S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are down 0.9% to 8,689.1 points on Thursday.

Meanwhile, three experts share their views on three ASX 200 shares.

Let’s take a look.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

The Telix Pharmaceuticals share price is $16.02, down 0.4% today and up 4% over 12 months. 

Bell Potter has a buy rating on this ASX 200 healthcare share. 

Analyst John Hester said: 

TLX has announced a scrip-based merger with the privately owned ITM Group, based in Germany for consideration of up to US$2.35bn.

ITM is a leading manufacturer of therapeutic isotopes, including Lu-177, being the dominant therapeutic isotope for the treatment of cancers including for the Novartis blockbuster Pluvicto.

The merger creates a vertically integrated radiopharmaceutical company with enhanced capabilities across development, isotope production and global manufacturing.

[The merger] represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a dominant share in the supply of Lu-177 that is very difficult to replicate. While earnings may take a year or two to realise, the underlying value is obvious.

New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

The New Hope Corporation share price is $5.86, down 0.09% today and up 49% over 12 months. 

Morgans has a hold rating on this ASX 200 coal share.

The broker said: 

Cash surprise drives dividend beat – Strong operational delivery and a year-end cash balance of A$485m supported a fully franked 30cps final dividend, materially ahead of MorgansF (20cps) and consensus (14cps).

Operational performance exceeded expectations – NHC delivered record saleable coal production of 11.5Mt and coal sales of 11.8Mt, exceeding the top end of guidance and demonstrating the resilience of its operations despite disruptions throughout the year.

Strong run, balanced view – NHC shares have rallied 60% YTD, supported by stronger coal prices and improving market sentiment. While we remain constructive on thermal coal fundamentals, the recent share price performance may provide an opportunity for investors to crystallise some gains.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

The REA share price is $151.55, down 0.5% today and down 34% over 12 months. 

Morgans has a sell rating on this ASX 200 communications share. 

Analyst Michael Ardrey said:

Despite REA’s ability to generate strong results in challenged operating environments, we continue to see significant downside risk to listings volumes/earnings vs. company guidance and consensus and await further data points via lending volumes and market listings before re-considering our thesis.

The post Buy, hold, sell: New Hope, REA, Telix Pharmaceuticals shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Just when it looked like oil prices might be settling down, Brent crude has made its way back towards US$103 a barrel.

As of Thursday morning, the global benchmark is trading at approximately US$102.92, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is changing hands at US$92.26.

Brent slipped below US$98 on Tuesday amid signs of improving Middle Eastern oil supplies, but it didn’t stay there long.

According to Trading Economics, Brent has gained around 11.7% over the past month and more than 48% over the past year.

That puts US$110 less than 7% away.

So, what’s driving the rebound?

Oil supply disruptions continue

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is still a long way from normal, and that’s keeping oil traders on edge.

According to Reuters, just 3 commodity vessels passed through the waterway on Tuesday, compared with 4 on Monday.

That’s 80% below the 10-day average of approximately 15 vessels.

All 3 were heading out of the Strait, although the figures don’t include ships travelling with their tracking systems switched off.

Before the conflict, approximately 1/5th of global oil and gas flows passed through the waterway.

With traffic still so low, getting oil out of the region remains difficult, and thus helping keep prices elevated.

Saudi Arabia gets oil moving again

There has been some good news on the supply side, with Saudi Arabia restarting its East-West oil pipeline.

This comes after drone attacks forced its closure earlier this month.

The pipeline had been transporting around 4 million barrels per day to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

However, operations have only resumed at reduced capacity of late.

It could apparently take another 6 to 8 weeks before the pipeline is fully operational again.

US oil inventories rise unexpectedly

The latest US inventory figures weren’t quite what analysts had expected.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that crude inventories increased by 3 million barrels to 426.4 million barrels last week.

Analysts had expected a decline of approximately 641,000 barrels.

Fuel stockpiles moved in the opposite direction, though.

Gasoline stockpiles fell by 1.7 million barrels. Distillate inventories, including diesel and heating oil, declined by 400,000 barrels.

US refineries also processed 519,000 fewer barrels per day, with utilisation falling to 94%.

Could Brent hit US$110?

I think US$110 is within reach, although much depends on what happens next between the US and Iran.

Just yesterday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would not surrender to the US, but remained open to diplomacy.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within 7 days if Washington eased military pressure.

The next level I’ll be watching is US$105. A move through there would put US$110 right in my view.

I expect more volatility along the way for now, but I do think oil prices have further to climb.

The post Oil prices are climbing again. Could Brent crude hit US$110? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) are three of the biggest names on the Australian share market.

They also give investors exposure to very different parts of the economy, spanning resources, healthcare, and banking.

But if I were looking at these ASX shares today, I would not treat all three the same.

Here is how I see each one.

BHP shares

BHP would be firmly in the buy category for me.

The mining giant gives investors exposure to some of the commodities I think could remain important for decades, particularly iron ore and copper.

Iron ore remains central to BHP’s earnings, while copper could become an increasingly important part of the story as investment in electrification, power networks, renewable energy, and data centres supports demand.

I also like BHP’s scale. Mining is inherently cyclical, and commodity prices can move sharply, but large, low-cost operations can leave a business in a stronger position when conditions become more difficult.

There will inevitably be periods when weaker commodity prices put pressure on earnings and dividends. That comes with investing in resources.

But for investors prepared to look through those cycles, I think BHP remains one of the ASX mining shares I would be most comfortable owning for the long term. For me, that makes BHP shares a buy.

CSL shares

CSL is another share I would be happy to buy.

The healthcare giant has been through a difficult period, with investors becoming much less enthusiastic about the stock than they were several years ago.

For me, that creates an opportunity. CSL still owns high-quality healthcare businesses with significant global operations. Its plasma therapies business remains the centrepiece, while vaccines and other specialised treatments add further diversification.

What I like here is the potential for earnings growth to improve as the company continues rebuilding margins and growing demand across its major businesses.

CSL also operates in areas where barriers to entry are high. Plasma collection networks, manufacturing expertise, regulatory approvals, and established healthcare relationships are difficult to replicate.

The recovery may still take time, and investors will want to see continued evidence that margins and profit growth are moving in the right direction.

Even so, I think the long-term opportunity looks attractive after the weakness in the share price. That leaves CSL shares as a buy for me.

Westpac shares

Westpac is where I become more cautious. It remains one of Australia’s major banks and has a huge customer base across mortgages, deposits, and other financial services.

That gives the business plenty of stability, and I can understand why existing shareholders may be happy to continue holding it, particularly those focused on dividends.

My hesitation is around how much growth investors can reasonably expect from a mature Australian bank.

Westpac has substantial exposure to residential lending, where competition can be intense and growth depends heavily on the Australian housing and consumer markets. And with the housing market going through a weak period, Westpac’s growth looks challenged to me.

For existing shareholders, I see no strong reason to sell. But if I were investing new money today, I would look for other opportunities.

That makes Westpac shares a hold for me.

Foolish takeaway

BHP and CSL are the two ASX shares here where I would be most comfortable putting new money to work.

They offer very different investment cases, but both have long-term growth drivers that I think can reward patient investors.

Westpac remains a solid business, and I would be comfortable continuing to own it. At current levels, though, I would rather hold than add.

The post Buy, hold, sell: BHP, CSL, and Westpac shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.