ASX Shares that are climbing high today

Australian Stock Markets

Four shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are storming higher 

The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has bounced back from yesterday’s decline with a push higher on Tuesday. In afternoon trade the benchmark index is up 0.5% to 6,208.6 points.

The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has climbed 4% to $10.80 after announcing a variation to its manufacturing and supply arrangements with Synlait Milk Ltd (ASX: SM1).

According to the release, the two parties have signed a new minimum term of five years to 31 July 2023, with an increase in volume of infant formula products over which Synlait has exclusive supply rights.

Synlait will increase its committed production capacity and pricing terms will reflect the commitment from both companies to an ongoing market-competitive pricing regime.

The FlexiGroup Limited (ASX: FXL) share price has pushed 4% higher to $2.27 after being the subject of a positive broker note out of Credit Suisse.

According to the note, the broker has upgraded the financial services company’s shares to an outperform rating with a $2.45 price target on the belief that it has a chance of meeting its earnings forecasts in FY 2018.

The InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC) share price is up 2% to $14.00 after the funerals company announced yet another acquisition.

It has signed an agreement to buy Lester & Son in Albury-Wodonga. This is the leading funeral business on the New South Wales and Victoria border and is part of the company’s strategy of expanding its presence in regional markets.

The Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) share price is up 2% to $17.48.

This week the wine company’s shares were given an overweight rating and $20.00 price target by analysts at Morgan Stanley. The broker believes that the recent China-related selloff has brought the wine company’s share price down to an attractive level.

Five things to watch on the ASX on Monday

Australian Stock Markets

On Friday the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) finished the financial year with a whimper when it gave back its earlier gains to finish the day down 0.3% at 6,194.6 points.

Will the market be able to start the new financial year in style on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

The ASX is expected to open higher.

The local market is expected to open the day higher on Monday. According to the latest SPI futures, the S&P/ASX 200 is poised to open 23 points or 0.4% higher following a positive end to the week on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the week with a 0.2% gain, the S&P 500 was up 0.1%, and the NASDAQ was 0.1% higher.

Oil prices have continued to rise.

Australian energy producers such as Oil Search Limited (ASX: OSH) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could be set for another positive day of trade after the price of U.S. crude settled above US$74.00 for the first time since November 2014.

Prices have been rising after sanctions against Iran threatened to remove a substantial volume of oil from world markets. WTI crude closed up 1% at US$74.15 a barrel and Brent crude was up 2% to US$79.44 a barrel. The latter is closing in on a three and a half year high.

Aluminium prices slide.

According to the London Metal Exchange, the aluminium price dropped lower on Friday. Aluminium closed the week with a 1% decline to US$2,159 a tonne, which could put pressure on the Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC) share price today.

CSL and ResMed rated as buys.

The shares of CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) and ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD) could be on the rise on Monday after they were the subject of positive broker notes out of Goldman Sachs.

The broker has initiated coverage on both companies with buy ratings.

Ramsay Health Care rated as a sell.

Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC) shares, on the other hand, could be set for another day in the red after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on the private hospital operator with a sell rating.

It is concerned that hospitals face industry headwinds which are expected to unwind over several periods.

ASX: Shares that are ending the week with a bang

Australian Stock Markets

Four shares that have not let this hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are ending the week with a bang:

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has bounced off its lows but is still down 0.1% to 6,030 points in afternoon trade.

The Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price is up 4.5% to $31.37 after brokers responded positively to the gaming company’s half-year results release on Thursday.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank were clearly impressed with the first-half that Aristocrat Leisure delivered. They bumped their price target up to a massive $38.75.

The broker was pleased to see its Digital segment outperform its expectations. I would agree with Deutsche that this is a share to buy right now.

The Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) share price has raced 12.5% higher to $1.50 after the iron ore miner announced the shipment of its millionth tonne of quality iron ore.

According to the release, its Quebec Iron Ore business has produced and shipped its first one million tonnes of high-grade 66% iron concentrate ahead of schedule after the successful restart and ramp up of Bloom Lake.

Management anticipates that the mine will reach its annual full capacity of 7.4 mtpa by the end of June.

The Greencross Limited (ASX: GXL) share price has risen over 5.5% to $4.27 after the AFR speculated that private equity firms could be interested in launching a takeover of the integrated pet care company.

While the report makes valid points, wouldn’t rush into an investment purely on speculation. Especially with the company underperforming at present.

The Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price has pushed 3% higher to $2.87 after it was upgraded to a buy rating with a $3.00 price target by UBS.

Would agree with UBS on this one and think that Telstra is attractive at the current share price given that a future dividend cut looks to be completely priced in now.

Though it is worth remembering that it is a riskier investment than normal given the tough trading conditions being experienced in the telco space.

Things to watch on the ASX today

Australian Stock Markets

The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) had a slow start to the week and finished the day 2.9 points lower at 6,084.5 points on Monday.

Will things be better on Tuesday? Here are five things that could shape the day’s trade on Tuesday.

ASX futures are pointing lower.
According to the latest SPI futures, the Australian share market is expected to open the day 11 points or 0.2% lower despite a solid day of trade on Wall Street and rises in base metal prices.

Over in the United States the Dow Jones Industrial Average started the week with a 1.2% gain, the S&P 500 was 0.7% higher, and the NASDAQ gained 0.4%.

BWX takeover offer revealed.
The BWX Ltd (ASX: BWX) share price is likely to return from its trading halt with a bang on Tuesday after it revealed the details of its takeover approach. According to the release, the approach has been made partly from within the company, with its CEO and CFO teaming up with Bain Capital to acquire 100% of the company’s shares.

An offer of $6.60 cash per share or a scrip alternative in a newly incorporated acquisition entity of 75% shares and 25% cash has been made. Considering its high level of short interest, I would not be surprised to see its share price shoot beyond the offer price today.

The Royal Commission continues.
Round three of the Royal Commission started on Monday with a focus on small business lenders. Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) came under the spotlight yesterday when the Commission heard how the bank sought to evict an elderly, seriously ill woman after her daughter’s business failed. Westpac representatives are due to return for further questioning this morning.

Technology One earnings.
This morning Technology One Limited (ASX: TNE) is expected to report its half-year results for FY 2018. According to Bloomberg, the market expects the technology company to report earnings per share of 2.8 cents. This will be a 12% increase on the prior corresponding period.

Telstra will be on watch again.
An unexplained mobile outage on the Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) network added to the negative sentiment surrounding the embattled telco company on Monday.

The nationwide outage was the third time this month that Telstra customers have been left without a service.

Australian small cap shares that have zoomed higher today

Australian Stock Markets

While the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) is just about creeping into positive territory at lunch, there’s no such trouble at the small end of the market.

At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries (Index: ^AXSO) (ASX: XSO) has got off to a flier this week and is up 0.7%.

Three small cap shares that have caught my eye with strong gains on Monday are as follows:

The Bioxyne Ltd (ASX: BXN) share price has surged 13.5% higher to 7.5 cents after the health and immunotherapeutic products company announced the appointment of ASVA International as its regional distributor for Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and Mauritius.

As part of the deal, ASVA will focus entirely on Bioxyne’s products and will be excluded from selling competing products. A first order of US$200,000 has been received from ASVA.

Bioxyne’s products have a lot of promise, but would suggest investors hold off an investment and wait to see how sales grow in these markets.

The MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: MXC) share price has pushed almost 4.5% higher to 7.2 cents after the cannabis company announced that the Maltese government has approved medicinal cannabis production.

MGC Pharmaceuticals recently announced plans to construct a GMP certified production and manufacturing facility in Malta.

Management appears to believe that this puts the company in a good position to target the European medicinal cannabis market which is expected to be worth $56 billion by 2020.

The Rhipe Ltd (ASX: RHP) share price is up 2% to $1.02 after the leading cloud channel company announced that it has been appointed to Microsoft New Zealand’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program from July 1.

Rhipe is already the leading provider of Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement subscriptions in the country, so adding CSP to its portfolio is expected to be a boost to its offering.

Rhipe has had a lot of success with Microsoft’s CSP in the Asia-Pacific market, which could be a sign of things to come in New Zealand.

ASX shares climbing higher today

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) is on course to bounce back strongly from yesterday’s decline and is up 0.4% to 6,121.9 points in afternoon trade.
 

Four shares that have climbed more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are storming higher:

The Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (ASX: DMP) share price is up 5% to $44.70 despite there being no news out of the pizza chain operator.

But with just six weeks to go until the end of its financial year, investors may believe that no profit warning release means that the company is on track to meet its full-year guidance. I like Domino’s and think it is well worth a closer look.

The Gtn Ltd (ASX: GTN) share price has risen 4.5% to $2.20 after the advertising platform provider announced that major shareholder GTCR Gridlock II has sold 20 million shares to institutional and sophisticated investors through Macquarie Capital. GTCR Gridlock II still holds 89 million or 39.6% of the company’s shares.

The block trade was made at a price of $2.00, just one cent lower than the last close price.

The InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC) share price has climbed over 4% to $12.36 after the release of a positive broker note out of Citi. According to the note, its analysts have upgraded the funerals company to a buy rating from sell with an improved price target of $14.00.

Citi appears to believe that the company’s Protect and Growth strategy can deliver on its goals.

The Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) share price has jumped almost 15% to 43 cents after the release of a better than expected quarterly sales update.

Myer reported a 2.7% drop in total sales to $635.3 million for the 13 weeks to 28 April 2018, with online sales surging 49.4% to $35.9 million. A note out of Citi yesterday had predicted a decline in quarterly sales of almost 5%.

ASIC cracks down on initial coin offerings

Australia's corporate watchdog has started cracking down on "misleading or deceptive conduct" in the marketing and selling of digital tokens via initial coin offerings.

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) said late on Tuesday some companies have already halted their offerings or indicated a change in their ICO structure as a result of its inquiries.

ICOs are increasingly popular with start-ups as a way to finance projects. But regulators in several countries including China and South Korea are trying to rein in the global boom in trading bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

The ICO market is relatively small in Australia but the corporate watchdog is wary poor conduct will have a negative impact on investor confidence over time.

"If you are acting with someone else's money, or selling something to someone, you have obligations," ASIC Commissioner John Price said in a statement.

ASIC cited a recent example where it identified "fundamental concerns" with the structure of an ICO, the status of the offeror and the disclosure in its white paper.

Last week, Price told a gathering in Sydney that ASIC will look to update its guidance on companies considering ICOs. It will also highlight that Australian corporate and consumer law might apply no matter where the ICO is created and offered.

Australia will be the last to raise rates, says $100b global investor

Australian bonds are a buy because the Reserve Bank will keep interest rates at a record low for at least the next six to 12 months, according to Morgan Stanley Investment Management. The company is avoiding the Aussie dollar for the same reason.

"The RBA is the furthest away from hiking rates amongst any industrialised countries," Michael Kushma, chief investment officer for global fixed income, said in an interview in Singapore.

"That could allow Australian bonds to continue to do well versus US bonds and other Group-of-10 government bonds.''

While the RBA will probably stay on hold for the rest of this year, the US Federal Reserve is going to increase its benchmark rate at least three times over the next 12 months to 2.5 per cent, said Kushma, who helps oversee $US80 billion ($100.5 billion) for the New York-based asset manager.

Australia's bonds have outperformed most developed-nation debt this year, staying little changed, even as US Treasuries have slumped 2.3 per cent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The South Pacific nation's benchmark 10-year note yields 2.84 per cent, 17 basis points below their US peers, compared with an average premium of 68 basis points during the past five years.

Kushma said he dislikes the Aussie dollar for the same reason he favours Australia's bonds.
Australian short-term interest rates are below those in the US, he said.

"You pick up yield by selling the Australian dollar for the US dollar, you actually earn incremental yield. It's the cheapest it's ever been to sell the Australian dollar today.''

ASX set for uncertain start as tensions rise

As last trading week came to a close in North America, there remained a question as to whether risk positions should be held over the weekend. On Saturday, news broke that France, the United States, and Britain conducted "precision strikes" on Syria.

The heightening of new geopolitical developments may cloud the data releases from the week ahead that included RBA minutes, Federal Reserve speakers, Bank of Canada's Rate announcement, and a heavy Chinese economic calendar that includes GDP, industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset data.

The difficulty for markets tends not to be pricing risk, but rather not knowing when risk needs to be priced as geopolitical concerns put traders and investors at the whim of various headlines, and not the economic calendar where we're more comfortable.

ASX: The local sharemarket is set for an uncertain start to the week. With the prospect of geopolitical tensions ratcheting higher between the US and Russia, volatility in global financial markets seems likely to reappear and drag down the S&P/ASX at the start of the week. Futures are pointing to a 6-point drop at the open.

Last week, the headline Australian stock index finished the week higher at 5829.10, good for a gain of +0.7% over the course of the week. Receding concerns over a US military strike in Syria proved to be a positive driver for global equities, but the catalyst appears to be short-lived: the US, UK, and France carried out airstrikes against Damascus early-Saturday morning in Syria

ASX: Four shares that have climbed more than most today

Australian Stock Markets

Four shares that have pushed higher than most today are listed below. Here’s why they have pushed notably higher: 

The Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price has climbed 4.5% to $20.84 despite there being no news out of the software-as-a-service company.

But considering its shares took a bit of a tumble yesterday, suspect some investors have taken up the opportunity to buy this quality company’s shares at a more attractive price. It would be a great long-term investment option even after its stellar share price run.

The Blackham Resources Ltd (ASX: BLK) share price has rocketed 43% higher to 7.6 cents after the gold miner released an update on its production.

According to the release, Blackham achieved record monthly gold production of 6,713 ounces during February. Another big positive was its low all-in sustaining cost of A$912 per ounce in February compared to the average realised gold price of A$1,670 per ounce.

The Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY) share price has bounced back from a series of declines with a 2.5% move higher to $2.99.

Galaxy and the rest of the lithium miners have come under pressure in recent weeks amid concerns over the prospect of an oversupply of lithium in the future. Some analysts believe this will weigh heavily on lithium prices.

The Nufarm Limited (ASX: NUF) share price is up around 2.5% to $8.33 after the crop protection company announced that the European Commission has approved its acquisition of the Century portfolio from Adama Agricultural Solutions of Israel and Syngenta AG of Switzerland. The company expects to complete the acquisition in the next week.

We're living in one of the most exciting times in investing history. Innovation and a booming culture of entrepreneurship are constantly creating new companies with the potential to make forward-thinking investors very rich.

Now more than ever, one small, smart investment could make a huge difference to your wealth.

The benchmark the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has returned to form on Thursday and finds itself up over 0.5% to 5,934 points in afternoon trade.

ASX: These shares have posted strong gains today

Australian Stock Markets

Four shares that have defied the market and climbed higher today are listed below. Here’s why they posted strong gains today

The BWX Ltd (ASX: BWX) share price has climbed 6% to $5.32. Today’s gain appears to be a delayed reaction to a positive broker note out of Goldman Sachs yesterday.

Although the broker acknowledged that BWX’s first-half was weak, it remains confident that its original investment thesis is intact. As a result, it has a conviction buy rating and $8.25 price target on the company’s shares.

The Resolute Mining Limited (ASX: RSG) share price is up 3% to $1.21. The majority of Australia’s leading gold miners have pushed higher during trade on Wednesday after investors headed to safe-haven assets following the market’s sharp decline. At the time of writing the gold miners index is up just over 1%.

The Retail Food Group Limited (ASX: RFG) share price has rebounded from a series of heavy declines and is up 4.5% to $1.19.

The suspect is that today’s gain is either down to bargain hunters swooping in after the sell-off, or short sellers deciding to buy shares to close their positions and is thought to be more likely to be the latter of the two.

The Wattle Health Australia Ltd (ASX: WHA) share price has also rebounded from a series of heavy declines and is up 4% to $2.32.

The infant formula and baby food company’s shares have come under significant pressure since the release of its half-year results.

Those results revealed little by way of revenue, leading many to question its lofty market capitalisation. Judging by today’s gain, though, some investors think this decline is a buying opportunity and the company will live up to its valuation.

Unfortunately the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) hasn’t been able to build on yesterday’s gain and is down almost 1% to 5,906 points in afternoon trade.

Why these 4 ASX shares have stormed higher today

Australian Share Markets

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index: AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has bounced back from four consecutive trading days of declines and is up 1.2% to 5,963 points in afternoon trade.

Four shares climbing more than most today are listed below.

Here’s why they have stormed higher:

The Avz Minerals Ltd (ASX: AVZ) share price has climbed 4.5% to 24 cents following the release of an update on the drilling activities at its Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to the release, the latest drill hole has intersected 282.95 metres of pegmatite, containing a similar proportion of spodumene reported from two previous drill holes.

This appears to back up predictions that AVZ Minerals is sitting on a lucrative asset.

The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has ascended 4.5% to $5.86 despite there being no news out of the company or broker notes that I’m aware of.

Last month, however, there were plenty of bullish broker notes following the release of its strong half-year results.

One that stood out for me was from Citi.

Its analysts labelled Australia’s flag carrier airline as a buy and placed a $7.50 price target on its shares.

I would agree with Citi on this recommendation.

The Vocus Group Ltd (ASX: VOC) share price has pushed almost 6% higher to $2.39.

This morning the telco company announced the appointment of Bob Mansfield AO as its chairman with immediate effect.

Mr Mansfield has previously been the company’s deputy chairman and lead independent director.

The market appears pleased with this decision and rightly so.

He previously served as chairman of Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) and was the founding CEO of Optus.

The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price has bounced back from yesterday’s decline with a 3% gain to $31.81.

The accounting software company’s shares were sold off yesterday after the surprise departure of Rod Drury as its CEO.

Xero’s shares have regained around half of yesterday’s decline.

Why these 4 ASX shares are ending the week with a bang

Australian Stock Markets

The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: AXJO) (ASX: XJO) is on course to finish the week on a high and is up a solid 0.8% to 5,997 points.

Four shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are ending the week with a bang:

The Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1) share price is up 16% to $1.03 following the release of the footwear retailer’s half-year results.

Accent reported an underlying net profit of $26.3 million on sales of $350.3 million for the six months ended December 31.

This was a 13% and 16.5% increase, respectively, on the prior corresponding period.

The Bellamy’s Australia Ltd (ASX: BAL) share price has jumped 7.5% to $16.03.

With no news out of the infant formula company, today’s gain is likely to be attributable to a broker note out of Goldman Sachs.

The broker upgraded Bellamy’s shares to a buy rating with an increased price target of $18.00 on the belief that its gross margin expansion opportunity is underappreciated by the market.

The Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX: MYX) share price has climbed 6% to 74 cents.

Although the pharmaceutical company posted a net loss of $174 million for the first-half, investors appear to be optimistic that it is now through the worst of its problems.

Management advised that the generic drugs market has stabilised and expects a much stronger second-half.

The Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price has rocketed 15.5% to $7.03 following the release of its half-year results.

The data centre operator delivered another impressive half-year result thanks to increasing demand for its services.

This led to management upgrading its full-year guidance.

Furthermore, it advised that it is in advanced negotiations with several large customer opportunities which have the potential to lead to a significant increase in the company’s contracted utilisation base.

Why these 4 ASX shares rocketed higher today

Australian Stock Markets

In afternoon trade the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (Index:AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has managed to fight its way back into positive territory and is up slightly at 5,942 points.

Four shares doing a lot of the heavy lifting are listed below. Here’s why they have rocketed higher today:

The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has climbed a massive 25% to $10.89 following the release of its half-year results.

The fast-growing dairy company smashed expectations when it revealed revenue growth of 70% to NZ$435 million and net profit after tax growth of 150% to NZ$98.5 million.

The strong result also sent the shares of rival Bellamy’s Australia Ltd (ASX: BAL) hurtling 11% higher ahead of its release tomorrow.

The Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) share price is up a remarkable 30% to $10.62.

This morning the machine learning and artificial intelligence dataset provider released its full-year results which revealed an impressive 50% increase in revenue and 62% lift in EBITDA.

Pleasingly, management expects FY 2018 to be equally strong and has provided EBITDA guidance of between $50 million and $55 million.

This represents year-on-year growth of 77.9% to 96%.

The Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) share price is up 7% to $1.50.

Investors have responded positively to the waste management company’s half-year results release this morning.

Although Cleanaway posted just an 8.4% increase half-year revenue, statutory net profit after tax grew an impressive 60.7% on the prior corresponding period.

The company saw margins across its entire business widen meaningfully during the period.

The Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) share price has jumped 11% to $23.77 following the release of its half-year results.

 The corporate travel specialist reported a statutory net profit of $30.6 million on revenues of $172.8 million for the six months ended December 31.

This was an increase of 15% and 38%, respectively, on the prior corresponding period.

This result demonstrates why it is one of the best growth shares on the local share market.

These growth shares which could be next in line to rocket.

Why these 5 shares started the week strong

Australian Stock Markets

The S&P/ASX 200 kicked off the week up 14.8 points to 5,918 on February 19 after finishing last week down at 5,890.

Mondayitis was kicked to the curb for these 5 companies, who followed the index up and started the week strong.

Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

Shares in Beach Energy zoomed up 5.53% today keeping the company firmly in the S&P/ASX 200 top risers thanks to a strong half-year results posting which detailed a 5% increase in profit and a 14% increase in revenue.

Beach has recently finalised the $1.58 billion deal to acquire Lattice – a major supplier of gas to east coast markets, including the Otway joint venture.

Shareholders have backed the oil and gas explorer and producer over the last year, raising the share value from its February 20 2017 price of 69c per share.

Fairfax Media Limited (ASX: FXJ)

Multi-platform media group Fairfax Media would have been delighted to find itself on the S&P/ASX 200 gainers list today with a price rise of 3.2% to 63c per share.

It’s good news for the news and information giant, which has been trying to recover from a severe share price slide in November 2017 after the spin off of real estate classified and service business

Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG).

Shares in Fairfax fell to a 3-year low during last week’s trading, down 3% to 64c per share on February 13 and the company has a long way to go to get back to the $1.16 share price it held at this time last year, much less its June 2 2017 high of $1.68.

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

Pizza franchise giant Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, with a significant slice of the pizza segment across Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan and the Principality of Monaco, saw its share price move up 3.5% on February 19 to $44.01 per share.

Domino’s handed down lukewarm half-year results on February 14, with underlying earnings per share up 5.8% and revenue up 5.2% – a substantial slow down on previous year’s.

Domino’s would be happy with any type of gain to start the week given it came in as the second-worse performing stock on the S&P/AX 200 on February 14 when share prices slipped 6% before falling even harder to close off last week at $42.50.

Domain Holdings Australia (ASX: DHG)

Share prices in real estate and media technology services business Domain Holdings have shot up almost 5% today to $3.01 at the time of writing, off the back of its half-year report being handed down today.

Domain’s half-year results showed profit is down 8.1% to $24.7 million, but revenue is up 12.5% to $183.2 million.

Domain announced EBITDA rose 8.7% to $56.8 million and the company declared a 30% franked interim dividend of 4c per share.

Domain hit the market at $3.69 when it first listed in November last year, but has so far struggled to reach that height again.

Primary Health Care Limited (ASX: PRY)

Shares in the healthcare company with medical and pathology centres across Australia rose 4.6% to $3.82 on February 19 following the release of its half-year results on February 16.

Investors have rallied behind the company following the announcement of a 5% profit gain and possible major rebranding project to assist its medical centre portfolio.

Revenues in Primary were reportedly up 6% to $857 million, with the most strength coming from its pathology division.

Shareholders were likely kept happy with the announcement Primary would up its interim dividend to 5.1c per share, with earnings per share higher at 4.2c per share also announced.

Why these 4 ASX shares climbed higher today

Australian Stock Markets

In afternoon trade the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has followed international markets higher and is up a solid 0.9% to 5,893 points. 

 Four shares that have climbed more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they have climbed higher:

The BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) share price has stormed 3.5% higher to $31.09 after economic data in the United States led to a strong rally in base metal prices.

It isn’t just BHP climbing higher, either. The mining sector as a whole is up a solid 2.5% today with gains being seen across all industries.

With the outlook for the global economy looking strong, I think BHP Billiton would be a great buy.

The Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG) share price is up 5% to $12.87 after the appliance manufacturer posted a 7.8% increase in first-half profit to $36.3 million.

Profits would have been higher had the company not been negatively impacted by changes to federal corporate tax rates in the United States.

Excluding this, net profit would have increased 12.4% in the prior corresponding period.

The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price is up 2.5% to $2.87 following the release of the gold miner’s half-year results.

Although Evolution posted a 10% decline in first-half profit to $122.5 million, this was due to a one-off $30.9 million gain in the prior corresponding period.

Evolution finished the period with an AISC of A$785 per ounce, leading to a healthy A$628 AISC margin per ounce.

If I were bullish on the gold price I would be a buyer of Evolution shares.

The Integrated Research Limited (ASX: IRI) share price has climbed 4.5% to $3.80.

This morning the leading global provider of proactive performance management software reported a 20% increase in net profit after tax to $9.3 million.

I think the company is one of the most underrated tech shares on the local market and well worth getting better acquainted with.

As well as Integrated Research, I think these exciting growth shares have enormous potential and are well worth buying today.

The Disruptors: 3 Revolutionary Aussie Companies to Back for 2018

We're living in one of the most exciting times in investing history.

Innovation and a booming culture of entrepreneurship are constantly creating new companies with the potential to make forward-thinking investors very rich.

Now more than ever, one small, smart investment could make a huge difference to your wealth.

That's why at The Motley Fool we've been scrutinizing the ASX to uncover the kinds of companies that we believe could turn into the next Cochlear or REA Group.

Buy these 3 shares for strong diversification

Australian Stock Markets

The share market is full of different businesses in different sectors, yet lots of investors are drawn to the same few shares of the big four banks, Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) and so on.

If an investor can diversify their portfolio without reducing the returns it achieves risk diversification and mitigates problems if a particular industry, such as big banks, faces a problem.

Here are three shares I’d be very happy to diversify my portfolio with:

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM)

Most people have exposure to Telstra, but I think TPG is the better telco choice.

It may also be losing out due to lower margins with the NBN like Telstra, but I think it can also gain more.
 
TPG is committed to offering customers the best deal and the best value they can get, which should win market share.

I’m also convinced that TPG’s plan to launch its own mobile networks in Australia and Singapore will be worthwhile because the launch of 5G should mean some customers are willing to ditch broadband altogether.

National Veterinary Care Ltd (ASX: NVL)

National Veterinary Care is one of the most exciting small caps in my opinion.

It operates in the pet industry which offers steady growth thanks to the growing human and pet populations.

The business generates a lot of recurring revenue because three quarters of dogs and two thirds of cats visit the vet each year.

National Veterinary Care is generating decent organic growth but the main reason why I think it could be a market beater is that it’s acquiring more veterinary clinics at an impressive rate each year, which accelerates profit growth..

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

If you have to buy a big bank then Macquarie would definitely be my choice.

It is much more globally focused than the others and offers defensive earnings due to its asset management business.

Macquarie management seem to be more proactive and forward-thinking, which should see it navigate any problems the Australian and global economies have in the future, or at least do better than its large competitors.

The bank has provided guidance of around 10% profit growth for FY18, which is much better than its large financial peers.

Aussie firms flag gains from US tax cuts

Australian Stock Markets

Australian companies have flagged financial gains after the US congress approved a reduction in corporate tax rates in the US.

Bluescope Steel, Ansell and Computershare are among a slew of Australian companies that are set to benefit from the looming cut in corporate tax rates in the United States.

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives overnight followed the Senate in passing the tax reform legislation, giving final approval to the biggest overhaul of the US tax code in 30 years.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law as early as this week.

The changes include cutting the US company tax rate to 21 per cent from 35 per cent from January 1, 2018, a move set to boost company earnings and pave the way for higher dividends and stock buybacks.

The reforms are also expected to result in a windfall for scores of Australian companies that have extensive operations in the US.


Steelmaking major Bluescope flagged immediate gains from the reforms, saying the tax change will result in a seven per cent decrease in federal tax on its US earnings in 2017/18 and an 11 per cent decrease in subsequent years.

The company, whose Ohio-based North Star Bluescope business is among its best-performing divisions, said the benefit will be partly offset by a toll charge on foreign earnings but this is not expected to be material.

Gloves and protective clothing maker Ansell says it has estimated a benefit of $US3 million to $US5 million for the 2019 financial year, as well as a one-off tax expense benefit of $A18 milion to $20 million in the current financial year, partly on account of restating US deferred tax liabilities.

The company, which operates its Ansell Healthcare LLC subsidiary out of New Jersey, also expects its group effective tax rate to remain at 24 to 25 per cent until the end of 2019/20, compared to its previous forecast that the group rate will increase to 26 to 27 per cent.


ASX-listed investor services group Computershare also said the US tax changes will result in a one-time statutory net profit benefit in 2017/18 associated with the reduction of Computershare's US net deferred tax liability position.

Separately, Morgan Stanley analysts have estimated that poker machine maker Aristocrat Leisure will be a large beneficiary of the US tax reform.

Aristocrat, which derives about 65 per cent of its earnings from the US, will see its group blended tax rate reduce from 32 per cent to 26 per cent across 2018/19 and 2019/20 because of the lower corporate tax rate.

This will result in a nine per cent increase in earnings per share for the period, the analysts have estimated.

Shares in Bluescope, Aristocrat Leisure, and Computershare were all trading between 0.8 and five per cent higher in a weak Australian market while Ansell shares were down 0.5 per cent at 1459 AEDT.

Australia stocks higher at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 up 0.10%

Australian Stock Markets

Australia stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Utilities, Healthcare and Industrials sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.10%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Downer Edi Ltd (AX:DOW), which rose 5.05% or 0.340 points to trade at 7.070 at the close. Meanwhile, BT Investment Management Ltd (AX:BTT) added 4.62% or 0.480 points to end at 10.860 and Worleyparsons Ltd (AX:WOR) was up 4.03% or 0.600 points to 15.490 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Nanosonics Ltd (AX:NAN), which fell 3.36% or 0.090 points to trade at 2.590 at the close. Aconex Ltd (AX:ACX) declined 3.29% or 0.180 points to end at 5.290 and Chorus Ltd (AX:CNU) was down 2.96% or 0.110 points to 3.600.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 634 to 623 and 336 ended unchanged.

Shares in Worleyparsons Ltd (AX:WOR) rose to 3-years highs; gaining 4.03% or 0.600 to 15.490.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 1.04% to 11.218.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.21% or 2.68 to $1289.98 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.47% or 0.28 to hit $58.67 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.52% or 0.33 to trade at $63.80 a barrel.

AUD/USD was down 0.17% to 0.7603, while AUD/JPY fell 0.29% to 84.69.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.01% at 92.73.

Australian Stocks A Nose Ahead For the Week

Australian Stock Markets

Australian stocks closed the session lower but ended the week slightly ahead.

Today’s scoreboard:
ASX200: 5,982.60 -3.60 -0.06%
All Ordinaries: 6,063.10 -4.40 -0.07%
AUD/USD: 0.7622 -0.0003 -0.04%

The local market slipped on the final trading day but closed the week with the ASX200 about 0.4% ahead.


Today the big banks lost ground. The ANZ dropped 0.65% to $28.88 and the Commonwealth 0.3% to $80.57.

Virgin Australia was up 5.6% to $0.28. The airline’s shares have been climbing since earlier this month when it said it was looking at the potential to delist from the ASX and go private.

1. High prices, little detail. Deutsche Bank analysts are disappointed by the Amazon Australia soft launch.

2. Household finances are getting squeezed. And Christmas spending doesn’t look so good.

3. Myer says trading is still difficult. The company is awaiting the results of Christmas trading. Myer shares were up 1.4% to $0.72.

4. Bookmaker CrownBet is in play. James Packer’s Crown Resorts is in talks over the future of its 62% holding in the bookmaker.

5. CHART. How expensive it is to buy a home in Sydney compared to Australia’s other capitals.

6. Cannabis stocks are flying. ASX-listed pot stocks have increased in value by an average of 92 per cent over the past month.

7. Infrastructure. The NSW government wants to spend a staggering $2 billion to replace two football stadiums.

8. Retail frenzy. Here’s what Amazon’s arrival could mean for the Australian economy. Also: Amazon’s arrival means slack Australian retailers finally have to treat customers like humans.

9. For the weekend. Everything you need to know about the science of beer.