ASX stocks have been strong performers in 2024. The good news is that Bell Potter still sees opportunities at this side of the market for investors in 2025. The broker notes that it has a "positive or constructive view on the outlook for the technology and gaming sector." This is due to "the generally strong or above average forecast revenue and/or earnings growth" and "the easing interest rate environment which is expected to commence in Australia next year." But given that large cap tech stocks have rallied this year, the broker suspects that the cuts "could have a more positive impact on small to mid cap tech and gaming stocks." With that in mind, let's look at three mid cap ASX tech stocks that are its best buys for the year ahead: ( ) This location technology company's shares are a best buy according to Bell Potter. It likes the ASX tech stock due to its huge growth opportunity, which is being underpinned by the monetisation of its massive user base. It explains: The [Life360] app is used globally by over 75 million people and, of these, there are around 7 million paying subscribers. The penetration rate, therefore, is around 10% and the company has a stated long term target of 30% so there is the potential for the paying subscriber base to triple from here. Life360 is also adding new verticals – like advertising, pet and elderly tracking – which provide additional areas of growth. The next potential catalysts are when Life360 releases its Q4/2024 result in February – we expect a strong result towards the upper end of the guidance ranges – and the S&P/ASX index rebalance in March where we see a good chance Life360 will be added to the Top 100. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $26.75 price target on its shares. ( ) Another ASX tech stock that gets the thumbs up from the broker is gaming technology company Light & Wonder. Bell Potter believes that recent weakness has created an opportunity for investors to buy into a high quality company. It said: Light & Wonder is a leading cross-platform games company that develops and manufactures slot machines, creates free-to-play social casino games for mobile platforms, and produces online real-money gaming content for online casinos. [...] We anticipate 8-11% annual EBITDA growth rates over CY24-26, driven by further R&D investment that enhances game performance and results in market share gains across the North American premium leased market, global outright game sales markets, and online gaming markets. Additionally, we view the recent turmoil surrounding the Dragon Train preliminary injunction as an attractive entry point. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $180.00 price target on its shares. ( ) A final ASX tech stock that makes the list is Gentrack. It provides billing, CRM, and utilities software. An example of its software that many readers will have seen is the arrivals/departures board at Sydney Airport. The broker believes that the company is well-positioned to deliver strong earnings growth in the coming years. It said: Gentrack develops, provisions, and integrates its billing/CRM platform into energy and water utilities, generating up-front project revenue (from deployments/integrations) that transitions into SaaS-type recurring revenue and embeds GTK within utility tech stacks long-term due to high switching costs. Demand for modern-day utilities billing solutions is growing rapidly due to dual tailwinds in (1) an evolving energy grid generating significant amounts of data and complexity in billing and customer management, and (2) legacy tech debt incurred from historical underinvestment in the utility billing stack. GTK has a track record of upgrading and beating guidance, with the interim result in May likely to be the next catalyst potentially from lumpy, large contract wins in Southeast Asia. GTK appears expensive at ~90x/~56x FY25e/26e P/E however the valuation reflects high earnings leverage emerging, noting PEG ratios of ~1.2x and ~0.9x respectively. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $13.90 price target on its shares
FedEx CEO touts company's ‘scaled network' as supply chain challenges loom with Trump presidency
Tencent Video, one of China's leading online video streaming platforms, recently announced a downgrade in its VIP membership plan, limiting simultaneous streaming access to only one device at a time. This move has sparked discussions and debates among subscribers, particularly those who have been long-time members expecting uninterrupted access to premium content.Sutton 8-14 8-8 26, Thomas 2-8 0-0 5, Ondekane 3-3 3-3 9, Osburn 2-3 0-0 4, Waddles 7-12 2-3 19, White 5-9 6-6 16, Streit 0-2 1-2 1, Glover 2-4 0-0 4, Stubblefield 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-56 20-22 84. Harris 2-4 0-0 6, Lyles 6-9 0-0 15, Gray 6-10 2-4 16, T.Johnson 4-11 0-1 12, N.Johnson 7-9 2-4 18, Hardman 4-10 0-0 12, Okonkwo 3-3 0-0 6, Young 2-4 0-0 5, Scott 1-3 0-0 2, S.Wilson 0-3 0-0 0, Musiime-Kamali 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-66 4-9 92. Halftime_Akron 40-36. 3-Point Goals_Omaha 6-19 (Waddles 3-5, Sutton 2-6, Thomas 1-3, Glover 0-1, Osburn 0-1, White 0-3), Akron 18-39 (T.Johnson 4-7, Hardman 4-10, Lyles 3-6, Gray 2-3, N.Johnson 2-3, Harris 2-4, Young 1-1, Scott 0-2, S.Wilson 0-3). Fouled Out_White. Rebounds_Omaha 31 (Waddles 10), Akron 23 (Lyles 6). Assists_Omaha 14 (Thomas 5), Akron 26 (T.Johnson 9). Total Fouls_Omaha 14, Akron 19.
Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pause
Manmohan Singh died on December 26, 2024, at the age of 92; he will be remembered as one of India’s greatest leaders. Not only was he the first Sikh to be Prime Minister, he was also the architect of sweeping economic reforms that transformed India into a global player. During his 10 years in office from 2004 to 2014, he had focused on policies designed to lift people out of poverty and boost the economy’s standing in the world. Liberalization under Singh exposed the world to India, and India to the world, enabling the country to fight for her place as a major economic player. Singh, who was soft-spoken and principled in his leadership, influenced economic growth beyond the realm of the economic. He used these welfare schemes — some of which bettered the lives of millions — to convey his commitment to social justice. Another key achievement of his government, which exists till today, is the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) that assured the rural poor atleast 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household. Singh rose through the political ranks after assuming the post of Finance Minister in 1991, a period of massive economic turmoil for India. Devaluation of the rupee, reduction of import tariffs and foreign investment were the thrust of his initiatives, laying the foundation for the transformation of India’s economy. He was instrumental in India’s shift from a closed economy to a more open economy connected to the global markets. During his two terms in office as Prime Minister, Singh oversaw a number of landmark achievements, including a strong economy that had an average growth rate of approximately 9% each year between 2005 and 2008, in his first term. His style of leadership involved building consensus and working within coalition governments that had to accommodate many different political interests. Yet, Singh’s second term was plagued with several allegations of corruption and the scandals thus raised overshadowed few initial successes, and led to the Congress party defeat in the 2014 elections. Manmohan Singh’s global dealings also more than a little shape his legacy. He promoted peaceful and diplomatic ties — particularly with Pakistan and China. Under his leadership, there were efforts to engage Pakistan for possible commonality, but this was thwarted on many structural levels through incidents like the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Singh’s approach emphasized collaboration and cooperation over confrontation and this was reflected in his priority of ending conflicts through dialogues. One of the landmark achievements of his regime was the 2008 Indo-US nuclear deal, which changed India’s foreign policy posture, laying the foundation for civilian nuclear relations with America. Singh also helped establish BRICS — the grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, held up the rising powers of the developing world where much of the economic growth in recent years has been taking place. As news broke about Manmohan Singh passing away, political leaders and citizens expressed their tributes. Describing Singh as one of the “greatest leaders” of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the former prime minister’s contribution to make a difference in people’s lives was “substantial”. Leaders spanning the political spectrum have praised Singh’s insight, humility, and dedication to the country, underscoring his national influence on Indian politics. In a nation that has changed significantly since he entered national politics in the 1990s, Singh’s legacy is both long-lasting and complex, not least due to the controversies that clamoured around the last years of his political life. His long-term vision of an India which is economically prosperous, but socially inclusive is going to guide many generations of leaders and policymakers who come after jego. Manmohan Singh passed away around the age of 91 and most people remember his prime ministerial role as a crucial period for India. Ultimately, Manmohan Singh moved the needle through both his policies and the collective psyche of a nation from which even at age 92 he has yet to be able to rest. As India looks back on his legacy, may his values of economic reform, honesty, and diplomacy be adopted by all those who take on the mantle that he successfully wore.As players don the New Year set and immerse themselves in the vibrant world of "Black Myth: WuKong," they are not only embarking on an exciting gaming adventure but also participating in a cultural celebration that bridges the past and the present, the traditional and the modern. The fusion of traditional Chinese aesthetics with innovative gaming mechanics creates a harmonious blend of beauty, excitement, and cultural significance that is sure to captivate players and transport them to a world where ancient myths and contemporary creativity converge.These were Juan Soto’s numbers in 2024: 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, a .288 batting average. Keep doing that over the next 15 years and he’ll be making roughly $1.2 million for every home run, $467,890 for every RBI, or $307,229 for every hit. (All of those figures are pre-tax, of course.) Soto’s $765 million, 15-year agreement with the New York Mets — the richest contract in terms of total value to a player in U.S. major sports history, a massive move by billionaire Mets owner Steve Cohen — provides a chance to look at the numbers in some very silly ways. He’ll make $314,815 per game. Based on his numbers this season, he’ll get $671,053 for every extra-base hit, or $46322 every time he swings the bat no matter if he misses, hits a tapper back to the mound or has Mr. Met celebrating in the stands after driving one out at Citi Field. Of course, that’s assuming Soto remains as healthy and productive as he was in 2024. If he misses significant time, those rates just go up. “Thank you Uncle Steve,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo wrote on social media. Some of the numbers around the sports world, when broken down by accomplishment, are simply eye-popping in this era. (These examples are based on current earnings, not taking into account restructurings or any other potential changes.): MLB | Blake Snell, Dodgers: The two-time Cy Young winner will earn about $65 million in 2025, most of which is a signing bonus that comes his way in January. He’s never made more than 32 starts in a season. If he makes 32 starts in 2025, he’d be getting (when factoring in the signing bonus) $2,031,250 per game. For comparison’s sake, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal made $2.65 million for the entire 2024 season — and won a Cy Young award. MLB | Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: His record $700 million deal is no longer a record because of the Soto deal, but Ohtani still holds the mark for average total value at $70 million a year. The only member of baseball’s 50-50 club (54 homers, 59 stolen bases in 2024) would — at this past season’s rate — be making $619,469 every time he hits one out or steals a base. NFL | Dak Prescott, Cowboys: It’s unfair to break down his stats this year because he’s hurt, but Prescott’s current deal is worth an average of $60 million a season. Based on his career average, that means over the lifetime of his current contract with Dallas, the quarterback gets $13,680 for every passing yard. NFL | Quarterbacks in general: The per-game numbers in the NFL for starting quarterbacks are wild. Patrick Mahomes’ current $450 million contract isn’t even at the top of the cash-per-game standings: Prescott gets about $3.5 million for every Dallas regular season game, while Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Green Bay’s Jordan Love are around $3.25 million per game. NBA | Stephen Curry, Warriors: At nearly $56 million this season, Curry leads the NBA salary race (for this year, anyway). The NBA’s all-time 3-point king is earning about $680,000 per game in 2024-25; if he was paid by the 3-pointer only, he’d be getting about $161,908 every time he makes one of those this season for Golden State. NBA | Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Celtics: Brown is starting a five-year deal worth around $285 million, and Tatum will start a five-year deal next year worth around $314 million. At those rates, Boston would be paying their two best players (at their current scoring paces) around $27,406 for every point scored. To compare — Larry Bird, for his career, made about $1,100 per point. NHL | Leon Draisaitl, Oilers: He’ll start a contract next year with Edmonton that will pay him an average of $14 million a season over eight seasons. At his current rate of scoring, he’d be earning roughly $119,393 for every goal or assist over that span. NHL | Igor Shesterkin, Rangers: Shesterkin just got the richest extension for a goalie at $92 million over eight years. At his current averages, every time he makes a save for New York, he’ll be earning $5,084. MLS | Lionel Messi, Inter Miami: Based just on his MLS guaranteed salary, Messi got just over $1 million per goal this season ($20.4 million, 20 goals). His full deal with Inter Miami is worth at least $150 million for 21⁄2 years — Messi made $229 every second he was on the field in the 2024 regular season. Golf | Scottie Scheffler, PGA: Scheffler’s official earnings in 2024 were $29,228,357 (plus an Olympic gold medal, which is priceless). And that doesn’t include $34,037,500 million in bonuses and unofficial earnings, including $25 million for winning the FedEx Cup. Add it all up, and that meant the world’s No. 1 player earned about $11,243 per shot he took this season. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Four More Banks Approved to Dissolve as Reform and Restructuring of Rural Banks Continues to Advance