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The CV Check Ltd (ASX: CV1) share price is flat today, despite the release of its Q2 FY21 scorecard.

In early morning trade, the online integrated screening and verification company’s shares are unchanged at 17 cents.

How did CV Check perform for Q2 FY21?

According to this morning’s release, CV Check advised it booked a robust result over the 3 month term.

For the period ending 31 December, the company reported record revenue of $3.5 million, with $2.7 million coming from B2B, and $800,000 from B2C. The overall sales achieved represented a 12% increase on the prior corresponding period. Underpinned by strong sales during the Christmas period, total website usage and new account sign ups continued to grow.

The surge in quarterly revenue contributed to CV Check reaching new milestone records for its half year and 12 month calendar performance. The company stated H1 FY21 realised $7 million in sales, with $10.2 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) for the 12 months.

CV Check registered a healthy cash balance of $5.2 million and no external debt for the end of the period.

New notable customers

Complimenting the sound result, CV Check added new customers to its mix over the quarter. These included several large well-known brands such as AECOM (NYSE: ACM), Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), Netforce Global LLC, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), and others.

Platform integration rises strongly

CV Check revealed that its platform integration strategy is tracking along nicely. Revenue booked through this channel jumped 87% when comparing to this time last year. The recent successful integration with TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) is slated for customer launch sometime in the current quarter.

The company highlighted that assimilating with providers of other HR information and applicant tracking systems will expand its addressable market.

Management commentary

CV1 CEO, Mr Rod Sherwood, welcomed the positive results, saying:

CV1 revenues surged in Q2 to set all-time company records for a quarter, for a half-year and for the booked 12 month ARR. All channels performed strongly: direct sales, revenues booked through integration partners and the nascent international white label channel where our first marquee client Netforce Global LLC already features among our group wide top 30 customers for the quarter.

Looking forward, there are promising signs in both internal and external backdrops. Internally, new client wins have been strong during recent months, resulting in an ongoing pipeline of customer onboarding.

… The external backdrop is also positive with the ANZ job ads series for December coming in stronger than that of February 2020 and consumer purchasing strengthening amid continuing COVID-related government support for the economy and widespread optimism about planned vaccine roll outs domestically and internationally.

More reading

• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX drops despite promises of more US stimulus
• Insiders have been buying Appen (ASX:APX) and ASX share
• Objective (ASX:OCL) share price continues its rise in 2021 after doubling last year
• Why the Pure Foods (ASX:PFT) share price popped today
• Why the CV Check (ASX:CV1) share price is charging 8% higher

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Woolworths Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CV Check 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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The Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) share price is pushing higher on Wednesday.

The safety products company’s shares were up as much as 5% to $37.17 at one stage this morning before fading.

At the time of writing, the Ansell share price is up 1% to $35.76.

Why is the Ansell share price pushing higher?

This morning Ansell provided an update on its performance ahead of the release of its first half results next month.

According to the release, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has led to a greater focus on protection against transmission. This has underpinned elevated demand for a number of its products across Exam/SU, Life Sciences, and Chemical Protective Clothing.

In addition to this, Ansell is experiencing strong market share gains in its Mechanical and Surgical segments.

And thanks to the implementation of efficiencies to increase output and its investment in increased production capacity at its own plants, management advised that it has been able to successfully and safely meet higher demand where others in the industry have struggled.

Another positive has been the company’s ability to pass through price increases to offset higher costs from raw material and labour costs. This was particularly the case in the Exam/SU segment.

What is Ansell expecting to report in the first half?

For the six months ending 31 December, Ansell is expecting to deliver organic growth of +20% and unaudited earnings per share in the range of 81 cents to 84 cents. This represents an increase of 62% to 68% on the prior corresponding period.

And while it anticipates the higher demand for its products to continue for the remainder of FY 2021, it warned that there remain significant uncertainties given that COVID-19 continues to impact its manufacturing operations and supply chain.

Given these challenges and uncertainties, Ansell currently considers that its second half earnings are unlikely to be stronger than the first half. Though, this has been the case in prior years.

Management is busy working through the analysis of these matters and their potential impacts on the remainder of the year. It expects to be in a position to announce a revised FY 2021 earnings per share guidance when it releases its half year results in February.

This uncertainty appears to be what is holding the Ansell share price back this morning after its strong start.

More reading

• CV Check (ASX:CV1) share price flat on results update
• What’s with the Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) share price today?
• Here’s the biggest investment opportunity since the internet
• Why the PolyNovo (ASX:PNV) share price is zooming 7% higher today
• Here’s why the Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) share price is crashing 11% lower

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

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The Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) share price opened flat at 10 cents this morning following release of the uranium miner’s “highly successful” latest quarterly results.

Shares in Boss Energy have rocketed up higher than 120% over the past 12-month period.

The Honeymoon Uranium Project

Boss Energy’s Honeymoon Uranium Project is located in South Australia. The project is fully permitted to export 3.3 million pounds of uranium a year. Uranium costs around US$30 a pound at the moment. 

This all adds up to pulling in US$99,000,000 a year at full production, in the current business environment before costs and charges.

In today’s release, Boss Energy advised that the Honeymoon Project will earn an all-in cost of US$32 a pound. This compared with current long-term contract prices which the miner said “are close to ~US$40 a pound”. This is based on findings from the project’s enhanced feasibility study (EFS).

According to Boss, the Honeymoon Project is globally recognised as one of the most low-cost uranium production projects.

Successful $15 million share placement

Back in October, Boss Energy announced that the company had received firm commitments regarding a $15 million share placement.

This deal has now been executed via the placement of approximately 224 million new shares for 6.7 cents per share with institutional and sophisticated investors. 

The funds raised will be used for activities including recruitment of additional experts as required, ongoing tenement exploration and to assess and execute merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities where appropriate.

What else should I know about the Boss Energy share price?

Following a recent re-brand from Boss Resources Limited to Boss Energy Limited, the company hopes to position itself as a positive contributor to clean energy.

Boss continues appointing big players to the board, corporate team and mining site. With a strong team of experts that continues to grow, Boss says it’s positioned to be a major player in the uranium industry.

At the time of writing, the Boss Energy share price is trading at 10 cents per share, and has a market capitalisation of $183 million.

More reading

• Fund manager tips 2 booming ASX miners for 2021 uranium bull market

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

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There is one nascent theme that is the biggest investment opportunity since the invention of the internet, according to one fund manager.

Climate change will force a global transition from old high-emission industries to low-carbon technologies in the next couple of decades, said Munro Partners chief investment officer Nick Griffin.

“We conservatively estimate this will cost US$21 trillion (AU$27 trillion) over the next 30 years.

“This is going to be the biggest S curve of my investment lifetime. The one before was the internet — this is the next one.”

Likening it to the shift from horse carts to motor vehicles in the early 20th century, Griffin said both companies and sovereign nations are not just committing to token gestures any more.

“The US says they want to go to zero-carbon by 2050. China says they want to go to zero-carbon by 2050. Microsoft says they want to go to zero-carbon by 2050,” he told a GSFM briefing.

“They’re not saying ’emit less carbon’. They’re saying ’emit no carbon’.”

The fund manager said that one stock had already demonstrated the returns a green transition could bring, but it was just a preview.

“We’ve obviously seen one explode, which is Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA). There will be others,” he said.

“There’s lots of smaller companies here we think will grow over time. It’s going to be really a great place to invest for the next 20 years.”

Danish power company Oersted A/S (CPH: ORSTED) was an example of one of the bets Munro Partners have made.

While Joe Biden’s victory in the US has helped the impetus for green transition, Griffin said it would have happened anyway.

Forget cyclical, go thematic growth 

Climate now takes up 18% of Munro’s portfolio, but there are a couple of other themes the fund is also interested in.

Griffin understood why cyclical and value stocks are in favour at the moment. But he sees those only as short-term — 6 to 12 months — investment plays.

“But in the next 3 to 5 years if you are trying to find structural winners, we still think digital areas are the place to look.”

High-performance computing stocks (such as ASML Holding NV (AMS: ASML)) and e-commerce shares (like Hellofresh SE (ETR: HFG)) were also in favour at Munro Partners.

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Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Tony Yoo 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 Microsoft 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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The PolyNovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) share price is pushing higher this morning following the release of a couple of positive announcements.

At the time of writing, the medical device company’s shares are up 7% to $2.66.

What did PolyNovo announce?

This morning PolyNovo announced that it has expanded its presence in Europe by entering into both the Poland and Turkey markets.

In respect to Poland, the company has appointed Hortho Medical Innovations as its exclusive distributor in the country.

According to the release, Hortho distributes modern and innovative devices for medical reconstruction. This includes a number of complementary bio-absorbable implant technologies.

It also works closely with key opinion leaders in plastic/reconstructive surgery and has a direct team servicing all of Poland. Hortho plans to add dedicated personnel to support NovoSorb BTM sales and marketing activities.

The company notes that Poland is the sixth largest country in the European Union with a population of more than 38 million, and a medical device market valued at over $2.2 billion.

PolyNovo’s Managing Director, Paul Brennan, said: “Poland is an exciting growth market in Europe and we see this partnership as an important step in expanding our sales in Europe.”

What about Turkey?

Over in Turkey, PolyNovo has appointed Incomed Saglik Hiz and its medical sales channel LotuS as its distributor.

It notes that this expansion into the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) region is a big step in bringing NovoSorb BTM to a significant number of surgeons and patients in the region.

LotuS has an established product portfolio and sales relationships within wound and burn treatment. It also has over 10 years’ experience launching innovative devices through its extensive customer base.

Management advised that LotuS is the distributor of Suprathel (an artificial wound and burn dressing) and is familiar with the benefits of synthetic products in the treatment of complex surgical wounds. NovoSorb BTM will complete its plastic and reconstructive surgery offering.

Mr Brennan commented: “We are excited by our partnership with LotuS mcd and our entry into Turkey. The country is an important geographical and commercial link in our European, Mediterranean and Middle East strategy. We will now be able to service surgeons who work across EMEA and expand the inter-surgeon referral of the benefits of NovoSorb BTM.”

More reading

• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX drops despite promises of more US stimulus
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares last week
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• ASX 200 up 0.4%: Afterpay hits record high, bank shares rise, Resolute disappoints
• Why this broker sees little upside to the Polynovo (ASX:PNV) share price right now

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

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The Regis Healthcare Ltd (ASX: REG) share price has come under pressure on Wednesday morning.

At the time of writing, the aged care operator’s shares are down a sizeable 11% to $1.65.

Why is the Regis Healthcare share price sinking lower?

Investors have been selling the company’s shares this morning following the release of an update by Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) on its takeover approach.

Back in September, Washington H. Soul Pattinson (WHSP) submitted a non-binding, indicative proposal to acquire Regis Healthcare.

WHSP tabled an offer of $1.65 per share to acquire the company, which represented a 48% premium to the one-month volume weighted average price (VWAP) of Regis shares on 29 September 2020.

This approach was rejected by the company, leading to WHSP coming back with an improved offer in November.

The investment house, together with its partner Ashburn Pty Ltd, an entity controlled by Bryan Dorman (a co-founder and major shareholder of Regis Healthcare), made a non-binding, indicative proposal to acquire Regis for $1.85 per share via a scheme of arrangement.

This offer was subject to due diligence and represented a 59% premium to the one-month VWAP of Regis shares on 19 November 2020.

WHSP believes that the two proposals provided Regis shareholders with a highly attractive opportunity to realise value for their shares in light of the significant uncertainty and funding challenges currently facing the aged care industry.

However, with both proposals being rejected by the board of Regis and WHSP apparently unwilling to go higher, it has now withdrawn its non-binding indicative proposal and also ceased its association with Ashburn Pty Ltd and Bryan Dorman.

At the time of writing, Regis Healthcare has not responded to this news. However, it previously stated that it believes it “materially undervalues the company given its medium to long term prospects and does not offer fair value to shareholders.”

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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 Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company 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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Diehard BNPL investors have something new to cheer about as they have a new reason to believe in the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price.

After returning a 15-fold return since the depth of the COVID-19 market crash last year, there were bound to be questions about Afterpay’s valuation.

But if hiring intentions are any guide, there are reasons to be optimistic about the APT share price and that of its peers.

Job ads signal for Afterpay share price

Citigroup tracked job ads in the December half and found a big increase among several ASX tech stocks.

Hiring intentions are typically a good indicator for growth. Companies will only take on staff to cope with stronger demand for their goods and services, or anticipate material growth on the horizon.

The broker also pointed out that job ads reflect management confidence in their outlook, and in some cases strengthening balance sheets from capital raisings.

Gearing up for a big 2021

Two ASX tech stocks that tapped investors for capital recently include Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) and Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA).

While Afterpay was actively ramping up hiring, it wasn’t the most aggressive, according to Citi.

“As a % of existing headcount, Zip had the highest listings followed by Afterpay with job listings in the December half representing 59% and 55% of total headcount, respectively,” said the broker.

“We see this as a function of ongoing investment driven by strong growth as well as geographical and product expansion and note that both companies have the highest revenue growth outlook within our coverage.”

ASX tech stocks with biggest growth ambitions

It’s also worth noting that Zip’s hiring activity was focused on the US where its ramping up Quadpay.

Meanwhile, Nearmap’s job listings jumped to 35 in the second quarter of FY21 compared to 14 in the first quarter.

But if you were wondering who topped the job ad leader board, it’s not either of these buy now pay later (BNPL) ASX darlings. The crown goes to the Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price.

“Xero had the highest number of listings in the December half, with hiring activity improving after slowing in the June quarter,” explained Citi.

“While we see this as a positive signal and points to improving trading conditions, the fact that Xero had the highest listings is not surprising when considering that Xero has the largest headcount within our coverage.”

ASX tech stocks on hiring freeze?

On the flipside, the level of job activity doesn’t bode well for the Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price.

The broker noted both of these tech stocks had the lowest listings as a percentage of existing headcount in 1HCY20.

More reading

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• 3 great ASX tech shares to buy
• 3 reasons why Xero (ASX:XRO) shares could be a buy

Brendon Lau owns shares of Nearmap Ltd. Connect with him on Twitter @brenlau.

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Altium. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Nearmap Ltd. and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nearmap 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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The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price will be on watch today following the release of its second quarter and half year production update.

How did BHP perform in the second quarter?

The Big Australian had a solid finish to the half thanks to record production at Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) and record average concentrator throughput at Escondida.

BHP reported iron ore production of 62,394kt for the second quarter and 128,434kt for the first half. This represents a 3% and 6% increase, respectively, on the prior corresponding periods.

Despite an improvement in copper production over the first quarter, second quarter production was 6% lower than the prior corresponding period at 428kt and 5% lower for the half at 841kt.

BHP’s petroleum production fell 16% on the prior corresponding period to 24Mmboe during the second quarter. This led to a 12% decline in half year production to 50Mmboe.

Overall, this was a largely mixed performance in comparison to the market’s expectations. For example, Goldman Sachs was forecasting quarterly iron ore shipments of 69.3Mt, copper production of 382kt, and petroleum production of 25.6Mmboe.

Commodity price update.

During the first half the company has benefited greatly from an increase in commodity prices since the end of FY 2020.

A few key increases include a 35% improvement in the average realised price of iron ore to US$103.78 a tonne, a 39% jump in copper to US$3.32 a pound, a 10% lift in oil price to US$41.40 a barrel, and a 22% rise in the nickel price to US$15,140 a tonne.

This was offset slightly by weakness in coal and LNG prices during the last six months.

Outlook.

BHP has provided an update on its guidance for the full year. Management revealed that its iron ore guidance has increased to between 245Mt and 255Mt, reflecting the restart of Samarco in December 2020.

Its copper guidance has narrowed to between 1,510kt and 1,645kt from between 1,480kt and 1,645kt. And finally, its petroleum guidance remains unchanged at between 95 and 102 MMboe. However, volumes are expected to be in the upper half of the guidance range as additional production from Shenzi is partially offset by the impacts of significant hurricane activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

BHP’s full year unit cost guidance remains unchanged for the 2021 financial year.

One slight negative is that its upcoming half year results will include an impairment charge of between US$1.15 billion and US$1.25 billion post tax in relation to New South Wales Energy Coal (NSWEC) and associated deferred tax assets.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
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• Wilson Asset Management thinks these 2 ASX shares are a buy

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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Respected fund manager Wilson Asset Management (WAM) has recently identified two ASX shares that it owns in its portfolio.

WAM operates several listed investment companies (LICs). Two of those LICs are WAM Capital Limited (ASX: WAM) and WAM Leaders Ltd (ASX: WLE).

There’s also one called WAM Research Limited (ASX: WAX) which looks at smaller businesses on the ASX.

WAM says WAM Research invests in the most compelling undervalued growth opportunities in the Australian market.

The WAM Research portfolio has delivered gross returns (that’s before fees, expenses and taxes) of 15.8% per annum since the strategy changed in July 2010, which is superior to the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Accumulation Index return of 8.9% per annum.

These are the two ASX shares that WAM outlined in its most recent monthly update:

Imdex Limited (ASX: IMD)

WAM described Imdex as a mining services and technology company that develops drilling optimisation products and sensor for mining companies to conduct minerals exploration. According to the ASX, Imdex has a market capitalisation of $664 million. 

The fund manager said that the company is set to benefit from increasing commodity prices in gold, copper, and iron ore, which form 82% of its commodity exposure and should contribute to increased levels of exploration expenditure in 2021.

Imdex has a net cash balance sheet and WAM thinks the company has the potential to make earnings accretive acquisitions.

In FY20 the ASX share saw its net profit decline by 17% to $21.8 million, however operating cash flow improved by 31% to $52.4 million.

In July 2020, Imdex acquired AusSpec International, which the company said was the world’s leading provider of spectral mineralogy through its platform. The co-founder of AusSpec is described as the world’s leading spectral mineralogy expert who has built an extensive spectral library over the past five years.

Imdex said that AusSpec has a four-year consistent and profitable growth profile and generates revenue through a software as a service (SaaS) model. The acquisition was immediately cashflow positive.

Australian Finance Group Ltd (ASX: AFG)

The fund manager said that this ASX share operates the largest aggregation platform of mortgage brokers in Australia, with around 3,000 brokers offering business finance, insurance and securitised products. According to the ASX, Australian Finance Group has a market capitalisation of $730 million.

With the company leveraged to new loan originations and refinancing for homeowners, the fund manager sees a positive outlook for the company going forward, driven by a combination of record low interest rates, government stimulus measures and improving consumer confidence.

Australian Finance Group recently gave an update at its annual general meeting (AGM). The quarter ending 30 September 2020 was a record quarter of lodgement activity in the residential broking division. October volumes continued with that momentum.

Significant government incentives at both a federal and state level have targeted the first home buyer market. Due to that, according to the company, the first home buyer market share activity has increased to 23% in October, up from 15% in the same period last year.

Looking at October trading showed increases in lodgements across the country. Lodgement volumes for October exceeded $6.7 billion for the ASX share. That was the highest the company has ever achieved and represented a 16% increase from October last year. WA saw the largest percentage increase in volume with lodgements increasing 41% from the same period last year. Queensland growth was 30%, South Australian growth was 25%, NSW growth was 7% and Victoria growth was 11%.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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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With earnings season on the horizon, I thought I would start to take a look at what is expected from some of Australia’s most popular companies.

On this occasion, I’m going to take a look at supermarket giant Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL).

What is expected from Coles in the first half of FY 2021?

With the Coles share price up strongly over the last 12 months, expectations certainly are high for the company next month.

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts are expecting Coles to reported group sales of $20,585.9 million for the half, which will be an increase of 9.2% on the prior corresponding period.

This is expected to be driven by an 8.7% jump in Food sales to $18,022.6 million, a 16% jump in Liquor sales to $1,961.9 million, and a 5.1% increase in Coles Express sales to $601.4 million.

In respect to earnings, Goldman is forecasting earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $1,784.2 million for the half. This will be a 7.2% increase on the prior corresponding period.

And on the bottom line, an underlying net profit after tax of $540.4 million has been pencilled in. This represents a 10.5% increase on the same period last year.

Finally, the broker expects this strong form to lead to the Coles board declaring an interim fully franked dividend of 34 cents per share, which will be a 13.3% increase on last year’s interim dividend.

Is the Coles share price in the buy zone?

According to the note, Goldman Sachs believes the Coles share price is in the buy zone right now.

This morning it has retained its buy rating and lifted its price target on the company’s shares to $21.10.

Based on the current Coles share price, this implies a potential total return of ~22% over the next 12 months including dividends.

More reading

• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX drops despite promises of more US stimulus
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• 2 ASX dividend shares for income investors
• 3 ASX dividend shares with yields above 4%

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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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