled 12.5% since this time last year.

    For comparison, the ASX 200 has gained 3% year to date and has fallen 4% over the last 12 months.

    The post Why is the Sayona Mining share price having such a stellar end to the week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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. 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 Scott Phillips.

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  • Why did the BHP share price see-saw in March?

    2 people at mining site, bhp share price, mining shares2 people at mining site, bhp share price, mining shares

    The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price had a volatile time during March 2023, yet, at the time of writing, the ASX mining share has managed to achieve a gain of 4%. That compares to the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which fell by around 1%.

    As a reminder for readers, BHP is one of the world’s largest resource businesses, so movements in key commodity prices (such as iron) can have a large impact on the business.

    Between the start of the month and 6 March 2023, the BHP share price actually went up by 7%. The ASX 200 only increased by 1% during that time, despite the sizeable influence that BHP has on the index due to its large market capitalisation.

    Between 6 March and 20 March, the BHP share price dropped by 11.2%, which is a large decline over a relatively short amount of time for such a large business. Over that same time, the ASX 200 declined 5.9%.

    Since that low up to the time of writing on 31 March 2023, the BHP share price has risen over 9% and the ASX 200 has gone up by 4%.

    The ASX mining share‘s movements have been stronger than the index each time, but its healthier gains have meant that it is ending with a noticeably better return than the ASX 200.

    What caused this volatility for the BHP share price?

    Sometimes market movements can’t be explained. Each day, different buyers and sellers are involved in making decisions about what price they want to transact at. A bit of pessimism about something happening in the global market can influence which direction resource prices and ASX mining shares go. The banking crisis may have been a factor.

    Reporting season was last month, which is when investors got an insight into how the business performed in the six months to 31 December 2022. But, the effects of the interim dividend were felt in March because the miner went ex-dividend, which I think explains some of the declines during the month.

    Going ex-dividend means that on the ex-dividend date, new investors are not entitled to that imminent dividend.

    With BHP shares, they went ex-dividend on 9 March 2023, and some investors may have been buying shares before the ex-dividend date to ensure their entitlement – pushing up the BHP share price.

    In Australian dollar terms, the dividend is going to be $1.364. That dividend represented a 3% dividend yield if we use the valuation at the start of the month. So, the ASX mining share has managed to deliver that capital growth despite the headwind of going ex-dividend.

    The commodity giant may also have felt the wave of investor uncertainty relating to the banking sector in the northern hemisphere after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the rushed takeover of Credit Suisse.

    If there were widespread economic problems, then that could lower demand for resources. However, some of that uncertainty seems to be lifting with the BHP share price and global markets rising in the last couple of weeks.

    Year-to-date snapshot

    Since the start of the year, the ASX mining share has gone up by close to 4%.

    The post Why did the BHP share price see-saw in March? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Bhp Group right now?

    Before you consider Bhp Group, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Bhp Group wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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. 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 Scott Phillips.

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  • Here’s why the EML share price just rocketed 36%

    a young woman raises her hands in joyful celebration as she sits at her computer in a home environment.

    a young woman raises her hands in joyful celebration as she sits at her computer in a home environment.

    The EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price is ending the week in sensational form.

    In morning trade, the embattled payments company’s shares are up 36% to 57 cents.

    Though, as you can see on the chart below, this doesn’t hide the fact that the EML share price is still down approximately 80% over the last 12 months.

    Why is the EML share price rocketing higher?

    Investors have been buying this payments company’s shares on Friday after it released an update on its European operations and guidance.

    In respect to its European operations, known as PFS Card Services Ireland, the news is not good. Management advised that the Central Bank of Ireland has decided that growth in total payment volumes for the period 31 March 2023 to 30 March 2024 will be restricted to nil% above annualised baseline volumes in 2022.

    This is down from the central bank’s previous plan to restrict its growth to 10%. It made the move in response to disappointing remediation progress and the remaining “significant and ongoing deficiencies” in PFS Card Services Ireland’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) control framework.

    As EML operates its European operations through this business, this is a bitter blow.

    So why are investors buying shares?

    The reason the EML share price is rising today is that the company has reiterated its FY 2023 guidance. That’s despite management previously warning that the above actions could impact its earnings.

    The release reveals that it continues to expect revenue of $235 million to $245 million and underlying EBITDA of $26 million to $34 million.

    The company also advised that it remains focused on engaging constructively with the Central Bank of Ireland, working to complete the remediation program, and ensuring all of the regulator’s concerns are addressed.

    The post Here’s why the EML share price just rocketed 36% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Eml Payments right now?

    Before you consider Eml Payments, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Eml Payments wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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. has positions in and has recommended EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended EML Payments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • I think these two ASX dividend shares are top buys with $2,000 in April

    Two mature-age people, a man and a woman, jump in unison with their arms and legs outstretched on a sunny beach.Two mature-age people, a man and a woman, jump in unison with their arms and legs outstretched on a sunny beach.

    ASX dividend shares can be a great way for investors to generate passive income. If I had $2,000 to invest, there are a couple of names that I think look great value.

    One of the great things about investing during times of market uncertainty is that not only are the investments being offered at a lower price, but the dividend yield is also boosted.

    While dividends aren’t everything, they can provide a really good boost to the overall returns from shares. With that in mind, here are two I’ve got my eyes on that I’d split $2,000 between.

    Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS)

    Metcash is a diversified supplier of food and drinks to independent retailers, and it has a hardware division.

    Retailers the company supplies include IGA, Foodland, Cellarbrations, The Bottle-O, IGA Liquor, Porters Liquor, Thirsty Camel, Big Bargain Bottleshop and Duncans.

    In hardware, Metcash owns the Mitre 10 and Home Timber & Hardware brands. It supports independent operators under the small format convenience banners Thrifty-Link Hardware and True Value Hardware, as well as a number of ‘unbannered’ independent operators. It also owns the Total Tools business.

    Changes to shopping habits have led to an ongoing good performance for IGA’s food and liquor divisions. People are reportedly continuing to stick to neighbourhood shopping.

    The hardware division has also performed well.

    In terms of the dividend, the ASX dividend share looks to pay a target dividend payout ratio of around 70% of underlying net profit after tax (NPAT).

    The Metcash share price has dropped around 20% since May 2022, putting the FY23 forecast dividend grossed-up dividend yield at 8.2%.

    Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

    The Adairs share price has suffered a much larger decline in the short- and medium-term. It’s down around 30% from 1 February 2023 and is trading almost 60% lower from June 2021.

    It’s not surprising that the business has gone through a lot of volatility. Households are unlikely to buy the same amount of furniture and homewares through an entire economic cycle. But, I don’t think it makes a lot of sense for investors to be as pessimistic as the share price decline suggests.

    Remember, share prices should also reflect the potential long-term performance of a company, not just the next 12 months.

    Adairs is a much bigger business than before COVID-19. Its acquisition of Focus on Furniture seems like a smart move – it gives Adairs more scale, enables Mocka to sell furniture in stores and can benefit from a national store rollout.

    The ASX dividend share is looking to grow its membership numbers and upsize some Adairs stores (which are much more profitable). While this may not help short-term earnings, I think the company can generate better earnings in the long term.

    I believe the fall of the Adairs share price makes it an excellent investment idea to consider at the current price of around $2 on a three-year investment timeline.

    Commsec numbers suggest Adairs could pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 11.7% in FY23 and 15.6% in FY25. It’s priced at just 6x FY25’s estimated earnings.

    The post I think these two ASX dividend shares are top buys with $2,000 in April appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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. has positions in and has recommended Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Metcash. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • Piedmont Lithium share price surges 6% on ‘exciting milestone’

    Woman looks amazed and shocked as she looks at her laptop.

    Woman looks amazed and shocked as she looks at her laptop.

    The Piedmont Lithium Inc (ASX: PLL) share price is charging higher on Friday morning.

    In afternoon trade, the lithium developer’s shares are up 6% to 89.5 cents.

    Why is the Piedmont Lithium share price charging higher?

    Investors have been bidding the Piedmont Lithium share price higher today after the company released an update on the North American Lithium (NAL) project it jointly owns with Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA).

    According to the release, the US$80 million restart of NAL has been completed on time and on budget, with commercial spodumene concentrate production now underway at the Canada-based project.

    Management highlights that NAL is expected to be the only major source of new spodumene production in North America in the next two years. This means that its targeted annual production of 226,000 metric tons of spodumene is likely to be in-demand with end users when the first shipments begin.

    Pleasingly, the company’s customers won’t have to wait long. The release reveals that the first commercial shipments are expected during the third quarter of the current calendar year.

    ‘An exciting milestone’

    Piedmont’s president and chief executive officer, Keith Phillips, believes this is an exciting milestone for both companies and the North American market. He commented:

    We applaud the work of the operating team in bringing the restart of NAL to fruition. This marks an exciting milestone not only for Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, but the North American market for which we are working to supply critical lithium resources. NAL is positioned to be a key contributor to the electric vehicle and battery supply chains as demand for lithium continues to rapidly expand along with the electrification economies in both Canada and the U.S.

    This sentiment was echoed by Sayona Mining’s managing director, Brett Lynch. He added:

    Since announcing our restart intentions in 2021, our project team has maintained a forward-looking focus to improve lithium capture, achieve more consistent runtimes, and streamline operating costs from the past-producing operation. Improvements were made as planned in our timeline and budget, and we are eager to see the impact the upgrades bring to both product quality and operational efficiency as we prepare for our first commercial shipments of spodumene concentrate expected in July of this year.

    The Piedmont Lithium share price is now up almost 18% since the end of last week.

    The post Piedmont Lithium share price surges 6% on ‘exciting milestone’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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. 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 Scott Phillips.

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  • Start earning passive income with just $100 a month

    A smiling woman with a handful of $100 notes, indicating strong dividend payments

    A smiling woman with a handful of $100 notes, indicating strong dividend payments

    If you want to generate passive income from ASX shares, you don’t have to start with a huge lump sum.

    Making small contributions on a monthly basis has the potential to snowball into something significant in the future. This is because of the power of compounding, which is what happens when you earn returns on top of returns.

    It explains why a 10% per annum return will turn $1,000 into $1,100 after one year and then $2,000 after just over seven years.

    The good news is that a 10% return is achievable with ASX shares. In fact, it is largely in line with the average return that Australian shares have generated over the last 30 years according to Fidelity.

    That’s despite the global economy going through numerous crises during this period such as the dot-com bubble bursting, the GFC, and COVID-19, to name just three.

    And while nobody knows what will happen over the next 30 years, I don’t believe it is farfetched to expect similar returns. As a result, we are going to base our calculations on this expected return.

    Building passive income on $100 a month

    If you were to invest a modest $100 a month into ASX shares and generated an average 10% per annum return, you would grow your wealth to $40,000 after 15 years.

    At that point, investors could switch their focus to income and sit back and count the dividends coming in.

    For example, Goldman Sachs estimates that Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares currently offer a forward fully franked yield of 6.7%. Investing $40,000 into its shares would lead to a passive income of approximately $2,700 per year.

    But why stop there? If you’re thinking longer term, then it would make sense to keep investing in order to grow your wealth further.

    Let’s say that we were to do the same again: $100 a month for 15 years but with a starting balance of $40,000. If you were to continue to generate an average 10% per annum return, your portfolio would grow to be worth almost $210,000.

    This time, Westpac’s shares would boost your passive income with dividends of approximately $14,000 per year.

    Want even more?

    Okay, let’s keep going to see what will happen in a further 15 years.

    Ceteris paribus, your portfolio would grow to be worth almost $910,000 and your dividends would come to approximately $61,000. Not a bad passive income!

    Interestingly, these dividends are actually more than the $54,000 you would have invested during the entire period.

    I believe this demonstrates just how powerful compounding is and how investors can use it to their advantage to grow their wealth.

    The post Start earning passive income with just $100 a month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in right now?

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    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and wasn’t one of them.

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    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Westpac Banking. 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 Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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