Why Australian Ethical, Northern Star, ResMed, & TPG Telecom are dropping lower

ResMed Inc. (ASX:RMD) and TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX:TPG) shares are two of four dropping notably lower on Friday. Here's why…

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to finish the week with a day in the red. In late morning trade the benchmark index is down 0.45% to 6,015.6 points.

Four shares that have fallen more than most today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping lower:

The Australian Ethical Investment Limited (ASX: AEF) share price has crashed 15% lower to $5.09. This follows an announcement by IOOF Holdings Limited (ASX: IFL) which revealed that it has sold down its stake in the ethical investment company. IOOF offloaded 14.2 million shares or 72% of its shareholding for a total consideration of $74.5 million. This represents an average of $5.25 per share, which was a 12.5% discount to Australian Ethical's last close price.

The Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price is down 2% to $1.97. A number of Australian gold miners have come under pressure today despite the gold price pushing higher overnight. At the time of writing the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is down 1.5%.

The ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD) share price has fallen 2% to $25.38. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Morgan Stanley this morning. Following the release of its full year results on Thursday, the broker has downgraded ResMed's shares to an equal-weight rating with a reduced price target of $25.40. It made the move partly on valuation grounds after strong share price gains year to date.

The TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) share price is down 2.5% to $8.04. The catalyst for this appears to be a broker note out of UBS this morning. Its analysts have downgraded the telco to a sell rating with a lowered price target of $7.20. It believes TPG's shares are overvalued and shouldn't be trading at such a premium currently. Especially given its upcoming special dividend payment.

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. and ResMed Inc. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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