Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping:

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

The EOS share price is down 5% to $9.13. This defence and space company's shares are falling today after it confirmed that its CEO, Dr Andreas Schwer, has sold shares as planned. It advised that on Thursday, Dr Schwer sold 1.5 million shares for an average of $9.28 per share. This equates to a total consideration of approximately $13.9 million. EOS notes that Dr Schwer still holds approximately 1.4 million shares in EOS. These are valued at approximately $12.7 million based on its current share price. The company's leader has "no intention to make further divestments before the next trading window which may open in mid-April 2026."

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

The Latitude share price is down 7% to 94 cents. This has been driven by the consumer finance company's shares going ex-dividend this morning. Last month, the company released its FY 2025 results and declared a final fully franked dividend of 5 cents per share. Eligible shareholders can look forward to receiving this payout next month on 21 April.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The Northern Star share price is down almost 3% to $18.46. This follows a pullback in the gold price overnight amid concerns that soaring energy prices could lead to higher inflation in the United States and send interest rates higher. This would be bad news for gold, which is a safe haven asset and popular when interest rates are low. The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is down 2% at the time of writing.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

The Rio Tinto share price is down almost 3% to $146.94. Investors have been selling miners on Friday following a drop in base metal prices overnight. According to CommSec, copper futures dropped 2.2% and hit three-month lows on concerns that surging oil prices could hit global economic growth. This has led to the S&P/ASX 200 Resources index falling 1.4% this afternoon.

The post Why EOS, Latitude, Northern Star, and Rio Tinto shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In order to receive a dividend, you must own the ASX share before its ex-dividend date.

As we've reported, some of the biggest dividend increases among ASX mining shares this season came from the gold miners.

Next week, two of them go ex-dividend.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares will pay a fully-franked interim dividend of 3 cents per share on 15 April.

This exceeds the company's commitment to pay a minimum annual dividend of 2 cents per share for FY26.

Ramelius Resources reported a 13% increase in EBITDA to $347.7 million but a 6% fall in net profit after tax (NPAT) to $160 million.

The ASX gold share goes ex-dividend on Monday.

Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) shares will pay a maiden fully franked interim dividend of 5 cents per share.

The gold miner reported a 130% jump in underlying NPAT to $144.8 million for 1H FY26.

The ASX gold share also goes ex-dividend on Monday.

Here is a sample of the other ASX All Ords shares with ex-dividend dates next week.

ASX shares about to go ex-dividend

The post 26 ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In a statement to the ASX on Friday morning the company said net profit was up 208% year-on-year to $94.4 million, and it had boosted its final dividend, from 3 cents per share to 5 cents per share.

Good growth across the board

The company said it had booked record new credit card spend and loan originations of $9.1 billion, up 10% year-on-year, with total application volumes up 13%, with 307,000 new customers acquired.

Latitude said it had also expanded its retail partner network across core categories, "including home furniture, personal electronics and whitegoods, adding new partners such as E&S Trading and Adairs Retail Group (Focus on Furniture and Mocka), and renewing key partnerships including Harvey Norman''.

Managing director Bob Belan said:

This is a solid result for the company, with FY25 cash NPAT of $105.1 million reflecting the strategic work undertaken over the past two and a half years to simplify and sharpen our focus on what we do best across our core markets. Record volumes of $9.1 billion drove receivables to $7.2 billion, their highest levels in five years. Importantly, net interest margins continued to improve, up 104bps YoY, reflecting targeted pricing initiatives and the benefit of lower funding costs. In the Money Division, new lending of $1.6 billion drove a 10% increase in receivables to a record $3.3 billion, while net interest margin expanded to 11.1% (+109bps YoY), supported by product enhancements, variable rate loan growth outperformance and broker distribution network expansion.

Mr Belan said the company's balance sheet was further strengthened during the year, with $1.5 billion in new term funding locked in, and $1.5 billion in private facilities refinanced at better terms.

He added:

The group's performance demonstrates the ability to achieve strong growth while maintaining margins, disciplined credit outcomes and operating efficiency, supporting sustainable long-term value creation.

Future looking bright

On the outlook the company said it expected to benefit from "strategic initiatives" implemented over the past year to focus on its core consumer segments.

The company said:

Latitude expects credit performance to remain within targeted ranges, underpinned by disciplined underwriting and active portfolio management, while continuing to reflect macro-economic conditions within its core markets. Strong and sustained profit performance and disciplined balance sheet management are expected to create the capacity to prudently return capital to shareholders.

Latitude shares were 6.6% higher in early trade at 93 cents.

The company was valued at $907.2 million at the close of trade on Thursday.

The post Latitude shares jump on surging profit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

With the August reporting season in the rearview mirror, dozens of companies have ex-dividend dates next week.

Here's a sample of the ASX shares going ex-dividend soon.

23 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week

How to make ex-div dates work for you

To receive an ASX company's next dividend, you must buy or already own the shares before the ex-dividend date.

If you're interested in buying a stock trading cum dividend, you have two options.

Buy it before the ex-dividend date, and earn a quick return with the upcoming dividend payment.

Alternatively, buy the stock on its ex-dividend date, when it will likely trade lower because the dividend entitlement is no longer attached.

We've seen examples of this recently, with CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares dropping 2.15% on their ex-dividend date.

TV network owner Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) plummeted 36% yesterday after going ex-dividend, too.

Sometimes there are exceptions, like we are seeing with WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares today.

The post 23 ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The definition of a market correction is a major index falling 10% from the most recent peak.

The ASX All Ords' most recent closing high was 8,825.1 points on 14 February.

Today, the All Ords is at 8,005.4 points, up 0.49% for the day and down 9.31% since the peak just one month ago.

The fall can be largely attributed to market uncertainty over how the US tariffs will impact global trade, economic growth, and inflation.

So, with capital growth prospects looking pretty grim right now, dividends may be at the forefront of investors' minds.

Following last month's earning season, a bunch of ASX shares will begin trading ex-dividend next week.

If you want to catch any of these dividend payments, you have to buy the relevant stock before it goes ex-dividend.

The Fool does not advocate buying ASX shares purely for their next dividend.

But if you've been watching any of these stocks for a while, and they pass your fundamental analysis test, then perhaps you might like to take advantage of market weakness and pick them up for a bit less while also qualifying for the next dividend payment.

So, here is a sample of ASX shares going ex-dividend next week.

21 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week

The post 21 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

With earnings season now over, we reveal nine ASX shares that delivered some of the best profit boosts.

You can review all our articles covering the earning reports of hundreds of ASX companies here.

9 ASX shares that revealed major profit increases

Here is a selection of ASX companies that reported some of the biggest profit growth of the season.

NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF)

In its FY24 report, the health insurer revealed a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $181.6 million, up 67.4%. This failed to impress investors, with the NIB share price diving 17.74% on the day the report was released.

Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING)

The poultry producer revealed an NPAT of $101.5 million, up 68% in its FY24 results. This also received a rough reception from investors, with the ASX consumer staples share tumbling 20.16% on the day.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ)

In its FY24 results, Macquarie Tech reported an NPAT of $33 million, up 86.5%. On the day of the release, the ASX technology share fell by 5.98%.

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL) 

In its FY24 results, the company reported a statutory net profit of $5 million, up more than 100% year over year. The Nuix share price rocketed 25.5% on the day of the news.

QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE)

In its half-year results, QBE reported an NPAT of US$802 million, which was 100% higher than last year. But investors were unenthused. The QBE share price fell 1.71% on the day of the report.

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

Latitude also reported half-year results last month. It revealed a cash NPAT of $27.4 million, up 140% on the prior corresponding period. The ASX financial share lost 1.71% in value on the day of the news.

McMillan Shakespeare Ltd (ASX: MMS) 

The company reported a statutory net profit spike of 158.5% to $83.5 million. But that wasn't enough to keep investors happy. The McMillan Shakespeare share price lost 3.77% in value on the day of the news.

RPM Automotive Group Ltd (ASX: RPM) 

In its FY24 results, the auto parts company revealed a 275% leap in net profit to $4.6 million, which was a record for them. Investors rewarded RPM Global with a 14.29% share price bump.

Bailador Technology Investments Ltd (ASX: BTI)

The technology-focused investment company reported an impressive 282% surge in NPAT in FY24 to $20.7 million. Enthusiastic investors pushed the Bailador Technology share price 2.56% higher on the day.

The post These 9 ASX shares revealed some of the biggest profit rises this earnings season appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The company said it had experienced strong volumes and increasing margins during the first half.

Let's take a look at the numbers.

Latitude share price in the red despite profit uplift

Here are the highlights of the report:

• Statutory profit after tax from continuing operations of $9 million, up $101.4 million on the prior corresponding period (pcp) of 1H FY23 and up $19.3 million on 2H FY23
• Cash net profit after tax (NPAT) of $27.4 million, up 140% on pcp and up 69% on 2H FY23
• Volumes rose to $4.1 billion, up 14% pcp and up 2% on 2H FY23
• Receivables of $6.4 billion, up 3% on pcp up 2% on 2H FY23
• Net interest margin of 10.1%, up 31 bps on pcp and up 31 bps on 2H FY23
• Cash operating expenses of $165 million
• No dividend to be paid

What else happened in 1H FY24?

Latitude said it gained 128,000 new customers in 1H FY24, a 26% increase from 1H FY23 and a 10% increase from 2H FY23. This was led by a strong rebound in personal lending.

The rebound followed a difficult period for the company, which was hit by a cyber attack in March 2023. The attack involved the theft of customers' personal information.

What did Latitude management say?

Latitude managing director and CEO Bob Belan said:

We are pleased with this solid first half result and the overall acceleration in momentum across Latitude reflecting the strategic choices made to sharpen our focus on the fundamentals in our core markets and segments.

Origination volumes grew strongly through 1H24, up 14% YoY, as we began realising the benefits of actions to streamline and strengthen Latitude after a challenging 2023.

Money Division volumes have surged to record levels supported by the contemporary lending technology that came with the acquisition of Symple in late 2021.

As a result, Latitude's Australian personal loans book has taken over the #2 segment share position in the country (based on receivables by brand).

In a presentation, Latitude said dividends would remain on hold "as we invest in growth and lift profitability".

What's next for Latitude Financial Group?

The company expects elevated demand for its products to drive sustained volume and receivables growth from here.

Management expects margins to expand as a result of pricing and funding initiatives and a pivot in the interest rate cycle.

However, Latitude acknowledged that cost-of-living pressures on consumers would continue to slowly drive delinquencies higher.

Latitude said it has the balance sheet strength, funding flexibility and risk settings to capitalise on opportunities as they arise.

Meantime, management said it would remain focused on cost discipline to manage inflationary impacts and support investments in strategic and growth initiatives.

Price snapshot for this ASX All Ords financial stock

The Latitude share price is down 3.36% over the past 12 months.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) is up 29%, and the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 11.65%.

The post Latitude share price falls despite 140% jump in profit during first half appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are falling:

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH)

The Fisher & Paykel Healthcare share price is down over 5% to $22.74. This morning, this medical device company released its full-year results and reported a sharp decline in earnings. Due largely to weakness in the hospital products segment, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's net profit after tax came in at NZ$250.3 million. This is a sizeable 34% (39% in constant currency) decline year over year.

Immutep Ltd (ASX: IMM)

The Immutep share price is down 12% to 33 cents. This morning, this biotechnology company released new data from a phase 2 trial evaluating eftilagimod alpha plus pembrolizumab in metastatic second line head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Investors may have been hoping for stronger data.

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

The Latitude share price is down almost 6% to $1.22. This follows the release of an update on a recent cyber attack. The consumer lender revealed that it will make a provision for costs associated with the cyber incident of approximately $53 million after tax. This provision is made up largely of remediation costs but does not include the potential for regulatory fines, class actions, or future system enhancements. The company doesn't expect to pay a dividend because of this.

Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI)

The Universal Store share price is down 5% to $2.99. Investors have been selling this youth fashion retailer's shares this week after the release of a surprisingly poor trading update. News of some insider buying hasn't even managed to stop the declines today.

The post Why Fisher & Paykel, Immutep, Latitude, and Universal Store shares are falling appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to build on this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rise on Monday despite a poor finish to last week on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 12 points or 0.15% higher this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones was down 0.4%, the S&P 500 fell 0.2%, and the NASDAQ dropped 0.35%.

Oil prices rise

ASX 200 energy shares such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a decent start to the week after oil prices rose on Friday. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was up 0.45% to US$82.52 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price rose 0.25% to US$86.31 a barrel. This was driven by news that the IEA is predicting record demand this year on the back of a recovery in Chinese consumption.

Coles caught up in Latitude cyberattack

The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price will be on watch on Monday after the supermarket giant confirmed that some of its customer data was stolen through the recent Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS) cyberattack. The company advised that historical Coles Credit Card holder data has been affected. However, Latitude has not yet advised Coles of the number of impacted customers or specific details of the breach.

Gold price sinks

ASX 200 gold shares including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a tough start to the week after the gold price sank on Friday night. According to CNBC, the spot gold price dropped 1.8% to $2,017.70 per ounce. This was caused by a rebounding US dollar on growing rate hike bets.

Evolution downgraded

The Evolution Mining share price could come under added pressure due to the release of a broker note out of Morgans. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the gold miner's shares to a hold rating with a $3.70 price target. The broker made the move on valuation grounds and due to its recent production guidance downgrade.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

A dividend yield is simply the last year of dividends compared to the share price, expressed in percentage terms.

It's rare to find dividend yields of more than 10%. Remember, the ultra-long-term average return of the share market is 10% per annum. Getting a 10% return with just dividends could be attractive, if the dividends continue at that level and earnings can sustain that payment.

However, some high yields could be dividend traps. This term implies that the next 12 months of dividends may not be as good as the last 12 months. With that in mind, here are three of the largest yields from ASX 200 dividend stocks. 

New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC)

New Hope is one of the largest coal ASX shares in Australia. It has capitalised on the higher price for thermal coal in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as nations looked for alternative sources of energy away from Russia.

The business has generated an enormous amount of profit over the past 12 months. In the FY23 half-year result, it generated $669 million of net profit after tax (NPAT), up 103%, and paid a total dividend per share of 40 cents. The last two dividends amount to a grossed-up dividend yield of 24%.

According to Commsec, the ASX 200 dividend stock is expected to pay a dividend of $1 in FY23, which will give a grossed-up dividend yield of 25%.

However, the dividend could fall in FY24 and FY25. The FY25 grossed-up dividend yield could be 17.7%. The dividend income could continue to be market-beating, but the dividend may not be as strong in the coming years.

So, is the New Hope share price a buy? I think it depends what the coal price is going to do, but that's hard to predict. It's certainly not a prediction that I'd want to make to base an investment decision on.

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

Latitude is an ASX financial share that offers a number of products including credit cards, personal lending, white label capabilities for retailers, and so on.

The Latitude share price is down around 35% since June 2022. While volumes have increased, the business is also dealing with much higher funding costs. That's partly why the FY22 second half continuing cash net profit after tax sank 37% to $60.5 million.

Latitude is now also dealing with a cybercrime incident that has led to the details of millions of customers being stolen.

The company's trailing grossed-up dividend yield is 14.6%. However, the FY23 grossed-up dividend yield is only meant to be 10%, according to Commsec. But, if the company can get through this difficult period, the dividend could then bounce back to 11 cents per share in FY24, which would represent a grossed-up dividend yield of 13.5%.

Such times of difficulty could be a good time to consider an ASX 200 dividend stock like this. The company could grow over the longer term. But, it's not the sort of business I'd buy for my own passive income-focused portfolio.

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

Magellan is a fund manager, but poor investment performance has meant that many investors have pulled out funds. This has resulted in lower funds under management (FUM), revenue, and earnings.

The last 12 months of dividends amount to a grossed-up dividend yield of around 18%. However, those payments were based on higher FUM. Magellan's FUM had dropped to $45.4 billion at 28 February 2023, with $0.8 billion of FUM outflows over the month.

Commsec estimates currently suggest the FY23 grossed-up dividend yield could be 12.7% and in FY24, it could be 9.4%.

In other words, at the moment, Magellan's dividend is expected to keep falling over the next few financial years.

If the ASX 200 dividend stock can turn its investment performance around for investors, then this could stop outflows and lead to growth of FUM, earnings, and dividends.

At this stage, I don't think Magellan is worth buying because outflows keep chipping away at the FUM.

The post 3 dividend stocks with the biggest ASX 200 yields. Time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping:

Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE)

The Lake Resources share price is down 11.5% to 42.5 cents. This follows news that the lithium developer's chairman, Stu Crow, has been selling shares. According to the release, Crow sold approximately $3.9 million worth of shares through on-market trades.

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

The Latitude share price is down 3% to $1.17. This morning, this non-bank lender released an update on its recent cybersecurity incident. Its latest update reveals that a forensic review has identified that approximately 7.9 million Australian and New Zealand driver licence numbers and approximately 53,000 passport numbers were stolen.

Synlait Milk Ltd (ASX: SM1)

The Synlait Milk share price is down almost 6% to $2.11. This follows the release of the dairy processor's half-year results this morning. Synlait had a tough half and reported an 83% decline in net profit after tax to NZ$4.8 million. This reflects operational stability and cost challenges, which have impacted its performance.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

The Woodside share price is down almost 3% to $31.63. This appears to have been driven by a pullback in oil prices on Friday night. Traders seem concerned that the banking crisis could spread and hurt economic growth and demand for oil. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy index is down almost 2% this afternoon.

The post Why Lake Resources, Latitude, Synlait, and Woodside shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping:

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

The Latitude share price is down 6% to $1.13. Investors have been selling this lender's shares after reporting a cybersecurity incident. This has led to over 300,000 customer documents being accessed, which includes approximately 100,000 copies of driving licences.

Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR)

The Myer share price is down 9.5% to 91 cents. This has been driven by the department store operator's shares trading ex-dividend today. Earlier this month, Myer released its interim results and reported the doubling of its profits. This allowed the Myer board to declare total dividends of 8 cents per share. This comprises a fully franked 4 cents per share dividend and a special fully franked 4 cents per share dividend.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)

The Regis Resources share price is down 5.5% to $1.78. Investors have been selling Regis Resources and other ASX gold mining shares today after the spot gold price pulled back. This follows improvements in investor sentiment, which reduced demand for the safe haven asset. In addition, traders may be concerned that the US Federal Reserve will raise rates again tonight.

Service Stream Ltd (ASX: SSM)

The Service Stream share price is down over 2% to 66.5 cents. Like Myer, this has also been driven by its shares going ex-dividend today. Last month, the integrated services provider released its half-year results and declared a fully franked 0.5 cents per share dividend. This will be paid to eligible shareholders on 6 April.

The post Why Latitude, Myer, Regis Resources, and Service Stream shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The financial services company has been absent for a few days now after a cybersecurity incident. But investors are now once again able to buy and sell Latitude shares on the market.

But it hasn't exactly been a glorious return. Latitude last traded at $1.20 a share back on Wednesday, 15 March. But upon its trading resumption this morning, this company opened at just $1.01 a share. That's a fall of 16%.

The company is doing considerably better at the time of writing, sitting at $1.11 per share. But that is still down a meaningful 7.88% on where the company closed at last week:

Let's check the latest.

Latitude shares return to the ASX following cyberattack

As we covered at the time, this suspension was due to a cyberattack that Latitude suffered last week. Back then, the company told investors that approximately 100,000 customers had had their personal identification documents accessed or stolen.

In response, Latitude requested an immediate trading halt, which was extended until today.

This morning, Lattitude told investors (and customers) the following:

We are continuing our forensic review to determine the full extent of the attack on Latitude and the amount of personal information stolen by the attacker.

While to the best of our knowledge no compromised data has left Latitude's systems since Thursday 16 March 2023, regrettably our review has uncovered further evidence of large-scale information theft affecting customers (past and present) and applicants across Australia and New Zealand.

Our people are working urgently to identify the total number of customers and applicants affected and the type of personal information that has been stolen. We appreciate how frustrating this latest development will be for our customers and we unreservedly apologise.

So it's almost certain this incident is behind the big falls in the Latitude share price that we've seen today. We saw a similar reaction from the markets after the cyber incident involving Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) last year.

No doubt investors will be hoping that the company can recover from this attack. But we shall have to wait and see what happens.

At the current Latitude share price, this ASX share has a market capitalisation of $1.12 billion.

The post Latitude shares are back on the ASX, but why are they falling 8% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That ASX All Ords stock is Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS), which is one of Australia's largest instalments and lending businesses.

What's happening to this ASX All Ords stock?

According to the release, Latitude detected unusual activity on its systems over the last few days that appears to be a sophisticated and malicious cyber-attack.

The company believes that the activity has originated from a major (unnamed) vendor used by Latitude.

And although the company took immediate action, the attacker was able to obtain Latitude employee login credentials before the incident was isolated. This has allowed the hacker to use the employee login credentials to steal personal information that was held by two other service providers.

What's the damage?

The release notes that, as things stand, Latitude understands that approximately 103,000 identification documents were stolen from the first service provider and approximately 225,000 customer records were stolen from the second service provider.

In respect to the identification documents, more than 97% of these documents are copies of drivers' licences. This means approximately 100,000 people have had their drivers' licences stolen.

What now?

Latitude has apologised for the breach and is taking immediate steps to contact impact customers.

Management advised that it is continuing to respond to the attack and is doing everything in its power to contain the incident and prevent the theft of further customer data. This includes isolating and removing access to some customer-facing and internal systems.

It is also working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre and has alerted relevant law enforcement agencies and engaged several cyber security specialists to assist with Latitude's response.

Sadly, it seems that some companies have not learned from the Optus and Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) attacks from last year.

The post Another ASX All Ords stock has just been halted amid a 'malicious' cyber attack. Here's the latest appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

An ASX dividend share offering a 10% or greater yield on one's cash is a compelling proposition. We only found out this week that Australia's annual inflation rate is running at 6.9%. This technically means that if a dividend yield is under that threshold, the payments alone are not keeping your returns above breakeven.

So a 10% yielder is looking pretty good on that basis.

But finding high-yield ASX dividend shares is a bit of a risky business. There are plenty out there, to be sure. But if an ASX dividend share is offering a trailing yield above 10%, it's a sign that an investor might have to be wary. A company's trailing dividend yield reflects the past, not the future.

And if the share market lets a share trade with a trailing yield of more than 10%, it can often mean that many investors aren't expecting the dividends to continue at that level.

Otherwise, there would be more buyers, pushing the yield lower. So, always take a high dividend yield with a grain of salt.

But we digress. Here are 10 ASX dividend shares offering a dividend yield above 10% right now. The data comes from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

10 ASX shares with dividend yields over 10% today

Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ)

Smartgroup has paid out 66 cents per share in dividends over the past 12 months. That includes the March special dividend of 30 cents per share. This gives Smartgroup a trailing dividend yield of 12.6% right now.

Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH)

Gaming services provider Tabcorp has doled out payments worth a collective 13 cents per share this year. That gives Tabcorp a trailing yield of 12.42% at current pricing. But keep in mind that Tabcorp spun out Lottery Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLC) earlier this year, so this could affect Tabcorp's future dividend levels.

Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)

ASX coal share Yancoal is next up. This coal company has rained cash on its shareholders this year. It has doled out $1.03 in ordinary dividends per share, as well as a special dividend of 20.4 cents, for a total of $1.23 in dividends per share for 2022. That translates to a trailing dividend yield of 17.56% for just the ordinary dividends, and a whopping 21%, including the special dividend.

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

ASX fund manager Magellan is another high-yielding share right now. This company has rolled out a total of $1.79 in dividends per share this year. At Magellan's current share price, that is worth a trailing yield of 18.34%

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

Financial services company Latitude is another relative newcomer to the ASX, having only listed in April last year. But it has certainly hit the ground running when it comes to dividend payments. Latitude has funded a total of 15.7 cents per share in dividends in 29022. That gives the ASX financial share a trailing yield of 11.89% right now.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

Fortescue is one of the ASX's more well-known dividend payers these days. And over 2022, Fortescue did not disappoint in this regard. Investors have enjoyed a total of $2.07 in dividend payments per share this year. That gives Fortescue a trailing yield of 10.51% today.

Base Resources Ltd (ASX: BSE)

Mineral sands producer Base Resources is next. This company has given investors two dividends worth 3 cents per share each over 2022. On today's share price of 21 cents, that equates to a trailing yield of a whopping 28.57%

SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Resources ETF (ASX: OZR)

This exchange-traded fund (ETF) has had a top year when it comes to distribution payouts. This fund, as its name implies, holds a basket of ASX resources shares. So you can understand why it has been able to make its investors very happy in this regard. Investors have enjoyed payments worth a total of $2.08 per unit this year. That gives this ETF a trailing yield of 14.54% on today's pricing

Regal Investment Fund (ASX: RF1)

Listed investment trust Regal is another dividend share with an enviable yield. Investors have enjoyed distributions worth 39.56 cents per unit over the past 12 months. That gives the Regal Investment Fund a trailing distribution yield of 12.21%.

SPDR MSCI Australia Select High Dividend Yield ETF (ASX: SYI)

Our final share to check out today is another ETF. As its name implies, this fund from SPDR focuses on holding a basket of high-yield dividend shares. It pays distributions quarterly, which, over the past 12 months, totals $4.29 per unit. On the current unit price of $27.95, that gives this ETF a trailing yield of 15.35%.

The post 10 ASX dividend shares paying more than 10% yield right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HNV) and Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS) are facing the regulator's wrath.

It's suing the pair in Federal Court over advertisements promoting "no deposit", "interest free" payment methods over a specified period.

ASIC alleges the companies didn't disclose that consumers could only access the payment method using a Latitude GO Mastercard, which would incur hundreds of dollars worth of fees.

Let's take a closer look at the legal action brought about against the All Ordinaries icons.

All Ordinaries constituents face ASIC's wrath

The securities and investments watchdog is suing Harvey Norman and Latitude over their advertisement of 'zero interest' payment options.

ASIC deputy chair Sarah Court commented on the suit, saying:

ASIC is concerned the advertising did not provide consumers with the full picture, that they could only use the interest free payment method by applying for and using certain Latitude credit cards.

These credit cards, ASIC alleges, attracted substantial fees over the course of the 60-month payment term, and exposed consumers to the risks of incurring further debts and charges, as well as potentially affecting their credit rating.

The regulator states customers who signed up to the GO Mastercard from March 2021 until August 2021 and followed the advertised payment method to tee would face fees of at least $537.

The GO Mastercard is only available from Harvey Norman franchisees' stores and Harvey Norman and Latitude's respective websites. ASIC says the two All Ordinaries companies saw "significant revenues" from the offering.

Latitude responded to the regulator's legal action, saying in a statement:

The allegations relate to historic advertisements that ran between 1 January 2020 and 11 August 2021.

Latitude takes these allegations very seriously and has worked cooperatively with ASIC during its investigation.

Harvey Norman also responded to the allegations:

Harvey Norman intends to defend the proceedings commenced against it by ASIC.

ASIC is seeking declarations, pecuniary penalties, injunctions, and other orders against Latitude and Harvey Norman. The date for the first hearing is yet to be scheduled. 

The post Why is ASIC suing these 2 ASX All Ordinaries companies? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

BHP shares have already past their ex-dividend date, so these dividends are no longer on the table.

But there are other companies in the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) that are yet to turn ex-dividend.

In particular, two ASX All Ords shares will be going ex-dividend on Friday. Since the ASX is closed tomorrow, today will be the final day to pick up the latest dividends from these ASX All Ords shares.

Both of these ASX All Ords shares are flashing sizeable trailing dividend yields. So, don't be surprised to see their share prices in the red on Friday as the value of their respective dividends leaves their share prices.

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

First up, consumer finance business Latitude will be trading on Friday without a fully franked interim dividend of 7.85 cents per share.

Investors on the company's share registry when the market closes today should receive this payment on 26 October.

Alternatively, shareholders have the option to forgo this cash payment in favour of participating in the company's dividend reinvestment plan (DRP). Those who wish to participate must elect to do so by 27 September.

The market doesn't appear pleased with Latitude's first-half 2022 results, with shares down 9% in the last month.

Volumes came in at $3.7 billion, up 2% from the prior corresponding period (pcp) of 1H21, led by the personal and auto loans divisions.

Risk-adjusted income fell by 70 basis points from the pcp to 9.46%, weighed down by lower product pricing and higher funding costs. 

Given that Latitude makes the bulk of its revenue from interest on its products, other challenges during the half included excess consumer savings and elevated repayment rates.

Overall, the company's cash net profit after tax (NPAT) dropped by 11% on the pcp to $93 million. On a statutory basis, which includes non-cash items such as amortisation and impairments, NPAT tumbled 66% to $31 million.

Despite the reduction in profits, Latitude held its interim dividend steady at 7.85 cents. This is in line with the company's last two (and only) dividend payments since listing in mid-2021.

This means that Latitude shares are currently spinning up a sizeable trailing dividend yield of 11.5%. Including franking credits, this yield cranks up to 16.4%.

However, broker Macquarie believes Latitude could slash its dividends in the future, forecasting FY23 dividends of 8 cents per share. Based on current prices, this equates to a prospective forward dividend yield of 5.8%.

BSP Financial Group Ltd (ASX: BFL)

Also going ex-dividend on Friday is BSP Financial, the leading bank in the South Pacific.

Like Latitude, BSP recently released its first-half 2022 results. The group cut its unfranked interim dividend by 13% to 34 Papua New Guinean Kina (K).

ASX investors will receive this dividend in Aussie dollars on 14 October. 

The exchange rate will be finalised next week. But based on current spot prices, this dividend could land at around 14 Australian cents. 

Economic conditions in BSP's markets improved in 1H22, leading to a 13% lift in net operating income to K1,144 million. More specifically, this was driven by increased lending activities in Papua New Guinea and Fiji, and higher transactional volumes now that borders have re-opened.

On the bottom line, BSP delivered 30% growth in underlying NPAT, which reached K586 million. However, the company was slugged with an additional company tax of K190 million as part of new legislation that came into effect earlier this year. 

BSP has filed an application to the Supreme Court to declare the additional company tax unconstitutional and invalid.

Circling back to dividends, we'll have to wait for the confirmed exchange rate next week. But BSP Financial shares could be trading on a trailing 12-month dividend yield of around 13% at current levels.  

That said, between fluctuating exchange rates, foreign operations, and a different regulatory environment, BSP shares could be more complicated than your ordinary ASX investment.

The post 2 high-yielding ASX All Ords shares trading ex-dividend on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the financial services provider's shares are down 0.63% to $1.58 apiece.

What did the company report?

• Statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $30.6 million, down 57% half-on-half and down 66% year-on-year (YoY)
• Cash net profit after tax of $93 million, down 11% YoY
• Total operating income of $370.4 million, down 9% YoY
• Dividend remains the same as 2H21 and 1H21 — 7.85 cents per share fully franked
• Managing director and chief executive Ahmed Fahour to retire by the end of August 2023 after more than four years in the position

What else happened in 1H22?

The major event for Latitude during the half-year was its attempted acquisition of the buy now, pay later business of Humm Group Ltd (ASX: HUM).

The $250 million proposal was ultimately mutually terminated. While neither party officially put up a reason for backing out, the business' poor performance updates likely didn't help.

The market consensus seemed to be that Latitude dodged a bullet. The Latitude share price rocketed up after the cancellation of the deal, while Humm's valuation plummeted.

Earlier this month, which was well after the first half ended, Latitude sold its insurance arm Hallmark to St Andrew Insurance Group.

What did management say?

Fahour said of the first-half result:

The cash NPAT result of $93 million, which is above consensus forecast, and our strong underlying balance sheet highlight Latitude's competitive and strategic advantage at a time of economic uncertainty. We have positioned the business to take advantage of the growth opportunities that we believe will emerge in the next 12-18 months. 

He then said of his departure:

While this is a difficult decision, after four years as CEO, now is the right time to prepare for my departure next year and support the Board as it plans for my succession as chief executive.

Getting Latitude ready for life as a public company and then realising that goal during a global pandemic with last year's IPO is something that I am particularly proud of.

What's next?

Latitude declined to give specific guidance for the second half and the full year.

However, the board stated:

Despite increased funding costs with the sharp rise in official interest rates in Australia and New Zealand, product re-pricing and other implemented measures will help offset the impact on margins. 

Latitude will gain further benefits from the full integration of Symple Loans, the growth in travel, cost discipline and productivity increases.

While unemployment remains low, Latitude anticipates delinquencies to stay below historical levels and it will persist with a prudent approach to credit underwriting. Receivables growth should be less affected by elevated repayments as higher cash rates erode excess consumer savings and governments end COVID-related financial assistance. Latitude's instalments business will also benefit as the higher cash rate adds to the attraction of its 'interest free' proposition. 

Latitude Group share price snapshot

The Latitude share price has dipped more than 20% this year to date.

However, it has rallied nicely from its 23 June trough, having put on more than 47% since then.

The dividend yield currently sits at an eye-popping 9.9%.

The post Latitude share price slides as CEO exits, profit plunges appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's a quick summary of what to expect today so you have a jump on the market.

ASX shares slated to report today (smallest to largest)

Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING), $1.10 billion

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS), $1.65 billion

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL), $5.49 billion

Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY), $5.59 billion

Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP), $9.10 billion

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG), $12.46 billion

Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), $14.09 billion

Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM), $16.67 billion

(Market capitalisations as of 18 August 2022)

What to expect

Plenty of eyes will be on energy retailer AGL Energy today after a disastrous full-year result from Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) yesterday. Shocking the market, AGL's competitor revealed a considerable $1.43 billion loss for FY22.

However, analysts are suspecting AGL will fare better with its own financials. Estimates from Bloomberg have the company's net profit after tax (NPAT) pegged at $323.8 million.

Another ASX share packaging up its full-year numbers for today is hearing solutions company, Cochlear. Analysts at Citi expect NPAT to come in at $299 million. This figure would represent a nearly 9% reduction in its statutory earnings from the prior year.

No doubt Latitude will pique the interest of those interested in the buy now, pay later space. The financial solutions provider is set to release its half-year results today following an outstanding performance from fellow BNPL company, Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) yesterday.

Lastly, investors will be dialing in today to hear how teleco giant TPG has performed in the latest half. Estimates are suggesting a dividend of 9 cents per share is possible.

Don't forget to check back in throughout the day to see all the latest results from your favourite ASX shares.

The post Earnings preview: Here's which ASX shares are reporting today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) led the way today, gaining more than 3%.

It was driven higher by Link Administration Holdings Ltd (ASX: LNK)'s recommended $4.81 per share takeover bid and the surging Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) share price.

On the other end of the spectrum was the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ). It slumped almost 3% amid falling oil prices and results from some of the sector's biggest players.

Shares in both Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) slipped despite the companies posting seemingly strong earnings for the June quarter. Readers can find Santos' latest earnings here and Woodside's here.

The Brent crude oil price fell 0.4% to US$106.92 a barrel overnight, while the US Nymex crude price dropped 1.9% to US$102.26 a barrel.

All in all, seven of the ASX 200's 11 sectors were in the green at market close. But which shares posted the biggest gains? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX shares countdown

And the top-performing share in the ASX's 200 biggest companies by market capitalisation is, of course, Link Administration.

Coming in second best is Liontown Resources Limited (ASX: LTR). The company's share price has been on a roll lately, gaining around 26% over the last 30 days. Find out what the lithium stock has been up to here.

Today's biggest gains were made by these ASX shares:

Data as at 4.30pm AEST.

Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

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