On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a strong start to the week. The benchmark index rose 0.7% to 8,823.4 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rise again on Tuesday following a good night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 10 points or 0.1% higher. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is up 0.6%, the S&P 500 is up 1.15%, and the Nasdaq has stormed 2% higher.

Telstra shares rated as a hold

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares are fully valued according to the team at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its hold rating and $5.10 price target on the telco giant’s shares, which is a touch below its current share price. The broker isn’t expecting any surprises in August, saying: “We expect little if any surprises at the upcoming result so the focus shifts to the FY27 guidance and outlook. We and the market continue to forecast mid to high single digit growth in the key metrics of underlying EBITDAaL, cash EBIT and EPS – consistent with the Connected Future 30 strategy – so, again, we see little prospect of surprise in the guidance.”

Oil prices rise

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a decent session after oil prices pushed higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.9% to US$70.51 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.2% to US$72.85 a barrel. Traders were bidding oil higher despite easing US-Iran tensions. They may have doubts that peace talks will hold.

Gold price tumbles

It could be a tough session for ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) after the gold price tumbled overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 1.7% to US$4,026.1 an ounce. Concerns over rising inflation and potential interest rate hikes weighed on the precious metal.

Consumer shares to buy

Bell Potter has named the consumer shares to buy in a difficult operating environment. They are JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH), Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI), and Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK). Commenting on its picks, the broker said: “We continue to favour our key preferences, JBH, UNI and NCK considering their market position, gross margin levers and balance sheet strength vs current valuation.”

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Universal Store. 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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nick Scali and Universal Store. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Age pension eligibility criteria will change tomorrow, potentially enabling more Australians to access this social support.

Seniors will be able to earn a bit more income, and hold a higher value of assets, while still qualifying for the age pension.

The Department of Social Services announced indexation changes to the pension’s means testing last week.

That means the thresholds for the pension’s assets test and income test are going up.

Indexation occurs twice per year to mitigate the effect of inflation.

Australians born on or after 1 January 1957 can apply for the pension at age 67, whether retired or not.

Here are the details of the changes, effective tomorrow, 1 July.

Pension means testing on assets

Assessable items for the pension assets test include ASX shares, superannuation, bonds, managed funds, rental properties, and cash.

The only exception is your personal residence.

Under the changes, single homeowners will be able to own up to $333,000 in assets and still qualify for a full pension.

If you own assets worth between $333,001 and $733,500, you will qualify for a part-payment.

Single seniors who rent their homes will be able to own up to $600,000 in assets and still qualify for the full pension.

If you own assets worth between $600,001 and $1,000,500, you will be eligible for a part-pension.

Couples who own their residence will be able to have up to $499,000 in other assets while still being eligible for the full age pension.

If you have assets worth between $499,001 and $1,102,50, you will qualify for a part-payment.

Senior couples who rent their homes will be able to own up to $766,000 in assets and still be eligible for the full age pension.

Renters with assets worth between $766,001 and $1,369,500 can apply for a part-payment.

The full age pension is $1,200.90 per fortnight for singles, and $905.20 per person, per fortnight, for couples.

Means testing on income

Under the changes, senior Australians will be able to earn a bit more from tomorrow while still being eligible for the age pension.

Single seniors will be able to earn up to $226 per fortnight and still qualify for the full age pension.

If you earn between $227 and $2,627.80 per fortnight, you can apply for a part-pension.

Couples will be able to earn up to $396 per fortnight and still qualify for the full age pension.

If you earn between $397 and $4,016.80 per fortnight, you will be eligible for a part-pension.

Assessable income includes wages and investment income.

In order to calculate investment income, Centrelink relies on generous set deeming rates.

The lower deeming rate is 1.25% and the upper deeming rate is 3.25%.

The asset value threshold is increasing to $66,800 for singles and $110,600 for couples.

This means the first $66,800 of your financial assets, or $110,600 for couples, will have a 1.25% deemed rate of interest.

Everything above that will be deemed to have earned 3.25% interest.

Investment properties are the only exception to deeming rules.

Instead, actual net rental income is used in the pension income test.

As we reported last week, Australians overestimate how much they need for a comfortable retirement by 40%.

The post You can own and earn more in retirement and still get the age pension from tomorrow appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What is Bell Potter’s updated view on Telstra shares?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• 3 super ASX shares that could be too good to ignore in July
• Why I’d buy and hold this growing ASX 200 share forever
• Where to invest $10,000 in ASX shares in July

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 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.

July is firmly on the horizon and I think it could be a good month to refresh the watchlist.

But which shares deserve your attention? Well, listed below are three ASX shares that could be too good to ignore.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Goodman could be an ASX share to watch in July. The company is best known as an industrial property giant, but that undersells what it has become.

It owns and develops the space that modern businesses need to move goods, hold inventory, serve online customers, and run increasingly complex supply chains.

Goodman’s sites are often close to major cities, transport routes, and customers, which makes them difficult to replace. In property, location still counts. In logistics property, it can be everything.

The company also has exposure to data centre demand with its huge development pipeline, giving it another growth avenue as artificial intelligence and cloud computing require more physical infrastructure.

Goodman shares are rarely cheap, but the company has a strong record of turning land, development skill, and customer demand into long-term value.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Megaport could be an ASX technology share to consider in July.

The company is best known for network-as-a-service technology, which helps businesses connect more easily to cloud providers, data centres, and digital services.

But the story is now broader than connectivity alone. Megaport has moved into compute through its acquisition of Latitude.sh, giving it exposure to another important part of the digital infrastructure market.

That shift is exciting because companies do not just need to move data between clouds and data centres. They also need access to flexible computing power in the right locations, particularly as artificial intelligence, gaming, streaming, software, and data-heavy applications keep growing.

Recent material contract wins suggest this side of the business is starting to gain traction, which bodes well for the future.

Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL)

Netwealth could be a third ASX share to consider buying in July.

It operates an investment platform used by financial advisers and wealth professionals to manage client money.

Its business is tied to a major shift in Australian wealth management. Advisers, investors, and institutions want better technology, cleaner reporting, broader investment menus, and more efficient administration. Netwealth has benefited from that shift by taking market share from older platform providers.

The company also has a powerful tailwind from Australia’s growing pool of retirement savings. As more money moves through superannuation, advice, and investment platforms, providers with strong technology and service can keep winning flows.

If it keeps attracting funds and advisers, the company could continue its growth long into the future.

The post 3 super ASX shares that could be too good to ignore in July appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Experts name 3 top ASX 200 shares to buy this week
• 7 ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend today
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• How to invest $500, $5,000, and $50,000 on the ASX
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy right now

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Goodman Group and Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goodman Group, Megaport, and Netwealth Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Netwealth Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.