The BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) is one of the most popular exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the ASX. In fact, it is currently the third-largest ETF covering international shares on our market, with more than $9 billion in assets under management.

However, thanks to its rather opaque name, many investors might not actually know what this ETF is offering up to them. 

This is important for any ASX ETF, but arguably particularly so for NDQ units. This ETF is one of the most concentrated funds when it comes to the US stocks it is exposing ASX investors to. Some investors who don’t yet own the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF might wish to buy some after hearing about these stocks. Others may want to stay away from the heavy exposure to tech stocks that this index fund offers up.

If you wish to find out which side of this ledger you might fall on, you’re in the right place.

NDQ: What’s in this ASX ETF?

Let’s start at the top. The Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF is technically an index fund that tracks the NASDAQ-100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX). This index contains the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the NASDAQ, one of the two major stock exchanges in the United States of America.

The NASDAQ, together with the New York Stock Exchange, houses almost all of the publicly listed stocks in America. However, the NASDAQ is the more modern exchange that tends to attract newer companies, particularly of the tech persuasion. As a result, the Betahsares Nasdaq 100 ETF is heavily exposed to America’s largest tech companies.

In fact, its current top ten holdings are all tech stocks. Here’s a look at them, including how much weight they take up in the NDQ ETF’s portfolio:

1. Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) at 7.5% of NDQ’s portfolio
2. Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) at 7.2%
3. Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ: MU) at 4.8%
4. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) at 4.5%
5. Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) at 4.1%
6. Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ: AMD) at 3.9%
7. Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ: GOOGL) at 3.4%
8. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) at 3.3%
9. Alphabet Inc Class C (NASDAQ: GOOG) at 3.1%
10. Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META) at 2.8%

As you can see, NDQ’s top ten reads as a who’s who of the tech world. Of course, this isn’t a tech-only ETF. Some other names in this fund that you might recognise that hail from other sectors include Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT), PepsiCo Inc (NASDAQ: PEP), and Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: COST).

But drilling down, a whopping 61.4% of NDQ’s weighted portfolio is in tech stocks. The next-most dominant sector in this ASX ETF is communications, at a mere 12.1%.

Tech lifts the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF

Of course, NDQ’s fans will tell you (and they aren’t wrong) that it is this tech exposure that is responsible for this ETF’s breathtaking returns over many years.

Since its inception in 2015, the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF has returned an average of 20.37% per annum. That’s as of 30 June. That extends to 22.45% per annum over the past ten years.

Over the past five years, investors have enjoyed 17.86% per annum, 24.4% over three years, and 26.37% over the past 12 months.

Let’s see how NDQ fares going forward.

The Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF charges a management fee of 0.48% per annum.

The post Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF: What stocks are actually in NDQ? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Costco Wholesale, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and PepsiCo. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Costco Wholesale, Meta Platforms, Micron Technology, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, and Walmart. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) endured a rough mid-week session this Wednesday, building on the negativity we saw during yesterday’s trading. After opening sharply lower this morning, the ASX 200 spent most of the session recovering. But it was not enough to break even. The index ended up closing 0.21% lower at 8,785.1 points. 

This tough hump day for ASX investors followed a similarly bearish session on the American markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) did start well, but quickly lost all momentum to finish down 0.25%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was more decisive, dropping 1.16%.

But let’s get back to the Australian bourse now and dive a little deeper into what was happening amongst the different ASX sectors today.

Winners and losers

Despite the market’s loss, we still had a few corners of the market that managed to prosper today.

But first, it was again gold shares that copped it hardest. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) had another bruising session, cratering by 2.36%.

Communications stocks were hit hard as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) plunging 2.1%.

Mining shares were also on the nose. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) took a 2% dive this Wednesday.

Tech stocks were in the firing line too, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)’s 1.87% tumble.

Industrial shares came next. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) saw its value cut by 0.52%.

Healthcare stocks were our last losers, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) sliding down 0.32%.

Turning to the green sectors, it was energy shares that topped the tables. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) vaulted 3.25% higher this hump day.

Utilities stocks also had a day to remember, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)’s 1.22% spike.

Consumer staples shares proved to be a safe haven, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) surged up 1.04% this session.

Financial stocks attracted attention as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) leaping up 0.65%.

Next came real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) advanced 0.52% today.

Finally, consumer discretionary shares stayed out of trouble, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)’s 0.4% jump.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

This Wednesday’s winning stock was energy share Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR). Karoon shares roared 6.64% higher this session to finish at $1.45 each. There wasn’t any news out from the company today, but most energy shares did very well.

Here’s how the other top stocks tied up at the dock: 

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)	$1.45	6.64%
Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)	$7.50	5.78%
Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP)	$4.09	5.14%
Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)	$5.45	4.01%
LeandLease Group (ASX: LLC)	$3.12	4.00%
Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI)	$0.685	3.79%
Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR)	$1,72	3.30%
Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA)	$2.22	3.26%
Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)	$28.87	3.22%
Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK)	$16.28	2.71%

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 Nick Scali. 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) shares are sliding on Wednesday as investors react to reports of looming strike action at its Western Australian port operations.

At the time of writing, the BHP share price is down 3.16% to $57.01. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.5% to 8,759 points.

The fall comes after a strong run for the ASX mining stock. BHP shares are still up around 25% since the start of 2026 and almost 50% over the past year.

Here’s what the report said.

Strike threat hits Port Hedland

According to The Australian, a coalition of unions is preparing to take strike action at BHP’s port operations in Western Australia.

The action is expected to involve workers at Port Hedland, which plays a major role in the handling, blending, and loading of iron ore.

The unions reportedly said workers would walk off the job for 8 hours on 16 July.

While that may not sound huge, the site is particularly important. Port Hedland is one of the world’s biggest bulk export ports and a key part of BHP’s iron ore business.

Reports say the strike would involve 236 of about 450 employees working across BHP’s port operations.

The dispute appears to centre on pay, conditions, career progression, and enforceable terms for port workers.

Why this could hurt BHP

BHP has previously warned that a shutdown at Port Hedland could cost the company around US$90 million, or $129 million, a day.

But the real risk is whether this could potentially turn into a longer standoff between BHP and the unions.

And the timing does not help either.

BHP shares have had a superb run over the past year, helped by stronger iron ore prices and better appetite for large miners.

With the stock still up almost 50% over that period, some investors may have been happy to take a bit of profit today.

The next date to watch

The planned walkout is set for 16 July, which gives BHP and the unions a short window to reach a deal.

If an agreement is reached before then, today’s fall may not amount to much more than a pause after a solid run.

But if the strike goes ahead, attention may quickly turn to whether more stoppages could follow.

Iron ore remains the main driver of BHP’s earnings, and Port Hedland is an important part of getting those tonnes out of Western Australia.

For now, investors seem to be taking some risk off the table while they wait to see whether the strike goes ahead.

The post BHP shares tumble as strike threat hits iron ore giant 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 recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.