The prospect of rising inflation, however, still looms large. So the market's appetite for ASX cash-eating machines is definitely not what it once was.

So how can investors get on board the growth train whilst minimising their risk exposure? The answer is to do a little homework on the growth stocks you'd like to buy before diving in.

Our Foolish writers have done some homework of their own and these are the ASX growth shares they reckon are well worth a look at in February:

6 best ASX growth shares for February 2023 (smallest to largest)

Vmoto Ltd (ASX: VMT), $103.52 million

IkeGPS Group Ltd (ASX: IKE), $151.75 million

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK), $624.96 million

Johns Lyng Group Ltd (ASX: JLG), $1.51 billion

Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP), $6.44 billion

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL), $23.92 billion

(Market capitalisations as at market close on 7 February 2023)

Why our Foolish writers love these ASX growth stocks

Vmoto Ltd

What it does: Vmoto manufactures and sells scooters worldwide, with a strong focus on electric-powered, two-wheel vehicles.

By Bernd Struben: Vmoto's e-scooters aren't like the rentals you see on urban footpaths. Rather, they are high-quality products, even suitable for commercial use.

With the world moving towards zero emissions, I believe the electric scooter phenomenon is likely only in its early days. And, in my opinion, this makes Vmoto a promising ASX growth share.

The Vmoto share price is down by around 12% in 2023, which could represent a good buying opportunity. And, I believe the market appears to have underappreciated some strong Q4 2022 figures.

These included a 19% increase in total units sold from FY21 and a 58% increase from FY20. As at 31 December, the company had a net cash position of $28 million, with no bank debt.

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben does not own shares in Vmoto Ltd.

IkeGPS Group Ltd

What it does: Based in New Zealand, Ike predominantly services customers located in North America with software and hardware solutions that help collect, analyse, and manage assets associated with electricity and communication networks.

By Mitchell Lawler: The growth companies that get me really excited are the ones operating in traditionally stagnant and 'boring' industries. These are often enormous, mature markets that are ripe for innovation.

IkeGPS brings cloud-based software to utility providers – making power pole assessment faster, safer, and easier. The offering is clearly a success with its customers, with Tuesday's third-quarter update showing a 134% increase in year-to-date revenue to $23.3 million.

I believe the economics of the business are highly attractive. Namely, the 'platform transactions' and 'platform subscriptions' revenue streams.

As Ike continues to roll out its offering, I think the small marginal cost of providing the software to more customers means this company could be extremely profitable in the future. Not to mention the massive tailwinds associated with the deployment of 5G and maintenance of aging infrastructure.

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler does not own shares in IkeGPS Group Ltd.

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF

What it does: This exchange-traded fund (ETF) invests in a basket of global shares all involved in the cybersecurity industry.

By Sebastian Bowen: When I put my mind to thinking about which trends might be growth engines of the next decade, cybersecurity tops my list. Last year was a potent reminder of the importance of cybersecurity in our increasingly digital world.

It's pretty obvious that companies, individuals, and governments will all be paying plenty of cash for the foreseeable future to secure both their own and their customers' data.

The BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF is, I believe, a perfect way to capitalise on this long-term tailwind. The fund holds some of the top cybersecurity companies in the world, including names like Fortinet, Cisco, Okta, and CrowdStrike.

As of 31 December, this ETF had returned an average of 14.15% per annum since its inception in 2016. With cybersecurity growing ever more important, I think there is a good chance this stellar performance track record can continue in 2023 and beyond

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen does not own units of the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF.

Johns Lyng Group Ltd

What it does: The company describes itself as an integrated building services group that delivers building and restoration services across Australia and the US. The core business is rebuilding and restoring properties and contents after damage from insured events, including impact, weather, and fire events.

Johns Lyng's client base includes major insurance companies, commercial businesses, local and state governments, body corporate/owner corporations, and retail customers.

By Tristan Harrison: The Johns Lyng share price has dropped close to 20% since early December and more than 30% since April.

That's despite the company projecting that its FY23 business-as-usual (BaU) revenue will rise by 27% to $930 million, and its FY23 BaU earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) will increase by 43% to $93 million.

I think these numbers demonstrate that profit is scaling faster than revenue, with rising margins – an attractive feature.

I believe Johns Lyng is executing well on expanding its presence in Australia and the US. It is also growing its bolt-on services. Plus, it's a beneficiary of the unfortunate increase in more costly climate impacts, such as the floods in Victoria and NSW last year.

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison does not own shares of Johns Lyng Group Ltd.

Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd

What it does: Domino's is a fast-food staple around the globe. It operates a network of more than 3,100 stores across 10 countries and has plans to continue growing its slice of the pizza pie in the years to come.

By Brooke Cooper: When I look for growth shares, I aim to seek out companies I think are capable of growth in nearly all economic environments. I believe Domino's fits that bill.

The company operates in the discretionary space, and the 'affordable' end at that.

While its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is relatively high right now – at around 39 times – I think the pizza chain's intended growth trajectory is worth it.

Domino's grew its footprint by 450 stores in FY22 and plans to better that in FY23. And I'm not alone in my bullishness.

Morgans has slapped the stock with a $90 price target – a potential 25% upside at the time of writing.

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper does not own shares of Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd.

Aristocrat Leisure Limited

What it does: Aristocrat Leisure is a gaming technology company that owns a portfolio of industry-leading poker machines and digital games.

By James Mickleboro: My ASX growth share to buy this month is ASX 200-listed Aristocrat Leisure.

I believe the gaming technology company is well-positioned to deliver solid, long-term growth thanks to its leadership position in a growing market, its recent expansion into the potentially lucrative real-money gaming sector, and its very strong balance sheet.

With the company sitting on a mountain of cash right now, it has the opportunity to potentially boost growth with earnings-accretive acquisitions or return funds to shareholders via buybacks.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro does not own shares of Aristocrat Leisure Limited.

The post Top ASX growth shares to buy in February 2023 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At market close, the electric-powered scooter manufacturer's shares were up 9.52% to 46 cents apiece. That's after hitting an intraday high of 49 cents this morning.

Vmoto continues to accelerate sales growth at a rapid pace

The Vmoto share price pushed higher after investors digested the company's latest announcement.

According to its release, Vmoto advised it has sped up its international strategy, delivering record sales units to key markets.

In total, more than 30,000 units were sold in FY21, representing a significant 27.4% increase on the prior corresponding period.

As a result, the company expects to achieve FY21 net profit after tax (NPAT) between $7.5 million and $7.8 million. Notably, this will be the largest net profit ever recorded in Vmoto's history. To put this into perspective, NPAT stood at $3.7 million for the 2020 financial year.

The company highlighted that it had completed a number of operational and commercial milestones in FY21. This included generating positive operational cash flows leading to a strong cash positive with no bank debt.

Furthermore, Vmoto's presence also expanded as more international B2C (business to consumer) distributors were secured, bringing the total to 58 across 62 countries. Its B2B (business to business) operations also grew through the use of increased popularity in delivery and ride-sharing services.

Vmoto managing director, Charles Chen commented:

I am delighted to announce we will deliver a significant increase in NPAT for this financial year when compared to 2020.

We remain confident the underlying fundamentals of the business will continue to deliver strong growth throughout key international markets. We are also extremely excited to have launched the new Vmoto premium brand and products having worked alongside a number of top industrial design partners in Europe to bring a wider range of products to the international markets.

Quick take on Vmoto

Vmoto Limited is a leading global scooter manufacturer and distribution group specialising in electric powered two-wheel vehicles. Vmoto's electric-powered two-wheel vehicle products have chic European design and German engineering.

Last year, Vmoto undertook an extensive strategic review of operations with the intention of simplifying the company's structure. This allowed management to focus on international sales and marketing of electric two-wheel vehicle products.

Vmoto share price summary

It's been a sound year for Vmoto shareholders, having gained around 15% in the last 12 months of trading. However, the company's shares have started 2022 on a positive note and are up more than 8% to date.

In the last month, the Vmoto share price regained support and climbed by more than 17%, despite no new updates from the company.

Based on today's price, Vmoto has a market capitalisation of around $130 million and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.14.

The post Here's why the Vmoto (ASX:VMT) share price is powering ahead by 10% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the electric-powered scooter manufacturer's shares are up 2.74% at 37.5 cents, after earlier reaching an intraday high of 39 cents.

What's driving the Vmoto share price higher?

Investors appear pleased with the company's latest release, sending Vmoto shares higher.

According to the announcement, Vmoto stated it delivered strong operational and commercial performance for the second quarter of FY21.

For the 3 months ending 30 June, the company achieved sales of 7,854 units, reflecting a 23% increase on the prior corresponding period. International sales accounted for 7,503 units with Vmoto experiencing strong momentum in overseas markets. Surprisingly, just under 5% of units were sold in China, indicating significant growth runway.

The company declared a healthy cash balance of $16.7 million with no bank debt. The group noted that the strong cash position allows it to pursue revenue-generating initiatives.

In addition, Vmoto recorded 9,636 units on its order book. This comes after the company secured and delivered the 5,904 units to Greenmo Group during the first half of FY21.

Pleasingly, the company expects sales to continue to increase from both new and existing customers in H2 FY21.

A number of international distributors were appointed for the warehousing, distribution, and marketing of its B2C range of electric vehicles. These included distributors across Indonesia, Mauritius, Bolivia, Czech Republic, Brazil, Cayman Islands, and Azerbaijan.

Vmoto also supplied samples and is engaged in discussions with potential B2B and B2C distributors and customers around the world. Its biggest markets could be Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and the United States, along with others.

About the Vmoto share price

It's been a volatile 12 months for Vmoto shares, down almost 22%. The company's share price appears to have been hampered by the ongoing impact of COVID-19, forcing restrictions on movement.

At today's price, Vmoto has a market capitalisation of around $104 million with approximately 278 million shares on issue.

The post Why the Vmoto (ASX:VMT) share price is scooting today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Despite a couple of lifts this morning, shares in the electric scooter company are currently back where they started, trading at 44 cents. For comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.03%.

Let's take a closer look at what's happening with the Vmoto share price.

Sales performance

For the first quarter ended 31 March 2021 (1Q21), Vmoto reported strong sales growth. The company sold 42% more units than in the first quarter of 2020, bringing its total to 5,869. Of these, 5,636 were sold into international markets with 233 specifically sold into China.

The company advised the sales were in line with its expectations and reflected seasonality across Europe and China.

The strong sales performance also led to positive operating cash flows for the first quarter. The company expects this to continue with firm international orders of 10,702 units as of March 31.

Furthermore, it has appointed new distributors to boost the number of international orders. They have shared ongoing discussions and samples with a significant number of potential new customers.

Looking ahead

Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vmoto said it was confident in the strength of its global growth strategy. As a result, the company expects to deliver similar levels of growth for the 2021 financial year. As stated in its release:

Vmoto continues to execute on its strategy of selling high performance and value electric two-wheel vehicles into international markets and continues to build both its B2B and B2C distribution network worldwide.

In addition, Vmoto intends to continue developing its product suite, with $15.8 million in the bank to fund growth and no bank debt on its books.

Pushing into the future, the electric scooter company believes it has significant tailwinds. As stated by the company, this is "thanks, in large due to the global focus on mitigating the effects of climate change" and the consequential push towards electric vehicles.

About the Vmoto share price

While the Vmoto share price is trading flat today, the company has undergone a phenomenal year of growth. In the last year alone, its shares are up 193.33%.

The post What's with the Vmoto (ASX:VMT) share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Let's take a look at what's driving the electric-powered scooter manufacturer's shares higher.

What did Vmoto announce?

The Vmoto share price is racing higher as investors weigh the potential market opportunity from the company's latest update.

According to its release, Vmoto has entered an MoU with one of India's largest travel technology companies, the Bird Group.

The MoU will see Vmoto work towards granting Bird Group an exclusive distribution agreement in India. This will involve the export of Vmoto's two-wheel electric vehicle products, the CUX, and its newest line-up, the CUmini model.

Bird Group will purchase 20 units of the CUmini model to take part in a trial. In further news boosting the Vmoto share price, this will see Bird Group set up in pole position to bid for a government-led ride-sharing project in New Delhi, India.

Should all go to plan, Bird Group will purchase a minimum amount of 10,000 units within the first year. This would generate revenue for Vmoto of around $13.8 million for the initial order alone.

The electric vehicle market for India is expected to significantly increase over the next several years, with consumers opting for clean and sustainable mobility. In a research piece from arizton.com, the Indian two-wheel vehicle market size is forecast to reach US$750 million by 2025. Over a 9-year period from 2011 to 2020, statistics showed that internal combustion engine (ICE) two-wheeler sales in India hit 162.2 million units.

The Indian Government is known to strongly support consumers adopting the use of electric vehicles as opposed to ICE two-wheelers. Considered a more environmentally friendly alternative, current policies enacted have aimed to accelerate the transition to their use. These include subsidies, stringent emission regulations and the proposed banning of ICE two-wheel vehicles.

What did the managing director say?

Vmoto's managing director Mr Charles Chen commented:

We identified Bird Group as an ideal partner for Vmoto within the Indian market, due to the size and scale of its reach and operations.

We have been in discussions with Bird Group for quite some time and are confident this MOU represents the first step in establishing a long-term successful business relationship. India is a market we have been researching heavily over the last 12 months and we believe our expansion into this market will be a tremendous success, with the potential to deliver exceptional growth over the coming years.

About the Vmoto share price

The Vmoto share price has gained more than 190% over the last 12-months. Year to date, the company's shares have lifted by around 9%.

Based on the current share price, Vmoto commands a market capitalisation of around $114 million.

The post Vmoto (ASX:VMT) share price rockets 15% on 'enormous opportunity' appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the electric-powered scooter manufacturer's shares are down 2.1% to 46.5 cents after slipping 5% lower in the early afternoon.

Let's take a closer look at what the company updated the market with.

New electric vehicle line-up

In today's release, Vmoto advised that it has launched 3 new electric two-wheel vehicle models aimed towards the consumer market. These are the new TS model, the new TC model, and the CUmini model.

Vmoto unveiled all three models to the public on Tuesday this week at the 2021 Vmoto Soco World Premiere in Milan, Italy. The product launch event was attended by Jorge Lorenzo, a five times MotoGP world champion.

Vmoto highlighted that the rollout of the new electric scooter models demonstrated its commitment to becoming a leading global manufacturer. The adoption of battery-powered vehicles has surged in recent years, with European customers at the forefront of the change.

The launched models are available for order and will be distributed directly to customers through Vmoto's existing distribution channels. The company ships to more than 50 countries across 4 continents: Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.

What did the managing director say?

Vmoto managing director Charles Chen welcomed the new additions to the Vmoto family. He said:

I am delighted to announce the launch of three new B2C models, which have been more than one year in the making. 2020 has been a landmark year for the company's growth.

We continue to deliver excellent results operationally and commercially. We are confident that the release of these three new superior electrics two-wheel vehicle B2C products will ensure our growth continues during the next year and beyond.

Vmoto share price snapshot

The Vmoto share price has accelerated in the past 12 months, gaining more than 75% for investors. The company's shares took a small but brief dip in March last year, hitting a low of 11 cents. Since then, its shares rebounded to move on an upwards growth trajectory.

Based on the current share price, Vmoto commands a market capitalisation of around $129 million.

The post Vmoto (ASX:VMT) share price slips despite positive update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This comes despite a relatively positive update from the global electric vehicle company on its fourth quarter 2020 activities (quarter ending 31 December).

It also comes as the wider All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is following US and European markets sharply lower, currently down 1.2%.

What did Vmoto report in its fourth quarter results?

In an announcement to the ASX this morning, the electric scooter manufacturer revealed strong performance, crediting its business to business (B2B) products for helping drive an increase in demand for its products.

The 6,028 units sold in the fourth quarter were consistent with Vmoto's expectations. Total units sold in the 2020 financial year reached 23,547 units. That's an increase of 18% from the previous financial year and up 117% from the 2018 financial year.

International sales also reached new records, with the 21,416 units sold representing a 24% increase from the previous financial year.

Vmoto reported it is currently has 7 ride sharing operators globally as clients, while it is negotiating with 14 other ride sharing operators. It is also supplying products to 12 delivery customers with 13 potential new deliver customers in the pipeline.

The company reported it had no bank debt as at 31 December with a net cash position of $15 million. That's up from just under $7 million net cash held on 31 December 2019.

Looking ahead, Vmoto reported that it has 11,000 international orders held, which it expects will provide a "runway for a strong year of sales" for the year ahead.

The company is also optimistic about its European market, writing:

With the European governments' initiatives to encourage consumers to adopt electric vehicles and the impacts from COVID-19 on personal and public transportation, the company believes it is well positioned to benefit over both the short and longer term.

Vmoto share price snapshot

The ASX's only two-wheeled electric vehicle manufacturer had a strong start to the year. Even with this morning's 8.7% loss taken on board, the Vmoto share price is still up 9.3% in 2021. That compares to a 2.5% loss for the All Ords.

Over the past 12 months, Vmoto's share price is up 68%. The company has a market cap of $142 million.

The post The Vmoto share price tumbles 9% despite some positive sales figures appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Based in Europe, Greenmo Group provides electric vehicles to rent for food and parcel delivery companies. The business has seen explosive growth in the environmentally friendly vehicle market.

During early afternoon trade, the Vmoto share price is up 15.8% to 47.5 cents.

What's pushing the Vmoto share price higher?

Vmoto advised it has received an order of 5,904 electric scooters to manufacture for Greenmo. The contract, valued at $13 million, reflects the growing demand for environmentally friendly transport across Europe, which Greenmo aims to capture.

The rollout of the electric scooters is expected to complement Greenmo's subsidiary, Go Sharing, which is a company that offers electric scooters rental services through its ride-sharing mobile application. The app allows users to locate, ride and return electric scooters to a number of locations.

The delivery of all 5,904 units is due to be completed within the first quarter of the financial year. The purchase represents a repeat order from Greenmo and Vmoto anticipates additional contracts will flow throughout FY21.

The company highlighted that it is progressing its international B2B sales strategy, which it considers as a large market opportunity. Vmoto revealed that its currently in negotiations with several existing and potential B2B customers to supply samples and complete trials.

Because of its zero carbon emissions, the company highlights that its strategy is supported by a number of initiatives from European governments that aim to boost electric vehicle adoption. It also noted that COVID-19 has heavily impacted public transportation, and sees its services as a way forward, post-pandemic.

Management comments

Vmoto managing director Mr Charles Chen welcomed the deal, saying:

We are very delighted to have secured this further significant order of 5,904 units from Greenmo Group. Greenmo Group, including GO Sharing, continues to grow from strength to strength in the Netherlands and beyond, having entered Turkey, Belgium, Germany and Austria as part of their aggressive global expansion plans.

Greenmo Group has been Vmoto's partner for more than five years and we are excited to participate in Greenmo Group's significant growth as their preferred electric scooter supplier for their ride-share and rental delivery offerings. We look forward to growing hand in hand together with Greenmo Group and expect to receive further significant orders from Greenmo in 2021 and beyond.

The post Why the Vmoto (ASX:VMT) share price has soared 15% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.3% to 6,900 points.

Quick take on Vmoto

Vmoto is a leading global scooter manufacturer and distribution group specialising in electric powered, two-wheel vehicles. According to the company, its products have chic European design and German engineering.

Vmoto is also involved in the manufacture and distribution of petrol scooters and four-wheel all-terrain vehicles.

During the year, Vmoto undertook an extensive strategic review of operations with the intention of simplifying the company's structure. This allowed management to focus on international sales and marketing of its electric two-wheel vehicle products.

What's driving the Vmoto share price?

The Vmoto share price is today surging higher after the company advised that, despite challenging market conditions, it has sped up execution of its international strategy. In light of this, Vmoto is projecting to record a net profit after tax between $3.2 million to $3.4 million. The forecast FY20 result will significantly eclipse FY19's net profit after tax of $1.3 million.

Vmoto highlighted a number of milestone accomplishments throughout the year that will contribute to the underlying financial performance. These included:

• Receiving committed orders of 4,300 units from strategic ride-share customer, Go Sharing.
• Securing additional international distributors to a total of 50 international B2C distributors across 62 countries.
• Achieving strong growth across B2B operations, through the use of increased popularity in delivery and ride-sharing services.

Managing director commentary

Mr Charles Chen, Vmoto's managing director, commented on the company's financial performance, saying:

I am delighted to announce we will deliver a significant increase in NPAT for this financial year when compared to 2019. The COVID-19 outbreak has provided great uncertainty and disruption for businesses globally but we are agile and responded quickly by making small changes to our international strategy, which has proven to be incredibly fruitful.

We look forward to continuing this growth trajectory in 2021.

Vmoto share price summary

The Vmoto share price has fallen more than 40% since reaching its all-time high of 67 cents in September. Although when looking at the beginning of the year before COVID-19 struck, the company's share price is up more than 66%.

Vmoto has a market capitalisation of $115.8 million and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30.

The post Why the Vmoto (ASX:VMT) share price just soared 12% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The company announced its placement received strong demand from strategic investors, institutions and other professional investors. That included existing shareholders, cornerstoned by Perennial Value Management.

Vmoto led the placement without the appointment of lead managers.

The company will issue 21,411,408 fully paid ordinary shares for 45 cents per share, a 7.4% discount to the volume weighted average price for the last ten trading days prior to its trading halt.

Vmoto expects to issue the new shares on 19 August 2020 with trading commencing on ASX on the same day.

The ASX's only two-wheeled electric vehicle manufacturer will use the proceeds to increase its international market initiatives and accelerate potential opportunities in the growing B2C and B2B electric two-wheel vehicle markets internationally.

What the Directors said

Vmoto Managing Director, Mr Charles Chen said:

"Recent operational and commercial successes during the current global pandemic highlight that the company has reached an inflection point in its growth. As a result, it was approached by several strategic funds and took decisive action to further strengthen its balance sheet, ensuring it is in as strong a position as possible to capitalise on this success and accelerate its growth going forward.

As a result of the Placement and the additional capital raised, Vmoto is now in an even stronger position for all its shareholders, and very well placed to accelerate its growth and expand its strategy to drive long-term value for investors. We would like to thank all investors who participated in the placement".

Andrew Smith, Head of Smaller Companies & Micro Caps at Perennial Value Management said:

"We have been monitoring the progress of Vmoto for several years and have seen the company deliver consistent growth in sales. Changes in legislation and the introduction of government schemes has given rise to an increasing trend of consumer preference for lower cost and convenient transport via two-wheel electric vehicles which has been accelerated by COVID-19 – Vmoto's most recent quarterly sales is a testament to this".

Vmoto share price soaring on strong sales growth

Vmoto's sales have seen strong growth over the last 12 months, buoyed by the fast-growing demand for e-scooters. The company is also seeing higher demand from parcel delivery companies, further spurred by COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Last week, Vmoto reported record quarterly sales of 6,389 units in the three months to the end of June. That's an increase of 55% on the previous quarter and more than double the sales in the same quarter of 2019.

Including today's 15.4% increase, the Vmoto share price is up 150% year to date. Since its 23 March low, the Vmoto share price has soared more than 360%.

The post Vmoto share price scoots 15% higher on successful capital raising appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The electric scooter manufacturer rallied 13.3% to $0.51 in after lunch trade when the All Ordinaries (Index:^AORD) (ASX:XAO) and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) slipped 0.2% each.

The ASX small cap may be benefiting from the COVID-19 pandemic with increased demand on food delivery services – which uses e-scooters.

Record deliveries

Management said it's receiving strong interest from other business customers too, including parcel delivery and ride-sharing companies.

Vmoto reported selling a record breaking 6,389 units in the June quarter, which is 55% above what it achieved in the previous quarter. International orders accounted for 94% of these units.

It also reported that it delivered 2,000 units of its ride sharing products to Netherlands-based Go Sharing, and it received an additional order for another 1,500 units.

Further, Vmoto shipped its first order of 60 units to a new ride-sharing company in the Czech Republic called re.volt.

Riding the COVID and electric vehicle trends

Management is currently supplying products to seven sharing operators globally and is actively in discussions with 12 other sharing operators.

"With the European governments' initiatives encourage consumers to adopt electric vehicles and the impacts from Covid-19 on personal and public transportation and social distancing, the Company and its business are well positioned to benefit from these for longer term," said Vmoto in its ASX statement released today.

Financial position

The company completed a $4 million capital raise in May via a share purchase plan (SPP). This takes its total cash holding to $7.3 million at the end of June after it paid a RMB30 million ($6 million) capital contribution to Nanjing Vmoto Soco Intelligent Technology.

Vmoto reported having firm international orders for 6,353 units and it continued to receive further orders from its existing and new customers after the end of the latest quarter.

International interest

"In  2Q20, the Company signed a number of exclusive distribution agreements with international  distributors across Armenia, Japan, Costa  Rica, Panama and Thailand for the warehousing, distribution and marketing of its B2C range of electric two-wheel vehicle products," added the company.

"Vmoto has also supplied samples to and/or is in discussions with a number of potential B2C and  B2B  distributors and customers in Brazil, Bulgaria, Cuba, Dubai, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Maldives,  Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Indonesia,  Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Portugal, Philippines,   Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine."

The post The ASX small cap benefitting from COVID that you've probably never heard of appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Vmoto shares are up more than 5x over 2019 on the back of investors backing the China-based electric scooter business as a turnaround story. 

While a 5x or 400% rise sounds impressive, it's worth noting that Vmoto is just a penny stock that has gone from 5 cents to 26 cents over the period. Shareholders should remember that these kinds of volatile penny stocks can fall as fast as they rise. 

Still if Vmoto delivers a net profit more than $1 million over 2019 it would be a long way ahead of almost every other penny stock on the local market in delivering respectable profits. 

Over the quarter ending September 30 2019 Vmoto reported that it sold 6,027 electric scooters, which is nearly double what it sold on the prior quarter. 

It's the manufacturer's surging sales over the second half of 2019 that have really put a rocket up shares. 

Vmoto does have a mixed track record though and investors must do plenty of research on this business. 

The post Why Vmoto shares are up 5x in 2019 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices

The thing to keep in mind when investing in micro-caps is that they all have a great story to tell, but most will not turn out to be good investments.

Having found something that ticks all the boxes, a common approach used by early stage investors is to make a small initial investment and to increase the commitment later if and when the company has achieved a predetermined milestone, such as reaching positive cash flow or hitting a revenue target.

Using a watch list is a good way to monitor the progress of interesting companies to see if they are on track. Here are five micro-to-small caps which are worth keeping an eye on:

Smart Parking Limited (ASX: SPZ) has developed technology which uses sensors to provide information on car park availability. It can also help generate data for car park owners and managers. Smart Parking currently operates over 1,100 car parks.

The company is not yet profitable, but has no debt and revenues are growing quickly. Clearly there is massive potential if Smart Parking can become a leader in this space.

Shares are up around 220% in the last 12 months.

LiveTiles Ltd (ASX: LVT) provides a platform for creating digital dashboards and sites using Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365. LiveTiles has an agreement with Microsoft under which their product is offered as a free trial to all commercial Office 365 customers in the US.

The company is still very early stage, with around 120 paying customers and annualised subscription revenue of $649,000 at 31 March.

It is interesting to note that award winning fund manager Regal Funds Management has recently become a substantial shareholder.

IOT Group Limited (ASX: IOT) recently commenced trading on the ASX after a reverse takeover of Ardent Resources.

IOT has a range of smart watches, a drone product designed to produce video and take selfies, and a global internet TV platform known as Intervision.

News reports of IOT's flying selfie stick and announcements regarding distribution deals in the US, Japan and Australia have put a rocket under the share price, which is up nearly 700% in the last month.

The company is currently sending out its product to prominent selfie taking celebrities, which seems like a good strategy for generating more publicity. Time will tell whether this translates into sales and IOT can become a contender in the competitive tech hardware industry.

Adslot Ltd (ASX: ADJ) has developed a platform for trading digital media.

The company has a market capitalisation of around $100 million and is not yet profitable, but has been growing revenues strongly and recently completed a $4.6 million capital raising.

Shares have been volatile over the last 12 months, but are pretty much back where they started, at around 10 cents.

Vmoto Ltd (ASX: VMT) manufactures electric scooters which it sells worldwide. Initially with a focus on the Chinese market, it is now looking to grow sales in other regions with better profit margins.

Unlike many of its fellow microcaps, Vmoto is profitable. However, the company has indicated a potential softening of sales in China this year. Based on its latest market update, it sold around 19,000 units in the March quarter, which was below expectations.

It will be interesting to see if the company can offset slower sales in China with growth in other countries.

Vmoto's products have received positive reviews, however it has plenty of competition. Shares are down 60% in the last 12 months.

The post 5 small-cap shares for your watch list  appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT) shares rocketed 7 cents or 20% to 43 cents today as this newly-listed digital health specialist in the treatment of breast cancer enjoys a strong start to life as public company. It reportedly has a strong management team and several software products that are sold to breast cancer treatment centre managers. It has a potentially long growth runway ahead of it and is a hot healthcare stock to watch.

Vmoto Ltd (ASX: VMT) is the electric scooter business hoping to grow sales of its vehicles into the scooter-mad markets of Asia. The shares are up 21% to 20.5 cents today, although they're down 57% over the past year as sales fail to take off as hoped. Today's buying is probably the result of bargain hunters snapping up the stock in the belief it has crashed too far.

1-Page Ltd (ASX: 1PG) is the digital recruitment specialist that takes its name from the fact that its products help companies assess potential recruits' CVs on just one page. Investors might want that one page to cover their eyes right now with the stock down 75% in 2016, although today it has rebounded 5.6% to 85 cents as bargain hunters snap it up in the belief 1-Page might escape the shredder yet.

Somnomed Limited (ASX: SOM) shares are up 11 cents to $2.91 after the sleep treatment medical device business recently raised $10.5 million at a discounted $2.50 per share to support its future growth ambitions. The company wants to roll out a network of US medical centres to directly sell its SomnoDent product in an attempt to enhance its medium term growth. Its device sales are already growing strongly in the US and this looks an exciting small-cap stock for the top of the watch list.

The post Why these 4 ASX shares are rocketing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

However, these 4 companies are seeing their share prices soar…

Farm Pride Foods Ltd (ASX: FRM) share price has rocketed up 23% to $2.00, following a profit upgrade late last week. The national egg supplier also said it was using its improved cash flow to pay down debt – something the company has been doing consistently for the past 4 years. Investors are clearly expecting bigger and better things  from Farm Pride Foods in the years ahead.

Vmoto Ltd (ASX: VMT) share price has jumped 4 cents or 13.3% to 34 cents. The electric-powered motor scooter manufacturer today said it sold more than 23,300 units in the fourth quarter of 2015 – up 18% over the previous year. The company has also launched its range in Australia and secured an order to supply 300 units to a large European supermarket group. Vmoto also says it is on track to report around $5 million in underlying net profit for 2015.

Redflow Ltd (ASX: RFX) share price is up 10% at 22 cents. The maker of zinc-bromine liquid batteries is attempting to compete with Tesla's Powerwall energy battery for home energy storage. Redflow is gearing up to test its batteries with executive chairman Simon Hackett installing two at his Adelaide home, according to The Australian. Redflow says its batteries are better for home use than Tesla's, lasting longer and storing more power.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price has jumped 3.2% to $1.64, after the iron ore spot price gained 1.9% to US$43.84 a tonne, maintaining a solid base over the past week. That has seen Fortescue's share price gain 7.2% in the past five business days. Still, the iron ore miner's shares are down more than 30% over the past year as the iron ore price plunged, and the miner worked frantically to lower its production costs.

The post 4 shares zooming higher on the ASX today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

While the market itself is down 2.0% heading into the close, these four companies have been hit especially hard:

Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (ASX: LNG) hit a low of just $1.475 earlier today – a fresh 15-month low. It has since regained some composure, although it is still down 7.4% for the day and 70% since April. The decline follows further declines in the oil price which is threatening the economic viability of LNG Ltd's two primary projects.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) has lost 5.4%, making it the fourth-worst performing stock from the ASX 200 group. The miner produces iron ore and hence relies heavily on strong Chinese demand to grow. Unfortunately, revised Chinese growth forecasts suggest the nation's economy is even weaker than first thought, which poses as a key issue for miners like Fortescue.

Vmoto Ltd (ASX: VMT), a small-cap electric scooter maker, has fallen 13.2% and even hit a near two-year low price earlier in the session. The loss came after the company announced it was offloading its Nanjing Haiyong business that it bought a year ago because it had not delivered expected returns. This also resulted in a downgraded earnings forecast.

Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) fell 4.7% after hitting a near three-year low price of just $9.96 earlier. While this could partially be attributed to the shares going ex-dividend today – meaning they are now trading without rights to its final dividend – it could also be linked to China's weak economy. Indeed, Crown's Macau gaming market has been through a challenging period recently with gaming revenue from the segment declining by 26.8% during the 2015 financial year.

The post Why these 4 ASX stocks are getting slammed today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The company stated it now expects to achieve previous guidance of full year profit between $5 million to $7 million for its 2015 financial year, which is recorded over the calendar year.

The environmentally friendly scooter manufacturer has long aimed to grow high margin international sales and today's result suggests a shift in the sales mix to international from China is starting to pay dividends.

China's population of 1.3 billion is obviously an attractive market by virtue of its size alone, although Vmoto has no shortage of low-cost competitors in the scooter market in that country. Chinese sales have been on a moderate growth trajectory though and international sales have some promising momentum.

The business recently suggested it expects to sell over 93,000 two-wheel units in 2015 and has some characteristics of a promising small-cap growth stock.

Selling for 41 cents it has a market value around $59 million, which would appear cheap given the company is forecasting profit of between $5 million to $7 million for calendar year 2015. It would be especially cheap if the company is able to hit the upper end of that guidance with an outlook for more sales internationally. Although given the most recent half-year numbers sales would presumably need to accelerate in the second half to meet guidance.

Despite some potential the stock still carries some considerable risks in my opinion and is best left on investors' watch lists for now.

The post Why the Vmoto Ltd share price is 7.9% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In other news, the RBA decided to leave cash rates unchanged at 2% on Tuesday as predicted by Mike King on Monday. Are further cuts likely in the future?

On Monday, the Motley Fool Staff revealed their top picks for August and Mike King examined how much you will need to retire comfortably in this piece.

Former industry insider, Mitch Sonogan, has been writing a series of articles taking an in-depth look at the mining industry called The Mining Investor's Handbook. He completed parts 10 and 11 during the week.

Full-year reports

Units in listed property investment instrument BWP Trust (ASX: BWP) were relatively unmoved on Wednesday despite it reporting a 13.7% increase in income for the year and a 7.7% lift in its full-year distribution.

Shares in engineering services company Downer EDI Limited (ASX: DOW) fell 8.9% on release of its full-year results on Thursday. The company posted a 2.7% fall in net profit and a 4.8% drop in revenue.

Debt collector Credit Corp Group Limited (ASX: CCP) shares fell by more than 2.5% on Tuesday even though its full-year results showed revenue and profit growth of 10% on last year.

Shares in labour hire firm Skilled Group Ltd. (ASX: SKE) rose 4.8% on the release of its results. However the move may have more to do with the announcement of a proposed special dividend of 15.5 cents should the merger with Programmed Maintenance Services Limited (ASX: PRG) go ahead.

On Tuesday, mobile payments and advertising company Mobile Embrace Ltd (ASX: MBE) reported a 71% increase in revenue and a 62% increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

Half-year reports

Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) has seen its underlying net profit fall 43% for the half-year to 30 June 2015 compared with last year thanks to falling commodity prices.

Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia (ASX: GMA) reported a 25% fall in its first half statutory profit but just a minor deterioration in its underlying profit.

Takeover news

Childcare centre rollup company G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM) upped its bid for takeover target Affinity Education Group Ltd (ASX: AFJ) to 80 cents per share. Here's why G8's share price fell on the news and here's why Affinity's rose.

The board of outdoor clothing retailer Kathmandu Holdings Ltd (ASX: KMD) advised investors to reject Briscoe Group's takeover offer causing the stock to rise 3% on Thursday.

Shares in eye surgery specialist Vision Eye Institute Ltd (ASX: VEI) rose 1.7% on Tuesday as the company rejected a bid from Pulse Health Limited (ASX: PHG).

Shares in law firm Shine Corporate Ltd (ASX: SHJ) were down 1.6% on Wednesday as the company announced it plans to acquire West Australian law firm Bradley Bayly for just over $13 million.

Insurance broker Austbroker Holdings Limited (ASX: AUB) announced the acquisition of 60% of Allied Health Australia, a provider of workplace rehabilitation services for an initial fee of $8.6 million.

Other announcements

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) plans to raise $2.5 billion from institutions and up to a further $500 million from retail investors for a minimum price of $30.95 per share.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) released its quarterly production report showing a 15% rise in production offsetting falls in commodity prices. Then a few days later, the vertically integrated energy provider announced the sale of its majority holding in New Zealand based Contact Energy for $1.6 billion.

Shares in crowdsourcing company Freelancer Ltd (ASX: FLN) went into a trading halt pending a possible capital raising on Monday. On Wednesday, the company announced that it had raised $10 million from institutions at a price of $1.40 per share and that founder and CEO, Matt Barrie, had sold $12 million of shares.

Shares in online foreign exchange business Ozforex Group Ltd (ASX: OFX) were up 12% on Thursday after the company announced a 31% uplift in net operating income and 22% improvement in transaction volumes for the first quarter of the year.

Shares in payday lenders Money3 Corporation Limited (ASX: MNY) and Cash Converters International Ltd (ASX: CCV) fell as Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) announced it would stop providing funds to the industry. The news comes on the back of a class action being filed against Cash Converters relating to its Queensland operations.

China based electric scooter manufacturer Vmoto Ltd (ASX: VMT) reported that sales were down slightly in its second quarter compared to last year, although they were up 13% on the first quarter this year.

The post Did you miss the major news on the ASX this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In short, Vmoto manufactures and distributes 'green electric' two-wheel vehicles, or scooters, which are becoming increasingly popular internationally. The group said that trading was in line with expectations during the quarter with more than 22,000 units sold — up 13% on the first quarter. However, sales were actually down slightly on the second quarter last year.

This was predominantly driven by sales from the group's "International" segment, which grew 40% year-over-year, and a 16% increase in sales to Chinese retail stores and distributors. Pleasingly, international sales are expected to continue growing strongly with many customers placing orders that will flow through to future quarters.

At the same time, Vmoto is also progressing opportunities with potential new customers from North America, Denmark, Switzerland and New Zealand. Also worth noting is that the Company is in the process of establishing an online-based retail sales network and system which should open a new sales stream for its products which should broaden its reach in international markets.

Should you buy? Vmoto is still a speculative bet, but could be worth a second look for investors willing to take on a little extra risk. Indeed, the company has demonstrated its ability to continue growing sales while its products could continue to rise in demand, especially in markets such as China where there is a desperate need for cleaner products to help with the nation's pollution.

The stock is currently trading at 42.5 cents per share after rising 1.2% this morning compared to a 0.2% fall for the ALL ORDINARIES (Index: ^AXAO) (ASX: XAO).

The post Vmoto Ltd reports: What you need to know appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The business also choose to issue new shares to directors following the vesting of performance rights. Brokers who acted in the capital raising have also been issued options over shares equivalent to 4% of the new shares issued under the placement.

Everyone appears a winner under these agreements except retail shareholders who have been diluted after not being given the option to participate in the discounted capital raising.

The stock has dropped 3 cents or 6% to 47 cents on resuming trade today and retail investors may wonder if any more capital raisings will be conducted at their expense.

Despite the iniquitous approach, Vmoto is a business that retains an attractive outlook as its electric scooter sales accelerate in Chinese cities that have serious problems around pollution, traffic congestion and overcrowded public transport.

In 2014 the company shifted a total of 76,000 units and in the first quarter of 2015 sold 19,400 units, which on an annualised basis suggests only moderate growth. However, first quarter 2015 sales were up 37% over the prior corresponding quarter and the group's ambition to grow internationally may be starting to deliver the goods.

Sales outside of China almost doubled over the first quarter of 2014 to hit 4,067 units. Moreover, international sales offer higher margins than a super-competitive Chinese market where low-cost rivals are also fighting for market share.

Despite the competition there's no ignoring the size of the market opportunity in China and globally, with the company also enjoying some powerful tailwinds. The two strongest being the cost advantages of electric transport and a long-term shift towards environmentally friendly methods of transportation.

Vmoto is forecasting a net profit of between $5-$7 million this financial year, with a market value around $66 million. The stock has traded flat over the past year and remains an interesting prospect for those looking at speculative buys.

However, Vmoto's prospects are no secret and the real key to out-sized returns is finding the Vmoto of tomorrow not today.. Luckily, The Motley Fool has fingered two potential candidates that are growing overseas and still flying under the radar of most investors!

The post Should you buy Vmoto Ltd? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.