A new month is upon us, so what better time to look at making some new portfolio additions.

If exchange traded funds (ETFs) are on your radar in April, then you might want to look at the three listed below.

Here’s what you need to know about these popular ETFs:

BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

The BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF could be a top option for investors to look at in April. This ETF tracks the performance of the largest technology companies in Asia (ex. Japan). It could be a top pick for long term focused investors due to the quality on offer in the Asian tech sector and its huge addressable market. Among the tigers you’ll be owning are Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor, and Tencent Holdings.

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

Another ETF that investors may want to check out is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. It provides investors with exposure to the rapidly growing global cybersecurity sector. BetaShares notes that with cybercrime on the rise, demand for cybersecurity services is expected to grow strongly for the foreseeable future. This means the fund’s holdings, which includes Accenture, Cisco, and Cloudflare, Okta, Palo Alto Networks, and Trend Micro, could experience strong demand for their services over the next decade.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

A final ETF for investors to look at is the extremely popular Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. This ETF is a great option for investors that are looking to diversify their portfolio. That’s because it provides investors with access to around 1,500 of the world’s largest listed companies. This offers significant diversity and also allows investors to take part in the long term growth potential of international economies. Among its holdings are the likes of Amazon, Apple, Nestle, Nvidia, Procter & Gamble, Tesla, and Visa.

The post 3 fantastic ETFs for ASX investors to buy in April appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why I think the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (VGS) is a buy for any portfolio
• Down over 25% from the peak, can these 2 ASX tech ETFs deliver big returns by 2025?
• Invested $1,000 in the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (VGS) in 2018? Here’s how much dividend income you’ve received
• 3 high quality ETFs for ASX investors to buy after the market selloff
• Want to invest in cybersecurity but don’t know how? Try this ASX ETF

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 BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betashares Capital – Asia Technology Tigers Etf and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares 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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The Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG) share price closed 1.18% higher on Tuesday.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) iron ore stock finished the day at $20.56 apiece after closing at $20.32 a share on Monday.

Here’s what helped push the Fortescue share price higher today.

What are ASX 200 investors considering?

Fortescue looks to be receiving some tailwinds from an increase in the iron ore price.

The critical steel-making metal gained 0.5% overnight to US$118.85 per tonne.

And it was not just the Fortescue share price that marched higher today. The S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index (ASX: XMM) closed up 2.45%.

ASX 200 investors were also likely poring over Fortescue’s non-price sensitive production update, released this morning.

Fortescue reported that first production at its Western Australia Iron Bridge Magnetite Project has been revised to the second half of April. First production had previously been planned to commence in the March quarter.

The project is an unincorporated joint venture between Fortescue’s subsidiary, FMG Magnetite (69%) and Formosa Steel (31%).

The miner said that despite inclement weather impacting activity and associated infrastructure at Iron Bridge, crews continue to make “significant progress”. Amid that progress, Fortescue reported the entire steel concentrate and return water pipelines have been welded and buried.

Once fully operational, Iron Bridge will produce 22 million tonnes of high-grade 67% iron magnetite concentrate every year.

According to the release, the project’s capital estimate won’t be affected by the revised production date. Capex remains estimated at US$3.9 billion. Fortescue’s share of that investment works out to approximately US$3 billion.

Fortescue share price snapshot

As you can see in the chart below, the Fortescue share price has gained 6% over the past 12 months. This compares to a loss of 5% posted by the ASX 200 over that same period.

The post Fortescue share price lifts on production update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• How I’d invest $20k in ASX 200 shares to earn a second income of $140 a month
• Guess which ASX All Ords stock is lifting on a $55m deal with Fortescue
• Fortescue share price marching higher amid green iron ‘major breakthrough’
• Why did the Fortescue share price slide today?
• How big will the Fortescue dividend be in 2024?

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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) took off on Tuesday, rising 1.04% to close at 7,034.1 points amid rallying lithium stocks.

The Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) share price rocketed on news it had turned down a $5.5 billion takeover bid from international lithium giant Albemarle.

Many of the ASX 200 company’s peers also leapt higher – bolstering the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XJO) to gain 2.2%.

Meanwhile, a $1.5 billion takeover offer posed to United Malt Group Ltd (ASX: UMG) was better received. The maltster has entered an exclusivity deed with French suitor Malteries Soufflet.

Stock in the takeover target led the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) 0.4% higher today.

But it was the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) that came in as today’s top-performing sector, leaping 4.1%.

On the other hand, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) underperformed all others, falling 0.9%.

But which share posted the index’s biggest gain on Tuesday? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Surprise, surprise! Today’s top-performing ASX 200 stock was, of course, Liontown.

The lithium hopeful’s share price leapt a whopping 68.5% today to close at $2.57 following Albemarle’s rejected $2.50 per share acquisition offer.

These shares made today’s biggest gains:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)	$2.57	68.52%
United Malt Group Ltd (ASX: UMG)	$4.50	30.81%
Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)	$0.90	15.38%
Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)	$11.53	13.71%
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)	$3.85	11.92%
Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)	$0.205	10.81%
Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)	$0.605	9.01%
Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN)	$6.84	8.92%
Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE)	$0.45	8.43%
Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)	$1.385	7.78%

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

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday
• 8 ASX 300 lithium stocks surging over 10% today
• Why Chalice Mining, Core Lithium, Liontown, and United Malt shares are racing higher
• Here’s why the Sayona Mining share price is shooting 14% higher today
• 3 ASX 200 shares cracking multi-year highs on Tuesday

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 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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As any investor who hasn’t found a new home under a rock lately would know, the ASX share market has had a very rough few weeks lately. After climbing over 7,500 points back in February (representing a year-to-date gain of 8.8% at the time), the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) promptly cratered.

By mid-March, it was back under 6,900 points, having lost close to 9% of its value peak to trough. Although the market has seen a bit of an upswing over the past few days, we convincingly remain well below where we were at the start of February.

So why has the stock market dropped so convincingly over the past few weeks, in stark contrast to the happy start it had to 2023?

Well, it’s hard to put a finger on exactly. But there’s little doubt that the crises we have seen with the global financial system have played an outsized role.

It all started with the unexpected collapse of the SVB Financial Group (Silicon Valley Bank) in early March. SVB is, or at least was, a specialty bank catering to startups, tech companies and other businesses that inhabited the United States’ famous Silicon Valley tech hub.

It seems that the rapid rate of interest rate rises in most countries around the world (including and especially the US) destabilised SVB’s finances to such a degree that it endangered the entire company.

If it was just SVB then perhaps the markets would be back to where they were in February. But SVB’s collapse started something of a chain reaction, with the giant Swiss bank Credit Suisse following suit shortly after. Credit Suisse has since been acquired by its fellow Swiss bank UBS. But fears of financial contagion are clearly well-entrenched now.

So it’s this banking crisis, together with high interest rates, that we can probably blame for the share market’s recent woes.

And now, onto the question everyone wants to know: when will the markets recover?

When will the stock market be as it was?

Well, I have a simple answer: I have no clue. And nor does anyone else, no matter what they might say.

If someone knew how to consistently pick the tops and bottoms of any share market, they would be richer than Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. But seeing as the global rich list is devoid of stock pickers, it just goes to show how tricky this business is.

So I’m not trying to ‘time a bottom’ here. And nor should you. Instead, do what has always worked in the stock market: find quality businesses you can buy for a reasonable price. That’s how Warren Buffett got (and stays) rich.

And that’s the best ticket that any of us have to gain real wealth from ASX shares. Don’t worry about tops and bottoms, or crises and banks.

Both the stock market and the many quality shares it houses have never failed to regain previous all-time highs. That’s despite global recessions, depressions, wars and pandemics. I don’t think this trend will end with the collapse of a couple of banks in 2023.

The post Why has the stock market dropped and when will it recover? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Fortescue share price lifts on production update
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• How I’d invest $20k in ASX 200 shares to earn a second income of $140 a month
• Why I think the Qantas share price can keep soaring higher
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday

SVB Financial provides credit and banking services to The Motley Fool. 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 positions in and has recommended SVB Financial. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SVB Financial. 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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