September could be a good time to look at where your portfolio is heading.

Not just next week or next month, but over the next five to ten years.

ASX exchange traded funds (ETFs) can be a good way to invest in long-term themes, quality companies, and entire sections of the market without having to pick every individual winner.

With that in mind, here are three fantastic ASX ETFs that could be worth a look in September.

Global X Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX: GXAI)

The Global X Artificial Intelligence ETF could be an ASX ETF to consider for investors wanting exposure to the AI boom.

This fund gives investors access to companies involved in artificial intelligence and the technology that supports it.

That can include businesses linked to chips, cloud computing, software, automation, data infrastructure, and other parts of the AI ecosystem.

Another positive with the ETF is that it does not require investors to make a single call on which AI company will dominate.

That is important because the AI opportunity is large, but it is also moving quickly. Some winners today may not be the winners of tomorrow.

The Global X Artificial Intelligence ETF gives investors a way to back the broader theme while spreading the risk across a basket of companies.

VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL)

The VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF takes a very different approach.

Rather than focusing on one fast-moving theme, this ASX ETF looks for international companies with quality characteristics.

That means businesses with strong profitability, healthy balance sheets, and stable earnings. This could be a smart way to invest globally.

The world is full of companies, but not all of them are worth owning. Some are highly cyclical, some carry too much debt, and some struggle to grow consistently. The VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF tries to tilt investors toward the stronger names.

This could make it a strong long-term holding for investors who want global exposure with a quality filter.

Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC)

A third ASX ETF to look at is the Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF.

This fund gives investors exposure to Australian technology stocks.

The local tech sector is much smaller than the US market, but that does not mean it should be ignored.

Australia has produced some impressive technology businesses across software, online marketplaces, payments, data, and digital services.

The Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF gives investors a way to gain exposure to this part of the ASX without needing to choose one company.

It can be volatile, especially when growth shares fall out of favour.

But if more of the Australian economy keeps shifting online and local technology companies continue expanding offshore, this ETF could have plenty of long-term potential.

The post 3 fantastic ASX ETFs for Aussie investors in September 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.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA) shares have had a rough 12 months, with the stock now trading well below the levels seen late last year.

The REA share price is down another 3.06% to $164.59 today, extending its 2026 decline to around 10%.

It’s also a long way from the 52-week high of $242.81. From that level, the stock has fallen around 32%, despite bouncing strongly from its June low of $131.07.

That recovery carried REA shares back above $180 in August, but some of those gains have since been given back.

With the valuation lower and brokers still seeing upside, investors may be wondering whether REA shares now look attractive again.

Citi becomes more cautious

One broker that isn’t getting too excited about the lower share price is Citi.

According to The Australian, analyst Siraj Ahmed has downgraded REA shares to ‘neutral’ after their recent rebound, although he lifted his price target by 4% to $191.30.

That still sits around 16% above the current share price.

Citi’s concern is that some of the value that appeared after the June sell-off has already disappeared. REA shares rallied more than 30% from their low, pushing the valuation higher again.

The broker is also worried about property listings, particularly with interest rates still a risk.

REA expects national buy listings to be flat to down by a low single-digit percentage in FY27. Citi is more bearish and is forecasting a decline of around 5%.

And with the stock trading at 30 times forecast earnings, Citi thinks there’s less room for things to go wrong if listings keep falling.

What are other brokers saying?

The wider broker view on REA shares is still fairly mixed.

According to TipRanks, 10 recent analyst ratings give the stock an average 12-month price target of $191.32.

That suggests potential upside of around 16% from the current share price.

The consensus includes 4 buy ratings, 5 holds and 1 sell.

Morgan Stanley is the most bullish with a $230 target, while Ord Minnett is close behind at $225.

Morgans has a $203 target, RBC Capital sits at $197 and Jefferies is at $195.

UBS is more reserved with a $177 target, while Macquarie is only slightly above the current share price at $170.

However, Bell Potter is the most bearish of the group, with a sell rating and $147 price target.

Are REA shares cheap yet?

REA shares are certainly a lot cheaper than they were, but that doesn’t automatically make them a bargain.

The business is still growing. FY26 core net profit rose 15% to $650.5 million, while the full-year dividend increased 20% to $2.97 per share.

But the broker targets show there is still plenty of debate over what investors should be willing to pay.

A lot will depend on whether REA can keep lifting revenue and margins if property listings weaken further.

The post This ASX 200 stock has fallen 32% from its high. Is it finally cheap? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 positions in and has recommended Jefferies Financial Group. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares were in focus in August as both S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy stocks reported their half year results.

Both companies also faced fluctuating oil and gas prices over the month.

The Brent crude oil price started August at around US$90 per barrel, falling to US$79 per barrel by 4 August amid promising Middle East peace negotiations. But as those negotiations faltered, oil marched higher again to end August right about where it started, at around US$90 per barrel, according to data from Bloomberg.

By market close on 31 August, one of the ASX 200 energy stocks had materially outperformed the 1.1% gains posted by the benchmark index over the month, while the other finished in the red.

Here’s what’s been happening.

Woodside shares slip in August

Woodside shares were the underperformers in August, closing the month down 1.6% at $32.42 apiece.

Woodside reported its half year results on 25 August.

Over the six months, the company raked in US$7.45 billion in operating revenue, up 13% year-on-year.

And on the bottom line, Woodside’s net profit after tax (NPAT) of US$1.67 billion was up 27%.

Despite the profit boost, the fully franked interim dividend of 79.5 cents a share was down 2.8% from last year.

That Woodside dividend is still up for grabs, by the way. But not for long. Woodside stock trades ex-dividend tomorrow, 3 September. So if you want to bank that passive income payout, you’ll need to own shares at market close today.

Woodside shares closed down 1.4% on day of the half year results release.

Santos shares outperform

Santos shares outpaced Woodside shares and the ASX 200 in August, gaining 3.8% over the month to close on 31 August at $8.14 apiece.

But Santos performance is actually better than this figure indicates.

That’s because Santos stock traded ex-dividend on 24 August.

So investors who held the stock on 21 August (a Friday) will be receiving that payout on 23 September.

If we add that 16.3 cent per share unfranked dividend back into the 31 August closing price, then the accumulated value of Santos shares gained 5.9% over the month just past.

Atop the dividend news, when Santos released its half year results on 19 August, the company reported a 2% year-on-year increase in sales revenue to US$2.62 billion.

And sales volumes increased by 1.7% to 48 million barrels of oil equivalent (mboe).

Investors also didn’t appear overly concerned about the 19% decline in Santos’ half-year statutory net profit after tax (NPAT), which declined to US$355 million.

Instead, investors look to be focused on the company’s growth potential as its major projects come on line and near completion.

The company provided full calendar year production guidance of 99 to 105 mboe.

Santos shares closed up 2.5% on day of the half year results release.

How have the ASX 200 energy stocks tracked in 2026?

As of early morning trade today, Santos shares are up 37.1% year to date.

Woodside shares have gained 42.1% so far in 2026.

The post Santos versus Woodside shares: Which ASX energy stock outperformed in August? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.