The market is limping towards the finish line after an interest rate rise seriously dampened the 'vibe' this week.

ASX All Ords shares are down 2.1% since Monday.

Earnings season officially began this week, and as the half-year (and some full-year) reports come in, dividends are being announced.

Next week, a small group of ASX shares will go ex-dividend.

That means they will start trading without the latest dividend attached.

On the ex-dividend date, it is very common for share prices to fall.

This happens because stocks are simply less valuable without their next dividends attached.

So, keep an eye out for sudden dips in some of your portfolio stocks over the next month or so.

Going ex-dividend will likely be the reason.

Why watch the ex-dividend date?

If you've researched an ASX share and are ready to buy, you might want to do so before the ex-dividend date to pick up some income.

Alternatively, you might prefer to wait until the ex-dividend date, when the stock price is likely to fall.

Either option presents an opportunity.

Here are several ASX shares going ex-dividend next week.

The biggest name is ASX All Ords heavyweight ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD), which makes sleep apnoea devices.

We also recap how much these companies will pay investors and when they will deposit the money into their accounts.

5 ASX shares about to go ex-dividend

Which companies are reporting next week?

The calendar is pretty busy next week.

On Monday, we'll hear from Argo Investments Ltd (ASX: ARG) and CAR Group Ltd (ASX: CAR).

Then on Tuesday, Amotiv Ltd (ASX: AOV), Arena REIT (ASX: ARF), and Region Group (ASX: RGN) will be up.

On Wednesday, investors will hear from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL).

There will be strong interest in these earnings reports, given that both stocks have endured significant sell-offs over the past year.

We'll also hear from ASX gold miner, Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN).

Investors will be curious to see how one of the market's largest miners has leveraged the soaring gold price to maximise profits.

We'll also hear from AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL), James Hardie Industries Plc (ASX: JHX), and investment house SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH).

On Thursday, 3 ASX financial shares will be in the spotlight.

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP), ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX), and Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) will release their earnings.

We'll also hear from Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG), Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME), and Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW).

On Friday, Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) and Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK) will be in the spotlight.

The post ASX shares going ex-dividend next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

No one knows better how a company is actually faring financially than the people who count the money as it rolls in and out. As such, when these insiders buy up shares, it is a useful sign to the markets that said company might represent a buying opportunity.

So today, let's talk about three ASX financial shares that are currently experiencing this very situation.

Three ASX financial shares that insiders are buying

Fleetpartners Group Ltd (ASX: FPR)

First up, we have fleet vehicle leasing company Fleetpartners. An ASX filing from 5 February last week shows that board member and non-executive director Mark Blackburn recently picked up a big tranche of shares.

According to the filing, Blackburn purchased an additional 10,989 Fleetpartners shares on 3 February last week. Blackburn indirectly purchased these shares in an on-market trade at an average price of $2.73 each through a superannuation fund, implying a total buy value of roughly $30,000.

This takes Blackburn's total stake in Fleetpartners to 22,929 shares, which would be worth around $64,660 at the current share price (at the time of writing) of $2.82.

Fleetpartners shares have had a rough 12 months, with the company down 13.5% since this time last year.

Hearts and Minds Investments Ltd (ASX: HM1)

Next, let's discuss ASX listed investment company (LIC) Hearts and Minds Investments. An ASX notice from last week revealed that Hearts and Minds board member and director Guy Fowler OAM has recently made a big investment in the company.

The ASX filing shows that Fowler indirectly bought (again, through a super fund) an additional 63,920 Hearts and Minds shares on 3 February in an on-market trade. The director paid an average price of $3.26 for these shares, implying a buy value of $208,597.

This takes Fowler's stake in Hearts and Minds to just under 1.39 million shares, which would be worth approximately $4.74 million at the current share price of $3.41.

The Hearts and Minds share price has risen by 31.8% over the past 12 months.

BKI Investment Company Ltd (ASX: BKI)

Finally, we have another LIC to discuss in BKI Investments. This offshoot of Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW). In BKI's case, we have a 4 February ASX filing that reveals independent non-executive director Ian Thomas Huntley has recently gone on a bit of a buying spree.

The notice tells us that Huntley indirectly picked up an additional 286,000 BKI shares over 29, 30 and 31 January last month, through a private company called Huntley Group Investments Pty Ltd.

Huntley spent a total of $498,679 on these shares, implying an average buy price of $1.74 per share. This takes Huntley's total investment in BKI up to 11.87 million shares, or $20.3 million.

BKI Investments shares have stagnated over the past 12 months, slipping by 3.01% since this time last year.

The post 3 ASX financial shares being bought up by insiders appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It has already displayed longevity. The company has been listed on the ASX since 1903. It has survived through world wars, global pandemics, financial crashes and so on.

But that's old history.

These are three reasons why the company is a very useful ASX dividend share:

Diversified portfolio

Soul Pattinson first started as a pharmacy business.

But now it's a very diversified investment house. That means it operates by predominantly by investing in other businesses.

It has a portfolio of large and smaller ASX shares.

Some of the biggest holdings are TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG), Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC), Pengana Capital Group Ltd (ASX:PCG), Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA), Pengana International Equities Ltd (ASX: PIA), Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ), Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Bailador Technology Investments Ltd (ASX: BTI). There are many more.

The company also has a growing portfolio of unlisted and non-ASX shares. Examples of that include the electrical parts business Ampcontrol, Apex Healthcare, financial services, agriculture, swimming schools, resources and luxury retirement living.

Reliable cashflow funds dividends

With a contrarian mindset, Soul Pattinson has designed its portfolio to be defensive. The ASX dividend share says that its portfolio provides "reliable cash through market cycles which serves to protect downside in market corrections."

Many of the ASX dividend share's investments pay an annual dividend or distribution to shareholders.

Each year, Soul Pattinson receives all of that cash flow. It pays for its operating expenses and then it pays a large portion of that cash flow out as a dividend to investors. In FY21, it decided to pay 82.3% of its regular operating cash flows as a dividend.

With the bit of retained cash flow, the business invests in more opportunities. The company has a goal of paying steady and growing dividends.

Soul Pattinson has managed to grow its dividend every year since 2000. It has actually paid a dividend every year since it was listed in 1903.

Dividend yield

Soul Pattinson doesn't have the biggest dividend yield on the ASX. But it does offer a payout that is substantially more than what people can get from a bank savings account.

Based on the trailing dividends, Soul Pattinson has a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.4%.

The post 3 reasons why Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL) is a strong ASX dividend share idea appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

• BKI Investment has reported its half-year earnings
• The LIC managed to double its revenues for the 6 months to 31 December
• Shareholders will enjoy a hefty dividend raise too

The BKI Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI) share price is falling today, but not by as much as the broader market. BKI shares are currently down by 0.3%, trading at $1.68 at the time of writing.

That comes as the Listed Investment Company (LIC) released its earnings results for the half-year ending 31 December yesterday before market open.

BKI Investment share price steady after solid half-year result

• Investment revenues of $31.5 million, up a pleasing 90% from the $16.6 million recorded for the first half of the 2021 financial year (1H21).
• Revenues from operating activities also rose by 90%, going from $16.2 million in 1H21 to $32.2 million.
• Net profit after tax boosted by 104% to $29.5 million.
• That translates into an earnings per share (EPS) metric of 3.98 cents per share, up 103% from the previous 1.96 cents per share.
• Including special investment revenue, BKI reported $55.7 million in net operating profit after tax of $55.7 million, up 273% from last year's $14.9 million. It also lifted the company's EPS to 7.53 cents per share, also up 273%
• BKI's interim dividend to be 3.5 cents per share, a 75% increase on last year's interim payment of 2 cents per share. Additionally, BKI will be forking out a special dividend of 50 cents per share.
• Dividends to be paid on 3 March (with the ex-date on 11 February).

What else happened in the first half?

As a LIC, BKI only invests in a portfolio of other ASX shares for the benefit of its shareholders. There weren't too many developments with BKI over the reporting period. However, the company did announce that its total shareholder return for the full 2021 calendar year came to 13%, almost exactly mirroring the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). Including BKI's issued franking credits, this total return jumps to 14.6%.

Over the six months to 31 December, BKI also reported that it made several adjustments to its portfolio. These included buying Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL). As well as adding to BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and APA Group (ASX: APA), amongst others.

In their place, BKI reduced positions in ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW). It sold out of Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB), Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX: PTM) and Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG).

What did management say?

Here's some of what the company had to say on its 1H22 results:

During the first half of FY2022, we added to existing positions, all of which offered significant grossed up dividend yields. They are positions well known to the BKI Investment Committee and provided a very good opportunity to increase BKI's Investment Revenue and Net Profits…

BKI exited positions in Brambles, Platinum Asset Management and Magellan Financial, with these sales prompted by a reduction in our confidence for these companies to increase dividends over the short to medium term.

What's next?

Going forward, BKI's management says that the company is focused on investing in high-quality companies with pricing power that BKI believes will be best-placed to overcome "issues involving inflation, a lack of service and labour shortages".

Management says that the company "continues to be well positioned with a portfolio of high-quality dividend paying stocks, available cash and no debt'.

BKI Investment share price snapshot

BKI Investment is a LIC that was spun out of Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW) around 20 years ago. Since then, it has managed to give its investors a slow-and-steady return, averaging a total return of 8.6% per annum over the past 10 years.

The LIC charges a management fee of 0.17% per annum. At the current BKI Investment share price of $1.68, the company has a market capitalisation of $1.25 billion, with a trailing dividend yield of 2.97%.

The post BKI Investment (ASX:BKI) share price slips as revenue surges 90% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

So, what does this mean for investors?

Buying shares in a holding company means that you are essentially accessing a number of other companies. This gives you exposure to multiple securities through a single purchase.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a similar style of investing. Just as an ETF holds multiple shares inside a fund, a holding company holds other securities.

Today, I'm looking at two well-known companies on the ASX that are both considered to be 'holding companies'. Although they have slightly different investment strategies, both are interesting case studies.

Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV)

According to the company, Premier Investments was created for the following reason:

The company was established as an investment vehicle to maximise growth in capital returns to shareholders. This is achieved through the acquisition of controlling or strategic shareholdings in premier Australian companies. A particular focus is given to retailing, importing and distributing.

You can see here that Premier was entirely created to invest in other companies. This is usually the main strategy of a holding company. 

What does Premier Investments own?

Premier Investments wholly owns the retail conglomerate The Just Group. If you aren't familiar with the name, you might recognise the brands. The Just Group owns and operates the following popular retail brands:

• Smiggle
• Peter Alexander 
• Just Jeans
• Jay Jays
• Portmans
• Jacqui E
• Dotti

Premier Investments obtained a controlling interest in the shares of Just Group Limited in 2008. This came after an off-market takeover offer, which saw Premier purchase 100% of the shares. Just Group Limited was removed from the ASX after this occurred.

Additionally, Premier Investments owns 28.06% of Breville Group Limited, another well-known Australian brand. Breville Group is a leading provider of small electrical appliances. Breville was founded in 1932 (during the Great Depression) and was originally known as 'Breville Radio'!

Breville's brands include:

• Breville
• Kambrook
• Sage by Heston Blumenthal
• Distribution of Ronson and Philips products.

The Premier Investments share price

The Premier Investments share price is up more than 20% in 2020. However, during March this year, it crashed hard as a result of COVID. The share price fell from $21.61 down to as low as $8.07, representing a catastrophic drop of 62%. 

Premier has since recovered strongly from this initial setback – not only did it recover lost ground, but exceeded it. The company created new all-time highs in October this year and has managed to stay above those levels since then. In fact, from the lows in March of $8.07 to today's price of $22.76, Premier has risen more than 170%!

One thing to note is that Premier Investments delivered strong financial results this year, in spite of COVID. This has helped to move the share price in a positive direction. 

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

According to the company, Soul Pattinson (or 'Soul Patts') was created for the following reason:

WHSP is a significant investment house with a portfolio encompassing many industries. These include its traditional field of pharmaceuticals, as well as mining, building materials, property investment, telecommunications, financial services and other equity investments.

Soul Patts certainly has a much broader scope than Premier, but the concept is very similar – it's also a company designed to invest in other companies.

What does Soul Pattinson own?

Soul Pattinson owns a wide range of investments, many of which are ASX listed companies:

• TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) 
  • TPG is an Australian telecom provider, Soul Patts holds 25.3%.

• Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)
  • Brickworks is group of companies in the construction space, Soul Patts owns 43.9%.

• New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC)
  • New Hope is a diversified energy company, Soul Patts owns 50%.

• Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API)
  • This company is a leader in health and beauty, Soul Patts holds 19.3%.

• Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI)
  • BKI is a listed investment company, Soul Patts owns 8.6%.

• Round Oak Minerals (private company)
  • This is a mining and exploration company and is wholly owned (100%) by Soul Patts

• Milton Corporation Limited (ASX: MLT)
  • This is another listed investment company, of which Soul Patts owns 3.3%.

• Apex Healthcare Berhad (KLSE: AHEALTH)
  • Apex is a leading healthcare group based in Asia. Soul Patts owns 30.3%.

• Palla Pharma Ltd (ASX: PAL)
  • A manufacturer of narcotic raw material, of which Soul Patts owns 19.9%.

• Ampcontrol Pty Limited (private company)
  • An international electrical supplier, Soul Patts owns 43.3%.

• Clover Corporation Limited (ASX: CLV)
  • Clover is a "bioactives" provider in the health space. Soul Patts owns 22.6%.

• Pitt Capital Partners (private company)
  • Pitt is an independent corporate advisory firm, wholly owned (100%) by Soul Patts.

The Soul Pattinson share price

The Soul Pattinson share price is up more than 35% in 2020. The market has largely become unpredictable this year due to the impact of the COVID pandemic, however, the Soul Patts share price is somewhat hedged given the company's broad portfolio. Additionally, three of Soul Pattinson's holdings are private and largely unaffected by the stock market.

Comparing Premier Investments and Soul Pattinson

In terms of their structure as holding companies, the main difference between Premier and Soul Patts is the type of shares they hold. Additionally, their investment strategies vary.

All of Premiers holdings are completely private – that is, they don't trade on a public exchange. The company also has a strong retail focus with The Just Group and Breville.

The majority of Soul Pattinson's holdings are in publicly listed companies from a broad range of sectors. Soul Pattinson has a similar structure to Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's company, which also has broad holdings, many in publicly listed companies. 

Foolish takeaway

A holding company is an interesting concept and one which both Premier and Soul Patts have embraced. Each style of holding has a certain agenda. Therefore, it's worth doing some deeper research to see what might align with your investment strategy. 

The post What is a holding company? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What does BKI do?

BKI is a research-driven listed investment company (LIC). Through BKI's research driven, active management approach it invests for the long term in profitable, well managed companies that offer a compelling yield and growth opportunities. 

The company boasts 8.9% total shareholder returns over a 15-year period, beating its benchmark S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index by 0.5%. BKI has paid out over $700 million in dividends and franking credits to shareholders since listing in 2003. At the time of writing, BKI's trailing dividend is 5.7%.

BKI's full year results

Today, BKI released results from what it labels "a difficult year". Some of the key points from the announcement include:

• Revenue down 14% to $46.7 million (excluding special investment revenue)
• Net operating profit after tax down 35% to $48.6 million (including special investment revenue)
• Earnings per share down 35% to 6.63 cents
• Total dividend for FY20 down by 29% to 6.945 cents a share.

BKI's earnings were largely affected by a number of dividend cancellations for some of its largest holdings. These include Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN), Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD), Australia and New Zealand Banking Grp Ltd (ASX: ANZ) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC). 

Despite this, BKI announced it would still be paying a special dividend of 1 cent per share. This was largely thanks to a special dividend received from the company's holding in TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG).

While the results above may seem dire, they look to have largely already been priced in to the BKI Investment share price, given shares are up by more than 1% at the time of writing.

In terms of portfolio management, BKI made a number of sales across FY20, including exiting positions in Boral Limited (ASX: BLD) and Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) (formerly Caltex). It divested completely from ANZ following the bank's failure to pay an interim 2020 dividend, as well as Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) and CIMIC Group Ltd (ASX: CIM).

BKI invested $128 million during FY20, with large investments in a number of ASX blue-chips such as BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) and Transurban Group (ASX: TCL). 

Commenting on the FY20 results and the impact of COVID-19, BKI's co-portfolio manager Tom Millner said:

We believe that every Australian company has been impacted by the COVID-19 economic crisis, and as we've already seen, it has had a direct negative impact on earnings, balance sheet strength and dividend distributions on many companies within our market. Unfortunately, the way we are viewing the broader economy suggests that the current situation may deteriorate over the next 6-12 months.

About the BKI share price

The BKI share price has had a rocky year, losing 13.74% in 2020 so far and underperforming the All Ordinaries (INDEXASX: XAO), which is down 10% in the same period. BKI shares are down 11.74% on this time last year.

The post BKI Investment share price rises despite 35% drop in FY20 profit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Since mid-February, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lost over 30% of its value. ASX shares across the board have been smashed down to valuations not seen in years (or even decades in some cases).

But there's a small ray of light during this dark time for ASX dividend investors. The dividend yields that many ASX shares are now offering are at their highest level in years.

Now, many ASX shares are clearly not going to be upholding their trailing yields in 2020 – Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) would be one obvious example. But many can and will in my opinion.

So, here are two attractive ASX dividend shares to buy amid this coronavirus sell-off:

Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

'Soul Patts' (as it's more easily referred to) is one of the most diversified businesses on the ASX.

It owns stakes in a range of diverse and quality ASX companies all under one roof. It's been following this modus operandi since its inception in 1903 (which makes it one of the ASX's oldest companies).

For this reason, Soul Patts is often described as 'Australia's Berkshire Hathaway' (Warren Buffett's hugely successful conglomerate over in the US). Whilst it hasn't achieved quite as much wild success as Berkshire, it still has a long track record of delivering quality returns to its shareholders over its very long history.

Some of the companies Soul Patts owns stakes in include:

• 50% of New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) – a coal miner
• 25.3% of TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM) – an Aussie telco
• 43.9% of Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) – a building materials manufacturer
• 19.3% of Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API) – a health and beauty company
• 8.6% of BKI Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI) – an ASX Listed Investment Company (LIC)
• Plus many more

As of the end of FY19, Soul Patts has, on average, delivered an 11.6% annualised return over the past fifteen years (which includes both capital growth and dividend payments). That's an outperformance of the broader market (All Ordinaries Accumulation Index) of 2.6% per annum. Over 20 years, it's even better, with an annualised average return of 12.8% per annum.

A massive part of these returns has come from dividends. Soul Patts' dividend track record is one of the most esteemed on the ASX. The company has paid a dividend every year since 1903 and has raised its dividend every year since FY 2000, including through the GFC (making it one of only two ASX companies able to claim this crown).

Not only has it raised its dividend like clockwork over the past twenty years, but it has also raised it by a compounded annual growth rate of 10.8% in this time – far more than enough to beat inflation. Take a look for yourself in the graph below!

Since Soul Patts has such a diversified earnings base, a robust and truly enviable dividend history and a long record of rewarding its shareholders, I think it is a perfect stock to put on your watchlist today.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Transurban is another ASX dividend share with a solid track record of providing dividend income to its shareholders through thick and thin.

This company owns and operates a vast network of tolled motorways across most Australian capital cities as well as some in North America. Chances are if you've paid to drive on a tolled-road in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, it was to Transurban.

Below is a table of all major motorways Transurban owns across major Australian capital cities:

As you can see, this is a company with a dominant position in its industry. Once toll-roads are built, there is very little competition possible – consumers either have to use Transurban's roads or take time-costly detours. With healthy population growth across these cities expected for the foreseeable future, the long-term prospects of these monopolistic assets look very strong.

Transurban is a company with a high level of earnings certainty – which carries across to its dividend/distribution payments. Most of Transurban's tolls are regulated by governments, which have allowed either a 4% annual rise or an inflation-matched increase (whichever is higher) in toll rates.

Since inflation is essentially zero right now, this is a license to print money for Transurban in my opinion.

The coronavirus is set to cause significant economic disruption, which will likely translate into lower vehicle volumes (and tolls collected) over the next few months. But once our economy returns to normal, I think Transurban's business will rapidly follow.

Turning to dividend/distribution payments, Transurban has managed to increase its payouts every year since FY 2009. This it has done at a healthy rate, as you can see in the graph below!

Due to a recent drop in the Transurban share price, Transurban shares are offering a yield of 5.07% on current prices. I think this is a great deal for ASX dividend investors, especially considering interest rates are now at practically zero.

Foolish takeaway

Both Transurban and Washington H. Soul Pattinson are dividend shares that I think are currently offering a great deal to ASX dividend investors in today's share market.

When the dust settles from the coronavirus situation, I believe income potential will once again command an unprecedented premium on the share market, and these two companies stand to benefit enormously from this paradigm. Thus, buying these two companies today might set your portfolio up very well for the future.

The post 2 attractive dividend stocks to buy amid the coronavirus sell-off appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The ASX 200 (INDEXASX: XJO) is up 1.8% with some shares shooting higher like Xero Limited's (ASX: XRO) share price going up 6.7% and the Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) share price is up 9%.

The Soul Patts share price is up 2.6%, it hasn't recovered as much as many of the other shares which dropped as hard as Soul Patts did. The Soul Patts share price dropped 15.4% in just over a week and it has recovered just 4%. For that reason alone, I think it's an interesting idea for comparative value compared to many shares on the market.

Here are the other reasons why I think the investment conglomerate still a buy:

Excellent longevity

Soul Patts has been operating since 1903. It has thrived despite the various huge global problems in the past. Two world wars, the 'Spanish' flu in 1918, the economic collapse that started in 1929 and the GFC, the cold war, various recessions and so on. It has paid a dividend every year since its it started.

It has managed to be such a long-lasting business for various reasons. Soul Patts management are long-term focused, they don't try to make quick profits. Its balance sheet is conservative, it tries to invest with a contrarian style in uncorrelated assets.

The way it invests and operates makes me believe it will be around for decades to come. The coronavirus is scary for the health reasons, particularly for older people. But, I'm very confident that Soul Patts can easily get through whatever happens this year.

Diverse portfolio

One of the main reasons why I think Soul Patts is a good investment, can last for the long-term and can ride through any issues is how diversified and quality its holdings are.

Some of its top holdings include telco TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM), building products company Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), pharmacy company Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API), listed investment companies Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI) & Milton Corporation Limited (ASX: MLT), lipid based product business Clover Corporation Limited (ASX: CLV) and Apex Healthcare Berhad. This is a diverse group. 

It also has investments in unlisted businesses such as Pitt Capital Partners, Round Oak Minerals (a copper, zinc and gold miner), swimming schools and agriculture.  

Willing to take on opportunities

It's periods like this that Soul Patts is great at navigating. It has a good amount of cash that can be used for protection or investment opportunities.

I don't know if Soul Patts has deployed much money over the past week, but it is willing to make moves which are good for the long-term during fragile moments. For example, it invested in agriculture during a period of bad drought. It invested in luxury retirement living after a period of falling Australian property prices and difficulties in the aged living sector.

Foolish takeaway

Whilst you shouldn't invest in a share for its dividend, Soul Patts has a very reliable dividend which has grown every year since 2000, which is another reason why it could be a good idea. I think it has a great chance of continuing to beat the market over the long-term. I'd be happy to buy shares today if trading rules allowed me to.

The post Why I think the Soul Patts share price is still a buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's a short recap of the Australian market:

• S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) higher 1.10% to 7,144.00
• ALL ORDINARIES (Index: ^AXAO) (ASX: XAO) higher 1.09% to 7,258.90
• AUD/USD at US 68 cents
• Gold at US$1,552.88 an ounce
• Brent Oil at US$64.32 a barrel

One of the best-performing ASX 200 shares today was Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV), its share price climbed 10.4%.

Another business that continues to climb is Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG), its share price jumped 5.4%.

A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) is seeing a resurgence, its share price has climbed another 5.3% today.  

The share price of AP Eagers Ltd (ASX: APE) was at the bottom of the ASX 200 performance table, it fell by 5.5% today.

Oil business Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) reported its fourth quarter activities report today, which sent the share price up 1.1%.

LIC Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI) announced its December 2019 report today with a flat dividend, which helped the share price climb 1.5%.

The share price of Cimic Group Ltd (ASX: CIM) rose over 2% after announcing yet another contract win.

Finally, the RPMGlobal Holdings Ltd (ASX: RUL) share price jumped 15.5% today after giving the latest update.

Here are some of today's top stories:    

• Bigtincan share price jumps 18% to a record-high following Q2 update
• Why the WISR share price is rocketing 15% higher today
• Is the CBA share price on course to hit $100 in 2020?
• These 2 ASX growth stocks could offer great value after recent declines

The post ALL ORDINARIES finishes higher Wednesday: 8 ASX shares you missed appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The listed investment company's half year results provide a good snapshot of major trends that are impacting on returns of ASX investors.

Management posted a modest 0.8% increase in its first half ordinary investment revenue to $27 million but a 3.8% drop in net profit to $24.5 million.

Bank dividends dive

BKI blamed the significant reduction in dividends paid by Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) for the weak result.

But the company was quick to point out that dividend increases from a range of other stocks was just enough to offset the dividend losses from the two banks.

These stocks include Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) and Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN).

Don't bank on dividend growth

Even if you aren't a shareholder in BKI, there are two key takeaways from this news. The first is that investors should be depending a lot less on dividends from the big banks and look at other high yielding stocks.

The other factor is that the dividend growth we've experienced in 2019 may not be repeated again. This also means that you shouldn't count on offsetting falling dividend payments from the banks with those from other companies.

More dividend cuts

The cuts to payouts from the big banks are likely to remain a feature in 2020, while a larger number of companies that have lifted dividends recently probably won't have the firepower to repeat that performance.

There's also a third takeaway from BKI's results. It relates to the plunge in profits if you included its special investment revenue. The firm's net profit plummeted 45.9% to $25.5 million for the half if this line item is included.

Capital returns to slow

Special investment revenue refers to returns booked via special dividends and other capital returns from listed investments.

Many S&P/ASX 200 (Index:^AXJO) (ASX:XJO) stocks rushed to hand back fully-franked cash to shareholders on worries that federal Labor opposition would win the election. The party was threatening to restrict this tax privilege.

That worry subsided along with capital returns. Investors shouldn't count on a resurgence of such programs for the foreseeable future.

The post How big bank dividend cuts are hurting this ASX stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The very low interest rates have driven share prices within the ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) to all-time highs. Despite the strong share performance, I think these blue chips within the ASX 100 are worth considering:

Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) 

People have said that Altium is expensive for years, even at under $10 – look what has happened since! I think it's worth usually always worth paying for quality.

There are few businesses in the world that are growing revenue by double digits with high (and rising) profit margins. Altium is one of those lucky few, it grew net profit by around 40% in FY19.

Altium may look expensive at 52x FY20's estimated earnings. It is expensive. But it continues to grow profit at a very fast rate and is predicting strong growth to at least 2025. These are the businesses worth holding onto for the long-term. 

One of the best growth trends in the world at the moment is the increasingly technological nature of our society. Altium is a big beneficiary from this, though there's always the risk of competition.

Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) 

Cleanaway is the biggest Australian waste management business in the country.

Recycling exports are now being banned in Australia. All waste management businesses will be affected by this change, particularly the lowest-costing providers. But, Cleanaway could be a major beneficiary because it owns some of the best recycling centres in the country.

Cleanaway also recently completed the acquisition of SKM Recycling's assets which further adds to its capabilities with an advanced plastic sorting facility and other locations.

The company has a 2025 plan with a mission of making a sustainable future possible, with Cleanaway helping the transition towards a 'circular' economy.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) 

Whilst Soul Patts is certainly not one of the biggest shares within the ASX 100, I think the investment conglomerate fits the typical description of a blue chip very nicely. It's defensive, it can withstand recessions and it pays a very stable dividend that continues to grow.

Within its portfolio there are plenty of 'blue chip' investments such as TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM), Milton Corporation Limited (ASX: MLT), Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

Of course, Soul Patts also owns lots of growth-focused investments too such as Clover Corporation Limited (ASX: CLV), Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) and Palla Pharma Ltd (ASX: PAL).

Foolish takeaway

I was close to including APA Group Limited (ASX: APA) as part of my list, but I'd prefer to go for an expensive growth share like Altium over an expensive infrastructure share like APA in the current environment.

The post These are the ASX blue chips I'd buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's despite the torch-bearing mob of articles throughout the decade predicting everything from a 'double-dip' recession and break-up of the Euro to war with North Korea and almost every other possible calamity under the sun.

But now the 2020s have begun and I think it's a healthy thing to assume that this decade might not be as prosperous as the one that's just passed for investors. I would rather be pleasantly surprised than unpleasantly surprised any day.

So saying this, my top ASX stock to buy and hold for the 2020s is… Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL). I already own some shares of 'Soul Patts' (the full name is quite the mouthful) but it's a company that am only looking to add to this decade for three reasons.

Dividend Income

Soul Patts is one of the best dividend paying shares on the ASX – being one of only a handful of companies that have increased its dividend payments every year of this century so far (even through the GFC). The company has also never failed to pay a dividend since the company was founded in 1903.

That shows to me that the company knows what it's doing and has the interests of its shareholders front of stage. I'm looking forward to another ten years of pay rises this decade from my SOL shares.

Diversity

Soul Patts is more of a conglomerate than a company as it owns large stakes in a wide array of ASX businesses. These include TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM), New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) and Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW) as well as an interest in BKI Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI). Thus, Soul Patts is able to keep things afloat and running smoothly during good times and bad – which is great for me as a shareholder.

Management

Soul Patts has been run by the same family from its inception and prides itself on conservatism and respect for its shareholders. It's for these values and long tradition of success that I have enormous faith in management to manage this business in shareholders' interests. By running a diversified, healthy and conservative company that employs very little debt whilst maintaining (and increasing) a solid dividend, the company's management does a good job of never keeping me up at night.

Foolish Takeaway

By always focusing on the long-term, I think Soul Patts is a great stock to own as we turn into another decade (the company's thirteenth in existence). It's a stock I'm not planning on selling, whether that be in 2020, 2030 or beyond.

The post Here is my top ASX share to buy and hold through the 2020s appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's getting harder to pick dividend shares because many of them generate earnings based on their assets, such as Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), but those assets are now priced very highly so there could be valuation risks.

The best way to invest is to give yourself a margin of safety. In other words, you try to buy them for less than you think they're worth. Here are two income stocks to consider for 2020:

Viva Energy Reit Ltd (ASX: VVR) 

This is a real estate business which owns service stations across the country, its portfolio is getting closer to 500 sites in size.

It benefits from a contracted 3% rent escalation across 95% of the portfolio. Viva Energy continues to make acquisitions and aims to improve its sites to generate more rent.

Its portfolio had a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 12.1 years at the last disclosure and in FY19 it has predicted distributable earnings growth of 3% to 3.75%. It has a target distribution payout ratio of 100%.

Its distribution yield is currently 5.3% and is likely to keep growing at least 3% per annum.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) 

This is an investment house business which I think is the gold standard for dividend shares on the ASX.

One of the main things that stops me from investing in some dividend shares is that they're stuck in a certain industry. If something affects the casino industry there's not much that casino businesses like Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) can do. But Soul Patts has the investment flexibility to change its underlying holdings to whatever it thinks is the best option.

It's this wide-ranging investment mandate and Soul Patts' long-term, contrarian investment style that makes me confident I can hold this particular investment for many years to come. Indeed, it has already been operating for over 100 years.

Soul Patts is invested in plenty of defensive, long-term businesses like TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM), Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) and Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI).

The investment house has already increased its dividend every year for the past 20 years, I wouldn't be surprised at all if that record extends at least to 2030.

It currently has a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.7%.

Foolish takeaway

Soul Patts would be my preferred dividend pick of the two. I think it's better value, has a better long-term chance of outperforming and has excellent management.

The post 2 star income stocks for 2020 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Fast forward to today, and all this seems a distant memory. Markets are at new all-time highs, interest rates are at record lows, a trade war deal has been tentatively reached and it's seemingly onwards and upwards into a new decade.

To prepare for the new year and decade ahead, I've been thinking about which ASX shares I would love in my portfolio in preparation. Here are 3 that I've come up with.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

I was able to pick up some SOL shares recently, but it's a stock I would be happy to add to before January. Soul Patts is one of the most diversified businesses on the ASX and owns shares in several other top-notch companies. These currently include Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM) and BKI Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI).

Soul Patts' market-leading history of dividend increases (20 years straight) gives me great faith in the company's management and their long-term mindset.

Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)

Ramsay is another stock with a long history of rising dividend payments – almost matching Soul Patts in fact. I think the private hospitals space that Ramsay dominates will play an increasingly important role in our growing healthcare needs over the coming years. Thus, this is a company I would be very comfortable holding for next month, next year and next decade.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

For me, Coles is the kind of business you can always count on (no pun intended). We all need to eat, after all, and it's likely that Coles will always be the supermarket of choice for at least a decent chunk of the population due to its extensive store network and low-price model.

I wouldn't mind picking up some COL shares before New Year's Eve – the stock is looking cheap next to its recent post-float high of $16.60 today at $15.29 a share. I am also confident that Coles' Smarter Selling cost cutting strategy will give the company's dividend plenty of headroom going forward – adding to the appeal of this consumer staple stock.

The post 3 ASX stocks to buy before 2020 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

I want to find shares that have a solid dividend starting dividend yield, want to grow dividends to shareholders, have a track record of increasing dividends and are trading at good value. If I were to buy three dividend shares for my portfolio today, I'd choose these three:

PM Capital Global Opportunities Fund Ltd (ASX: PGF) 

This listed investment company (LIC) aims to invests in good value global shares, it usually aims for shares that are trading at a relatively cheap value compared to the market. That's why it's focusing on some shares like European builders and copper miners.

The LIC has delivered net returns of an average of 15.1% per annum over the past three years whilst steadily growing the dividend. Despite that performance, it's valued at a discount of 13% to the pre-tax net asset value at 6 December 2019.

It currently has a trailing grossed-up dividend yield of 4.4%.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) 

Soul Patts is the gold standard for dividend shares on the ASX in my opinion. It's an investment house, meaning it has investments in a variety of different businesses and industries.

Some of its largest holdings include TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM), Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API), Clover Corporation Limited (ASX: CLV), Palla Pharma Ltd (ASX: PAL), Milton Corporation Limited (ASX: MLT) and Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI).

Its portfolio continue to diversify with new investments into luxury retirement living and agriculture.

Soul Patts funds its dividends just from the cashflow that it receives as dividends, distributions and interest, so it's very sustainable.

It has increased its dividend every year since 2000 and it currently has a trailing grossed-up dividend yield of 3.8%.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF) 

Rural Funds is a farmland real estate investment trust (REIT). It owns a variety of farm types including almonds, cattle, vineyards, macadamias and cotton. It continues to increase its climate diversification by acquiring assets away from the drought areas. It's looking to acquire cattle farms in WA next.

There are rental increases built into its contracts with high-quality tenants, the indexation is linked to either CPI and or a fixed 2.5% increase. It's this, along with productivity improvements at the farms, that allow management to forecast distributions can grow by 4% a year.

It has a FY20 distribution yield of 6.1%.

Foolish takeaway

I don't own PM Capital Global Opportunities Fund shares yet, but once I do I plan to own shares of all three for many years to come because of their strong underlying performance and dividend growth.

The post My best ASX dividend share buys today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

With that in mind, here are 2 ASX shares that I think are perfect for beginners.

Magellan Global Trust (ASX: MGG)

Magellan Global Trust is an internationally focused listed investment trust (LIT) run by the reputable team at Magellan. It seeks to hold the best stocks in the world that Magellan thinks will deliver superior performance over a long investment horizon – making it perfect for a beginner stock in my opinion.

Some of the companies MGG is currently invested in include Alphabet (Google), Alibaba, Mastercard, Apple, Starbucks and Microsoft. MGG also targets a 4% cash distribution each year, which can be a useful stream of passive income on the side as well.

BKI Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI)

BKI is another managed investment vehicle that invests on your behalf as the shareholder. However, this company focuses on Aussie investing only, and has more of a focus on stable investment returns with strong dividends – as opposed to the more growth-orientated MGG.

Still, I think this would make BKI a solid first investment – you are getting a basket of blue-chip stocks like the big four banks, Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), all in 1 share. Owning these big names means BKI has the ability to pay a solid dividend as well, which on current prices stands at 4.47%. You can't go wrong in my view if you choose BKI as your first share.

Foolish takeaway

I think we have here 2 ASX shares that would be perfect for a beginner investor and would serve well in any portfolio for at least the next decade.

As the hard work of stock picking is out of your hands, the risks of you making any serious mistakes as a beginner are mitigated somewhat – and you get exposure to some of the best companies in Australia and the world to boot!

The post 2 ASX shares perfect for a first investment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

'Soul Patts' (as its more commonly known) might have gotten a bit of a reputation as a disappointment. Unlike most of the ASX blue-chips, SOL shares are actually lower today than they were at the start of the year. 

In fact, if you take Soul's 52-week range of $19.70–$31.87, today's share price of $21.40 is looking very bleak indeed. But Soul Patts is not famous for making its investors wealthy through huge share price appreciation.

This company is ASX dividend royalty – being only one of two ASX stocks to have raised its dividend every single year of this century so far (even through the GFC).

Not only does it have this impressive crown, Soul Patts can actually boast to have paid a dividend every single year since its listing in 1903. So I think its record of dividend growth speaks for itself.

So does this make Soul Patts the best ASX dividend growth share on the market today?

In my opinion, yes.

Here's why: Soul Patts was founded as a chain of chemists, but long ago decided to branch out into the world of investing itself.

Today, Soul Patts owns a substantial portfolio of other high-quality ASX companies – companies that it selects for their underlying fundamentals, and ability to pay dividends.

Some of its holdings include:

• a 44% holding in Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW)
• a 25.3% stake in TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM)
• an 8.6% stake in BKI Investment Company Ltd (ASX: BKI)
• a 50% stake in New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC)
• a 19.3% share of Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API)

So already you can see that Soul Patts has a remarkably diverse set of companies from which it draws a dividend. Both Brickworks and TPG are stocks that have very defensive earnings bases, so that also helps to keep the cash coming in regardless of the economic weather.

Foolish takeaway

For these reasons, I think Soul Patts is the best dividend-growth company you can get on the ASX, and would form a great backbone of any income-focused portfolio. With all of the businesses this company owns, buying SOL shares is really a 10-for-1 investment. What more could you ask for?

The post Is Soul Patts the best ASX dividend growth share? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But it's also the time to be the most cautious about jumping in – just look at what happened with BitCoin back in 2017. It was precisely when everyone was raving about it that proved to be the wrong time to buy (in hindsight).

Saying this, here are 2 ASX shares that I think would be worth an investment today for a beginner or starter portfolio.

BKI Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI)

BKI was formed in 2003 to take over the investment portfolio of Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW), and still holds a stake in Brickworks today. BKI is a listed investment company (LIC) designed to provide its investors with exposure to a conservative portfolio of quality ASX companies, managed on their behalf. Thus, I believe it to be a top notch investment for a starter portfolio, as BKI makes all the investing decisions for you – no stock picking required.

Of course, this doesn't come free, but with a management fee of just 0.10%, it's not going to cost you an arm or a leg with BKI either. Some of BKI's other holdings include Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) and Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN).

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

VGS is an exchange traded fund (ETF) that tracks 1,590 companies across all of the advanced economies around the world – think the US, UK, Canada Japan and Europe (Australia is excluded). VGS is a great option as you get familiar names like Apple, Amazon, Toyota, Alphabet (Google), Visa and Microsoft, all in one investment. And with nearly 1,600 different companies, it's about as diverse as you can get as well.

VGS charges a management fee of 0.18%, so is also relatively cheap alongside BKI.

Foolish takeaway

Investing can be scary (especially with markets at high levels), but with these 2 investments, you can outsource the hard work to others while remaining highly diversified. I think any starter portfolio would do well with either of these investments, they're pretty foolproof after all.

The post 2 foolproof ASX shares for a starter portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It will pay a final dividend of 34 cents per share to take full year dividends to 57 cents per share on earnings of $1.035 per share to mean it has lifted its interim and final dividend every year since 2000.

Share prices tend to follow earnings higher or lower over the long term and earnings pay dividends, with the Soul Patts share price up from $3.60 in September 2000 to $22.29 today. And that's before the incredible streak of rising dividends.

That winning run has gone right through the GFC of 2008/09, which was a period when other dividend favourites like Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) or Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) were forced to axe payouts.

Only healthcare player Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC) has a comparable dividend streak to Soul Patts. 

Notably, Soul Patts' trailing payout ratio is only around 57% of earnings to suggest its dividend is well covered with a lower payout  ratio than many more popular dividend rivals. 

Source: Washington Soul Pattinson presentation, Sept 19, 2009.

The group's chairman, Robert Milner, remains frustrated by its operating environment though and commented, "Our major investments continue to be impacted by regulatory issues. After 12 years New Hope continues to await approval for its New Acland extension, TPG is before the Federal Court seeking approval for its merger with Vodafone and Brickworks continues to be impacted by the higher gas and energy prices in Australia." 

Despite its reputation for stability the Soul Patts share price could be volatile in the weeks ahead as the Federal Court is due to give a decision on whether TPG Telecom Ltd's (ASX: TPM) merger with Vodafone Australia can go ahead.

Soul Patts owns 25.3% of TPG and any merger is widely expected to lead to far larger dividends over the medium term for TPG investors. 

It also owns 44% of steady cashflow business Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) and 50% of more volatile coal miner New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC). 

Its wide range of other investments include significant commercial property investments, asset managers like  BKI Investment Company Limited (ASX: BKI), Pengana Capital Group Limited (ASX: PCG) or Milton Corporation Limited (ASX: MLT) and healthcare players like Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (ASX: API).

Soul Patts maintains a strong balance sheet to support future investment opportunities and flagged asset management, retirement living, or agriculture, as areas of investment interest going forward. 

The post Washington H. Soul Pattinson delivers 19 years of rising dividends appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

New National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) CEO

After a global period of searching for a new CEO, NAB has settled on ex RBS boss Ross McEwan who has a good reputation for solving the issues that RBS had at the time of his appointment.

The current chairman-elect, Philip Chronican, will become the chairman later this year and will replace Dr Ken Henry.

Some investors believe the new leadership duo at NAB could finally turn things around for the bank.

Resources quarterly releases

Many resource businesses released their quarterly reports to the market for the June 2019 quarter, with some giving their half year or annual figures too. Overall, things some to be in good shape for the resource sector.

Some of the reporters were Western Areas Ltd (ASX: WSA), Santos Ltd (ASX: STO), Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL), Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR), Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY), Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).   

Reporting season starts

Most businesses report in August, but a few have gotten the report out quite quickly.

Listed investment companies (LICs) Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI) and Milton Corporation Limited (ASX: MLT) have both reported a boost to their bottom lines thanks to all of the special dividends and buy-backs that happened over the past six months.

However, investors did not like what Cimic Group Ltd (ASX: CIM) reported in the six months to June 2019.

Lendlease Group's (ASX: LLC) huge win

The property construction and infrastructure business announced a huge contract this week. It will be working with Alphabet/Google to develop large plots of land in the San Francisco Bay area which could be worth billions to Lendlease over the course of the project, which is expected to take at least 15 years.

The post 4 investment stories you missed in the ASX200 this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.