S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) copper stock Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) is giving back some of its recent outsized gains this week.

Following on the United States and Israel’s strikes on Iran, and Iran’s ensuing retaliation in the Middle East, global copper prices have fallen 3.4% this week. The red metal is currently trading for US$12,902 per tonne.

Sandfire shares have fared even worse. Down a sharp 7.1% during the Friday lunch hour, trading for $17.56, the Sandfire share price has dropped 13.1% since last Friday’s close.

Still, with the copper price remaining up 48% since 9 April, and Sandfire achieving plenty of success on and under the ground, shares in the ASX 200 copper stock are 115.8% since market close on 9 April.

Which brings us back to our headline question.

Should you buy the ASX 200 copper stock today?

Fairmont Equities’ Michael Gable ran his slide rule over Sandfire shares late last week, before the onset of the Middle East conflict.

“SFR is Australia’s largest listed pure play copper producer,” Gable said (quoted by The Bull). “I expect copper prices to climb in calendar year 2026 in response to increasing global demand.”

And Gable was impressed with the ASX 200 copper stock’s H1 FY 2026 earnings results. He noted:

The company’s recent half year result for fiscal year 2026 delivered underlying earnings of US$107 million, which was above consensus. Analysts have been lifting their price targets, painting a brighter outlook.

But, citing the meteoric share price rise since, April Gable placed a hold recommendation on Sandfire shares.

“The share price has risen from $8.15 on April 9, 2025 to trade at $20.475 on February 26, 2026. At these levels, a hold recommendation is appropriate,” he said.

Following on this week’s selling pressure, the Sandfire share price is now down 14.2% since the 26 February level that Gable notes.

What’s the latest from Sandfire Resources?

Sandfire reported its half year results on 19 February.

Atop the earnings beat Gable mentioned above, the ASX 200 copper stock achieved a 17% year on year increase in sales revenue to US$672.1 million.

And on the bottom line, Sandfire’s net profit after tax (NPAT) of US$96.3 million was up 94% from H1 FY 2025.

As for what’s ahead, Sandfire CEO Brendan Harris said:

Our business is increasingly well positioned with two high-margin operations in Spain and Botswana, producing the commodities the world needs, and the recent addition of another copper and gold development opportunity in South Australia that has the potential to underpin a large scale, long life and low-cost operation in a preferred jurisdiction.

The post Up 116% in 11 months, is this ASX 200 copper stock a good buy today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why this ASX copper stock is sinking 7% today
• ASX 200 materials sector leads as earnings season ends with a record high
• Brokers review 12-month price targets for 3 ASX 200 mining shares post-results
• Sandfire Resources posts 94% profit jump and record revenue in H1 FY26
• Copper price forecast for 2026: Goldman Sachs

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.

The smaller end of the market can be a happy hunting ground for stocks that can show some serious upside, and Shaw and Partners thinks it’s on to a winner with Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB).

Bubs recently reported its half-year results, and Shaw and Partners says there’s a lot to like, and has assigned a price target to the company, which is 50% above where the shares are now.

More on that later – let’s look at what the company reported.

Solid underlying result

Looking at the underlying results, Bubs reported EBITDA of $4.4 million, up from just $0.5 million in the previous corresponding period.

On a net profit basis, the result was 50% lower than the previous corresponding period at $1.8 million.

Revenue came in at $55.5 million, up from $48.5 million, and the company maintained its full-year revenue guidance of $120 to $125 million, with EBITDA of $4 to $6 million, up from $1 to $2 million.

Bubs Chief Executive Officer Joe Coote said regarding the result:

We’re pleased with the strong first half momentum and are on track to exceed our FY26 commitments. Our revenue and gross profit growth highlight the strength of our brands and the diversity of our business model, with the US our main growth engine as major retailers expand store counts and instore ranging. We have continued to invest in rightsizing our inventory in market to meet demand and respond quickly to market opportunities, particularly in the US and China, where momentum continues to build. Our Australia and Rest of World (ROW) markets are stabilising. Concurrently, we have strengthened our leadership capability with further key appointments and undertaken a rationalisation of our product portfolio.

Shares looking cheap

Shaw and Partners said there were some bright lights in the report.

The USA remains Bub’s largest and most profitable market, driven by strong revenue growth, recording $34.2m in total group revenue, up 47.6% on the previous corresponding period. Momentum continues to build through category expansion in Goat infant formula, supported by ranging expansion across major retailers (e.g. Walmart, Target). Increasing store counts and broader instore distribution are driving sustained sales growth into the second half.

In China there was also strong underlying demand, while a drop in revenue in that market “reflected temporary in‑market inventory effects and short‑term supply shortages”.

Ageing stock has now been fully cleared, and in‑market inventory levels are healthy, positioning the business for normalised sales in the second half.

Shaw and Partners have run the ruler over the results and integrated the upgraded earnings guidance into their model, and subsequently upgraded their price target on Bubs shares from 17 cents to 18 cents.

This compares with a current price of 12 cents per share for the small-cap stock. Bubs is currently valued at $107.3 million.

The post This penny stock could deliver 50% upside, Shaw and Partners says appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Bubs, Origin Energy, 4D Medical shares

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England 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.

Is the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ok? It certainly doesn’t look ok, if the past few trading days are anything to go by. It’s hard to believe right now, but it was only on Monday of this week that the ASX’s flagship index was literally at an all-time high.

Yep, Monday saw the ASX 200 clock 9,200.9 points, the first time in its long history that it had reached over 9,200 points. What a difference four trading days and a new war can make.

Over the rest of this trading week, the ASX 200 has endured two (soon to be three, if today’s mood holds) of its worst days in months. Tuesday saw the index tank 1.3%, followed by a 1.9% drubbing on Wednesday. Yesterday’s session saw the markets rebound slightly with a 0.44% recovery. But that has all gone out the window this Friday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has retreated by another 1.36%, leaving the index at just under 8,330 points. That’s down by about 4.15% from where the markets finished up on Monday afternoon.

If today’s drop holds, the ASX is heading for its worst week in years.

So not really ok, right?

Well, it can certainly be tough for ASX investors to digest a one-week fall that wipes off around half of the average annual return of the ASX 200.

The bad news is that this kind of fall will result in the vast majority of ASX investors taking a big haircut on the value of their portfolios.

The good news is that we’ve been here before, and so we know how the playbook goes.

Is the ASX 200 ok after one of its worst weeks in years?

Every year, our Chief Investment Officer, Scott Phillips, looks at the Vanguard Chart. This chart, which Scott calls “the single most powerful image in investing”, is released annually in September and plots the performance of all of the major asset classes available in Australia over the past 30 years. Our coverage of last year’s report is worth a read here.

The headline is that the ASX 200 compounded at an inflation-crushing rate of 9.3% per annum over the 30 years to 30 June 2025. That would have turned a $10,000 investment into $143,786 over that period. Shares beat the pants off ‘safe’ assets like cash and government bonds.

But what investors should really take away is that these gains occurred despite a litany of catastrophic black swan events. The 30 years to 30 June 2025 spanned the dot-com crash, the Asian financial crisis, 9/11, the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the global financial crisis, the Eurozone crisis, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the ASX 200 was at an all-time high on Monday.

The Australian markets have seen a lot of calamity in their time. Yet our best companions adapt and continue to prosper. I do not doubt that this will happen again, despite the tragedy and destruction of war. So while it doesn’t look like the ASX 200 is remotely ok this week, I think that it will be, and investors should act accordingly.

The post Is the ASX 200 ok? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Superannuation check up: Here’s how much you should have saved by age 40, 50 and 60
• Passive income: How much would I need to invest in ASX shares to earn $1,000 every month?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Deep Yellow share price paused ahead of pending announcement

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 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.

Shares in several ASX tech companies are pushing higher on Friday as investors return to the sector after weeks of heavy selling.

Among the strongest performers are WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO), and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1), which are all posting solid gains.

At the time of writing, the WiseTech share price is up 7.42% to $51.10, the Xero share price has climbed 5.78% to $88.74, and the Megaport share price is rising 5.04% to $8.33.

The rally comes after a difficult period for ASX tech stocks, many of which were recently trading near their 52-week lows.

Let’s take a closer look at what could be driving today’s move.

Bargain hunters return to beaten-down tech stocks

One key reason behind the rebound appears to be investors stepping back into the sector after a sharp sell-off earlier this year.

Over the past several months, technology shares on the ASX have been under heavy pressure as global markets turned more cautious. Rising geopolitical tensions and market volatility pushed many investors toward defensive sectors such as energy and commodities.

However, that heavy selling left many technology companies looking oversold.

WiseTech Global, Xero, and Megaport had all fallen heavily from their previous highs and were trading at 52-week lows in February.

For bargain hunters, this created an opportunity to buy high-quality growth companies at much lower prices.

Technical indicators indicate a potential bottom

Technical indicators also suggest the recent selling pressure may be easing.

Several ASX tech stocks recently tested the lower Bollinger Band, which can signal a stock may be oversold and nearing a short-term bounce.

In addition, the relative strength index (RSI) for many tech names fell toward oversold levels during the recent market decline.

Recent price action in WiseTech Global and Xero suggests investors believe the worst of the selling pressure has now passed.

Strong growth outlook still supports the sector

Beyond short term trading moves, the long-term outlook for many ASX technology companies remains strong.

WiseTech Global continues to benefit from rising demand for logistics and supply chain software globally. Xero remains a major player in cloud accounting for small businesses, while Megaport is expanding its global network connectivity platform.

These companies are still exposed to long-term structural trends such as digital transformation, cloud computing, and data infrastructure growth.

If global technology sentiment continues to improve, today’s rally could mark the beginning of a broader recovery for the sector, particularly if investors continue rotating back into growth stocks after the recent market sell-off.

The post Why investors are piling back into these ASX tech shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Megaport, Mineral Resources, and Rio Tinto shares
• 5 ASX shares I’d buy and hold for the next decade
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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 positions in and has recommended Megaport, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global and Xero. 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) is on course to end the week with a disappointing decline. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 1.3% to 8,822.4 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The BHP Group share price is down almost 6% to $52.05. This reflects significant weakness in the resources sector on Friday. This may be due to demand concerns for copper and iron ore, as well as investors taking profit and rotating their funds into cheaper areas of the market. At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX 200 Resources index is down 4.3%.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The Northern Star share price is down 7% to $27.36. Investors have been selling Northern Star and other gold miners on Friday following a pullback in the gold price overnight. Traders have been selling the precious metal amid concerns that inflation could spike from higher energy costs. This could mean interest rates rise, which reduces the allure of the safe haven asset. In addition, the US dollar has been strengthening because of this, which has an inverse effect on the gold price. The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is down by 5.2% in afternoon trade.

Resimac Group Ltd (ASX: RMC)

The Resimac share price is down 18% to 98.5 cents. This has been driven by the non-bank lender’s shares going ex-dividend this morning for its interim and special dividends. Last month, Resimac released its half-year results and declared a fully franked interim dividend of 4 cents per share and a 9 cents per share fully franked special dividend. Based on its last close price, this equates to a total dividend yield of over 11%. Eligible shareholders can look forward to receiving this dividend later this month on 24 March.

Tivan Ltd (ASX: TVN)

The Tivan share price is down 6% to 37 cents. This morning, this mineral exploration company announced the establishment of a community development initiative committing up to $1 million of funding over four years to support Indigenous communities in remote regions in Central Australia. While this is noble and undoubtedly a great thing for the community, last month, the company reported a net loss of $4.9 million and cash reserves of $11.9 million. Some investors may be concerned that it could quicken the path to a capital raising.

The post Why BHP, Northern Star, Resimac, and Tivan shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• If gold is a safe haven, why are ASX 200 gold stocks like Northern Star and Evolution Mining getting smashed this week?
• 1 beaten-down ASX share to consider buying today, and 5 I’m shunning for now
• Why BHP, EQ Resources, Lottery Corp, and Woodside shares are falling today
• Why is BHP share price sinking today?
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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.

When it comes to ASX-listed gold companies, investing in an up-and-coming explorer or developer that brings a project into production is a good strategy.

The key, of course, is finding the right company.

The team at Shaw and Partners think they’re on to a winner with Golden Horse Minerals Ltd (ASX: GHM), which recently announced good exploration results from its Hopes Hill prospect.

So let’s have a look at what they announced this week.

Strong drilling results

Golden Horse Minerals said that drilling, much of which was still being tested at the laboratory, had so far confirmed gold mineralisation at more than 110m below the historic Hopes Hill open-pit mine.

Grades from the recent drilling campaign included 7.1m at 2.5 grams per tonne of gold from a depth of 178.9m, and 4m at 3.1 grams per tonne of gold at 243m.

Meanwhile, at Hopes Hill North, the company reported “numerous near surface and wide gold intersections across multiple holes” and the company said the drilling results indicated mineralisation extending beyond 700m from the existing pit.

A regional drilling program at the Hakes Find had also been completed, with results expected shortly, while the drill rig had since been mobilised to another target, Marionete.

Golden Horse Managing Director Nicholas Anderson said regarding the results:

It is great to be at the Stable in Southern Cross and see the first results of our aggressive +125km drill campaign begin to flow. With 3 RC and 2 Diamond drill rigs running and the sample labs packed tighter than a float on race day, we are expecting plenty of results to feed the members shortly. The aggressive selection to actively target conceptual open pit extensions to the north of Hopes Hill is paying dividends, with multiple broad intercepts highlighting the prospectivity of the immediate area and indeed the broader Southern Cross Greenstone Belt. We are trying to rein in our excitement for the Year of the Horse, however some brumbies refuse to be broken

Shares looking cheap

The Shaw and Partners team said the 125,000m drilling campaign for 2026 was “massive”.

They added:

While Hopes Hill remains the flagship, the broader regional program aims to identify satellite deposits that could eventually feed into a centralised processing hub. By moving rigs to Marionete, GHM is maintaining a dual-track strategy: aggressively defining the main Hopes Hill resource while simultaneously testing new regional targets to build a larger project pipeline within their extensive tenement holding.

Shaw and Partners said Golden Horse Minerals was one of its preferred picks in the gold sector, and it has a price target of $1.50 on the shares, compared with just 66.5 cents currently.

Golden Horse Minerals was valued at $176.8 million at the close of trade on Thursday.

The post Which gold company does Shaw and Partners think will more than double in value? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• This gold explorer has more than tripled, but could double again one broker says

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England 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.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stocks, including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)  Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares, are getting hammered this week.

In late morning trade on Friday, the Northern Star share price is down 5.7% at $27.69. That sees Northern Star shares down 13.7% since Monday’s close.

Evolution Mining shares are down 4.3% at the time of writing, changing hands for $15.05 apiece. This puts the Evolution Mining share price down 14.8% since Monday’s close.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 3.2% since the closing bell on Monday.

Here’s how these other top ASX 200 gold stocks have performed over this same time:

• Newmont Corp (ASX: NEM) shares are down 11.5%
• Ramelius Resources Ltd(ASX: RMS) shares are down 10.0%
• Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) shares are down 11.7%
• Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) shares are down 9.0%
• Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) shares are down 8.3%
• Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) shares are down 13.2%
• Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) shares are down 12.5%
• Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) shares are down 3.2%

Why are ASX 200 gold stocks getting smashed despite gold’s haven status?

In times of global uncertainty, investors often turn to gold as a relatively safe store of wealth.

And, indeed, on Monday, the gold price spiked to US$5,322 per ounce following the United States and Israel’s military strikes on Iran. This, in turn, saw most ASX 200 gold stocks post outsized gains on Monday.

But over the following days, the gold price went into reverse.

The yellow metal is currently fetching US$5,094 per ounce, down 4.3% over the past four days.

“Gold’s sell-off this week is a reminder to investors that even with rising demand for safe havens, the ultimate safe haven asset isn’t immune if market forces work against it,” Josh Gilbert, market analyst at eToro, said.

One of those market forces is the rapidly changing outlook for the prospect of interest rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve, the Reserve Bank of Australia, and a host of other prominent central banks.

That’s because the sharp spike in oil prices (Brent crude is up 18% this week, trading at US$85.40 per barrel) is likely to fuel inflation worldwide. And gold tends to underperform in high or rising rate environments.

Fewer (or no) further interest rate cuts from the US Fed will also aid the already strengthening US dollar. And with the gold price in US dollars, that throws up additional headwinds for the yellow metal, as well as ASX 200 gold stocks.

According to Gilbert:

We’re seeing similarities to what we saw in 2022. When Russia invaded Ukraine, oil prices surged, inflation spiked globally, and the Fed responded by hiking rates aggressively, which strengthened the dollar and sent gold lower for much of that year…

The physical gold market is also facing real disruption. The UAE, one of the world’s most important regions for the global gold trade, closed its airspace over the weekend.

There are other forces pressuring the gold price as well.

As we’ve seen during other market pullbacks, traders have been selling off their gold holdings to meet margin calls, adding more gold supply to the market just as demand is dipping.

“This hints strongly at ‘good for bad’ activity in markets, where traders need to cover loss-making positions elsewhere by booking profits on their hitherto profitable trades,” National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) head of FX strategy Ray Attrill said (quoted by The Australian Financial Review).

Now what?

As for what’s ahead for the likes of Northern Star and Evolution Mining, it’s worth noting that the vast majority of ASX gold shares are still well into the green over the longer term.

S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) – which also contains some smaller miners outside of ASX 200 gold stocks – remains up 95.7% since this time last year.

“The structural case for gold hasn’t changed,” Gilbert said.

He noted:

Central banks have been buying at a historic pace for three consecutive years, concerns around fiscal deficits remain firmly in place, and the geopolitical backdrop is arguably more uncertain now than at any point this year. Gold is still up almost 20% year to date, and with the conflict in the Middle East not seemingly letting up for now, buyers may not be gone for too long.

The post If gold is a safe haven, why are ASX 200 gold stocks like Northern Star and Evolution Mining getting smashed this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
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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.

Putting a lump sum to work in the market can feel a little daunting. There are thousands of listed companies on the ASX and plenty of different strategies investors can follow.

If I had $20,000 to invest right now, I would look to spread the money across a handful of businesses operating in different industries.

That way, the portfolio isn’t overly dependent on any single company or sector.

Here are five ASX shares I would consider for a $20,000 portfolio today.

Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL)

Netwealth is one of the standout wealth platform businesses on the ASX.

The company provides a platform used by financial advisers to manage client investments, reporting, and administration. As the advice industry continues to shift toward more modern, flexible platforms, Netwealth has been steadily gaining market share.

Funds under administration on the platform have grown strongly over the past decade as advisers move client portfolios across.

What I like about this business is the scalability of the model. As more funds flow onto the platform, Netwealth’s revenue base expands without the company needing to increase costs at the same pace.

With the structural growth of financial advice and retirement savings in Australia, I think Netwealth remains well-positioned for long-term expansion.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The buy now, pay later sector has been through a difficult period over the past few years as interest rates rose and investors questioned the sustainability of some business models.

However, Zip has proven the doubters wrong, successfully reshaping its business, improving credit quality, tightening costs, and strengthening profitability.

If the company continues executing well and maintains discipline around lending, I think there is potential for sentiment around the business to improve significantly from here.

For investors willing to accept some volatility, Zip could offer meaningful upside if its strong performance continues.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Another ASX share I would invest some of the $20,000 in is Temple & Webster. It is one of Australia’s leading online furniture and homewares retailers.

The company operates an asset-light model, enabling it to offer a wide range of products without carrying large inventory levels. That structure gives the business flexibility and scalability as it grows.

What stands out to me is the strength of the brand the company has built in online furniture retail.

While consumer spending in discretionary categories can fluctuate with economic conditions, Temple & Webster has continued to invest in its platform, data capabilities, and customer experience.

If online penetration in furniture retail continues increasing over time, Temple & Webster could remain a major beneficiary of that shift.

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

Lovisa has quietly become one of the most impressive retail growth shares on the ASX.

The jewellery retailer operates a fast-fashion model and has been expanding aggressively across international markets. New store openings have been a major driver of growth as the brand continues entering new regions.

What makes the business appealing to me is the simplicity and scalability of its model. Lovisa has proven that it can replicate its store concept across different countries while maintaining strong margins.

If management continues executing its global store rollout strategy successfully, the company could still have a very long runway for growth.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Wesfarmers plays a different role in the portfolio.

While the other ASX shares on this list lean more toward growth, Wesfarmers provides exposure to a high-quality conglomerate with a strong track record of capital allocation.

The company owns a collection of businesses, including Bunnings, Kmart, and Officeworks, which together generate substantial cash flow.

What I particularly like about Wesfarmers is management’s disciplined approach to investing and returning capital to shareholders.

For a long-term portfolio, I think it provides a good balance to some of the higher-growth names.

Foolish Takeaway

If I were investing $20,000 in the ASX shares today, I would want a mix of growth opportunities and established businesses.

Netwealth, Zip, Temple & Webster, and Lovisa offer exposure to different growth themes across financial platforms, fintech, e-commerce, and global retail.

Adding a quality company like Wesfarmers helps balance the portfolio with a business that has a long track record of delivering steady returns.

Together, I think these five ASX shares could form the foundation of a diversified portfolio with the potential to grow over time.

The post How I’d invest $20,000 in the ASX share market right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 reasons to buy this oversold ASX growth stock today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 3 ASX growth stocks primed to rocket in 2026
• Sell alert! Why this expert is calling time on Wesfarmers and CBA shares
• 3 must-own ASX blue-chip dividend stocks for Aussie investors

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Lovisa and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Lovisa, Netwealth Group, Temple & Webster Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Netwealth Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Lovisa, Temple & Webster Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

There are a lot of options to choose from on the Australian share market.

To narrow things down, let’s see what Morgans is saying about the three popular ASX shares named below.

Here’s what the broker is recommending:

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Morgans is positive on this network-as-a-service provider following its half-year results.

After reviewing the results, the broker has retained its buy rating with a $16.00 price target. It commented:

After doing a post result deep dive into one-off versus recurring costs implied in 2H26 guidance, we now understand 2H26 includes a number of one-off costs. We update our forecasts, lowering our FY27/28 OPEX due to expectations of a higher underlying 2H26 exit rate EBITDA margin relative to that implied in guidance (which includes meaningful one-off costs in 2H26). We lift our FY27/28 EBITDA forecasts by 15-20%. Our forecasts now sit in line with consensus. Our target price lifts to $16.00 and we retain our Buy rating.

Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

Another ASX 200 share that Morgans is positive on is mining and mining services company Mineral Resources.

Morgans was pleased with the clear step change in profitability during the first half, which is helping to strengthen its balance sheet.

In response, Morgans put a buy rating on its shares with a $68.00 price target. It said:

1H26 EBITDA and underlying NPAT beat consensus with Onslow, Mining Services and lithium delivering a clear step change in profitability. MIN is firmly on track to achieve <2x ND/EBITDA within 6 months supported by strong earnings and POSCO proceeds. Move to a BUY recommendation (previously HOLD) with embedded growth from Onslow moving to 38Mtpa and additional lithium capacity underpinning medium-term upside.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

Finally, Morgans was pleased with Rio Tinto’s performance in FY 2025. However, it wasn’t enough for a broker upgrade. This is especially the case given its concerns over the miner potentially looking at deal-making at the top of the cycle.

As a result, Morgans has a trim rating and $146.00 price target on Rio Tinto’s shares. The broker said:

Solid earnings result, albeit flat earnings despite Copper EBITDA doubling. An investment heavy phase, FCF will rise on Simandou/OT ramp. Underlying NPAT US$10.9bn (in line with cons). Final dividend was 254 USc (+1% vs cons).

Whether RIO prove sceptics wrong and unlock value from mega deals at the top of the cycle is a key question and risk. We lean towards ‘no’, as in our experience M&A action in bull markets pushes listed targets beyond fair value. RIO is keeping pace with the upgrade cycle, which supports gains but undermines our view on further value, although it remains one of the highest quality sector exposures. We maintain a TRIM rating on RIO with a valuation-based A$146 target price (previously A$142).

The post Buy, hold, sell: Megaport, Mineral Resources, and Rio Tinto shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Megaport. 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.

The Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) share price is under pressure during late morning trade on Friday.

At the time of writing, shares in the copper miner are down 7.25% to $17.53.

The decline comes despite the stock’s strong run over the past year. Sandfire shares are still up more than 50% over the past year after rallying strongly through 2025 and early 2026.

So, what is pushing the ASX copper stock lower today?

Let’s take a closer look.

Copper price pullback weighs on the sector

The main driver behind today’s decline appears to be a pullback in copper prices.

Copper is currently trading at US$5.78 per pound, down about 1.20%.

Prices have eased after inventories tracked by the London Metal Exchange climbed to a 16-month high following a rise in deliveries into US warehouses. Higher inventories can signal softer short-term demand or improving supply, which often pressures prices.

Copper futures have also been affected by a stronger US dollar, which tends to weigh on commodity prices. Ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran have also added uncertainty to global markets.

While the recent move lower has rattled sentiment, it is important to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Copper prices are still up more than 20% over the past year. The gains have been supported by growing demand tied to electrification, renewable energy infrastructure, and electric vehicles.

Strong profit growth recently reported

The recent weakness also follows the release of Sandfire’s latest financial results.

The company reported a 94% increase in net profit after tax (NPAT) to US$96.3 million for the first half of FY26.

Sandfire is one of the larger copper producers listed on the ASX and operates assets across several regions.

Its key operations include the MATSA copper operations in Spain and the Motheo copper project in Botswana.

These assets have helped drive a significant lift in production and earnings over the past year as the company expanded its global copper footprint.

What brokers are saying about the stock

Following the results, several brokers reviewed their outlook for Sandfire shares.

Morgan Stanley maintained a sell rating with a price target of $16.20.

Macquarie reiterated a hold rating with a target price of $20.10, while Morgans also kept a hold rating and lifted its price target to $20.40.

Meanwhile, Canaccord Genuity upgraded the stock to a buy rating and increased its price target to $21.

Sandfire shares reached a record high of $21.75 in late January, highlighting the strength of the rally before the recent pullback.

Foolish Takeaway

While the Sandfire share price has fallen today, the decline appears to be tied largely to short-term weakness in copper prices.

The broader trend for copper remains constructive, with demand supported by electrification, renewable energy projects, and growing power infrastructure needs.

With Sandfire heavily exposed to copper, movements in the metal’s price will likely remain a key driver of the share price.

The post Why this ASX copper stock is sinking 7% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 materials sector leads as earnings season ends with a record high
• Brokers review 12-month price targets for 3 ASX 200 mining shares post-results
• Sandfire Resources posts 94% profit jump and record revenue in H1 FY26
• Copper price forecast for 2026: Goldman Sachs

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 positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.