If you’re approaching retirement, then now might be the time to start focusing on capital preservation and income rather than chasing gains.

But which shares should you buy? I believe the three shares listed below could be great additions to a well-balanced retirement portfolio. Here’s why I like them:

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

The first company I would consider adding to a retirement portfolio is Coles. I think the supermarket operator is one of the most defensive shares on the ASX. This is because the bulk of its earnings come from its supermarkets which, as we have witnessed this year, traditionally perform well regardless of that is happening in the rest of the economy. Another reason for retirees to consider buying Coles is its dividend. With management aiming to pay out upwards of 90% of its earnings to shareholders, I believe its dividend can grow materially over the next decade or two

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Another option to consider for a retirement portfolio is Goodman Group. It is an integrated commercial and industrial property group which owns, develops, and manages industrial real estate in 17 countries. I like the company due to the diversity of its operations and its exposure to quick growing markets such as ecommerce. Overall, I believe it is well-positioned to deliver solid earnings and distribution growth for a long time to come.

Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW)

This retail conglomerate could be another good option for a retirement portfolio. I like Woolworths due to its strong brands, entrenched customer base, and defensive qualities. Combined, I believe they have positioned the company perfectly to deliver robust earnings and dividend growth over the next decade and beyond. And while its shares don’t provide the biggest dividend yield, a fully franked 2.9% yield is not to be sniffed at in this low interest rate environment.

More reading

• Top brokers name the latest ASX 200 stocks to sell today
• These ASX 200 share prices were cut in half. Where are they now?
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX 200 shares to buy right now
• ASX 200 up 1.7%: Flight Centre and Webjet rocket, Afterpay hits record high
• Telstra share price down 21% since February. Is it now in the buy zone?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET and Woolworths Limited. 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 3 strong ASX 200 shares to buy for a retirement portfolio appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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The threat of a new cold war between China and US allies aren’t enough to dent the positive mood on our market.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) jumped 1.5% during lunch time trade as confidence about the post-coronavirus recovery grows.

But rebounding share prices might be an opportunity to take some profit off the table or to lock in tax-losses to offset FY20 capital gains. Here are the latest sell ideas from top brokers.

Losing bet

One stock in the firing line is Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH) as Citigroup initiated coverage on the lottery and wagering group with a “sell” recommendation.

The broker believes the stock is facing a growth challenge as the run of big lottery jackpots that have driven past sales is running out of puff.

The closure of wagering outlets due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an uncertain sports betting outlook are other factors weighing on the stock.

Lottery earnings aren’t that stable

The view that Tabcorp’s lottery business deserves to trade at a big premium to the market as it’s seen to be as dependable as infrastructure assets is also misguided, according to Citigroup. This is because lottery sales fluctuate with discretionary spending, surge and ebb with jackpots and have no inflation protection.

If the group wants to break out of its low growth rut, it will need to either expand into the US sports betting market, enter Western Australia lotteries, open new wagering outlets in WA and New Zealand and internalise online lotteries.

That last point will be especially worrying for Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX: JIN), in my view. It suggests Tabcorp might stop Jumbo from selling lotteries so it can monopolise the channel.

Citi’s price target on Tabcorp is $2.80 a share.

Time to sell

Meanwhile, the surge in the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price to a new record high today could be a signal to sell, if you believe UBS.

The broker reiterated its “sell” recommendation on the buy now, pay later group even after management reported having five million active customers in the US.

The COVID-19 shutdown that is driving a spike in online sales provides an additional tailwind to Afterpay as 76% of its Australia and New Zealand sales were done via the web in 1HFY20.

“While we think COVID-19 could accelerate positive structural changes for APT, we are cautious to extrapolate the magnitude of recent growth in online’s share given the recent forced closures of shops,” said the broker.

Priced beyond perfection

Further, while the latest update from Afterpay is better than most were expecting, UBS thinks the good news is more than priced into the stock.

The broker is assuming Afterpay will secure 9.7 million active users by June, which is higher than management’s withdrawn guidance of 9.5 million.

Even on the more optimistic projection, UBS reckons fair value for Afterpay is $14 a share. That is a long drop from the nearly $48 level the stock is currently trading at.

More reading

• 3 strong ASX 200 shares to buy for a retirement portfolio
• These ASX 200 share prices were cut in half. Where are they now?
• The Afterpay share price just hit a new record high: Should you invest?
• Should ASX 200 investors want share buybacks or dividends?
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX 200 shares to buy right now

Brendon Lau has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Jumbo Interactive Limited. 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 Top brokers name the latest ASX 200 stocks to sell today appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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Between 20 February and 23 March 2020 the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) plummeted over 36%. Many ASX 200 shares have since rebounded considerably, however, and the index is now trading at around 5,590 points. Notwithstanding this partial recovery, current levels still represent a 22% discount to the February high.

Some of the biggest ASX 200 share price declines

Certain industries and individual ASX 200 shares have seen significantly greater declines than the index overall. Many of these declines were directly attributable to the economic fallout resulting from coronavirus. For example, with no certainty around international and domestic travel, it wasn’t surprising to see travel stocks like Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) down more significantly than the ASX 200 average.

Following are 2 further stocks that have garnered much attention for their colossal decline during the recent bear market. We’ll look at why they were down so much and where they are now. It’s interesting to observe the extent of these market swings which, in hindsight, often indicate that investors were overly pessimistic at the time. Having said that, only time will eventually tell whether those bears were, indeed, right or wrong.

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

There’s no denying Afterpay’s market darling status in recent years. For those growth investors savvy enough to jump on board, it has delivered highly impressive returns. During the bear market, Afterpay’s shares fell from $40.50 to $8.90, representing an immense 78% decline! 

As a highly valued, consumer facing company undergoing an international expansion, investors were concerned retail spending would fall off a cliff and fees wouldn’t be recoverable due to COVID-19 restrictions across Afterpay’s markets.

To date, however, investors’ fears surrounding the company are yet to materialise. Afterpay is helping both retailers and consumers weather the coronavirus restrictions via online sales and its share price hit an all-time high of $49 today. Currently trading at $48.14 at the time of writing, this represents a massive 441% above the 23 March low!

Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)

With virtually no travel occurring either domestically or internationally, Webjet has seen its business fly away. Shares fell from $10.44 on 23 January to as low as $2.25 on 22 April. A 78% decline! 

Webjet went to the capital markets early, and at a significant 55% discount, in order to shore up its balance sheet. The company raised a combined $346 million from a retail and institutional capital raising at $1.70 per share. 

Since then, with COVID-19 restrictions slowly lifting, investors have been gradually bidding up the Webjet share price. Shares are currently trading at $4.12 each, an impressive 83% above last month’s low.

Foolish takeaway

When the market is facing angst and uncertainty, the likes of which we have experienced recently, many ASX 200 shares decline far more significantly than is warranted by their long-term fundamentals. This can provide amazing investment opportunities if you have the means and the stomach to be bullish while others are retreating in fear. 

More reading

• 3 strong ASX 200 shares to buy for a retirement portfolio
• Top brokers name the latest ASX 200 stocks to sell today
• Why Flight Centre and Webjet shares are zooming higher today
• The Afterpay share price just hit a new record high: Should you invest?
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX 200 shares to buy right now

The post These ASX 200 share prices were cut in half. Where are they now? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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