On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back on form and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 0.2% to 7,135.7 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to fall

The Australian share market looks set to end the week in the red. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 5 points or 0.1% lower this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 0.15%, the S&P 500 has fallen 0.55%, and the Nasdaq has dropped 0.55%.

Oil prices tumble

Energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a difficult finish to the week after oil prices sank overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 3.8% to US$82.30 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 2.4% to US$90.65 a barrel. Oil prices fell on concerns over Chinese demand.

Webjet remains a buy

The Webjet Ltd (ASX: WEB) share price remains great value according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. The broker was impressed with the online travel agent’s first half results, which came in well ahead of expectations. Goldman commented: “WEB’s 1H23 results reported a strong beat across both the Webbeds and Webjet OTA business, cementing our view that the business is structurally improved vs. pre-pandemic times.” Its analysts have retained their buy rating with an improved price target of $6.90.

Gold price falls

Gold miners including Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a subdued end to the week after the gold price fell overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.65% to US$1,764 an ounce. Traders were selling gold after the US dollar and treasury yields strengthened.

Annual general meetings

There are a good number of annual general meetings being held on Friday. This includes infant formula company A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M), integrated real estate company Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC), infection prevention company Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN), and data centre operator NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT). These companies could provide trading updates at their respective events.

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

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More reading

• Is it finally safe to buy ASX shares now?
• What dragged on the Santos share price today?
• Why did the Flight Centre share price trounce the ASX 200 today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in NEXTDC Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk and Webjet Ltd. 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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Share markets have put on a ferocious resurgence recently, after United States inflation figures came in lighter than expected last week.

In fact, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has now gained a tidy 6.9% over the past month. Not bad after being down 14.9% year to date.

Because several consecutive steep interest rate rises are now behind us, some experts have speculated stock markets may have passed the bottom.

“There is a rising chance we have seen the low in shares,” said AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) chief economist Dr Shane Oliver earlier this week.

“At last, it seems some of the bad news for shares appears to be abating.”

So what do ASX share investors do now?

How can you call the bottom when things are still so bad?

Many investors might be wondering how experts can call the bottom when inflation is still rampant — it’s 7.7% in the US and 7.3% in Australia.

American financial expert and long-term buy-and-hold advocate Brian Feroldi reminded his newsletter subscribers that the stock market is “a forward-looking machine”.

“It doesn’t care about where we are. It only cares about where we’re going,” he said.

“This is why markets tend to bottom while the headlines still look awful.”

He recalled some of the new headlines on 9 March 2009, which was when US share markets bottomed in the midst of the global financial crisis:

• “Collapse of the financial sector harder, deeper than tech wreck”
• “US to push for global stimulus”
• “China warns of severe fiscal conditions”
• “UK says markets need crisis plan”
• “The bear growls louder”
• “Jobless scars will outlast the recession”

Feroldi pointed out how there was absolutely no good news or optimism at the time. Yet the share markets started their rise from that point.

“Do you see any good news? We sure don’t. In fact, it wasn’t until April 2010 — 13 months later — that unemployment finally peaked,” he said.

“Yet, if you… waited on the sidelines until April 2010 to start investing in stocks again, you would have missed out 80% of the market’s gains.”

How to capture the ASX share recovery

Of course, no one should expect a smooth, linear upward progression from here. ASX shares will experience many dips ahead.

But for Feroldi, there’s only one way to take advantage of this potential bottom.

“The takeaway is that you can only capture all of the stock market long-term gains by remaining invested,” he said.

“That’s easy to do in theory, but damn hard to do in practice.”

The lesson is that none of us will know whether this is the bottom until much later — maybe six months down the track, or even a year.

But if you wait until then to buy shares, it will be too late. You will have missed all the spectacular recovery gains.

So buy now with a long-term horizon.

“We certainly hope that we’ve hit a bottom and that the economic picture gets better from. However, the only way we’ll know that for sure will be with the benefit of hindsight.”

The post Is it finally safe to buy ASX shares now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• What dragged on the Santos share price today?
• Why did the Flight Centre share price trounce the ASX 200 today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• Why ASX 200 ‘investors should brace for impact’: Morgan Stanley

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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If you’re looking to boost your income portfolio this month, then you may want to look at the dividend shares listed below.

Here’s why these ASX dividend shares have been tipped as buys by Goldman Sachs:

Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX: HCW)

The first ASX dividend share to look at is the Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT.

As you might have guessed from its name, it is a real estate investment trust with a focus on health and wellness assets such as hospitals, aged care, childcare, life sciences, and primary care properties.

Goldman Sachs is very positive on the company and has a conviction buy rating and $2.05 price target on its shares.

The broker named four reasons that it is positive. It 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.

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 $1.59, this will mean yields of 4.7% for investors.

HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN)

HomeCo Daily Needs is another real estate investment trust that Goldman Sachs is bullish on.

It has a focus on metro-located, convenience-based assets across neighbourhood retail, large format retail, and health and services.

The broker believes that its shares are cheap at current levels and has a buy rating and $1.57 price target on them. It commented:

We continue to believe HDN is undervalued at its current valuation given its diversified tenant base, and see it as well positioned to benefit from the shift to omni channel retailing, with additional external growth opportunities to drive earnings growth over the medium-term.

As for dividends, Goldman is forecasting dividends of 8.3 cents per share in FY 2023 and 8.5 cents per share in FY 2024. Based on the current HomeCo Daily Needs REIT unit price of $1.28, this will mean yields of 6.5% and 6.65%, respectively.

The post Buy these ASX dividend shares now: Goldman Sachs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 2 dirt cheap high yield ASX dividend shares to boost your income: analysts
• Brokers name 2 ASX dividend shares to buy with big yields

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 Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price closed 0.94% lower at $7.36 on Thursday.

The energy sector as a whole was the heaviest weight on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) today. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) fell 2.06%, while the ASX 200 gained 0.19%

Let’s take a look at what else might be affecting the ASX energy share.

What’s going on with the Santos share price?

It’s been a tough week for the Santos share price, which has now finished in the red in five of the last six sessions.

On Wednesday, the oil and gas giant’s legal appeal to restart drilling operations at its Barossa gas project was concluded in the Federal Court.

The $4.7 billion project in the Timor Sea will remain on hold until a ruling has been made.

In September, the project was ruled invalid after the court decided the Munupi clan of the Tiwi Islands should have been consulted before drilling began at the Northern Territory project.

Santos appealed the decision, claiming the clan did not legally count as “relevant persons” and that it was unreasonable to expect the company to consult with “each and every” individual clan member.

On Wednesday, Federal Court Justice Debra Mortimer questioned the claim by Santos’s lawyers that it was “unworkable” to consult with the clan.

Mortimer said:

The only category which is said to be unworkable are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have interests in this area. It’s not said to be unworkable to contact a department. It’s not said to be unworkable to consult an organisation. It’s not said to be unworkable to consult a fisheries body [which] has hundreds of members. It’s only said to be unworkable to consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

A date for the judgment is yet to be set.

EU to propose natural gas price cap

Some more potentially bad news for Santos came this week amid the EU proposing a price cap on natural gas, reports Reuters.

A cap will be proposed after a meeting of EU energy ministers on 24 November, with a goal of putting a lid on the European energy crisis.

EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson said this could help stabilise the problem in Europe, stating:

We will move swiftly and we will make a legal proposal immediately after ministers will mandate us to do so. We have done our homework. I think that this kind of price cap can allow us to calm the market. It also removes the risk that we will not receive cargos at all.

The price level of the cap is undisclosed at this stage, and it’s unknown how it will affect Santos’s earnings in European markets moving forward.

However, in March, the company suggested it was interested in exporting more Australian LNG to the continent, 7 News reported. That could help wean Europe off its dependence on Russian oil and gas as the war in Ukraine rages on.

The comments were made at a federal inquiry into taxpayer subsidies for Beetaloo Basin gas exploration in the Northern Territory.

Santos share price snapshot

The Santos share price is up almost 17% year to date. The ASX 200 is down 4% over the same period.

The company’s market capitalisation is around $24.73 billion.

The post What dragged on the Santos share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why did the Flight Centre share price trounce the ASX 200 today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• Why ASX 200 ‘investors should brace for impact’: Morgan Stanley
• Why did these ASX 200 shares just crack new, multi-year highs?

Motley Fool contributor Matthew Farley 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 Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price gained 1.49% on Thursday, closing at $16.38.

The ASX travel share comfortably outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which finished 0.19% higher.

It also narrowly beat the performance of its ‘home’ sector, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) rising 1.26%.

Flight Centre’s shares lifted higher despite there being no news from the company today.

However, one of its travel peers reported some positive steps toward a full recovery this morning. Let’s cover the highlights.

What happened with Flight Centre today?

The Flight Centre share price lifted along with those of fellow ASX travel share Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB), which reported its half-year results for FY23 this morning.

The results appear to have impressed investors, with the Webjet share price ending the day 10.14% higher at $6.19.

The online travel agent noted that some aspects of its business are trading ahead of pre-COVID levels as pent-up demand continues to be released.

Revenue increased 217% year over year to $175.7 million. Underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 557% to $72.5 million.

Webjet’s WebBed business led the charge in turning the company around after it posted a $15.9 million loss for 1H22.

WebBeds contributed $1.42 billion in total transaction value (TTV) and $114.4 million in revenue to the company’s top and bottom lines.

Webjet’s managing director John Guscic described its performance as a “spectacular turnaround”, and said it’s expected the company will exceed pre-pandemic profitability for FY23.

Flight Centre share price snapshot

Webjet’s results could come as welcome news to the Flight Centre share price, which took a beating amid the company releasing its trading update on 14 November.

Flight Centre’s revenue growth for the first four months of FY23 apparently came in lower than expected, as its shares dropped 4% on the day.

The Flight Centre share price is now down 7% since the start of the year. The ASX 200 is down 4% over the same period.

The company’s market capitalisation is around $3.22 billion.

The post Why did the Flight Centre share price trounce the ASX 200 today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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• Why ASX 200 ‘investors should brace for impact’: Morgan Stanley
• Why did these ASX 200 shares just crack new, multi-year highs?
• Guess which ASX 200 lithium director just snapped up $250,000 worth of their company’s shares

Motley Fool contributor Matthew Farley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited and Webjet Ltd. 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 Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price closed down 1.76% today to $19.50.

There was no official news from the company today. So, it’s probably fair to say this was a predictable share price pullback after what was nothing short of a stellar run for Fortescue over the first two weeks of November.

The Fortescue share price leapt 33% between 1 November and 14 November.

This was largely due to a variety of good news out of China, including a relaxation of COVID restrictions which means economic activity will increase.

Separate to Fortescue’s incredible share price rise is news today that founder and chair, Dr Andrew Forrest AO, and his wife, Nicola Forrest, have personally invested almost $750 million into the rebuilding of Ukraine when the war is over.

Fortescue chair makes personal investment in Ukraine rebuild

According to reporting in The Australian, the Forrests have invested US$500 million (A$746.3 million) through their private investment company, Tattarang, as seed money for a multi-billion dollar fund to rebuild the war-battered country using green digital technology.

The Forrests are well-known humanitarians and philanthropists. Forrest was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2017 partly due to his philanthropy and charity work.

In 2013, the Forrests were the first Australian billionaires to pledge the majority of their lifetime wealth to charity through the Warren Buffett-founded The Giving Pledge.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of the Ukraine Green Growth Initiative and the Forrests’ involvement at the New Economy Forum in Singapore.

Zelensky said:

Andrew and I have agreed we will not replace communist-era rubbish Russian infrastructure, instead we will leapfrog to the latest technology. We will take advantage of the fact that what the Russians have destroyed can readily be replaced with the latest, most modern green and digital infrastructure.

Dr Forrest told The Australian he expected the fund to grow to at least US$100 billion. He said rebuilding work would commence after the war with Russia ends.

Forrest said:

… this will not lock in for years after the cessation of hostilities, as happened in World War Two, this will lock in on the first day of the cessation of hostilities and seek immediately to rebuild the primary infrastructure which the Russians are hell bent on destroying.

What’s been happening at Fortescue?

Fortescue shareholders have been cheering of late due to the ASX mining share‘s astounding rise.

As my Fool colleague Sebastian remarked yesterday, it’s not often that you see a $60 billion stock move that much, that fast.

Forrest is easily one of the most vocal and proactive Australian business leaders championing a green energy future.

He continues to expand Fortescue Metals’ subsidiary, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI). This division of the Fortescue business plans to produce green hydrogen and ammonia.

The Fortescue share price surged 9% on Monday on the back of news that Fortescue will collaborate with GPR, an Indonesian steelmaker, to explore making green steel.

Forrest also hinted that an even bigger agreement for European green steel might be on the way.

The Fortescue founder also wants to decarbonise the mining company’s Pilbara operations at an estimated cost of $9.2 billion.

This has some brokers worried, with Goldman Sachs suggesting it may impact Fortescue’s generous dividend payout ratio.

The post The latest $750 million investment by Fortescue’s Andrew Forrest might surprise you appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Which stocks are in the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) right now?
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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Accent, Block, Core Lithium, and Fortescue shares are pushing higher

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Fortescue Metals Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs. 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 S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) fell 1.17% today, but three ASX mining shares charged higher.

The Winsome Resources Ltd (ASX: WR1), Victory Goldfields Ltd (ASX: 1VG), and Burley Minerals Ltd (ASX: BUR) share prices all lifted today.

So why did these ASX mining shares have such a good day? Let’s take a look.

Burley Minerals

Burley Minerals shares soared 67% in early trade today to 40 cents before retreating. The company’s share price closed 33% ahead at 32 cents.

Burley shares exploded on lithium acquisition news. The ASX mining share has entered an exclusive agreement to acquire the Chubb Lithium project in Quebec, Canada and the Mt James and Dragon Projects in Western Australia.

Burley managing director Wayne Richards said:

The strategic and geographic location of all three potential projects are located in world class mining provinces and in Tier 1 jurisdictions of Australia and Canada.

Victory Goldfields

The Victory Goldfields share price soared 28% today, ending the day at 28 cents.

Investors bought up Victory shares on rare earth news. Positive magnetic and gravity survey data provide grounds for a diamond drilling program at the company’s alkaline intrusion prospect.

Alkaline intrusions are seen as “engine rooms for rare earth elements and critical metals”, the company highlighted.

Angled drill holes are planned to “assess the extent of country rock alteration adjacent to the intrusion”. Victory has appointed Orlando Drilling to perform the diamond drilling program.

Winsome Resources

Winsome Resources shares rocketed 33% to $1.17 apiece.

The ASX mining share did not release any news to the market today. However, Winsome shares have soared 234% in a month. They have surged 216% since market close on 27 October alone.

On 28 October, the company’s share price skyrocketed after it found significant pegmatite intercepts at the Adina and Cancet lithium projects in Canada.

On Tuesday this week, Winsome advised it would raise $6.8 million to advance the Cancet and Adina lithium projects.

The post 3 ASX mining shares that soared more than 20% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Up 140% in a month, why has ASX lithium share Winsome Resources just been halted?

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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 Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) is a leading exchange-traded fund (ETF) that gives investors access to some of the biggest technology shares in the world.

There are a few sizeable tech businesses on the ASX, such as Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC).

But, they are small in comparison to names like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com and Alphabet (Google). I think US blue-chip shares are some of the most compelling blue chips around.

That’s why I believe the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF is one of the most compelling ETF ideas at the moment.

Strong businesses

When I think about which are the strongest companies in the world, I’d point out ones like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Alphabet, Nvidia, Costco, Cisco Systems and so on. They are US giants.

I can’t imagine how much money it would take to dislodge Apple and Alphabet from their spot on top of the smartphone industry. Alphabet’s YouTube and Google Search seem to have incredibly strong positions. Amazon’s cloud computing and e-commerce offerings are globally leading as well.

In terms of the shares that the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF is invested in, it’s full of market leaders. Names such as Intuit, Starbucks, Adobe, Tesla, PayPal and Booking are even more examples of positions in powerful companies.

As a group, I think it can continue to do very well on the earnings side of things, over time.

Despite this year’s difficulties, the ETF has managed average total returns of 17.4% per annum in the five years to 31 October 2022.

Big sell-off

I become very interested in an opportunity when a good business, or good ETF, is sold off heavily. Sometimes, they can fall too much.

I’m not sure where the US and Australian central bank interest rates are going to end up. I’m also not sure about how currency movements are going to go either. Inflation and interest rates have taken their toll.

But, I do know that the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF now looks much better value after falling around 25% in 2022 to date.

Being able to buy exposure to a very attractive group of companies looks good to me, particularly if a quarter of the price has been wiped off.

I believe that, as a group, many of these businesses can deliver earnings growth over the long term. Wherever interest rates get to in the US, I don’t think they will stay that high forever. The normalisation of interest rates could be a boost for the ETF, in the future.

Reasonable management fee

The Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF has an annual management fee of around 0.48%. This isn’t the cheapest around — Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (ASX: VTS) has a fee of just 0.03% — but I think it’s a reasonable fee to pay considering the quality of the underlying holdings.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF looks like an attractive option at today’s level. For me, the future net returns are the most important, not just the level of the management fee.

I don’t know what the future returns will be, but it seems like it’s set up to achieve success at this lower level.

The post Why the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (NDQ) is on my buy radar right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 2 top ETFs for beginner investors to buy
• Thinking about buying your first ASX shares right now? Here are 3 stocks I’d invest in
• 3 ETFs for ASX investors to buy right now
• 2 of the best ETFs for ASX investors to buy next week
• Why is the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF taking a thrashing today?

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Adobe Inc., Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Booking Holdings, Cisco Systems, Costco Wholesale, Intuit, Microsoft, Nvidia, PayPal Holdings, Starbucks, Tesla, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2024 $420 calls on Adobe Inc., long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short January 2023 $92.50 puts on Starbucks, short January 2024 $430 calls on Adobe Inc., and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Adobe Inc., Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, Booking Holdings, Nvidia, PayPal Holdings, and Starbucks. 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’re just starting out with investing and aren’t sure which shares to buy, then you could consider exchange traded funds (ETFs).

ETFs could be a good option as they provide investors with an easy way to invest their money in a large number of shares through a single investment.

This means that you can create a diverse portfolio with relative ease and, importantly, you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket.

But which ETFs would be top options for beginners? Two that could be worth considering are listed below:

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The first ETF that could be a top option for beginners is the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF. This ETF provides investors with access to 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the famous exchange.

This means you’ll be buying many of the highest quality and best-known companies in the world such as Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, and Tesla.

BetaShares believes it could be a good option for investors seeking exposure to the technology sector. Particularly given that this high-growth potential sector is under-represented on the Australian share market.

VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

Another option for beginner investors to consider is the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. If you’re a fan of Warren Buffett and his investment style, then this ETF could be for you.

This Warren Buffett-inspired ETF gives investors access to a group of fairly valued companies that have sustainable competitive advantages or moats.

Fair prices and moats are two qualities that Buffett looks for when finding his investments and these companies tick those boxes.

The fund is currently invested across ~50 shares including the likes of Adobe, Alphabet, Boeing,  Kellogg Co, and Walt Disney.

The post 2 top ETFs for beginner investors to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Thinking about buying your first ASX shares right now? Here are 3 stocks I’d invest in
• 3 quality ETFs for ASX investors to buy this month
• 3 ETFs for ASX investors to buy right now
• 2 of the best ETFs for ASX investors to buy next week
• Why is the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF taking a thrashing today?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors 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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The IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) share price closed 0.69% lower today at $15.86. That’s exactly when the IGO annual general meeting took place in Perth, commencing at 3pm AEDT.

Chair Michael Nossal told investors at the meeting that the nickel and lithium explorer, producer and refiner has “a pipeline of growth opportunities which will deliver value for shareholders for many years to come”.

The IGO share price was down for most of the day. Along with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ), which finished down 1.17%.

Though it looked like making a comeback in the final hour of trade, IGO shares couldn’t sustain the rally and closed Thursday in the red.

Let’s take a look at the AGM presentation and see what else Nossal had to say.

IGO share price up 33% in 2022

Alongside most ASX lithium shares, the IGO share price has screamed higher in 2022. That’s largely as a result of rising global demand for lithium to power electric vehicles (EVs).

The miner hit a new 52-week high last Friday at $17.32.

Based on today’s closing share price, IGO is up 33% in the year to date.

This compares to a 39% bump for Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares, a 29% lift for Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) shares, and a 125% skyrocket for Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares.

Nossal began his speech this afternoon by paying tribute to the late Peter Bradford, IGO’s CEO and managing director from 2014 until his untimely death last month at age 64.

He said a “significant part of Peter’s legacy is the transformative role he has played in pivoting the IGO business toward future-facing, clean energy metals”.

Nossal expanded:

This transformation has resulted in IGO growing to the ASX100 clean energy metals company we are today, with a world class, integrated lithium business, an expanded nickel business, enviable exploration portfolio and a pipeline of growth opportunities which will deliver value for shareholders for many years to come.

IGO in its best financial position ever

Nossal said the company was doing well financially, noting:

Financially, IGO has never been in a better position. In FY22, IGO generated record earnings and net
profit after tax, strong free cash flow and maintained our commitment to return capital to shareholders by way of dividends. With commodity prices remaining buoyant and a solid production profile ahead, we expect another strong year in FY23.

Nossal said many key project areas “are moving into the exciting phase of drill testing targets”. He added:

We remain convinced of the importance of exploration if we are to deliver the mines of tomorrow and help feed demand for clean energy metals including lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and rare earths.

What’s next for lithium and nickel?

Acting CEO Matt Dusci gave a presentation that outlined the global supply and demand outlook for lithium and nickel.

IGO reckons “sustained deficits [are] expected to support strong pricing” of lithium, according to the presentation.

IGO notes that lithium demand remains “positive”, despite the global economic slowdown, due to the rise of EV manufacturing worldwide.

The company also said a supply shortage persisted due to “lack of exploration, development timeframes and ESG and permitting hurdles”.

The presentation included research from Macquarie showing the supply/demand imbalance would improve in CY23 before getting significantly worse in CY24 and CY25.

On the flip side, research from Wood McKenzie showed nickel supply was currently higher than demand. However, IGO noted that the research showed new supply would be needed from 2026.

IGO’s priorities for FY23 are to “continue to ensure delivery of growth opportunities within our lithium business” and “maximise our nickel business through group synergies, offtake and operational excellence”.

What else is happening with ASX lithium shares lately?

Lithium shares had a great start to the week on the back of news that China is relaxing its COVID-19 restrictions. This implies an impending boost to economic activity in China, which is the world’s largest importer of lithium.

There was also news that Australia is exploring a lithium mining and processing partnership with Indonesia. According to reporting by The Australian, the deal could make Australia/Indonesia the dominant global supplier of EV batteries.

The post IGO shares dip as investors hear of ‘a pipeline of growth opportunities’ at AGM appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• Why Core Lithium, Creso Pharma, Nickel Industries, and Perpetual shares are dropping
• ASX lithium shareholders rejoice! Expert tips lithium price to hit $100K
• Allkem share price up on broker upgrade: Analyst says it’s too soon ‘to underweight the sector’
• Why is the Pilbara Minerals share price pushing higher today?

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Allkem Limited, Core Exploration Ltd., and Macquarie Group Limited. 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 Macquarie Group Limited. 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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