With all of the volatility that ASX shares have experienced in recent months, it can be a bit off-putting choosing investments these days. That’s why taking a look at exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to add to one’s portfolio might be a good idea. ETFs are an easy way of investing in a whole basket of shares rather than just one individual company.

As such, they can be a useful way to gain exposure to specific markets or trends that might be more difficult to individually select shares in.

So here are two ASX ETFs that I think would be a worthy addition to any long-term ASX investor’s portfolio right now.

2 ASX ETFs that I would buy for 2022 and beyond

VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

This ETF from provider VanEck is a relatively new one, having only started ASX life back in 2020. ESPO has struggled for most of its ASX life.

It remains down by an average of 6.71% per annum since its inception in September 2020, including by a painful 20% over the past 12 months. But I think it is very doubtful that the gaming and esports markets are going to stop growing anytime soon, given the popularity these pursuits have with younger generations.

Further, many of the companies that this ETF holds are of top-tier quality. They include names like NVIDIA, Activision Blizzard, Tencent Holdings and Nintendo. As such, I think this ETF would be a compelling choice for any investor with patience and a long-term horizon today.

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

Our second ETF to check out today is far broader.

NDQ is an index fund that covers the largest 100 companies on the US’s NASDAQ stock exchange. The NASDAQ typically houses the US’s newer, tech-focused shares.

As such, you’ll find most of the dominant tech titans like Apple, Amazon.com and Alphabet here, as well as other well-known household names like Adobe, Netflix and PayPay.

The BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF has a long history of delivering impressive performance figures. As of 30 June, it has averaged an annual return of 18.22% per annum over the past five years. That’s despite NDQ losing a painful 25.4% of its value over the first six months of 2022.

As such, this ETF could be another compelling buying opportunity today for an investor with a long-term horizon.

The post Here are 2 ASX ETFs I would buy for 2022 and beyond appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 2 excellent ETFs for ASX investors in August
• Is the NDQ ETF a no-brainer buy right now?
• 3 quality ETFs for ASX investors in July
• 3 high quality ETFs for ASX investors to buy today
• Why I think these 2 ASX shares are steals

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Adobe Inc., Alphabet (A shares), Amazon, Apple, PayPal, Netflix and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Activision Blizzard, Adobe Inc., Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Netflix, Nvidia, and PayPal Holdings. 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 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. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Activision Blizzard, Adobe Inc., Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Nvidia, PayPal Holdings, and VanEck Vectors ETF Trust – VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports 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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As the prospect of an economic downturn sends chills through share markets, it’s worth thinking about what goods and services are essential to Australians.

After all, when consumers have less to spend, discretionary items are the first to be cut. If a service or product is important enough, then the customer will do their best to set aside some cash for it. 

For Wilsons head of investment strategy David Cassidy, access to the internet has now become a utility.

This is why he likes the look of Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares at the moment.

“In the modern world, digital connectivity is all but essential,” Cassidy said in a memo to clients.

“This helps support consistent user demand for mobile and fixed network plans from leading telcos such as Telstra through the cycle, while the company’s owned infrastructure (eg fibre, ducts, mobile towers) provides annuity-like cash flows that are even more predictable.”

Unlocking valuable infrastructure

In recent times investors have shown tremendous interest in infrastructure assets. 

Telstra is trying to take advantage of this by separating out its infrastructure side from the consumer-facing business, according to Cassidy.

“This will position the company to realise shareholder value that has been hidden in the previous amalgamated structure, given the strong institutional investor demand for strategic infrastructure assets, which typically command substantially higher earnings multiples as pure play investments.”

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) telco has already sold off its mobile towers for $2.8 billion, which was the equivalent of an enterprise-value-to-EBITDA multiple of 28.

“[That’s] a substantial premium to Telstra’s current trading multiple of ~7.9x,” said Cassidy.

“Around 50% of the net proceeds of the deal were returned directly to shareholders.”

The “next logical candidate” for spinning off is InfraCo Fixed, which generates more than six times the earnings of the mobile towers.

“We believe the capital raised by future asset divestments will help to underwrite Telstra’s ordinary dividend payments while delivering incremental value to shareholders by funding large capital management initiatives like special dividends and share buybacks.”

Telstra shares are cheap right now

The Wilsons team prefers to analyse Telstra’s valuation using cash earnings over statutory earnings.

Cassidy explained this is “because the company’s CAPEX is expected to be structurally lower than its depreciation and amortisation over the medium-term, given historically higher CAPEX and the mix of asset lives”. 

“Therefore, cash flow provides the best measure of Telstra’s underlying performance and is likely to remain ahead of accounting earnings.”

Using this metric, Telstra shares are trading on a 12-month forward enterprise-value-to-EBITDA ratio of 7.9 and a price-to-equity-free-cash-flow multiple of 16.4.

“This looks attractive relative to other ASX defensives, and given the expected recovery in the company’s earnings and the significant intrinsic value embedded within its infrastructure assets that is likely to be unlocked over the medium term.”

Telstra shares have lost more than 7% year-to-date and currently pay out a 2.8% dividend yield.

The post Why this ASX 200 giant ‘looks attractive’ right now: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares in July
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in July
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday
• Why is the Santos share price beating 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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Corporation 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back on form at last in July. During the month, the benchmark index rose 5.7% to end at 6,945.2 points.

While a good number of shares rose with the market, some climbed more than most. Here’s why these were the best performing ASX 200 shares in July:

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 last month with a massive 159% gain. Investors were buying this buy now pay later provider’s shares after it scrapped its merger with rival Sezzle Ltd (ASX: SZL). Management believes that it will help the company become profitable sooner. This went down well with investors who were scrambling to buy its beaten down shares. Though, it is worth noting that the Zip share price is still down 83% over the last 12 months even after this gain.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The Megaport share price was some way behind as the next best performer despite recording a very strong gain of 78%. As well as getting a lift from a rebounding tech sector, the release of a strong quarterly update got investors excited. Megaport reported a 13% increase in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) to $10.7 million and its first quarterly operating profit of $1 million.

St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

The St Barbara share price was on form and stormed 50% higher last month. This followed a decent quarterly update from the gold miner and news that it could be looking to bolster its business with M&A activity. St Barbara confirmed that it is in talks with gold explorer Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) about a potential merger. The gold miner sees possible synergies in the Leonora region of Western Australia.

Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB)

The Austal share price was a strong performer and sailed 49% higher during July. A good portion of this gain came at the start of the month following the release of a very positive announcement relating to a major contract win in the United States. According to the release, the shipbuilder has been awarded a contract with a potential value of US$3.3 billion (A$4.35 billion) for the detail design and construction of up to 11 Offshore Patrol Cutters for the United States Coast Guard.

The post These were the best performing ASX 200 shares in July appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in July
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday
• Why is the Santos share price beating the ASX 200 on Friday?
• Why BrainChip, Fortescue, PointsBet, and Zip shares are dropping

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 Austal Limited, MEGAPORT FPO, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. 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) bank shares are facing increasing public scrutiny about funding fossil fuel projects.

There are a number of ASX 200 bank shares like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB).

Of course, there are a number of other banks in the ASX 200 including Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN), Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ) and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN).

In an article in The Age, the big four banks have been put under the spotlight as they continue to be open to funding fossil fuel operations.

Why Westpac is in the news

Earlier this week, Westpac outlined a market update on progress of “important business priorities”.

The ASX 200 bank share outlined the principles underpinning its current thoughts.

It set “1.5C aligned targets” where underpinning data and methodologies were sufficient. It referenced science-based scenarios from credible sources. The ASX 200 bank share referenced industry guidelines and sector approaches. It also said that targets will continue to evolve with new or changing science, methodologies and technology.

Westpac said that there will be zero lending to companies where more than 5% of their revenue comes directly from thermal coal mining by 2030. It’s going to manage its portfolio to reduce its lending exposures to zero by 2030.

With companies involved in oil and gas exploration, extraction and drilling, Westpac said it’s aiming for a 23% reduction in scope 1, 2 and 3 absolute financed emissions by 2030, relative to a 2021 baseline. It will only consider directly financing greenfield oil and gas projects that are in accordance with the International Energy Agency’s net zero by 2050 scenario, or circumstances, where the Australia and New Zealand government and regulations determine, or take a formal public position, that supply from the asset being financed is necessary for national energy security.

Westpac also wants to see a reduction in emissions from cement production and power generation.

With these reduction targets, Westpac can encourage borrowers to reduce emissions.

However, not everyone thinks this goes far enough.

For example, The Age quoted the head of ethics research at Australian Ethical Investment Ltd (ASX: AEF), Dr Stuart Palmer. The ethics-focused fund manager does own Westpac shares. Palmer said that the bank’s policy was based on credible climate scenarios, but continuing with corporate lending to oil and gas clients until 2025 was a big gap. He said:

That’s too long. What the requirements will be for those plans raises a whole lot of issues.

NAB and others

The Age also noted that it has just announced a new chief climate officer role. NAB is reportedly the only ASX 200 bank share to place a cap of US$2.6 billion on oil and gas lending. NAB’s policy has directly banned financing greenfield gas extraction projects unless the government declares a new project “crucial” to national energy security. This was seen by some environmental campaigners as “massive loopholes” for expansion, according to the newspaper.

NAB CEO Ross McEwan said:

Gas is a transitioning fuel. We haven’t, to date, put any money in because we’ve been asked to from a security source. We remain of the position that we have got a cap on our portfolio and we’re putting the vast majority of our money into renewables.

It was also noted that ANZ and CBA are both open to new oil and gas projects.

The post ‘Raises a whole lot of issues’: Which ASX 200 banks are still funding new fossil fuel projects? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Guess which ASX 200 bank has been revealed as the world’s longest dividend-paying share
• The NAB share price is up 20% from its YTD low. Is now the time to buy?
• Why this ASX investment company dumped NAB for Westpac shares
• Westpac share price on watch following market update
• Should investors buy NAB shares for the dividends? Here’s what I think

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 Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. and Westpac Banking Corporation. 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 certainly was a great month for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). Over the period, the benchmark index rose a massive 5.7% to end at 6,945.2 points.

Unfortunately, not all shares climbed with the market. Here’s why these were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in July:

EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML)

The EML share price was the worst performer on the ASX 200 last month with a 14.6% decline. This was driven by the surprise exit of its CEO and an update on its European operations. In respect to the latter, the payments company revealed that the Central Bank of Ireland has not approved the remediation programme for its European operations. The bank identified “shortcomings” in components of the programme, principally the sequencing and approach taken to the risk assessment of its distributors, corporates and customers.

Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA)

The Champion Iron share price was out of form and dropped 11% in July. This was driven largely by weakness in the iron ore price amid concerns over Chinese demand. The latter was not helped by news that Chinese authorities have officially established a new, nationalised iron-ore company called China Mineral Resources Group.

Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC)

The Graincorp share price was a poor performer and fell 10.4% last month. This was despite there being no real news out of the company. Though, it is worth noting that the grain exporter’s shares traded ex-dividend in July for its latest payout. In addition, with its shares still up over 60% since this time last year, it’s possible that some profit taking was happening.

Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

The Elders share price also dropped 10.4% in July. Once again, this was despite there being no news out of the agribusiness company. Some investors may have been rotating out of the agricultural sector into the rebounding tech sector last month.

The post These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in July appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 3 ASX All Ords shares having a stellar end to the week
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday
• Why is the Santos share price beating the ASX 200 on Friday?
• Is the ANZ share price an ASX banking buy for the next 12 months?

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 EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elders 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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The Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) share price continued its positive run today, climbing 2.67% to $1.155 at market close.

This comes after the company released its quarterly results on Wednesday, highlighting its progress at the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory.

With no other news released, shares in the ASX lithium developer are now up more than 9% for the week.

What’s powering Core Lithium shares ahead?

Investors have been snapping up Core Lithium shares as investor confidence in the sector picks up.

Shares in fellow lithium miners Lake Resources NL (ASX: LKE) and Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) are also surging today, up 4.52% and 3.53%, respectively.

According to its quarterly report, Core Lithium has been ramping up its construction and mining activities at Finniss to export its first lithium carbonate by the end of 2022.

The progress comes despite some headwinds encountered last quarter, such as supply chain disruptions, inflationary cost pressures and COVID-19 absenteeism.

Once Finniss is online, it will be Australia’s first lithium-producing mine outside of Western Australia.

The bigger picture

As demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy heats up, Core Lithium will be crucial in servicing the lithium supply gap.

This will be particularly important as the Australian government focuses on increasing the onshore capabilities of refining such critical minerals.

If lithium prices remain stable from here, this could translate to bumper revenues for Core Lithium, given the current market.

The price for lithium carbonate is currently fetching around US$70,600 a tonne, up 430% year-on-year.

Core Lithium share price snapshot

It has been an excellent year for Core Lithium shareholders, with the company’s shares up 94% over the last seven months and a whopping 320% higher since this time last year.

Based on today’s price, Core Lithium has a market capitalisation of roughly $1.85 billion, with more than 1.73 billion shares outstanding.

The post Core Lithium shares leapt 9% following this week’s results release, but why? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Core Lithium share price flat after ‘progressing well’ last quarter
• Why has the Core Lithium share price surged 15% in a week?
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why is the Core Lithium share price surging 7%?

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended a strong week’s trade on a high, driven upwards by real estate shares. The index was up 0.81% at 6,945.20 points at Friday’s close.

That sees the benchmark 2.26% higher than it was this time last week and at its highest point since 10 June.

The S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) led the session today, closing 3% higher after starting the week on a slow foot.

Other top performing sectors included the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) – up 2.5% and 1.3% respectively.

Their gains followed a strong session on Wall Street overnight. The S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) lifted 1.2% in Thursday’s session while the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) and the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) both rose 1%.

Iron ore futures and gold futures also lifted overnight, although Singapore iron ore futures reportedly tumbled today.

Of the ASX 200’s 11 sectors, 10 were trading in the green at the end of today’s session. But which shares delivered the biggest gains? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The best performing ASX 200 share on Friday was gold miner St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM). The stock leapt 10% on Friday amid the rising price of gold. Find out more about what St Barbara has been up to lately here.

Today’s biggest gains were made by these ASX 200 shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)	$1.125	9.76%
EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML)	$1.05	8.25%
Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV)	$18.77	6.17%
Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)	$12.74	5.12%
Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)	$2.64	4.76%
Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)	$20.70	4.6%
Lake Resources NL (ASX: LKE)	$0.81	4.52%
Janus Henderson Group CDI (ASX: JHG)	$36.07	4.4%
Boral Limited (ASX: BLD)	$2.90	4.32%
Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)	$108.48	4.25%

Our top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays 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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• 3 ASX All Ords shares having a stellar end to the week
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• Why is the Santos share price beating the ASX 200 on Friday?
• Why IDP, PolyNovo, Sezzle, and St Barbara shares are pushing higher
• Why is the Lake Resources share price up today?

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 Block, Inc. and EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block, Inc. and EML 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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Do you have room for a growth share or two in your portfolio? If the answer is yes, then it could be worth considering the two listed below.

Here’s why these ASX growth shares have been rated as buys by experts:

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

The first ASX growth share that could be a buy is Aristocrat. It is a gaming technology company with a portfolio of hugely popular poker machines and digital games.

In respect to the latter, the company’s digital business, Pixel United, is the developer of popular games such as Raid: Shadow Legends, Heart of Vegas, Mech Arena, and Vikings: War of Clans. These are generating significant recurring revenues from their millions of daily active users.

Analysts at Citi are very positive on Aristocrat and believe it is well-placed for growth. Citi commented:

Aristocrat represents a compelling long-term growth story, with exposure to ongoing growth in mobile game penetration and potential to grow into new markets.

The broker currently has a buy rating and $41.00 price target on the company’s shares. Based on the current Aristocrat share price of $35.30, this suggests potential upside of 16% for investors.

Lovisa Holdings Limited (ASX: LOV)

Another ASX growth share that could be in the buy zone is fashion jewellery retailer Lovisa.

After dominating the Australian market, the company has now set its sights on the globe. And with a well-incentivised management team that have been there and done that before with other brands, analysts are tipping the company for incredible growth over the 2020s.

One of those brokers is Morgans, which sees a huge opportunity for Lovisa in the massive US market. It explained:

Lovisa’s global footprint now spans 22 countries. In our opinion, investors can expect this number to increase steadily while, at the same time, Lovisa builds out its presence in its existing markets. We do not think there is any lack of opportunity. In the US, for example, Lovisa now has 81 stores, representing 0.25 stores for every million people), compared to Australia with 158 stores, 6.15 stores for every million people.

Morgans currently has an add rating and $21.50 price target on its shares. Based on the latest Lovisa share price of $17.80, this implies potential upside of almost 21%.

The post Experts name 2 ASX growth shares to buy with double-digit upside potential 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 recommended Lovisa Holdings 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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If you’re looking for an easy way to invest your hard-earned money, then exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be worth considering.

That’s because rather than deciding on which individual shares you should put your money into, ETFs allow you to invest in a large group of shares via a single investment.

If that sounds appealing to you, then you might want to take a look at the two ETFs listed below that could be top options in August:

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

The first ETF for investors to consider in August is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. This fund provides investors with exposure to the leaders in the global cybersecurity sector, which is heavily under-represented on the ASX.

It could be a top long term option because the sector is forecast to grow materially in the future due to the increasing importance of cybersecurity and rising cyber attacks. Among the companies in the fund are cybersecurity giants Accenture, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, Okta, and Palo Alto Networks.

In respect to CrowdStrike, it provides the increasingly popular Falcon platform. This platform delivers incident response and forensic analysis services that are designed to help businesses understand whether a breach has occurred. It then allows the user to respond and recover from a breach with speed and precision to remediate the threat.

VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

Another ETF to consider in August is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. As its name implies, this ETF gives investors access to a portfolio of the biggest and best companies involved in video game development, hardware, and esports.

Among its major holdings are graphics processing units giant Nvidia and games developers Take-Two Interactive (GTA and Red Dead series), Electronic Arts (FIFA, Sims, Apex Legends), Activision Blizzard (Call of Duty series), and Roblox Corp (the company behind the hugely popular Roblox global platform).

VanEck notes that these companies are in a position to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports. Another positive is that it gives investors the opportunity to diversify their portfolio by providing quality tech options outside FAANG stocks such as Apple, Amazon, and Meta (Facebook).

The post 2 excellent ETFs for ASX investors in August appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Does the HACK ETF pay dividends?
• 3 quality ETFs for ASX investors in July
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• Why I think these 2 ASX shares are steals
• Here’s why I think this cybersecurity ETF is a top buy in July

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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors ETF Trust – VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports 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 Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price is up 3% since this time yesterday. That puts the world’s leading crypto up 4% over the past week.

One Bitcoin is currently trading for US$23,924 (AU$34,085).

The last week’s move higher will be welcomed by crypto investors. However, the Bitcoin price remains down 50% year-to-date and down 62% from the record highs reached on 10 November last year.

That timing didn’t exactly work out well for El Salvador’s government.

The Bitcoin price hit its record high two months after El Salvador became the first nation in the world to adopt the crypto as legal tender. President Nayib Bukele made the virtual groundbreaking announcement on 10 June 2021. The legislation took effect in September 2021.

Unswayed by Bitcoin price retreat

According to calculations by Bloomberg – based on Bukele’s tweets – the 2,381 Bitcoin El Salvador bought with public funds are worth about 50% of what the government paid for them.

Despite the big retrace in the Bitcoin price, El Salvador’s finance minister, Alejandro Zelaya, stood by the decision.

According to Zelaya (quoted by Bloomberg):

For some, it’s something new and something they don’t entirely understand, but it’s a phenomenon that exists and is gaining ground and will continue to be around in the coming years.

Zelaya was also unswayed by surveys indicating the majority of businesses and households continue to preference fiat currency over the crypto:

We aren’t going to have results overnight. We can’t go to bed poor and wake up millionaires. New technologies have shown how people in previous years were afraid of things like websites and digital business, but it’s been shown through time that reality imposes itself.

Crypto-backed bond still in the pipeline

Not everyone is as enthusiastic about the nation designating Bitcoin as legal tender.

The IMF counts among those critics. Yet El Salvador’s government intends to move forward with its plans for a US$1 billion Bitcoin-backed bond even as it negotiates a US$1.3 billion extended fund facility with the IMF.

Zelaya said the Bitcoin price crash had only delayed the rollout of the crypto-backed bond, not derailed it.

“I believe in the traditional, international monetary system just as I believe that new technologies are going to help human beings in the future,” he said.  “So, I think making that transition is vital and it would be wrong of us to not pursue financial innovation that could benefit El Salvador.”

The post Why El Salvador is doubling down on Bitcoin despite the 2022 price crash appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• The Bitcoin price is leaping 10% higher today. What’s going on?
• Bitcoin or Cardano: which crypto is most widely held among Aussies in 2022?
• Why top cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin are slumping today
• 2 things need to happen for a sustained Bitcoin price rally: experts
• Why Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Shiba Inu are falling today

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 positions in and has recommended Bitcoin. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin. 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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