Tag: Motley Fool

  • Are short sellers of Pilbara Minerals stock about to get stung?

    Miner looking at a tablet.Miner looking at a tablet.

    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) stock closed Thursday at $4.17 apiece, down 0.24%.

    The ASX 200 lithium share has fallen 7.13% over the past six months and is up 13.3% over the past 12 months.

    Pilbara Minerals is currently the most shorted equity on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) today.

    A significant 21.3% of the stock is currently short-sold.

    That means a fair few people in the professional trader community think Pilbara Minerals shares will fall.

    But are they about to get stung?

    What’s changing for Pilbara Minerals stock?

    As reported in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), billions of dollars in shorts on various lithium shares may be in jeopardy as the global supply glut of lithium shows signs of easing.

    The oversupply coupled with lower demand for electric vehicles in today’s challenging economy has led to lithium commodity prices crashing.

    In 2023, the lithium carbonate price fell by more than 80%.

    This year, there’s been a 15% rebound, and top brokers UBS and Goldman Sachs have just reduced their supply estimates for this year by 33% and 26%, respectively.

    In addition, Morgan Stanley has noted lower inventories in China. 

    S&P Global data shows short selling on Pilbara Minerals stock is around record levels, and equivalent to about $US1.8 billion.

    As my colleague James notes: “Short sellers have been closing positions in the lithium industry but are not letting up on [Pilbara Minerals].”

    Tribeca Investment Partners hedge fund manager Jun Bei Liu is long on Pilbara Minerals stock.

    She said:

    Double-digit capacity has already been taken out of the lithium market and that usually is a sign that the commodity price is bottoming.

    Another broker, Morgans, currently has an add rating on Pilbara Minerals stock. It has placed a 12-month share price target of $4.50 on the lithium share.

    The post Are short sellers of Pilbara Minerals stock about to get stung? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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 Goldman Sachs Group. 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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  • Could Core Lithium shares really fall another 40%?

    A couple sits on a sofa, each clutching their heads in horror and disbelief, while looking at a laptop screen.

    A couple sits on a sofa, each clutching their heads in horror and disbelief, while looking at a laptop screen.

    Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares have been under pressure this week.

    Since the close of play last Friday, the lithium miner’s shares have lost almost 10% of their value.

    This leaves them trading within a single cent of a record low.

    Why are Core Lithium shares falling?

    Investors have been hitting the sell button this week after the lithium miner released its half-year results.

    Core Lithium reported revenue of $134.8 million but a loss after tax of $167.6 million. This was driven by weak lithium prices, impairments, and the suspension of its mining operations.

    In addition, the company surprised the market with the announcement of the exit of its CEO, Gareth Manderson.

    Are the declines over?

    Unfortunately, a couple of leading brokers believe that Core Lithium shares can still fall heavily from current levels.

    For example, the team at Goldman Sachs responded to the results release by reiterating its sell rating and cutting its price target to 13 cents (from 14 cents).

    Based on its current share price of 19 cents, this implies potential downside of 31.5% for investors.

    Goldman continues to believe that “CXO appears relatively expensive trading at a premium on ~1.5x NAV (peer average ~1.15x), with ongoing risk to Finniss restart timing.”

    In addition, it thinks that “a near-term restart of the Finniss operation is increasingly unlikely.”

    As a result, Goldman is forecasting revenue of just $17.8 million from Core Lithium in FY 2025.

    Citi is feeling even more bearish

    Analysts at Citi believe that Core Lithium’s shares could fall even further from current levels.

    According to a note from this week, the broker has reaffirmed its sell rating with a reduced price target of just 11 cents.

    This suggests that the company’s shares could crash a further 42% from where they trade today.

    All in all, these brokers don’t appear to believe the pain is over for the lithium miner’s shares unfortunately.

    The post Could Core Lithium shares really fall another 40%? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 Goldman Sachs Group. 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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  • Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend shares now

    A couple working on a laptop laugh as they discuss their ASX share portfolio.

    A couple working on a laptop laugh as they discuss their ASX share portfolio.

    There are plenty of ASX dividend shares to choose from on the Australian share market. But which ones could be buys today?

    Let’s take a look at three that analysts are feeling bullish on at present. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

    Bell Potter thinks that Accent could be an ASX dividend share to buy in March. The broker has a buy rating and $2.50 price target on the footwear retailer’s shares.

    As well as decent upside, the broker expects some big dividend yields from its shares.

    For example, Bell Potter is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 13 cents in FY 2024 and then 14.6 cents in FY 2025. Based on the latest Accent share price of $2.00, this represents dividend yields of 6.5% and 7.3%, respectively.

    Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

    Over at Goldman Sachs, its analysts believe that mining giant Rio Tinto could be a great option for income investors. The broker currently has a buy rating and $138.30 price target on its shares.

    Goldman notes that “Rio is a FCF and production growth story […] with forecast Cu Eq production growth of ~5-6% in 2024 & 2025.”

    The broker expects this to support fully franked dividends per share of US$4.39 (A$6.67) in FY 2024 and then US$4.61 (A$7.00) in FY 2025. Based on the latest Rio Tinto share price of $119.19, this will mean yields of 5.6% and 5.9%, respectively.

    Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN)

    Finally, Goldman also thinks that Insurance giant Suncorp could be an ASX dividend share to buy.

    The broker currently has a buy rating and $16.25 price target on the company’s shares.

    As for income, Goldman is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 77 cents in FY 2024 and 82 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Suncorp share price of $15.87, this will mean yields of 4.85% and 5.15%, respectively.

    The post Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend shares now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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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 Goldman Sachs Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

    A man looking at his laptop and thinking.

    A man looking at his laptop and thinking.

    On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and dropped into the red. The benchmark index fell 0.2% to 7,713.6 points.

    Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 poised to sink

    The Australian share market looks set to end the week deep in the red following a poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 76 points or 1% lower this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.6%, the S&P 500 is down 0.55%, and the NASDAQ is down 0.55%.

    Oil prices rise again

    ASX 200 energy shares such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) could have a good finish to the week after oil prices rose again overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.6% to US$81.03 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.3% to US$85.16 a barrel. This has been driven by attacks on Russian refineries.

    Bega Cheese named as a buy

    The Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) share price could be good value according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker reaffirmed its buy rating and $5.00 price target on the diversified food company’s shares. It notes that its shares are “still trading at a material discount to its historical 1yr FWD EV/EBITDA multiple of 12.3x, trading at 11.4x FY24e and 9.9x FY25e. These also represent a material discount to global dairy (12.7x) and FMCG (12.4x) peers.”

    Gold price edges lower

    ASX 200 gold shares including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a poor session after the gold price dropped overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.65% to US$2,166.5 an ounce. Rate cut doubts weighed on the precious metal.

    Tabcorp CEO

    Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH) shares will be on watch on Friday after the gambling company announced the exit of its CEO, Adam Rytenskild. The follows claims of “inappropriate and offensive language used by Mr Rytenskild in the workplace.” The outgoing CEO said that he didn’t “recall making the alleged comment.”

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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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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  • If you’d put $1m into shares vs property at the start of COVID, how much would you have now?

    A woman sits in her home with chin resting on her hand and looking at her laptop computer with some reflection with an assortment of books and documents on her table.A woman sits in her home with chin resting on her hand and looking at her laptop computer with some reflection with an assortment of books and documents on her table.

    Investors love the shares vs property debate. It can keep a friendly dinner party going for hours on end.

    And there are some passionate arguments to be had regarding which asset class is ‘best’ and why.

    If they can, though, smart investors simply do both.

    While past performance is no guarantee of future performance, it’s interesting to look back over certain periods of time to determine whether shares or property would have been the wisest choice.

    Which is better? Shares vs property since COVID

    Let’s keep this simple and just look at the capital gains since COVID-19 for shares vs property.

    That means investment property rents and ASX shares dividends are not included in our calculations here.

    Property values

    CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless said the national Home Value Index (HVI) surged by 32.5% between March 2020 and February 2024. The HVI incorporates all types of dwellings.

    So, if you’d invested $1 million in property at the start of COVID, you’d have $1,325,000 now.

    At the start of COVID, property prices initially dipped by 1.7% between March 2020 and June 2020.

    They then surged 30.8% higher to a cyclical peak in April 2022. There’s been a further 1.7% uplift since then.

    Interest rates falling to emergency lows and fixed mortgage rates dropping below 2% by 2022 significantly stoked buyer demand.

    People also started upgrading to larger homes to make life more bearable during lockdowns. Many left the inner cities for outskirt areas or the regions because they could work from home and buy cheaper.

    This exacerbated demand in hotspots like South-East Queensland. It was one of the most popular locations for interstate migration during COVID, as people sought a seachange lifestyle and larger, cheaper homes.

    When interest rates began rising in May 2022, there was a 7.5% slump in median home values.

    That’s normal — home prices typically fall as interest rates rise. In 2022, the national home value fell 5.3%.

    Then two factors turned that trend on its head in early 2023.

    Booming migration and low supply of homes for sale amid continuously strong demand led to property price growth of 8.1% in 2023. Incidentally, ASX 200 shares delivered the exact same capital growth.

    ASX shares

    At the start of COVID, ASX share prices crashed.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 32.5% from peak to trough over a five-week period from mid-February to late March 2020.

    Then came the rebound.

    ASX 200 stocks came out of that trough to surge about 55% to a cyclical peak in August 2021. 

    Then price growth moderated, with the benchmark index rising just 1.1% since then til today.

    The ASX 200 hit a new all-time high of 7,853.1 points in intraday trading last Friday, 8 March.

    So, if you’d invested $1 million in ASX 200 shares, say via an index fund, on the first day of the COVID market crash (21 February), you’d have $1,104,600 today.

    If you’d picked the bottom and invested $1 million on the day of the market crash trough (19 March), you’d have $1,600,000 today.

    What a difference a month makes!

    ASX 200 blue-chips

    What if you’d been more selective with your stocks?

    What if you’d put $1 million into an ASX 200 blue-chip stock on the day of the trough?

    Let’s see what that $1 million would be worth now:

    ASX 200 share Today’s worth
    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) $1,492,000
    Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) $1,940,000
    National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) $2,139,900
    Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) $2,370,000
    Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) $2,319,900
    Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) $2,170,200
    Based on the closing prices on 19 March 2020 and 14 March 2024

    Foolish takeaway

    To recap, the ASX shares vs property markets responded differently to the pandemic.

    They both fell initially — but to vastly different degrees — and rebounded to varying degrees as well.

    The post If you’d put $1m into shares vs property at the start of COVID, how much would you have now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in BHP Group, CSL, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia, and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. 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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  • Wake up! 3 stocks to watch RIGHT NOW

    Jess AmirJess Amir

    There is a lot going on at any given time in financial markets, but there are simply some stocks that have catalysts ready to bust out.

    Moomoo market strategist Jessica Amir has picked out three such shares that investors cannot afford to take their eyes off at the moment:

    The ASX stock robbed overnight that could get it all back

    Back in 2020, the Chinese government took offence to calls from Canberra for an independent enquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

    As economic retaliation, Beijing slapped on punitive tariffs on a range of goods imported from Australia.

    That included wine, and Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)’s biggest overseas market disappeared overnight.

    “Since 2021, Australia’s wine industry has suffered tariffs of up to 220% on imports into China,” said Amir.

    Now, with a different party in charge in Australia, diplomatic relations have thawed somewhat.

    And this could soon provide Treasury Wine shares a huge boost.

    “The bets are in — it won’t be long before the Australian wine industry reclaims access to the Chinese market following the Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s proposal to lift the exorbitant tariffs on Australian wine imports.”

    Already the international forecast for wine consumption is looking positive.

    “The company has a rosy outlook with its top-line stable of wines seeing greater sales and its shares moving up 22% from their lows.”

    Gold will never go out of fashion

    For Amir, gold could be the “undervalued investment opportunity” of the year.

    The global gold price is on an upward trajectory at the moment, rising about 30% since October 2022. 

    And she’s noticed the Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) share price has now risen 15% from a five-year low.

    “Given that the US Federal Reserve will soon cut interest rates, we’re likely to see Australia follow suit and stimulate spending in the near future.

    “Newmont has great global exposure and [i’s] a potential share to consider for those looking to add gold to their portfolio.”

    The hottest stock in the world

    It’s hard to talk about the hottest shares to watch these days without at least mentioning Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) in passing.

    The stock was driven to an all-time high last week thanks to the huge demand for its chips to run artificial intelligence, before a pullback from profit-taking.

    “It’s already seen a surge in its stock value following its recent setback.”

    There is a potential catalyst in the coming days that investors need to monitor, according to Amir.

    “Next week, Nvidia will be heading up the Nvidia GTC conference in San Jose California, the number 1 AI conference in the world.

    “With fresh ideas and hype, Nvidia is likely to continue its upward trajectory despite its profit-taking dip at the end of last week.”

    The post Wake up! 3 stocks to watch RIGHT NOW appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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 Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia and Treasury Wine Estates. 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’d buy this ASX 200 stock today to start making powerful passive income for retirement

    A couple sit on the deck of a yacht with a beautiful mountain and lake backdrop enjoying the fruits of their long-term ASX shares and dividend income.A couple sit on the deck of a yacht with a beautiful mountain and lake backdrop enjoying the fruits of their long-term ASX shares and dividend income.

    There are so many delightful ASX dividend shares out there that can help you generate a decent flow of passive income.

    That payment stream could even be your ticket to an early retirement, if you manage it well.

    The reason why the ASX is endowed with so many excellent income producers is because of franking credits.

    The concept allows beneficiaries to avoid paying income tax on dividends from company profits that have already had corporate tax paid.

    This incentivises ASX businesses to use dividends rather than buybacks as the method of returning capital.

    So if you want to start establishing a strong source of passive income today, there is one stock that I’m intrigued by:

    The real deal passive income generator 

    Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL), for the last couple of years, has been famous as that weird stock viewed with suspicion at the top of ASX dividend yield league tables.

    At one stage its yield was almost touching 20%.

    This nosebleed level of payouts combined with the volatile nature of energy and resources stocks meant the scepticism was probably well justified.

    But now, after the latest payout, that figure is down to a more sane — but still juicy — 12.8%.

    That’s the equivalent of $12,800 of annual passive income from a $100,000 portfolio. 

    Pretty sensational.

    And with the global economy looking forward to a revival over the coming years, experts are liking the outlook for the coal producer. The better the health of the economy, the higher the energy demand, and this pushes the coal price upwards.

    In fact, all four analysts surveyed on broking platform CMC Invest say Yancoal is a buy right now.

    The company enjoyed a decent reporting season, when chief executive David Moult indicated in 2023 it met the target of rebuilding mining inventory, with production increased every quarter.

    “The group is in a robust financial position, with no external loans, $1.8 billion of franking credits available, and a net cash balance that we expect will increase each month.”

    In the long run, the Yancoal share price has gained 46% over the past five years.

    The post I’d buy this ASX 200 stock today to start making powerful passive income for retirement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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 are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

    Man smiling at a laptop because of a rising share price.

    Man smiling at a laptop because of a rising share price.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured a rough day of trading this Thursday and finished the second last trading day of the week on a sour note.

    After a strong start this morning, the ASX 200 lost steam over the trading session, finishing up with a loss of 0.2%. That leaves the index at 7,713.6 points.

    Today’s disappointing ASX experience comes after a mixed session up on Wall Street in overnight trading.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had an average time, inching up 0.097%

    However, the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn’t so lucky, losing 0.54%.

    But let’s return to the ASX now, and take stock of what the different ASX sectors were up to today.

    Winners and losers

    Despite the loss that the share market recorded as a whole, we still saw plenty of winners and losers this Thursday.

    But starting with the losers, the most punished sector today was financial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) plunged by a notable 1.88% by market close.

    Consumer discretionary shares were a sore spot too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) suffered a 0.73% swing against it.

    Communications stocks were right behind that loss, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) shedding 0.71%.

    Tech shares didn’t escape unscathed either. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) retreated by 0.67%.

    The last loser was the utilities space. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) sank by 0.05%.

    Turning to the winners now, these were spearheaded by gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) bounced back hard, surging by 2.23%.

    Broader mining shares soared too. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) saw its value rocket 1.85%.

    ASX consumer staples stocks did a lot better than their discretionary stablemates, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) rising 0.55%.

    Healthcare shares were in demand as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) grew by 0.43%.

    Energy stocks came in next, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ)’s 0.15% bump.

    Our final two winners were industrial shares and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) inched higher by 0.03% and 0.01% respectively.

    Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

    Taking out the top spot today was ASX miner Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR).

    Sandfire shares had a wonderful time on the market this Thursday, banking a gain of 7.22% up to $8.47 a share.

    This comes after some positive developments in the copper market, which we discussed this afternoon.

    Here’s how the rest of today’s winning shares landed the plane:

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) $8.47 7.22%
    Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) $3.38 5.96%
    Silver Lake Resources Ltd (ASX: SLR) $1.205 5.70%
    Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) $1.66 5.40%
    South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) $3.02 5.23%
    Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) $0.043 4.88%
    Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) $130.00 4.67%
    Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) $0.245 4.26%
    Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) $2.10 3.96%
    West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF) $1.005 3.61%

    Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

    The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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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 Block. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block. 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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  • Up 288% in 6 months, Zip share price tipped for more outsized gains

    woman using affirm to paywoman using affirm to pay

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) share price has been on fire of late.

    Despite sliding 4.5% in intraday trade today, shares in the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) buy now, pay later (BNPL) stock are up an eye-popping 288% over the past six months.

    In late afternoon trade on Thursday, shares are swapping hands for $1.24 apiece.

    Despite that huge gain Citi believes there’s more outperformance ahead for the company.

    Yesterday, the broker lifted its target for the Zip share price by 79% to $1.40 (broker data courtesy of The Australian). That represents a further potential 13% upside from current levels.

    Here’s what’s been going right for the company.

    Zip share price catching global tailwinds

    Two of the tailwinds helping the company’s growth plans are inflation and interest rates.

    With inflation coming down in Zip’s target markets of Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the outlook for consumer spending is looking rosier.

    Even more importantly, falling inflation means we’re getting closer to seeing central banks cut interest rates. And the Zip share price, along with most every BNPL stock, has proven very sensitive to higher interest rates.

    With the outlook for the so-called economic soft landing on the cards, the outlook for the BNPL sector is also looking up. That should help Zip continue to grow its user numbers and profitability in the core US market.

    And the company’s half-year results, reported on 27 February, certainly reinforced that growth outlook.

    Among the highlights, Zip reported a 9.6% year on year increase in total transaction volume (TTV) to $5 billion. Revenue soared by 28.9% to $430 million. And the company’s cash gross profit of $176 million was up 45.9% from the prior corresponding half year.

    Another key metric that investors will have picked up on was the 1.30% increase in Zip’s revenue margin, which reached 8.5% over the half year.

    And with US operations charging ahead, TTV in Zip Americas leapt by 33.3% for a record half.

    Surprisingly, the Zip share price closed down 14.4% on the day the company released its results.

    The next day, ASX 200 investors looked to have had a change of heart and sent the ASX 200 BNPL stock up 13.1%.

    The post Up 288% in 6 months, Zip share price tipped for more outsized gains appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

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    Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 Zip Co. 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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  • 2 powerful blue chip ASX 200 shares to buy for your portfolio

    Three excited business people cheer around a laptop in the office

    Three excited business people cheer around a laptop in the office

    If you’re building a portfolio, then having a few blue chips in there could be a good starting point.

    Blue chips are typically large companies that have been operating for many years, have stable cash flows, experienced management teams, and positive outlooks. These qualities can make them a good foundation to build a portfolio from.

    But which blue chip ASX 200 shares could be buys now? Listed below are two high-quality options to consider in March:

    CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

    The first blue chip ASX 200 share that could be a buy is CSL. It is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, comprising the CSL Behring, CSL Vifor, and Seqirus businesses.

    The team at UBS believes that recent weakness has created a buying opportunity for investors. Particularly given the broker’s belief that CSL will deliver double-digit earnings growth over the next three to four years.

    UBS has a buy rating and $330.00 price target on the company’s shares. This implies potential upside of 17% for investors over the next 12 months.

    Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

    Another blue chip ASX 200 share that could be a buy for investors this month is Goodman Group. It is a leading integrated commercial and industrial property company.

    Goodman has been growing at a solid rate over the last decade thanks to the success of its strategy of developing high-quality industrial properties in strategic locations. The good news is that this strategy remains in place and Goodman has a huge development pipeline that is expected to drive further growth.

    It is for this reason that Macquarie currently has an outperform rating and $34.84 price target on its shares. This suggests potential upside of almost 13% for investors from current levels.

    The post 2 powerful blue chip ASX 200 shares to buy for your portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL, Goodman Group, and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL and Goodman 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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