ASX 200 shares had yet another day of gains on Wednesday as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed 0.06% higher at 6,148.40 points.

There was a mix of winners and losers on the share market yesterday from tech shares to gold miners and Aussie retailers. 

Despite the market noise, there are still a couple of ASX 200 shares that I’m keeping my eye on right now. Check out why these top picks are on my watchlist below.

3 ASX 200 shares I’m watching in 2020

The first Aussie share that I’m watching is JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH). JB Hi-Fi shares are up 11.49% this year and have delivered strongly for shareholders.

That’s despite the February and March bear market that sent ASX 200 shares plummeting lower.

JB Hi-Fi has really benefitted from a strong online presence and its extensive electronics range. More Aussies have been stocking up on laptops, monitors and other accessories in the move towards a work from home model.

It’s not just JB Hi-Fi shares that have been climbing in 2020. The NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price has rocketed 34.95% this year as demand for its services has surged.

NextDC owns and operates data centres around Australia and recently expanded its balance sheet with a $672 million equity raising.

While a 34.95% gain doesn’t scream a buy to most investors, I believe NextDC still has some strong growth potential with a good strategy and clear expansion steps.

One ASX 200 share to watch that hasn’t climbed higher this year is BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). Shares in the Aussie miner are down 3.65% but have some strong momentum behind them.

With iron ore prices rebounding strongly at the moment, I think the BHP share price is worth watching in 2020.

Foolish takeaway

These are just a few of the ASX 200 shares I’ve got my eye on right now. The share market volatility seems to have partially subsided since March and April.

This means right now could present a good opportunity to assess the real value of some of these companies without market noise.

More reading

• Why do I own this ASX 200 share?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Afterpay share price up 7%, ASX 200 edges higher
• 2 ASX shares to buy to benefit from the cloud computing boom
• Latest 3 ASX buy ideas from leading brokers

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares to add to your watchlist in 2020 appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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If you’re new to investing, it is quite likely that you will not have considerable funds to put into the share market.

But I wouldn’t let that put you off starting your investment journey. After all, even an annual investment of $500 has the potential to grow into something meaningful over a long enough period of time.

For example, if you were to invest $500 into the share market each year for 30 years and earned an average annual return of 10%, your investments would grow to be worth over $90,000 at the end of the period.

I think this demonstrates how rewarding long term investing can be even when investing relatively small sums.

With that in mind, here are three top ASX shares that I think could be great options for that first $500 investment:

BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

The first option to consider buying with $500 is the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF. I’m a big fan of this exchange traded fund due to the collection of exciting tech shares which it gives investors exposure to. These companies are revolutionising the lives of billions of people in Asia and look very well-positioned for growth over the next decade and beyond. These include ecommerce giants Alibaba and JD.com, search engine company Baidu, electronics giant Samsung, and WeChat owner Tencent.

Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN)

Another ASX share to consider buying with $500 is Nanosonics. It is an infection control specialist which currently generates its revenue from the trophon EPR disinfection system for ultrasound probes. This system has a massive market opportunity and could alone drive strong earnings growth over the next decade. However, it will soon be joined by a number of secretive products targeting other unmet needs. These products are also understood to have similar market opportunities. If they are a success, then they could take Nanosonics’ growth to the next level this decade

Pushpay Holdings Ltd (ASX: PPH)

A final ASX share to consider investing $500 into is Pushpay. It is a quick-growing provider of donor and church management software. Demand for its offering has been increasing very strongly over the last few years and particularly in FY 2020. This led to Pushpay recording a 33% increase in operating revenue to US$127.5 million this year. The good news is that the company still has a significant runway for growth. Management is aiming to capture a 50% share of the medium to large church market in the future. It estimates this to be a US$1 billion revenue opportunity. This is almost 8 times greater than its FY 2020 revenue.

More reading

• 2 ASX shares I’d buy in a heartbeat
• 3 top ASX shares to buy now to get rich later
• 3 ASX shares to buy for the big shift to contactless payments
• 3 ASX growth shares that could generate strong long term returns
• How to become a millionaire before your parents with ASX shares

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 Nanosonics Limited and PUSHPAY FPO NZX. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nanosonics Limited and PUSHPAY FPO NZX. 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 Where to invest $500 into ASX shares right now appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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I tend to concentrate my investing in a few shares and mostly diversify if I see opportunities in sectors which I am not currently in. During the coronavirus pandemic, it was hard to stay focussed as there were value opportunities everywhere. Below I’ll detail some of the shares I recently bought and sold.

Mining share investing

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) has long been a cornerstone of my portfolio. I bought into the company at a very low price compared to today. During the pandemic, I purchased more Fortescue shares at a price of $8.80 per share. At the close of business last week I had made around 64%. 

Fortescue is a local company for me. I like the “can-do” attitude, the use of local supply chains, and the year-on-year performance increases. Most of all, I really like the dividend.

I owned Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) before the pandemic, sold it to take profits, and then I have recently bought back in. Knowing what I know now, I would not have sold when I did. However, in March the whole world looked a lot more bleak and uncertain than it does now. 

In my view, Bellevue is a great opportunity for growth. It is developing a high-grade, high-ounce ore body. It has pre-existing infrastructure to reduce the costs of ramp-up. And it is employing many of the professionals who have done similar during the last decade with Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST).

Financial sector

I sold Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) for a significant loss during the lockdown period. My initial position was part of a turnaround strategy which I expected to be executed by September or so of this year. The share price had dropped due to the money laundering scandal.

However, once the pandemic hit, the situation changed immediately. It became clear that holding the Westpac shares was a lost opportunity for me. I am sure the Westpac share price will lift significantly. However, for me, there are more profitable ways to put capital to work in the short term.

Recently I also started a position in Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL). I had long favoured Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) as a likely challenger to Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT). Yet I decided Sezzle already had a good head-start among the Gen Z demographic in the $5 trillion US retail market. Sezzle is up around 20% for me so far. 

Foolish takeaway

As somebody approaching retirement years, yet, with no intention to ever retire, I use a higher-risk strategy than most.

My foundation is in solid income-producing shares, preferably those that will also increase in value. This is backed with a significant share investment in growth companies at a good price. Lastly, I work a lot on finding and exploiting share market events.

Most times, it has gone well. Sometimes it goes badly. When it goes badly there is no point in wasting time with regrets. Just pick yourself up, learn from the mistake, and put your capital back to work. 

More reading

• 3 ASX shares to buy now with $10,000
• Afterpay share price up 7%, ASX 200 edges higher
• Why the Afterpay share price just hit a record high and could still go higher
• Here are another 2 insanely cheap ASX 200 shares to buy right now
• Are Aussies still withdrawing cash like crazy?

Daryl Mather owns shares of Bellevue Gold Ltd, Fortescue Metals Group Limited, and Sezzle Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sezzle Inc. 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 My share investing journey during the pandemic appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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