It was a bit of a sour end to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Friday. After a bumpy trading week that saw the markets swing from gains to losses, investors ended up siding with the pessimists over today’s session.

After keeping to red territory all day, the ASX 200 ended up closing 0.5% lower. That leaves the index at 8,796.7 points as we head into the weekend.

This rough day for the Australian markets followed a similar session on Wall Street overnight.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was not in a good mood, dropping 0.2% lower.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was punished even harder, falling a nasty 1.47%.

But let’s return to the local boards now and take a closer look at what was happening with the various ASX sectors this Friday.

Winners and losers

No one should be surprised to see that there were more losers than winners today.

Leading said losers were gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) was slammed this session, crashing 4.95%.

Broader mining shares were also slammed, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) tanking 2.91%.

Tech stocks sank hard as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) cratered 1.6%.

Next on the red list were healthcare shares, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ)’s 0.34% dive.

Our final losers this Friday were financial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) lifted 0.1% by the closing bell.

Let’s turn to the green sectors now. It was utilities shares that fronted the pack, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) surging up 1.77%.

Energy stocks ran hot, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) soared 1.66% higher this Friday.

Communications shares were also in demand, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)’s 1.62% lift.

Consumer staples stocks weren’t left out either. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) bounced up 1.06% today.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) came next, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) seeing its value spike 1.02%.

After REITs, we had industrial shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) enjoyed a 0.65% improvement this session.

Last and least, consumer discretionary stocks just stuck the landing, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)’s 0.48% jump.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today’s top stock was once again the financial services company AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP). AMP shares rocketed another 6.32% today to close at $2.02 each.

This seems to be a continuation of the goodwill we saw yesterday following the earnings update that was released.

Here’s the rest of today’s best: 

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP)	$2.02	6.32%
Brambles Ltd (ASX: BXB)	$19.44	3.46%
Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)	$30.46	3.29%
Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)	$23.21	2.88%
Amcor plc (ASX: AMC)	$63.77	2.84%
Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)	$5.04	2.65%
Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA)	$6.10	2.52%
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)	$17.62	2.50%
Ingenia Communities Ltd (ASX: INA)	$4.29	2.39%
Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG)	$3.56	2.30%

Enjoy the weekend!

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made 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.

More reading

• Could Woodside Energy be a takeover target?
• Alcoa smashes Q2 revenue record, boosts portfolio with South32 acquisition
• Perseus Mining: Yaouré growth drilling pays off
• Regis Resources upgrades FY27 production guidance and cost outlook
• Coles ends talks for Greencross acquisition

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 Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Amcor Plc and Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and Generation Development Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Investing in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) seems to grow more popular on the ASX with each passing year. ASX investors seem to love buying ASX ETFs, likely for their simple, hands-off nature and cheap market access, which they are well known for.

The ASX’s most popular ETFs, such as the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), seem to increase their assets under management like clockwork every month. And the number of smaller, thematic ETFs has exploded in recent years. These days, you can pretty much find any ETF you can think of on the ASX.

This trend, in my view, is largely a happy one. ETFs can give ASX investors cheap access to industries and markets that were previously unavailable (or available but prohibitively expensive) to Australian investors. Australians who might have never taken the plunge of buying individual ASX shares are happy to part with their dollars when offered cheap, market-wide index funds that can simply be put into the proverbial bottom drawer and never touched again.

However, ETF investing is not without its potential risks and downsides. Today, I’m going to discuss what I consider the biggest red flag for ASX investors to watch out for when considering an ETF investment.

A big red flag when buying ASX ETFs

Any ASX ETF can theoretically find a happy place in an investor’s portfolio. Provided it aligns with their goals and risk tolerances, of course. However, I think there is one factor that should be assessed above all else when analysing your next ETF investment. That factor is the fee that the ETF will charge you.

All ASX ETFs charge their investors an annual fee for their services. That’s fair enough. After all, ETFs need to be maintained, their portfolios kept in line, their dividends distributed, and their investors kept informed. That doesn’t come free.

But although all ETFs are equal when it comes to imposing these fees, some are more equal than others. It is this fee that ASX ETF investors need to be discerning about.

Fees on ASX ETFs are wide-ranging. Some of the cheapest on the market go for under 0.05% per annum. That’s $5 a year for every $10,000 invested. Others are as high as 1%, or even greater.

Whether an ETF charges a fee of 0.05%, 0.5%, or 1% might not sound like a matter of great importance. But it is if you value your cash. Sure, that kind of difference isn’t enough to make a meaningful difference to one’s returns over a year or two. But it certainly starts to add up over five, ten, or 20 years.

When paying 1% can cost you a fortune

Just as returns from investments compound, so too do the lost potential returns of money that is eaten up by these fees. To illustrate, let’s assume one investor puts $100,000 into one ETF that is fee-free. Another investor puts the same amount into a fund that asks 1% per annum. If both ETFs return an average of 10% over 20 years, our 1% fund will turn that $100,000 into just over $600,000. But our fee-free fund will yield almost $730,300.

Yep, that 1% difference is worth more than $130,000 over two decades.

As such, all ASX investors who are thinking about buying an ASX ETF need to consider how much dead money their fund will take from them. A high fee, particularly one over 1% per annum, is, in my view, one of the biggest red flags an ETF can wave at us as investors. Ignore it at your money’s peril.

The post Buying ASX ETFs? Watch out for this red flag appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Own Vanguard ASX ETFs? It’s dividend payday!
• 3 amazing ASX ETFs I’d buy this month
• VAS vs. VHY: Which is the better ASX ETF for retirement?
• Where to invest $50,000 in ASX ETFs this month
• How to go from zero to $50,000 with ASX shares

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF. 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.

Shares in Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) have appreciated by more than 56% over the past 12 months but at least two brokers believe the stock still has a way to run.

The analyst teams at both Macquarie and UBS have bullish share price targets on the company which we’ll get to shortly.

Firstly let’s look at why they’ve recently published research reports on the company.

Strong fourth quarter production meets guidance

Ora Banda earlier this week published its quarterly production report which showed the company produced a record 39,552 ounces of gold during the June quarter to meet its full year guidance target.

The company said it had closing cash at the end of the quarter of $267.7 million with total available liquidity of $468 million including an undrawn $200 million debt facility.

The company had also during the quarter launched its “Drive to 300” initiative which is a multi-year target to increase production to 300,000 ounces of gold per year.

Ora Banda Managing Director Luke Creagh said of the result:

Another transformational year for Ora Banda is a credit to the exceptional work of our teams who achieved records across nearly every metric as well as set ting up the Company to deliver outstanding value creation with the launch of our ‘DRIVE to 300’ Project. Our organic growth strategy continues to gain momentum, with material increases in Resources and Reserves, and operating cashflows continuing to strengthen the balance sheet . The business has more than $468 million of liquidity to fund capital projects as we target a doubling of production and a step-change down in unit costs by FY29.

Ora Banda’s production guidance for the current year is 125,000-140,000 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $3400-$3600. Last year’s production result was 140,949 ounces.

The company added:

Production is expected to be weighted towards the first half of FY27, with production supplemented by third-party processing through to October 2026 . Post October, the Company will commence building ore stockpiles ahead of commissioning of the new processing facility.

Ora Banda intends to spend $425 million in growth capital this year.                                                                                                           

Brokers this this ASX gold stock is going cheap

UBS said it had lowered its price target on the company due to higher capital expenditure and lower estimated earnings.

The broker’s price target for Ora Banda shares is now $1.45, down from $1.60, compared to the current price of $1.

Macquarie’s price target on the shares is $1.30.

The broker said:

OBM is firmly in its growth phase growing production from 141koz in FY26 to >300koz in FY29 by using its balance sheet (liquidity of A$468m) and internal cash flows to fund it.

The post This ASX gold stock could jump by 45% brokers say appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Are Macquarie, Qantas, and WiseTech shares buys?
• 3 ASX dividend shares that look better after CGT reforms
• The Macquarie share price just hit a new record high
• How I’d invest $10,000 in ASX shares for the next decade
• How much superannuation do you need to earn $5,000 a month in passive income?

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