Exchange traded funds (ETFs) can be great additions to a balanced portfolio.

This is because they provide investors with easy access to a large and diverse number of different shares.

But which ones would be top options for investors in November? Listed below are three that could be worth considering:

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The first ETF for investors to consider is the popular BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF. This ETF gives investors exposure to many of the largest companies in the world. This includes the likes of Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Tesla. The operator of the ETF, BetaShares, notes that with its strong focus on technology, the ETF provides investors with diversified exposure to a high-growth potential sector that is under-represented on the ASX.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

Another ETF to consider is the iShares S&P 500 ETF. This ETF gives investors access to 500 of the top listed U.S. companies through a single investment. This means that you’ll be buying a diverse group of companies such as Amazon, Apple, Disney, Facebook, JP Morgan, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Tesla, and Visa.

VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

A final ETF for ASX investors to consider in November is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. This ETF gives investors access to a portfolio of companies involved in video game development, hardware, and esports. These include Activision Blizzard, AMD, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Nvidia, Roblox, and Take-Two. The ETF’s operator, VanEck, points out that these companies are well-placed to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports.

The post 3 ETFs for ASX investors to buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 2 of the best ETFs for ASX investors to buy next week
• Why is the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF taking a thrashing today?
• 2 high quality ETFs for ASX investors in November
• 2 excellent ETFs to buy for portfolio diversification
• Here are 3 ASX ETFs for smart investors

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 positions in and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors ETF Trust – VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF and iShares Trust – iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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ASX lithium shares had a top run on the market on Tuesday.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares rose 3.79%, while Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares leapt 4.42%.

Meanwhile, Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) shares jumped 2.08% and Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) shares leapt 3.34%. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) climbed 0.36% today.

Let’s take a look at why ASX lithium shares fared well today.

A ‘tighter’ lithium market

Lithium shares charged higher today amid a broker upgrade on the lithium price.

Macquarie is tipping spot lithium prices to peak at US$6,500 per tonne, the Australian Financial Review reported. Analysts said:

We believe the theme of supply security could result in lithium trading and processing reshuffles, leading to an even tighter market.

Spot lithium prices have remained buoyant.

Core Lithium and Pilbara Minerals were among the top ASX 200 shares traded by volume today.

Bell Potter has recently maintained a buy rating on the Allkem share price with a $19.45 price target. This suggests a 26% upside. Bell Potter said:

AKE is aiming to maintain 10% share of supply in a global lithium market experiencing unprecedented growth; it has a portfolio of growth projects, balance sheet strength and cash flow from existing projects to achieve this.

As my Foolish colleague Bronwyn recently reported, Argo Investments Limited (ASX: ARG) are tipping global electric vehicle (EV) sales to jump from six million in 2022 to 30 million in 2030.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government tips spodumene prices to hit US$3,280 in 2023 before easing to US$2,490 a tonne in 2024. Lithium hydroxide prices are forecast to rise to US$51,510 in 2023 before dropping back to US$37,650 in 2024.

The post Why did ASX lithium shares smash the market on Tuesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why did the Pilbara Minerals share price have such a cracker day?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today  
• Here are the 3 most traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday
• Why is the Core Lithium share price spiking 3% today?
• Is the Allkem share price a buy ahead of next week’s AGM?

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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 Scott Phillips.

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The Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) share price was one of the strongest performers today, rising by 4.42%. Considering the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) only went up by 0.36% during today’s trading, it was a good performance by the ASX lithium share.

It has been a very good year for the company. In the past six months, the share price has more than doubled.

Other ASX lithium shares also saw positive movements in their share prices today, including Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) and Mineral Resources Limited (ASX: MIN).

What caused the pleasing gain?

According to reporting by the Australian Financial Review, the broker Macquarie has increased its expectations for the lithium price again.

Even though there are near-term economic headwinds in China, including ongoing lockdowns, Macquarie decided to increase the Chinese and regional lithium price forecast, and the peak price for spodumene (lithium).

The reason for this increase was to include the latest changes in supply and demand fundamentals, as well as movements in spot prices.

Macquarie wrote:

We believe the theme of supply security could result in lithium trading and processing reshuffles, leading to an even tighter market.

Spot lithium prices have remained buoyant; we now expect spodumene prices to peak at US$6,500 per tonne.

Pilbara Minerals is already experiencing strong pricing

Investors have already been hearing throughout 2022 that the lithium price has been climbing.

Approximately a year ago, on 26 October 2021, the lithium miner announced that it had sold a cargo of 10,000 dry metric tonnes at a target grade of 5.5% lithia, via the Battery Material Exchange (BMX).

It said there was strong interest at that auction in both participation and bidding by a broad range of buyers. Pilbara Minerals sold to the highest bidder for a price of US$2,350 per dmt. This equated to a price of US$2,629 when accounting for the lithia content and including freight costs.

A few weeks ago, the ASX lithium share announced it had sold a cargo of 5,000 dmt for US$7,255 per dmt. This equated to an equivalent of approximately US$8,000 per dmt when adjusting for lithia content and including freight costs.

While Pilbara Minerals is only selling relatively small amounts of production at these high levels, we can see that it is achieving very strong prices.

Snapshot

Over the past month, the Pilbara Minerals share price has managed to climb another 4%, despite the volatility. It is up 54% this year to date.

The post Why did the Pilbara Minerals share price have such a cracker day? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today  
• Here are the 3 most traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Monday
• With a forward P/E ratio of 8, is the Pilbara Minerals share price actually cheap?
• Here are the 3 most traded ASX 200 shares on Friday

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The US markets have been on a bit of a tear over the past month or so. Since 12 October, the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) has gained more than 6% – not a bad return for under a month. Saying that, the S&P 500 remains down a depressing 20% or so over the year to date. So things haven’t been too rosy over stateside.

But perhaps the US markets could be set for a major boost this week.

The Americans are about to hold their midterm elections. No, president Joe Biden isn’t up for reelection just yet. His term expires in January 2025, with the next presidential election to be held in November 2024.

But under the American political system, all members of the lower house, the House of Representatives, are up for re-election every two years. As are a third of the Senate. And these midterm elections are scheduled for this week.

At the moment, the president’s Democratic Party controls both chambers of congress by slim margins. But control of one or both Houses could well change this week. This would deliver what is known as ‘divided government’.

For a law to pass in the US, it must pass through both houses of congress, and be approved by the president. As such, it is harder to pass laws when control of congress is divided between the parties.

Divided government could help boost the US stock market

According to reporting in Reuters, the opposition Republican Party looks likely to gain control of at least the House, and possibly the Senate. As such, it looks as though the US is heading towards divided government. This, according to the report, would be seen as a positive for markets:

A split government could result in political gridlock that stymies major policy changes, an outcome that investors see as favorable for equities.

Regardless of the winner, past midterm elections have ushered in a period of positive market performance, something investors would welcome after a year in which the S&P 500 has declined by nearly 21%.

Divided government could also lead to a renewed push for increased US energy production. As well as higher defence spending and changes to healthcare and pharmaceutical laws or regulations.

It would also likely move the US away from the possibility of federal cannabis legalisation, which has historically weighed down the domestic cannabis industry in the US.

But overall, it seems that divided government would be a positive tailwind for the US markets, and possibly by extension, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Remember, the ASX is heavily influenced by what happens across the Pacific. So keep your eye on America this week as the outcome of the midterm elections becomes clear. It could well have an impact on the US stock market and our own.

The post Could the US stock market be set for a major boost? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why did the Pilbara Minerals share price have such a cracker day?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today  
• Looking to buy CBA shares? Here’s the latest on the bank’s class action
• Happy deal: The ASX tech share rocketing 46% on a McDonald’s agreement
• Bendigo Bank share price climbs as chair slams ANZ-Suncorp deal as ‘sub-optimal’

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 Scott Phillips.

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