The ASX saw particularly strong growth during the month of April, following the lead of global markets, as the number of active coronavirus cases locally started to ease.

The Australian small-cap sector performed especially well last month. The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index was up strongly by 14.3%, driven by share price growth across a number of industry sectors.

Investment fund manager Perennial recently released its latest monthly report, citing regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited (ASX: MSB) as one of the best small-cap performers. Mesoblast shares rocketed 143% higher during April as the company continues to make good progress in its trials for coronavirus patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Some other ASX small-cap shares that performed particularly strongly in April were ones that had seen heavy sell-offs in March and subsequently rebounded during the following month. These include online lender MoneyMe Ltd (ASX: MME) which was up by 61% and Emeco Holdings Limited (ASX: EHL), an Aussie heavy-duty equipment provider that operates in the mining services sector, up by 39%.

ASX online retail shares rally

Perennial further noted that ASX retailers with a substantial online presence also started to see strong growth. Due to the harsh lockdown restrictions, there has been a surge in online spending at specialist retail sites.

This includes Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) which saw share price growth of 49% in April. In fact, Kogan shares have rocketed 150% higher since mid-March. The company released a trading update in April, reporting a 30% increase in gross sales and a 23% jump in gross profit during the March quarter. The month of March saw particularly strong growth, with sales increasing by more than 50% on the prior corresponding period.

In other news in the online retail space, the share price of manchester and homewares provider Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH) was up by 76% during April, while City Chic Collective Ltd (ASX: CCX) rose by 49% as it continued to serve customers with its strong online channels.

Defensive shares appreciated by the market

In addition, there were strong share price rises from some of the more defensive shares in sectors that were caught up in the wider market sell-off despite not having significant direct exposure to the pandemic.

These include broadband provider Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC), which saw an impressive 41% rally in its share price during April, as well as Integral Diagnostics Ltd (ASX: IDX), which enjoyed a 32% share price rise.

ASX resources sector bounces back

Perennial further pointed out that the small-cap resources sector also rallied strongly during April. This was on the back of heavy recent falls and the release of quarterly production updates. Gold and base metals mining company Aurelia Metals Ltd (ASX: AMI) posted a 38% gain in April, while the larger Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) was up by 37%.

More reading

• These ASX shares are set to dominate the post-COVID-19 economy
• This ASX growth share has rocketed 150% higher since March. Is it too late to invest?
• Why Breville, Graincorp, Mesoblast, & Newcrest shares are charging higher
• With Aussie wages set to fall, could ASX 200 shares follow?
• 4 top ASX shares to invest $4,000 into immediately

Phil Harpur owns shares of Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of SUPERLOOP FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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’ve got $5,000 to spend, the world is your oyster. You could buy a new TV, a new iPhone or a not-so-new car.

But I think the best use of the money you have but don’t really need is investing in ASX shares. ASX shares are one of the best pathways to long-term wealth available, so why not set yourself up for the future and invest the $5,000 today!

If you do want to tread that path, here are 5 ideas to get started:

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

Afterpay is one of the best-performing shares you can buy on the ASX. In just the last 2 months, Afterpay has gone from $8 a share to over $40. I would definitely call this company a trend-setter and it remains at the vanguard of the fast-growing buy now, pay later sector. You could do a lot worse than this growth story.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Xero has an equally successful story, becoming one of the most popular accounting software programs in the country and soon (it seems), the world. Xero has a highly lucrative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model, which allows for exponential revenue growth if it can keep its subscriber growth at a healthy rate.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

CSL is now the largest company on the ASX, and it hasn’t claimed that crown by being a lousy ASX performer. CSL is a truly phenomenal global growth story. It only ‘IPOed’ for 77 cents back in 1994 (once you adjust for stock splits), so an investment then would have been a life-changing experience. Even though the company is now trading for over $300 a share, I still think this company has plenty of runway left and is also well on its way to becoming a formidable dividend payer.

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

I’m not a big fan of investing in the ASX banks at the moment, but I do think Macquarie is a strong exception. It has very little exposure to ‘retail banking’ through mortgages and loans. Instead, Macquarie has built a successful asset management business and is also one of the best investment banks in the country. Thus, I think this company would make a great investment with current prices – they don’t call Macquarie the ‘millionaire factory’ for nothing!

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

We’ll finish with a simple choice – this exchange-traded fund (ETF). IVV tracks the largest 500 companies over in the US – the most popular index in the world. Over the past 10 years, an investment in this ETF would have returned around 15.54% per annum. You are getting top-notch US companies like Berkshire Hathaway, Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft, so need I say more. IVV is also one of the cheapest ETFs on the ASX, with a management fee of just 0.04%. 

More reading

• ASX 200 drops 1.7%, Xero reports a profit
• ASX fundie says ASX 200 was more volatile in March than during the GFC
• These ASX shares are set to dominate the post-COVID-19 economy
• 3 common mistakes millennials make investing in ASX shares
• 2 exciting ASX tech shares to buy right now

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Alphabet (A shares). The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares). The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares). We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Got $5,000 to spend? Here are 5 ASX shares you can buy today appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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