S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XAO) shares are up 0.3% to 8,724.3 points on Thursday.

The market has endured much volatility in the calendar year-to-date (YTD).

We started the year with a major metals commodity sell-off in late January/early February.

Then the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February, leading to a world oil supply crisis that has raised inflation.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has raised interest rates three times in 2026 in an effort to curb resurgent inflation.

The market is pricing a 76% chance of another 0.25% hike when the RBA board meets again on 28-29 September.

Overnight, the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years.

The Fed increased its benchmark rate by 0.25% to a range of 3.75% and 4%, also due to persistently high inflation.

On top of that, bond yields have surged to multi-year highs in both Australia and the US over the past month.

Rising bond yields, especially at today’s level of 5% or more for 10-year bonds, can pull investment away from ASX shares.

Put all of this together and it’s not so great for the share market.

The ASX 200 was up 5.6% for the YTD just before the conflict in Iran began.

In the month following the first strike, the ASX 200 fell 8.9%.

There have been more fluctuations ever since.

Today, ASX 200 shares have slipped into the red for the YTD.

Here’s a visual aide.

Despite all of this, a large survey shows ASX shares investors are still buying stocks amid the volatility.

Investors still buying ASX shares

A survey of more than 8,500 Aussie investors and traders conducted by CMC shows continuing engagement in the ASX share market.

More than 55% said they were more cautious, but 87% plan to carry on investing the same amount, or more, over the next six months.

Fraser Allan, Head of Premium Client Management at CMC, said uncertainty in markets had not deterred investors this year.

Rather than stepping back, they appear to be reassessing how and where they participate, a measured response that reflects neither complacency nor retreat.

That’s a meaningful shift from what could be expected, given that uncertainty has in the past led some retail investors and traders to flee to cash.

This time, some investors and traders are staying in the market and adjusting how they participate.

ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were the most common way investors and traders had added to their portfolios this year.

About 48% increased their investment in ETFs, 38% raised their ASX shareholdings, and 21% increased their US stock positions.

The post ASX shares investors are still buying despite volatility: survey appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Aurizon, Car Group, Guzman y Gomez shares
• Could this evolving development smash ASX lithium shares like Liontown, Mineral Resources and PLS?
• Buy, hold, sell: Temple & Webster, Kelsian, Boss Energy shares
• Saudi oil crisis is about to hit Europe, could Australia be next?
• ASX 200 rebounds from recent lows. Is this just another false start?

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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.

S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares are 0.4% higher at 8,659.1 points on Thursday.

On The Bull this week, Toby Grimm from Baker Young explains his views and ratings on three ASX 300 shares.

Let’s take a look.  

Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ)

The Aurizon share price is $3.73, up 0.5% today and up 16% over 12 months. 

Grimm has a buy rating on this ASX 300 industrials share. 

He commented: 

This coal and freight logistics firm delivered better than expected full year 2026 results, in our view. Revenue of $4.194 billion was up 6 per cent on the prior corresponding period and statutory net profit after tax of $362 million was up 19 per cent.

A highly encouraging performance at its containerised freight division provides a long term opportunity, in our view.

Strong global coal prices amid favourable weather conditions to date in New South Wales and Queensland should generate demand for export logistics.

While competition for haulage contracts may lower margins, the business outlook remains positive.

It was recently trading on an attractive dividend yield above 6 per cent.

CAR Group Limited (ASX: CAR)

The CAR share price is $23.91, down 0.5% today and down 37% over 12 months. 

Grimm has a hold rating on this ASX 300 communications share. 

He said: 

Australia’s premium online car trading platform posted reported revenue of $1.253 billion in full year 2026, up 6 per cent on the prior corresponding period. Reported net profit after tax of $314 million was up 14 per cent.

Guidance for 2027 appears favourable relative to consensus expectations.

While the stock remains expensive relative to the broader market, its recent forward price/earnings ratio was trading at a significant discount to its average over the past four years.

The company expects revenue growth of between 11 per cent and 14 per cent in constant currency in full year 2027.

Guzman Y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG)

The Guzman Y Gomez share price is $24.91, up 0.2% today and down 1% over 12 months. 

Grimm has a sell rating on this ASX 300 consumer discretionary share. 

He explained: 

The share price has rallied strongly after a decision to exit loss making US operations in May, followed by encouraging full year results in August.

While there’s a near term benefit of withdrawing from the US, the decision also removes long term expansion potential. Also, it places more pressure on Australia, Singapore and Japan to perform to greater heights to justify what we consider a lofty price-earnings multiple.

The shares materially exceed our valuation. The shares have risen from $16 on May 20 to trade at $26.85 on September 10.

Investors may want to consider taking a profit at these levels given the Australian economy is dealing with a cost of living crisis.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Aurizon, Car Group, Guzman y Gomez shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX 200 shares forecast to fly 30% to 40% higher
• Up 67%! Is it too late to buy the rally in Guzman Y Gomez shares now?
• My top ASX passive income stocks for the next 10 years
• Experts name 3 top ASX shares to buy this week
• 3 ASX shares with dividend yields of between 6% and 11%

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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 CAR Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

After posting strong growth for much of the past full year, ASX lithium shares have come under selling pressure in recent months.

Over the last year, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has slipped 2.1%, with the All Ords having dropped 4.0% in the past month.

Here’s how the performance from these top ASX lithium shares compares:

• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) are up 12.2% in a year and down 22.3% in a month.
• Pls Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares – formerly Pilbara Minerals – are up 85.2% in a year and down 17.9% in a month.
• IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) shares are up 40.7% in a year and down 17.4% in a month.
• Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares are up 224.6% in a year and down 6.1% in a month.
• And Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) shares are up 41.7% in a year and down 19.0% in a month.

The common headwind battering all of the miners over the last month is the sharp retrace in global lithium prices.

While the lithium carbonate price remains up 79% since this time last year, it’s fallen 34% from its mid-May multi-year highs. And that fall accelerated in recent weeks, with the lithium price slumping 17% since 1 September.

A lot of that decline has come after global and Australian miners ramped up their production amid higher lithium prices, which looks to have quickly led to an oversupply situation.

But ASX lithium shares, and their stockholders, could have more to worry about than just an oversupply of lithium.

Indeed, investors would do well to keep one eye on sodium, an element widely available across the globe.

Will sodium batteries put more pressure on ASX lithium shares?

Lithium batteries aren’t the only way to store large amounts of energy.

Indeed, in potentially concerning news for ASX lithium shares, Chinese battery manufacturing giant CATL expects that sodium-based batteries could take a big slice of market share from lithium batteries.

Addressing the Australian Financial Review Asia Summit, CATL Australia chairman John Kwon said sodium-ion battery costs will likely be on par with lithium-ion batteries early in 2027.

While Kwon said lithium batteries would remain a superior choice for EVs, sodium batteries could be better for date centre power storage. He noted that sodium batteries aren’t as sensitive to temperature as lithium batteries. And they can be recharged more often.

“Sodium-ion is now moving from development towards commercial deployment,” Kwon said (quoted by the AFR).

He added:

Sodium-ion is an important development because it creates another pathway for scaling battery deployment using widely available raw materials and adding flexibility to global supply chains.

And ASX lithium shares could be facing that fresh competition soon, with Kwon forecasting that sodium batteries should be commercially available in Australia by mid-2027.

The post Could this evolving development smash ASX lithium shares like Liontown, Mineral Resources and PLS? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These ASX 200 shares could return 50% to 85%
• Is the PLS Group share price a buy in September?
• ASX 200 drops again as selling continues
• Buy, hold, sell: Magellan, Iluka Resources, PLS Group shares
• Which ASX lithium miners does Macquarie prefer?

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.