It’s been a much-needed positive start to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Monday. After a wild and woolly week last week, the ASX 200 is kicking things off this week on a far better note.

At the time of writing, the Index is currently enjoying a 0.13% bounce, which lifts it back over 6,960 points.

But time now to delve deeper into these tentative gains by checking out the ASX 200 shares that are at the top of the stock market’s trading volume charts, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Monday

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

First up today is a familiar face in ASX 200 blue chip Telstra. So far this session, a decent 10.15 million Telstra shares have been traded on the markets. There hasn’t been any news out of Telstra itself for a while now. So this high volume could be a result of the movements of the Telstra share price itself.

The telco has indeed had a bit of a bouncy day. Telstra has bounced between $4.17 and $4.22 a share all day and is currently up by 0.72% at $4.20.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Next up we have ASX 200 lithium leader Pilbara Minerals. This Monday has had a notable 13.58 million Pilbara shares bought and sold thus far today.  All has been quiet on the Pilbara news front today as well. But certainly not with the Pilbara share price.

Pilbara has had a bit of a rough start to the trading week. The lithium leader is down a nasty 2.67% so far today to $3.46 a share, despite this lack of news from the company. This sell-off looks like the catalyst behind these high trading volume numbers we are seeing.

Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

Third and finally this Monday, let’s check out Pilbara’s fellow ASX 200 lithium stock Sayona Mining. This session has seen a sizeable 31.3 million Sayona shares swapped on the stock market so far. Again, there is little news to speak of today.

But there are a few other factors worth mentioning. The first is Sayona’s ongoing presence on ASX’s most shorted shares list, which my Fool colleague went into this morning. This could be helping to boost volumes in itself.

But Sayona is also going the opposite way to Pilbara today. This lithium share is presently enjoying a hefty 3.8% lift up to 19 cents a share. It’s this rise that looks to be behind the big numbers we are seeing with Sayona’s volumes this Monday.

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

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• Start building a lifelong passive income with just $5 a day
• As stock markets dive, here’s Warren Buffett’s advice
• Here are the 10 most shorted ASX shares this week
• Could buying Pilbara Minerals shares under $4 make me rich?

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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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When it comes to building wealth through investing, there are few strategies more effective than compounding. By reinvesting your dividends, you can harness the power of compounding to grow your portfolio over time. But not all ASX dividend shares are created equal.

Identifying companies that can stand the test of time should be a priority if building life-changing wealth over decades is the plan. There’s little point in finding an investment with a high yield now if it goes bust five years later — undoing all of the prior compoundings.

That’s why I would focus on companies within the ASX 300 with a competitive edge and a long history of growing dividends.

Let’s take a look at three companies that I believe best fit the bill.

Retailers with strong and growing brands

The accumulated value of a brand built over decades can be a wide and defendable moat. Humans tend to unconsciously gravitate toward companies they know and trust, even if it means sometimes paying more than at a lesser-known competitor.

Two dividend shares I reckon are prime examples of this familiarity bias in action are Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL) and Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV). Kicking off in 1972 and 1987, respectively, both companies have a long track record of providing quality products at affordable prices.

While growing their customer bases over the years through additional stores and brands, these two retailers have amplified their earnings. Similarly, dividends have gradually trended higher during their listed lives, as shown below.

Aside from Super Retail Group experiencing a blip during the pandemic, dividends have steadily increased over time.

In my opinion, both Premier Investments and Super Retail Group have a good chance of compounding into the future. This is because both of these ASX dividend shares are still rapidly growing their brands.

For example, Super Retail achieved 55% sales growth of its Macpac brand in the first half of FY2023. Likewise, Premier Investments revealed record half-year results today. The retail conglomerate’s global sales of its Smiggle brand increased 30.3%, and Peter Alexander’s sales reached a record $261.7 million — up 15.1% year on year.

Possible future dividend aristocrat inside the ASX 300

The crème de la crème of the compounding is a dividend aristocrat — companies that have upped their dividends for 25 consecutive years or more.

Even an initial investment of around $5,000 can grow to considerable wealth over 15 years, assuming the company increases its dividends by roughly 10% per annum and the share price rises 5% each year.

Assuming dividends are reinvested, such a hypothetical investment could grow to more than $20,000, as illustrated below.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any ASX 300 shares — or ASX companies, period — that meet the stringent criteria of an aristocrat. However, if we loosen the conditions to include ASX shares that have not reduced their dividends over the same time, Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL) gets pretty close.

The laboratory and pathology giant has not once cut its dividends over 20 years. An exceptional history if ever I’ve seen one.

I believe Sonic’s positioning in a defensive market bodes well as a multi-decade investment. The company’s strong balance sheet and involvement in molecular diagnostics could fuel future years of compounding, in my opinion.

The post Want wealth compounding? Here are my 3 favourite dividend shares inside the ASX 300 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has positions in Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Super Retail Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Super Retail Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Premier Investments and Sonic Healthcare. 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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With so many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS)

According to a note out of Bell Potter, its analysts have retained their buy rating on this copper miner’s shares with an improved price target of 95 cents. This follows news that it has discovered a massive new sulphide lens within the Bentley deposit at its 100%-owned Jaguar operation. Outside this, the broker highlights that Aeris represents a copper dominant mining exposure with all its production assets in Australia. The Aeris share price is trading at 59 cents today.

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

A note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their add rating and $43.00 price target on this gaming technology company’s shares. This follows the company’s investor round table event, which went down well with the broker. All in all, Morgans remains optimistic about Aristocrat’s long-term growth potential. This is thanks to its superior capitalisation and strong ability to invest in the development of its land-based and digital gaming businesses. The Aristocrat share price is fetching $36.65 this afternoon.

Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)

Analysts at UBS have retained their buy rating and US$102.00 (A$153.22) price target on this payments giant’s shares. The broker believes that the Hindenburg Research short attack was filled with unsubstantiated allegations. In light of this, it believes investors should take advantage of its share price weakness to invest in an innovative company that is well-placed for medium term growth. The Block share price is trading at $91.15 on Monday.

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

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• Citi rates these 3 ASX 200 blue chip shares as buys

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 Block. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block. 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 lithium shares have been all the rage in recent years, but have they had their run? Is it too late to buy in?

Not for at least one stock, which multiple experts still rate as a buy:

Almost doubles production, revenue surges

Bell Potter investment advisor Christopher Watt names Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) as one of his team’s “preferred lithium plays”.

“Spodumene concentrate production of 309,255 dry metric tonnes in the first half of fiscal year 2023 was up 83% on the prior corresponding period,” Watt told The Bull.

“A surge in revenue saw a big improvement in the company’s cash balance.”

Argonaut Securities associate dealer Harrison Massey also rates the lithium miner as a buy.

“Pilbara MInerals remains an attractive investment in response to strong lithium demand,” he said.

“Sales revenue of $2.18 billion in the first half of fiscal year 2023 was up 647% on the prior corresponding period.”

Pilbara shares are now 8.4% higher than they were a year ago but along the way, the stock price has fluctuated as much as 168% upwards and 43% downwards.

The fortunes of the stock are understandably correlated to the spot price for lithium.

Both experts noted how Pilbara paid out its first dividend recently, perhaps acting as a soother for the volatility.

“The company offers a bright outlook,” said Watt.

“It recently announced an inaugural fully franked dividend of 11 cents a share, supported by higher spodumene prices and volumes.”

Macquarie also loves Pilbara

Watt and Massey’s peers are somewhat divided on their opinion on Pilbara shares.

According to CMC Markets, eight out of 15 analysts currently rate the stock as a strong buy. However, three of the others are urging investors to sell.

The team at Macquarie shares Watt and Massey’s bullishness. 

The Motley Fool reported last week that those analysts had slapped on a price target of $7.50, which implies Pilbara shares could more than double from their current level.

Pilbara operates the Pilgangoora Project, which is “one of the largest hard rock lithium deposits in the world”, according to The Motley Fool’s James Mickleboro.

“Macquarie appears to believe recent weakness in the Pilbara Minerals share price has created an incredible buying opportunity.”

The post This ASX 200 lithium stock could be THE ONE to buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Could buying Pilbara Minerals shares under $4 make me rich?
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• The first-ever Pilbara Minerals dividend is being paid today. Here’s what to expect
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

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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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a small gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.25% to 6,973.6 points.

Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are racing higher:

Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS)

The Aeris Resources share price is up 11% to 59 cents. This morning, analysts at Bell Potter retained their buy rating on this copper developer’s shares with an improved price target of 95 cents. This was in response to news that it has discovered a new massive sulphide lens at the Bentley deposit at its 100%-owned Jaguar Operations.

Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)

The Block share price is up over 2% to $91.01. Investors have been buying this payments company’s shares today after they crashed deep into the red on Friday following a short seller attack from Hindenburg Research. Investors may believe this was an overreaction.

Fineos Corporation Holdings PLC (ASX: FCL)

The Fineos share price is up 4.5% to $1.17. This morning, this core systems provider to the life, accident and health, and employee benefits insurance industries revealed a cost cutting plan. It has identified operating cost reduction opportunities totalling 10 million euros. Pleasingly, management doesn’t expect this to impact its growth.

Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR)

The Tyro share price is up 3.5% to $1.46. The catalyst for this has been speculation that Potentia is planning to make a $1.70 per share takeover offer. Tyro responded to the speculation by advising that no offer has been received. However, it confirmed that takeover talks between the two parties are continuing.

The post Why Aeris, Block, Fineos, and Tyro shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• The Block share price just plummeted 6%. Here’s why

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 Block and Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended FINEOS Corporation and Tyro Payments. 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 BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is down 0.6% in early afternoon trade on Monday.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant closed Friday trading for $43.64. Shares are currently trading for $43.38.

I suspect today’s retrace is linked more to sliding metals prices than fresh news that the miner has numerous suitors interested in its Queensland coal mines.

With iron ore down 0.3% to US$117.90 per tonne and copper down 1.2% to US$8,921.50 per tonne, the S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index (ASX: XMM) is down 0.4% at this same time.

What’s happening with BHP’s coal mines?

The Motley Fool first reported on BHP’s potential sales of its Blackwater and Daunia coal mines, located in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, on 16 November.

The BHP share price closed up 1.2% on the day.

The two mines are reported to command a price tag of some $2 billion. Together they mine both metallurgical coal, mostly used for steel making, and thermal coal, which is primarily used to generate electricity.

ASX 200 coal stock Coronado Global Resources Ltd (ASX: CRN) emerged as an early likely suitor for the coal assets. The miner’s Curragh complex is located close to Blackwater.

On 22 March, The Motley Fool reported that New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) is also eyeing the two coal mines.

New Hope CEO Rob Bishop said his company will be “looking at those assets”. He added that he expects it will be a “fairly competitive process, but something [New Hope] will participate in”.

The BHP share price closed up 0.7% on that day.

Then there’s Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL). As The Australian Financial Review reported earlier in March, the ASX coal miner is also pursuing BHP’s two Queensland assets.

“For the moment our preference would be to stay focused on the BHP assets and make sure we are successful there,” Yancoal CEO David Moult said.

“That is the one we are going to be focused on now and that is where we are going to be putting in our effort because it does fit very well with us,” he added. “We are really keen to get into it and have a look.”

And as The Australian reported earlier today, we can add a range of other potential buyers to that list, totalling some 15 to 25 interested parties.

Those look to include Stanmore Resources Ltd (ASX: SMR), Indian conglomerate JSW, BUMA Australia, Peabody Energy, and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC).

And they’ll all have some pretty deep pockets to pay for BHP’s assets following all-time high coal prices in 2022.

BHP share price snapshot

As you can see in the chart below, the BHP share price is down 4% in 2023.

Over the past six months, shares remain up 17% amid a recovery in copper and iron ore prices.

The post BHP share price dips as coal mines catch attention appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why these 3 ASX 200 shares could be leading picks for dividends and growth
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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.

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The Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR) share price is on course to start the week with a solid gain.

In afternoon trade, the payments company’s shares are up over 3% to $1.46.

This compares favourably to the performance of the S&P/ASX 300 index, which is up 0.2% at the time of writing.

Why is the Tyro share price pushing higher?

Investors have been scrambling to buy Tyro’s shares today amid speculation that a new takeover offer could be coming.

According to the AFR, its sources claim that Potentia is close to tabling a $1.70 per share offer for the payments company. This comes after the company granted the private equity group non-exclusive due diligence on 10 February.

Though, whether that offer would be enough to get a unanimous recommendation from Tyro’s board, is hard to say.

What’s the latest?

This morning, Tyro responded to the media speculation and revealed that it has not received a proposal from Potentia. However, it has confirmed that talks are continuing between the two parties.

Though, it also warns that there’s no guarantee that these talks will result in a binding offer being made. The company explained:

Tyro confirms that it has not received any further proposal from Potentia since 11 December 2022, and that should it receive a revised proposal from Potentia, Tyro will inform the market in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations.

Although Tyro continues to be in discussions with Potentia in relation to a possible change of control transaction, Tyro shareholders do not need to take any action. There is no certainty that these discussions will result in a non-binding indicative offer, a binding offer or a transaction of any kind.

The post Why is the Tyro share price smashing the ASX 300 on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy 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 positions in and has recommended Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Tyro Payments. 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 share price of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mineral explorer Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN) isn’t going anywhere today. It’s been frozen as the company prepares to inform the market of an update on its mineral resource estimate.

The Chalice Mining share price last traded at $6.28.

And there it will stay until the company reveals its news or the market opens on Wednesday, whichever comes sooner.

So, what might we expect from the anticipated announcement? Let’s take a look.

ASX 200 mining share frozen ahead of mineral resource news

The Chalice Mining share price has been placed into a trading halt on Monday.

The market might be expecting to hear news of the company’s flagship Julimar Project – previously found to house nickel, copper, platinum group elements (PGE), cobalt, and gold.

Chalice Mining previously said it expects to post an update on the project’s Gonneville deposit’s resources in the current quarter.

Drilling completed in the December quarter saw potential for the deepening of the deposit’s resource pit shell at its northern end. It intersected several broad zones of sulphide mineralisation beyond the known resource.

The expected resource update will incorporate 157 infill and wide-spaced step-out drill holes and 109 close spaced reverse circulation drill holes in the expected starter pit area.

Further, initial drilling at the greenfield Hooley Prospect also intersected PGE-dominant sulphide mineralisation last quarter.

Of course, there’s no guarantee the awaited announcement is related to the Gonneville deposit, or the broader Julimar Project.

No doubt ASX 200 mining fans will be watching the stock closely over the coming days in anticipation of the expected mineral resource update.

Chalice Mining share price snapshot

The Chalice Mining share price has underperformed the broader market slightly in recent times.

The stock is trading flat so far this year. Though, it’s fallen 11% over the last 12 months.

For comparison, the ASX 200 is also trading flat year to date and has posted a 6% fall since this time last year.

The post Guess which ASX 200 mining share is on ice pending a mineral resource estimate appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a modest gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.15% to 6,965.6 points.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE)

The Lake Resources share price is down 11.5% to 42.5 cents. This follows news that the lithium developer’s chairman, Stu Crow, has been selling shares. According to the release, Crow sold approximately $3.9 million worth of shares through on-market trades.

Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)

The Latitude share price is down 3% to $1.17. This morning, this non-bank lender released an update on its recent cybersecurity incident. Its latest update reveals that a forensic review has identified that approximately 7.9 million Australian and New Zealand driver licence numbers and approximately 53,000 passport numbers were stolen.

Synlait Milk Ltd (ASX: SM1)

The Synlait Milk share price is down almost 6% to $2.11. This follows the release of the dairy processor’s half-year results this morning. Synlait had a tough half and reported an 83% decline in net profit after tax to NZ$4.8 million. This reflects operational stability and cost challenges, which have impacted its performance.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

The Woodside share price is down almost 3% to $31.63. This appears to have been driven by a pullback in oil prices on Friday night. Traders seem concerned that the banking crisis could spread and hurt economic growth and demand for oil. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy index is down almost 2% this afternoon.

The post Why Lake Resources, Latitude, Synlait, and Woodside shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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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The ASX share market has had a rough few weeks, no way around it. As it stands today, the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) has lost around 3.6% over the past month alone, as well as a nasty 5.4% since 7 March.

In 2023 so far, ASX shares are barely breaking even after what was a stellar start to the trading year over January and February.

This means that the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) has also been a bit shaky of late. This exchange-traded fund (ETF) is an index fund that tracks the ASX 300 Index. This means that wherever the ASX 300 goes, this index fund follows.

Indeed, Vanguard Australian Shares ETF units are now down more than 6.5% since early February and down around 9.2% over the past 12 months:

But this might not be such a bad thing for long-term investors. After all, as Warren Buffett tells us, cheaper shares usually mean better returns over the long run.

So do the weaker markets over the past month or so make the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF a no-brainer buy today?

Why is the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF a no-brainer buy?

I think it does. Whenever you are buying an index fund, you are essentially buying a small portion of every company that the index contains. In the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF’s case, this means a small piece of the 300 largest companies listed on the ASX.

That’s everything from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) to Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) and Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD).

The way an index fund is structured means that the better companies grow in influence within the Index over time while the weaker ones are weeded out. This means that buying an ASX-wide index fund is essentially a bet on the long-term growth of the Australian economy. That is a bet that has historically been a lucrative one for investors.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF’s managed fund equivalent has been around since October 1998. Since that time, this managed fund has returned an average of 8.11% per annum. That’s despite the Asian financial crisis, the dot-com bust, the global financial crisis and COVID.

This fund’s ETF variation has only been around since 2009. But over its shorter lifetime, it has averaged a return of 8.95% per annum.

So I think that buying this Vanguard index fund is always a good long-term investment. But buying it after a pullback? It’s about as close to a no-brainer buy as you can get on the ASX, in my view.

The post Does the fall in the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF share price make it a no-brainer buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Telstra Group and Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF. 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 Coles Group and Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Jb Hi-Fi. 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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