The Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) is not having a great time of it right now. Shares in the Aussie gold miner fell lower on Thursday and are now down 11% in the past fortnight.

Here's what's weighing on the company's valuation in September.

Why the Northern Star share price is down 11% in 2 weeks

The latest share price moves don't appear to be driven by any big company news. In fact, Northern Star hasn't provided any price-sensitive news since September 16 when it completed its Central Tanami Project joint venture.

Perhaps the bigger factor at play is gold prices. Whenever ASX resources shares like Northern Star are under pressure, it can pay to see what the broader market is doing as well as underlying commodities.

It's true the last 2 weeks haven't been great for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). The broad market index has edged 0.8% lower in the past fortnight weighed down by tech and resources shares.

Chief among those falling resources shares are ASX gold shares like Northern Star and Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM). Much of those movements can be traced back to falling global gold prices.

Gold has historically been viewed as a safe haven asset. That means it has tended to be in demand, and therefore perform strongly when shares are underperforming. It's also often seen as a good hedge against inflation, which is what many investors expected we'd see a lot of in 2021.

However, that hasn't necessarily been the case. With yields rising on expectations of a sooner than expected US Federal Market Open Committee (FOMC) rate hike, gold prices are falling.

In fact, more investors have been flocking towards the US dollar for safety in recent weeks and away from gold. That has reduced demand and sent prices of the precious metal tumbling.

We've seen that reflected in the Northern Star share price of late. Shares in the Aussie gold miner are down 11% in the last 2 weeks and 36.2% for the year.

Foolish takeaway

The Northern Star share price is under pressure in 2021 and September has not been a month that investors will want to remember.

Shares in the Aussie gold miner are trading at a price to earnings (P/E) ratio of 7.4 with a 2.2% dividend yield on Thursday afternoon.

The post Here's why the Northern Star (ASX:NST) share price has lost 11% in 2 weeks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) share price has surged more than 5% higher on Thursday after a retail entitlement offer from the Aussie resources group.

Why the Sandfire share price is lifting 5% today

Sandfire today released its retail entitlement offer booklet for eligible shareholders. It comes as the Aussie mining and exploration company seeks to raise approximately $322 million from the fully underwritten offer.

The 1 for 1 pro-rata accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer are being offered at $5.40 per share. At the time of writing, the Sandfire share price has climbed 5.4% higher to $5.42 per share.

In total, the Aussie miner is seeking to raise $1.248 billion from its latest equity raising. That comprises both an entitlement offer (institutional and retail) and institutional placement. Sandfire is looking to raise $963 million in the entitlement offer and a further $285 million from the placement.

Citigroup Global Markets Australia and Macquarie Capital Australia are underwriting the entitlement offer.

Today's retail offer release has investors bidding up the Sandfire share price. The funds will go towards funding the group's latest big ticket acquisition.

Shares in the Aussie copper producer were halted last Thursday as the company announced it had entered into a binding sale and purchase agreement with Trafigura and Mubadala Investment Company to acquire 100% of Minas De Aguas Tenidas (MATSA) on a consideration of US$1.86 billion.

The takeover will see Sandfire take control of the MATSA mining complex in Spain. It delivers the Aussie mining company an international site with an estimated 12 years mine life.

Sandfire is looking to use an $897 million debt facility secured by MATSA in conjunction with the $1.2 billion equity raise to finance the takeover.

Foolish takeaway

The Sandfire share price is climbing higher today in line with the retail offer price on offer to eligible shareholders. Shares in the Aussie copper miner are now up 6.5% year to date with a market capitalisation of a touch under $2 billion.

The post Why the Sandfire (ASX:SFR) share price is lifting 5% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The Li-S Energy Ltd (ASX: LIS) share price has been tumbling lower on Thursday. Shares in the Aussie lithium playwe are down a whopping 13.7% despite no new announcements today.

So, what's wreaking havoc on the recently-listed battery technology group on Thursday?

Why the Li-S Energy share price is tumbling 13% today

Let's start with a little bit about Li-S Energy. The group launched a $34 million initial public offering (IPO) in early September. However, Li-S Energy was initially spun out of the diversified investment group PPK Group Limited (ASX: PPK).

Excitement over the huge market opportunity ahead led the Li-S Energy share price to surge upon listing on Tuesday.

Shares in the battery technology group climbed as high as $3.05 having been listed at $0.85 per share. The oversubscribed IPO turned out to be a hit as investors clambered to snap up shares in the Aussie small-cap.

However, there appears to be a hangover of sorts from that initial head price increase. The Li-S Energy share price is down over 13% today despite no news from the company.

In an interview with The Motley Fool, covered by Fool colleague James Mickleboro, Li-S Energy CEO, Dr Lee Finniear, commented on the IPO:

It's wonderful to see Australian investors get behind home grown technology. We've been delighted with the market's response to the listing and look forward to the future growth of the company.

Dr Finniear also noted the company's significant market opportunity and was optimistic that EV manufacturers will be taking note of its technology.

With the massive growth forecast in the EV and battery market, and the demand for higher energy, lighter, safer batteries, we expect strong interest from EV manufacturers and others who are well aware of the limitations of existing lithium ion batteries.

Foolish takeaway

After rocketing higher on its first day on the markets, the Li-S Energy share price is returning back to earth on Thursday. Shares in the battery technology group are down more than 13% with investors watching closely to see how the company's performance is in the coming months.

The post Why is the Li-S Energy (ASX:LIS) share price tumbling 13% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) share price is surging higher on Thursday. Shares in the Aussie biotech group have climbed more than 5% in a sharp rebound from Wednesday's session.

At the time of writing, the Pro Medicus share price is up 4.05%, trading at $54.71.

What's with the Pro Medicus share price today?

Today's share price move hasn't been sparked by any news or announcements from the Aussie healthcare group. In fact, Pro Medicus hasn't released any ASX announcements at all since September 2.

However, that hasn't stopped investors piling into the company's shares and bidding up the Pro Medicus share price on Thursday.

It's possible today's moves are a rebound after shares in the ASX healthcare informatics group slumped lower yesterday. The company's shares have been under pressure amid broader weakness in the healthcare and technology sectors.

While yesterday had signs of profit-taking after year to date gains above 50%. Any fears of extended losses have subsided for now, however, as momentum has returned to the healthcare group's shares on Thursday.

A rising tide?

There is also the old 'rising tide raises all ships' adage that could be at play. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has added 1.82% at the time of writing in a good day for Aussie investors.

Strong investor sentiment could be playing its part with the Pro Medicus share price roaring back to life after a disappointing day of trade on Wednesday.

It's yet another day of gains in what is shaping up to be a good year for shareholders. Despite somewhat stagnating earlier this year, the company's value has been steadily climbing since May.

Steady gains appear to have been supported by new contract signings including an 8-year, $14 million deal with The University of Vermont.

Foolish takeaway

It looks like the good times just keep on rolling for the Pro Medicus share price. Shares in the ASX biotech have now more than doubled in the last 12 months with gains of 104%.

The post The Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) share price is surging 5% on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) share price is lifting on Thursday with shares in the Aussie gold miner surging 4.5% at the time of writing.

Why the De Grey share price is lifting today

The big news this morning was a price-sensitive update on the company's Greater Hemi Corridor. De Grey reported new intrusions, anomalous gold zoned and "numerous" gold-arsenic anomalies. All of this is happening within the 15 kilometre by 10 kilometre Greater Hemi Corridor controlled by the company.

Some of the RC results in the Scooby area include 1 metre at 31.2 grams per tonne of gold from 195 metres in SCRC056, in addition to 6 metres at 2.7 grams per tonne from 60 metres.

The De Grey share price has been climbing higher this morning following the latest update. It comes as the company defined new prospects within the corridor through both aircore and RC.

Those include the Geomalia altered intrusion 2 kilometres southwest of Hemi as well as the Goshawk and Turner prospect, 4 kilometres southwest and 15 kilometres east of Hemi respectively.

Technical Director, Andy Beckwith, said:

Recent aircore drilling has identified new prospective altered intrusions, anomalous gold zones and areas of encouraging multielement geochemistry within the 10km wide by 15km long corridor, east and west of Hemi.

Infill aircore and deeper RC drilling will be undertaken based on ranked priorities and necessary heritage surveys. RC drilling has commenced at Antwerp immediately to the west of Diucon and Eagle to better test this prospective trend.

The Company will release the results of the scoping study early next week for the Mallina Gold Project.

Foolish takeaway

Today's update has been the catalyst for the De Grey share price climbing higher. Shares in the Aussie gold miner remain down 12.4% year to date with a market capitalisation of $1.26 billion.

The post Why the De Grey (ASX:DEG) share price is lifting today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The Ausnet Services Ltd (ASX: AST) share price has been one of the top performers in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in September. Shares in the Aussie electricity transmission network provider have rocketed 32% higher so far this month.

Let's take a look at what's driving the energy infrastructure group's valuation to new heights right now.

Why the Ausnet share price has surged 32% in September

Prior to this month, shares in the Aussie company had largely traded between $1.60 and $2 per share for most of the year. However, that all changed on Monday 20 September.

The Ausnet share price rocketed 19.2% higher in the space of one day. The reason? A juicy takeover offer from the world's largest alternative asset manager, Brookfield Asset Management.

Brookfield and associated entities lobbed an offer to acquire 100% of Ausnet shares for $2.50 per share. That represented a 26% premium to Ausnet's closing price on Friday 17 September and a 35% premium to its 30-day weighted average share price.

The unsolicited, indicative, non-binding and conditional proposal sent the Ausnet share price soaring. The revised proposal followed previous bids from Brookfield at $2.35 per share and $2.45 per share.

Ausnet's market capitalisation has swelled to $9.80 billion following the recent takeover bids. It was pushed even higher when news broke of APA Group's (ASX: APA) interest.

The rival electricity distributor one-upped Brookfield's bid with a $2.60 per share conditional offer of its own. The ensuing bidding war between the two groups, including complaints from APA about an exclusivity agreement between Ausnet and Brookfield, has pushed the Ausnet share price higher in September.

Shares in the network infrastructure group have been soaring higher and amongst the ASX 200's top performers this month.

The post Why the Ausnet (ASX:AST) share price has surged 32% in September appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended APA Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) shares are an easy way for investors to get diversified exposure on the ASX. Magellan is an Aussie investment manager that focuses on global equities and global listed infrastructure.

Those are not necessarily the easiest asset classes to invest in for the average Joe. However, investors might be curious as to what actually underpins their Magellan investments.

Here's a look at what the Aussie investments group is actually holding right now.

Magellan's Funds

Magellan has a number of different investment strategies and vehicles that it uses within its Global Equities strategy. For instance, there is the listed Magellan Global Fund Closed Class (ASX: MGF) which targets a cash yield of 4% per annum across 20-40 companies.

Magellan also has exposures across its direct-investment vehicles such as the Magellan Global Fund (Hedged) and Magellan High Conviction Fund.

In Global Infrastructure, there is the direct-investment Magellan Infrastructure Fund, as well as the listed Magellan Infrastructure Fund (Currency Hedged) (Managed Fund) (ASX: MICH).

Investors purchasing Magellan shares are essentially getting a look through exposure to these diversified strategies.

What are you investing in with Magellan shares?

Magellan shares have been struggling in 2021 even as global markets have been climbing higher. So, what's driving the difference?

Some of the reasons have been to do with Magellan's own investors. Investing in Magellan as a listed investment company means investors are getting exposure to factors affecting the business, over and above just the pure investment performance.

For instance, Magellan shares were under pressure yesterday as reports emerged of a key institutional investor's review of the Magellan mandate.

Leaving aside business issues to one side, investors would be keen to know some of the key holdings underpinning their Magellan investment aside from stakes in the underlying investment vehicles.

There have been some significant recent investments from the Aussie group. These include taking sizeable stakes in FinClear, Mexican fast food chain Guzman y Gomez, and investment banking upstart Barrenjoey Capital Partners.

While Magellan shares are struggling right now, investors will be hoping the pivot towards these strategic stakes can help drive future growth for the investment manager.

The post Own Magellan (ASX:MFG) shares? Here's what you're invested in appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Magellan Infrastructure Fund. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The American Pacific Borates Ltd (ASX: ABR) share price is leaping 8% after a project update from the borate miner.

What did American Pacific Borates announce?

The Aussie resources group told the market it has signed a second non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with the US-based group Borman Speciality Materials to supply boron specialty advanced materials.

The LOI supports targeted first production of materials at ABR's small-scale boron facility in the second half of CY2022.

Borman produces a wide range of global specialty products for many markets. These include the semiconductor, life sciences, aerospace, military and automotive markets.

Today's LOI brings a potential partnership involving ABR's Fort Cady Integrated Boron Facility in southern California a step closer.

The company's website says the Californian mine hosts "a multi-generational borate resource where boric acid, borate speciality materials, gypsum and potassium sulfate (SOP) will be produced for the global market".

ABR CEO Henri Tausch said:

We look forward to working with Borman Speciality Materials who have over 80 years operating experience in global markets, on the potential to supply speciality boron advanced materials that will be produced for critical future facing applications.

With partners now engaged for our planned SOP and Borates products, and with increasing favourable market conditions, the Company is fast moving towards initial production of boron specialty advanced materials from its small-scale boron facility in FY2022.

It's not just the CEO who is excited by today's announcement. The ABR share price is leaping higher and is one of the better performers on the ASX today.

Foolish takeaway

The news has clearly impressed shareholders with the ABR share price rocketing on Thursday.

Shares in the resources group are now slightly above where they started the year.

ABR shares are changing hands for $1.54 today compared to $1.50 on 4 January.

The post American Pacific Borates (ASX:ABR) share price leaps 8% on project update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy shares are on the move this morning. Shares in some of the biggest Aussie oil and gas explorers and producers have edged higher in early trade on Thursday despite broader market weakness.

Here's why the spotlight is on some of the biggest names amongst the ASX 200.

Why ASX 200 energy shares are in the spotlight

The term "energy crisis" is cropping up in all sorts of media right now. One of the reasons that ASX 200 energy shares like Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) have been rocketing higher recently is because of this crisis.

In Europe, energy demand is far outstripping supply at the moment. This market imbalance has seen energy prices shoot through the roof. Global benchmark Brent crude prices recently topped US$80 per barrel for the first time in 3 years.

According to an article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Australia could have an opportunity amid the looming global crisis. As a major energy exporter, gains from energy supply could help offset the recent iron ore price slump.

As gas and coal prices continue to surge, ASX 200 energy shares that export to other countries could be thrust into the spotlight. That includes the likes of Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL).

Australia was the largest supplier of China's imported liquid natural gas (LNG) last year, meaning any price rise could be good for these exporter's revenue.

Continued supply disruptions, including in the major production regions of Russia, have sent petrol and gas prices surging in Europe. Given the significant production capacity that these ASX 200 energy shares boast, they could be in the spotlight for quite some time to come.

Foolish takeaway

ASX 200 energy shares have experienced an up and down year on the markets. News of mergers has captured investors' attention while volatile pricing has made them worth watching.

With the broad market experiencing heavy losses in early trade, these Aussie energy companies remain worth watching throughout 2021.

The post Here's why ASX 200 energy shares are in the spotlight appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) has jumped higher on Thursday morning in a good start to the day for investors. Shares in a number of companies across various sectors are on the move, so let's take a look at some of the broad market index's top performers this morning.

Which ASX 300 shares are leading the way on Thursday?

1. Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI)

Orica is one of the big names leading the index higher this morning. Shares in the explosives company have jumped 14.62% higher on Thursday to $13.80 per share.

With no new announcements this morning, that appears to be a hangover from yesterday's FY21 Individually Significant Items update.

Shares in the ASX 300 company climbed higher following the update despite reporting a $345 million to $370 million expected reduction in net profit after tax for FY21.

2. Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA)

The Codan share price burst out of the blocks on Thursday morning, climbing more than 5% in early trade. It's a welcome turnaround for investors who have watched the ASX 300 share slide 16.2% lower in the last month alone.

The Aussie communications technology manufacturer hasn't had any price sensitive announcements in recent weeks but that hasn't stopped the group's shares from charging higher on Thursday. At the time of writing, the Codan share price is up 6.84%, trading at $12.81.

3. Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

Beach Energy is another big-name ASX 300 share on the move this morning. Shares in the Aussie energy group are up 7.3% at the time of writing and have now climbed 40% higher in the past month.

Today's share price move comes as a global energy crisis continues to loom and ASX 200 energy exporters get put in the spotlight. That supply shortage is good news for shareholders after Beach inked a 5-year LNG deal with BP for its maiden LNG exports.

Foolish takeaway

These are just a few of the ASX 300 shares on the move this morning. The index itself has added 1.34% at the time of writing to climb above 7,297 points.

The post Which ASX 300 shares are leading the way on Thursday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

ASX tech share COSOL Ltd (ASX: COS) is dropping lower in early trade as the company begins to trade ex-dividend.

This ASX tech share is going ex-dividend today

The ex-dividend date is the last day that investors can purchase a company's shares and still receive the next dividend payment. Normally, the ex-dividend date is one or two days before the record date, which is when shareholders must be on the register to receive the payment.

COSOL is an ASX tech share that specialises in enterprise asset management software. The company is an Aussie small cap with a market capitalisation of just under $100 million.

The COSOL share price has dropped 1.5% at the time of writing to $0.65 per share. That represents a drop of 1 cent per share since yesterday's close.

COSOL announced a 1 cent per share fully franked dividend in its full-year results release in August. That came on the back of a strong earnings year highlighted by a 51% revenue growth and net profit up 39% year on year to $3.99 million.

The ASX tech share has struggled throughout 2021 even as company performance has strengthened. Shares in the Aussie tech group are down 16.7% year to date at the time of writing and trading at a 3.08% dividend yield.

It's no coincidence, however, that the company's shares have dropped by the same amount as its soon-to-be paid dividend. That's how things tend to happen on the ex-dividend date to remove any arbitrage opportunities.

Foolish takeaway

The COSOL share price is falling lower this morning as the ASX tech share trades ex-dividend ahead of its 1 cent per share distribution.

The post This ASX tech share is going ex-dividend today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

It's been a pretty good year for ASX 200 shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 7.7% to close at 7,196.70 points on Wednesday afternoon.

However, it hasn't been all good news across the index. In fact, here are 3 companies that have shed more than 50% of their value so far in 2021.

3 ASX 200 shares down more than 50% in 2021

1. Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

One of the most surprising companies to make this coveted ASX 200 shares loser list. Appen shareholders have watched as more than 65% of the company's value has dropped away this year.

Shares in the data annotation company are now sitting at a 3-year low, having hit as low as $8.87 per share on Wednesday. One factor that has hurt Appen is the significant price run-up seen throughout 2020.

A pullback in growth shares amid rising bond yields has hurt the Appen share price. A disappointing FY21 earnings result, highlighted by a 55.1% drop in net profit after tax, hasn't helped the ASX 200 share in 2021.

2. Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV)

Another former ASX growth darling has made the list. The Polynovo share price has been smashed in 2021, falling 51.8% as at Wednesday's close. That's despite limited price-sensitive news from the Aussie company.

However, it appears that Polynovo may be falling for similar reasons to Appen – its recent share price growth has been significant. In fact, from 30 September 2020 to the end of last year, the ASX 200 rocketed 80% higher.

This year's pullback saw the Polynovo share price shed 30% in January alone after a sharp decline in first half sales from the Aussie biotech company. That downward trajectory has continued with the ASX 200 share's value continuing to decline.

3. AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

AGL may be a surprising addition to the list of share price decliners amongst two ASX growth shares. However, shares in the Aussie energy generator and retailer have slumped 51.6% lower since the start of the year.

2021 has been a tough year for AGL investors. A weak FY2021 result, highlighted by a statutory loss north of $2 billion, certainly hasn't helped boost sentiment.

Management has pointed the finger at the COVID-19 pandemic with increased supply coupled with weaker energy demand hurting the company's earnings.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares down more than 50% in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Guess which ASX 300 energy stock is surging today on big AGL news

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Appen Ltd and POLYNOVO FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The Gentrack Group Ltd (ASX: GTK) share price is on fire this morning. Shares in the software company have jumped 27.7% in early trade after an important ASX announcement.

Gentrack share price rockets higher on revenue upgrade

This morning's market announcement represented an FY21 trading update from the enterprise billing software provider.

Gentrack reported revenue in the second half of the year being "stronger than expected" across its utilities segment. The software group said that reflects early positive signs of its strategy to grow revenues by "providing innovative technologies and services to existing customers, win new business and expand into managed services".

The positive update sparked interest in the Gentrack share price which surged higher at the open. Full year revenue guidance was updated to be approximately $105 million for the group.

The company has previously forecast revenue "slightly ahead of $100.5 million" while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) guidance was bumped from $10 million to $12 million.

Increased incremental revenue, higher throughput and slower than expected increases in research and development expenditure were all sighted as key factors in the higher figures.

While an energy crisis in Europe looms, Gentrack said its core UK energy market exposures remain limited. That's thanks to a number of factors including:

• Increased focus on working capital management reducing individual customer exposures;
• Diversified business across B2B, B2C and Water business lines as well as geographies; and
• Increased revenue forecasts for FY2022 even after accounting for headwinds.

Foolish takeaway

Investors have pounced on this morning's update and sent the Gentrack share price soaring higher on Thursday. Shares in the Kiwi software group have been volatile throughout 2021 but have now climbed 11% in the last 5 days.

The post Gentrack (ASX:GTK) share price rockets 27% on revenue upgrade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

Once upon a time, the 'WAAAX' shares were some of the hottest companies on the ASX. This exclusive group of Aussie tech companies boasted gains that rivalled that of the famed "FAANG" group of stocks in the United States.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a rather large spanner in the works. 2021 has been something of a mixed bag for investors in this group. Here's what's driving share price performance for each of the Aussie growth shares.

What are the WAAAX shares?

The group is an acronym made up of the following ASX tech shares: WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Appen Ltd (ASX: APX), Altium Limited (ASX: ALU), and Xero Limited (ASX: XRO). 

These ASX 200 companies have been rocketing higher in recent years despite exposure across different areas of technology. However, a pullback from growth shares more broadly in 2021 has hit many of these WAAAX shares.

The Appen share price is the worst performer amongst the group, falling 65.2% lower in 2021. Appen shares are trading at a 3-year low hit by broader market sentiment and weaker than expected FY21 earnings.

Xero is another one of the tech darlings under pressure in 2021. The Xero share price has fallen 7.2% lower this year but remains up 36.8% in the past 12 months.

While not seeing declines, growth in both the Afterpay and Altium share prices has been subdued in 2021. Altium shares have gained 1.1% this year while Afterpay is up just 2.5% after continued gains in recent years.

There has been one stand out amongst the WAAAX shares: WiseTech. The WiseTech share price has been on a tearing run and has gained 70.9% this calendar year.

The largest gains within the year came after WiseTech's FY2021 earnings results. WiseTech shares surged 28.5% higher in the space of a day after doubling net profit to $105.8 million and reporting that earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) are up 63% to $206.7 million.

Foolish takeaway

Clearly, 2021 has been something of a mixed bag for investors in WAAAX shares. While WiseTech has rocketed higher, shares in the likes of Altium, Afterpay and Xero have underperformed. Then there's the Appen share price, which investors have watched slide lower throughout September.

The post How have the WAAAX shares performed so far this year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Altium, Appen Ltd, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Altium, Appen Ltd, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI) share price has rocketed 23% higher at the start of Thursday's session after a resources update from the Aussie company.

Predictive Discovery share price surges 23% on resources update

Shares in the ASX small-cap resources company have been on fire this morning. That comes after an update on its Bankan Gold Project in Guinea.

The company reported a maiden mineral resource estimate of 3.65 million ounces at the site. Predictive Discovery announced an inferred mineral resource of 72.8 million tonnes at 1.56 grams per tonne of gold this morning.

The Aussie resources group recently discovered a high-grade zone that "presents significant potential for further growth". News of the reserve estimate was good enough for investors with the Predictive Discovery share price surging higher on Thursday morning.

Resource discovery cost per ounce came in at A$4 per ounce with the company controlling 356 square kilometres within Guinea's Siguiri Basin.

The Aussie miner also said scoping study-level metallurgical test work has been "very promising" with no recovery issues identified thus far.

This morning's surge in the Predictive Discovery share price represents yet another good day for shareholders. Shares in the Aussie resources group previously rocketed 21% higher following solid drill results just a week ago with a 52% gain back in July.

It's another welcome update from the company despite the share price paring back some gains following the open.

This morning's share price surge comes amid broader market gains shown by the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO). The broad market index has gained 0.84% at the time of writing and jumped above the 7,500 points mark.

The post Predictive Discovery (ASX:PDI) share price surges 23% on resources update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ) shares are up 66% in the past 12 months. Shares in the Aussie regional bank have been surging and are outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many of its peers.

So, what's pushing BOQ's valuation higher right now and how does it stack up against the Big Four?

Why Bank of Queensland shares are up 66% in the past 12 months

In general, the last 12 months have been good for ASX shares. The ASX 200 has climbed 23.7% higher over that period aided by significant monetary and fiscal policy stimulus.

Easing coronavirus restrictions in late 2020 have certainly helped. Shares in a broad range of industries including resources, technology and financials have all been on fire in the past year.

Bank of Queensland shares are chief among those outperformers. In fact, the Queensland-based bank has outperformed all of its Big Four rivals in the last year.

The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price is up 59.6% in the last 12 months. It's a similar story for National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), up 53.5% and 49.5%, respectively.

Bank of Queensland shares are even beating Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares over this period, with the CBA share price adding 61.3%.

It's good news for shareholders who have come along for the ride. One of the biggest shake-ups in the last year was the bank's $1.325 billion acquisition of Members Equity (ME) Bank.

Interestingly, one broker believes that Bank of Queensland shares have further to run. Analysts at JP Morgan currently rate the regional bank as 'Overweight' and see further growth from the recent acquisition.

Foolish takeaway

The past year has been a good one for Bank of Queensland shares and the bank's investors. Shares in the regional bank have surged higher and are a strong outperformer amongst ASX bank shares.

The post Why Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) shares are up 66% in the past 12 months appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price has been under pressure this week. Shares in the Aussie data centre operator have slumped 10.9% lower in the last 5 days to $12.12 per share.

That's still in the middle of the company's 52-week trading range, but investors might be wondering what's driving NextDC's valuation right now.

Why the NextDC share price is down 11% so far this week

Interestingly, there has been no price-sensitive news from the ASX tech group this week. That hasn't stopped investors from selling down their exposures and pushing the NextDC share price lower.

It's worth noting it hasn't been a great week in general for tech shares. The Aussie markets have tended to follow Wall Street and the US markets lower following their performance overnight.

That's certainly been the case in the past week or so. US tech shares have been smashed and we've seen a similar thing closer to home on the ASX.

The NextDC share price fell 2.7% lower on Wednesday as growth shares were hammered. Rising bond yields have spooked investors and there has been a pullback from those companies who have a lot of their value tied up in future earnings potential.

Rising bond yields mean higher discount rates. In laymen's terms, a dollar earned today is worth more than a dollar earned tomorrow due to both risk and inflation.

Companies like NextDC don't currently deliver significant earnings for shareholders. However, the future potential based on its current growth trajectory is what entices investors.

The NextDC share price slumped in late August despite a record FY21 performance. The data centre operator reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) up 29% to $134.5 million. Group operating cash flow surged 148% to $133.2 million in a bumper year of growth.

However, high expectations combined with rising interest rate fears have put pressure on the company's shares and seen them sink 10.9% lower in the past week.

The post Why is the NextDC (ASX:NXT) share price down 11% so far this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is on fire right now. Shares in the Aussie travel agency have soared 18% higher in the 8 trading days since Monday 20 September.

Flight Centre is up again today and trading at $21.25 shortly after open, which is 0.14% higher than yesterday's close.

So, with Australia's two most populous states still hampered by COVID-19 restrictions, how can this ASX travel share be charging higher?

How the Flight Centre share price has soared 18% higher in 8 days

One important factor to remember is that the share market is inherently forward-looking. The March bear market saw many ASX travel shares including Flight Centre get smashed even before earnings were directly affected.

The key, however, is that investors knew future earnings would be impacted. Shareholders are interested in future cash flows, which ultimately drives what a company's intrinsic value is.

It may seem shocking that an ASX travel share can be outperforming while domestic and international borders remain shut. However, that's exactly what we're seeing with the Flight Centre share price right now.

There have been no updates from the Aussie travel group since 20 September, and even longer since any price-sensitive announcements. That hasn't stopped investors from looking to the future and betting on Flight Centre's success.

The important news in recent days has been around the reopening of the economy. New South Wales is gearing up to begin easing lockdown restrictions from what looks to be 11 October.

There is also a roadmap out of lockdown that includes talk of international border openings, while hopes remain for an easing of interstate restrictions by Christmas.

All of this is good news for the Flight Centre share price. Investors have been buying up big and pushing the ASX travel share up 18% in the past 8 days.

The post The Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price is up 18% in 8 days. How is this possible? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is trading at a handy dividend yield right now. Shares in the iron ore mining giant boast an 11.1% yield as at Tuesday's close.

Most double-digit yields would have income investors licking their lips, but is BHP good value based on its current numbers?

Does the BHP dividend yield make it good value?

Perhaps the best reference point is to compare the "big three" iron ore producers: BHP, Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG).

Shares in all three have struggled throughout 2021, and all three boasts solid dividend yields right now. The big question, however, is whether BHP shares look to be good value at current yields.

Sliding share prices and rising yields are certainly intertwined and one reason why the BHP dividend yield is so high. After all, a dividend yield is simply taking annualised actual or expected dividends and dividing them by the share price.

That means if a company announces a bumper dividend based on last year's results, and then sees significant share price declines, its dividend yield will be through the roof.

Fortescue shareholders know this better than anyone. The Fortescue share price is down 40.3% in 2021 so far but boasts an impressive 24.2% dividend yield. That came after Fortescue doubled its dividend in its August full-year results after a strong performance in FY2020.

It also goes to show why buying ASX shares simply based on dividend yields can be risky business. A 24.2% yield looks great, but losing $10 in share price losses to gain a $3.58 per share full-year dividend doesn't seem ideal.

So, BHP's dividend yield is lower than Fortescue. However, the BHP share price has also lost 15.5% compared to Fortescue's steep decline. What about Rio Tinto?

Rio shares are down 16.0% in 2021 and trading at a 9.4% dividend yield prior to Wednesday's open. That means Rio's share price has fallen more and its yield still remains marginally below BHP's.

Is the ASX resources share good value?

In terms of value, one broker certainly sees it that way. Analysts from Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) currently rate BHP with a 'buy' rating and a price target of $56 per share.

Given the current $36.39 price level, that implies significant upside to the Aussie mining share. However, Macquarie things commodities outside of iron ore, such as coal, oil, copper and nickel, as key to its current outlook.

Foolish takeaway

The BHP dividend yield is very healthy right now. However, investors need to consider more than just the yield on offer when deciding whether to buy.

Looking purely at the above numbers, BHP shares appear to be trading at a similar relative position to Rio Tinto. Fortescue seems to be more of an outlier with steeper share price declines and a doubling of its dividend compounding its current yield figures.

The big three iron ore miners have seen steep share price declines in 2021 and all are trading at low dividend yields and price to earnings (P/E) ratios right now.

Investors need to do their research beyond just simple statistics to determine whether or not BHP's dividend yield makes it good value at the moment.

The post Does the 11% BHP (ASX:BHP) dividend yield make it good value? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

It's been a good week for the Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price. Shares in the Aussie energy producer have climbed 7.1% higher despite a wobble in Wednesday's trade.

So, what's pushing the oil and gas producer's valuation higher to end the month?

Why it's been a great week for the Woodside share price

One of the biggest factors has been a resurgence in crude oil prices. The past couple of weeks has seen the key commodity rise above US$80 per barrel for the first time in 3 years.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, jumped as high as US$80.69 per barrel yesterday to hit its highest level since October 2018. In fact, the price for Brent crude has been rising for seven consecutive days as an energy crisis rages in Europe.

Natural gas prices are also soaring as demand intensifies and an energy shortage looms. The soaring Woodside share price has reflected the widening demand-supply energy dynamics in recent days.

Wednesday's wobble was also driven by a slight pull back following a 3-year high. Brent oil dipped lower on Tuesday after topping the $80 mark and investors sold down Woodside as a result.

ASX energy shares were down across the board but are still having a great week on the markets. The Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) share price is up 10% in the last 5 days while Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares have gained 8% in the same period.

Foolish takeaway

The unfolding energy crisis in Europe, and looming Australian summer, makes the Woodside share price worth watching in the coming months.

Shares in the energy group have been soaring in the last week and have now managed to climb 1.9% higher this calendar year.

The post It's been a great week so far for the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.