It’s been a calamitous end to the trading week so far this Friday for the Australian share market and most ASX 200 shares.

At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has tanked by a horrid 1.58%, pulling the index down from the 7,713 points it closed at yesterday to just 7,591.6 points at the time of writing.

This is the lowest the ASX 200 has been at in over a month. It’s also shaping up to be one of the worst days for ASX 200 shares in 2024 to date.

Predictably with a fall of this magnitude, we are seeing some massive sell-offs amongst the top ASX 200 blue chip shares.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares are presently down 1.6% at $114.37 each. This bank has now lost close to 6% since its new record high of $121.54 a share that we saw just last Friday.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) are both faring even worse, currently nursing losses of over 2%.

The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price has shed 1.88% down to $42.25, while CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares have tanked by 1.44% down to $278.57 each.

Not a good day to be invested in ASX 200 shares, to say the least.

So what on earth is going on here that is prompting these dramatic, weekend-ruining share price falls?

Why are ASX 200 shares cratering on Friday?

Well, these steep falls seem to be a result of some fresh economic data in the United States.

According to CNBC, The United States’ February producer price index, which is a measure of wholesale inflation, came in with a 0.6% increase for the month.

Most economists reportedly expected a rise of 0.3%, so this shows that American inflation remained significantly hotter than expected last month.

This led to a spike in US government bond yields and a slump for the American share market in overnight trading.

Much of the rally that we’ve seen in US markets over the past few months (and the Australian market by extension) has arguably been fuelled by expectations that inflation would continue to trend lower over 2024, leading to global interest rate cuts.

This latest data seems to pour cold water on that notion. As such, investors are clearly panicking over the prospects of ‘higher for longer’ interest rates today.

For anyone wondering how this American data affects the ASX, it’s important to keep in mind that our own Reserve Bank of Australia (RA) will find it harder to justify interest rate cuts here in Australia if the US Federal Reserve is not winding back its own high interest rates.

So a very depressing end to the trading week (at least so far) for ASX 200 shares. Let’s hope the picture gets brighter next week.

The post What’s going so wrong for ASX 200 shares on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• If you’d put $1m into shares vs property at the start of COVID, how much would you have now?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why are ASX copper shares having such a bumper day?
• 2 powerful blue chip ASX 200 shares to buy for your portfolio

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

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Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares are a popular option for income investors.

Historically, the telco giant has been one of the biggest dividend payers on the Australian share market.

And while its dividends took a hit during the 2010s with the arrival of the NBN, they recently returned to growth.

But will this trend continue or is this just a false dawn for income investors? Let’s find out what the market is expecting.

Telstra dividend forecast

The good news for investors is that the market believes it is onwards and upwards for the company’s dividend in the coming years.

As a reminder, Telstra increased its fully franked dividend to 17.5 cents per share in FY 2023.

Looking ahead, Goldman Sachs is forecasting an increase to 18 cents per share this financial year. Based on the current Telstra share price of $3.79, this will mean a 4.75% dividend yield.

The increases are expected to continue in FY 2025, with Goldman expecting the telco to reward its shareholders with a 19 cents per share dividend. This represents a very attractive 5% dividend yield based on current prices.

Finally, in FY 2026, another increase is expected from analysts at Goldman Sachs. The broker has pencilled in a 20 cents per share dividend from Telstra. If this proves accurate, it will mean a generous 5.3% dividend yield for income investors.

In summary, Goldman expects:

• FY 2024 – 18 cents per share
• FY 2025 – 19 cents per share
• FY 2026 – 20 cents per share

Are Telstra shares a buy?

As well as forecasting dividend increases, Goldman Sachs believes that Telstra shares can increase in meaningfully in value.

The broker currently has a buy rating and $4.55 price target on its shares. This implies potential upside of 20% for investors.

And if we include the forecast dividends over the next 12 months, a total return of approximately 25% could be on the cards for investors buying at today’s price.

The post Here’s the Telstra dividend forecast through to 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• What might an Optus sale mean for Telstra shares?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Here’s why this broker just upgraded Telstra shares
• Is Telstra stock a buy right now?
• 3 ASX dividend shares to buy with ~5% yields for an income boost

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

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Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) shares will be on watch next week.

That’s because the building products company will be releasing its half-year results on Thursday 21 March.

And with the company’s shares up almost 30% over the last 12 months, expectations are likely to be high.

But what exactly is the market expecting? Let’s find out.

Brickworks half-year preview

Unfortunately, I don’t have any half-year estimates to work with, but we can look at full-year expectations and go from there.

For example, the team at Bell Potter is forecasting a modest decline in revenue to $1,160.8 million for FY 2024.

So, with Brickworks’ revenue coming in at $583.9 million for the first half of FY 2023, the market may be looking for something slightly softer than this figure next week.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Bell Potter is forecasting a huge decline in earnings in FY 2024 from Brickworks.

It has pencilled in EBITDA of $167.1 million and underlying net profit after tax of $60.3 million. This will be down 78.7% and 88.1%, respectively, year on year.

Based on this, it is quite apparent that a significant drop in first-half earnings is expected to be reported next week.

But don’t panic. It’s not because the company is having a nightmare year. Instead, it’s largely because Brickworks benefited from significant property sales from its joint venture with Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) last year.

That segment contributed $453 million of EBITDA thanks to the sale of Oakdale East Stage 2 into the Industrial JV Trust.

In addition, the broker is expecting the company to report a non-cash value impairment for the year.

What about dividends from Brickworks shares?

The good news for shareholders is that the broker doesn’t expect Brickworks’ profit decline to end its long run of dividend increases. The broker is forecasting a 67 cents per share dividend in FY 2024, up from 65 cents per share a year earlier.

This is likely to mean a fully franked interim dividend of 24 cents per share is declared next week.

The post Own Brickworks shares? Here’s your half-year results preview appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Is it too late to buy Brickworks stock?
• Why did the Brickworks share price just smash another record?
• Seeking retirement income from ASX bank shares at 52-week highs? What I’d buy instead
• How did the Brickworks share price just hit an all-time high?
• Buying Soul Patts shares? Here’s what you’re really buying

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 positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Goodman Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Brickworks. 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.

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If you want to make some buy and hold investments to grow your wealth, but don’t like stock picking, then don’t worry.

The solution could be exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which allow you to buy groups of shares in one go. This means you can diversify a portfolio quickly and reduce your risk.

But which ASX ETFs could be good buy and hold options? Listed below are five that could be worth further investigation:

Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM)

If you believe that nuclear power is the future, then the Betashares Global Uranium ETF could be a good option. It provides exposure to a portfolio of leading companies in the global uranium industry. These companies will be well-placed to benefit over the next decade if the forecast strong demand for the chemical element proves accurate.

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

If you want to invest in the best of the best, then the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF could be the one for you. It offers investors access to the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq index. These are global behemoths such as Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla.

ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX: ACDC)

The ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF could be a great long-term option if you believe that electric vehicles will dominate in the future. It invests in the leading companies in the battery technology and lithium industries. This includes miners, battery producers, and electric vehicle manufacturers.

VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

If you like the idea of investing in the style of Warren Buffett, then the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF could be the way to do it. This ASX ETF focuses on companies that the Oracle of Omaha would normally buy. These are companies with attractive valuations, strong business models, and sustainable competitive advantages.

Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS)

Investors that want to invest locally over the long-term might want to consider buying the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF. It is an index-based fund that aims to track the ASX 300 index. This is home to Australia’s leading 300 listed companies and includes giants such as BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and minnows such as Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH).

The post 5 ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 10 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Popular BetaShares ASX ETFs reveal half-yearly results
• Selling your investment property due to land tax hikes? 5 ASX shares I’d buy with the proceeds
• Is the Nasdaq in a dotcom-style bubble?
• Buy these ASX ETFs for a second income
• How much would I have now if I’d invested $10,000 in Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) a year ago?

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Adairs, Alphabet, Apple, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Global X Battery Tech & Lithium ETF, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Adairs and BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Apple, Betashares Global Uranium Etf, Global X Battery Tech & Lithium ETF, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) stock closed Thursday at $4.17 apiece, down 0.24%.

The ASX 200 lithium share has fallen 7.13% over the past six months and is up 13.3% over the past 12 months.

Pilbara Minerals is currently the most shorted equity on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) today.

A significant 21.3% of the stock is currently short-sold.

That means a fair few people in the professional trader community think Pilbara Minerals shares will fall.

But are they about to get stung?

What’s changing for Pilbara Minerals stock?

As reported in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), billions of dollars in shorts on various lithium shares may be in jeopardy as the global supply glut of lithium shows signs of easing.

The oversupply coupled with lower demand for electric vehicles in today’s challenging economy has led to lithium commodity prices crashing.

In 2023, the lithium carbonate price fell by more than 80%.

This year, there’s been a 15% rebound, and top brokers UBS and Goldman Sachs have just reduced their supply estimates for this year by 33% and 26%, respectively.

In addition, Morgan Stanley has noted lower inventories in China. 

S&P Global data shows short selling on Pilbara Minerals stock is around record levels, and equivalent to about $US1.8 billion.

As my colleague James notes: “Short sellers have been closing positions in the lithium industry but are not letting up on [Pilbara Minerals].”

Tribeca Investment Partners hedge fund manager Jun Bei Liu is long on Pilbara Minerals stock.

She said:

Double-digit capacity has already been taken out of the lithium market and that usually is a sign that the commodity price is bottoming.

Another broker, Morgans, currently has an add rating on Pilbara Minerals stock. It has placed a 12-month share price target of $4.50 on the lithium share.

The post Are short sellers of Pilbara Minerals stock about to get stung? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Alumina, Pilbara Minerals, QANTM, and Ramelius shares are charging higher
• Pilbara Minerals share price jumps on deal with Tesla supplier
• Why are short sellers shifting into ASX blue chips and out of lithium losers?
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares

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 Goldman Sachs Group. 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.

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Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares have been under pressure this week.

Since the close of play last Friday, the lithium miner’s shares have lost almost 10% of their value.

This leaves them trading within a single cent of a record low.

Why are Core Lithium shares falling?

Investors have been hitting the sell button this week after the lithium miner released its half-year results.

Core Lithium reported revenue of $134.8 million but a loss after tax of $167.6 million. This was driven by weak lithium prices, impairments, and the suspension of its mining operations.

In addition, the company surprised the market with the announcement of the exit of its CEO, Gareth Manderson.

Are the declines over?

Unfortunately, a couple of leading brokers believe that Core Lithium shares can still fall heavily from current levels.

For example, the team at Goldman Sachs responded to the results release by reiterating its sell rating and cutting its price target to 13 cents (from 14 cents).

Based on its current share price of 19 cents, this implies potential downside of 31.5% for investors.

Goldman continues to believe that “CXO appears relatively expensive trading at a premium on ~1.5x NAV (peer average ~1.15x), with ongoing risk to Finniss restart timing.”

In addition, it thinks that “a near-term restart of the Finniss operation is increasingly unlikely.”

As a result, Goldman is forecasting revenue of just $17.8 million from Core Lithium in FY 2025.

Citi is feeling even more bearish

Analysts at Citi believe that Core Lithium’s shares could fall even further from current levels.

According to a note from this week, the broker has reaffirmed its sell rating with a reduced price target of just 11 cents.

This suggests that the company’s shares could crash a further 42% from where they trade today.

All in all, these brokers don’t appear to believe the pain is over for the lithium miner’s shares unfortunately.

The post Could Core Lithium shares really fall another 40%? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Core Lithium shares: Is it time to cut and run?
• Why Appen, Aussie Broadband, Core Lithium, and Westpac shares are dropping today
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Why Core Lithium, Jupiter Mines, Newmont, and Perpetual shares are dropping today
• Core Lithium shares crash 9% after posting massive half-year loss

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. 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.

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There are plenty of ASX dividend shares to choose from on the Australian share market. But which ones could be buys today?

Let’s take a look at three that analysts are feeling bullish on at present. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

Bell Potter thinks that Accent could be an ASX dividend share to buy in March. The broker has a buy rating and $2.50 price target on the footwear retailer’s shares.

As well as decent upside, the broker expects some big dividend yields from its shares.

For example, Bell Potter is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 13 cents in FY 2024 and then 14.6 cents in FY 2025. Based on the latest Accent share price of $2.00, this represents dividend yields of 6.5% and 7.3%, respectively.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

Over at Goldman Sachs, its analysts believe that mining giant Rio Tinto could be a great option for income investors. The broker currently has a buy rating and $138.30 price target on its shares.

Goldman notes that “Rio is a FCF and production growth story […] with forecast Cu Eq production growth of ~5-6% in 2024 & 2025.”

The broker expects this to support fully franked dividends per share of US$4.39 (A$6.67) in FY 2024 and then US$4.61 (A$7.00) in FY 2025. Based on the latest Rio Tinto share price of $119.19, this will mean yields of 5.6% and 5.9%, respectively.

Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN)

Finally, Goldman also thinks that Insurance giant Suncorp could be an ASX dividend share to buy.

The broker currently has a buy rating and $16.25 price target on the company’s shares.

As for income, Goldman is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 77 cents in FY 2024 and 82 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Suncorp share price of $15.87, this will mean yields of 4.85% and 5.15%, respectively.

The post Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend shares now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here’s the iron ore price forecast through to 2027
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why the Accent share price has jumped 5% and more gains are predicted
• How are these passive income investors earning more than an 8% yield on Rio Tinto shares?
• Why Accent, Liontown, PSC Insurance, and Zip shares are charging higher today

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

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On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and dropped into the red. The benchmark index fell 0.2% to 7,713.6 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 poised to sink

The Australian share market looks set to end the week deep in the red following a poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 76 points or 1% lower this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.6%, the S&P 500 is down 0.55%, and the NASDAQ is down 0.55%.

Oil prices rise again

ASX 200 energy shares such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) could have a good finish to the week after oil prices rose again overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.6% to US$81.03 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.3% to US$85.16 a barrel. This has been driven by attacks on Russian refineries.

Bega Cheese named as a buy

The Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) share price could be good value according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker reaffirmed its buy rating and $5.00 price target on the diversified food company’s shares. It notes that its shares are “still trading at a material discount to its historical 1yr FWD EV/EBITDA multiple of 12.3x, trading at 11.4x FY24e and 9.9x FY25e. These also represent a material discount to global dairy (12.7x) and FMCG (12.4x) peers.”

Gold price edges lower

ASX 200 gold shares including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a poor session after the gold price dropped overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.65% to US$2,166.5 an ounce. Rate cut doubts weighed on the precious metal.

Tabcorp CEO

Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH) shares will be on watch on Friday after the gambling company announced the exit of its CEO, Adam Rytenskild. The follows claims of “inappropriate and offensive language used by Mr Rytenskild in the workplace.” The outgoing CEO said that he didn’t “recall making the alleged comment.”

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

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• If you’d put $1m into shares vs property at the start of COVID, how much would you have now?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why are ASX copper shares having such a bumper day?
• Insiders have been buying these ASX 300 shares this week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

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 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.

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Investors love the shares vs property debate. It can keep a friendly dinner party going for hours on end.

And there are some passionate arguments to be had regarding which asset class is ‘best’ and why.

If they can, though, smart investors simply do both.

While past performance is no guarantee of future performance, it’s interesting to look back over certain periods of time to determine whether shares or property would have been the wisest choice.

Which is better? Shares vs property since COVID

Let’s keep this simple and just look at the capital gains since COVID-19 for shares vs property.

That means investment property rents and ASX shares dividends are not included in our calculations here.

Property values

CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless said the national Home Value Index (HVI) surged by 32.5% between March 2020 and February 2024. The HVI incorporates all types of dwellings.

So, if you’d invested $1 million in property at the start of COVID, you’d have $1,325,000 now.

At the start of COVID, property prices initially dipped by 1.7% between March 2020 and June 2020.

They then surged 30.8% higher to a cyclical peak in April 2022. There’s been a further 1.7% uplift since then.

Interest rates falling to emergency lows and fixed mortgage rates dropping below 2% by 2022 significantly stoked buyer demand.

People also started upgrading to larger homes to make life more bearable during lockdowns. Many left the inner cities for outskirt areas or the regions because they could work from home and buy cheaper.

This exacerbated demand in hotspots like South-East Queensland. It was one of the most popular locations for interstate migration during COVID, as people sought a seachange lifestyle and larger, cheaper homes.

When interest rates began rising in May 2022, there was a 7.5% slump in median home values.

That’s normal — home prices typically fall as interest rates rise. In 2022, the national home value fell 5.3%.

Then two factors turned that trend on its head in early 2023.

Booming migration and low supply of homes for sale amid continuously strong demand led to property price growth of 8.1% in 2023. Incidentally, ASX 200 shares delivered the exact same capital growth.

ASX shares

At the start of COVID, ASX share prices crashed.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 32.5% from peak to trough over a five-week period from mid-February to late March 2020.

Then came the rebound.

ASX 200 stocks came out of that trough to surge about 55% to a cyclical peak in August 2021. 

Then price growth moderated, with the benchmark index rising just 1.1% since then til today.

The ASX 200 hit a new all-time high of 7,853.1 points in intraday trading last Friday, 8 March.

So, if you’d invested $1 million in ASX 200 shares, say via an index fund, on the first day of the COVID market crash (21 February), you’d have $1,104,600 today.

If you’d picked the bottom and invested $1 million on the day of the market crash trough (19 March), you’d have $1,600,000 today.

What a difference a month makes!

ASX 200 blue-chips

What if you’d been more selective with your stocks?

What if you’d put $1 million into an ASX 200 blue-chip stock on the day of the trough?

Let’s see what that $1 million would be worth now:

ASX 200 share	Today’s worth
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)	$1,492,000
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)	$1,940,000
National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)	$2,139,900
Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG)	$2,370,000
Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)	$2,319,900
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)	$2,170,200

Foolish takeaway

To recap, the ASX shares vs property markets responded differently to the pandemic.

They both fell initially — but to vastly different degrees — and rebounded to varying degrees as well.

The post If you’d put $1m into shares vs property at the start of COVID, how much would you have now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why are ASX copper shares having such a bumper day?
• 2 powerful blue chip ASX 200 shares to buy for your portfolio
• Buyer beware! Why Macquarie just downgraded the big four ASX 200 banks
• Is the BHP share price now cheap enough to buy after falling 15% in 2024?

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in BHP Group, CSL, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia, and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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There is a lot going on at any given time in financial markets, but there are simply some stocks that have catalysts ready to bust out.

Moomoo market strategist Jessica Amir has picked out three such shares that investors cannot afford to take their eyes off at the moment:

The ASX stock robbed overnight that could get it all back

Back in 2020, the Chinese government took offence to calls from Canberra for an independent enquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

As economic retaliation, Beijing slapped on punitive tariffs on a range of goods imported from Australia.

That included wine, and Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)’s biggest overseas market disappeared overnight.

“Since 2021, Australia’s wine industry has suffered tariffs of up to 220% on imports into China,” said Amir.

Now, with a different party in charge in Australia, diplomatic relations have thawed somewhat.

And this could soon provide Treasury Wine shares a huge boost.

“The bets are in — it won’t be long before the Australian wine industry reclaims access to the Chinese market following the Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s proposal to lift the exorbitant tariffs on Australian wine imports.”

Already the international forecast for wine consumption is looking positive.

“The company has a rosy outlook with its top-line stable of wines seeing greater sales and its shares moving up 22% from their lows.”

Gold will never go out of fashion

For Amir, gold could be the “undervalued investment opportunity” of the year.

The global gold price is on an upward trajectory at the moment, rising about 30% since October 2022. 

And she’s noticed the Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) share price has now risen 15% from a five-year low.

“Given that the US Federal Reserve will soon cut interest rates, we’re likely to see Australia follow suit and stimulate spending in the near future.

“Newmont has great global exposure and [i’s] a potential share to consider for those looking to add gold to their portfolio.”

The hottest stock in the world

It’s hard to talk about the hottest shares to watch these days without at least mentioning Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) in passing.

The stock was driven to an all-time high last week thanks to the huge demand for its chips to run artificial intelligence, before a pullback from profit-taking.

“It’s already seen a surge in its stock value following its recent setback.”

There is a potential catalyst in the coming days that investors need to monitor, according to Amir.

“Next week, Nvidia will be heading up the Nvidia GTC conference in San Jose California, the number 1 AI conference in the world.

“With fresh ideas and hype, Nvidia is likely to continue its upward trajectory despite its profit-taking dip at the end of last week.”

The post Wake up! 3 stocks to watch RIGHT NOW appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Is Nvidia stock a buy?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Is Nvidia headed for a stock split?
• Why Core Lithium, Jupiter Mines, Newmont, and Perpetual shares are dropping today

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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 Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia and Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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