With so many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here's why they are bullish on them:

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $6.90 price target on this agricultural chemicals company's shares. This follows an update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Chief Economist Seth Meyer on the outlook for U.S. agriculture. Citi notes that the USDA expects a 3% increase in corn, wheat, and soybeans acreage to 228 million acres in 2023. It feels this bodes well for Nufarm. The Nufarm share price is trading at $5.70 this afternoon.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

A note out of Goldman Sachs reveals that its analysts have put a conviction buy rating and improved price target of $140.40 on this mining giant's shares. Goldman is bullish due to Rio Tinto's iron ore production growth outlook and its potential free cash flow per tonne improvements. Combined with its compelling relative valuation versus peers, the broker feels the miner is a strong buy. The Rio Tinto share price is fetching $125.02 today.

Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL)

Another note out of Citi reveals that its analysts have upgraded this healthcare company's shares to a buy rating with an improved price target of $36.00. Citi sees value in Sonic Healthcare's shares at the current level and highlights its strong balance sheet. With its net debt to EBITDA at 0.5x, this is well below its long-term average of 2.5x. Citi feels this gives Sonic plenty of capital to deploy on acquisitions/new contracts or share buybacks. The Sonic Healthcare share price is trading at $33.29 today.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

With the ASX 200 index falling 5.5% over the last 12 months, it's fair to say that 2022 was a difficult year for investors. The good news is that this has left many ASX shares trading at very attractive levels in 2023.

Ahead of the market reopening on Tuesday, I thought I would look at which ASX shares are being tipped as buys for the year ahead.

Listed below are 23 ASX shares that have been named as buys by brokers for 2023:

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

Goldman Sachs has a buy rating and $2.20 price target on this footwear and fashion retailer's shares. It likes the company due to its exposure to younger consumers.

Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

This furniture and homewares retailer could be an ASX share to buy according to Goldman Sachs. The broker believes its business model is more resilient than the market appreciates. The broker has a buy rating and $2.85 price target on its shares.

Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)

Goldman Sachs is also a fan of this lithium miner and has a buy rating and $15.20 price target on its shares. It points out that Allkem has the "strongest 5-yr lithium production growth [and trades] at a discount to peers."

Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU)

Bell Potter has a speculative buy rating and 64 cents price target on this rare earths developer's shares. It notes that the company's Nolans project is "anticipated to feed potentially 8% of global supply directly into the permanent magnet market servicing expansion of electric vehicles and wind turbines."

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

Citi has a buy rating and $41.20 price target on this gaming technology company's shares. Its analysts see the "land-based business as well positioned and remain optimistic on the RMG opportunity."

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

Macquarie is positive on this mining giant and has an outperform rating and $50.00 price target on its shares. The broker expects the Big Australian to benefit greatly from favourable commodity prices.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

Another ASX share to consider is CSL. Analysts at Citi have a buy rating and $340.00 price target on the biotherapeutics giant's shares. It is forecasting earnings per share growth greater than 20% in both FY 2023 and FY 2024.

Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

Morgans has an add rating and $90.00 price target on this pizza chain operator's shares. The broker believes that "now is the best time to consider an investment in a quality business like DMP that is facing headwinds that will reverse in time."

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Citi has a buy rating and $23.50 price target on this industrial property company's shares. "[We] continue to favour industrial exposure, and remain attracted to GMG's best-in-class balance sheet. We continue to see potential for upside to guidance."

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

The team at Morgan Stanley has an overweight rating and $36.80 price target on this language testing and student placement company's shares. It believes China's reopening from COVID-19 could be a big boost to its business.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

Analysts at Bell Potter are bullish on this location technology company and have a buy rating and $9.00 price target on its shares. It expects that "recent price rises in the core business [are] likely to drive strong top line growth" in FY 2023.

Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

Morgans has an add rating and $94.00 price target on this mining and mining services company's shares. It is a fan due to its transformation "from being primarily leveraged to high-cost/short-life iron ore operations to low-cost/long-life iron ore and lithium assets."

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)

Analysts at Goldman Sachs are positive on this big four bank. The broker has a buy rating and $35.41 price target on its shares. Goldman's analysts "see volume momentum over the next 12 months as favouring commercial volumes over housing volumes and NAB provides the best exposure to this thematic."

Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM)

Morgan Stanley is bullish on this gold miner and has an overweight rating and $23.40 price target on its shares. It feels the current environment is positive for the gold price.

Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

Morgans has a speculative buy rating and $3.11 price target on this battery technology company's shares. It notes that "NVX offers ASX investors an opportunity to get direct exposure to the North American battery market."

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

Bell Potter is positive on this ASX share. It currently has a buy rating and $7.50 price target on the agricultural chemicals company's shares. It expects a strong result in FY 2023 thanks to "crop protection demand in the US and Europe and a growing contribution from new revenue streams in Omega-3."

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Morgans currently has an add rating and $4.70 price target on this lithium miner's shares. It believes recent share price weakness has created a buying opportunity.

Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN)

This airline operator could be a buy according to Goldman Sachs. Its analysts have a conviction buy rating and $8.20 price target on its shares. The broker said: "Against the backdrop of substantially improved earnings capacity, we believe the stock is not even priced for a generic recovery."

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Morgan Stanley has an overweight rating and $4.75 price target on this telco giant's shares. It believes the potential offloading of infrastructure assets could unlock value for shareholders.

Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)

Analysts at Morgans are positive on this online travel agent and have an add rating and $7.20 price target on its shares. It feels that "WEB hasn't wasted a crisis and will come out of COVID with a materially lower cost base, consolidated systems and a large business in the US."

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

Goldman Sachs is very bullish on Australia's oldest bank. It has a conviction buy rating and $27.60 price target on its shares. The broker believes "double digit total shareholder returns remains achievable over the next three years."

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

Strong coal prices make this an ASX share to buy according to Macquarie. It has an outperform rating and $12.50 price target on coal miner's shares.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Finally, Citi sees a lot of value in this cloud accounting platform provider's shares and has a buy rating and $97.90 price target on them. It expects "digitisation to be a bigger driver than macro for online accounting."

The post 23 ASX shares to buy in 2023 – brokers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had another shocker today, notching up its third loss in a row for the week. The index finished up at 7,175.5 points, down 0.75% for the day. Since Monday, the ASX 200 has already lost a nasty 2%.

These losses were led by ASX 200 energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) ended up falling by a nasty 2.42%, led by Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) falling by almost 3.7%. Leading coal miner Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) was down by 2.59%.  

This was induced by sharp falls in energy and commodity prices. Oil is now back under US$80 a barrel, with WTI crude down 3.48% to US$74.25 a barrel on the latest numbers.

Meanwhile, the best-performing sector today was utilities, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) rising 0.97%. In total, only three of the ASX 200's 11 sectors were in the green today.

Countdown to the top 10 ASX 200 shares on Thursday

Our top-performing ASX 200 share today was Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN), which finished the session up a healthy 13.11% at $6.30 a share. This came after the miner indicated that it has uncovered some new copper and nickel reserves at its Julimar Project in Western Australia.

Here are the top ten shares from this Thursday's trading session:

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) fell on Tuesday amid the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest rate hike. The index closed the day 0.47% lower at 7,291.3 points.

The central bank put forward an eighth consecutive rate hike today in yet another bid to tackle inflation, which sat at 6.9% at last count. The benchmark interest rate is now 0.25% higher at 3.1%.

Weighing heaviest on the ASX today was the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ). It slumped 2%. That's perhaps unsurprising given rate hikes are particularly hard on non-profitable companies – a brief many of the market's favourite tech stocks fit.

The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ), meanwhile, lifted 0.1% despite falling oil prices.

The Brent crude oil price fell 3.4% to US$82.68 a barrel, while the US Nymex crude oil price dropped 3.8% to US$76.93 a barrel.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) slipped 0.8% today, while the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) lifted 0.2% and 0.5% respectively.

All in all, four of the ASX 200's 11 sectors closed higher today. But which stock took out today's top spot? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Coal favourite Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) led the way today, gaining 2.7%. That's despite no news having been released by the company.

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, Bell Direct market analyst Grady Wulff names the two ASX shares that are ripe to buy now.

Investment style

The Motley Fool: How would you describe your services to a potential client?

Grady Wulff: I'm Grady Wulff, the market analyst at Bell Direct, which is an investment platform for buying and selling shares listed on the ASX. Our goal is to make the lives of all Australians better by making their investment journey nice and easy, and intuitive. My role is to source information, identify different market trends, produce timely market updates, create analysis pieces to help our clients save time and stay informed on what's happening on the markets.

MF: At Bell Direct, when you're helping clients invest in Australian shares, what's the investment philosophy you take?

GW: It really depends on the investment goal of our clients. So we're very intuitive and very tailored to the client's investment goals. So whether they're a trader, whether they're investors, whether they are looking for high yields or just growth stocks, value stocks. We've got the strategy builder on our platform, which helps you identify different sectors and different stocks that will meet your investment needs.

MF: You used to be a finance journalist, but now you're on the investment side of the fence. How did that come about?

GW: I actually started in sports journalism, then I moved into news journalism, and then I got headhunted to go into finance journalism in Perth with a very retail focus at [finance app] Grafa. That was tailored towards new investors and retail investors who are just starting out their journeys. 

Then I got headhunted to come to Bell Direct. So very, very lucky, and I feel like I've learned so much since hitting the ground running in Sydney, but I'm very lucky to be here, and I love it so much.

Hottest ASX shares

MF: What are the two best stock buys right now?

GW: I'm going by Bell Potter research, given it's in-house. For me, having looked through them, Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) is a really strong stock for me moving forward. Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on it with a price target that's been raised to $7.15. Shares in the company are up 21% year to date. 

The reason that the house has a buy rating on it is because of the strong FY22 results that were released. The company had pretty strong headwinds in the way of deregistrations in Europe and dry conditions across the Mediterranean and North America in the second half particularly, but we expect those headwinds to be mitigated in FY23 and drive normalised demand in the US and Europe.

The company also has really strong continued growth and revenue for the Omega3 products. I think it's through the canola. So they're doing really well, and they've got a really positive year-end outlook. So we are really, really bullish on this one. They've got strong cash flow, revenue's going up, operating EBIT went up 24%. So yeah, we're really bullish on Nufarm at the moment.

MF: Great. What's your second pick?

GW: My second one's Best & Less Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: BST). I love this stock. 

We've seen retail stocks recently being beaten down this year amid rising interest rates, and obviously consumers are a lot more conscious about what they're spending their money on.

But this positions Best & Less to really capitalise and benefit from the change in consumer behaviour from luxury shopping back in the pandemic, when we had all that money when we were sitting at home doing nothing, and we had so much money to spend, to now being more value shoppers — buying things that are less discretionary, have less replacement cycle and more sustainable products.

So Best & Less is really, really positioned well to capitalise from this.

They're also looking to open 11 new stores in FY23, so they're on the expansion front. They have healthy inventory positions, strong margins compared to peers, and the pricing power that they have is really strong because they're a stock developer as well. 

So yeah, Best & Less, I think, is one that we are very bullish on at Bell Potter, with a buy rating and a price target of $2.60. One to watch in 2023.

MF: It's interesting to get your insights about Best & Less because it's one retail stock that we don't hear that much about.

GW: Exactly. I actually love looking at it.

The post The world is shifting into the sweet spot for these 2 ASX shares: analyst appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) spent a second day in the green today. The index closed 0.7% higher at 7,231.8 points – a five-month high.

Among its top performers were coal stocks, which led the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ). The sector was, in turn, among those leading the ASX 200, gaining 1.3% today amid rising oil prices.

The Brent crude oil price lifted 1% to US$88.36 a barrel and the US Nymex crude oil price gained 1.1% to trade at US$80.95 a barrel.

The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) also outperformed, lifting 1.3% on the back of a trading update from Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN).

Other winning sectors included the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ and the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ). They gained 1% and 1.6% respectively.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) weighed on the market, falling 1%.

All in all, nine of the index's 11 sectors closed Wednesday in the green. But which share outperformed all others to take today's top spot? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The top-performing stock on the index on Wednesday was tech favourite BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN). Its share price gained nearly 7% despite the company's silence.

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's been a rough year for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far. It's currently 5.8% lower than it was at the start of 2022. But things haven't been so bad for these ASX 200 dividend shares.

They appear to have been thriving, even posting whopping dividend increases.

So, without further ado, here are three stocks that have grown their payouts by more than 100% this year.

3 ASX 200 dividend shares upping payouts in 2022

ASX 200 mining shares are often the talk of the town, and Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR) caught investor attention in August when it revealed a dividend worth double that of the prior comparable period.

The gold miner paid investors a fully franked 1 cent per share interim dividend for the first six months of 2022 – up from a 0.5-cent offering for the same period of 2021.

Joining in on the action is ASX 200 crop protection and seed technology company Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF). It's blown its 2021 payouts out of the water this year.

The stock offered investors a final dividend worth 6 cents per share last week. Add that to the 4-cent per share interim dividend declared back in May, and the company has offered 10 cents per share this year.

Nufarm forewent an interim dividend in 2021 and posted a 4-cent final dividend. That means its payouts have grown a whopping 150% in 2022.

Finally, ASX 200 coal share Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN) has upped its dividends by a whopping amount this year.

It has so far declared two ordinary dividends ­– worth a combined 23 cents – and three special dividends with an approximate total value of 36.6 cents.

Interestingly, there were no dividends from the coal miner over the course of 2021. They were suspended due to market conditions in late 2020.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares that hiked their dividends by more than 100% this year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's been a big week of earnings and plenty of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares have made the most of the action, with some declaring whopping dividends. One stock even upped its full-year dividends by an enormous 200%.

So, how much can shareholders look forward to receiving and how can market watchers get in on the action?

Here's all you need to know about the ASX 200 dividend shares revealing monster payouts this week.

3 ASX 200 shares upping their dividends this week

There have been earnings from plenty of ASX 200 shares this week, but these three stunned the market with soaring dividends.

First out the gates is agriculture company GrainCorp Ltd (ASX: GNC).

It doubled its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) year-on-year, coming in at $703 million. On top of that, the company's after-tax profit jumped 174% to $380 million. It likely comes as no surprise then, that the ASX 200 share also upped its dividend significantly.

Astoundingly, its full-year dividends tripled, coming in at 54 cents per share – up from 18 cents per share in financial year 2021.

GrainCorp doesn't trade ex-dividend until 29 November. That means interested market watchers still have time to jump on board and receive the offering.

Next up is Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL).

The ASX 200 staple posted a 20% jump in normalised EBITDA, coming in at $1.85 billion, and a 31% increase in normalised after-tax profits, lifting to $1 billion in financial year 2022.

The company also posted a notably larger full-year dividend, coming in at 52 cents per share. That marks a 27% jump on financial year 2021's 41 cents per share.

Aristocrat Leisure trades ex-dividend on 30 November.

Finally, ASX 200 crop protection and seed technology company Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) more than doubled its full-year dividends this week.

Its underlying EBITDA soared 24% last financial year to $447 million while its profit jumped 65% to $107.4 million.

Meanwhile, the ASX 200 company offered investors 10 cents per share of dividends for the period – up 150% from financial year 2021's 4 cents per share.

The stock will be the first of the three to trade ex-dividend. New investors will miss out on the payout from 24 November.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares that announced supersized dividends this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) continued to slide on Wednesday. It closed today's session 0.27% lower at 7,122.2 points.

That was despite a strong performance from the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ), which jumped 1.2% amid higher oil prices.

The Brent crude oil price lifted 0.8% overnight to US$93.86 a barrel and the US Nymex crude oil price gained 1.2% to trade at US$86.92 a barrel.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) also closed in the green, having risen 0.7%.

Today's biggest weighs included the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) – down 1.5% – and the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) – down 1.3%.

The giant S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) – home to the nation's biggest banks – also struggled, closing 1% lower.

All in all, just three of the ASX 200's 11 sectors ended the day in the green. But which share dodged the market's suffering to post the index's biggest gain? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The top-performing ASX 200 share on Wednesday was crop protection and seed technology company Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF).

The company dropped its full-year results this morning, detailing a 24% surge in its earnings and a 65% jump in its profits. Its full-year dividend also came in 150% higher year-on-year.

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.

As we approach the end of trading on Wednesday, the top 10 best-performing shares of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) are all miners bar one.

That one outlier is ASX agricultural share Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF), up 7% to $5.80. The crop protection and seed technology company released its full-year results today and raised its full-year dividend by 150%.

As for the rest of the top 10 on the ASX 200 today, they're all ASX mining shares but represent a big range of metals and minerals. And not an iron ore share in sight.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Nufarm was leading the pack until ASX copper share, Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) rose to the top.

The Sandfire Resources share price is 7.3% higher at $4.97.

ASX coal shares followed second-placed Nufarm, with Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) shares up 6.99% to $8.81 and New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) shares up 5.08% to $5.59.

Then came ASX mineral explorer IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO). The nickel and lithium miner's share price is up 4.69% to $16.08.

Next is rare earths miner, Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC). Lynas shares are up 4.58% to $8.79.

Another ASX coal share, Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN) takes seventh place. Coronado shares are up 2.95% to $2.10.

Nickel miner Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC) is rounding out the top eight ASX 200 shares today, up 2.83% to 98 cents.

The final two in our top 10 ASX 200 shares are ASX lithium shares.

The Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) share price is up 2.95% to $14.67.

The Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) share price is up 2.69% to $4.96.

The post Dig this! Look how many of the top-performing ASX 200 shares today are miners appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU)

The Arafura share price has jumped 14% to 40 cents. This appears to have been driven by an announcement yesterday afternoon. That announcement revealed that the Mining Management Plan (MMP) for its 100% owned Nolans Neodymium-Praseodymium (NdPr) project has been approved by the Northern Territory Government.

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

The Nufarm share price is up 7% to $5.80. Investors have been buying this agricultural chemicals company's shares following the release of its full year results. Nufarm reported a 24% increase in EBITDA to $447 million on revenue of $3.8 billion. The company also spoke positively about FY 2023 and revealed that it is on track to meet or exceed its FY 2026 revenue aspirations.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is up 2.5% to $4.95. This morning this lithium miner unveiled its capital management framework. Pilbara Minerals advised that from FY 2023, it intends to pay out 20% to 30% of its free cash flow as dividends.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

The Whitehaven Coal share price is up 7% to $8.80. This follows a strong rise by the Nymex coal price overnight. In other news, this morning the company revealed that one of its directors has just bought ~$1.2 million worth of shares via an on-market purchase. Whitehaven Coal's non-executive director, Raymond Zage, picked up 150,000 shares for an average of $8.24 per share.

The post Why Arafura, Nufarm, Pilbara Minerals, and Whitehaven Coal are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Those invested in Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) shares are likely having a good morning after the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) crop protection and seed technology company upped its final dividend by 50%.

That leaves its financial year 2022 (FY22) full-year dividends 150% higher year-on-year at 10 cents per share.

The stock opened with a 1.2% lift that saw it trading at $5.60 before soaring to a current high of $5.93.

Right now, the Nufarm share price has eased slightly to trade at $5.89, marking an 8.67% increase.

ASX 200 share soars alongside its dividends

Here are the key takeaways from the ASX 200 company's full-year earnings:

• Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 24% year-on-year to $447 million
• Revenue rose 17% to $3.8 billion
• Statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) soared 65% to $107.4 million
• Unfranked final dividend of 6 cents – up 50% on financial year 2021's 4-cent final dividend

Nufarm's final dividend, combined with the 4-cent interim dividend it announced in May – its first interim dividend since 2018 – saw it offering 10 cents per share over FY22.

The company's underlying NPAT also more than doubled last fiscal year – reaching $133.2 million.

It ended FY22 with $346 million of net debt and $863 million of net working capital.

What else happened in FY22?

Let's take a closer look at the results driving the ASX 200 share higher on Wednesday.

Nufarm's APAC segment posted. a 21% increase in underlying EBITDA, coming in at $135 million despite battling supply chain challenges in FY22.

Its North America business did even better. Its underlying EBITDA rose 42% to $148 million amid higher sale prices and strong demand for crop protection products.

Looking to Nufarm's European business, underlying EBITDA remained steady at $171 million as sales improved and regulatory headwinds took their toll.

Finally, the company's Seed Technologies business saw its underlying EBITDA lift 26% to $59 million. That was driven by demand for Nuseed's hybrid canola varieties, sorghum, and sunflower.

What did management say?

Nufarm managing director and CEO Greg Hunt commented on the company's full-year earnings, saying:

This result reflects the hard work we have done over recent years to reset the business, our focus on core products and key geographies together with our increased investment in innovation and sustainability.

Favourable seasonal conditions and attractive soft commodity prices generated strong demand for our seeds and crop protection products. Our seeds business continued to increase earnings as a result of strategic investments in innovative technologies.

We made significant progress on all our strategic growth initiatives across omega-3, bioenergy, seeds and crop protection; and we have a promising pipeline of opportunities.

What's next?

Nufarm didn't provide any solid FY23 earnings guidance today. Though, Hunt did reveal that "assuming normal seasonal conditions", the ASX 200 share expects to post modest underlying EBITDA growth this fiscal year. So far, conditions have remained favourable.

Looking further forward, however, the company is on track to grow its revenue to more than $4.6 billion in FY26. Hunt said:

Our revenue growth aspirations are supported by macro trends including the increasing demand for food from a rising global population, and the demand for sustainable agricultural practices to increase land productivity.

Nufarm share price outperforms ASX 200 in 2022

Today's gain included, the Nufarm share price has lifted 20% year to date. It's also trading for 17% more than it was this time last year.

For comparison, the index has fallen 6% in 2022 and 4% over the last 12 months.

The post Guess which ASX 200 share just upped its full-year dividend by 150% 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 rising:

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

The Accent share price is up over 12% to $1.69. This morning this footwear retailer released a trading update and revealed a 52% increase in total group owned sales for the first 18 weeks of the financial year. Accent also reported a 570 basis points increase in its gross margin over the period.

Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)

The Block share price is up 12% to $101.49. This follows a very strong showing for the payment company's NYSE listed shares on Thursday night. Block's shares rose 18% on Wall Street after investors flooded back into the tech sector amid hopes that inflation could now be peaking. The market appears hopeful that this could lead to the US Federal Reserve slowing its interest rate hikes.

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

The Nufarm share price is up 4% to $5.68. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Credit Suisse. According to the note, the broker has upgraded this agricultural chemicals company's shares to an outperform rating with a $6.85 price target. This implies potential upside of 20% from current levels.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip share price is up 20% to 75 cents. Investors have been buying Zip and other ASX tech shares today following the softer inflation reading in the United States. The gains have been so strong in the sector that the S&P/ASX All Technology Index has risen almost 5% today.

The post Why Accent, Block, Nufarm, and Zip shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) posted another green day on Wednesday, bringing its gains for the week so far to 2.01%. The index closed today's session 0.18% higher at 6,810.9 points.

That was despite the latest inflation figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which show the nation's consumer price index (CPI) hit 7.3% over the 12 months to the September quarter – its highest in 32 years.

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) tumbled 2.4% amid the data's release, while the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) fell 0.5%.

The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) also suffered, falling 1.4% despite oil prices rising.

The Brent crude oil price lifted 0.3% to US$93.52 a barrel overnight while the US Nymex crude oil price gained 0.9% to US$85.32 a barrel

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) rose 2.5% on Wednesday while the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) lifted 2.4%.

All in all, eight of the ASX 200's 11 sectors closed higher. But which share outperformed all others? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The Costa Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: CGC) share price led the way on the index today, gaining 11% after its historical parent entity snapped up a 13.78% stake in the company.  

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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) dumped early gains today to end the day in the red. The index closed 0.34% lower at 6,645 points.

The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was the market's biggest weigh, falling 1.6% amid lower oil prices. The Brent crude oil price fell 1.8%to US$96.19 a barrel while the US Nymex crude oil price dropped 1.6% to US$91.13 a barrel.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) also slumped 0.1% following a rough night for the iron ore price. Iron ore futures fell 1.8% as most Australians slept to trade at US$97.35 a tonne. Meanwhile, gold futures dumped 2% to US$1,675.20 an ounce.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) slipped 0.03% and 0.16%, respectively, amid the latest Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) consumer sentiment data, finding the measure fell by 0.9% to a near historic low of 83.7 in October.

All in all, two of the ASX 200's 11 sectors closed in the green today. But which share topped all its peers? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's top-performing ASX 200 share was none other than newbie Johns Lyng Group Ltd (ASX: JLG). The company was added to the index in the September rebalance.

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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bounced back from Wednesday's seven-week low today. The index closed 1.77% higher at 6,848.70 points.

It followed a strong session on Wall Street that saw the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) break a seven-session losing streak to gain 2.1%.

It might not surprise readers then that the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) led the market's gains today, rising 3.2%.

Meanwhile, lithium shares led the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 2.7% gain while the S&P/ASX Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) lifted 2.9%.

But it wasn't a great day for all ASX 200 sectors. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) tumbled 2.8% following a disastrous night for oil prices.

The Brent crude oil price fell 5.2% to a new seven-month low of US$88 overnight. Meanwhile, the US Nymex crude oil price dropped 5.7% to trade at US$81.94 a barrel – its lowest point since January.

All in all, 10 of the ASX 200's 11 sectors closed higher on Thursday. But which share outperformed all others to take today's crown? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's top performing ASX 200 share was software developer Life360 Inc (ASX: 360).

There was no price-sensitive news from the stock today. However, it did release its presentation to the Bell Potter Technology Decoded Conference.

Among other things, the presentation outlined the company's "pathway to profitability". That's expected to see it profitable by 2024. Find out more about the company and what it's been up to lately 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.

But not all ASX 200 shares are household names.

Speaking to Livewire recently, Anthony Aboud, portfolio manager at Perpetual, and Sean Fenton, managing director at Sage Capital, tipped two ASX 200 shares they believe the market has overlooked.

A bounce back in earnings ahead

Aboud named Event Hospitality and Entertainment Ltd (ASX: EVT), citing the strength of the management team and the ASX 200 share's bounce back potential from the pandemic.

"It is a founder-led business and if you could get three worse industries to be hit by COVID: it is cinemas, hotel and ski lodges. And they've got the trifecta there. So, they've been hit really badly," he said.

Aboud continued:

We feel that they went into COVID though with a very strong balance sheet and have managed to take costs out of their business structurally. They've actually started some new revenue streams, but also reinvest in all of their systems. I believe that they're going to make materially more money on the other side of COVID than they did going in.

Looking at some strengths over the next few years, Aboud noted that there are good lead indicators in its hotels business, with bookings "looking very good".

Just in Sydney with the light show on at the moment, Vivid, Sydney hotels are above 80% occupancy. Just for some lights, you know? We're starting to see those lead indicators come through.

Addressing its ski related business, Aboud said, "This will be probably the most profitable snow season they'll ever have."

As for the cinemas business, he added, "And don't forget Top Gun."

Summing up why Perpetual likes this overlooked ASX 200 share, Aboud said, "We feel that they're going to really have a bounce back in earnings."

He said analysts still have earnings forecasts in 2023 and 2024 some 30% below pre-COVID levels.

"We think they'll beat those earnings. We think the market's overlooking it. We think it's a quality management team with quality assets [and] a good balance sheet," he said.

An overlooked ASX 200 share with growth opportunities

Fenton tipped Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) as the ASX 200 share the market is overlooking.

Noting that we're heading into a period of economic downturn, he said Sage Capital looks for companies whose business is "unrelated and resilient to that".

Namely, the agricultural sector.

We've got a global energy crisis, which feeds through to fertilisers, driving soft commodity prices higher. Nufarm is a global crop protection business so it does all the herbicides, fungicides, pesticides. With increasing value of crops, you want to protect those as a farmer. That's a good base business.

Fenton said that long-term shareholder Sumitomo had sold down their holdings which "crunched the price down a little bit… I think there's a good opportunity to enter it at the moment".

Fenton also noted the ASX 200 share offers growth opportunities:

They've got some R&D [research and development] and a broader seeds business. Within that [they have] some omega-3 canola IP [intellectual property], and that's been approved by the FDA to go into fish food, but also into human consumption.

Over the next few years, there's a real opportunity for them to grow that business, good IP, a high margin business, and that's one that's being overlooked a bit by the market.

The post 2 ASX 200 shares the market has overlooked: fundies 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 rising:

Bailador Technology Investments Ltd (ASX: BTI)

The Bailador share price is up 4.5% to $1.44. Investors have been buying this investment company's shares following an update on its dividend policy. Bailador revealed that will continue with its dividend policy of paying 4% of its pre-tax net tangible assets (NTA) per annum. Furthermore, this year it will include a special dividend of 2% of pre-tax NTA.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

The Fortescue share price is up 3% to $20.71. This gain appears to have been driven by a rise in the iron ore price overnight. According to CommSec, the spot iron ore price rose US$1.51 or 1.1% overnight to US$135.02 a tonne.

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

The Nufarm share price is up 2% to $5.39. This appears to have been driven by bargain hunters swooping in after a recent decline. For example, prior to today, the agricultural chemicals company's shares were down ~20% over the last couple of weeks. One broker that sees a lot of value in Nufarm's shares is Macquarie. It has an overweight rating and $7.20 price target on the company's shares.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

The Telstra share price is up 3% to $4.00. This is despite there being no news out of the telco giant. However, it is worth noting that similar gains are being made by a number of telco shares. This could be a sign that investors are switching to more defensive options on a day that many high risk shares are crumbling.

The post Why Bailador, Fortescue, Nufarm, and Telstra shares are rising appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

NAB completes Citi acquisition

The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is rising on Wednesday after the bank announced the completion of its $1.2 billion acquisition of Citigroup's Australian consumer business. This acquisition includes a home lending portfolio, unsecured lending business (operating under the Citigroup brand as well as white label partner brands), retail deposits business, and private wealth management business.

Lithium miners tumble

The lithium sector is a sea of red on Wednesday. This follows bearish notes out of Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs and news that Argentina has set a lithium reference price of US$53 per kilo. In respect to the former, as we covered here last month, Goldman has reiterated its view that lithium prices will fall heavily in the coming years. The likes of Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) and Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) are falling particularly heavily today.

Origin withdraws guidance

The Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price is sinking today after the energy giant withdrew its earnings guidance. Due largely to coal supply challenges, Origin now expects its energy markets' underlying EBITDA to be between $310 million and $460 million. Previously, it was expecting $450 million to $600 million of earnings. And with management unsure how long these tough trading conditions will last, it has withdrawn its FY 2023 guidance.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Wednesday has been the Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) share price with a 2.5% gain. This appears to have been driven by bargain hunters buying shares after a recent decline. The worst performer has been the Pilbara Minerals share price with a 15% decline. This follows the bearish broker notes and Argentina news.

The post ASX 200 midday update: NAB completes acquisition, lithium miners sink, Origin tumbles appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ducked and weaved through a patchy market to finish in the green. At the end of the session, the benchmark index climbed 0.37% higher to 7,155.2 points.

It was a hit-and-miss bout on the Aussie stock exchange today. A portion of companies performed solidly, including consumer staples and banks. While other parts of the index suffered at the hand of a concerning blow to digital advertising companies in the US overnight. The local tech sector ended up being on the nose today, falling 3%.

However, the question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? Here are the top ten stocks that came through for investors:

Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

Looking at the top 200 listed companies, GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the global boutique asset manager rallied 6.29% higher as investors anticipate the company's inclusion in the FTSE All-World Cap Index. Find out more about GQG Partners here.

The next best performing ASX share across the market today was Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF). The agriculture chemical company traded 5.61% above its previous closing price despite a lack of any price-sensitive news. Uncover the latest Nufarm details here.

Today's top 10 biggest gains were made in these ASX shares:

Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

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