Lithium Miners Sound Alarm as EV Struggles Pile on Pressure
IGO Ltd. and Mineral Resources Ltd. flagged potential impairments, Pilbara Minerals Ltd. stressed cost-cutting efforts, and Liontown Resources Ltd. said it had to resell some material originally earmarked as offtake for Ford Motor Co.
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Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Warning as photo of $10,000 Tesla item reveals new secondhand trend
Thousands of Australian homeowners and businesses are embracing new technology to provide bankable power to their premises as battery technology continues to evolve. And some are even experimenting with "cowboy" set-ups as batteries from discarded electric vehicles become more common in secondhand markets around the country. It's not the type of thing you expect to buy on Facebook Marketplace, but one current ad, ostensibly from a warehouse in Melbourne shows a number of large Tesla batteries for sale. While the listing states the batteries – on offer for $10,000 each – were from a Tesla Model 3, they are "ready to be used as a large solar storage battery" suitable for large off grid or commercial purposes, the listing says. When approached by Yahoo, the seller was hardly forthcoming with information but said the batteries were "from written off cars mostly very low kms". When asked if the batteries came with any paperwork, they simply linked to a website for a lithium battery business based in Perth. While it's certainly possible to repurpose old car batteries for solar storage, there are serious risks involved and experts caution that it shouldn't be attempted by most people. If there's an exception to the rule, it's probably for someone like Stefan Maric who runs a lighting and electrical business in Greater Melbourne. He recently purchased a written off BYD for a measly $2,500 and used the battery as part of a solar storage system at a business site in Geelong. "We removed the battery, we have a forklift here on site, and we put it in a safe area where we could mechanically protect the battery," he told Yahoo News, stressing the safety measures his team took. That was about six months ago, he said, "and it's been running perfectly." The battery was from a BYD Atto 3 extended range, "which typically has a 60kwh battery and basically there are certain CAN-bus protocols (a centralised communication component known as a Controller Area Network bus) that can be used to communicate with certain inverters which are your typical solar inverters," he explained. "The important thing, from my perspective is to ensure that all of those cells are being charged and discharged within their parameters – and that's what this CAN-bus enables." Avalanche of EV models set to hit Australian market Driveway photo shows major shift Aussie homeowners are making Growing EV graveyards concerns as change looms for EV industry Stefan said the exercise was "a learning curve" and partly about better understanding the potential of repurposing such batteries for commercial means, but admitted it also proved immensely cost effective and saved tens of thousands of dollars compared to buying a comparable system from a wholesaler. He warned that you need to be qualified to embark on such a project, however. "It's still technically considered low voltage when you're talking electrical terms, but you will die if you touch live conductors," he told Yahoo. Warning over 'cowboy' battery market Australian battery refurbishing company InfinitEV, a subsidiary of ASX 200 listed Amotiv Limited, which says its main purpose is to extend the lifetime of batteries has also researched the business case of redirecting EV batteries for solar storage systems. "We do not see a commercial repurposed BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) application at the current volumes," the company's commercial manager Oscar Vall told Yahoo News. "Plain and simple, it's still quite a cowboy space," he said, adding that repurposing batteries in home storage systems is "not encouraged by the manufacturer and not encouraged by us". "There's a lot of people out there that will take the wrecked vehicle, take the battery out, and then try to make a battery energy storage system, bypassing a lot of safety aspects of that battery," he said. Ultimately the battery is being used in an environment it wasn't necessarily designed for and while a storage system is likely to put less stress on a battery than a car, if not done well there can be real risks, he warned. "There's a lot of safety implications of doing this, and I will definitely not like to be the insurer of the property that has a battery like that stuck on the wall." InfinitEV has explored the commercial possibilities of repurposing EV batteries and recently teamed up with Sustainability Victoria and another start-up to redirect multiple Nissan Leaf battery packs to create a 120kWh energy storage system to take a facility off-grid. Related: How recycling EV batteries can power the green transition "We can do it," Oscar said, admitting it's great as a PR exercise or experimental showcase, but currently doing it safely and at scale is not an enticing value proposition, he said. However he noted that could likely change when there electric car market in Australia further develops and there is "more feedstock", or discarded batteries, to supply such a potential business stream. Currently, he said "considering the amount of advanced battery systems coming out of China at a very low cost and already designed for this," it makes sense for most people and businesses to simply use them. Aussie homes embrace battery storage as rates surge As for Australian households, they are installing solar batteries at record rates this year, with more than 19,000 registered in a month. Figures released on Friday by market analysis firm SunWiz indicated consumers could more than double the number of home batteries installed in a single year. The surge, which was largely anticipated, comes after the launch of the federal government's $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which offers rebates of up to 30 per cent for the installation of the home system, a policy trying to leverage the high rates of rooftop solar already in Australia. On Monday, Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen took to social media claiming his government had delivered 15,325 "cheaper" home batteries in "just four weeks" since the program commenced at the start of July. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Here's Why We Think Coles Group (ASX:COL) Is Well Worth Watching
For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up. If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Coles Group (ASX:COL). While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing. This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. Coles Group's Improving Profits Even with very modest growth rates, a company will usually do well if it improves earnings per share (EPS) year after year. So EPS growth can certainly encourage an investor to take note of a stock. Coles Group has grown its trailing twelve month EPS from AU$0.77 to AU$0.83, in the last year. That amounts to a small improvement of 8.4%. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. EBIT margins for Coles Group remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 5.9% to AU$45b. That's progress. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image. View our latest analysis for Coles Group The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Coles Group's future EPS 100% free. Are Coles Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a AU$27b company like Coles Group. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. Indeed, they hold AU$53m worth of its stock. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. Despite being just 0.2% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture. It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Coles Group, with market caps over AU$12b, is around AU$6.4m. The Coles Group CEO received AU$4.7m in compensation for the year ending June 2024. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies and seems pretty reasonable. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally. Does Coles Group Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist? One important encouraging feature of Coles Group is that it is growing profits. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Coles Group, but the pleasant picture gets better than that. With a meaningful level of insider ownership, and reasonable CEO pay, a reasonable mind might conclude that this is one stock worth watching. Still, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Coles Group. While opting for stocks without growing earnings and absent insider buying can yield results, for investors valuing these key metrics, here is a carefully selected list of companies in AU with promising growth potential and insider confidence. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
It Might Not Be A Great Idea To Buy Australian Foundation Investment Company Limited (ASX:AFI) For Its Next Dividend
Australian Foundation Investment Company Limited (ASX:AFI) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 2 days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be two business days before the record date, which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. This means that investors who purchase Australian Foundation Investment's shares on or after the 5th of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 28th of August. The company's next dividend payment will be AU$0.195 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of AU$0.27 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that Australian Foundation Investment has a trailing yield of 3.5% on the current share price of AU$7.63. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Australian Foundation Investment distributed an unsustainably high 117% of its profit as dividends to shareholders last year. Without extenuating circumstances, we'd consider the dividend at risk of a cut. Generally, the higher a company's payout ratio, the more the dividend is at risk of being reduced. View our latest analysis for Australian Foundation Investment Click here to see how much of its profit Australian Foundation Investment paid out over the last 12 months. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. This is why it's a relief to see Australian Foundation Investment earnings per share are up 2.7% per annum over the last five years. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Australian Foundation Investment has delivered 1.4% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. To Sum It Up Is Australian Foundation Investment an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? While we like that its earnings are growing somewhat, we're not enamored that it's paying out 117% of last year's earnings. Australian Foundation Investment doesn't appear to have a lot going for it, and we're not inclined to take a risk on owning it for the dividend. Although, if you're still interested in Australian Foundation Investment and want to know more, you'll find it very useful to know what risks this stock faces. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Australian Foundation Investment and understanding them should be part of your investment process. A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
