If you’re looking for some exposure to the mining sector, then read on!

Listed below are two ASX 200 mining shares to buy now according to experts. Here’s what they are saying about them:

Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)

The first ASX 200 mining share to consider is Allkem. It is one of the world’s largest lithium miners with projects in Argentina, Australia, and North America.

Allkem has bold production expansion plans from these projects. In fact, it is aiming to grow its production four-fold in the coming years in order to maintain a 10% share of global lithium supply over the long term.

Goldman Sachs is positive on Allkem due to the aforementioned production growth and its exposure to several lithium types. This includes moving downstream from spodumene into lithium chemicals, which it sees as a margin accretive opportunity. Goldman commented:

Of our covered Australian lithium companies, Allkem has the best LCE growth outlook with production growing >4x to FY27E with further downstream optionality on carbonate production

Goldman has a buy rating and $15.20 price target on Allkem’s shares. This implies potential upside of 34% for investors over the next 12 months.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

Morgans is a big fan of South32 and feels it is one of the best options in the resources sector.

The broker is positive on the diversified miner due to the successful transformation of its portfolio and its positive long term outlook. It advised:

Unlike its peers amongst ASX-listed large-cap miners, S32 is not exposed to iron ore. Instead offering a highly diversified portfolio of base metals and metallurgical coal (with most of these metals enjoying solid price strength). We see attractive long-term value potential in S32 from de-risking of its growth portfolio, the potential for further portfolio changes, and an earnings-linked dividend policy.

The broker currently has an add rating and $5.40 price target on the diversified mining company’s shares. Based on the latest South32 share price, this suggests potential upside of over 30% for investors this year.

The post Experts says these ASX 200 mining shares can rocket higher in 2023 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Top ASX shares to buy in January 2023
• Why are ASX 200 lithium shares running on empty today?
• Morgans names 2 ASX 200 dividend shares to buy with 5%+ yields
• 23 ASX shares to buy in 2023 – brokers
• Should I buy ASX 200 lithium shares for my portfolio in 2023?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in 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 Scott Phillips.

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S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy shares shot the lights out through most of 2022 as energy prices went through the roof.

Here’s how the top Aussie oil and gas stocks performed in 2022 through to market close on 11 November:

• Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares gained 19%
• Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) shares gained 40%
• Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares soared 76%

On 11 November the Brent crude oil price stood at US$99 per barrel.

Since then, oil and gas prices have tumbled lower, with that same barrel of Brent crude selling for US$79 today.

As you’d expect, that’s put some selling pressure on these ASX 200 energy shares.

Since 11 November’s closing bell, Santos shares are down 8%, Beach Energy shares have dropped 13%, and the Woodside share price is down 12%.

Below you can see how the three ASX 200 energy shares have tracked over the past 12 months.

Yet with Brent crude oil prices down 38% since peaking at US$122 per barrel in early March last year, there could be more pain to come for the big oil and gas stocks in 2023.

Warm weather and COVID stymie ASX 200 energy shares

On the gas front, ASX 200 energy shares won’t receive a leg up from a warm snap in Europe and windy weather to drive turbines. The combination has slashed demand for gas-powered electric generation.

This has driven gas prices in the war-weary continent down to levels not seen since November 2021, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to data from Bloomberg, benchmark futures for gas slid 11% overnight.

As mentioned up top, oil prices have also been retracing.

Much of that looks to be spurred by investors reanalysing the near-term demand out of China.

Until recently, China’s reopening from its multi-year zero COVID policies had been expected to see an uptick an oil demand, which would have been welcomed by the ASX 200 energy shares.

However, all has not gone as planned. The Middle Kingdom is struggling with surging infections, delaying any big lift in energy demand brought on by the grand reopening.

According to Rebecca Babin, a senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth Management (quoted by Bloomberg):

The disconnect between how forward-looking assets like energy equities anticipated a China recovery does not translate to immediate crude strength as there is a lot of near-term risk to demand before we see recovery take hold.

That’s not to say ASX 200 energy shares might not regain their momentum down the road.

In fact, the energy market could turn around in a matter of weeks, according to Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at consultant Energy Aspects.

“There’s a few more weeks of softness I would think,” she said.

The post Is the party over for these ASX 200 energy shares in 2023? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Bigger profits risk bigger target: The Woodside share price conundrum
• Why Beach, Blackmores, Costa, and Weebit Nano shares are falling today
• The 3 best performing ASX 200 dividend shares of 2022
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Buy these growing ASX 200 dividend shares in 2023: experts

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price has been an exceptional performer over the past 12 months.

Rebounding from COVID-19 — an existential threat to producers at the time — shares in the oil and gas giant have soared 46% compared to where they were a year ago, as shown below. A mixture of recovering demand and supply shortfall due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis breathed new life into energy prices.

Bolstered by the high prices, Woodside has relished in the chance to mint extraordinary profits. Specifically, the company bagged $3.31 billion in earnings in FY22 at an income margin of around 32%. In the lead-up to 2020, Woodside typically achieved profits in the ballpark of $1 billion.

The latest data shows Australia went toe-to-toe on LNG exports with the United States and Qatar in 2022. But could the success for Woodside be a double-edged sword?

LNG demand puts Australia centre stage

Australian LNG export estimates for last year show exactly why the Woodside share price was on fire in 2022. According to data from EnergyQuest, an Australian energy advisory firm, Aussie LNG exports increased 86% to a record 81.4 million tonnes.

The country’s total exports were estimated to be worth $92.8 billion, placing Australia near the United States and Qatar. Based on Woodside’s 2022 production guidance and last realised price, around $7.5 billion of that was possibly from Woodside alone.

For investors, the shifting away from Russian oil and gas has been a major windfall. However, the sky-high prices have also drawn the attention of government intervention.

Could the Woodside share price be at risk?

The Federal government passed legislation last month to introduce a cap on the price of gas sold in the domestic market. A temporary cap on wholesale gas is now in place at $12 per gigajoule in an attempt to quell household and manufacturing cost pressures.

Shareholders seemed to have shrugged off the price cap for now. However, the cries for a ‘windfall profits’ tax have already commenced.

This is the conundrum that the Woodside share price faces amid burgeoning profits. Already, the United Kingdom has instituted such a levy — taking a 35% slice of oil and gas profits, increasing from the previous 25%.

Though, the looming fear of potentially running into a gas shortfall as early as 2024 might keep the government at bay.

The post Bigger profits risk bigger target: The Woodside share price conundrum appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• The 3 best performing ASX 200 dividend shares of 2022
• Why Audio Pixels, Bowen Coking Coal, Pantoro, and Woodside shares are dropping
• What could gas caps mean for the Woodside share price?
• Why are ASX 200 energy shares falling today?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) wobbled in and out of the green this afternoon before ultimately closing the day higher. The index was up 0.06% at 7,063.6 points at the end of Thursday’s session.

While many miners came in among the day’s top gainers, the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) outperformed all other sectors, rising 0.6%.

Travel stocks led the way on the sector. Shares in Corporation Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD), Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT), and Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) gained 3.7%, 3.4%, and 2.7% respectively.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) rose 0.4% with gold miners taking out the top spots after the yellow metal’s value cracked US$1,850 an ounce overnight.

Today wasn’t all green, however. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) plunged 1.3%, leaving it 3.9% lower than it was at the end of 2022.

So, with all that in mind, let’s take a look at Thursday’s 10 top-performing ASX 200 shares.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares took out today’s top spot with a 7.77% gain, leaving it trading at $1.11 as of the market’s close.

Its surge came amid news of the maiden shipment from the company’s Finniss Lithium Project.

Today’s biggest gains were made by these shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)	$1.11	7.77%
Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI)	$9.89	7.03%
Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU)	$0.165	6.45%
De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG)	$1.495	6.41%
Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR)	$1.325	6%
Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)	$1.32	5.18%
Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)	$1.55	4.73%
Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN)	$6.65	4.72%
Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)	$1.76	4.14%
Credit Corp Group Limited (ASX: CCP)	$19.73	3.84%

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Investing in ASX 200 shares? Here’s what to expect from the US Fed in 2023
• Why is this ASX 200 gold share rocketing 7% on Thursday?
• Core Lithium share price higher on China shipment update
• The 3 best performing ASX 200 dividend shares of 2022
• What caused such wild swings in the Core Lithium share price in 2022?

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 Pinnacle Investment Management Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Pinnacle Investment Management Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management and Flight Centre Travel Group. 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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