If you’re interested in buying some exchange traded funds (ETFs), then the two listed below could be worth considering.

Here’s what a top analyst is saying about these ETFs:

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

The first ETF for ASX investors to look at next week is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. This fund provides investors with exposure to the leaders in the global cybersecurity sector. BetaShares notes that this sector is heavily under-represented on the ASX, which could make this ETF particularly attractive for local investors.

Among the companies in the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF are cybersecurity giants such as Accenture, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, Okta, and Palo Alto Networks.

Felicity Thomas from Shaw and Partners is a big fan of this ETF.

She recently told Livewire that she rates this ETF highly “because cybercrime is meant to cost the world $10.5 trillion by 2025, which is huge. It also has amazing names in it like CrowdStrike. In a connected world where everyone is attached to their devices, it’s becoming the biggest problem that we’re all facing.”

VanEck Vectors MSCI World ex Australia Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL)

Another ETF that is highly rated is the VanEck Vectors MSCI World ex Australia Quality ETF.

As the name implies, this ETF gives investors exposure to a high quality basket of shares from across the world. And as it excludes Australian shares, it could be a good option for investors that are already overweight with local investments.

To be included in the fund, companies need to pass certain criteria. This includes low leverage, high earnings growth rates, and high returns on equity. Among its holdings are the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Nike, and Nvidia.

Thomas also believes this ETF is a buy. She explained: “So for me, it’s actually a buy. With rising interest rates and the war that’s going on in Europe, I actually think it’s important to invest in quality companies with high revenue growth and a solid balance sheet, which QUAL provides.”

The post Analyst names 2 top ETFs ASX investors should buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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If you’re interested in adding some growth shares to your portfolio, then the two listed below could be top candidates.

Both these ASX growth shares have been named as buys and tipped to generate strong returns for investors. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)

The first growth share to look at is lithium miner Allkem. Thanks to its world class portfolio of lithium operations and projects across different geographies and product types, it has been tipped to grow strongly over the coming years.

Particularly given its production growth potential and the strong prices that lithium is commanding due to insatiable demand for battery materials.

Morgans is very positive and sees a lot of value in Allkem’s shares despite their strong gain over the last 12 months.

The broker recently said: “AKE has been a strong performer in recent weeks but we continue to see long term valuation upside with persistent tightness in the lithium market. […] We don’t think spot prices are likely to remain at current levels forever but we think there is still plenty of scope for contract prices to increase further before settling down into a long term average.”

Morgans has an add rating and $16.98 price target on Allkem’s shares.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

Another ASX growth share to look at is enterprise software provider TechnologyOne. It is currently in the process of shifting to become a software-as-a-service (SaaS) focused business.

The good news is that this shift is going well, with management recently reiterating its belief that it will almost double its annual recurring revenue (ARR) to $500 million by FY 2026.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs suspect that TechnologyOne could even outperform this target, noting that the risks are now to the upside.

It said: ““In our view, TNE is well-placed to meet its A$500mn FY26 ARR target and we are more constructive than consensus and the market (as implied by TNE’s current share price). SaaS flip uplift, elevated inflation (via contractual CPI pass-through) and underlying business growth underpin our A$505mn FY26 ARR estimate, and we think risks are skewed to the upside with our estimates assuming modest organic growth ex-flip (~10%).”

Goldman initiated coverage on the company last week with a buy rating and $14.00 price target.

The post Analysts name 2 ASX growth shares to buy now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns Allkem. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The small end of the Australian share market is home to a number of companies with the potential to grow materially in the future.

Two that investors might want to put on their watchlists are listed below. Here’s why they are rated highly:

Symbio Holdings Ltd (ASX: SYM)

The first small cap to watch is Symbio. It was formerly known as MNF Group and before that MyNetFone. Symbio specialises in the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology which is used to support services like teleconferencing, online business meetings, and digital data transfers.

It appears well-placed for growth over the long term thanks to increasing demand for VoIP technology, its expansion into Asia, and its strong balance sheet following divestments. The latter gives management opportunities to look at boosting its growth with acquisitions.

Not that it necessarily needs to. Symbio has been growing its recurring revenue at a solid rate in recent years thanks partly to strong growth in phone numbers on its network. For example, during the first half, the company reported a 13% lift in recurring revenue to $54.4 million. Pleasingly, management sees significant growth opportunity ahead and is boldly targeting 100 million numbers on its network by 2030. This compares to 6.4 million at the end of December.

Ord Minnett currently has a buy rating and $7.15 price target on Symbio’s shares.

Whispir Ltd (ASX: WSP)

Another small cap ASX share to watch is Whispir. It provides a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) communications workflow platform that automates interactions between organisations and people.

Like Symbio, Whispir has been growing at a solid rate in recent years and management appears confident this will continue. This is due to the global mega trend of digital transformation which is providing strong tailwinds.

And given the low levels of churn the company is reporting (under 2%), it appears to have a sticky platform and a strong foundation to build on.

Ord Minnett is also a fan of Whispir. It has a buy rating and $2.85 price target on its shares.

The post 2 exciting small cap ASX shares to watch appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• What’s up with the Whispir share price today?
• 3 exciting small cap ASX shares for your watchlist

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Symbio Holdings Limited and Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Symbio Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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It was another tough week for the Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) share price.

Investors were selling down the buy now pay later provider’s shares following the release of its third quarter update.

While that update revealed growth that most companies would be proud of, it still fell short of the market’s expectations.

This was compounded by the worsening of credit losses and concerns over lower frequency of use and the impact that its bold cost reduction plans could have on its growth.

The Zip share price ultimately ended the week 10% lower than where it started it at a lowly $1.10. This means its shares are now down almost 75% since the start of the year.

Is the weakness in the Zip share price a buying opportunity?

According to a note out of Citi at the end of last week, its analysts continue to sit on the fence with the Zip share price.

Although the broker acknowledges that Zip is pulling the right levers, it highlights that risks remain.

In light of this, the broker has put a neutral (high risk) rating and $2.15 price target on the company’s shares.

Citi commented: “While TTV growth was slower than expected and bad debts in AU increased qoq, on balance we see the 3Q update as positive with customer growth in the US accelerating in spite of tightening of risk settings, net transaction margins improving and Zip reducing costs faster than expected. “

“While stronger-than-expected growth on the back of Enterprise merchant additions represents upside potential, we are Neutral/High Risk (2H) rated as we are concerned about the potential for bad debts to remain elevated and the impact to top line growth from cost reduction measures.”

The post Is the Zip share price weakness a buying opportunity? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• Why BHP, Megaport, OZ Minerals, and Zip shares are dropping
• Zip share price hits new multi-year low after brokers turn even more bearish
• Zip share price higher at last: Here are key takeaways from the Q3 update
• Zip share price edges higher amid third quarter update

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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