2 big ASX 200 shares this fund manager rates as buys

The fund manager Wilson Asset Management has picked two significant S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares that could make great buys today.

The investment team from listed investment company (LIC) WAM Leaders Ltd (ASX: WLE) say they are investing in the highest-quality Australian companies.

While it owns many of the most recognisable names on the ASX, it holds less of some the biggest ASX blue-chip shares than the ASX 200 Index. The businesses it’s most ‘underweight’ are: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB).

The names that it’s most actively overweight on include the two that I’m going to cover in this article. The other three businesses that are most overweight include Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO), Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL) and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC).

Two of the businesses that the WAM team are excited about are the following large ASX 200 shares.

Alcoa Corporation CDI (ASX: AAI)

WAM described Alcoa as a global producer of aluminium, alumina and bauxite.

The fund manager noted that Alcoa delivered outperformance during November as the global aluminium market “tightened”, with China reaching its capacity ceiling, structural deficits in the US and Europe, alongside accelerating demand across the globe.

The investment team highlights that Alcoa Corporation is also implementing several initiatives to increase productivity, reduce costs and optimise the ASX 200 share’s asset portfolio.

WAM Leaders believes that the structural demand-supply imbalance in aluminium persists. With Alcoa Corporation’s “attractive valuation” relative to global peers and ongoing operational improvements, WAM Leaders has made the business a core holding in the portfolio.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

The WAM investment team described CSL is a global biotechnology company developing plasma therapies, vaccines and treatments for rare diseases.

WAM Leaders attended the CSL capital markets day in the US during November and also met the management team. The investment team toured the manufacturing facilities and plasma collection centres in Kankakee (Illinois) and Holly Springs (North Carolina).

The fund manager said its investment team were encouraged by the additional disclosures by the ASX 200 share on demand drivers for immunoglobulin products and CSL’s initiatives to grow market share, as well as progress in reducing plasma collection and fractionation costs.

WAM said the insights gained during these meetings have strengthened its confidence in the ASX 200 share’s earnings profile and it sees valuation support for the current CSL share price.

The post 2 big ASX 200 shares this fund manager rates as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Centuria Industrial REIT announces 4.2 cent December 2025 distribution
• How on earth has the WiseTech Global share price exploded 20% in 17 days?
• ASX healthcare stock debuts at a massive discount to its initial public offer price

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 positions in and has recommended CSL and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group, CSL, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.