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The Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) share price is falling hard today, down 12.3% in late morning trade.

The ASX lithium stock closed yesterday trading for $1.87 per share and is currently swapping hands for $1.64 per share.

So, what’s going on?

Why the big fall in the Core Lithium share price?

It’s not just the Core Lithium share price that’s taking a big hit today.

While the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.2%, materials stocks are broadly underperforming, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) down 1.4% at this same time.

Granted, that’s a lot less ground than Core Lithium is losing. Indeed, most of the big name lithium stocks are leading the charge lower today.

The bigger pullback in the lithium stocks looks to be driven by a combination of weakness in US markets overnight combined with an absolutely smashing performance yesterday, likely leading to some profit-taking today.

Yesterday saw the Core Lithium share price close up 11.7%, meaning it’s only down 1.8% from Friday’s close.

Monday’s surge came on the heels of news that China – the world’s number two economy and a voracious consumer of lithium – is moving to scale back some of its strict COVID-zero policies.

The rolling lockdowns have thrown up headwinds for China’s economic growth, and any easing should see an uptick in the Middle Kingdom’s demand for a range of resources, including lithium.

Atop the easing of pandemic restrictions, news also broke that China’s government will offer more support for property developers to spur some life back into its beleaguered real estate markets.

This looks to have helped send Core Lithium shares soaring yesterday, setting shares up for a big retrace today.

How has Core Lithium been tracking in 2022?

Despite the big fall today, the Core Lithium share price remains up 161% in 2022. That compares to a year to date loss of 6% posted by the ASX 200.

The post Why is the Core Lithium share price falling 12% on Tuesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why did ASX lithium shares have a dream run on Monday?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most traded ASX 200 shares on Monday
• Why Accent, Block, Core Lithium, and Fortescue shares are pushing higher
• Why did Core Lithium shares just crack a new all-time high?

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 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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A reliable passive income has the potential to make all the difference in a person’s retirement, allowing them to enjoy their spare time with a regular income stream. Fortunately, S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) dividend shares can help to provide just that.  

Companies that call the index home are generally larger in size and more established than their smaller peers. Indeed, some ASX 200 shares are even blue-chip stocks – market leaders with a strong financial position and track record.

Why I would invest in ASX 200 dividend shares for retirement

ASX 200 shares might appeal to those looking for a long-term, stable investment. While they may be less likely than, say, growth shares to post massive returns, they normally have a well-carved market position and competitive advantages that can help them sail through negative tides.

Additionally, many ASX 200 stocks hand over a portion of their profits to investors in the form of dividends. That means a strategically built portfolio of dividend-paying shares could see a retiree receiving a regular income without lifting a finger.

On top of that, dividend stocks can hedge a retiree’s financial position against inflation. That’s because they’re capable of providing returns greater than the bite inflation takes out of a savings account.

Though, no investment is guaranteed to offer returns or passive income.

So, with all that in mind, here are three ASX 200 dividend shares that brokers rate as buys right now.

3 ASX 200 dividend shares brokers tip as buys

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Wesfarmers shares could lift nearly 19% from their current price of $46.82 to trade at $55.60, according to broker Morgans.

The expert likes the company’s retail portfolio and management. It also expects the company to grow its dividends to $1.82 per share this fiscal year – up from $1.80 in financial year 2022.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Morgans also believes the current Telstra share price – $3.86 – undervalues the telecommunications giant.

The broker also thinks the ASX 200 favourite will pay out 16.5 cents per share this fiscal year and next. Meanwhile, its share price is tipped to rise to $4.60.

HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN)

Finally, Goldman Sachs tips the HomeCo Daily Needs real estate investment trust (REIT) as a buy.

It slapped the ASX 200 share with a $1.57 price target. It also expects the stock to offer 8.3 cents of dividends per share this financial year and 8.4 cents per share next.

The REIT has paid out 8.3 cents over the last 12 months and currently trades at $1.28.

The post Building a passive income for retirement? Check out these 3 ASX 200 dividend shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Up 20% in a month, here’s the bull and bear case for the Lynas share price
• Experts name the blue chip ASX 200 dividend shares to buy now
• Morgans names 2 of the best ASX 200 dividend shares to buy
• Why did the Telstra share price tumble 3% today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited and Wesfarmers Limited. 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 Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price is pushing higher on Tuesday.

In morning trade, the banking giant’s shares are up over 1.5% to $106.86.

Why is the CBA share price pushing higher?

Investors have been bidding the CBA share price higher on Tuesday after responding positively to the bank’s first quarter update.

For the three months ended 30 September, CBA reported a 9% jump in operating income and a 2% increase in cash earnings over the second half average to $2.5 billion.

Australia’s largest bank reported net interest income growth of 16%, which was driven by higher deposit earnings, volume growth across core products, and the benefit of rising rates. This was offset by weaker non-interest income.

What has the reaction been?

Analysts at Goldman Sachs were pleased with the update. The broker highlights that CBA’s earnings are tracking ahead of its first half estimates. Goldman said:

Cash profit from continuing operations in 1Q23 of c.A$2.5 bn was up 13% vs 1Q22 and run-rating c.5% ahead of what is implied by our 1H23E forecasts.

The better-than-expected cash earnings result was due to a combination of lower-than-expected BDD charge and a better than expected NIM [net interest margin] performance, albeit not inconsistent with what we have seen from peers. Against this, non-interest income was weaker (trading, DVA and floods), and costs were a bit higher, such that PPOP was run-rating c.1% above our implied 1H23E forecasts.

And while Goldman notes that the bank didn’t reveal its NIM for the period, the 16% increase in net interest income paints a positive picture. This could be giving the CBA share price an added boost today. It said:

CBA did not provide a NIM for the quarter; however, we note that net interest income was very strong at +16% vs 2H22 average and was run rating 5.5% above our 1H23E forecasts. Based on current GSe balance sheet forecasts, and the fact liquids seem to have grown stronger than loans in the quarter, we estimate a 1Q23 NIM of between 2.05% to 2.10% (which is >10bp higher than our current 1H23E), with its trajectory into 2Q likely still higher.

As things stand, Goldman Sachs has a sell rating and $88.33 price target on CBA’s shares. Though, this recommendation and price target could change in the coming days once the broker has fully absorbed the update.

The post Why is the CBA share price charging higher today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• CBA share price on watch amid $2.5b Q1 cash profit
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Looking to buy CBA shares? Here’s what to watch in Tuesday’s update
• Are ASX share investors getting their mojo back?
• Don’t panic! Here are 7 reasons we can avoid a recession: AMP

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

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

The stock market built up some positive momentum last week, but it’s unclear whether the good times will last. At the market open on Monday morning, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) had given back a tiny portion of its substantial recent gains, trading down about 0.25%.

Even though this earnings season is starting to wind down, some key components of the Dow Jones Industrials are set to report their latest results in the coming week. What Walmart (NYSE: WMT), Home Depot (NYSE: HD), and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) say about the conditions of their respective businesses will play a key role in determining whether last week’s rally continues through this one, or whether the bear will growl once again.

Getting ready for retail

Tuesday morning will bring two key reports from the retail sector. Department store giant Walmart is set to release its results at around 7 a.m. ET, while Home Depot has historically gotten a slightly earlier start, having published its press release last quarter at 6 a.m. ET.

Walmart’s numbers for its fiscal 2023 second quarter, which ended July 31, showed considerable strength amid a tough economic environment. Revenue rose 8.4% to $152.9 billion, and although operating income sagged 7% year over year due to higher costs, its net income of $5.15 billion was up 20% from year-earlier levels. However, the retailer warned at the time that conditions could continue to worsen for the rest of the fiscal year. Management projected that its fiscal 2023 sales would rise by about 4.5%, but forecast that adjusted earnings per share would fall by between 9% and 11%.

Home improvement specialist Home Depot also held up well in its fiscal 2022 second quarter, posting revenue of $43.8 billion for the period that ended July 31. That top-line figure was up 6.5% year over year. Earnings of $5.05 per share compared favorably to year-earlier profits of $4.53 per share, and Home Depot was able to confirm that it still sees its fiscal year sales climbing 3% on mid-single-digit percentage gains in earnings per share.

Investors will be watching closely to see if ongoing macroeconomic pressures start to have bigger impacts on these companies’ financials. Most analysts following Walmart’s stock expect the company to post a year-over-year decline in earnings, albeit with continuing revenue growth. Meanwhile, Home Depot is expected to keep boosting its bottom line. Any disappointments on those fronts could put the Dow stocks’ prices back on a downward slope, although investors will hope for better news to support the recent positive momentum.

Cisco looks to keep inching ahead

Meanwhile, Cisco Systems is set to announce its financial results after the closing bell on Thursday. Investors are hopeful that the networking giant will be able to keep bouncing back during what has been a tough year for tech stocks generally.

In Cisco’s fiscal fourth quarter, which ended July 30, showed the pressures hitting the company. Revenue was down 0.2% year over year to $13.1 billion, with declines in internet-related revenue offsetting gains in the security and application optimization areas. Adjusted earnings dropped by 1% to $0.83 per share. However, annualized recurring revenue rose 8% to $22.9 billion, and Cisco continued to make headway in its transition toward getting more of its overall sales from subscription-based sources.

Investors are hopeful that its fiscal 2023 first-quarter report will show modest strength. Those following the networking giant anticipate sales growth of around 3% and a similarly small rise in earnings.

It’s easy to overlook Cisco within the crowd of disruptive companies competing against it. However, the tech giant has a long legacy of success, and whatever it says Thursday has the  potential to ripple across the entire technology sector. 

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

The post These 3 Dow stocks will make or break the market this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Which stocks are most likely to thrive in a recession? Here’s what history shows

Dan Caplinger 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 Cisco Systems, Home Depot, and Walmart Inc. 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.                    

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

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The Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) share price is falling heavily on Tuesday.

In morning trade, the lithium miner’s shares are down 10% to $14.64.

Why is the Allkem share price sinking 10%?

The Allkem share price is tumbling on Tuesday after broad weakness in the lithium industry offset the release of the company’s annual general meeting presentation and update on the Naraha operation.

Here’s how other ASX lithium shares are performing this morning:

• Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares are down 10% to $1.68
• Liontown Resources Ltd (AX: LTR) shares have fallen 8% to $2.03
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) share have dropped 8% to $4.85

Why are lithium shares falling?

The weakness being exhibited by ASX lithium shares today follows a poor night of trade for their US listed peers on Wall Street overnight.

The likes of Albemarle, Livent, and SQM all dropped into the red despite there being no news out of them.

Though, it is worth noting that the market has been charging higher since the release of a softer than expected inflation reading in the US last week. That sparked hopes that the US Federal Reserve would go easy with its interest rate hikes.

However, comments from the Federal Reserve’s Chris Waller appear to have spooked investors. He warned that the market was overly optimistic and should brace for higher rates. This could have led to some investors reducing exposure to higher risk shares like lithium miners.

In addition, a surge in COVID cases in China dashed hopes of the reopening of the economy. Investors may believe this could impact demand for electric vehicles in the short term.

Allkem’s updates

As mentioned above, today is the day of Allkem’s annual general meeting and the company released a presentation ahead of the event.

That presentation contained no real surprises (positive or negative), with management reiterating its production growth targets and the expectation that demand for lithium will continue to grow materially.

In a separate announcement, Allkem and Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) revealed that the Naraha Lithium Hydroxide plant in Japan has produced its first lithium hydroxide chemical product. Allkem has a 75% economic interest in Naraha.

Allkem CEO and Managing Director, Martin Perez de Solay said:

With our partner TTC, we have achieved a major milestone in successfully producing lithium hydroxide further delivering our vertical integration strategy and the diversification of our product offering. This facility is the first of its kind in the region and we have proven the technology of converting Olaroz technical grade lithium carbonate feedstock into lithium hydroxide. We have a first mover’s advantage and will ultimately be supplying the high-end battery and cathode market.

The post Why is the Allkem share price crashing 10% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• ‘No stress’: Experts name 2 ASX shares to buy for strong long-term growth
• Why did ASX lithium shares have a dream run on Monday?
• 4 ASX 200 shares to play the global decarbonisation theme: fund manager
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• Top ASX dividend shares to buy in November 2022

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Allkem Limited. 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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The AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price is in the red on Tuesday amid potentially disappointing news for those invested in the company.

The financials giant revealed the much-anticipated sale of its Collimate Capital businesses – announced more than six months ago – won’t meet a November deadline.

At the time of writing, the AMP share price is 0.79% lower at $1.26. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has fallen 0.19% this morning.

Let’s take a closer look at the latest on the company’s major divestment.

Collimate Capital sales face regulatory delays

The AMP share price is sliding today amid the release of an update on its planned sale of Collimate Capital.

As the company previously announced, Dexus Property Group (ASX: DXS) will take on the business’ domestic infrastructure equity and real estate leg, while DigitalBridge will take on its international infrastructure equity segment.

The sales were previously expected to complete in September and November, respectively. Sadly, that’s now off the cards.

In a non-price-sensitive release today, AMP said “significant progress” has been made towards the sales’ conditions. However, regulatory processes are ongoing. That means the sales won’t be completed this month. AMP continued:

All parties are working constructively together towards completion, and we will update the market on the likely completion dates for both transactions as these approvals progress.

Both sales are conditional on regulatory approvals and various other consents. The sale to Dexus also requires approval from regulators in China due to AMP’s interest in China Life AMP Asset Management.

Together, the sales will bring $712 million in upfront cash payments. AMP intends to return most of the proceeds to shareholders.

Dexus might also be liable for up to $20 million in earn-outs. That’s down from a potential $300 million, mainly due to the loss of control of the AMP Capital Retail Trust and the AMP Capital Wholesale Office Fund.

The maximum potential earn-out for the international infrastructure business is $180 million.

AMP share price snapshot

This year has been good to the AMP share price. It lifted to an 18-month high of $1.30 on Monday.

It has gained 26% year to date and 9% since this time last year. Though, the stock is still trading for 75% less than it was in November 2017.

For comparison, the ASX 200 has fallen 6% in 2022 so far and 5% over the last 12 months.

The post Looking to buy AMP shares? Here’s the latest blow to the company’s major divestment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Broker names 2 ASX dividend shares to buy next week
• Why did the AMP share price just crack a new 52-week high today?
• Don’t panic! Here are 7 reasons we can avoid a recession: AMP
• Why did the AMP share price just crack another new 52-week high?
• 3 ASX 200 shares hitting new heights today

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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The Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price has taken a nosedive since the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX.com crypto exchange and its related trading company Alemada Research.

This came after news emerged that FTX was partly backed by its own utility token, FTX Token (CRYPTO: FTT), rather than good old-fashioned fiat currency. The resulting big slide in the value of FTT quickly led to a major liquidity crunch for FTX and sent crypto markets into a tailspin.

On 6 November, BTC was trading for US$21,162. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price stands at US$16,382. That’s down 23% since FTX got into trouble and down 66% in 2022.

With that in mind, what might crypto investors expect next?

What could be next for the Bitcoin price?

The FTX meltdown could throw up some continuing headwinds for Bitcoin.

That’s according to analysts at JPMorgan, who forecast the Bitcoin price could slide all the way to US$13,000 on the back of these new uncertainties.

According to the analysts (courtesy of Forbes):

What makes this new phase of crypto deleveraging induced by the apparent collapse of Alameda Research and FTX more problematic is that the number of entities with stronger balance sheets able to rescue those with low capital and high leverage is shrinking within the crypto ecosystem…

Given the size and interlinkages of both FTX and Alameda Research with other entities of the crypto ecosystem, including DeFi platforms, it looks likely that a new cascade of margin calls, deleveraging and crypto company/platform failures is starting similar to what we saw last May/June following the collapse of terra.

Hani Redha, a multi-asset portfolio manager at Pinebridge Investments, also doesn’t believe the Bitcoin price will get any reprieve from institutional investors this time around.

“What’s become clear is it will not find a home in institutional asset allocation,” Redha said (quoted by Bloomberg).

“There was a period when it was being considered as a potential asset class that every investor should have in their strategic asset allocation and that’s off the table entirely.”

However, not all the experts are as bearish on the outlook for the Bitcoin price.

Akeel Qureshi, core contributor to Hubble protocol and Kamino Finance on the Solana blockchain, believes a recovery is on the horizon.

Qureshi said (quoted by Forbes), “The market is taking a hit, but crypto’s volatility has historically led to shakeouts that ultimately strengthen the space in the long run.”

Remember, whatever your own outlook may be for the Bitcoin price, never invest more than you can afford to lose.

The post The Bitcoin price has dumped 23% since the FTX collapse. Now what? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• How might volatile crypto prices impact your ASX shares?
• If cryptocurrency prices continue to plummet, what should you do?
• Why did the Bitcoin price just hit 2-year lows?
• Why Bitcoin and Ethereum were down big on Tuesday morning
• This one trend could send Bitcoin even higher

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 Bitcoin. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin. 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 Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) share price has soared almost 20% over the past month. It opened on 14 October at $7.64 and closed on 14 November at $9.15 — that’s an impressive gain of 19.76%.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) moved upwards with a 12.36% gain over the same period.

The broader market, measured by the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), also jumped higher in this timeframe, gaining 7.5%.

There are differing opinions on the future trajectory of the Lynas share price. One expert believes it could be on an upswing, while another believes the company’s first quarter update for FY23 showed weakness which could cause its share price to fall.

So let’s fully examine the bull and bear case for Lynas’s shares.

What the bulls say

In an article in Livewire, Kardinia Capital portfolio manager Kristiaan Rehder picked Lynas as a stock that could outperform over the next five years.

One aspect of the company that caught Rehder’s eye was its balance sheet which holds $1 billion worth of cash and cash equivalents. This liquidity was said to be pivotal to Lynas scaling its production volume from 7.2 kilotonnes of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) per annum to 12 kilotonnes per annum through increased capital expenditure.

Rehder notes that Lynas is “highly profitable”, as well as efficient in transforming shareholder value into earnings. Measuring this is the return on equity (ROE) ratio, which Rehder believes will remain above 20% over the next few years while also being tethered to the commodity prices of NdPr.

Rehder also saw an advantageous macro backdrop for the Lynas share price that could keep demand for its product high. Tailwinds included the world’s transition to electric vehicles.

Additionally, Rehder told Livewire:

With rising geopolitical tensions globally, Lynas holds a strategic position as the dominant ex-China producer of rare earths, with the US Department of Defence agreeing to co-fund the development of two rare earth separation plants in the USA. We believe this warrants a valuation premium.

What the bears say

Representing the bears is Tony Paterno, senior client advisor at Ord Minnett, who recently gave Lynas a sell recommendation in an article that appeared in The Bull.

It should be noted that Paterno’s orientation on Lynas’s shares is far more nearsighted than Rehder’s.

Paterno drew his bearish thesis from Lynas’s first quarter results for FY23, which reported that the company’s revenue fell 44%.

“The 2023 first quarter update was weak, in our view,” said Paterno. Aside from the downfall in Lynas’s revenue, he also notes that its capital costs are set to increase by 15 per cent to $575 million.

This cost increase was addressed in Lynas’s quarterly report. The funds will be used to upgrade its facilities by adding a carbonate refining process at its Kalgoorlie Rare Earths Processing Facility.

Lynas share price snapshot

Despite its gains over the past month, the Lynas share price is down 10% year to date. For comparison, the ASX 200 is down 4% over the same period.

The company’s market capitalisation is around $8.28 billion.

The post Up 20% in a month, here’s the bull and bear case for the Lynas share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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Motley Fool contributor Matthew Farley 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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The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is taking a tumble on Tuesday.

In morning trade, the banking giant’s shares are down 3% to $30.37.

Why is the NAB share price dropping?

The good news for shareholders is that the weakness in the NAB share price has nothing to do with its performance or a bearish broker note.

Instead, it has everything to do with the bank’s shares trading ex-dividend this morning for its final dividend of FY 2022.

When shares trade ex-dividend, it means that the rights to an upcoming dividend payment remain with the seller and will not transfer to new buyers.

In light of this, a share price will usually drop in line with the value of the dividend to reflect this.

The NAB dividend

Last week NAB released its full year results for FY 2022 and reported an 8.3% increase in cash earnings to $7,104 million. This was driven largely by its business and institutional banking operations, which offset a softer performance from NAB’s personal banking business.

In light of its overall earnings growth in FY 2022, the NAB board declared a fully franked final dividend of 78 cents per share. This brought the bank’s full year dividend to 151 cents per share, which was an increase of 18.9% year over year.

Commenting on the dividend, NAB stated:

NAB is making excellent progress on our strategy and the Board is encouraged to see the operational results that this is delivering. This is reflected in improved earnings with all businesses contributing to underlying profit growth, and significant and sustainable momentum across the Group. Our most recent colleague engagement score is 76, compared with 77 in July 2021, and is close to the latest top quartile score of 78. Taking all this into account, the Board has determined dividends for the year of 151 cents per share, returning $4.8bn in total to shareholders.

When is payday?

Eligible NAB shareholders can now look forward to being paid this 78 cents per share final dividend in just under a month on 14 December.

The NAB share price is up 3% in 2022 despite today’s decline.

The post Why is the NAB share price sinking today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Hoping to bag the next NAB dividend? You’d better get in quick
• Analysts say these high yield ASX dividend shares are buys
• Top ASX dividend shares to buy in November 2022
• 4 ASX 200 shares trading ex-dividend next week

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

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

What happened 

A handful of electric vehicle (EV) stocks hit the brakes Monday morning as the optimism that pervaded the market last week began to wane. 

Additionally, several pieces of negative news specific to the EV sector — including a price target cut for Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and a Barron’s column that expressed scepticism about the futures of some EV companies — contributed to the pessimistic mood shift. 

As of 11:22 a.m. ET, Tesla was trading down by 3.5%, Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) was off by 4.7%, and EV charging company ChargePoint Holdings (NYSE: CHPT) had lost 3.8%. 

So what 

Let’s start with the issue that is likely the main concern putting pressure on EV stocks now: persistent inflation. 

Last week, the stock market rallied after the latest inflation report was better than economists had been expecting. In October, the Consumer Price Index increased 0.4% month over month and was up 7.7% year over year, less than the expected sequential increase of 0.6% and 7.9% annually.

That helped the market rally for its best week in nearly five months.

Investors were optimistic that potentially slowing inflation would encourage the Federal Reserve to ease back on its aggressive interest rate hikes. 

But storm clouds returned over the weekend after Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller indicated that investors were reading too much into the October inflation report. 

While Waller said the Fed may be at the point where it can consider shrinking the increments of its federal funds rate hikes, he also said that “we’re not softening” and added: “Quit paying attention to the pace and start paying attention to where the endpoint is going to be. Until we get inflation down, that endpoint is still a ways out there.”

Those comments rained on investors’ parade and helped send EV stocks sliding Monday morning.

Adding to some of the EV pessimism was a column published by Barron’s over the weekend that asserted that rising inflation and falling share prices could hurt many EV start-ups as they try to raise capital. 

Those concerns could especially be weighing on ChargePoint Holding and Rivian Monday as investors try to gauge how well EV companies will be able to navigate continued supply chain issues and rising costs. 

Finally, investors may also be reacting to Bank of America cutting its share price target for Tesla from $325 to $275. Analyst John Murphy wrote in a research note distributed Monday that supply chain issues will continue to be a problem for the company and the broader electric vehicle industry. 

Now what 

EV stocks have tumbled significantly over the past year — Tesla fell 44%, Rivian tumbled 74%, and ChargePoint plunged by 51%. 

But Rivian showed in the third quarter that it can continue to increase its vehicle production — output was up by 67% — despite the headwinds. And the company still has $13.8 billion cash and cash equivalents on its books, enough to fund its operations through 2025. 

And Tesla’s latest results were solid. It increased sales by 56% and earnings by 69% compared to the year-ago quarter, and vehicle production jumped 54% in Q3 to 365,923 vehicles.

ChargePoint investors will get a closer look at the company’s financial picture on Dec. 1, when the company reports its results for its fiscal third quarter, which ended Oct. 31. 

But with inflation still high and investors concerned about the potential of a U.S. recession, it’s likely that EV stocks could remain volatile in the short term.

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

The post Why is Tesla stock falling today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why Tesla shares jumped today
• Why Tesla stock is tumbling today
• Why did Elon Musk just sell $6 billion worth of Tesla shares?
• Why Tesla hit a new 52-week low today
• Why Tesla shares dropped below $200 on Monday

Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Bank of America is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended 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 Scott Phillips.

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

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