The team at Morgans has been busy running the rule over a number of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares again this month.

Among its best ideas for December are the two ASX 200 shares listed below. Here’s what the broker is saying about them:

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

Morgans has this gaming technology company on its best ideas list again this month.

Its analysts highlight that the company is well-placed for growth thanks to its ability to invest in design and development and its expansion in real money gaming (RMG).

It commented:

We have three key reasons for being positive on ALL. They are: (1) long-term organic growth potential. ALL is better capitalised than many of its competitors and has what we regard as a strong platform to continue investment in design and development in both its land-based gaming and digital businesses; (2) strong cash conversion and ROCE. ALL is a capital-light business despite its ongoing investment in Gaming Operations capex and working capital. It has a high level of cash conversion and ROCE and (3) strong platform for investment. ALL has funding capacity for organic and inorganic investment in online RMG, even after the recent buyback. Its current available liquidity is $3.8bn.

Morgans has an add rating and $43.00 price target on the company’s shares.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

A new addition to the best ideas list this month is Xero. The broker believes the cloud accounting platform provider’s shares are trading at a very attractive level. In fact, they are trading at a level that values the company less than the lifetime subscription value of its subscribers. It commented:

XRO is a high quality cash generative business with impressive customer advocacy and duration. Over the last 12 months rising interest rates and competition have made things harder for Xero. However, we see the current short-term weakness as a rare opportunity to buy a high quality global growth company at a discount to the life time value of its current customer base.

Morgans currently has an add rating and $77.00 price target on Xero’s shares.

The post Morgans names 2 of the best ASX 200 shares to buy in December appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Appen, Evolution Mining, Rio Tinto, and Xero shares are racing higher
• Xero share price hurtles higher on bullish broker note
• Stock market correction: A once-in-a-lifetime chance to get rich?
• 5 ASX 200 shares with juicy gross profit margins

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. 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’s little doubt that the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) is one of the most popular ASX shares on our share market. Its status as the ASX’s largest bank, and, for a few brief periods, the ASX’s largest share by market capitalisation, no doubt helps. As would the fact that CBA has more Australian customers than any other bank.

CBA has had a pretty good run lately as well. The ASX 200 bank share is up a healthy 4.31% year to date in 2022, which looks pretty good against the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s loss of 3.7%. The CBA share price is also up 11.5% over the past 12 months, and just this month, hit a new 52-week high of $109.20.

But size, past performance and popularity don’t automatically translate into a good investment going forward. So now that we are almost at the end of the year, should CBA shares be in your ASX stocking this December?

Are CBA shares a perfect ASX stocking stuffer?

Well, expert opinions are a little mixed.

One broker who is optimistic about CBA is Macquarie. Last month, we covered some changes Macquarie has made to its model portoflios.

One notable one was the decision to swap out Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) for CBA shares. Macquarie now views CBA as the “quality choice within the banking sector” and a better bet than ANZ right now.

However, Will Reggall of Climate Capital isn’t convinced. As my Fool colleague covered this week, Riggall reckons Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares are both looking more appealing than CommBank right now.

That’s due to CBA’s “high price” and the success Westpac and NAB have had with “executing growth and transformation strategies”.

Earlier this month, we also covered the views of brokers at Wilsons. Wilsons has trimmed its exposure to all ASX banks in favour of lithium share Mineral Resources Limited (ASX: MIN).

This broker cites what it views as peaking net interest margins, as well as slowing credit growth and rising costs, in explaining its waning enthusiasm for bank shares.

So mixed views on CBA shares leading up to Christmas. But with this week’s new 52-week high, shareholders have already gotten an early Christmas present from Commonwealth Bank.

The post Should CBA shares be in your ASX stocking in December? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• The 3 best-performing ASX 200 bank shares in November revealed
• Is a stock market crash coming for us in 2023?
• Why did the CBA share price jump to a 52-week high in November?
• The 10 ASX 200 shares responsible for 60% of all Aussie dividends last quarter
• Which ASX 200 bank share stands to benefit the most from ‘good borrowers’?

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in National Australia Bank. 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 Westpac Banking. 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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In a terrible year for growth stocks and bonds, many investors have resorted to ASX dividend shares.

The idea is that decent income would make up for anaemic capital growth.

As for 2023, many experts are expecting the lag in the effects of this year’s steep interest rises to catch up, slowing the economy down considerably.

That means, once again, some investors might like to take shelter with dividend stocks.

“The beauty of quality dividend-paying stocks is that they tend to perform well across the cycle,” said Ausbil Active Dividend Income Fund portfolio manager Michael Price.

“In the coming year, there will still be potential to capture dividends from earnings that are less sensitive to lower growth and can pass on inflationary pressures to their customers.”

There are also opportunities for elevated payout ratios, he added, and special dividends in lieu of off-market buybacks.

ASX dividends in resources have peaked

However, with conditions expected to be different to 2022, which are the ASX dividend shares that will be the most fruitful for 2023?

Price reckons investors will need to be selective about the industries they put their money in.

“In 2023, we think dividend growth will be flat on average, but there will be big variances across sectors,” he said.

“We expect double-digit growth for financials and general insurers, but we think resource dividends have peaked and we expect them to be 10% lower on average, though select resource names will still deliver.”

The current global energy crisis will continue into next year, and this will mean “quality energy companies” will also pay out strong yields.

Then there are the ASX defensive stocks.

“We expect some stronger earnings growth in quality leaders that are more immune to the economic cycle and who can pass on inflation in their business models,” said Price.

“Some ‘all-weather’ dividend payers in the telco and health care sectors, and also in consumer staples, are expected to deliver better-than-market dividend outcomes.”

Finally, after a depressed year in 2022, property-related ASX shares could fare much better in 2023.

“We are also expecting strong dividend performance in select real estate investment trusts (REITs) that have global logistics and warehousing businesses, and some local REITs with near fully leased commercial portfolios that have lease profiles that pass inflation on to tenants through ratchet clauses.”

The post Expert reveals where you’ll find the best ASX dividends in 2023 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Buy Westpac and this ASX dividend share: broker
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why Bigtincan, Bubs, St Barbara, and Warrego shares are charging higher
• 3 ASX shares soaring on takeover bids 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 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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Are you looking for dividend shares to buy? If you are, you may want to check out the two listed below that have been tipped to provide attractive yields by Goldman Sachs.

Here’s what you need to know about these ASX dividend shares today:

Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX: HCW)

The first ASX dividend share that Goldman Sachs has tipped as a buy is Healthco Healthcare and Wellness.

Goldman believes the health and wellness focused real estate investment trust is well-placed to pay attractive dividends in the coming years thanks to its strong balance sheet and exposure to government-backed sub-sectors. The broker said:

[T]he REIT remains one of our top picks in the sector given 1) its net cash position with over $450mn of liquidity, providing flexibility for near term opportunities, 2) its diversified mix of strong tenant covenants in sub-sectors that are majority government-backed across the care spectrum, mitigating potential tenant credit risks, 3) Healthcare and childcare assets valuations have remained resilient, 4) the expansive forecast future demand for assets across the care spectrum, underpinning development opportunities, and 5) inexpensive valuation.

In respect to dividends, Goldman expects dividends per share of 7.5 cents in both FY 2023 and FY 2024. Based on the current Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT unit price of $1.66 this will mean yields of 4.5% for investors.

Goldman has a conviction buy rating and $2.14 price target on its shares.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

Another ASX dividend share that Goldman Sachs rates highly is Australia’s oldest bank, Westpac.

Goldman believes that Westpac is well-placed to benefit from a combination of rising interest rates and its cost cutting plans. It commented:

We remain Buy (on CL) rated on WBC given: i) while on the surface, the FY22 result suggested WBC’s NIM leverage was underwhelming relative to some peers, we think 2H22 was adversely impacted by late-in-the-half liquidity build, and management’s guidance on its FY23 NIM trajectory was better than we had previously anticipated, ii) despite WBC revising its FY24E cost target to A$8.6 bn (from A$8.0 bn), the bank’s performance on cost management remains strong in this inflationary environment with a 9% step down in costs expected over the next two years

Its analysts are expecting this to lead to fully franked dividends per share of 148.4 cents in FY 2023 and 160 cents in FY 2024. Based on the current Westpac share price of $23.76, this will mean yields of 6.25% and 6.7%, respectively.

Goldman Sachs has a conviction buy rating and $27.60 price target on the bank’s shares.

The post Buy Westpac and this ASX dividend share: broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why did the Westpac share price lag the ASX 200 in November?
• The 3 best-performing ASX 200 bank shares in November revealed
• The 10 ASX 200 shares responsible for 60% of all Aussie dividends last quarter
• If you bought $20,000 worth of Westpac shares this year, here’s how much dividend income you’d have
• Which ASX 200 bank share stands to benefit the most from ‘good borrowers’?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Westpac Banking. 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 Westpac Banking. 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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ASX 200 healthcare shares are considered great defensive shares in tough economic times. But that hasn’t proven true in 2022 — at least in terms of share price growth.

The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) is down 4.9% in the year to date. That’s worse than the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is down 3.8%.

Healthcare employs more people than any other industry in Australia, according to the new census. It’s an established sector, which means good earnings and reliable dividends for shareholders.

Healthcare is also an obvious defensive play, like consumer staples, when inflation and interest rates are rising. No matter what the economy is doing, people still need healthcare and essential goods and will prioritise them in their budgets. So that’s good for the earnings of ASX healthcare shares.

Healthcare also has a very big long-term tailwind with our ageing population — the older we get, the more healthcare we need. But for now, it’s a sector that hasn’t done much for investors in 2022.

Of course, there are always companies doing better than the bunch.

In November, these three ASX 200 healthcare shares stood out with the highest share price gains, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data canvassing ASX healthcare stocks with a minimum market cap of $100 million.

The figures are taken from the closing price on 1 November to the closing price on 30 November.

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd (ASX: FPH)

The top-performing ASX 200 healthcare share in November was Fisher & Paykel with a 17.1% share price gain.

The stock gathered momentum for no particular reason in the middle of the month, then got a big bump when the company released its half-year results.

Bizarrely, it reported a 57% decline in profit but the share price soared 12% on the day of the release. As my colleague Brooke reported, the results were in line with previous forecasts, so perhaps investors were impressed to see the company simply deliver what it said it would in this current difficult economic climate.

The Fisher & Paykel share price closed at $22.84 on Friday, up 1.3%.

Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)

Ramsay Health Care was November’s next best-performing ASX 200 healthcare share, up 12.3%.

The hospitals operator provided a business update on 11 November and the share price kept rising from there. Ramsay reported a 6.7% increase in revenue and a 2.3% decline in EBITDA over 1Q FY23.

The Ramsay Health Care share price finished Friday’s session at $66.15, up 0.5% for the day.

Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN)

The Nanosonics share price was the third-best performer among the ASX 200 healthcare shares last month. It went up 11%.

The infection control company held its annual general meeting (AGM) on 18 November. As my colleague James reported, Nanosonics revealed total revenue of $52.6 million for the four months to 31 October, up 42% on the prior corresponding period.

Nanosonics shares took a 12% smashing despite no news from the company on 21 November but rebounded to finish the month at $4.74. Perhaps that rebound resulted from some ASX investors seeing an opportunity to buy the dip.

The Nanosonics share price finished the week at $4.86, up 0.4% for the day on Friday.

The post 3 best-performing ASX 200 healthcare shares in November appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are 3 ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend next week
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Ainsworth Game Tech, BHP, Fisher & Paykel, and Leo Lithium shares are charging higher
• Profit down 57%, share price up 12%. What’s with this ASX 200 healthcare stock today?

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 Nanosonics. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Nanosonics. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ramsay Health Care. 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) broke its three-day winning streak on Friday. The index closed 0.72% lower at 7,301.5 points. That still marks a 0.66% week-on-week increase.

Weighing on the market today was the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ). It fell 2.4% despite a mixed night for oil prices.

The Brent crude oil price slipped 0.1% to trade at US$86.88 a barrel overnight while the US Nymex crude oil price rose 0.8% to US$81.22 a barrel.

The S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) also suffered on Friday, falling 2.6%.

On a more positive note, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) posted a 1.1% gain while the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Index (ASX: XTJ) rose 0.8%.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) slipped 0.5% despite higher commodity prices.

Gold futures increased 3.1% to US$1,815.20 an ounce and iron ore futures lifted 1.2% to US$103.10 a tonne.

All in all, four of the ASX 200’s 11 sectors closed Friday’s session in the green. But which stock took out today’s crown, ending the week the highest? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The best-performing stock on the iconic index today was none other than gold favourite St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM). It soared 10% amid the yellow metal’s surge.

Today’s biggest gains were made by these shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)	$0.69	10.4%
Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM)	$4.81	8.09%
Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR)	$1.37	7.03%
Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ)	$5.11	6.46%
Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX: RMS)	$0.99	4.76%
Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS)	$3.03	3.77%
Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN)	$5.82	3.74%
Perseus Mining Limited (ASX: PRU)	$2.33	3.1%
Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)	$2.08	2.97%
Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA)	$3.64	2.54%

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why Bigtincan, Bubs, St Barbara, and Warrego shares are charging higher
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday
• Wondering how the Coles share price fared over November? Here’s how
• 10 ASX dividend shares paying more than 10% yield right now
• Here are 10 years of ASX 200 historical returns

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 positions in and has recommended Smartgroup. 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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It has been another busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to the release of a large 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:

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

According to a note out of UBS, its analysts have retained their buy rating on this pizza chain operator’s shares with a trimmed price target of $78.00. The broker has reduced its earnings per share estimates to reflect dilution from Domino’s capital raising. However, it remains bullish on the investment opportunity here and was pleased to see management reaffirm guidance for FY 2023. The Domino’s share price is trading at $66.04 on Friday.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

A note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have retained their overweight rating and $121.00 price target on this mining giant’s shares. This follows the release of the company’s investor day update. Morgan Stanley was pleased with the update and particularly the miner’s focus on technology. It also notes that the top end of Rio Tinto’s iron ore shipments guidance for FY 2023 was in line with its own estimate. The Rio Tinto share price is fetching $111.63 this afternoon.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have retained their buy rating but trimmed their price target on this online furniture retailer’s shares to $7.50. While the broker has reduced its earnings estimates slightly following Temple & Webster’s trading update, it remains bullish. The broker believes that the company has one of the strongest long term structural growth opportunities under coverage and forecasts a 22% EBITDA CAGR over the next 10 years. The Temple & Webster share price is trading at $5.02 on Friday.

The post Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why Coronado, IDP, Mayne Pharma, and Rio Tinto shares are dropping today
• Rebound: I’m finding cheap ASX shares to buy before it’s too late!
• Why Appen, Evolution Mining, Rio Tinto, and Xero shares are racing higher
• Why CogState, Downer, Temple & Webster, and Woodside shares are dropping
• Domino’s share price halted amid $165 million cap raise

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and Temple & Webster 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to end the week in the red. In late trade, the benchmark index is down 0.65% to 7,306.8 points.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

The Bigtincan share price is up 12% to 76.5 cents. Investors have been buying this sales enablement automation platform provider’s shares after it received a takeover approach. Bigtincan has received an unsolicited, indicative, conditional and non-binding proposal from SQN Investors to acquire it for $0.80 cash per share. This represents a 17.6% premium to the where the tech share ended yesterday’s session.

Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB)

The Bubs share price is up 3% to 32 cents. This is despite the infant formula company’s shares copping a downgrade from Citi this morning. The broker has downgraded Bubs’ shares to a hold rating and slashed their price target by over 50% to 32 cents. Citi suspects that the company’s US sales are softer than expected.

St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

The St Barbara share price is up almost 11% to 69.2 cents. This follows a strong rise by the gold price last night. Investors appear to be betting that interest rates won’t rise as much as feared, which would be good news for gold. St Barbara isn’t the only gold miner rising today. The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is up 2.3% this afternoon.

Warrego Energy Ltd (ASX: WGO)

The Warrego Energy share price is up almost 10% to 28.5 cents. Investors have been buying this energy explorer’s shares this week after a bidding war broke out for it. Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) has outbid Hancock Energy’s 23 cents per share offer with a bid of 25 cents per share plus any net proceeds received from the sale of Warrego’s Spanish assets.

The post Why Bigtincan, Bubs, St Barbara, and Warrego shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 3 ASX shares soaring on takeover bids today
• Guess which ASX All Ords tech share is soaring 12% on takeover news
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Warrego Energy share price rockets 80% in a month amid clash of the takeover titans
• Why Bubs, Collins Foods, Dusk, and Mayne Pharma shares are falling 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 Bigtincan. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bigtincan. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Bubs Australia. 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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It’s no secret the ASX loves a takeover target, and these three shares have proven to be just that. They’ve each been hurled acquisition bids on Friday and they’re gaining as much as 26% on their suitors’ attention.

Meanwhile, the broader market is in the red today. The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.6% at the time of writing while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has slumped 0.66%.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the ASX shares soaring on merger and acquisition activity on Friday.

3 ASX shares taking off on takeover attention

First off the bat, the Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH) share price is soaring 12.5% to 76.5 cents right now after the company announced it’s received a takeover bid.

SQN Investors has offered 80 cents per share to snap up the AI-powered sales enablement automation platform provider. So far, the company hasn’t accepted the proposal. It also noted SQN Investors isn’t the only suitor to have shown its acquisition interest recently.

Joining Bigtincan in the takeover frenzy is Mayfield Childcare Ltd (ASX: MFD). The ASX childcare share is surging 25.9% to $1.215 on the back of its own takeover offer.

Its largest shareholder Genius Education Holdings has put forward a $1.28 per share bid.

Like Bigtincan, Mayfield Childcare will consider Genius Education’s bid against other, albeit lower and more conditional, proposals to maximise shareholder value. In the meantime, however, it has granted its major shareholder exclusive due diligence.

Finally, today brought more news of the ongoing battle for control of Warrego Energy Ltd (ASX: WGO). Shares in the ASX gas explorer are to lifting 9.6% to trade at 28.5 cents right now.

Today, ASX 200 oil giant Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) upped its previous 20-cent per share bid for the company to 25 cents per share, plus any proceeds from the sale of Warrego’s Spanish assets.

Its improved offer comes after it was outbid by Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting. Hancock offered Warrego investors 23 cents per share earlier this week.

No doubt all eyes will be on the ASX takeover targets, and their share prices, in the coming weeks to see how the three acquisition offers progress.

The post 3 ASX shares soaring on takeover bids today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Guess which ASX All Ords tech share is soaring 12% on takeover news
• Warrego Energy share price rockets 80% in a month amid clash of the takeover titans

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 Bigtincan. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bigtincan. 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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It’s looking like the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is about to give investors a rather disappointing end to the trading week this Friday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has slipped by a sad 0.67%, dragging the index down to just under 7,310 points. Even so, at this point, the ASX 200 remains handily up for the week, so it’s not all bad.

But let’s now dig a little deeper into today’s market falls by checking out the ASX 200 shares currently at the peak of the share market’s trading volume charts, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Friday

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

Our first stock of the day is the ASX 200 mining share South32. So far this Friday, a hefty 12.46 million South32 shares have been traded on the stock exchange. There hasn’t been any news or announcements from the company so far today.

So we can likely blame the nasty share price fall this company is enduring today for this high volume. At present, the south32 share price has lost 1.63%, putting the company at $4.22 a share.

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

ASX 200 gold miner Evolution is next up today. So far this session, a sizeable 13.11 million Evolution shares have changed owners. Again, it looks like we can thank a share price movement for this volume.

Fortunately for Evolution investors, the company’s shares are going the right way. Evolution is presently up a healthy 2.54% at $21.18 a share. Like most ASX gold shares today, Evolution seems to be benefitting from a surging gold price.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Our third, final and most traded ASX 200 share today is the lithium leader Pilbara Minerals. This Friday has seen a notable 17.93 million Pilbara shares bought and sold so far. All is quiet on the official news front for Pilbara today as well.   

But luckily for investors, Pilbara shares also seem to be bucking the market’s pessimistic mood. After briefly dipping into negative territory this morning, Pilbara has recovered over the afternoon and is currently up a reasonable 0.74% at $4.80 a share. It’s this gain, and bouncing share price, that is probably the cause of the elevated volumes we are seeing.

The post Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Wondering how the Coles share price fared over November? Here’s how
• These 3 ASX 200 dividend shares led the pack in November. Here’s why
• Here are 10 years of ASX 200 historical returns
• The ASX 200 mining shares to buy for big dividends in 2023: analysts
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

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.

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