Tomorrow will be a big day for income investors, with a huge number of ASX 200 stocks trading ex-dividend for their next payments.

When a share goes ex-dividend, it means the rights to an upcoming dividend have been settled.

As a result, if you want to receive any of these dividends, you have until the close of play today to buy shares.

Which ASX 200 shares are trading ex-dividend on Thursday?

There are 10 ASX 200 stock that are due to trade ex-dividend on Thursday. This includes some of the biggest dividend payers on the Australian share market.

Here's a summary:

ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX)

This stock exchange operator's shares will go ex-dividend for its fully franked interim dividend of 116.2 cents per share tomorrow. This will be paid to shareholders on 29 March.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

Last month, the Big Australian declared a fully franked interim dividend of 130.6 cents per share. This is scheduled to hit shareholders' bank accounts on 30 March.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

After going ex-dividend tomorrow, ASX 200 biotherapeutics giant CSL will be paying its shareholders a partially franked 154.9 cents per share interim dividend on 5 April.

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

This language testing and student placement company declared a 21 cents per share partially franked dividend last month. This will be paid at the end of the month on 31 March.

Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

Last month, thanks to surging lithium earnings, this ASX 200 mining and mining services company increased its interim dividend to a fully franked $1.20 per share. The payment date for this dividend is 30 March.

Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND)

This mining services company declared a fully franked interim dividend of 24 cents per share last month. This will be paid to shareholders at the end of the month on 31 March.

Perpetual Limited (ASX: PPT)

This fund manager was forced to slash its interim dividend last month to a partially franked 55 cents per share. This will be paid to shareholders on 31 March.

Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC)

This plumbing parts company declared a partially franked 6.5 cents per share interim dividend last month. It plans to pay this to shareholders next month on 6 April.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

Although this mining giant was forced to cut its final dividend in response to falling iron ore prices, it was still able to declare a hefty 326.5 cents per share fully franked dividend. This is expected to be paid to eligible shareholders on 20 April.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

This diversified miner released its half-year results last month and declared a 7.1 cents per share fully franked dividend. This will be lining the pockets of shareholders on 6 April.

The post 10 ASX 200 stocks trading ex-dividend tomorrow appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

These three stocks are joining the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in the red on Tuesday as they tumble on the back of earnings releases.

In fact, they're down by as much as 8.74% right now. At the same time, the ASX 200 is down 0.16% at 7,339.8 points right now.

Let's take a closer look.

3 ASX 200 stocks tumbling on earnings

First off the bat, the Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) share price is plummeting 8.74% to trade at $12.74 at the time of writing.

It comes after the ASX 200 engineering group posted a 10.5% drop in revenue for the first half, coming in at $953 million. Meanwhile, its net profit after tax (NPAT) fell 3.1% to $29.1 million.

Its dividend for the period was flat with that of the prior year at 24 cents per share fully franked.

But it wasn't all bland. Monadelphous' maintenance and industrial services division posted a record half, with $676.8 million of revenue coming in – a 13.5% jump on strong commodity prices, high production, and aging infrastructure.

Its engineering construction division, meanwhile, saw revenue slump 42.1% to $277.7 million. Its fall came after numerous construction projects completed in the prior financial year.

Joining Monadelphous' stock in the red is that of ASX 200 diversified property group Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP). Its stock is down 3.47% right now, trading at $3.755.

That's despite its funds from operations lifting 0.7% to $353 million in the first half.

However, its statutory profit came in 64.6% lower that of the prior comparable period at $301 million. Last half saw a $30 million uplift in commercial property revaluation gains compared to $543 million in the prior period.

It also dropped its residential settlement expectations for financial year 2023 from around 6,000 to around 5,500 on the back of weather-related delays.

Stockland declared an 11.8 cents per share interim dividend – 19.2% lower than that of last financial year.

Finally, stock in ASX 200 fuel refiner and retailer Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) is tumbling. That's despite the company posting record full-year earnings this morning.

Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) on a replacement cost basis came in at a record $1.1 billion. That marked a 122% year-on-year improvement.

Meanwhile, its NPAT more than tripled to $596.6 million. Its full-year dividends also rose 270% higher year-on-year to 27 cents per share.

However, the market appears to have expected more. The stock is trading at $2.925, a 3.47% fall.

The post 3 ASX 200 stocks falling hard on results announcements appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Ask a Fund Manager

The Motley Fool chats with fund managers so that you can get an insight into how the professionals think. In part one of this edition, we're joined by Adam Lund, analyst, head of trading & co-founder of Spheria Asset Management.

The Motley Fool: What sets the Spheria Australian Smaller Companies Fund and Spheria Australian Microcap Fund apart from the competition?

Adam Lund: The small and microcap sector is filled with hype and investor exuberance, which is usually concentrated around aspirational companies that tell a good story.

Our approach to investing in smaller companies is to invest in fundamentals, not narratives. This alone helps set us apart from the small and microcap crowd.

MF: So, how do you go about that?

AL: To summarise our core investment process, we have a strong focus on risk management and seek to purchase securities where the present value of future free cash flows can be reasonably ascertained and the stock is trading at discount to its intrinsic value.

Additionally, it's worth mentioning the small and microcap space is under-researched and has little broker coverage. So, there are phenomenal opportunities for the few investors applying disciplined fundamental analysis to build exposure to great smaller companies well before the wider market catches on.

MF: What were some of your top-performing ASX shares in 2022?

AL: We added The a2 Milk Co Ltd (ASX: A2M) back into our portfolio in 2021. We hadn't held it for a few years. However, we'd owned it as far back as 2014 when it was a relatively unknown company. So, our team knows the business well.

We thought it was being irrationally priced by the market, and the re-rate we anticipated came as new management returned the business to growth, cleaned up the inventory position and steadied the strategy of the business.

Additionally, a buy-back was activated, providing good share price support. And renewed interest came as FDA approval allowed A2 to import infant formula into the US, and China's reopening saw further expectations of growth.

A2 is a high-quality growth business, and even after the recent rally, it still remains somewhat overlooked by the market. The turnaround driven by CEO David Bortolussi, who stepped into the business in 2021, is well underway.

The company has an enviable position in the imported infant formula market in China, with a high margin and highly differentiated product. It's a strong cash-generative business, capex-light and has multiple potential longer-term growth drivers.

A2 has significant cash on its balance sheet, with over $780 million of net cash. And it trades at only around 2.5 times enterprise value (EV) to sales and some 18 times enterprise value to earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT).

MF: What other ASX shares have stood out for you?

AL: The second stock that's been a good performer for us over the past year is Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND). This is a high-class engineering group that provides construction, maintenance and industrial services to resources, energy, and infrastructure industries.

With commodity spot prices firming up, the capex cycle finding a new gear, and labour markets loosening, investors have woken up to MND, and the company has delivered stellar returns to patient long-term shareholders.

The valuation is much fuller today than it was in early 2022 when this business was trading on an undemanding EV/EBIT multiple of 10 times, with a net cash balance sheet and a strong track record of returns.

MF: And what's your outlook for Monadelphous shares for 2023?

AL: We think MND has great further upside potential as it continues to benefit from an extended CAPEX cycle and a strong and growing pipeline of work.

The business was under pressure with the WA border closures limiting the access of interstate and offshore workers, which drove labour cost inflation while restricting project commitments. But this will now hopefully be history.

MF: After a volatile 2022, what's your outlook for the market in 2023?

AL: We are in a complex and extremely challenging economic environment, but the volatility in the market is creating opportunities aplenty for active long-term investors that have a focus on valuations, strong cash flows and balance sheet risk.

On the flipside, it is a particularly troublesome environment for passive investors, who allocate their capital to index funds, which indiscriminately invest with no consideration for fundamentals or risk management.

It is our view that we are closer to the top of the rate hike cycle than the bottom and given the market tends to overreact both ways, we expect the volatility to persist, which will continue to create opportunities to buy good quality businesses at reasonable prices.

***

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for part two of our fund manager interview series with Adam Lund.

(You can find out more about Spheria Asset Management's fund offerings here.)

The post Why this ASX 200 share has 'great further upside potential' in 2023: fund manager 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, Eley Griffiths portfolio manager Nick Guidera explains why two mining companies and one tourism business are the best bets at the moment.

Hottest ASX shares

The Motley Fool: What are the three best stock buys right now?

Nick Guidera: Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) — we believe mining services have been in the wilderness for much of the past five years, impacted by slowing global growth, COVID, labour shortages, rampant cost inflation, and the power resting squarely with the miners. As such, we have seen consolidation amongst the players, and a number of companies go broke.

Monadelphous is considered one of the quality tier-one contractors that is regularly used by the major miners BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) to build new mines and infrastructure as well as maintain some of the existing plants. Commodity prices had a strong end to 2022, buoyed by a falling US dollar and the hope of China's reopening demand. Higher commodity prices are incentivising the miners to embark on new capital projects to increase or replace production. Monadelphous, as one of the superior engineering firms, is well placed to benefit from a significant amount of new work in a more rational operating environment. 

Iron ore prices have rallied from their lows of sub US$80 in late 2022 to a seven-month high a few days ago of US$127/tonne. Commodity traders are expecting that China's reopening will follow a similar path to previous stimulus and be focused on property and infrastructure, which will ultimately require demand for steel and hence more iron ore. 

While China's reopening is expected to be choppy, and the outlook beyond [lunar] new year remains unknown, we remain constructive on the outlook for commodities and China's end demand for iron ore into 2023. 

Higher iron ore prices will mean stronger revenues and cash flow for iron ore miners. One notable small-cap pure play is Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA). A low cost operator that produces a premium product, with an expanding production profile, [it's] well placed to benefit from higher prices.

The third pick is Tourism Holdings Ltd (ASX: THL).

'Van life' is back in vogue, as travel resumes and a generation of people are keen to explore new destinations. New Zealand RV [recreational vehicle] manufacturing, rental, and retail business Tourism Holdings recently completed its merger with Apollo Tourism & Leisure and the new business was listed for the first time on the ASX, while maintaining its existing listing on the NZX.  

The merger saw the two largest RV rental companies come together in Australia and New Zealand. The combined business owns and operates everything from the humble van to a six-berth driving hotel. 

It has [a] global footprint with operations in North America and Europe, and local manufacturing to produce the best product for the local market, and a retail footprint to dispose of those vehicles at the end of life. 

With any merger there are risks. However, with $27 to $31 million of recurring cash synergies by bringing the businesses together, there is also potential upside. With tourism seen for many as a non-discretionary spend nowadays, the more affordable option of a motorhome should be well placed to benefit from any consumers trading down.

The post 3 small-cap ASX shares to rocket from this year's mega-trends: fund manager appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But the sizes of ASX shares change every trading day. Thus, over time, the index needs to be periodically rebalanced to ensure that it accurately reflects the state of the share market – and that the largest 200 shares are always in the index. In the ASX 200's case, this occurs every three months.

So last week, S&P Global, the company that runs the ASX 200 Index, announced the results of its latest quarterly rebalancing. This will take effect on 19 December but, unusually, will only result in one addition and one removal from the ASX 200.

The lucky share to join the ASX 200's prestigious club is Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND). Monadelphous is an engineering company that provides industrial services across the energy and resources sectors.

But if one share is going in, it means that one share needs to get kicked out to make room. And that unlucky share is St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM).

Gold miner St Barbara gets the ASX 200 boot

St Barbara is (for the next fortnight) an ASX 200 gold miner. It's not hard to see why it is in the ASX 200 firing line. This miner has had a shocking year, falling from over $1.40 at the start of the year to the 69 cents per share price tag we see today.

That leaves it with a market cap of just $563.4 million at today's pricing, which is not enough to keep its spot in the ASX's largest 200 shares. By comparison, St Barbara's replacement, Monadelphous, has a market cap of $1.29 billion right now.

That said, St Barabara shares have been on a stunning run of late. Back in mid-October, the company was hitting a new 52-week low of 45 cents per share. Today, just six weeks later, it is at 69 cents per share, a gain of 53%. However, that hasn't been enough to save St Barabara from getting the boot.

Who knows, perhaps St Barabara will be back in the ASX 200 one day. But it won't be until 2023 at the earliest.

The post Guess which gold share is being booted out of the ASX 200 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rebound on Monday despite a mixed finish to the week on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 19 points or 0.25% higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 0.1%, the S&P 500 was flat, and the NASDAQ dropped 0.2%.

Oil prices drop

ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a subdued start to the week after oil prices dropped on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was down 1.5% to US$79.98 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price fell 1.5% to US$85.57 a barrel. At the weekend, OPEC met and decided to maintain previously planned production cuts of 2 million barrels per day.

ASX 200 rebalance

S&P Dow Jones Indices has announced a single change to the S&P/ASX 200 index, effective prior to the open of trading on December 19, as a result of the December quarterly review. That change will see gold miner St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) dumped from the index and engineering company Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) replace it. In other news, Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has been added to the illustrious ASX 50 index.

Metcash results

The Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) share price will be on watch on Monday when the wholesale distributor releases its half year results. The market will be looking for sales growth in the region of 7.7%, which is in line with what was reported at its investor day event in October.

Gold price edges lower

Gold miners such as Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a soft start to the week after the gold price edged lower on Friday. According to CNBC, the spot gold price was down 0.3% to US$1,809.6 an ounce during the session. The gold price retreated from close to a four-month high following the release of US jobs data.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday 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.

The All Ordinaries (ASX: XAO) is down 0.15% so far today, but these ASX All Ords shares have still managed to hit 52-week highs.

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE), Perseus Mining Limited (ASX: PRU) and Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) shares all reached new, yearly or multi-year highs at some point during trading today.

Let's take a look at what's going on with these ASX All Ords companies.

Treasury Wine Estates

Treasury Wine shares soared to a multi-year high of $13.70 shortly after market open. The wine company's share price leapt by 3.6% this morning to crack the new high before giving back some of those gains. At the time of writing, Treasury Wine shares are climbing by 0.61%.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping today and, as reported by SBS, Australia's current trade sanctions on wine, coal, barley and beef could be on the agenda. China slapped a tariff on Australian wine exports back in 2020.

Monadelphous Group 

The Monadelphous Group share price hit a yearly high of $14.64 this morning before also pulling back. Monadelphous shares climbed 2.4% in early trade but are now 0.49% in the red. Monadelphous is an engineering company and recently provided an update on some new contracts. On 9 November, the company advised it had just been awarded new contracts and contract extensions in the resources and energy sectors worth $150 million.

Perseus Mining

Perseus Mining shares climbed 1.83% to an almost 10-year high of $2.22 this morning before shedding some of those gains and then rebounding again. The explorer's share price is up 1.38% to $2.21 at the time of writing. The spot gold price is currently down 0.17% to US$1,773.9 an ounce, CNBC data shows.

Perseus is exploring gold from three operating mines in Africa. In the September quarter, Perseus reported record gold production of 137,460 ounces, up 12% on the previous quarter.

The post 3 ASX All Ords shares that racked up new 52-week highs this morning appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's a good day on the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) as it's bolstered by three shares soaring to long-forgotten – or, in some cases, never-before-seen – heights.

Right now, the index is up 1.79% at 6,956 points. That's around 0.3% lower than it was at last Friday's close.

So, what's helping to boost these All Ords shares to multi-year highs today? Keep reading to find out.

3 All Ords shares hitting long-forgotten highs

These three All Ords shares are launching to multi-year, or even record, highs on Friday afternoon.

First off, is the share price of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) constituent IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO). It lifted 3.8% to hit an all-time high of $15.97 earlier today.

It's been a good week for the mineral explorer, with its joint venture (JV) partner announcing high-grade lithium assays at the Mt Alexander project on Wednesday.

That was followed up by two more announcements from the company's other JV partners yesterday. One updated the market on more rare earth finds at the Burracoppin project, while another announced high-priority anomalies at the Narryer nickel-copper-platinum group elements project.

Another ASX All Ords share leaping to a multi-year high on Friday is Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND). The stock surged to $14.05 earlier today, marking a 2.1% jump to its highest point since early 2021.

Interestingly, the market hasn't heard any news from the engineering group for more than three weeks.

And finally, ASX 200 and All Ords share New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) took off to hit an all-time high of $6.95 on Friday. That marks a 3.4% gain.

The company has been quiet over the last few weeks. However, its shares appear to be gaining amid surging coal prices, which will help bolster its bottom line.

Indeed, the coal producer posted a 1,139% year-on-year increase in after-tax profits for the 12 months ended 31 July last month.

The post 3 ASX All Ords shares smashing multi-year highs on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) is in the green today, and the share prices of some market favourites are surfing its gains. In fact, many are leaping to long-forgotten or never-before-seen heights.

The ASX 300 is up 0.49% right now.

Let's take a look at three ASX 300 shares reaching record or multi-year highs on Friday.  

3 ASX 300 shares reaching new highs today

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

ASX 300 share Lovisa has been on a good run lately. It's gained 34% over the last 30 days to reach a new all-time high of $24.43 today.

And fans of the jewellery company are likely counting down the days until the stock experiences a notable upgrade. It's set to be added to the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) later this month.

It's likely Lovisa's addition to the iconic index will further boost its share price. That's because funds tracking the index will be forced to snap up its securities, thereby increasing demand for the stock and, likely as a result, its value.

Leo Lithium Ltd (ASX: LLL)

Leo Lithium is another ASX 300 share rising to a record high on Friday. The lithium stock lifted 6.6% to 64.5 cents at its intraday high – the highest it's been since it listed on the ASX.

The company was spun out from Firefinch Ltd (ASX: FFX) in June, with shareholders of the parent company receiving one Leo Lithium stock for every 1.4 Firefinch shares held.

On top of that, another parcel of Leo Lithium shares was offered for 70 cents apiece, raising $100 million as part of its initial public offering (IPO).

Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND)

The final ASX 300 share lifting to long-forgotten highs today is Monadelphous. Stock in the engineering group lifted 5.3% to a high of $13.74 today. That marks its highest point in more than 18 months.

That's despite no news having been released by the company in more than a fortnight.

The last time the market heard from the ASX 300 share was on 23 August. That was when it released its full-year earnings.

The post 3 ASX 300 shares hitting new highs on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rebound

The Australian share market looks set to rebound on Thursday after a strong night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 31 points or 0.45% higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones rose 1.4%, the S&P 500 climbed 1.8%, and the NASDAQ stormed 2.15% higher. Comments out of the US Federal Reserve boost sentiment.

Xero named as a buy

The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price could be in the buy zone according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. This morning the broker retained its buy rating and $111.00 price target on the cloud account platform provider's shares. The broker was pleased with what management said at the Xerocon Sydney event.

Oil prices crash

Energy shares including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a very difficult day after oil prices crashed on Wednesday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 5.75% to US$81.88 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 5.5% to US$87.69 a barrel. Recession fears sent oil prices to a seven-month low.

Shares going ex-dividend

Another group of shares will be going ex-dividend on Thursday and could trade lower. This includes stock exchange operator ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX), engineering company Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND), and energy giant Woodside. The latter has also been dealing with sinking oil prices, which could make for a particularly tough day.

Gold price rises

Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a decent day after the gold price rose overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.9% to US$1,728.70 an ounce. Traders were buying gold after the US Federal Reserve said it would raise rates but be careful not to go too far.

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

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here's why they are charging higher:

Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

The Altium share price has rocketed 20% higher to $35.99. This follows the release of the electronic design software company's full year results which smashed expectations. Altium was guiding to revenue of US$213 million to US$217 million with an EBITDA margin at the lower end of 34% to 36%. However, it delivered revenue of US$220.8 million and an EBITDA margin of 36.7%. The team at Bell Potter were particularly impressed.

Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN)

The Ansell share price is up over 8% to $27.30. Investors have been buying this health and safety products company's shares following the release of its full year results. Ansell reported a 3.7% decline in sales revenue to US$1.95 billion and a 32.1% drop in EBIT to US$228.1 million. While not great on paper, this was better than the market was expecting from Ansell.

Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND)

The Monadelphous share price is up 6% to $12.12. This morning this engineering company released its full year results and revealed 1.2% decline in revenue to $1.93 billion but an 11% lift in net profit after tax to $52.2 million. This result was driven by record maintenance and industrial services revenue, which grew 19.4% to $1.17 billion.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is up 3% to $3.27. This follows the release of a full year result which revealed stunning profit growth in FY 2022. Thanks to sky high lithium prices and strong production, the company reported EBITDA of $814.5 million for the 12 months. This was up from just $21.4 million a year earlier.

The post Why Altium, Ansell, Monadelphous, and Pilbara Minerals shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) share price is rocketing today following the release of the company's full-year results.

At the time of writing, the engineering company's shares are up 7.52% to $12.30 each. Earlier today, they hit a high of $12.795 a share, 11.84% higher than yesterday's closing price.

Monadelphous share price rises as record maintenance and industrial services revenue soars

Monadelphous delivered its FY 2022 results for the 12 months ended 30 June 2022. Here are some of the key financial highlights:

• Total revenue down 1.2% year-on-year to $1.93 billion
• Record maintenance and industrial services revenue up 19.4% to $1.17 billion
• Net profit after tax (NPAT) up 11% to $52.2 million
• Earnings per share (EPS) up 10.5% to 54.9 cents
• Final dividend of 25 cents per share, fully franked, bringing the full year dividend to 49 cents per share, up 8.9%
• Cash on hand up 4.3% to $183.3 million

What happened in FY 2022?

Monadelphous reported an outstanding financial performance on the back of positive market conditions throughout the year.

The business experienced strong demand for maintenance services across the resources and energy sectors. This was underpinned by customers maintaining high levels of production, capitalising on favourable commodity prices.

Monadelphous' maintenance and industrial services division reported record revenue of $1.17 billion. Management highlighted the increased activity in oil and gas as well as Chile and PNG operations which drove the result.

In addition, the engineering construction division reported revenue of $774.4 million for the year. Revenue declined towards the backend of the financial year, however, as numerous projects were completed in the first half. This included BHP's South Flank Project, Rio Tinto's West Angelas Deposits C & D Project, and MARBL Lithium joint venture's Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant.

On the bottom line, the company achieved an NPAT of $52.2 million, an increase of 11% on the prior corresponding period.

The Monadelphous board declared a final dividend of 25 cents per share, fully franked, yielding a dividend payout ratio of 90%.

What did management say?

Monadelphous managing director Rob Velletri talked about the favourable market conditions providing the company opportunities for growth. He said:

Demand for our maintenance services is expected to remain strong and resource developments in iron ore and oil and gas as well as the significant pipeline of investment in battery metals and renewable energy will provide a solid volume of construction prospects in the coming years. However, a highly competitive labour market will remain the major challenge.

What's the outlook for FY 2023?

Looking ahead, Monadelphous advised that there's a significant number of opportunities across resources and energy sectors in Australia and overseas.

In particular, the Australian iron ore industry is expected to "remain buoyant with capital and operating expenditures required to sustain iron ore production levels".

Furthermore, the strong hype surrounding the electric vehicle revolution is driving substantial investment in battery metals. This includes lithium, copper, nickel, and rare earths.

Monadelphous said these markets will present ongoing opportunities for its projects in Australia, South America, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea.

Lastly, favourable conditions in the oil and gas sector are also buoyant with construction opportunities from new LNG projects currently in the pipeline. Demand for oil and gas maintenance services is anticipated to remain strong.

While Monadelphous spoke about the outlook, it did not provide any earnings or profit guidance for FY 2023.

Monadelphous share price snapshot

In 2022, the Monadelphous share price has gained 32% and is up 7% when looking over the last 12 months.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials (ASX: XNJ) sector is down 3% for the current calendar year.

Monadelphous commands a market capitalisation of approximately $1.18 billion.

The post Monadelphous share price leaps 12% on record maintenance and industrial services revenue appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Unfortunately, not all shares were able to climb higher with the market. Here's why these were the worst performers on the ASX 200 last week:

Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX)

The Westgold share price was the worst performer on the ASX 200 last week with a 21.9% decline. The catalyst for this was the successful completion of the gold miner's $100 million institutional placement. Westgold raised the funds at a 13.9% discount of $2.44 per new share. These funds will be used to accelerate the company's Murchison and Bryah growth strategy. This strategy is focused on establishing a systematic pathway towards a +400,000 ounce per annum gold production rate from FY 2024.

Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR)

The Gold Road share price was out of form and tumbled 7% last week. Last week the team at Macquarie downgraded this gold miner's shares to an underperform rating with a $1.70 price target. The broker made the move on valuation grounds.

IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)

The IGO share price wasn't too far behind with a 5.7% decline over the five days. Last week was another wild one for the nickel price, with the battery material crashing to the point that trade was suspended on the LME again. In addition, the company revealed that the proposed acquisition of nickel producer Western Areas Ltd (ASX: WSA) had hit a stumbling block. It said: "Western Areas and the Independent Expert are continuing to consider the implications, if any, on nickel market fundamentals and expectations for medium to long-term nickel prices."

Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND)

The Monadelphous share price was out of form and dropped 4% last week. This was despite there being no news out of the engineering company. However, with its shares up almost 20% in the space of just over a month, some investors may have been taking a bit of profit off the table last week.

The post These were the worst performers on the ASX 200 last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping:

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

The Coles share price has fallen 3% to $17.05. This has been driven largely by the supermarket giant's shares trading ex-dividend this morning for its latest distribution. Coles is paying an interim fully franked dividend of 33 cents per share to eligible shareholders at the end of the month on 31 March.

Dusk Group Ltd (ASX: DSK)

The Dusk share price is down 1.5% to $2.62. This morning the specialist retailer announced that its proposed acquisition of Eroma has been terminated. In December, Dusk signed an agreement to acquire the candle making inputs and fragrance oils supplier for $28 million. No explanation was given for the termination of the deal other than it not meeting "certain conditions."

Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND)

The Monadelphous share price is down 5% to $11.32. The majority of this decline relates to the engineering company's shares trading ex-dividend this morning. Eligible Monadelphous shareholders can now look forward to receiving its fully franked 24 cents per share interim dividend later this month on 25 March.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

The Zip share price is down 2.5% to $1.90. This buy now pay later provider's shares have come under pressure again on Thursday after being the subject of a bearish broker note out of UBS. According to the note, the broker has downgraded Zip's shares to a sell rating and slashed their price target by 80% to just $1.00.

The post Why Coles, Dusk, Monadelphous, and Zip shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Corporate Travel Management's acquisition boost

The Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) share price is pushing higher today after receiving a boost from the ACCC. The competition regulator has approved the corporate travel specialist's proposed $175 million acquisition of the ANZ-based corporate and entertainment travel businesses of Helloworld Travel Ltd (ASX: HLO). The ACCC doesn't expect the deal to lessen competition.

IGO shares storm higher

The IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) share price is storming higher today following another strong night for commodity prices. For example, according to CommSec, the nickel price rose 3.6% to US$26,489 per tonne overnight. In other news, this morning joint venture partner Impact Minerals Limited (ASX: IPT) revealed that a significant electromagnetic (EM) conductor has been identified in the extensive ground EM survey at the Broken Hill project in NSW.

Zip shares downgraded

The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is falling again on Thursday after being downgraded by the team at UBS. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the buy now pay later provider's shares to a sell rating and taken a hammer to its price target. The latter is now just $1.00, which is down 81% from UBS' previous price target of $5.20.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Thursday has been the Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price with a 14% gain on no news. This sports betting company's shares have been very volatile this week. The worst performer on the ASX 200 has been the Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) share price with a 4% decline. Some of this is due to its shares trading ex-dividend this morning.

The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Corp Travel Management's ACCC boost, Zip downgraded appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Fortunately, not all shares dropped with the market. Here's why these were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week:

Cimic Group Ltd (ASX: CIM)

The Cimic share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 last week with a gain of 35%. Investors were fighting to get hold of the engineering company's shares after it revealed the receipt of a hostile takeover approach. According to the release, Cimic's majority shareholder, HOCHTIEF, is planning to make an off-market takeover offer of $22 cash per share.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

The Hub24 share price was some way behind as the next best performer with a 16.3% gain. A week earlier the investment platform provider was the worst performer on the ASX 200, but quickly reversed that decline following the release of its half year results. For the six months ended 31 December, Hub24 reported a 72% increase in revenue to $81.6 million and an 80% lift in EBITDA to $29.7 million. This was underpinned by a 118% increase in funds under administration (FUA) to $68.3 billion.

Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND)

The Monadelphous share price was on form and charged 14.5% higher last week. Investors were buying the mining services company's shares in response to the release of its half year results. Monadelphous reported a 12% increase in revenue to $1,065 million and a 17.7% jump in net profit after tax to $30.1 million. This solid result was underpinned by record half year maintenance and industrial services revenue.

Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

The Cochlear share price wasn't far behind with a solid 13.3% gain over the five days. The catalyst for this was the release of the hearing solutions company's half year results. For the six months ended 31 December, Cochlear delivered a 26% increase in half year underlying net profit to $158 million. This was well ahead of the market consensus estimate.

The post These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here's why they are racing higher:

Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

The Cochlear share price has jumped 9% to $207.62. This follows the release of the hearing solutions company's half year results. Cochlear delivered a 26% increase in half year underlying net profit to $158 million, which was well ahead of the market consensus estimate.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

The Coles share price is up over 3% to $17.30. This follows the release of the supermarket giant's half year results. Although Coles reported a 4.4% decline in EBIT to $975 million due to COVID impacts, this was ahead of the Visible Alpha analyst consensus estimate of $965 million. It also didn't stop Coles maintaining its fully franked interim dividend at 33 cents per share.

Costa Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: CGC)

The Costa share price has stormed 7% higher to $3.21. Investors have been buying the horticulture company's shares after a strong performance from its international operations helped drive a 16% increase in full year net profit after tax (before one offs) to $64 million. International sales grew 30% over the 12 months and now account for over a quarter of Costa's overall sales.

Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND)

The Monadelphous share price is up 10% to $10.92. Investors have been buying the mining services company's shares following the release of its half year results. Monadelphous reported a 12% increase in revenue to $1,065 million and a 17.7% jump in net profit after tax to $30.1 million. This was driven by record half year maintenance and industrial services revenue.

The post Why Cochlear, Coles, Costa, and Monadelphous shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) share price is on the move today. This comes after the company released its interim report and financial results for the half-year ended 31 December 2021.

At the time of writing, Monadelphous shares are trading 8.15% higher at $10.75 apiece.

Monadelphous share price lurches forward as sales grow

Monadelphous is an engineering company that provides construction, maintenance, and industrial services to the resource, energy, and infrastructure sectors. Key takeouts from the company's earnings results today include:

• Revenue came in at $1,065 million, up 12.% on the prior corresponding period (pcp)
• Record half-year maintenance and industrial services revenue
• Net profit after tax (NPAT) of $30.1 million, up 17.7% from the year prior
• Secured $860 million of new contracts and extensions
• 90%-owned Chilean business, Buildtek, continues to go "from strength-to-strength"
• Strategic focus on people attraction, retention, and wellbeing initiatives
• Interim dividend of 24 cents per share declared

What else happened this half for Monadelphous?

The Monadelphous share price is soaring today on the back of a positive result. A highlight from the company's performance was that its maintenance and industrial services division achieved a record half-year of revenue.

Monadelphous says this result was underpinned by high demand for maintenance services and a surge in demand for services across both the resources and energy sectors.

The company also secured approximately $860 million of new contracts and contract extensions during the period. These contract wins were established across the resources, energy, infrastructure, and international markets.

Over in its Chile operations, Buildtek "continues to go from strength-to-strength". As such, Monadelphous increased its shareholding in the business from 75% to 90% during the period in a vote of confidence.

Like its fellow ASX players, Monadelphous wasn't immune to labour cost and supply chain headwinds observed throughout 2021.

"The Company continued to face labour cost and productivity pressures, with demand for labour in the industry remaining strong and COVID-19 restrictions constraining labour supply and mobility," it remarked.

As a result of its strong NPAT of $30.1 million, the board declared a fully franked interim dividend of 24 cents per share.

Management commentary

Speaking on the result pushing up the Monadelphous share price today, managing director Rob Velletri said:

The resources sector will continue to provide opportunities, with the Australian iron ore industry remaining particularly buoyant. The demand for battery metals is forecast to remain strong and conditions in the energy sector are expected to continue to show an improving trend. The renewable energy market and developments in the hydrogen sector will also provide opportunities over the longer term.

The shortage of skilled labour will continue to be challenging. The increase in COVID-19 case numbers in Western Australia will also provide further challenges in the short-term. Monadelphous' reputation and longstanding commitment to delivering safe, reliable and cost competitive solutions, puts it in a strong position to capitalise on these opportunities and navigate the challenging environment that lies ahead.

What's next for Monadelphous?

According to the release, "the outlook for Monadelphous' core markets is strong".

"With the demand for battery metals forecast to remain strong, developments in lithium, copper, nickel, and rare earths will provide numerous prospects in the coming years," the company said.

"These markets, along with the gold sector, will present opportunities for Monadelphous in Australia, South America, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea."

The level of construction activity in Australia is set to be a net positive for the company going forward, with a large number of projects having already been completed.

"Due to the timing of award and commencement of new major projects, construction activity is expected to decline in the second half of FY22, before increasing again in FY23," Monadelphous said.

"As a result, Monadelphous' full-year revenue for FY22 is expected to be approximately 5–10% lower than the previous year."

Monadelphous share price snapshot

In the last 12 months, the Monadelphous share price has fallen 9%. However, since trading recommenced in 2022, it has climbed 11%.

Over the past month, it has soared another 15% and has spiked 21% in the past 5 days of trading.

The post 'Strength to strength': Monadelphous (ASX:MND) share price spikes 8% on strong earnings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Coles half year results impress

The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price is charging higher today after the supermarket giant's half year results impressed the market. Although Coles reported a 4.4% decline in EBIT to $975 million, this was ahead of the Visible Alpha analyst consensus estimate of $965 million. Analysts at MST Marquee thought the result was solid and are expecting it to lead to "small upgrades to earnings" estimates.

Nanosonics' shares sold off following half year results

The Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN) share price hit a new 52-week low this morning after the infection prevention company's half year update disappointed. Although Nanosonics reported strong growth over the prior corresponding period, this was due to COVID impacts a year ago. When judged against the second half of FY 2021, Nanosonics reported a 45% reduction in profit. It also warned that its full year operating expenses would be up markedly year on year.

Cochlear share price jumps

The Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) share price is jumping on Tuesday after the hearing solutions company delivered a 26% increase in half year underlying net profit to $158 million. As mentioned here last week, the market consensus estimate was for a net profit of $127.6 million. Despite this outperformance, management has only reaffirmed its full year guidance.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Tuesday has been the Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) share price with a gain of 9%. This follows the mining services company's half year update. The worst performer has been the Nanosonics share price with an 11% decline. This follows the release of its disappointing results.

The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Coles and Cochlear impress, Nanosonics sinks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.