Author: openjargon

If you’ve got $10,000 ready to put to work next week, focusing on established ASX 200 shares with clear long-term drivers could be a smart move.

But which shares could be worth considering? Let’s take a look at three ASX 200 shares that brokers currently rate as buys. They are as follows:

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL)

The first ASX 200 share to consider is Aristocrat Leisure. It is no longer just a poker machine manufacturer. In recent years, it has evolved into a diversified gaming technology company with exposure to land-based machines, online real-money gaming, and mobile social casino titles.

That mix gives it multiple revenue streams. Its content pipeline, research and development investment, and intellectual property are central to its success, with new game releases driving recurring performance across venues and digital platforms.

Gaming demand can fluctuate, but strong franchises and global scale give Aristocrat resilience. Over time, its combination of hardware, digital content, and expanding international footprint could support steady growth.

Bell Potter is a big fan and currently has a buy rating and $70.00 price target on its shares.

NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Another ASX 200 share worth considering according to analysts is NextDC.

It operates critical data centre infrastructure that supports cloud providers, enterprises, and government agencies. As digital workloads expand and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption accelerates, the need for secure, high-performance data centres continues to rise.

The company has a growing development pipeline and long-term customer contracts that provide visibility into future revenue. While its share price can be volatile in periods of tech weakness, the underlying demand drivers remain structural rather than cyclical.

For investors seeking exposure to digital infrastructure rather than pure software, NextDC offers a different angle on the technology theme.

Morgans is bullish on this one and has a buy rating and $19.00 price target on its shares.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

A final ASX 200 share to consider next week is REA Group.

REA operates Australia’s leading online property marketplace. Its dominant position gives it pricing power and strong network effects, as agents and buyers naturally gravitate toward the platform with the most listings and audience engagement.

Property cycles may ebb and flow, but digital advertising in real estate is now deeply embedded. Over the long term, population growth and housing turnover support ongoing activity.

REA’s ability to monetise listings, premium placement, and data services makes it more than just a classifieds site. It is a platform business with strong competitive barriers.

Bell Potter is positive on the company and has a buy rating and $211.00 price target on its shares.

The post Where to invest $10,000 in ASX 200 shares next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 tech shares lead market sectors with a 7% bounce back
• These ASX 200 shares could rise 20% to 40%
• 3 out of favour ASX 200 shares that could be worth a look today
• Why these buy-rated ASX shares stand out to me
• What happens if you invest $10,000 in ASX shares and leave it alone for 20 years?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nextdc and REA Group. 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.

Owning Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares has come with a lot of earnings growth over the last five years. Analysts reckon there’s plenty more to come over the next five years.

The parent business of Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, WesCEF (chemicals, energy and fertilisers) and many more has given investors plenty to smile about.

The latest result was pleasing, with high single-digit net profit growth, even if the market wasn’t satisfied (it fell more than 5% on the day of the report). Let’s see what analysts from UBS thought of the result and how bullish they are regarding earnings growth.

FY26

After looking at the financials, UBS said that Wesfarmers’ earnings before tax (EBT) and net profit after tax (NPAT) both beat analyst expectations because of a stronger performance by WesCEF thanks to ammonium nitrate, fertiliser and lithium (both the Mt Holland performance and a higher lithium price).

UBS noted that Bunnings achieved revenue growth in both consumer and commercial, with the consumer segment being stronger. The commercial segment continues to endure a “challenged backdrop”.

The broker thinks that Bunnings continues to have strong revenue growth options based on its categories (with market share gains in existing ones and entry into new ones), channel (with digital growth, boosted by the new marketplace) and type of customer (namely commercial ones) – these growth channels are capital-light options.

UBS also believes that Kmart can grow its market share by capturing more dollars from existing customers, including by developing new products to expand its reach into new categories.

Officeworks is looking to reset its cost base, implement new software systems and more. But, UBS thinks there is potential execution risk by changing the product range, store format, selling team, skills and incentives and brand marketing.  

Taking all of that into account, UBS forecasts that Wesfarmers could achieve $2.86 billion of net profit in FY26.

FY27

Earnings are expected to continue rising in the 2027 financial year and beyond, according to UBS.

The broker suggests that the business could generate $3.07 billion of net profit in FY27.

FY28

Net profit could get even better for owners of Wesfarmers shares in 2028, with a forecast rise to $3.41 billion, according to UBS.

FY29

Wesfarmers’ net profit is expected to rise again by another $400 million in the 2029 financial year, which is a solid level of growth.

The broker suggests the retail giant could make net profit of $3.8 billion in FY29.

FY30

The best year of this series of projections is expected to be the 2030 financial year.

Wesfarmers is forecast to make $4 billion of net profit, which would mean its earnings could jump 40% between FY26 to FY30. That’d be a useful tailwind for rising earnings.

In terms of whether the Wesfarmers share price is a good buy today, UBS has neutral rating on the business, with a price target of $90. The broker wrote:

We see a balanced risk reward as WES’ resilient earnings and strong EBT & ROC growth outlook for Bunnings & Kmart are reflected in its elevated multiple; Retain Neutral.

The post Here’s the earnings forecast out to 2030 for Wesfarmers shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 more ASX 200 blue chip stocks that increased dividends this week
• 5 low-cost ASX ETFs for a global diversified portfolio
• Buy, hold, sell: Lovisa, Wesfarmers, and Rio Tinto shares
• How to build an ASX share portfolio you can stick with long term
• These 2 ASX 200 blue-chip shares just raised their dividends

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

When I think about buying shares to hold for a decade, I want businesses that are scaling and building competitive advantages that strengthen over time.

Right now, three ASX 200 names stand out to me for exactly those reasons.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Megaport has just delivered one of its strongest half-year performances on record.

Group annual recurring revenue surged 49% year-on-year to $338 million, supported by both organic growth and acquisitions. Even stripping out acquisitions, Megaport Network annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 19% in constant currency and net revenue retention lifted to 111%. That tells me customers are not just sticking around, they are spending more.

Customer lifetime has extended from 10 to 13 years, and lifetime value jumped 57% in constant currency to $2.5 billion. Those are powerful unit economics.

What excites me most is the Latitude.sh acquisition, which added US$45 million of ARR and expands Megaport into compute and GPU-as-a-service. Management describes this as the convergence of network and compute, positioning the platform for cloud, AI, and data centre growth.

I believe this combination of strong recurring revenue, improving retention, and expansion into AI infrastructure gives Megaport genuine 10-year potential.

Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360)

Life360 continues to prove that its growth story is far from over. In the fourth quarter of 2025, monthly active users (MAU) reached 95.8 million, with full-year net additions of 16.2 million, representing 20% year-on-year growth. Paying Circles climbed to 2.8 million, with 576,000 net additions for the year, the highest annual increase on record.

Revenue for FY25 is expected to land between US$486 million and US$489 million, up roughly 31% to 32%, with adjusted EBITDA of US$87 million to US$92 million. Importantly, management expects MAU growth of approximately 20% again in 2026.

What I like here is the combination of scale and monetisation. The user base is enormous, conversion rates are improving, and margins are expanding. Life360 is becoming a global safety platform with strong brand recognition and network effects.

Over a 10-year horizon, I see significant room for further penetration, higher subscription uptake, and new product layers across safety, insurance, and hardware.

HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

I think HUB24 is one of the most consistent growth stories on the ASX, and its latest half-year result only strengthens my conviction.

Underlying EBITDA rose 35% to $104.9 million, while underlying NPAT jumped 60% to $68.3 million. Platform net inflows hit a record $10.7 billion for the half, and total funds under administration reached $152.3 billion.

The company was ranked first for quarterly and annual net inflows and upgraded its FY27 platform FUA target to $160 billion to $170 billion. That kind of upgrade signals confidence in its pipeline and competitive positioning.

I believe HUB24 benefits from a powerful structural tailwind: the ongoing shift to independent financial advice and modern platform technology. Its scale advantages, margin expansion, and adviser adoption trends suggest this is still a business in growth mode, not maturity.

For a 10-year hold, I want a company taking share in a large market with strong recurring revenue. HUB24 ticks those boxes for me.

Foolish takeaway

If I am building a portfolio to hold for the next decade, I want exposure to businesses that are expanding rapidly and compounding their advantages.

Megaport is building the backbone for network and AI infrastructure. Life360 is scaling a global safety ecosystem. HUB24 is consolidating leadership in wealth platforms.

All three are growing strongly today, and I believe they have the runway to grow much larger over the next 10 years.

The post 3 rapidly growing ASX 200 shares I would buy and hold for 10 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Goodman, Hub24, and Telstra shares
• ASX 200 tech shares lead market sectors with a 7% bounce back
• How to build an ASX share portfolio you can stick with long term
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• 3 ASX 200 shares storming 22% to 29% higher this week

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Hub24. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Hub24, Life360, and Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Morgans has been busy looking over recent result releases.

Three popular ASX 200 shares that the broker has given its verdict on are listed below. Here’s what it is saying about them:

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Morgans notes that this industrial property giant’s shares have pulled back following the release of its half-year results. This appears to have been driven by disappointment over the lack of an earnings guidance upgrade with its results and concerns that one may not be coming at all this year.

Nevertheless, the broker sees value in Goodman’s shares at current levels and has put an accumulate rating and $36.05 price target on them. It said:

GMG is leaning hard into data centre (DC) development across scarce, power-enabled metro locations, backed by long-dated capital partners and a conservative balance sheet. FY26 guidance is unchanged, with near-term results reflecting longer development timeframes and a larger share of balance-sheet originated developments. Execution now hinges on converting customer negotiations into commitments across key DC campuses while holding returns.

Whilst the company has flagged the longer development timeframe for DCs, recent share price weakness points to impatience as the market discounts the uncertainty around hyperscale demand, investor appetite and potentially the lower likelihood of an FY26 EPS upgrade. Combining improving margins against a higher cost of capital and increased balance sheet investment, our valuation remains broadly unchanged at $36.05/sh and sees us reiterate our Accumulate recommendation.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

This investment platform provider impressed Morgans with its half-year results. It notes that Hub24 delivered a result comfortably ahead of expectations thanks to stronger than forecast platform revenue growth.

In response, the broker has upgraded Hub24 shares to an accumulate rating with an improved price target of $112.40. It said:

HUB’ 1H26 result was ahead of expectations, following a record half of flows/FUA. Group underlying EBITDA of $104.9m, up +35 on pcp (+9% vs MorgF $96.4m). Underlying NPAT was $68.3m up +60% on pcp (+14% vs MorgF $59.8). This was driven by stronger than expected Platform revenue growth (+29.5% YoY), which saw Platform EBITDA Margins +163bps vs. 2H26 to 46.7%.

FY27 FUA targets were upgraded by ~6.5% at the mid-point to A$160bn-$170bn, more closely aligning HUB’s outlook with Consensus expectations for ~$169bn, reaffirming flows expectations of ~$18-20bn through to FY27. This update sees our EPS forecasts lift by: +6%/ +3%/+3% in FY26-28F, which sees us lift our price target to $112.40/sh and move to an ACCUMULATE rating.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Lastly, Telstra was another ASX 200 share that outperformed expectations during the first half. However, Morgans concedes that its guidance is largely unchanged for the full year.

Following the release, Morgans has retained its hold rating with an improved price target of $5.20. It explains:

TLS’s 1H26 result was slightly better than expected albeit with full year guidance broadly reiterated. Highlights of the result were strong performance for the all-important mobile business, strong cashflow and a slightly higher than expected interim dividend. The interim dividend is partially franked (90.5%) and above consensus expectations. Our TP lifts to $5.20 and we retain our Hold recommendation.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Goodman, Hub24, and Telstra shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 more ASX 200 blue chip stocks that increased dividends this week
• How to build an ASX share portfolio you can stick with long term
• These 2 ASX 200 blue-chip shares just raised their dividends
• Why isn’t the new Telstra dividend fully franked?
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Goodman Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goodman Group and Hub24. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group and Hub24. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX 200 tech shares enjoyed a moment in the sun last week, outperforming the other market sectors with a 6.55% uplift.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 1.84% to finish at 9,081.4 points on Friday.

As earnings season continued, strong results and higher oil prices pushed the ASX 200 to a new record of 9,118.3 points on Thursday.

That beat the previous record of 9,115.2 points set on 21 October.

Eight of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let’s recap.

ASX tech shares led the market last week

Last week was a welcome bright spot for ASX 200 tech shares, which are in the midst of a prolonged rout.

And boy, is it ugly.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) has fallen by more than 40% over the past six months.

We took a deep dive into the issues plaguing the sector last week.

In a nutshell, there’s fear in the market over artificial intelligence (AI).

Investors are worried about high tech stock valuations, extraordinary AI capex, and whether AI could white-ant SaaS companies.

Perhaps a rebound is now underway, given last week’s 6.55% increase for the tech sector.

Let’s take a look at what happened in the sector last week.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares lifted 10.51% to finish at $47.10 ahead of the company’s earnings release on Wednesday.

The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price rose 5.51% to $77.54.

NextDC Limited (ASX: NXT) shares slipped 0.71% to $13.92.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares soared 22.71% to $24.74, with investors reassured by upgraded FY26 guidance at last week’s AGM.

Shares in electronics solutions provider Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) lifted 1.37% to $34.69.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shares increased 8.27% to $23.84.

The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price tumbled 9.98% after the company reported an underlying net loss of $3.3 million for 1H FY26.

The Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) share price rose 7.32% to $10.41 ahead of its earning report on Thursday.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) shares rose 5.4% to $67.19.

The Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL) share price lifted 4.24% to $9.10 ahead of the IT solutions provider’s earnings release on Monday.

Objective Corporation Ltd (ASX: OCL) shares increased 6.4% to $14.

The Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) share price edged 0.43% higher to $7.05 ahead of the financial technology company’s report on Wednesday.

The Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) share price rose 5.72% to $3.51.

Hansen Technologies Ltd (ASX: HSN) soared 16.29% to $5.14 after the company reported a 389.1% lift in net profit for 1H FY26.

Hansen is one of a large group of ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend next week. The tech stock will pay a dividend of 5 cents per share.

Shares in hotel bookings management platform provider, Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) rose 4.62% to $3.62.

The Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) share price fell 0.2% to $4.90.

Shares in wealth management software company Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS) fell 7.45% to $1.93.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here’s how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

S&P/ASX 200 market sector	Change last week
Information Technology (ASX: XIJ)	6.55%
Energy (ASX: XEJ)	4.88%
Communication (ASX: XTJ)	3.26%
Industrials (ASX: XNJ)	3.12%
Healthcare (ASX: XHJ)	3.07%
Financials (ASX: XFJ)	2.76%
Utilities (ASX: XUJ)	1.04%
Materials (ASX: XMJ)	0.67%
A-REIT (ASX: XPJ)	(0.23%)
Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ)	(1%)
Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ)	(1.15%)

The post ASX 200 tech shares lead market sectors with a 7% bounce back appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How to build an ASX share portfolio you can stick with long term
• Could you retire at 60 with the average superannuation balance?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Guzman Y Gomez, Inghams, Megaport, and Rio Tinto shares are tumbling today
• 16 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week

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 positions in and has recommended Bravura Solutions, Catapult Sports, Life360, Megaport, Objective, SiteMinder, Technology One, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Catapult Sports, Dicker Data, Life360, Objective, SiteMinder, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Technology One. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Yesterday, we discussed two ASX 200 blue chip stocks that used their earnings reports last week to unveil a hike to their next dividend payments. Those blue chip stocks were Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES). Both Telstra and Wesfarmers delivered historic interim dividends, although Telstra surprised investors by revealing a partially franked dividend for the first time in decades.

But it wasn’t just Telstra and Wesfarmers that hiked their next dividends last week. So today, let’s go through another two ASX 200 blue chip stocks that have a pay rise for their investors in store over the coming weeks.

Two more ASX 200 blue chip stocks that just hiked their dividends

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

First up, we have the ASX 200 blue chip stock and mining giant BHP. BHP is known amongst the dividend community for its commodity-linked dividends, which can wax to enormous proportions when resources markets are hot (although it does also tend to wane dramatically in lean times too).

Fortunately for investors, the interim dividend that BHP revealed on Tuesday was a waxer. The Big Australian unveiled a payout worth 73 US cents per share. That’s a 46% hike over the equivalent payment of 50 US cents that we saw doled out in 2025. It will come with full franking credits attached, as is BHP’s habit. Interestingly, this dividend is notable as it is the first one in a very long time (perhaps ever) to draw more of its funding from BHP’s copper division than from its iron ore business.

Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL)

Next up, we have another ASX 200 blue chip stock to discuss with private health insurer Medibank Private. Medibank delivered its own half-year earnings report on Thursday. It contained a lot for the ASX’s income investors to like.

Medibank reported a few green metrics across the board, with revenues and earnings both up year-on-year. Saying that, the company did report a flat underlying profit after tax. Despite this flat profit, Medibank announced that its first dividend payment of 2026 will come in at 8.3 cents per share. Like BHP’s next dividend, this one will also come fully franked.

This latest dividend represents a 6.4% rise over last year’s interim payment of 7.8 cents per share. As we pointed out on Thursday, it continues an impressive dividend streak for this ASX 200 blue chip stock, which is now entering its sixth year of annual payout hikes.

The post 2 more ASX 200 blue chip stocks that increased dividends this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Goodman, Hub24, and Telstra shares
• 5 low-cost ASX ETFs for a global diversified portfolio
• Buy, hold, sell: Lovisa, Wesfarmers, and Rio Tinto shares
• How to build an ASX share portfolio you can stick with long term
• These 2 ASX 200 blue-chip shares just raised their dividends

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It was another busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to the release of a number of broker notes.

Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts have retained their buy rating on this fashion jewellery retailer’s shares with a trimmed price target of $36.80. The broker was pleased with Lovisa’s half-year results, which revealed underlying EBIT up 20.4% on the prior corresponding period. This was ~6% ahead of its expectations, driven by store network growth and strong gross margins. Morgans was also pleased to see the pace of its store rollout continue with 64 new stores opened, bringing the total count to 1,095. In response, the broker has increased its earnings estimates for FY 2026 and FY 2027. And with its shares pulling back meaningfully recently, the broker sees this as a buying opportunity for investors. The Lovisa share price ended the week at $26.21.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this gold miner’s shares with an increased price target of $35.00. The broker notes that Northern Star released a half-year update last week that was largely in line with expectations. While the broker concedes that there is uncertainty relating to how quickly management can rectify remaining disruptions, it believes it is worth sticking with the miner. This is especially the case given its expectation that Northern Star will hit a cashflow inflection point in FY 2028. After which, it sees potential for capital returns or buybacks should KCGM reach capacity ahead of cash outlays for the Hemi operation. The Northern Star share price was fetching $28.33 at Friday’s close.

Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK)

Another note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have upgraded this job listings company’s shares to a buy rating with a $27.50 price target. This follows the release of a half-year result that was largely in line with expectations. Seek posted a 12% increase in revenue and a 35% jump in net profit. Overall, Morgans believes that recent share price weakness has created a buying opportunity for investors. However, it concedes that Seek still has many questions to answer on the AI threat. The Seek share price ended the week at $16.27.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Lovisa, Wesfarmers, and Rio Tinto shares
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• These ASX 200 shares look stronger than their share prices suggest
• Lovisa shares are getting hammered on a profit miss, but is the stock still a buy?
• Why Goodman, Lovisa, Medibank, and Zip shares are falling today

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

Investors can cover the local Australian market, world’s largest companies, bonds, and cash with these ASX ETFs.

Building a globally diversified portfolio doesn’t require dozens of holdings or a constant stream of trading decisions. This structure with 5 diversified ETFs is simple, transparent, and built for the long haul.

Global X Australia 300 ETF (ASX: A300) 

The foundation starts at home. This ASX ETF provides exposure to the 300 largest companies on the ASX. That means ownership across the full spectrum of Australia’s corporate heavyweights.

It includes banks like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), miners such as BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO), as well as to healthcare leader CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) and retail giant Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

A300 is broad, diversified and low cost, making it well suited to anchor roughly 30% of a portfolio in domestic equities.

iShares S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) 

This ASX ETF offers a slightly tighter focus on the 200 largest Australian companies. While there is overlap with A300, IOZ remains one of the lowest-cost ways to gain exposure to the core of the Australian market.

Together, these funds ensure investors capture dividends, franking credits and the performance of Australia’s biggest listed businesses.

Betashares Global Shares ETF (ASX: BGBL) 

Global diversification is where long-term growth often accelerates. This Betashares ETF delivers exposure to around 1,500 companies across developed markets.

Investors gain access to global leaders such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN), alongside major European and Japanese corporations.

It spreads risk across sectors including technology, healthcare, financials and consumer goods, reducing reliance on any single economy.

Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF – Currency Hedged (ASX: HQLT) 

For a sharper tilt toward financially strong businesses, this ASX ETF narrows the field to approximately 150 high-quality global companies selected for strong profitability, stable earnings and solid balance sheets.

The currency hedging back to Australian dollars reduces exchange rate volatility, which can smooth returns over time. This ETF adds a disciplined growth overlay to the global allocation.

SPDR Bloomberg AusBond ETF (ASX: BOND)

No portfolio is complete without a defensive component. BOND ETF invests in a diversified basket of Australian government and investment-grade corporate bonds.

Bonds typically move differently to shares, helping cushion portfolios when equity markets fall. They also provide income, adding stability to overall returns.

Foolish Takeaway

An allocation could look like this: around 30% in Australian equities through A300 and IOZ, approximately 35% in global shares via BGBL and HQLT, with the remaining portion in BOND to provide defensive ballast.

The result is a diversified, low-cost portfolio spanning thousands of companies worldwide, supported by high-quality bonds.

There is no need to predict which individual stock will outperform next year. Instead, investors gain broad exposure to the engines of global growth while maintaining stability through disciplined asset allocation. It’s a structure designed to endure market cycles rather than chase them.

The post 5 low-cost ASX ETFs for a global diversified portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Lovisa, Wesfarmers, and Rio Tinto shares
• How to build an ASX share portfolio you can stick with long term
• Buy, hold, sell: ANZ, CBA, NAB, and Westpac shares
• These 2 ASX 200 blue-chip shares just raised their dividends
• Is it too late to buy BHP and CBA shares?

Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has positions in BHP Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Amazon, Apple, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon, Apple, BHP Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

If I had $5,000 ready to invest right now, I would split it across a small group of ASX 200 shares that offer different growth drivers and time horizons.

For me, that mix would include the three shares in this article. Each brings something different to the table, and together they offer exposure to travel, healthcare technology, and global building materials.

Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN)

Qantas has transformed over the past few years. It is no longer just a cyclical airline trying to survive the next downturn. I believe it is now a leaner, more disciplined operator with multiple earnings engines.

Jetstar continues to be a key growth driver, both domestically and internationally. The group’s capacity discipline and focus on higher-yield routes have supported profitability, while a newer fleet should improve fuel efficiency and lower operating costs over time.

I also like the optionality from Project Sunrise, which has the potential to enhance productivity on long-haul routes. Combined with the strength of its loyalty business, Qantas looks more diversified than many people give it credit for.

With the airline now generating solid cash flow and returning capital to shareholders, I see Qantas shares as a compelling medium-term and long-term play.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

Pro Medicus is one of the highest-quality growth stories on the ASX, in my view.

The company’s Visage imaging platform continues to win large, multi-year contracts with leading hospitals and healthcare networks. What stands out to me is the sticky nature of these contracts. Once embedded, switching costs are high and revenue visibility improves dramatically.

Pro Medicus operates in a global medical imaging market that is still digitising and upgrading. Its technology is known for speed and scalability, which has helped it win business against much larger competitors.

Yes, the valuation is rarely cheap. But I believe this is one of those businesses where quality, execution, and long-term market opportunity justify paying a premium.

If I am investing with a 5 to 10 year horizon, I want exposure to ASX 200 shares like this.

James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX)

James Hardie gives me exposure to the US housing and renovation cycle, but in a way that feels structurally advantaged.

The company is a leader in fibre cement building products, particularly in North America. Over time, it has steadily gained share as homeowners and builders shift away from traditional materials.

While housing activity can be cyclical, I believe James Hardie benefits from long-term trends such as repair and remodel demand, population growth, and the push for more durable, lower-maintenance materials.

Importantly, the business has demonstrated pricing power and a strong focus on margins. For me, that combination of market leadership and structural growth makes it more than just a housing bet.

Foolish takeaway

If I were deploying $5,000 today, I would be comfortable spreading it across Qantas, Pro Medicus, and James Hardie.

Qantas offers a revitalised airline with multiple earnings streams. Pro Medicus provides high-margin, global healthcare technology growth. James Hardie delivers exposure to US housing with structural advantages.

Together, I believe they offer a balanced blend of quality and growth that I would be happy to hold for years.

The post Why I would buy Qantas and these ASX 200 shares with $5,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 16 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week
• 3 reasons to buy James Hardie shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: CSL, Pro Medicus, Cochlear shares
• Is it time to buy this resurgent ASX 200 share?
• 3 ASX shares I’d buy with $10,000 this week

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) shares just closed out a week to forget.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) buy now, pay later (BNPL) stock closed on Friday trading for $1.78, down a painful 25.21% for the week.

As you’re likely aware, all of that pain – and then some – was delivered on Thursday, following the release of the company’s half-year earnings results (H1 FY 2026).

With the BNPL company reporting solid growth metrics, market expectations were clearly high as investors sent Zip shares plunging 34.4% on the day.

Which, according to Wealth Within senior analyst Fil Tortevski, may have created the “greatest buy-the-dip opportunity” in Zip stock in six years.

We’ll get back to the stock’s rebound potential in a tick.

But first…

What did the ASX 200 BNPL stock report?

Zip shares got hammered on Thursday despite the company reporting record cash earnings before tax, depreciation and earnings of $124 million, up 85.6% year on year.

And total income increased 29.2% to $664 million. That was spurred by a 34.1% lift in total transaction volume (TTV), which reached $8.4 billion.

The only potentially concerning item that jumped out at me was the 11% increase in net bad debts, which climbed to 1.73% of TTV for the half.

“Zip continues to increase profitability at scale, driving cash earnings growth of 85.6% and significant operating margin expansion during the half,” Zip CEO Cynthia Scott said on the day.

“Following a strong first half, Zip has upgraded its FY26 guidance for operating margin and cash EBTDA as a percentage of TTV while reconfirming its other target ranges,” Scott added.

Time to pounce on Zip shares?

Commenting on the market’s reaction on Thursday, Wealth Within’s Tortevski said:

Although ZIP missed expectations with its HY reporting, a 38% drop in one day is a hefty price to pay because they actually delivered 29% revenue growth, doubled profits, and materially improving margins.

Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that this company wasn’t profitable at all. The result was operationally strong, but the market is clearly questioning whether current credit conditions represent a cyclical peak.

As for buying the dip on Zip shares, Tortevski added:

Now, with the share price back at COVID low levels, which have historically been the springboard for major runs up in the share price, the argument for buying the dip must be asked.

Take 2020, the stock bounced from $2, rising over 800%. In 2025, it jumped 170% from the same $2 base. And today we sit at the crucial $2 level once again.

Tortevski concluded:

If you don’t believe the future credit cycle fear being priced in right now and take confidence in the operationally sound report, then maybe this is the time for the next hundred per cent run up for ZIP begins.

The post Down 45% in 2026, could you double your money buying the dip in Zip shares now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why PWR, QBE, Telix, and Zip shares are storming higher today
• Why are Zip shares rebounding 5% today?
• Recap: Winners and losers from earnings season week 3
• Buy, hold, or sell? Goodman Group, Wesfarmers, Zip shares
• 3 beaten down ASX shares I’d load up on at these prices

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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.