S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are taking a beating today, down 1.78% to 7,180.6 points at lunchtime.

The ASX 200 is falling after a poor trading session in the United States overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) fell by 1.66%, the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) dropped 1.85%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was down by 2.05%.

However, the three ASX 200 shares below are also down today because they're trading ex-dividend.

This means any investor who buys these ASX 200 shares today will not be entitled to the recently declared dividend.

Let's take a look at the details.

Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX: IFL)

The Insignia Financial share price is down 4.7% to $3.08 at the time of writing.

The 1H FY23 report for this ASX 200 share revealed a $94.4 million underlying net profit after tax (NPAT). This was 17.1% down on the prior corresponding period (pcp).

Thus, there was a flow-on effect to dividends with an 11% cut pcp. Insignia Financial declared a 10.5 cent per share interim dividend with 50% franking payable on 3 April.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech share price is slipping 1.07% to $63.82 at lunchtime on Friday.

WiseTech reported a 40% increase in underlying NPAT to $108.5 million for 1H FY23. Its free cash flow also increased by 53% to $137.8 million.

The company declared a massively boosted interim dividend of 6.6 cents, up 39% pcp, fully franked. The ASX 200 company will pay shareholders on 6 April.

Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW)

This ASX 200 share is in the red, too, down 0.5% to $3.28 at the time of writing.

The engineering and construction business reported a 20% drop in profit for 1H FY23. The company said its revenue was higher, but costs also increased due to bad weather, labour shortages, and other things.

The interim dividend was consequently slashed by 58% pcp to 5 cents per share unfranked. Downer will pay its shareholders on 11 April.

Possibly also contributing to the Downer share price dip today is an update from the Fitch Ratings agency.

Fitch affirmed its BBB credit rating on Downer and maintains a negative outlook.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares trading ex-dividend today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The founder and CEO of WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), Richard White, has just sold around $5 million in shares of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) company.

According to a WiseTech announcement to the ASX, the executive made sales between 27 February 2023 to 2 March 2023.

WiseTech share price falls after sale

In late morning trade, the ASX tech share is down by 0.81%.

The company informed the market that White sold 83,209 WiseTech shares for an average price of $62.01. That represents a sale value of around $5.16 million.

For many executives, that could present as a worrisome move.

However, White is one of Australia's wealthiest individuals and still owns a vast amount of WiseTech shares, so this sale only represents a small amount of his holding.

He still owns 280,354 WiseTech shares directly and 121,042,366 shares indirectly. This means he owns $7.6 billion worth of shares in the ASX 200 company. In other words, it was a tiny portion of his shares.

Also, it's worth noting that the current WiseTech share price is around $62.49 at the current time, while White's sales were for an average price of $62. He has seemingly left some money on the table.

This isn't the first time White has sold shares. He also sold 67,906 shares in early December for $57.13 per share.

Does this mean it's time to worry?

The fact that the WiseTech share price keeps rising could suggest the market isn't overly worried.

Certainly, if I had that much of my wealth in one place, I'd want to make sure my wealth was diversified.

The WiseTech share price is up by more than 40% over the past year, despite the succession of interest rate rises.

Investors seem to like the progress the ASX 200 share is making with its market position and financials.

In the first half of FY23, the ASX tech share saw total revenue growth of 35% to $378.2 million. This helped underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) jumped by 40% to $108.5 million, while free cash flow jumped 53% to $137.8 million.

In FY23, the business is expecting revenue to grow by between 26% to 30%, while it expects to achieve underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of between $380 million to $412 million, representing growth of 19% to 29%.

WiseTech share price snapshot

Since the start of 2023, the company has risen by more than 25%.

The post Guess which ASX 200 CEO just sold $5 million worth of his company shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's been a very positive start to the trading week so far this Monday for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). At this point of the trading day, the ASX 200 has gained a healthy 0.8%, putting the index at just over 7,340 points. But ASX 200 tech stocks like Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) are putting that gain to shame. 

The ASX 200 tech sector is currently leading the market in terms of gains. And the top ASX 200 gainers today are almost all tech shares. Xero is in the vanguard here, recording a very pleasing gain of 4.88% so far this session to $79.31 a share:

But it's not just Xero. Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) has notched a 5.4% rise to $120.42 a share. Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) is just behind with a 5.1% gain to $5.78 a share. WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) has just hit a new record high. And Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) has rocketed by a whopping 17.65% to 60 cents a share.

So what's going on with ASX 200 tech stocks today that have yielded such stellar performances?

Why are ASX 200 tech stocks on fire this Monday?

Well, Brainchiop has had some specific developments which seem to be boosting the company's share price. As we covered this morning, Brainchip has announced the launch of its second-generation Akida platform, which seems to be getting investors hot under the collar.

But apart from that, there are no other specific announcements from these ASX 200 tech stocks that seem to be a factor here.

As such, we can probably thank the performance of the US tech markets on Friday night (our time) for the strong start to the week that the tech sector is currently enjoying.

The ASX is usually quite receptive to the movements of the US markets, given their dominance of global financial markets. If US shares have a good run, it's unusual not to see ASX shares follow suit (and vice-versa). And ASX 200 tech stocks seem to be particularly sensitive to the movements of their American counterparts.

Last Friday, the tech-heavy NASDAQ-100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX) had an exceptionally strong session, rising by 2.04% by the end of the trading day. US shares like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Tesla all shone, with Amazon, Apple and Tesla rising by more than 3% each. It was a similar story with other prominent US tech shares like Adobe, PayPal and Intuit.

So given the magnitude of these gains enjoyed by US tech investors last week, ASX 200 tech stocks were always going to have a strong day back across the Pacific.

The post Why are ASX 200 tech stocks like Xero having such a stellar start to the week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That would be the WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price.

WiseTech shares have been on fire in 2023. The logistics software company was only going for $49.17 at the start of January, a good 30% less than the $63.96 a share it is asking today.

What's more, today has seen a new record share price for WiseTech. This morning, WiseTech shares climbed as high as $64.86 each. Not only is that a new 52-week high for this ASX 200 tech share, but a new, all-time record high to boot.

So what's behind WiseTech's latest high and the rather epic share price run it has gone on over 2023 thus far? Well, it could come down to a couple of reasons.

Why has this ASX 200 tech stock rocketed 30% in 2023 to a new record high?

The first (and probably most important) is WiseTech's continuing growth. It was only last month that WiseTech gave investors its latest report card.

And this half-year earnings report contained some pretty impressive figures for shareholders to digest. For the six months ending 31 December 2022, the company reported revenues of $378.2 million, up a healthy 35% over the previous period.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were up slightly more, rising by 36% to $187.3 million. Underlying net profits after tax (NPAT) came in 40% higher than 2021's numbers at $108.5 million.

All of this helped WiseTech to raise its 2023 interim dividend by a pleasing 39% to 6.6 cents per share.

So with these kinds of numbers on display, it's perhaps no surprise that investors have been bidding up WiseTech shares over 2023 thus far.

ASX broker named WiseTech as a buy

But we've also seen ASX brokers give this ASX 200 tech share some love. Last month, we covered broker Morgan Stanley's rating on the WiseTech share price. Morgan Stanley gave the company an overweight rating, as well as a 12-month share price target of $64 – almost exactly where the shares are today.

The broker continues to see WiseTech's future as bright, so this buy rating last month could have helped investors push the WiseTech share price to the levels we are currently seeing.

So it's likely that a combination of ASX broker love and the stellar earnings report WiseTech delivered last month are at least partly responsible for the stellar run the WiseTech share price has been on this year, and the record high prices we have seen for the company today.

No doubt investors will be very pleased with this news.

At the current WiseTech Global share price, this ASX 200 tech share has a market capitalisation of $21.12 billion, with a dividend yield of 0.2%.

The post Guess which ASX 200 tech stock has rallied 30% in 2023 and just hit an all-time high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's why these could be ASX 200 growth shares to buy in March:

Lovisa Holdings Limited (ASX: LOV)

The first ASX 200 share to look at is fast-fashion jewellery retailer Lovisa. It could be a top long term option due to the popularity of its affordable offering and its significant global expansion plans.

The latter is a key reason why Morgans is so bullish on the company. It recently wrote:

LOV commented today that it sees 'lots of white space' around the world for future network expansion. This, in our opinion, is the reason to own LOV. The business has a product that can be deployed around the world; an efficient fit-out process; a strong position in a niche segment; and the ambition to turn Lovisa into a truly global brand.

Morgans has an add rating and $29.00 price target on its shares.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

Another ASX 200 growth share that could be a buy is this logistics solutions company.

WiseTech is the company behind the popular CargoWise One solution, which allows users to execute complex logistics transactions and manage freight operations from a single, easy to use platform.

Demand has been strong for its platform over the last few years and underpinned strong sales and profit growth.

Pleasingly, this strong form has continued in FY 2023, with the company reporting stellar growth during the first half. And with management expecting more of the same in the second half, WiseTech is guiding to revenue growth of 26% to 30% and EBITDA growth of 19% to 29% for the full year.

Morgan Stanley is positive on the company's outlook. It has an overweight rating and $70.00 price target on its shares.

The post 2 explosive ASX growth shares to buy this month: analysts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended the week with its first gain since Monday, lifting 0.3% to close at 7,307 points. That leaves it 0.54% lower than where it finished the previous week.

But not all was well on the index on Friday. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) tumbled 1.2% despite the Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) share price jumping on the back of the company's record first-half revenue.

Fortunately, however, all other sectors ended the day in the green.

Leading the way was the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ). It lifted 2.4%, helped along by the Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) share price, which gained 5.9% on the tech giant's quarterly earnings.

But Block wasn't today's top-performing ASX 200 share. Let's take a look at which stock took out the title on Friday.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's biggest gain was posted by the Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) share price. It surged 7.5% today, recovering much of the 7.8% tumble it experienced yesterday on the release of its first-half earnings.

These shares made today's biggest gains:

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) spent a third consecutive day in the red today, falling 0.4% to close at 7,285.4 points.

Meanwhile, the February earnings season continued. Today saw results released by Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN), Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL), Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR), and Blackmores Ltd (ASX: BKL), to name a few.

But none of those names belongs to today's worst-performing sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) led the market's tumble today, falling 1.6%.

Looking to the positive side of the market, the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) jumped 1.1%, helped by the Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC) share price. It gained 3% on the back of the company's 22% jump in profits.

But which ASX 200 share posted the index's biggest gain on Thursday? Let's take a look.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's best-performing ASX 200 stock was Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE). It gained 9% to close at $13 after the automotive retailing group posted record underlying profit and full-year dividends.

These shares made today's biggest gains:

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

The Origin share price is up 13% to $7.91. This follows the release of an update on the takeover approach by a consortium comprising Brookfield Asset Management and MidOcean. Although the consortium has dropped its offer by 10 cents to $8.90 per share, this has come as a big relief to investors. There had been concerns that the consortium was going to walk away from talks.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

The Santos share price is up 3.5% to $7.05. This follows the release of the energy producer's full-year results. Santos reported a 65% increase in revenue to US$7.8 billion and a 160% jump in underlying profit to US$2.5 billion. The latter was actually a touch short of expectations, but that hasn't stopped investors snapping up shares today.

Service Stream Ltd (ASX: SSM)

The Service Stream share price is up 9% to 65 cents. Investors have been buying this essential network service provider's shares after the release of its half-year results. Service Stream reported a 75.5% increase in revenue to $993.6 million and a 40.1% lift in underlying EBITDA to $55 million. This was driven by strong growth across all of its segments.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech share price has rebounded from a poor start and is up 4% to $58.17. This morning, this logistics solutions company reported a 35% jump in half-year revenue to $378.2 million and a 40% jump in underlying net profit after tax to $108.5 million. And while it has trimmed its full-year earnings guidance, it is still expected to be 19% to 29%.

The post Why Origin, Santos, Service Stream, and WiseTech shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the logistic solutions company's shares are down 2.5% to $54.29.

This follows the release of the company's half-year results.

WiseTech share price drops on half-year results

• Revenue up 35% to $378.2 million
• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) up 36% to $187.3 million
• Underlying net profit after tax up 40% to $108.5 million
• Free cash flow up 53% to $137.8 million
• Interim dividend increased 39% to 6.6 cents per share

What happened during the half?

For the six months ended 31 December, WiseTech reported a 35% jump in revenue to $378.2 million. This was underpinned by a 50% increase in CargoWise revenue to $289.2 million, which was driven by growth from existing and new customers.

This means that recurring revenue now makes up 96% of the company's revenue, which is up 3 percentage points since this time last year.

Thanks to enhanced operating leverage, pricing, new product releases, and ongoing financial discipline, WiseTech overcame inflationary pressures to deliver modest margin expansion during the half.

This ultimately led to its underlying net profit after tax increasing by 40% to $108.5 million.

Management commentary

WiseTech Founder and CEO, Richard White, was pleased with the company's strong first half. He said:

Our strong first half performance highlights the continued resilience of our business model and progress of our 3P strategy. Our ability to deliver strong growth in revenue, earnings and free cash flow, in a softening global macroeconomic climate, is the result of a tremendous effort by our teams around the world and we're immensely proud of the progress we are making towards our vision of being the operating system for global logistics.

We continue to see strong demand for our products from the world's largest freight forwarders, having secured four new global rollouts and three organic global rollouts since July last year. CargoWise is rapidly becoming the industry standard. Importantly, in January this year, we also secured our first global customs rollout with Kuehne+Nagel, the world's largest global freight forwarder. This is a testament to the success of our foothold acquisition strategy and our customs product development, as we build out a global customs engine.

Outlook

WiseTech has updated its FY 2023 guidance and now expects stronger revenue growth but slightly softer EBITDA growth. The latter could be weighing on the WiseTech share price today. Its guidance is now:

• Revenue of $790 million to $822 million (growth of 26% to 30%)
• EBITDA excluding M&A costs of $380 million to $412 million (growth of 19% to 29%).

This compares to previous guidance of 20% to 23% revenue growth and 21% to 30% EBITDA growth.

Mr White concluded:

WiseTech is a business that continues to grow and create value. Our unique CargoWise offering, which we expand and enhance through our own product development and our acquisition program, is enabling us to drive considerable momentum. This is underpinned by our global rollouts, stemming from an investment of over $775 million in research and development over the last five years.

We have a strong track record of delivering on our strategy, demonstrating the strength and resilience of our business model. Our strong balance sheet and cash generation provide us with significant financial firepower to fund our future growth. I am excited by the opportunities ahead of us and the future growth team WiseTech will deliver.

The post WiseTech share price drops despite strong earnings growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the logistics solutions company's shares are down 3.5% to $56.51.

Why is the WiseTech share price falling?

Investors have been selling down the WiseTech share price this morning after weakness in the tech sector offset news of a blockbuster acquisition.

According to the release, WiseTech has acquired Blume Global for US$414 million (A$600 million) from funds managed by Apollo, EQT, and other minority shareholders.

Blume Global is a provider of a leading solution facilitating intermodal rail in North America.

The release notes that North America is the world's largest domestic logistics region and Blume manages intermodal containers and chassis on behalf of 6 of the 7 Class 1 US railroads, ocean carriers, and other intermodal equipment providers. This includes global freight forwarders and Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCOs).

Much like WiseTech itself, Blume is a high-growth recurring revenue business and is expected to generate FY 2024 revenues in the range of US$65 million to US$70 million, which represents annual growth of 45% to 55%.

Before operational synergies, on a standalone basis, Blume expects to achieve FY 2024 EBITDA margins of approximately 10% and be cash flow breakeven by the end of FY 2024.

Deal funding

WiseTech revealed that it will fund the acquisition through a combination of cash, debt, and shares.

This will comprise US$134.8 million from existing cash reserves, US$155 million of debt from new facilities, and US$124.2 million new WiseTech shares. This represents a funding mix of 70% cash and 30% WiseTech Global shares, with the latter to be escrowed for 12 months.

'Strategically significant'

Founder and CEO of WiseTech Global, Richard White, believes the acquisition is strategically significant. He said:

This is another strategically significant acquisition that follows our acquisition of Envase Technologies last month. It further extends our capability in one of our six key CargoWise development priority areas, integrating rail into our landside logistics offering in North America, the most complex and largest logistics region in the world. Blume also brings significant new talent, a portfolio of other valuable product capabilities, and further enhances our product development skill set. This transaction demonstrates WiseTech's continued investment in its CargoWise ecosystem, improving visibility and process efficiencies end-to-end across the supply chain for our customers.

The post WiseTech share price lower despite blockbuster $600m acquisition appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's what you need to know about these buy-rated growth shares:

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

The first ASX growth share that has been named as a buy is this rapidly growing location technology company.

Life360 provides a mobile app for families that offers useful features such as communications, driver safety, and location sharing. At the last count, there were approximately 50 million active monthly users of the app, which is generating significant recurring revenue.

Bell Potter is bullish on the company's future. It currently has a buy rating and $9.00 price target on its shares.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Another ASX growth share that could be a buy is this leading online furniture and homewares retailer.

Goldman Sachs has tipped Temple & Webster to grow very strongly over the long term thanks to its strong position in a retail category that is still in the early stages of shifting online.

It highlights that the category in Australia remains under-penetrated online relative to other markets with 16.5% of sales made online versus 28% in the UK and 25% in the United States. And with this side of the retail market having higher barriers to entry, this bodes well for Temple & Webster.

Goldman has a buy rating and $7.60 price target on its shares.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

A final ASX growth share that could be a buy is this logistics solutions company.

WiseTech is the company behind the popular CargoWise One solution, which allows users to execute complex logistics transactions and manage freight operations from a single, easy to use platform.

Demand has been strong for its platform over the last few years and underpinned strong sales and profit growth. The good news is that this strong form is expected to continue in FY 2023, with management recently reaffirming its guidance for revenue growth of 20% to 23% and EBITDA growth of 21% to 30%.

Morgan Stanley is positive on the company's outlook. It has an overweight rating and $64.00 price target on its shares.

The post Looking for growth? 3 ASX shares experts rate as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's why experts rate them highly right now:

Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)

If you're not averse to investing in the resources sector and have a higher than average tolerance for risk, then it could be worth considering Allkem.

It became one of the world's largest lithium miners after Galaxy Resources and Orocobre merged in 2021. It has assets in Australia, South America, and North America.

And from these projects, Allkem has significant production capacity. In fact, management believes it can increase its production in a manner that allows it to maintain a 10% share of global lithium supply over the long term.

It is partly for this production growth, as well as its downstream optionality, that Goldman Sachs is bullish on Allkem at the same time it is bearish on the lithium industry.

Goldman has a buy rating and $15.50 price target on Allkem's shares. This implies potential upside of 23% for investors from current levels.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

Another ASX growth share that has been tipped as a buy is WiseTech.

It is the technology company behind the industry-leading logistics solutions platform, CargoWise One. This platform allows users to execute complex logistics transactions and manage freight operations.

WiseTech has been growing at a strong rate for years and appears well-placed to continue this trend in the near term. For example, management is guiding to "20%-23% revenue growth and 21%-30% EBITDA growth."

Morgan Stanley is confident on the company's outlook. As a result, it has put an overweight rating and $64.00 price target on its shares. This suggests potential upside of almost 18% for investors.

The post 2 highly-rated ASX growth shares to buy according to experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

ASX shares are divided into 11 market sectors which are represented by their own ASX 200 indexes.

If we take a look at the year-to-date performance of these 11 sectors in 2023, there are three categories that stand out for share price growth.

Seems like everyone is buying ASX 200 property shares — otherwise known as real estate investment trusts (REITs). Next on the list are ASX 200 retail shares and ASX 200 technology shares.

To date in 2023, the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) is up 14%. Coming in close behind is the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) which is up 12.9%.

The next sector in line is the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) with a 10.9% gain.

Are you detecting a pattern here?

Why are these ASX 200 shares rocketing in 2023?

The answer is pretty simple. These three sectors were pummelled the most during the 2022 sell-off, so they're having the biggest bounceback today in a newly optimistic market.

These S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares suffered the most last year because rising inflation and interest rates are particularly impactful in these sectors.

That turned investors off, which meant buyer demand fell, and some even decided to sell.

The result? A substantial fall in the prices of ASX 200 shares in these three indexes.

The technology index fell 34% over the 12 months of 2022, the A-REIT index fell 24%, and the consumer discretionary index fell 23%.

Here's why these ASX 200 shares were hit hardest among the 11 market sectors.

Generally speaking, rising inflation is bad news for most companies. It means their input costs increase, and if they can't raise the prices for their products and services, this usually reduces their margins.

In terms of rising interest rates, they hurt the economy on many fronts. Every company and household with debt faces rising costs, and people cut back spending on discretionary items.

Rising rates are especially bad for Australian tech companies and REITs.

Many listed Australian tech companies fit into the growth shares category. That means they've typically got a fair bit of debt and are spending a lot to get established while not necessarily making a profit.

Meanwhile, rising rates also bring property prices down because demand goes out of the market. While REITs managing shops, offices, commercial, and residential property can raise the rent when leases turn over, most leases outside residential are multi-year agreements that can't be changed in the short term.

The ASX 200 appears to be turning

ASX 200 shares have lifted 8.8% already in January. That's a clear indication of new confidence.

The Reserve Bank told us this week that inflation has peaked in Australia, and recent US inflation news was positive.

If inflation is coming under control, that means interest rates won't have too much further to go.

That's got investors excited enough to get back into the market in 2023 and buy the dip while they can.

Which shares in these sectors should you buy?

A good starting point when researching a market sector is to first look at the top ASX 200 shares by market capitalisation to see how they're performing.

The biggest ASX property share by market cap is Goodman Group (ASX: GMG). It lost 35% in value in 2022. So far in 2023, Goodman Group shares are up by 21%.

The biggest ASX retail share is Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES). Wesfarmers shares lost 23% in 2022. So far in 2023, the Wesfarmers share price is up by 12%.

The biggest ASX tech share is WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC). The Wisetech share price fell 13% in 2022. So far in 2023, the shares are up by 26%.

The post Which ASX 200 shares are rebounding fastest in 2023? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) spent another day in the green on Thursday, gaining 0.13% to close at 7,511.6 points.

It follows the United States Federal Reserves' decision to bump interest rates another 0.25% to 4.75%, seemingly marking a slowdown in hikes.

Staying overseas, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) led Wall Street overnight, rising 2%.

It likely comes as no surprise then that the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) outperformed all other sectors today, rising 3.1%.

On the other hand, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was the worst performer, falling 0.9% amid tumbling oil prices. Brent crude oil slumped 3.1% overnight while the US Nymex crude dropped 3.1% to US$76.41 a barrel.

But which ASX 200 shares posted the biggest gains of all on Thursday? Let's take a look.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's top-performing ASX 200 share was tech giant Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1). Its share price gained 11% today amid a notable tech rally.

These shares made today's biggest gains:

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In fact, some ASX 200 shares have climbed so much today that they have reached new 52-week highs.

Here are eight that accomplished this feat on Thursday:

Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

The Altium share price has hit a 52-week high of $39.96 on Thursday thanks to a rebounding tech sector.

Auckland International Airport Limited (ASX: AIA)

The Auckland International Airport share price has risen to a 52-week high of $7.90 this afternoon. Investors appear optimistic that this airport operator will be benefitting greatly from the travel market recovery.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

The CSL share price has continued its positive run and climbed to a 52-week high of $304.75. Morgans is tipping 2023 to be a "break-out" year for the biotherapeutics giant.

Lottery Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLC)

The Lottery Corporation share price has hit a 52-week (and record) high of $4.91 on Thursday. Last week, Macquarie reiterated its outperform rating with an improved price target of $5.10.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The Northern Star share price has hit a 52-week high of $13.31. As you can see below, this means the ASX 200 gold miner's shares are now up 52% over the last 12 months.

Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price is on form again and charged to a 52-week (and record) high of $67.99. A rebounding tech sector and some big contract wins have sent this ASX 200 healthcare technology company's shares hurtling higher.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

The Telstra share price has risen to a 52-week high of $4.18. Earlier this week, Goldman Sachs upgraded the telco giant's shares to a buy rating with a $4.60 price target.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech share price has stormed to a 52-week (and record) high of $64.70 this afternoon. This brings the ASX 200 tech share's 12-month return to a sizeable 40%.

The post Happy days! 8 ASX 200 shares smashing new 52-week highs on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) tech shares are broadly enjoying a strong run today.

In late morning trade, the ASX 200 is up a healthy 0.5%.

But tech shares are faring even better. The S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) – which contains some smaller tech stocks outside of the ASX 200 – is up 3% at this same time.

As for ASX 200 tech shares, these three are leading the charge on Thursday:

• Shares in WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), a provider of cloud-based software solutions for the logistics sector, are up 5.1%
• Accounting software provider Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) is up 7.2%
• And shares in Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1), which provides Network as a Service (NaaS) solutions, are up 5.7%

You certainly won't hear investors complaining about those figures!

So, what's driving today's rally?

What's driving the tech stock rally today?

There are no price-sensitive releases out from any of these three ASX 200 tech shares today.

Which tells me the rally is broadly being driven by two factors.

First, Facebook owner Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) reported strong quarterly sales overnight and announced a US$40 billion (AU$56 billion) share buyback. The Meta share price has surged 20% in after-hours trading on the news, offering some strong tailwinds for the tech sector.

Second, investors look to be rewarding the ASX 200 tech shares following the subdued interest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve. That helped the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) close 2% higher overnight.

Why celebrate a rate increase?

Because the 0.25% hike, while broadly expected, is the lowest increase the Fed has delivered in some time, having boosted rates by 0.50% in December and by 0.75% at its four prior meetings.

Though warning that investors can expect several more rate hikes, Fed chair Jerome Powell said inflation pressures in the United States are showing signs of easing.

That's particularly welcome news for most tech companies, which are often priced with future earnings growth in mind. As interest rates ratchet higher, so too does the present cost of investing in those earnings.

How have these ASX 200 tech shares been tracking?

After a difficult second half of 2022, two of the three ASX 200 tech shares named above are off to a smashing start.

As you can see on the below charts, Megaport is the only one that remains in the red for 2023, down 2.9% from the opening bell on 3 January.

WiseTech shares, on the other hand, have leapt out of the gate, up 27.5% in the new year.

And Xero is no laggard either, with shares up an impressive 17.6% so far in 2023.

The post 3 ASX 200 tech shares going gangbusters on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Over the last month, the NASDAQ-100 went up by 10.6%.

In January 2023, we saw the Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price climb by more than 9%.

The REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share price went up by over 13%.

The Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK) share price rose by more than 15%.

The Carsales.com Ltd (ASX: CAR) share price climbed over 9%.

The WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price rose 19%.

The Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price went up 10%.

Looking at the BetaShares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC), an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that's invested in 46 ASX tech shares, saw a rise of over 9% in the month.

Why are ASX tech shares doing so well?

Technology businesses were one of the hardest hit in 2022 as interest rates zoomed higher.

But, there are signs that inflation may have peaked and could now be reducing.

For example, in the US in the three months to December 2021, the Employment Cost Index rose by 15%, which was less than the 1.1% expected number and a slowdown from the 1.2% in the prior three months, according to reporting by the Australian Financial Review.

The AFR quoted National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) head of fixed income research, Skye Masters, who said:

The clear point from this data is it's showing that wages growth in the US is easing.

So, it does alleviate that concern that some Fed members might have had that maybe we're entering into a wage price spiral, so it's supportive of the view that the Fed can dial back its pace of tightening and possibly pause.

The AFR also reported on comments from Matt Wacher, chief investment officer at Morningstar for the Asia Pacific, who said that while the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) could increase the cash rate one or two more times, there could then be a cut later this year. Wacher commented:

I am sure the RBA would like to keep rates higher for longer, but this can put significant pressure on the economy here, more so than other regions given personal debt levels.

On the ASX tech share space, he said that the shares are "not cheap, even though they had fallen sharply, and are priced to perfection", according to the newspaper.

My take

I don't think the US Federal Reserve is going to make things easy for the share market.

Jerome Powell has promised to fight inflation "until the job is done". I think that means that interest rates are going to stay high for longer than some investors are expecting. This is what he said a few months ago:

But, with many valuations still a long way below their 2021 levels, I think a number of ASX tech shares, like Xero, seem very promising for the long term even if they have risen a bit higher than a month ago.

Keep this in mind: it may not really matter what happens in February 2023 if the investment horizon is five years or more ahead with an ASX (tech) share.

The post The Nasdaq just had its best January in over 20 years. Are ASX tech shares back? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

For investors who don't know about WiseTech, it's an ASX tech share that describes itself as a leading developer and provider of software for the logistics industry globally.

It has more than 18,000 customers, including some of the largest logistic companies across the world, operating in more than 170 countries. These include 41 of the top 50 global third-party logistics providers, as well as 24 of the 25 largest global freight forwarders worldwide.

Strong earnings growth expected

The company is predicting FY23 is going to be another good year of financial growth for the business.

At WiseTech's annual general meeting (AGM), the company said it's expecting to grow revenue in FY23 by between 20% to 23% to between $755 million to $780 million. FY23 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) is expected to rise by between 21% to 30%, equating to a range of between $385 million to $415 million.

If this were to happen, the ASX 200 share's EBITDA margin would improve by between one percentage point to three percentage points. When the company delivered this guidance, CEO Richard White said this demonstrated:

…the continued operating leverage we're able to generate as we scale. We're delighted with the continued momentum we're seeing across the business and confident in our longer-term outlook.

We believe we're well placed to benefit from continued consolidation among global logistics operators, and their increasing investment in digital solutions, as well as pursuing our own M&A opportunities.

Commsec numbers suggest that the business could generate 76.8 cents of earnings per share (EPS) in FY23. It could then grow its EPS by 30% in FY24 to $1.00. EPS could jump another 33% in FY25 to $1.34. In other words, EPS could climb by over 70% between FY23 to FY25.

WiseTech recently boosted its earnings potential by announcing the acquisition of Envase Technologies for US$230 million. This business was described as a leading provider of transport management system software for intermodal trucking and landside logistics in North America.

The ASX 200 share is expected to achieve significant profit growth. However, the business has a lot of that growth already priced in.

WiseTech share price valuation and rating

Using the estimate on Commsec that I mentioned before, WiseTech shares are valued at 79 times FY23's estimated earnings.

Taking the FY25 projection, it's valued at 45 times FY25's estimated earnings.

Those are certainly not conventionally cheap valuation metrics. The WiseTech share price has performed strongly since the start of 2022 considering the hit to ASX tech shares – WiseTech is up 3%.

But, of the analyst ratings covering WiseTech, six of them still rate the ASX 200 share as a buy, four rate it as a hold, and one has a sell rating on the company.

If WiseTech keeps delivering strong earnings growth, then it could continue to excite investors.

The post Could this ASX 200 share be an investment for explosive growth? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) tech shares are off to a strong start in 2023.

Leading technology stock WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), a provider of cloud-based software solutions for the logistics sector, has seen its share price rocket more than 19% since the closing bell on 30 December.

Accounting software provider Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) has also had an impressive first month, up more than 10% in 2023.

All told, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) – which also includes smaller companies outside of ASX 200 tech shares – has gained 10% in the new year.

Those gains, of course, are all water under the investment bridge.

But before we address whether now is a good time for investors to consider adding these big tech stocks to their portfolio, let's have a look at what's helped drive the broader rally.

What's been driving the ASX 200 tech share rally?

While January has been a good month for many stocks, the tech sector has been a top performer.

A large part of that is because companies priced with future earnings in mind, like most ASX 200 tech shares, are highly sensitive to interest rates. And their share prices, in turn, are sensitive to where investors believe rates are heading.

That saw most tech stocks take a beating in the latter half of 2022 as interest rates rocketed higher from historic lows.

But with many analysts now predicting that the developed world is nearing peak inflation, and hence approaching the end of this central bank rate hike cycle, growth shares like tech stocks have retaken a prominent place on investor wish lists.

According to Perpetual Global Share Fund portfolio manager Thomas Rice (quoted by The Australian Financial Review):

January has been a very strong month and, according to the market, the end of the interest rate rising cycle seems to be in sight. So we might see tech stocks have another leg down at some point, but a lot of them faced pretty significant pain in 2022, so some may have really bottomed out.

Portfolio manager at Ophir Asset Management Andrew Mitchell points out the importance of investing in profitable tech shares in the new era of higher rates.

"The narrative has shifted for unprofitable tech; get profitable or show clear path to profitability or someone else will take the reins," he said. "The days of relying on [limited partnerships] to continuously fund an unprofitable tech company are gone."

Buy now or wait?

Turning to WiseTech first, the ASX 200 tech share posted some very strong results for the 2022 financial year. That included a record statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $195 million. WiseTech also boosted its final dividend payout.

The results impressed most analysts, including First Sentier Investors head of Australian equities Dushko Bajic, who pointed out that WiseTech has been benefiting from its investments in the quality of its products.

"Amazing result — 24% revenue growth converting into 70% growth in profits and cash flow," he said. "Return on invested capital rose from 20% to 32%…. Organic growth of its software product was 35%."

And he believes that growth runway has a long way to run.

"Many years to come of strong revenue and earnings growth," he said.

So, that's one ASX 200 tech share that could well be a 'buy now'.

As for Xero, the company reported a 30% lift in its operating revenue for the half year ending 30 September. That came in at NZ$659 million.

And the ASX 200 tech share is a solid buy according to Goldman Sachs, which just placed Xero on its top stock list.

Among the positives, Goldman believes Xero also has a lot of potential growth ahead of it, currently only claiming a small part of its total addressable market (TAM).

According to the broker:

Xero is a Global Cloud Accounting SaaS player, with existing focuses in ANZ, UK, North American and SE Asian markets. We see Xero as very well-placed to take advantage of the digitisation of SMBs [small and mid-sized businesses] globally, driven by compelling efficiency benefits and regulatory tailwinds, with >100mn SMBs worldwide representing a >NZ$76bn TAM.

Following the recent underperformance (absolute/relative), we see an attractive entry point into a compelling global growth story and our preferred large-cap technology name in ANZ.

Now, after the strong start to 2023, it's certainly possible these ASX 200 tech shares may come under some shorter-term selling pressure. Particularly if inflation and interest rates surprise to the upside.

But with a lot of growth potential ahead, I believe they both qualify as a 'buy now' for patient investors.

The post Should I buy ASX 200 tech shares in early 2023 or wait? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Today was a wobbly one for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). It jumped in and out of the green over the course of Monday before ultimately closing 0.16% lower at 7,481.7 points.

That was despite a 2.3% gain posted by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ). The sector's strong performance followed a 1% overnight lift from the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC).

Also trading in the green was the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Index (ASX: XTJ). It rose 1.1% led by the Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK) share price's 4.5% surge.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) weighed heavy, falling 0.7%. Its biggest fall was posted by the ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD) share price, which dropped 6.8% on the back of the company's latest quarterly update.

But while the broader ASX 200 struggled on Monday, some of its constituents soared. Let's take a look at the 10 shares that outperformed all others today.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's top-performing ASX 200 share was none other than favourite Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO).

Stock in the company soared 8.85% to close at $1.23 on the release of its quarterly update.

These shares made today's biggest gains:

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.