Technology remains one of the areas of the market where I see plenty of long-term growth ahead.

That is why the Vanguard Global Technology Index ETF (ASX: VTEK) has caught my attention.

If I had $5,000 to invest in a Vanguard ETF today, this is one I would be happy to buy and hold for the long term.

A way to invest in AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) would be one of my main reasons for owning the VTEK ETF.

The current AI boom requires enormous investment in computing power, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and software. This Vanguard ETF gives investors exposure to businesses operating across several parts of that chain.

NVIDIA, for example, has become one of the most important suppliers of the chips used to train and run AI models.

But the opportunity extends beyond chip designers. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing manufactures many of the advanced semiconductors required across AI and other high-performance computing applications.

For me, that is one of the strengths of the VTEK ETF. Instead of trying to identify the single company that will benefit most from AI, investors can gain exposure to several businesses helping build the infrastructure behind it.

More than one technology trend

AI may be generating most of the headlines, but I would not invest $5,000 in this ETF based on that theme alone.

Technology spending continues to spread through almost every part of the economy.

Businesses are shifting more operations to the cloud, adopting new software tools, automating processes, and using data in increasingly sophisticated ways.

Microsoft is a good example of how several of these trends can come together. Its position in cloud computing and business software means it can benefit as companies invest more heavily in digital infrastructure while also introducing AI capabilities across existing products.

The fund also provides exposure to consumer technology through companies such as Apple.

That broader mix is important to me because it means VTEK is not dependent on one product cycle or one area of technology spending.

Why I like this Vanguard ETF’s structure

Another thing I like is simplicity.

Building a portfolio of individual global technology shares would require deciding how much to allocate to semiconductors, software, cloud computing, hardware, and other parts of the sector.

The Vanguard Global Technology Index ETF does that through a single ASX investment while providing exposure to a large collection of global technology companies.

That makes it an easy way for me to add a dedicated technology allocation alongside broader Australian or international investments.

There is a trade-off, though. This is still a sector-focused ETF, so I would expect it to be more volatile than a broad global shares fund. Its largest holdings also have a meaningful influence on performance.

For that reason, I would see this Vanguard ETF as one part of a diversified portfolio rather than something I would build an entire portfolio around.

Foolish takeaway

If I had $5,000 available for a long-term investment, this Vanguard ETF would be high on my list.

I like that it provides exposure to the infrastructure supporting AI, while also capturing growth across cloud computing, software, semiconductors, and consumer technology.

Technology will almost certainly look different a decade from now. Rather than trying to predict which individual company will dominate, I would be comfortable owning a fund positioned across several of the areas driving that change.

The post Why I’d invest $5,000 in this Vanguard ETF appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares are sliding today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) AI-powered drone defence stock closed on Friday trading for $1.61. In morning trade on Monday, shares are swapping hands for $1.58 apiece, down 2.2%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.2% at this same time.

That’s today’s price action for you.

Now here’s the latest top leadership news.

DroneShield shares get new non-executive director

In a market announcement this morning, deemed non-price sensitive to DroneShield shares, the company reported the appointment of Lynne Saint as a non-executive director. Saint will step into the role on 24 November.

Saint currently serves on the board of Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) and Ventia Services Group Ltd (ASX: VNT), where she chairs the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and is a member of the Nominations Committee, People and Remuneration Committee, and Safety and Sustainability Committee.

DroneShield chairman Hamish McLennan noted that the appointment is further evidence of the board’s renewal process.

McLennan said:

I welcome Lynne’s appointment to the DroneShield Board where her deep experience across audit, financial leadership, enterprise risk, supply chain risk and project management will be valuable as part of the strategic oversight and governance as the company continues to scale and expands its global footprint.

Saint added:

DroneShield is an impressive Australian technology company operating in a strategically important and rapidly evolving global industry.

I am delighted to be joining the Board at this stage of the company’s development, and I look forward to contributing my skills and experience as it continues to grow.

What’s the latest from the ASX 200 drone defence stock?

With today’s intraday moves factored in, DroneShield shares are down 59.6% since this time last year.

The ASX 200 drone defence stock released its half year results (H1 2026), covering the six months to 30 June, on 26 August.

Highlights included all-time high first half profits of $125.8 million, up 74% from H1 2025.

But things weren’t so rosy on the earnings front.

DroneShield reported an underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) loss of $12.4 million for the half year, down from a positive EBITDA of $8 million in the prior corresponding half.

The company said the loss was driven by “a period of planned investment in production capacity, product development, organisational systems and management capability to support larger global operations”.

On the bottom line, DroneShield’s statutory net loss after tax of $32.2 million was down from the $2.1 million profit reported in H1 2025.

DroneShield shares closed down 11.0% on the day of the results release.

The post Buying DroneShield shares? Meet your new board director appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 positions in and has recommended DroneShield. 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.

ASX shares with large dividend yields could be an excellent choice during this period of higher inflation and interest rates.

Yes, savings accounts and bonds are now offering a higher interest rate. But, I don’t think interest rates are going to go much higher, so the current lower share prices mean high dividend yields for investors.

I think the following two stocks are some of the best options that passive income investors can buy.

Future Generation Australia Ltd (ASX: FGX)

Future Generation Australia is a listed investment company (LIC) with a very charitable cause.

It donates 1% of its net assets each year to charities focused on supporting youth.

The ASX share has a portfolio invested in the funds of 16 fund managers, which means a lot of diversification. It invests a lot more in smaller, growing businesses than the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Accumulation Index (ASX: XAOA) gives weighting to.

Over time, I think smaller businesses can deliver more growth and more compounding than the large ASX blue-chip shares.

Future Generation Australia has been a very good option for reliable dividends during its life. The ASX share has grown its annual dividend per share every year since it started paying dividends in 2015.

In FY26, it expects to hike its annual dividend per share by 5.6% to 7.6 cents. That’s a forward grossed-up dividend yield of 8.3%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI)

The other ASX share I want to highlight is Universal Store, which owns multiple brands focused on providing premium apparel products. Those brands include Universal Store, Perfect Stranger, and CTC (Worship and THRILLS).

Its products are resonating with customers with a strong performance across its two core brands, as well as increasing profitability.

In FY26, group sales rose 12.9% to $376.1 million. Universal Store total sales grew 11.5% to $313.3 million, amid like-for-like sales growth of 8.1%. Perfect Stranger total sales grew 40.8% to $35.9 million, boosted by LFL sales growth of 13%.

The FY26 group gross profit margin rose 140 basis points (1.40%) to 62.5%, underlying operating profit (EBIT) climbed 17.2% to $64 million, and underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) climbed 16.3% to $40.5 million. Each of those margins improved, which comes after a number of years of improvement.

The above profit growth helped it hike its annual dividend per share by 11.7% to 43 cents.

It seems like all the company needs to keep doing is producing good clothing and rolling out more stores for success.

In the first seven weeks of FY27, direct-to-customer sales were up another 9.1%, with Universal Store sales growth of 5.5% and Perfect Stranger sales growth of 45.8%.

Management intends to open another 16 to 20 stores in FY27, which could help drive its financials further.

According to the projection on CommSec, the company could grow its dividend to 45 cents per share. That means it’s trading with a potential grossed-up dividend yield of 8.6%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

Impressively, the Universal Store dividend has grown each year since it started paying a dividend in 2021.

The post 2 ASX shares with dividend yields above 8% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Future Generation Australia. 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 Universal Store. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.