Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) shares have been hit pretty hard this week, and Friday hasn’t brought much relief.

The stock is down another 1.04% to $53.54 in afternoon trade.

That takes its decline to around 12.6% over the past 5 sessions and more than 20% down in a month.

Interestingly, there hasn’t been a major company announcement this week to explain the selling.

So, what exactly is going on?

Lithium prices are sliding again

The first place I’d look is the lithium market, which has had a rough few weeks.

According to Trading Economics, lithium carbonate is currently trading around 134,300 yuan per tonne.

That leaves the commodity down more than 12% over the past month after a strong run through the first-half of 2026.

And Mineral Resources isn’t the only lithium stock being sold off.

PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares are down 17.58% over the past month, while Liontown Resources Ltd(ASX: LTR) has fallen 21.35%.

Mineral Resources has plenty riding on lithium as well.

The segment generated $771 million of underlying EBITDA in FY26, helped by record sales volumes and higher prices.

What’s been hitting lithium?

A couple of developments out of China have knocked lithium prices around this month.

Earlier in September, Shanghai Metals Market changed the way it measures lithium carbonate inventories.

The survey now includes more traders, battery manufacturers and other holders than it did previously.

That quickly pushed reported inventories higher.

However, much of the increase came from the expanded survey itself.

Reuters also reported last week that China had temporarily paused approvals for new battery energy storage manufacturing projects.

The sector is now being reviewed before new projects are allowed to move ahead.

What about iron ore?

Iron ore doesn’t look like the reason Mineral Resources shares have been falling this week.

At the time of writing, iron ore is trading around US$97.42 per tonne.

That’s actually up around 2.3% over the past month, although the commodity is still 7.4% lower than a year ago.

And iron ore is now a huge part of the Mineral Resources business.

The division generated $1 billion of underlying EBITDA in FY26, making it the company’s biggest earnings contributor.

A large chunk of that came from Onslow Iron, which contributed $909 million after ramping up production during the year.

Mineral Resources is guiding for attributable iron ore sales of 20 million to 21.7 million tonnes in FY27.

The post Why has the Mineral Resources share price fallen 12% this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 drops again as selling continues
• Buy, hold, sell: Magellan, Iluka Resources, PLS Group shares

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.

A CMC survey of more than 8,500 investors and traders has identified the four most popular ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The survey showed ASX shares investors are still buying despite today’s economic uncertainty and trading volatility.

The most common way people are adding to their portfolios is via ETFs, the survey found.

About 48% of respondents have raised their investment in ETFs compared to 38% for ASX shares and 21% for US stocks.

Investors felt the most confidence in ETFs when considering which asset classes would perform best over the next six months.

About 29% said they expected ETFs to do best, followed by US shares at 21%, global shares at 16%, ASX shares at 16%, and commodities at 14%.

Fraser Allan, Head of Premium Client Management at CMC, said index investing “has become the default”.

When investors and traders are uncertain, they’re not going to cash and they’re not stock-picking their way out of it.

They’re buying the market and getting diversified exposure to local and international markets through a handful of very large, very liquid ETFs.

CMC Invest’s 2026 H1 Inside Invest Report found four ASX ETFs account for about 75% of the top 10 orders placed by CMC clients.

Big 4 ASX exchange-traded funds

According to CMC, the most popular ETFs among its clients are as follows.

1. iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

IVV ETF tracks the American benchmark index, the S&P 500 Index (SP: INX).

The S&P 500 has substantially outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the past three years.

In fact, in FY26, US stocks delivered 3 times the total return of ASX 200 shares at 22% versus 7%.

Experts say the performance gap is attributable to the artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom led by the US.

IVV provides exposure to the AI ‘hyperscalers’, Meta Platforms, Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft shares.

The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 94% to 6%.

IVV ETF has risen 5% in the calendar year to date (YTD).

2. Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

VGS ETF tracks the MSCI World ex-Australia (with net dividends reinvested) in Australian dollars Index.

This ASX ETF provides exposure to 1,300 international shares with an almost 80% leaning to the US market.

The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 96% to 4%.

VGS ETF has increased 4% in the YTD.

3. Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS)

VAS ETF tracks the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO), providing exposure to Australia’s 300 largest listed companies.

They include BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 93% to 7%.

VAS ETF has risen 1% in the YTD.

4. BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

NDQ ETF tracks the tech-heavy NASDAQ-100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX).

The buy:sell split among CMC client orders in 1H FY26 was 92% to 8%.

NDQ ETF has lifted 7% in the YTD.

The post 4 most popular ASX ETFs revealed: survey appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How to make $26,000 of passive income from ASX shares
• 3 ASX ETFs for easy artificial intelligence (AI) exposure
• Worried about a downturn? 3 ASX shares and 3 ETFs built to weather it
• 3 reasons to buy the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares (VGS) ETF
• Vanguard ETFs vs. Betashares ETFs: Who’s coming out on top?

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Wesfarmers, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, BHP Group, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF, Wesfarmers, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Santos vs Woodside shares: which is better value today?

Oil and gas shares like Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) are among the ASX’s most widely held energy stocks. With energy prices in focus and both companies riding strong year-to-date gains, it’s fair for investors to wonder: between Santos and Woodside, which share offers better value right now? Here’s how they stack up for both growth and income.

The case for Santos

Santos is a leading independent oil and gas producer spanning Australia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Alaska. The company has deep Australian roots and, as of its company profile, boasts one of the largest exploration and production acreages in Australia. Santos supplies natural gas domestically and to Asian markets, and is building towards significant projects like PNG LNG and Barossa LNG.

Looking at the numbers, Santos currently trades with a market cap of $27.83 billion and a P/E ratio of 27.69. It pays a dividend yield of 3.52%, though its dividends are currently unfranked. Earnings per share sit at $0.225, and the company has delivered a very robust year-to-date return of 46.48%. Notably, Santos’ dividend payout has generally increased over the years, but franking has diminished — none of the recent dividends have carried franking credits.

The case for Woodside

Woodside Energy Group is the largest independent Australian oil and gas operator, with extensive offshore production facilities and international assets. Its position was recently strengthened through a merger with BHP’s oil and gas portfolio, as flagged in its most recent public description. With a long history and global ambition, Woodside remains a heavyweight among ASX energy companies.

Fundamentally, Woodside stands out. Its P/E ratio is 14.79, noticeably lower than Santos, suggesting the market is pricing it more cheaply relative to earnings. Woodside delivers a dividend yield of 4.90%, with dividends fully franked. Its EPS is a much stronger $1.605, and the year-to-date return clocks in at 47.94%. Unlike Santos, all Woodside dividends in recent years have been fully franked, a likely appeal for income investors.

Valuation comparison

Here’s a direct head-to-head on key metrics:

	Santos	Woodside
Market Cap	$27.83 billion	$62.70 billion
P/E Ratio	27.69	14.79
Dividend Yield	3.52%	4.90%
Dividend Franking	Unfranked	100% Franked
Earnings per Share	$0.225	$1.605
Year to Date Return	46.48%	47.94%

Woodside is much larger and offers both a higher and fully franked dividend yield, with a lower P/E and stronger per-share earnings. Santos is priced at a higher earnings multiple and doesn’t offer franking at present.

Recent share price performance

The two shares have tracked similar momentum recently. Over the past fortnight, Santos’ share price rose from $8.31 (2 Sep) to $8.57 (17 Sep), despite some ups and downs — an overall increase of roughly 3%.

Woodside’s share price moved from $33.08 (2 Sep) to $32.98 (17 Sep), showing little net change but with more pronounced swings, including both rallies and dips.

Both shares have delivered impressive year-to-date gains (Santos: 46.48%, Woodside: 47.94%), but in this recent fortnight, Santos has slightly edged up while Woodside has been broadly steady.

Which is the better buy?

Both companies are proven performers in the oil and gas space and have posted strong year-to-date returns. But when it comes to value today, my pick would be Woodside. The reasons are clear: it trades on a far lower P/E (14.79 vs 27.69), offers a higher and fully franked dividend yield (4.90%), and boasts much stronger earnings per share. If income matters — especially for Australian retirees after franking credits — Woodside’s 100% franking is a real drawcard. Santos, while delivering credible growth and momentum, simply doesn’t match Woodside’s combination of earnings power and franked dividends.

Both stocks have upside in an energy-hungry world, but based on the fundamentals and income appeal in front of me, I’d lean to Woodside as better value today.

The post Santos vs Woodside: Which ASX energy share is better value? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s the earnings forecast out to 2028 for Woodside shares
• 7 ASX 200 shares with reaffirmed buy ratings this week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Woodside Energy vs Fortescue: Which ASX mining share is best for passive income?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

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 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. 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.