S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) consumer staples and healthcare were the only two sectors in the green last week.

The traditionally defensive sectors found favour during tough trading as investors braced for an interest rate hike on Tuesday.

The benchmark index fell 0.76% over the week to close at 8,665 points, after hitting a 15-week intraday low on Friday.

Traders are pricing in a 95% chance of the Reserve Bank (RBA) raising the cash rate to 4.6% this week.

Many experts expect another rate hike in November, which would be the fifth this calendar year.

Inflation remains above the RBA’s 2% to 3% target, and last week the Governor, Michele Bullock, spoke of “materialising” upside risks.

On Friday, Trading Economics analysts said:

Markets are pricing a 95% chance of a 25-bp hike to 4.60% in September and a possible peak around 5.10%.

Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounding US-Iran negotiations kept oil prices elevated, fueling inflation concerns and a renewed selloff in global bond markets, while strong US business activity has increased bets for another Fed hike, boosting the greenback.

The US Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years this month.

Consumer staples shares led the ASX sectors last week

While consumer staples and healthcare did best last week, both sectors moved only slightly higher.

ASX 200 consumer staples shares rose 0.78% and healthcare edged just 0.09% higher.

Let’s take a look at some specifics.

The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price rose 0.63% to $38.47 per share.

The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price edged 0.3% higher to $23.19.

Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) shares increased 3.1% to $2.99.

Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING) shares ripped 10.99% to $2.12 after PSP Investments took a 5.62% stake.

ASX 200 wine share Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) lifted 5.24% to $5.42.

The Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) share price rose 1.33% to $6.08.

ASX 200 agricultural share Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC) rose 0.15% to $6.57.

The Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD) share price lifted 0.31% to $6.38.

The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price descended 5.5% to $6.65.

Almond food producer Select Harvests Ltd (ASX: SHV) fell 2.93% to $4.31 per share.

Australian Agricultural Company Ltd (ASX: AAC) shares lost 0.77% to close at $1.29.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here’s how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

S&P/ASX 200 market sector	Change last week
Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ)	0.78%
Healthcare (ASX: XHJ)	0.09%
A-REIT (ASX: XPJ)	(0.2%)
Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ)	(0.51%)
Financials (ASX: XFJ)	(0.63%)
Industrials (ASX: XNJ)	(0.76%)
Materials (ASX: XMJ)	(0.84%)
Information Technology (ASX: XIJ)	(1.01%)
Energy (ASX: XEJ)	(1.55%)
Communication (ASX: XTJ)	(2.91%)
Utilities (ASX: XUJ)	(5.23%)

Check out the 15 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week.

The post Investors get defensive as ASX 200 drifts to a 15-week low appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• If I invest $15,000 in Wesfarmers shares, how much passive income will I receive in 2027?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Woolworths shares jump 31% in 2026. Is there any upside left?
• ASX 200 sinks to June lows as investors brace for another RBA rate hike
• Is the Coles share price a buy for its 5% dividend yield?

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 positions in and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elders. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

I’m not quite ready to retire yet, but when I do tap into my superannuation, I already have a few core investments in mind.

With diversification in mind, I plan to invest $50,000 blocks of my super balance into various baskets of ASX stocks covering a broad range of different sectors.

When it comes to the mining sector, I aim to put $50,000 of my superannuation into S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining stocks New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC), Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN), and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares.

All three companies are well-established, well-managed, and have very sizeable moats to keep the competition at bay.

And atop the potential for long-term share price gains, all three pay fully-franked dividends, delivering some handy passive income throughout the year.

I’ve also narrowed my focus to these three because they each offer unique diversity within the mining sector.

BHP shares, for example, derive the majority of their revenue from copper and iron ore.

New Hope shares are solely focused on thermal and coking coal production.

And Mineral Resources shares are exposed to the company’s mining services, iron ore, lithium, and energy segments. On the energy front, Mineral Resources has a current gas exploration program running across prospective acreage in the onshore Perth and Carnarvon basins.

Investing $50,000 of superannuation into top ASX 200 mining stocks

While ASX mining stocks are inherently cyclical, if you’re okay holding onto them through the low parts of any cycle, I believe they’re an excellent place to invest $50,000 of superannuation savings.

At its FY 2026 results, New Hope reported underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $514 million. Net profit after tax (NPAT) came in at $161 million.

And on the passive income front, New Hope declared a final fully-franked dividend of 30 cents per share. New Hope shares trade on a fully-franked trailing dividend yield of 7.1%. The New Hope share price is up 40.3% in a year.

Turning to Mineral Resources, the ASX 200 diversified miner reported record underlying EBITDA of $2.6 billion for FY 2026. On the bottom line, the company achieved an underlying NPAT of $822 million. This saw management restore the dividend, which had been suspended since 2024. Mineral Resources declared a final fully-franked dividend of 83 cents per share.

The Mineral Resources share price is up 25.4% in 12 months.

Which brings us to the third ASX 200 mining stock I’d buy with part of my $50,000 of superannuation, BHP.

For FY 2026, BHP reported underlying EBITDA of US$32.9 billion, with underlying profit of US$13.2 billion. BHP paid a fully-franked final dividend of $1.38 per share. The BHP share price is up 45.5% in 12 months.

The post Why I’d invest $50,000 of superannuation in New Hope, Mineral Resources and BHP shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Northern Star vs BHP: Which ASX share is better for passive income?
• Soul Patts vs Macquarie Group: Best ASX dividend stock for retirees?
• How I’d build a $50,000 ASX share portfolio today
• Forget BHP and buy this ASX copper stock
• How much superannuation do I need to earn $2,000 per week in passive income?

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

Northern Star Resources vs BHP shares: Income investor showdown

When Aussie investors hunt for steady income from ASX blue-chips, both Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) tend to land high on the shortlist. Both are resource heavyweights, but they operate in different leagues – one as a leading gold producer, the other a global mining titan with fingers in many commodities. For those looking to boost their income stream, is one a more compelling buy right now? Here’s how these shares stack up, side by side.

The case for Northern Star Resources

Northern Star Resources is a homegrown gold producer, operating major mining projects in Western Australia and Alaska. The company has grown through savvy acquisitions and still invests heavily in exploration. As a pure-play gold stock, Northern Star’s fortunes are closely tied to gold prices, making it a classic option for investors seeking precious metal exposure but with the scale and liquidity of an ASX top-20 company.

A couple of fundamentals stand out for income seekers:

• Dividend yield: 2.41%
• Franking: 100%, so qualified Australian investors can enjoy the full benefit of franking credits
• P/E ratio: 19.71, indicating a valuation that is a bit below BHP’s on this measure

Recent dividend history shows Northern Star lifting its annual payout to $0.55 per share, fully franked, as of the most recent year. According to its most recent public description, the group manages multiple established goldfields and has expanded via strategic deals.

The case for BHP Group

BHP Group is one of the biggest names on the ASX—and indeed, in global mining. With operations spanning iron ore, copper, coal, and other key commodities, BHP’s size brings fortress-like diversification and financial might. The company unified its listing structure in 2022, further streamlining its position as an Aussie share market leader.

Key factors for income-focused investors:

• Dividend yield: 3.90%, well above Northern Star’s current yield
• Dividend per share: $2.42 over the last year, with a long and consistent payout history
• Franking: 100%

BHP has a reputation for generous dividends, and the current figures back that up. Its market cap, at $310.24 billion, towers above most, cementing its role as a “core” holding for many income portfolios. As of its company profile, BHP’s global operations give it exposure to multiple commodity cycles, providing some ballast compared to more specialised miners.

Valuation comparison

Here are some head-to-head fundamentals:

	Northern Star Resources	BHP Group
P/E Ratio	19.71	22.87
Dividend Yield	2.41%	3.90%
Dividend per Share	$0.55	$2.42
Franking	100%	100%
Market Cap	$31.73 billion	$310.24 billion

BHP currently carries a higher P/E ratio than Northern Star. Since they operate across different resource sectors (diversified mining vs. pure gold), P/E ratios aren’t always directly comparable, but BHP does command a “blue-chip” premium. Notably, both offer fully franked dividends—a real plus for local income investors. The dividend yield, however, skews well in BHP’s favour.

Recent share price performance

Comparing recent share price action until 24 September 2026:

• Northern Star Resources: Closed at $22.27, down 2.3% on the day; YTD return is -12.6%
• BHP Group: Closed at $61.02, down 1.7% on the day; YTD return is a strong 41.8%

While Northern Star has tracked lower this year, BHP has enjoyed significant price momentum.

Which is the better buy?

For income seekers, BHP Group stands out in this match-up. Its dividend yield is considerably higher (3.90% vs 2.41%) and the payout itself is much larger in dollar terms. Both companies franking their payments at 100% makes those dividends especially attractive for Aussies in favourable tax brackets.

Northern Star Resources offers a fully franked yield and exposure to gold for diversification, but its lower yield and negative YTD return make it a less compelling choice on income grounds right now.

If I had to choose one share for an income-focused portfolio today, I’d lean towards BHP. The big miner offers stronger dividends, consistent franking, and much better recent momentum. Unless I was super keen on gold exposure above all, my pick would be BHP for income.

The post Northern Star vs BHP: Which ASX share is better for passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How I’d build a $50,000 ASX share portfolio today
• Why I’d buy the dip in top ASX 200 gold stocks like Newmont, Northern Star and Evolution Mining shares today
• Forget BHP and buy this ASX copper stock
• How much superannuation do I need to earn $2,000 per week in passive income?
• 6 ASX 200 shares scoring renewed buy calls this week

Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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 BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial draft. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.