The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has taken a tumble on Tuesday after the RBA lifted the cash rate. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 0.5% to 7,501.9 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping:

ARB Corporation Limited (ASX: ARB)

The ARB share price is down over 10% to $29.88. This 4×4 auto parts company's shares have come under pressure after Macquarie gave a lukewarm response to its half year update. Its analysts have downgraded ARB's shares to a neutral rating with a $33.00 price target.

Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)

The Centuria Capital share price is down 5% to $1.87. This follows the release of the property company's half year results. Although Centuria Capital delivered strong top line growth, its operating profit was flat year over year.

Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK)

The Nick Scali share price is down 5% to $10.26. Investors have been selling this furniture retailer's shares since the release of its half year results. Macquarie has also responded to its results by downgrading its shares to a neutral rating with an $11.30 price target. The broker appears concerned by the headwinds the company is facing from higher interest rates and a cooling housing market.

Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH)

The Tabcorp share price is down 2% to $1.016. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Goldman Sachs. It has warned that the gaming company could fall short of expectations with its results. It notes that industry feedback and data updates suggest that competition has been strong. This is being driven by disruption from a new entrant in the market, which it feels could be pressuring net margins and earnings.

The post Why ARB, Centuria Capital, Nick Scali, and Tabcorp shares are dropping appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) roared into the weekend today, surging 0.62% to finish at 7,558.1 points. That sees it within 1% of its all-time high and marks a 0.86% week-on-week gain.

Its gains came despite a poor performance from mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) tumbled 1.4% on Friday after iron ore futures slumped 0.9% overnight and gold futures dropped 0.6%.

Fortunately, it was the only sector to trade in the red today.

Leading the market's gains was the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) – rising 2.5% and 2.4% respectively.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) followed the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) higher, lifting 0.6% following the Wall Street index's 3.2% overnight gain.

But with nearly all sectors trading higher today, which ASX 200 shares outperformed all others? Let's take a look.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The biggest gainer on the ASX 200 today was Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI).

There was no news from the investment management company today. However, its stock tumbled 2.7% on the back of its first half earnings yesterday.

These shares made today's biggest gains:

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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) wobbled in and out of the green this afternoon before ultimately closing the day higher. The index was up 0.06% at 7,063.6 points at the end of Thursday's session.

While many miners came in among the day's top gainers, the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) outperformed all other sectors, rising 0.6%.

Travel stocks led the way on the sector. Shares in Corporation Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD), Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT), and Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) gained 3.7%, 3.4%, and 2.7% respectively.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) rose 0.4% with gold miners taking out the top spots after the yellow metal's value cracked US$1,850 an ounce overnight.

Today wasn't all green, however. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) plunged 1.3%, leaving it 3.9% lower than it was at the end of 2022.

So, with all that in mind, let's take a look at Thursday's 10 top-performing ASX 200 shares.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares took out today's top spot with a 7.77% gain, leaving it trading at $1.11 as of the market's close.

Its surge came amid news of the maiden shipment from the company's Finniss Lithium Project.

Today's biggest gains were made by these shares:

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.

It was the final session before Christmas, and all through the bourse, ASX shares tumbled. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) plummeted 0.63% on Friday to close the week at 7,107.7 points. That marks a 0.57% week on week fall.

Today's slump followed a similarly dire session on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) fell 1%, the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) dropped 1.5%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) plunged 2.2% amid the release of positive economic data.

The United States' gross domestic product rose to an annual rate of 3.2% in the third quarter, according to the third estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The findings sparked fears of further rate hikes, Reuters reports.

It's probably no surprise then that the rate-sensitive S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) led today's downturn. It fell 1.6% with Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) coming in as its worst performer.

The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) also plunged 1.1% on the back of a rough night for oil prices. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) outperformed all other sectors, gaining 0.2%.

Fortunately, however, not all ASX 200 shares were caught up in the sell off.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The index's top performing share today was TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG). Its gains came amid a bullish brokers note tipping it to gain another 11% to trade at $5.50.

Today's biggest gains were made by these shares:

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.

Ask A Fund Manager

The Motley Fool chats with the best in the industry so that you can get an insight into how the professionals think. In this edition, Tribeca Investment Partners portfolio manager Simon Brown reveals the two shares he'd snap up now at a 40% discount.

Cut or keep?

The Motley Fool: Let's examine three ASX shares that have been devastated this year and see if you think each of these fallen stars is now a bargain to pick up or if you'd stay away.

The first one is Life360 Inc (ASX: 360), which has dropped almost 40% in the past 12 months. What do you think?

Simon Brown: Yeah, similar to comments that I made with relation to NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT), in terms of a high growth business where discount rates went up, cost of money increased, and you've seen a reasonably violent de-rating. 

It probably doesn't help that it hadn't been necessarily profitable. It is investing for growth and spending quite a bit of money — and those growth rates are very high. So as an investor, if they can continue to invest money to generate those rates of growth, you've got to be reasonably happy.

But you've seen names within the sector that have held up far better. Some of those larger growth names haven't come off nearly as much as Life360 has, and there's probably a bit of a difference there that those ones have reasonable levels of cash generation and profits.

I guess there was a misstep somewhere. It was with the acquisition of Tile, which probably hasn't performed to expectations that were laid out when they made the acquisition. That's baked into the share price as it is now. But it also puts pressure on the business to look to make that acquisition work. 

And they've got a program coming up where they're going to bundle Tiles for new subscribers to incentivise customers to sign up to their membership plans. So that's looking to be rolled out in calendar year 2023. We think that should be an opportunity to continue to monetise their user base and potentially lift the level of profitability.

They just raised money, you might have seen in the press just recently. Given that they've got that trajectory towards cash positive later in calendar year 2023, they thought it was prudent to raise some money just to make sure if economic impacts in the US or the like had an impact on growth. 

So that's a name we've been on record as saying we've been quite supportive of throughout its journey since COVID, when they were able to demonstrate they were quite resilient in a downturn. It's a name that we've really, really liked and we are supportive of what that business is doing.

MF: Do you still hold it?

SB: Yes, we do.

MF: Fantastic. Next one is Dusk Group Ltd (ASX: DSK), which has fallen about 40% this year. What do you reckon about that one?

SB: Consumer discretionary has been a challenging area to get a huge amount of confidence, in terms of investment. 

I think that the most recent update was strong — ahead of where analyst expectations are. But I guess that there's a couple of things. It is a little bit challenging to get a true read on the rate of growth given that we had the Delta lockdowns last year, in that first quarter of FY22. So the run rate comparisons are hard to get an underlying feeling of the true rate of growth, given that the prior comparable period was very depressed.

Secondly, given the level of inflation that's been coming through, particularly for domestic retailers such as Dusk, who import a lot of their products that they sell, there has been a lot of price inflation. That is clouding the ability to see the true underlying volume of sales. We suspect that's probably weaker than the nominal sales that are being recorded. 

If you are coming into a period where that rate of inflation is slowing, the higher rates are pressuring consumers and they're more thoughtful about what they're buying, it potentially puts pressure on some of these retailers. They'll be forced back into some degree of discounting and it could prove problematic for margins.

Expectations aren't particularly lofty for the space, but given how leveraged they are with cost bases very much skewed towards wages and rent, both of which are escalating reasonably strongly, it doesn't take a huge amount of disappointment at that sales level to translate into meaningful movements in profit.

So yeah, we're on the sidelines there, just waiting for the interest rate rises that started in March to flow through into consumers. You tend to start to see the impacts around nine months after the first rate rise. We are watching very closely there as to how much of an impact we see on consumers and how that will relate to future earnings for companies like Dusk.

MF: Fair enough. The last one, which has also plunged about 40% this year is HMC Capital Ltd (ASX: HMC).

SB: That's the old HomeCo. It's a property funds management business. They've got two listed REITs — HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN) and the Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX: HCW) — so they're an alternative asset manager. 

We think David Di Pilla's done a good job there to date. We're a big fan of the funds management model in property. You've obviously got some very successful examples of that model in Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) and Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI). 

[HMC Capital] emanated out of small caps that we've invested in previously, that have done very well for our fund. We identified HomeCo as a name that was coming off a smaller base. They had lower levels of invested assets, meaning that as they looked to grow via acquisition, those acquisitions can have a more meaningful impact on growth. 

So that's a name that we quite like. They continue to accumulate properties and start new funds. 

Look, there has been a property cycle within REIT to some degree. You've had interest rates going up, which should flow through to lower property values via an increase in cap rates there. There's been a degree of value destruction across that REIT space, where a number of the names are trading at fairly steep discounts to their last reported net tangible assets.

You'd argue there's a degree of devaluation in their properties already imputed in the share price. And we think once rates plateau and start to come back down — as they inevitably will as economic growth slows — there's probably an opportunity for the space, including HMC, to pick up a tailwind there. And do better given the underperformance of the whole space over the last 12 months.

The post 40% sale! 2 cheap ASX shares to buy for a better 2023: fundie appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

As the Santa rally gathers pace, buyers are re-entering the share market, looking to catch a ride uphill into 2023.

But in an environment of rising interest rates and a slowing economy, stock selection is critical.

Shaw and Partners portfolio manager James Gerrish this week mentioned three ASX shares that look prime for a rally:

• Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)
• Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)
• Virgin Money UK CDI (ASX: VUK)

The ASX shares going for 'significant discounts'

This year has been brutal for any ASX share involved in the real estate industry.

A whopping 275-basis point interest rate rise would certainly do that. Most experts are predicting that by Tuesday afternoon, 2022 will end with a 300-point hike.

However, Gerrish feels like real estate stocks have been punished enough.

"What we are reading and [listening] to around the outlook for interest rates is well and truly factored into the market," he said in a Market Matters Q&A.

"Real estate trusts/companies are trading at significant discounts to the carrying value of their assets — 30% in some cases."

Centuria specifically has been hard done by, Gerrish added.

"Markets are prone to get too optimistic and too pessimistic on things, we think broadly the latter has played out with Centuria."

The Centuria share price has almost halved since the start of the year, and Gerrish did admit one weakness with the investment company.

"CNI is at the higher end of the risk spectrum as they have made the decision not the hedge interest rate risk," he said.

"The Australian 10-year [bond] yield, for example, is down ~0.70% from its highs so this is working out okay so far. However, many of the other property companies have taken a more conservative route and spent large sums on hedging for certainty."

Who wants a drink?

The Treasury Wine share price has enjoyed a nice 10% rally since early October.

"We like TWE as a business. The company recently gave a good update and we think this has legs to rally further."

Gerrish noted costs for the current financial year are forecast to remain steady from the previous year, which is vital heading into a period of economic weakness.

"They also have expectations of solid growth and EBITS margin expansion towards the 25%+ group target in FY23, which implies they have pricing power — an important element as rates rise."

The Market Matters team actually doesn't hold Treasury Wine shares at the moment, but will pounce as soon as there's a dip.

"Any pull backs to the $13 region will be attractive."

Meanwhile, Gerrish is also a fan of UK banking group Virgin Money.

"Virgin Money actually looks good following their last update. [We] could easily see it rallying into the mid $3s."

Virgin shares closed Wednesday at $3.05.

The post 'This has legs to rally': Expert names 3 ASX shares that just hit the buy zone appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The soccer World Cup is under way, with 32 national teams now camped in the Middle East to compete for glory.

While the choice of host, Qatar, has been controversial due to the country's human rights record, billions of soccer fans will still tune in to barrack for their flag. The sport is a matter of life and death in many parts of the world.

As Australia prepares for its first game kicking off early Wednesday morning, Abrdn investment manager and soccer enthusiast Shawn Lee couldn't help himself.

He has picked his own team of 11 ASX shares that would lead his portfolio to a World Cup win:

Goalkeeper

The safe pair of defensive hands at the back for Lee is Auckland International Airport Limited (ASX: AIA).

"We need a good communicator with quick reflexes guarding our goal," Lee said on the Abrdn blog.

"Auckland Airport's prompt response to the COVID crisis was impressive. It moved swiftly to rein in its cost base, pausing large capital projects and preemptively raising emergency capital."

With the world now well into the post-pandemic era, he feels like Auckland Airport can "fend off the ups and down of economic cycles" and offers its investors a monopoly asset.

Left and right backs

According to Lee, left back Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) is "one of the most compelling defensive players".

"Even though Bapcor has had a recent change of coach, new chief executive Noel Meehan has progressively won over the dressing room to restore our team's stability," he said.

"Although many things may not be 'better than before', we think Bapcor has a long playing career ahead and, allied to reasonable valuation, demands a place in our starting line-up."

The right back position will be taken by real estate fund Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI).

"We wanted a versatile full-back that's quick on its feet, with good anticipation and composure," said Lee.

"Centuria fits the bill nicely, with its nimbleness evident as it pivots its core unlisted funds business."

He admitted office assets were under a cloud in the post-COVID era, but the company has other fires burning.

"Centuria continues to seek out growth by pivoting its product towards other property sub-sectors more in vogue – including healthcare, industrial property and agriculture investments."

Centre backs

Lee's middle defenders are Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT) and Ridley Corporation Ltd (ASX: RIC).

"We want our centre backs to provide as much pitch coverage as possible, and Infratil's portfolio of other core investments span a range of sectors such as data centres, telecommunications, retirement living and electricity generation," he said. 

"We think Infratil is staying one step ahead of a fast-evolving game – evident through its investment in solar/wind farm developer and operator Long Road Energy."

Animal feed producer Ridley is on the radar of many experts at the moment.

"Ridley's defensive psyche is finely tuned, with the majority of customer contracts allowing it to pass through inflationary costs, while its mix of divisional exposures should also provide some protection against adverse weather," said Lee.

"After shedding excess, some might say Ridley has a small frame. But this player still packs a punch."

Midfielders

Left, centre and right midfielders are IPH Ltd (ASX: IPH), AUB Group Ltd (ASX: AUB) and Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND), respectively.

"Like any good midfielder, IPH is in excellent condition and is no stranger to playing the endurance game, especially given that the patent lifecycle and corresponding workflow can span 20 years or more," said Lee.

"We drafted AUB in to play a crucial role in our team as we believe its traditional defensive strengths are being nicely complemented by an improving offensive game."

Monadelphous sounds like a biotech, but it's actually a Perth-based mining services provider.

"It has an exemplary operating track record, differentiating it from what is otherwise a peer group of service providers that typically experience booms and busts," Lee said.

"Midfield is often referred to as the engine room of the team, and the WA resources engine is most definitely humming!"

Forwards

The wingers for Lee would be IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) and Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB).

"Wingers need good ball control to get in behind opposition defences and set up attempts on goal. We believe IDP has excellent skills and a few tricks in its locker," he said.

"In between digitising the business through computer-based IELTS testing, the acquisition of online course database provider Hotcourses, the launch of marketplace platforms such as IDP live, the shrewd purchase of IELTS India and thriving amid the COVID crisis that otherwise devastated the international student industry, we think the business has executed almost flawlessly and consistently made fools of opposing defences."

Hub24 has "had more shots at goal than many of its peers".

"Speed is a key attribute of good wingers, and this is where Hub24 does not disappoint," said Lee. 

"Platform funds under administration have grown at breakneck speed since the business was established in 2007, in part due to tailwinds from the move towards independent financial advice, but also as a result of innovative platform technology and a superior customer experience."

Finally, the big goal scorer in the centre forward position is Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME).

"We can't fault Pro Medicus's hot scoring streak, announcing multiple record-sized cloud-based contract wins, together with strong renewal momentum on improved pricing and contractual terms," said Lee.

"Not only do we anticipate conversion of the contract pipeline, we think the business has enhanced its scalability through cloud-based deployment, which will grow its addressable market meaningfully and allow it to penetrate a smaller customer base previously deemed to be less economic."

The post 11 ASX shares that make Abrdn's World Cup team appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Both of these ASX dividend shares have recently been named as buys by analysts. Here's why they could be worth considering today:

Baby Bunting Group Ltd (ASX: BBN)

The first ASX dividend share for income investors to consider is leading baby products retailer Baby Bunting.

It has a dominant position in a less discretionary side of the retail industry, which bodes well for its growth in the current environment.

Analysts at Citi are positive on the company and currently have a buy rating and $5.62 price target on its shares. The broker was pleased with its expansion into higher margin areas and the new national distribution centre.

Looking ahead, the broker appears to believe the company is well-placed for growth over the long term and is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 18 cents in FY 2023 and then 22 cents in FY 2024. Based on the current Baby Bunting share price of $4.15, this will mean yields of 4.3% and 5.3%, respectively.

Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP)

Another ASX dividend share to look at is Centuria Industrial. It is the largest domestic pure play industrial REIT on the Australian share market.

This has been a great part of the property market to be, with demand for industrial space growing strongly in recent years. In fact, last month when Centuria Industrial released its full year results, it revealed that its occupancy rate increased to ~99% with a weighted average lease expiry of 8.3 years. This supported a 22% increase in funds from operations to $111.7 million.

Macquarie is bullish on Centuria Industrial and currently has an outperform rating and $3.69 price target on its shares.

As for dividends, the broker is expecting dividends per share of approximately 16 cents in FY 2023 and FY 2024. Based on the current Centuria Industrial share price of $3.02, this will mean yields of 5.3% for investors.

The post Experts say these ASX dividend shares are buys today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) slumped on Wednesday, weighed down by tech shares. The index was 0.53% lower at 6,992.70 points at the market's close.

A poor trade on Wall Street and rising bond yields might have weighed on the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) today. It dumped 3.8%.

The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fell 1.2% overnight while the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) slipped 0.4% and 0.2% respectively.

But it wasn't all bad across the bourse. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) lifted 0.9% and 0.5% respectively.

It came as Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) released its full year earnings, detailing a $10.77 billion after tax profit.

At the end of today's session, two of the ASX 200's 11 sectors were trading in the green.

Keep reading to find out which stock outperformed all others on Wednesday.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU) share price topped the lot on Wednesday, gaining 9% on the back of an update on its clinical trial. Find out more about what Imugene's been up to here.

Today's biggest gains were made by these ASX shares:

Our top 10 ASX 200 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.

The Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) share price is lifting nearly 3% higher in afternoon trade following the release of its FY22 results.

At the time of writing, shares in the real estate player are swapping hands at $1.91 apiece, up from the previous close of $1.86.

Centuria share price buoys from FY22 profitability

Key takeouts from the year include:

• Total operating revenue of $292.6 million, up 38% from FY21
• FY22 operating earnings of 14.5 cents per share (cps), representing a 20.8% gain on the prior corresponding period (pcp)
• FY22 distribution of 11.0cps, signifying a 10% gain on the pcp
• Management guides for operating earnings of 14.5cps and a distribution of 14.5cps in FY23
• Strong assets under management (AUM) growth of 18% year on year to $20.6 billion
• FY22 gross real estate activity comes to $3.1 billion
• Still another $2.1 billion in the company's development pipeline

What else happened for Centuria?

The company says it experienced strong acquisition activity in FY22, securing $3.1 billion of gross real estate activity.

This was a record of the group, and a "direct consequence of a disciplined acquisition strategy coupled with enhanced platform scale," it said.

Operating revenue grew by 38% year on year whereas management fees also grew 77% to more than $146 million.

Meanwhile, transaction fees also increased by 162% year on year to around $39 million, whilst Centuria also recognised $33 million of performance fees.

As a result, operating net profit after tax (NPAT) was $114 million, well up from $70 million in FY21, whereas the distribution per security increased to 11cps from 10cps.

Management commentary

Speaking on the results, co-CEO John McBain said:

The Group delivered record operating earnings and distributions throughout the period, following upgraded guidance during the year. Centuria demonstrated how its corporate acquisitions in previous periods have significantly increased the size of the platform with correspondingly high increases in both management fee revenues and transaction fee revenues as is evident in the FY22 result.

What's next for Centuria?

Adding to previous comments, Mcbain said regarding the company's outlook:

Centuria remains firmly focussed on the Australasian real estate sector. The Group intends to grow its platform strongly in the alternative healthcare, agriculture and non-bank lending sectors which are receiving strong investor demand.

In addition we will continue to leverage our strong distribution network and our institutional relationships to take advantage of both core and value-add real estate opportunities across our traditional asset classes.

In the past 12 months the Centuria share price is down by more than 38% and 45% this year to date.

The post Centuria Capital share price lifts on 60% profit surge appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In times of rising interest rates and market turbulence, many investors turn to dividend-paying ASX shares.

The theory is that while capital growth is anaemic, an income stream helps investors endure the tough part of the cycle before it turns.

With this in mind, Shaw and Partners portfolio manager James Gerrish was recently asked if any ASX dividend shares are worth grabbing for cheap during the current sell-off.

ASX shares are the place to be if you want dividends

The Australian market is particularly favourable for income investing. 

This is because of the country's franking credit rules and the dominance of big banks and mining companies on the ASX. 

While Gerrish's team likes the banks for dividends, most Australian investors are overweight in that sector.

"So it makes sense to look elsewhere from a diversification perspective," he said in his Market Matters Q&A.

"The miners are screening well for income, however, their earnings are very cyclical and we are reticent to think of them as consistent income payers – they simply ebb and flow with the economic cycles."

So if you remove banks and resources from the picture, what's left?

Four of the best, going for cheap

Gerrish named four ASX dividend shares that are trading at attractive prices after the recent sell-off:

• Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS)
• Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP)
• Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)
• Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Supermarket wholesaler and operator of IGA retail network, Metcash, pays out a handy 5% dividend yield. The share price has lost just 3.8% year-to-date.

Real estate developer Stockland has lost almost 16% in value so far in 2022 but does give out a handsome 7.17% yield.

"We see a lot of value in property stocks after recent weakness," said Gerrish.

"We also like Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) and National Storage REIT (ASX: NSR), to name a few."

Old income investor favourite Telstra is currently paying out a 2.8% yield. The share price has dropped 8% year-to-date though.

Shares for conglomerate Wesfarmers have plunged a painful 29.4% so far this year, but its shareholders do reap a 4% dividend yield.

Gerrish left investors seeking income with one final piece of advice.

"Importantly, look for companies with some growth over time so that dividends will increase at a greater clip than inflation."

The post 4 ASX dividend shares to buy that aren't banks or miners: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Experts are always trying to find buying opportunities amongst ASX shares.

Today we look at two ASX shares selected by Ord Minnett. The broker rates these shares as a buy with price targets more than 40% higher than where the shares are trading now.

A price target is an estimation of where the share price will be in 12 months.

Of course, Ord Minnett doesn't have a time machine. It's impossible to know where a share price will actually be in 12 months. However, brokers can certainly make predictions of where they think the share price will be (or should be) in a year based on their research and analysis.

With that in mind, here are the two ASX shares that Ord Minnett is recommending today.

Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)

Centuria is an investment manager that has more than $20 billion worth of assets under management. This includes listed and unlisted funds as well as tax investment bonds.

Ord Minnett has a buy rating on this ASX share with a price target of $2.80. That's a possible rise of about 40%.

The broker thinks the real estate investment trust (REIT) sector is more attractive as bond yields stabilise. In recent times, bond yields rose as expectations that global central banks would raise rates increased.

The Centuria Capital Group share price has dropped 43% since the start of the year. So, the broker is simply predicting that the ASX share will regain some of that lost ground.

Centuria recently announced that it was growing its institutional-backed healthcare and retail portfolios with $223 million of acquisitions. This included the $163 million private hospital development in Alexandria, Sydney. The business said that 43% of the development is leased on a 15-year term.

In FY22, Centuria is expecting to generate 14.5 cents of operating earnings per share (EPS). This would represent growth of just over 20% year on year. The distribution is expected to be 11 cents per share, representing a dividend yield of 5.5% for ASX investors.

Straker Translations Ltd (ASX: STG)

Based in New Zealand, Straker describes itself as providing "next generation language services supported by a state-of-the-art technology stack and robust AI layers to clients around the world. By combining the latest available technologies with linguistic expertise, Straker's solutions are scalable, cost-effective and accurate."

Ord Minnett currently rates this business as a buy with a price target of $1.85. That implies a possible rise of about 60%. The broker thinks the ASX share can keep growing at a good pace.

The broker noted Straker's FY22 result, which showed revenue growth of 78.5% to $55.9 million thanks to "strong organic growth".

It generated positive adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of $1.2 million in the second half of FY22 and $200,000 for the full year.

The company said that translation volumes from the IBM strategic partnership continue to grow in line with expectations and new partnership opportunities are developing.

Straker also said that customers looking for technology-led solutions for localisation are driving a strong enterprise pipeline.

The ASX share is expecting revenue growth of 20% in FY23, with a positive adjusted EBITDA.

The post Buy these 2 ASX shares with more than 40% upside: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The market has slipped back into the red on Tuesday and some S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares are feeling the impact. And for some that were already trading around their lowest point in 12 months, today's dip has brought unfortunate milestones.

Let's take a closer look at three ASX 300 shares that have fallen to their lowest point in more than a year on Tuesday.

3 ASX 300 shares falling to their lowest in 12 months

Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC)

The Nine share price tumbled to a new 52-week low of $2.17 today – representing a 4.4% drop.

That's the lowest the ASX 300 share has traded at since late 2020 and seemingly the result of a continued two-month sell-off.

The media company's stock has dumped 26% of its value since the end of March.

Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)

The Centuria share price also hit a long-forgotten low on Tuesday, slumping to trade at $2.19 – 2.2% lower than its previous close.

Much like Nine, the ASX 300 share hasn't traded at such levels since November 2020.

Interestingly, the stock's dip follows seemingly positive news from the property-focus investment management business. The company announced it has secured $223 million of healthcare and retail assets for its existing institutional partnerships this morning.

The Centuria share price is currently 37% lower than it was at the start of 2022.

oOh!Media Ltd (ASX: OML)

The final ASX 300 share trading at a 52-week low is oOh!Media. It hit a low of $1.35 on Tuesday – representing a 4.25% fall on its previous closing price.

The 'out of home' advertising company's stock has seemingly struggled to gain traction after rebounding from a post-pandemic drop in late 2020.

It has fallen a notable 20% year to date. It's also 60% lower than it was five years ago.

The post 3 ASX 300 shares slumping to 52-week lows on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Sometimes share prices can be quite volatile, but dividends may be able to offset some of the fear factor by paying a regular stream of income to investors.

With that in mind, here are two to consider, according to brokers:

Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING)

Inghams is one of the country's largest poultry businesses, supplying a huge amount of chicken to Aussies every year.

The Inghams share price has seen some volatility in recent months as COVID impacts bite. Two of the main impacts have been a higher price of feed for the poultry and staff shortages due to COVID (and isolating).

However, the ASX dividend share noted that just over a month ago that changes to the isolation rules for close contacts in the food sector were assisting with the staff shortages. As operating conditions normalised, it was expecting production capacity to recover quickly to meet customer and consumer demand.

In terms of the dividend, Inghams aims to pay reliable dividends to shareholders, with a dividend payout ratio of between 60% to 80% of underlying net profit after tax (NPAT).

FY21 saw an annual dividend of 16.5 cents per share from the poultry company, reflecting a payout ratio of 70.8% of underlying net profit.

Citi is expecting Inghams to pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 6% in FY22 and 7.8% in FY23.

Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)

Centuria is an investment manager with over $20 billion of assets under management (AUM). The business is centred around property funds management and investment bonds.

The business is rated as a buy by the broker Morgan Stanley, with a price target of $3.45. This offers upside of close to 20%.

This ASX dividend share recently announced its FY22 half-year result which showed a 16% increase of AUM growth. It also delivered a 73% rise in operating profit after tax to $56.7 million.

It's expecting to deliver operating earnings per security (EPS) of 14.5 cents, which would be an increase of 20.8%. It has also provided guidance of a distribution of 11 cents per security. This income guidance translates into a yield of 3.75%.

Broker Morgan Stanley is wary of what effect the prospect of higher interest rates will have on the real estate sector and net flows. The broker likes that Centuria offers exposure to attractive 'emerging' sectors like agriculture and healthcare.

The real estate business says it's focused on generating long-term income and potential performance fees for investors.

The post 2 ASX dividend shares that brokers say are buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) share price is slipping in morning trade on Wednesday. This follows the release of the property funds manager's half-year results.

In early morning trade, shares in the group are fetching $3.03 apiece, down 0.66% from their previous close.

Centuria share price scores with impressive half-year earnings

• Group total operating revenue up 26% to $139.4 million
• Operating profit after tax up 73% to $58.7 million
• Statutory earnings per share (EPS) of 13.8 cents per security, up 84%
• Reaffirmed FY22 distribution guidance of 11 cents per security
• Cash and undrawn debt finished at $241 million
• Net asset value of $2, up from $1.92 in the prior corresponding period
• Distribution of 5.5 cents per stapled security (cps) for the half, compared to 4.5 cps in HY21

What happened during the half?

It was an extremely busy six-month period for the real estate funds manager. During HY22, the group undertook multiple property acquisitions. As a result, Centuria's real estate funds management platform increased 17% to $19.3 billion.

Additionally, unlisted and listed assets under management (AUM) organically grew by 15% and 22% respectively. This took the total value of these assets to $12.6 billion and $6.7 billion. Centuria fuelled this solid growth by acquiring $2.5 billion worth of real estate during the half, including:

• $63 million for a commercial office building at 21-25 Nile Street, Port Adelaide
• $83 million for a commercial office building at 25 Grenfell Street, Adelaide
• $88 million for prime agriculture real estate at 264 and 318 Copelands Road, Warragul
• NZ$291 million in aged care real estate across Australia and New Zealand

In particular, the Centuria share price rallied in response to the expansive asset acquisitions across the healthcare sector in December. In total, 38 aged care assets in New Zealand were purchased — all of which are operated by Heritage Lifecare.

What did management say?

Centuria Capital Group joint CEO Jason Huljich commented:

HY22's performance is a clear example of utilising our in-house management expertise across Australasia and servicing our expanded investor distribution network to execute on several funds management initiatives. Centuria's growth for the half has delivered more than the AUM of the entire Group's platform around 5 years ago. Our strategies for each of our real estate verticals complement our specialist approach to actively managing our real estate funds.

Meanwhile, Centuria's other joint CEO, John McBain, said:

It has been particularly pleasing to witness the consolidation of revenue streams from recently acquired business units in combination with a very strong contribution from organic property fund acquisitions, both listed and unlisted. Centuria's unlisted retail investors have continued to invest strongly and we have been active in placing new assets with our institutional mandate partners, making HY22 a very successful period.

What's next?

On the topic of future outlook, both joint CEO's reflected a drive to continue consolidating Centuria's leading position. To do this, the group plans to take advantage of its "significant deal flow". This may include the group's off-market opportunities and its active development pipeline.

In addition, Centuria noted an expectation to pull multiple growth levers on its real estate funds management platform. This will play an important role in generating future performance fees growth for the group.

Centuria share price snapshot

Lastly, it has been a challenging start to the year for the Centuria share price. So far in 2022, shares are down 13.4%, despite the group upgrading its earnings guidance in January.

Fortunately, on a one-year timeline, ASX-listed Centuria remains 22.2% ahead. Given the recent dent in the valuation, Centuria is now boasting a dividend yield of 3.6%.

The post Slam dunk: Centuria (ASX:CNI) share price slips amid growth-filled half-year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) share price finished in the green today after the company announced it has acquired more assets.

Shares in the company were swapping hands at $3.41 at market close on Thursday, up 1.49%.

Centuria Capital Group is a real estate funds manager boasting more than $18 billion worth of assets.

What did the company announce?

The Centuria Capital share price climbed after the company revealed it has taken over more than $466 million of healthcare properties in the last two months.

This includes 38 aged care assets in New Zealand for $276 million. These assets will be operated by New Zealand company Heritage Lifecare.

Centuria's Australian-based Centuria Healthcare Property Fund will own 36% of the portfolio, while the remaining 64% will be owned by Centuria New Zealand Healthcare Property Fund.

In further news shared with the market today, Centuria Capital has also bought the $75.7 million Varsity Lakes Day Hospital run by Queensland Health. This includes six digital operating theatres, 24 consulting suites, physiotherapy services, a diagnostic imaging MRI facility, retail tenants and a gym.

The company has also secured a $38 million healthcare development site in Alexandria, Sydney.

Management commentary

Commenting on the news possibly pushing up the Centuria Capital share price, the group's joint CEO Jason Huljich said:

These acquisitions provide unique opportunities to secure high-quality assets, further expanding Centuria's healthcare platform across both Australia and New Zealand.

We foresee rising demand for bespoke, modern hospitals within our domestic market, which provide cost effective models of care that also focus on patient wellbeing.

Centuria Healthcare managing director Andrew Hemming added:

Demand for aged care real estate within New Zealand can continue to increase due to the undersupply of existing facilities and an increasing ageing population.

Centuria share price snapshot

The Centuria Capital share price has exploded by around 38% in the past 12 months and 30% year to date. It is also up more than 4% in the past month.

For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned more than 11% over the past year.

The company has a market capitalisation of roughly $2.7 billion based on its current share price.

The post What happened to the Centuria Capital Group (ASX:CNI) share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

BetMakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET)

The BetMakers share price is up over 3% to 81.5 cents. This morning the betting technology company announced an agreement to become the exclusive provider of pari-mutuel racing services for Caesars Entertainment's brick-and-mortar retail sportsbook locations in Nevada. Caesars Entertainment is the largest casino-entertainment company in the United States and one of the world's most diversified casino-entertainment providers.

Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)

The Centuria Capital share price is up 4% to $3.48. This follows the announcement of a series of healthcare property acquisitions across Australia and New Zealand totalling more than $466 million. This includes a geographically dispersed New Zealand portfolio of 38 aged care assets for NZ$291million (A$276million).

Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT)

The Neometals share price has jumped 8% to $1.09. This morning Neometals revealed that it has successfully commissioned its pilot plant and commenced production of a titanium-rich gravity concentrate sample for offtake evaluation trials. Approximately 150 tonnes of gravity concentrates will be produced and shipped in the first quarter of 2022.

Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR)

The Syrah share price has surged 23% higher to $1.63. Investors have been buying this battery materials producer's shares after it announced an offtake agreement with electric vehicle giant Tesla to supply natural graphite Active Anode Material (AAM) from its production facility in Vidalia, USA. Tesla will offtake the majority of the proposed initial expansion of AAM production capacity at Vidalia at a fixed price for an initial term of four years.

The post Why Betmakers, Centuria, Neometals, and Syrah shares are storming higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

Health insurance premium increases

Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) and NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF) shares are trading higher after announcing their health insurance premium increases for 2022. Both health insurers have received approval from the Federal Minister for Health to increase their health insurance premiums by an average of 3.1% and 2.66%, respectively. This is the lowest increase in two decades. However, both companies intend to defer their increases for a few months from 1 April.

Centuria Capital's acquisitions

The Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) share price is charging higher today after announcing a series of acquisitions. According to the release, the company has acquired more than $466 million of Australia and New Zealand based healthcare properties within the past two months. This includes a geographically dispersed New Zealand portfolio of 38 aged care assets for NZ$291million (A$276million).

Rio Tinto shares remain a buy

The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price is trading slightly lower today. This is despite Citi responding positively to its acquisition of the Rincon Lithium project in Argentina for US$825 million. In response, the broker has retained its buy rating and $115.00 price target on the mining giant's shares. It believes this "confirms RIO's ambition to be a serious player in lithium/battery materials."

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Thursday has been the Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price with a 3.5% gain. A number of gold miners are pushing higher today after the gold price rose overnight. The worst performer has been the Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) share price with a 10% decline. Its shares are falling following the release of underwhelming FY 2022 guidance.

The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Medibank and NIB rise, Bega sinks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

ASX listed and unlisted companies investing in commercial property have weathered the pandemic better than many analysts had forecast.

In fact, some have broadly outperformed the 8% gain delivered by the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in 2021 to date.

Despite the headwinds battering the Aussie office markets as many workers continued to work from home this year, the Centuria Office REIT (ASX: COF) has gained 5% in 2021. Atop the share price gain, COF also pays a 7.4% trailing dividend yield, unfranked.

The Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) has seen strong ASX investor demand, gaining 19% year-to-date. CIP pays a trailing dividend yield of 4.6%, unfranked.

As for Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI), which runs the above 2 real estate investment trusts (REITs) as well as investing in unlisted healthcare and other commercial property assets, its share price is up 22% since 4 January. Centuria pays a 3.2% trailing dividend yield, 38% franked.

With these figures in mind and an eye on the year ahead, the Motley Fool turned to Centuria Capital Group's head of funds management, Ross Lees, for his insights into Australia's commercial property markets.

Motley Fool: What's your take on how the office market performed in 2021?

Ross Lees: Despite the backdrop of the pandemic, Australia's office, industrial, and healthcare markets have all performed quite well.

The domestic office market has been resilient, which has surprised most in the investment markets. In fact, the volume of office transactions throughout Australia during the January to September 2021 period was roughly double that of 2020 during the same period.

There have been a number of high-quality transactions in both the CBD and metropolitan markets during this year, especially for those assets underpinned by quality tenants and providing predictable income streams and long Weighted Average Lease Expiries (WALEs). This tells us there is strong investment demand.

On the office leasing front, in spite of the lockdowns and prevalence of work from home patterns, in late 2021 we've seen an uptick in office leasing enquiries. This has been backed by the wider, positive rhetoric from corporate leaders who have a greater expectation that staff will increasingly return to the office for work, particularly from the beginning of 2022.

MF: And how did the industrial market do this past year?

RL: The industrial market has been the standout performer among real estate asset classes in 2021. We've seen landmark portfolio transactions and an insatiable demand, from domestic and offshore investors, wanting to increase their exposure to the Australian industrial sector.

The strong investment appetite is complemented by tangible evidence of rental growth, especially within the east coast markets. In some markets, such as the prime Sydney industrial market, yields are now comparable with global markets.

Demand is most dominant within infill, urban markets where occupiers, especially e-commerce operators, are seeking more space close to densely populated areas in metropolitan regions so they can move their goods to consumers more quickly. We refer to this trend as 'moving from big trucks to white vans'. That is, consumers want their online purchases to be delivered sooner so the logistics sector deploys smaller vehicles more frequently.

MF: Rounding out the list, how did healthcare assets stack up in 2021?

RL: On the healthcare front, 2021 has seen a significant increase in investment from the institutional sector, especially among those looking to diversify their portfolios into alternative markets.

The challenge for investors is the higher barrier of entry into healthcare real estate. However, the underlying metrics of Australia's ageing population and increased healthcare costs continue to support investment demand for high-quality healthcare property into the future.

MF: That covers the year almost gone by. Looking ahead, what can ASX investors expect from the office, industrial, and healthcare markets in 2022?

RL: The obvious noise in the market is centred around inflation moving through the financial system and what this could mean for increased interest rates and bond yields; most especially, how they affect capitalisation rates in the real estate sector.

Notwithstanding, most ASX investors easily overlook the fact that real estate has historically been considered a hedge against inflation. Should inflation come through the system, there is a risk of an increase in the cost of building and creating new supply across all property sectors. The outcome is likely to result in rising rents.

Centuria expects consumers to continue the accelerated adoption of e-commerce, increasing the demand for industrial assets from occupiers. During 2022, we also expect workers will return to the office, particularly among the major corporates, which will dispel the perceived negativity associated with the office sector.

We also believe there will be increased demand within decentralised office markets, which lend themselves to better worker commutability, particularly for assets within close proximity to public transport infrastructure and main road arterials.

Modern assets with high ESG [environmental, social and governance] and sustainability credentials are also expected to attract high-quality corporate tenants as well as investors.

MF: How is Centuria positioning itself to take advantage?

RL: Over the past 5 years, Centuria's position has actively and rapidly shifted to the logistics and healthcare sectors. We have significantly expanded our market share in these sectors, growing our portfolios, which are backed by expert management teams with a high degree of specialisation. We are capitalising on the opportunities in these in-demand real estate sectors to deliver compelling returns to our investors.

Centuria has a considered, long-term approach to its investments and operations. We've expanded into sectors by executing on robust corporate strategies rather than by short-term, knee-jerk reactions. We've identified the opportunities and advantages of the industrial, healthcare, and decentralised office markets and will continue to expand our portfolios within these asset classes to deliver value to our security holders.

The post Investing in ASX office, industrial and healthcare shares? Here's the outlook for 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Centuria Capital Group Ltd (ASX: CNI) share price edged lower on Monday and finished 2.1% in the red at $3.26.

Centuria shares dropped during the day despite the company announcing a key acquisition update.

Here are the key points from Centuria's announcement.

What did Centuria Capital announce?

The company advised that its subsidiary Primewest secured a $71.2 million shopping centre in Geraldton, Western Australia.

Geraldton is a major regional gateway town in WA. The Northgate Geraldton Shopping Centre – Centuria's asset from the purchase – is the dominant shopping centre in the area.

The city itself is supported by mining, broadacre agriculture, aquaculture fishing, tourism and logistics industries, which Centuria sees as positives for its new asset.

The announcement notes that anchor tenants Kmart and Coles contribute 49% of the gross rental income at the site with the former recently commencing a new 10-year lease.

Including other tenants at the centre, the site "provides a 4.7 year weighted average lease expiry (WALE) and is 96.3% occupied".

Centuria, via Primewest, secured the site for "a new single-asset, unlisted closed-ended wholesale fund".

The Northgate Geraldton Trust (NGT) has an initial 5-year term and will be open to wholesale investors from 13 October.

It forecasts a 7.25% distribution within the first 2 years and has a target equity raise of $41.8 million.

What did management say?

Speaking on the announcement, Centuria joint CEO Jason Huljich said:

The acquisition illustrates how Centuria's larger balance sheet can support the team's expansion across large format and neighbourhood retail markets by securing quality, well performing assets. It adds to the Group's strong retail real estate portfolio, totalling more than $2.6 billion.

Touching on the development area itself, Huljich added:

This is a rare opportunity to secure a retail asset that's strategically located within WA's fourth most populated area. It benefits from strong tenant covenants with 80% of the property's gross income derived from ASX-listed, national and multinational tenants.

Centuria Capital share price snapshot

The Centuria Capital share price has slumped 6% into the red this past month but is still up 24% this year to date.

It's also gained 47% over the past 12 months, more than double that of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)'s approximate 20% return in this time.

The post Centuria Capital (ASX:CNI) share price slides amid $72m acquisition update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.