It’s hard to know which ASX 200 shares to buy right now with so much uncertainty still in the air. The coronavirus pandemic and oil price war have smashed valuations but we’ve seen a strong recovery during April and May.

If you’ve saved up some spare cash but don’t know where to invest, here are a couple shares I’ve got my eye on in June.

The smartest ASX 200 shares to buy with $2,500 today

I think healthcare is one sector to watch right now. I’ve got my eye on the largest ASX 200 healthcare share on the market: CSL Limited (ASX: CSL).

It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for CSL shareholders in 2020. The Aussie biotech’s shares climbed to a new record high of $342.75 in late February before the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) crashed lower.

CSL is currently trading at $282.90 per share and could be in the buy zone. The group is strong in influenza vaccinations and blood plasma treatments which I think aren’t going anywhere, given the current climate.

The ASX 200 healthcare share reaffirmed its guidance in April and could be one to watch in 2020.

I also like the look of NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) as a speculative tech play. The Aussie tech share has rocketed 40% in 2020 thanks to its strong expansion and beefed up balance sheet.

NextDC specialises in data security and storage. The group owns and operates a number of data centres across the country with more planned in the near future.

If we see a permanent move towards work from home arrangements, that could be good news for the ASX 200 tech share. More remote working means more data storage and security demand which could deliver higher earnings for NextDC.

Some might question the current $9.23 per share valuation. However, I think NextDC has the potential to be an ASX 50 share within a decade. If that proves to be the case, the current $4.2 billion market capitalisation could be set to surge in the coming years.

Foolish takeaway

These are just a couple of the ASX 200 shares that are on my radar right now.

More reading

• ASX 200 up 1%: Big four banks jump, Afterpay hits record high
• Are our ASX big miners on an earnings upgrade cycle?
• Can ASX 200 retail shares outperform this year?
• 1 ASX 200 tech share to buy and hold for a decade
• JobMaker is coming. These 3 ASX 200 shares could benefit

Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record another solid gain on Wednesday. In early afternoon trade the benchmark index is up 0.8% to 5,883.8 points.

Four shares that have climbed more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price is up 3.5% to $51.22. At one stage today the payments company’s shares were up as much as 5.5% to a new record high of $52.29. Investors have been buying Afterpay’s shares after rival Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) announced its expansion into the lucrative U.S. market via the acquisition of QuadPay. While this will mean added competition, it may also help raise awareness of the payment method and accelerate its adoption with consumers and merchants.

The Infigen Energy Ltd (ASX: IFN) share price has surged 35% higher to 79.5 cents. Investors have been buying the renewable energy company’s shares after it received a takeover approach. UAC Energy, an investment holding company owned by the AC Energy Group and UPC Renewables Australia, intends to make an off-market takeover bid of 80 cents per share.

The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price is up 5% to $4.19. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of UBS this morning. According to the note, UBS has retained its buy rating and $4.65 price target on the airline operator’s shares. It appears optimistic that leisure and corporate travel markets will be given a big boost when state borders reopen.

The Zip Co share price has surged 25% higher to $6.48. Investors have been scrambling to buy the payments company’s shares after it announced that it is expanding into the U.S. market with the acquisition of QuadPay. The all-scrip deal, which values QuadPay at approximately $400 million, will give Zip Co access to a retail market estimated to be worth US$5 trillion per year.

More reading

• ASX 200 up 1%: Big four banks jump, Afterpay hits record high
• The Zip Co share price just zoomed to a record high: Is it too late to invest?
• Infigen Energy share price rockets 36% higher following takeover bid
• Afterpay and these top ASX tech shares are on fire in 2020
• ASX 200 rises 0.3%, Zip rockets higher

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Why Afterpay, Infigen, Qantas, & Zip Co shares are charging higher appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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At lunch on Wednesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a very strong gain. The benchmark index is up 1% to 5,894.9 points at the time of writing.

Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

Afterpay hits a record high.

The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price has been a positive performer on Wednesday. Its shares jumped 5.5% to a record high of $52.29 this morning. Investors have been buying its shares after rival Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) announced its expansion into the lucrative U.S. market via the acquisition of QuadPay. Investors may believe the increased competition will accelerate the adoption of buy now pay later platforms in the multi-trillion dollar market.

Big four banks jump.

It has been a very positive day for Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and the rest of the big four banks. All four banks are trading notably higher at lunch and are playing a key role in driving the ASX 200 higher. The best performer in the group at lunch is the Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) share price. Its shares are up 4% at the time of writing. This morning the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that GDP fell 0.3% during the first quarter. This was in line with expectations.

Gold miners sink lower.

One area of the market acting as a drag on the ASX 200 index today is the gold sector. The likes of Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) are all trading notably lower at lunch. This follows a reasonable pullback in the gold price overnight. The price of the precious metal tumbled after Wall Street began betting on a successful economic restart. At lunch the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is down 4.4%.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers.

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Wednesday has been the SKYCITY Entertainment Group Limited (ASX: SKC) share price with a 9.5% gain. This morning the casino and resorts operator revealed that its New Zealand operations have performed well since reopening. The worst performer on the ASX 200 is the Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR) share price. Silver Lake’s shares are down 7% after the gold price decline.

More reading

• The smartest ASX 200 shares to buy with $2,500 today
• Why Afterpay, Infigen, Qantas, & Zip Co shares are charging higher
• Are our ASX big miners on an earnings upgrade cycle?
• Can ASX 200 retail shares outperform this year?
• 1 ASX 200 tech share to buy and hold for a decade

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sky City Entertainment Group Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post ASX 200 up 1%: Big four banks jump, Afterpay hits record high appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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