During mid-afternoon trade, the medical technology company's shares are up 7.58% to 36 cents.

What were the results?

In today's release, Nova Eye advised that it has published the results of its 5-year patient follow-up data from the LEAD trial in a recent publication of Ophthalmology Retina. The article discusses the long-term effect of subthreshold nanosecond laser (SNL) treatment on progression to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The company said the LEAD trial was a randomised, controlled multi-centre study involving 292 patients over a 6-year period (2012 to 2018). The program assessed the efficacy of 2RT at the 3-year mark in patients suffering from intermediate AMD.

Of the enrolled patients that completed the 5-year review (222 patients), two groups were equally split. This consisted of the 2RT treatment group, and the other being the non-treatment group.

The published article states that when factoring the trial participants and additional data observed during the five-year post-LEAD review, the results are promising. It showed strong evidence of a reduction in the rate of progression in AMD when treated with 2RT.

What did management say?

Nova Eye Medical director Tom Spurling hailed the results, saying:

While these data have been calculated by the authors using post-hoc analysis, the improvement in the clinical response in patients without RPD at five years using is very exciting, particularly given these patients did not receive further 2RT treatment during the last two- year observation period.

Overall, there was a significant reduction in the rate of progression to late-stage AMD in these patients. This is of significant benefit to patients in deferring disease progression and thus maintaining their quality of life. It also supports our previously stated position that 2RT offers the potential to meet a major global unmet need to delay onset of blindness.

About the Nova Eye share price

The Nova Eye share price has lost almost half of its value since this time last year. The company's shares have been impacted by COVID-19, which has affected its medical equipment and devices business.

Based on the current share price, Nova Eye Medical commands a market capitalisation of close to $50 million.

The post Why the Nova Eye (ASX:EYE) share price is surging 7% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four shares that are performing much better are listed below. Here's why these ASX shares are racing higher:

The Cann Group Ltd (ASX: CAN) share price is up 8% to 47.5 cents despite there being no news out of the cannabis company. However, with its shares down materially this year due to concerns over an oversupply of cannabis dry flower, some investors may believe that they have been oversold. Even after today's gain, Cann Group's shares are down over 76% since the start of the year.

The Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX) share price has rocketed 38% higher to 84.2 cents. Investors have been buying the healthcare technology company's shares after it announced the sale of its Lasers and Ultrasound business. Lumibird Group has agreed to pay $100 million in cash for the business. The majority of the net proceeds will be returned to shareholders. Following the transaction, Ellex will be debt-free and focusing on devices to treat glaucoma in a growing global market.

The Resolute Mining Limited (ASX: RSG) share price is up 4.5% to $1.16. Investors have been buying Resolute and the rest of the gold miners after a rise in the gold price overnight. Economic concerns sent the precious metal higher. In afternoon trade the S&P/ASX All Ords Gold index is up a sizeable 2.5%.

The Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) share price has jumped 11% to 83.5 cents. The catalyst for this may be news that D8 Investments has become a substantial holder this week. The investment company now owns 6.25% of the provider of remote communications and IT services following a series of share purchases this month.

The post Why Cann, Ellex Medical Lasers, Resolute, & Speedcast are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are ending the week in the red:

The Costa Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: CGC) share price is down 3% to $4.12. With no news out of the horticulture company, today's decline appears to have been caused by a broker note out of Citi. Although the broker has retained its buy rating on Costa's shares, it notes that mushroom prices have been surprisingly weak this year. As this is a key contributor to the company's earnings, the broker appears a touch concerned with its current forecasts.

The CLINUVEL Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV) share price has sunk 7.5% to $31.06 despite there being no news out of the severe skin disorder treatment developer. However, with CLINUVEL's shares up significantly since the start of the year, I wouldn't be surprised if some investors were taking a bit of profit off the table. Even after today's sizeable decline, CLINUVEL's shares have more than tripled in value this year.

The Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX) share price is down 5% to 58 cents after the medical technologies company revealed that its chief executive officer has resigned with immediate effect. It also provided its preliminary and unaudited results for the full year. According to the release, Ellex expects to post an operating loss of between $0.7 million and $0.8 million, excluding restructuring costs of approximately $0.3 million.

The Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC) share price has continued its slide and is down a further 5% to 94 cents. The telco company's shares have come under pressure this week after management withdrew its guidance for FY 2020. Superloop's new guidance, which is highly likely to be downgraded materially, will be provided at the start of next month.

The post Why Costa, CLINUVEL, Ellex Medical Lasers, & Superloop dropped lower appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing the medical technologies company's shares are down a sizeable 8% to 56 cents.

Why did the Ellex Medical Lasers share price crash lower?

This morning Ellex announced the appointment of Ms Maria Maieli as its interim chief executive officer, effective July 19 2019.

Ms Maieli was appointed after the company's current chief executive officer, Ged Wallace, informed the board of his decision to resign with immediate effect.

According to the release, Ms Maieli has over 25 years of senior financial management experience in public and private companies and has been with the company since 2011. Her most recent role was the company's chief financial officer and company secretary.

The company's chairman, Victor Previn, commented: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, we greatly appreciate Maria's acceptance of the Interim CEO role at Ellex. Maria has an excellent understanding of the complexities of our business at a regional and global level and has significant experience in managing our various operations and sales functions. Maria will be supported by other senior executives of Ellex in fulfilling this role."

The Ellex board will now commence an executive search process to identify and appoint a permanent chief executive officer as soon as practicable.

Trading update.

That wasn't the only thing the company announced this morning. Ellex also provided an update on its unaudited preliminary financial results for FY 2019.

The release explains that group sales increased 3% on the prior corresponding period to $82 million. This was driven by a 29% increase in the worldwide sales of its iTrack product, which offset a decline in Lasers & Ultrasound product sales.

In respect to underlying EBITDA, the company expects to post a loss of between $0.7 million and $0.8 million, excluding restructuring costs of approximately $0.3 million.

Elsewhere on the market today, the National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price has charged higher after appointing its new CEO and the Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) share price has edged lower following its latest traffic update.

The post Why the Ellex Medical Lasers share price crashed lower today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four shares that have not let that hold them back today are listed below. Here's why they have stormed higher:

The Audinate Group Ltd (ASX: AD8) share price has charged 3.5% higher to $3.24 after the provider of digital Audio-Visual networking technologies was the subject of a bullish broker note. According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have initiated coverage on its shares with an overweight rating and $10.30 price target. Morgan Stanley is feeling bullish about Audinate's prospects due partly to its dominant position in the audio network industry thanks to its high quality Dante product.

The Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX) share price has stormed 4% higher to 55 cents after the provider of medical technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease announced the results of its four-year patient follow up from the LEAD clinical trial. This trial investigated the use of Ellex 2RT Retinal Rejuvenation Therapy in the treatment of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD). Management advised that the review shows sustained positive treatment benefits for selected iAMD patients.

The OceanaGold Corp (ASX: OGC) share price has rebounded by 4% to $3.69. On Friday the gold miner's shares were hammered after it revealed that the Governor of Nueva Vizcaya in the Philippines had directed local government units to restrain its Didipio operation. The company has filed an injunction against any unauthorised restraint of its operations.

The Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) share price has zoomed 7.5% higher to $1.94. Last week the Speedcast share price was the worst performer on the ASX 200 with a massive 48% decline. This was driven by a severe earnings guidance downgrade by the satellite communications company. Some investors appear to believe this selloff was overdone and has created a buying opportunity today.

The post Why Audinate, Ellex Medical Lasers, OceanaGold, & Speedcast stormed higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In light of this, I think the healthcare sector could be a great place to look for small cap shares to buy and hold.

Three growing healthcare shares that I think are worth looking closely at are listed below. Here's why I like them:

Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX)

Ellex Medical Lasers is a medical device company focused on the development, manufacture, and sale of lasers and diagnostic equipment for the treatment of eye diseases. Its performance has been a little up and down over the last couple of years, but there are signs that the company may finally be on the right track again. At the end of last year Ellex provided a sales update which revealed that group sales increased by 27% to $24.7 million during the first four months of FY 2019. This was driven by a 38% lift in the sales of its key iTrack product in the United States.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

Telix Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products based on targeted radiopharmaceuticals or molecularly-targeted radiation. It is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage oncology products that address significant unmet medical need in renal, prostate, and brain cancer. While it is early days, I believe the company has a lot of potential and could prove to be a great long term investment. It is a reasonably high risk one, though.

Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT)

Volpara Health Technologies is a New Zealand-based medical technology company whose AI imaging algorithms assist the early detection of breast cancer. Last week Volpara released its quarterly update which revealed that annual recurring revenue (ARR) had grown 56% since the end of FY 2018 to NZ$5.6 million. Management is confident this growth will continue and advised that its expects at least 85% growth in ARR by the end of March and a 7% share of the US breast screening market. Due to the quality of its product, I believe there is still a significant runway of growth ahead of the company, making it one to watch over the next decade.

The post 3 exciting small cap healthcare shares to watch appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Because of this, I believe it could be well worth looking at some of the smaller companies in the sector that have the potential to grow meaningfully over the next decade.

Three which I think deserve a spot on your watchlist are as follows:

Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX)

Ellex Medical Lasers is a medical device company focused on the development, manufacture, and sale of lasers and diagnostic equipment for the treatment of eye diseases. The company's performance has been a touch mixed over the last 18 months, but yesterday it revealed a return to form at its annual general meeting. For the first four months of FY 2018 sales have increased 27% to $24.7 million. A key driver of this growth was a 38% lift in the sales of its Ellex iTrack product in the United States.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

Led by Dr Christian Behrenbruch, Telix is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products based on targeted radiopharmaceuticals. The company has been very busy this year with trials, collaborations, and acquisitions. All in all, I believe its hard work this year means the company is well-positioned to grow strongly over the long-term.

Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT)

Volpara is a healthcare technology company providing breast imaging analytics and analysis software. Its software has been growing its share of the U.S. breast screening market at an impressive rate and shows no signs of slowing. The good news is that with much of its breast imaging analytics data flowing to the cloud, it now has one of the biggest cross-vendor data sets in mammography. As well as using this data to help detect breast cancer early, it intends to leverage it to develop new products.

The post 3 exciting small cap healthcare shares on my watchlist appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are ending the week in the red:

The Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX) share price has tumbled 10% to 74 cents. After the market close on Thursday the medical technology company released the results of its LEAD study. The three-year, randomised, multi-centre clinical trial was investigating the efficacy of Ellex 2RT Retinal Rejuvenation Therapy in intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. Although the results demonstrated a four-fold reduction in the rate of progression to late stage AMD in 76% of patients, the primary endpoint of the trial was not met.

The Michael Hill International Ltd (ASX: MHJ) share price has fallen 3% to 86.5 cents after the jewellery retailer announced the resignation of its CEO. According to the release, Phil Taylor has advised the board that he has been diagnosed with a health issue and has decided to resign to focus on his treatment and recovery. Specialty Fashion Group Ltd (ASX: SFH) CEO Daniel Bracken will be Mr Taylor's replacement.

The Pendal Group Ltd (ASX: PDL) share price has dropped 7% to $8.52. This morning a note of UBS revealed that its analysts had held firm with their neutral rating but cut the price target on the fund manager's shares by almost 7% to $9.80. The broker appears a touch concerned by the challenging outlook that its key JO Hambro business faces.

The Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) share price has continued its decline and is down a further 4.5% to $18.15. Following the release of its full year result, the retail conglomerate's shares were downgraded by UBS to a hold rating from buy with a price target of $18.50. The broker has made the move largely on valuation grounds. I would have to agree with this assessment.

The post Why these 4 ASX shares are ending the week in the red appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the local market be able to bounce back on Friday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX futures pointing higher.

The Australian share market could finish the week on a positive note. The latest SPI futures are pointing to the S&P/ASX 200 opening the day 0.35% or 22 points higher on Friday. This follows a positive night of trade on Wall Street which saw the Dow Jones surge 0.95%, the S&P 500 rise 0.8%, and the Nasdaq push 1% higher.

Oil prices slide lower.

Energy shares such as Oil Search Limited (ASX: OSH) could be in the red today after oil prices gave back some of their recent gains. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price fell 0.45% to US$70.80 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price dropped 0.9% to US$78.70 a barrel.

Ellex releases clinical trial results.

The Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX) share price will be on watch today after the medical technology company released the results of its LEAD study after the market close. The three-year, randomised, multi-centre clinical trial was investigating the efficacy of Ellex 2RT Retinal Rejuvenation Therapy in intermediate age-related macular degeneration patients. Although the results showed a four-fold reduction in the rate of progression to late stage AMD in 76% of patients, the primary endpoint of the trial was not met.

BWX named as a buy.

The BWX Ltd (ASX: BWX) share price could be on the rise on Friday after a note out of Goldman Sachs revealed that it has reinstated coverage on the personal care products company with a buy rating and $5.60 price target. Although the broker acknowledges that it is not quite out of the woods, its potential remains.

Smiggle spin-off.

Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) shares will be on watch today after the AFR suggested that the latest expansion strategy for its Smiggle brand could be the foundation for a spin-off at a later date. I think it would make a lot of sense to spin-off Smiggle and its Peter Alexander brand.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Three that caught my eye are listed below. Is this a buying opportunity?

The Caltex Australia Limited (ASX: CTX) share price has bounced back now, but earlier today hit a 52-week low of $28.44. The fuel retailer has come under pressure in recent months after the ACCC blocked its attempt to acquire petrol stations owned by Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW). In addition to this, there is now speculation floating around that Puma Energy might be interested in acquiring these petrol stations. Not only would this bring another player into the market to compete with, but I suspect Puma Energy would be unlikely to contract Caltex to continue supplying these petrol stations. This could hurt its future earnings. So while it shares do look reasonably priced now, I would suggest investors stay clear of Caltex until the new owner of these petrol stations is known.

The Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX) share price tumbled to a 52-week low of 55.5 cents on Wednesday. Ellex is a medical device company focused on the development, manufacture and sale of lasers and diagnostic equipment for the treatment of eye diseases. It appears as though investors have been thoroughly disappointed by the sudden deterioration in the company's financial performance. Although Ellex delivered record revenues of $38.2 million in the first half, it posted a net loss after tax of $2.4 million. In the prior corresponding period the company achieved a profit after tax of $1 million. While I think Ellex could be worth considering due to its undemanding valuation and sizeable market opportunity, it may be prudent to wait to see if its financial performance has improved in the second-half.

The Somnomed Limited (ASX: SOM) share price has continued its decline and hit a 52-week low of $2.40 today. This means the sleep treatment company's shares have now lost over a third of their value since the turn of the year. Like Ellex, Somnomed has been impressing on the top line but not on the bottom line. Last week the company advised that in FY 2018 revenue is expected to grow by a sizeable 32% to 34% year-on-year to $65 million to $66.2 million. However, despite the strong top line growth the company expects to post an EBITDA loss of between $6.6 million and $7.4 million. While its decline this year has brought its shares down to an attractive level, I think there are better and less risky options in the sleep treatment industry for investors to choose from.

The post These shares just sank to 52-week lows appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Listed below are three high quality up and coming healthcare companies at the small-end of the market that I think investors should be better acquainted with.

Here's why I like them:

Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX)

Ellex Medical Lasers is a medical device company focused on the development, manufacture and sale of lasers and diagnostic equipment for the treatment of eye diseases. The company's performance has been a touch mixed over the last 18 months, but I remain confident that the work it has done behind the scenes will lead to a return to form in the near future. Management estimates that the minimally invasive glaucoma surgery market will grow from approximately US$200 million today to US$1 billion by 2021, giving Ellex Medical Lasers a significant market opportunity.

Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME)

Pro Medicus is the health imaging IT provider behind the increasingly popular Visage 7 technology. This software delivers fast server-side rendered images streamed via an intelligent thin-client viewer. This allows radiologists and referring physicians to have a customised protocol-driven workflow to natively view multi-dimensional imagery and a patient's complete imaging history. I think this invaluable resource has enormous potential and was not surprised to see Yale New Haven Health roll it out across all its radiology departments last year.

Zenitas Healthcare Ltd (ASX: ZNT)

I think that this home care and health services company is well worth a closer look thanks to favourable reforms in the healthcare sector. These reforms aim to push the burden of healthcare services from hospitals into primary care providers like Zenitas. The company recently provided a trading update which revealed that it is on course to achieve its FY 2018 EBITDA guidance of between $13 million and $13.5 million.

The post 3 exciting small cap healthcare shares to watch appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Three small cap shares climbing notably higher today are listed below. Here's why they are on the up:

The Blackham Resources Ltd (ASX: BLK) share price is up 4% to 7.7 cents. As well as benefiting from a rise in the gold price in recent days, this gold miner released a positive quarterly update this morning. According to the release, Blackham delivered a 38% increase in quarterly gold production during the March quarter to 20,631 ounces. This strong production result was driven by record gold production achieved in each successive month of the quarter. The miner achieved this with an all-in sustaining cost of A$1,092 an ounce, well below the average price realised of A$1,669/oz for the quarter.

The Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX) share price is up 5.5% to 87 cents after providing an update on the performance of its glaucoma business. According to the release, sales of Ellex iTrack were up 57% in the USA and 40% globally in the third quarter compared with the prior corresponding period. Global sales from the Ellex glaucoma business have now reached a record US$22.3 million during the first three quarters of FY 2018. After a difficult couple of years, I think there are signs that Ellex has now turned a corner.

The Lepidico Ltd (ASX: LPD) share price has risen 2.5% to 4.1 cents on Monday after the junior lithium company announced that a lower capital and operating cost development option has been identified for the brownfield expansion of the Alvarrões pegmatite mine in Portugal. This could be a big win for the $115 million company and puts it in a position to cost-effectively maximise the potential of the Alvarrões pegmatite deposit. But it is still early days and more work must be undertaken before everything is confirmed.

The post Why these 3 small cap shares are climbing higher on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

While the likes of CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) and Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC) are well-known in the investment community, there are some high quality up and coming healthcare companies at the small-end of the market that I think investors should be better acquainted with.

Three that have caught my eye are listed below. Here's why I like them:

Ellex Medical Lasers Ltd (ASX: ELX)

This medical device company had a disappointing FY 2017 and has admittedly had a reasonably mixed start to FY 2018. Although first-half sales have bounced back strongly from a decline last year, the company posted a half-year loss after tax of $2.4 million last month on the back of higher sales and marketing spending. But I believe this will prove to be a smart move by management and puts the company in a position to win a share of a rapidly growing market. Management estimates that the minimally invasive glaucoma surgery market will grow from approximately US$200 million today to US$1 billion by 2021.

Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT)

Thanks to its exciting breast imaging analytics and analysis products I think Volpara has enormous potential. The company's technology allows personalised, high-quality breast cancer screening based on automated, objective measurements of breast density, compression and radiation dose. Unsurprisingly, demand for the technology has been growing strongly and has put the company on course to grow annual recurring revenues by over 200% growth in FY 2018.

Zenitas Healthcare Ltd (ASX: ZNT)

I believe this small cap home care and health services company will be a big winner from reforms in the healthcare sector that aim to push the burden of healthcare services from hospitals into primary care. I feel its recent half-year results Zenitas demonstrated the lucrative opportunity the company has in the sector as a result of these reforms. It delivered pro forma net revenue of $34.8 million and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $5 million. This was a 53% and 51.5% increase, respectively, on the prior corresponding period.

The post 3 exciting small cap healthcare shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four shares that have defied the market and pushed higher are listed below. Here's why they have started the week with gains:

The Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) share price is up almost 1% to 73 cents after announcing that its goat milk infant formula product is to be ranged in selected Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) supermarkets. All three stages of Bubs Advanced Plus+ goat milk infant formula will be stocked and are expected to hit shelves from April. Great news but it is still a little soon for an investment in my opinion.

The Department 13 International Ltd (ASX: D13) share price has risen 1% to 9.8 cents after emerging from a trading halt. This morning the counter drone developer announced a proposed placement of up to $12 million in secured convertible notes which convert at A$0.10 per share. The proceeds will be used to support additional research and development into its MESMER technology, the hiring of additional sales staff, and the building out of inventory.

The Ellex Medical Lasers Limited (ASX: ELX) share price is 1% higher to 95.5 cents after releasing a trading update. The medical device company advised that its expects to report first-half sales growth of 11.7% compared to the prior corresponding period. This solid result has been driven largely by its glaucoma sales growth strategy.

The Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) share price is up almost 2% to $15.60. This morning the communications and IT services provider announced that it has secured a 10-year contract with NBN Co to deliver enterprise-grade satellite services. According to the release, the value of the base network build and managed services project is $107 million. But with other demand-driven services the aggregate revenue is expected to be as much as $184 million in total.

The post Why these 4 ASX shares started the week higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Tom Richardson: Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

I'll name the asset manager that also does some investment banking as a good looking investment opportunity given the decent mix of value, growth and yield still on offer. I expect the group should deliver more than $7.20 per share in earnings over fiscal 2018, while dividends should come in around $5.10 per share. On these conservative forecasts then the stock changes hand for around 13.7x forecast earnings on a 5.2% yield.

It's also leveraged to the potential for growing profits thanks to significant company tax cuts in the U.S. with capital markets strengthening across the bank's key global markets. Macquarie has launched a $1 billion share buyback itself which suggests it also thinks the stock is good value under $100.

Motley Fool contributor Tom Richardson owns shares in Macquarie Group.

Tristan Harrison: Class Ltd (ASX: CL1)

Class provides automated cloud software for self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) administrators. Thousands of SMSFs are switching over to Class every quarter and this should deliver good growth over the next few years.

The recent government delay in changing the regulations and a (perhaps temporary) slowdown in the growth of SMSF accounts added to Class has seen its share price hammered down to $2.35. I think its non-SMSF product called Class Portfolio could be a good boost to future profit, alongside Class Super. I think today's price is a compelling buy.

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no financial interest in Class Ltd shares.

Kevin Gandiya: Janus Henderson Group plc (ASX: JHG)

Janus Henderson Group was formed following the merger between Janus Capital Group and Henderson Group. It now has over US$345 billion in assets under management and is set to benefit from the economies of scale created by the merger. It has no long-term debt, a decent return on equity of 15%, and a good spread of asset classes & geographies that it focuses on.

Its share price currently trades at 16x earnings, which looks reasonable value given the cost savings ahead.

Motley Fool contributor Kevin Gandiya has no financial interest in Janus Henderson Group plc.

Regan Pearson: Ellex Medical Lasers (ASX: ELX)

I'm picking Laser and eye health manufacturer Ellex Medical Lasers again as we head to 2018. The company has laid the ground work for material growth with expanded production facilities and $23 million from a recent capital raising to fund sales growth in the U.S.

Eye health is a rapidly growing market as populations age and Ellex has seen strong sales growth of its glaucoma treatment device iTrack. The product only made up 11.4% of total revenue in the 2017 year, but sales were up 71% in the three months to September 2017 – a strong start.

Motley Fool contributor Regan Pearson does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned. 

James Mickleboro: Baby Bunting Group Ltd (ASX: BBN)

This baby products retailer's shares have been amongst the worst performers on the market this year and fallen a massive 41%. Its shares have come under pressure as a result of tough trading conditions due to clearance sales following the closure of several competitors.

I believe this headwind will only be short-term and the company will come out of it in a stronger position. So with its shares selling for under 15x earnings and providing a trailing fully franked 5.1% dividend, I think Baby Bunting could be a great option.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no financial interest in Baby Bunting Group Ltd.

Steve Holland: Wesfarmers Limited (ASX: WES)

The conglomerate has struggled as Coles faces competition from new players including Amazon and Kaufland, while falling behind Woolworths. What's more, Wesfarmers' attempt to tap the UK market with Bunnings has so far proved difficult. But this can work in an investor's favour, providing an opening to get in while others turn away. Wesfarmers' history of healthy returns shows it is a company that shouldn't be dismissed lightly. It will come back. Until then, sit back and enjoy the dividends.

Motley Fool contributor Steve Holland has no financial interest in Wesfarmers Limited.

Chris Coe: Silver Chef Limited (ASX: SIV)

The stock was oversold in August due to missed guidance with the FY 2017 results, but there were positives also, such as revenues increasing 29.4% to $286 million and good results from the Canadian operations. The price has since recovered from the resulting low of $6.67 in September to $8.00 today.

The outlook is promising and at last month's AGM the company predicted the current year profit would be up 18%-28%. It has a price to earnings multiple of 14 and price to sales multiple of 1.1, it also offers a 4.6% dividend yield.

Motley Fool contributor Christopher Coe has no financial interest in Silver Chef Limited.

The post Top stock picks for December appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

There are Christmas decorations in the supermarkets already.

I think that makes now the perfect time to position for the coming 12 months. Get rid of the losers from your portfolio and look for companies with great long-term prospects.

I've been having an early look, and here are three companies I think are on track to win big in the year ahead.

Senex Energy Ltd (ASX: SXY)

Although I sold my shares in oil and gas producer Senex Energy Ltd (ASX: SXY) earlier this year, I think the company has strong momentum to win in 2018.

Senex has kept its head down in 2017 to focus on the early development phase of its significant Western Surat Gas Project. The work will accelerate gas production throughout 2018 and feed gas to the Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) lead GLNG export project.

Senex was also awarded an additional 58 square kilometres of Surat Basin acreage during the year to develop gas to supply to the depleted east coast gas market. This is targeted for supply in 2019, and enables Senex to materially expand its gas business.

Supported by increased capital spending Senex Energy is forecasting FY18 production growth of up to 20% which, combined with further reserve growth and a boost to the price of oil, puts Senex on a great footing for the year ahead.

Ellex Medical Lasers Limited (ASX: ELX)

Laser and eye health manufacturer Ellex raised capital this year to give the company the arsenal it needs to support aggressive growth in 2018.

Eye health is a rapidly growing market as populations age and Ellex has been seeing especially strong sales growth of its glaucoma treatment device iTrack in the U.S.

The product only made up 11.4% of total revenue in the 2017 year, but sales were up 35% on the prior year and with a significant potential market the product is dominating the company's efforts.

In the three months to September 2017 iTrack unit sales in the USA continued to accelerate, up 74%.

I'm putting Ellex at the top of my watch list for 2018 and think it has a big potential.

PUSHPAY FPO NZX (ASX: PPH)

Pushpay is a rapidly growing tech company which is helping to digitise the process of giving to churches and charities.

The company is capitalising on its first mover advantage in the mobile giving market and is targeting US$100 million of Annualised Monthly Committed Revenue by 31 December 2017, growth of 73% in 12 months.

The company does not currently produce a profit, but has cash on hand to support continued agressive sales momentum into 2018.

When it comes to commanding a specific niche I think Pushpay is certainly on the right track for a big 2018. However I also think this young, rapidly growing company has excellent prospects for the year ahead.

The post 3 companies positioned to win big in 2018 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's a quick recap:

• FTSE 100 (UK): down 0.35%
• DAX (Germany): down 0.46%
• CAC 40 (France): down 0.56%
• Dow Jones (USA): up 0.1%
• NASDAQ (USA): down 0.15%

The TRILOGYINT FPO NZX (ASX: TIL), or Trilogy International, share price could receive some attention today after the company announced its first-half results. The company said its revenue increased 4% to $49.7 million while operating earnings (EBITDA) declined 12.5% to $6.3 million.

Meanwhile, the Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX: MYX) and Ellex Medical Lasers Limited (ASX: ELX) share prices could receive some attention with both companies holding their annual general meetings today.

Other companies that could receive some attention today include Aconex Ltd (ASX: ACX), which fell 3.5% on Monday, and Vocus Group Ltd (ASX: VOC), which rose almost 3%.

The post 5 shares you need to watch on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The aggressive growth profile is a compelling reason to own top-performing healthcare companies and there are two in particular I'm watching like a hawk: CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) and Ellex Medical Lasers Limited (ASX: ELX)

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

I thought blood product company CSL Limited delivered a great result for the full year 2017. Sales grew 13% and earnings per share jumped 26%. There certainly aren't many 'blue-chip' companies able to grow earnings at that kind of pace.

One point I thought was strange was CSL's announcement that it plans to raise US$600 million in a private placement in the new financial year.

Hang on! Isn't CSL still reeling in a A$500 million share buyback program? Yes, yes it is. Fortunately, much of the buy-back period was below the current share price, so the upcoming placement could add value for investors if the new capital is raised at or above the current share price.

Regardless, I see CSL continuing to grow and compound at an appealing pace and long term I think the company will continue its history of big returns for investors.

Ellex Medical Lasers Limited (ASX: ELX)

Ellex Medical Lasers designs and manufactures products to support eye health. Although the company makes 90% of its revenue selling highly specialised lasers to optometrists it is focusing on a new product, iTrack, which treats glaucoma.

Because glaucoma is associated with ageing it is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade. Ellex is investing a lot of money to expand its sales team and to capitalise on the growth.

The problem is that investors hate uncertainty so rising expenses and a weak financial result for 2017 have kept the share price falling. To me this could be a great opportunity to buy.

I especially like that the Ellex management team was early to communicate the impending higher costs and acted decisively to raise capital in December last year when the share price rocketed upwards. The capital raising was necessary to fund growth and was timed well to reduce dilution to existing shareholders.

My main concern with Ellex in the past has been the company's history of weak operating margins which were not dispelled from their most recent full year report. This may change as iTrack becomes a larger proportion of sales since the product appears to produce higher margins than the major Laser & Ultrasound segment.

The post 2 top healthcare companies I'm watching like a hawk appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

We asked our writers to name some of their favourite shares to buy for the month of September and below is what they came up with.

Regan Pearson: Ellex Medical Lasers (ASX: ELX)

The share price of Ellex Medical Lasers has fallen significantly over the last six months and is at the top of my watch list for September. Ellex Medical designs and manufactures products to support eye health, but is especially focused on its iTrack product which relieves glaucoma – a disease with growing global significance as populations age.

The company reported a weak 2017 result, but took big steps to invest in a sales team to accelerate sales growth in the U.S. I think the company has a strong product and is well positioned to achieve its growth plans.

Motley Fool contributor Regan Pearson does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned.

James Mickleboro: Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)

With this private hospital operator's shares down over 18% from their 52-week high, I think now could be an opportune time to make a buy and hold investment. While its recent full-year result and FY 2018 guidance may have fallen short of expectations, I believe there is significant long-term growth ahead for the company due to the rising demand for healthcare services globally as a result of ageing populations and increased chronic disease burden.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no financial interest in Ramsay Health Care Limited.

Sean O'Neill: CBL Insurance Group (ASX: CBL)

I've written previously about CBL, which provides building insurance and other niche forms of insurance in Europe and the ANZ region. CBL is expanding both geographically and by adding new products, and recent half-year results saw a 29% leap in Gross Written Premium. Profit growth has been weak due to currency headwinds and an increase in insurance provisions. There is an open question in my mind about whether the company's low loss ratio is maintainable 'through the cycle' or simply reflects benign years recently, and this is a key risk. In general, I think CBL is a high-quality business and worth a closer look.

Motley Fool contributor Sean O'Neill owns shares in CBL Insurance.

Ian Crane: Aristocrat Leisure (ASX: ALL)

Shares in global gaming solution provider (think "pokie machines" and digital gambling) Aristocrat Leisure have slumped around 10% since reaching a high of $23.66 in June, largely on the back of the strengthening Australian dollar. Aristocrat reported well last May, with strong growth in revenue and profit across its American, International and Digital segments.

The company expects full year earnings growth to be in the range of 20%-30% to justify its relatively high trailing P/E of 30x. With significant USD earnings, the short-term strength of the AUD could present a buying opportunity for a stock that has been one of the ASX's top performers in recent years.

Motley Fool contributor Ian Crane has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Rachit Dudhwala: BWX Limited (ASX: BWX)

Natural skincare and cosmetics business BWX reported a robust set of full-year results during August. The owner of Australia's best-selling organic skincare range – Sukin – announced group revenue increased 34% to $72.7 million, which allowed the group to post a whopping 41.9% increase to net profit after tax.

Although blockbuster growth rates like these are likely to slow in the future, BWX recently secured lucrative shelf space in the likes of Coles supermarkets and I believe the company has a long way to run.

Motley Fool contributor Rachit Dudhwala does not own shares in BWX Limited.

Tom Richardson: Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

A lot of talk over earnings season has centred on the idea that commodity shares are the place to be as inflation and growth return to the world economy, but dud cash-sucking businesses like miners aren't my cup of tea. However, one business positioned to benefit from the themes of returning inflation and US or European economies performing better is Macquarie Group. The outlook is decent for the bank and it's on an attractive valuation, with a 5.5% yield. You can't ask for much more than that as an investor, and I'd be shocked if BHP Billiton outperforms Macquarie over the next 5 years.

Motley Fool contributor Tom Richardson owns shares in Macquarie Group.

Tristan Harrison: National Veterinary Care Ltd (ASX: NVL)

This business is the second-largest veterinary clinic business in Australia. In its just-released annual result it revealed that revenue grew 51% and underlying net profit after tax grew by 52.8%. Management also announced a fully franked dividend of 3 cents per share. The outlook for FY18 is revenue growth of at least 25%.

I think National Vet Care could be a large winner as it acquires more clinics and grows its margins over the next few years.

Tristan Harrison owns shares of National Veterinary Care Ltd.

Read on to learn all about the Motley Fool's favourite dividend share to buy this September….

The post Top stock picks for September appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four shares which have fallen significantly more than average today are listed below. Here's why they are ending the week deep in the red:

The Ellex Medical Lasers Limited (ASX: ELX) share price is down 5% to $1.02 following the release of a trading update. According to the release, the medical device company expects to post a loss before tax of $2 million in FY 2017. This has been blamed on a stronger Australian dollar and investment in its iTrack device.

The Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX: MYX) share price has fallen almost 4% to 95.2 cents. Whilst I think the pharmaceutical company's shares are arguably dirt cheap right now, until the Trump Administration has finalised its plans on generic drug prices, I would suggest investors stay clear of the company's shares.

The OceanaGold Corporation (ASX: OGC) share price is down 6.5% to $3.34 following the release of its second-quarter update. The market appears to have been left underwhelmed by management's full-year production guidance of between 550,000 and 600,000 ounces of gold. Whilst its shares are cheaper now, I still feel there is better value for money elsewhere in the sector.

The Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) share price has fallen 7% to $11.80 after the online travel agent advised that its auditor BDO Audit disagreed with a technical accounting matter relating to its financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2017. If BDO's methodology were applied to its full-year results, it would reduce EBITDA by $11.5 million. Today's decline could potentially be a buying opportunity in my opinion.

The post Why these 4 ASX shares are ending the week deep in the red appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.