Small-cap ASX gold share Yandal Resources Ltd (ASX: YRL) is kicking off Monday with a bang.

Yandal Resources shares closed on Friday trading for 25 cents. At tithe me of writing in late morning trade today, shares are swapping hands for 29.5 cents each, up 18%.

For some context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.3% at this same time.

With today’s intraday boost factored in, Yandal shares are up a whopping 110.7% since this time last year.

Here’s what’s grabbing investor interest again today.

ASX gold share leaps on exploration results

Investors are piling into Yandal shares today after the miner reported on promising assay results from the New England Granite prospect situated within its Ironstone Well-Barwidgee Gold Project in Western Australia.

The ASX gold share drilled 38 air-core (AC) holes as part of its exploration drilling program.

The fire assay results (which test the gold content via a smelting process) from those holes have now been received.

Among the top results, Yandal reported 6 metres at 6.3 grams of gold per tonne from 36 meters, including 2m at 18.2 g/t Au from 36m from one hole.

Likely piquing ASX investor interest, the miner said the high-grade gold intercept in this hole presents a key target. It correlates with an intrusive contact adjacent to the main New England Granite intrusive complex, and it is associated with a previously defined structure.

Looking ahead, Yandal plans to commence reverse circulation (RC) drilling to follow up on the high-grade air-core intercepts within the prospect in April.

What did management say?

Commenting on the strong assays boosting the ASX gold share today, Yandal Resources managing director Chris Oorschot said, “These air-core results continue to build on the discovery potential of the broader New England Granite [NEG] target area.”

Oorschot added:

Our best intercept, which includes 2m @ 18.2g/t, is associated with an intrusive contact proximal to an interpreted northeast striking structure. This same structure may have also been intercepted 120 metres to the southwest with 2m @ 6.0g/t in 25IWBAC142.

We will assess whether similar grades continue into fresh rock and test strike continuity associated with the intrusive contact. Positive results would signify another potential gold discovery within NEG.

As for the next steps, Oorschot concluded:

Today’s results reinforce the potential we see in the structural targets identified on the western side of the four-kilometre by two-kilometre intrusive complex…. Once heritage clearances are received, we are well prepared to quickly respond with an expanded AC drilling program across the western side of NEG.

The post Guess which surging ASX gold share is leaping another 18% today on high-grade results 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.

Superannuation funds have had another strong year, with the median growth fund returning an impressive 9.3% for the 12 months to the end of December, according to figures just released by Chant West.

This result, for a fund with 61%-80% of investments in growth assets, follows returns of 9.9% in 2023 and 11.4% in 2024, translating into nearly 35% growth over the past three years.

Chant West Senior Investment Research Manager Mano Mohankumar said super fund members invested in higher risk portfolios did even better last year.

Offshore returns impressive

Mr Mohankumar said international share markets were the key driver of 2025’s strong performance, delivering 18.6% on a currency-hedged basis, despite uncertainty around tariffs and geopolitical tensions.

He explained further:

International shares in unhedged terms was lower, with a 12.5% return due to the appreciation of the Australian dollar over the year (up from US$0.62 to US$0.67). On average, growth funds have 31% in total invested in international shares and 25% allocated to Australian shares, with Australian shares also contributing meaningfully, returning 10.7%. It also helped that all major asset classes generated positive returns over the period.

Mr Mohankumar said Chant West was still in the process of calculating the final returns for unlisted asset classes, such as property, infrastructure, and private equity, “all of which were in positive territory”.

He added:

We estimate that unlisted infrastructure finished with gains in the 7% to 10% cent range, with private equity likely to finish with a low double-digit return. Unlisted property, which was in the red in each of the two previous years, is expected to finish with a positive return in the 3% to 6% range. Listed real assets were also up, with Australian listed property returning 9.7%, while international listed property and international listed infrastructure yielded gains of 7.5% and 11.6%, respectively. Within the traditional defensive asset classes, cash, Australian bonds and international bonds returned 4%, 3.2% and 4.4%, respectively.

Returns higher than historical trend

Mr Mohankumar said that the returns achieved over the past three years should not be considered normal, given the typical long-term goal of beating inflation by 3.5% per year, which is just more than 6% per year.

He added:

Since the introduction of compulsory super, the annualised return is 8% and the annual CPI (consumer price index) increase is 2.7%, giving a real return of 5.3% a year – well above that 3.5% target. Even looking at the past 20 years, which includes three major share market downturns – the GFC in 2007-2009, COVID-19 in 2020 and the high inflation and rising interest rates in 2022 – super funds have returned 6.9% a year, which is still comfortably ahead of the typical objective.

The post The figures are in – how did super funds perform last year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 unstoppable ASX shares to buy with $3,000
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why this ASX small cap has hit the pause button again
• ASX All Ords mining stock sinking on big Tesla news
• Up 81% since April, ASX All Ords gold stock reveals latest exploration success

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England 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.

There are certain ASX shares that look unstoppable to me because of the strong outlook of the businesses. The more that a company can scale its operations and increase its bottom line, the more likely it is that share price gains can occur.

The three businesses I’m about to highlight have risen strongly in the last 12 months, and I’m expecting these companies to deliver more earnings growth in the coming years. I already own one, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another of them enters my portfolio this year.

L1 Group Ltd (ASX: L1G)

L1 Group is a fund manager that offers various investment strategies, with multiple funds offering short selling as part of the investment strategy.

The business recently joined the ASX boards by acquiring Platinum, and now investors can get a piece of this growing business.

The ASX share’s assets under management (AUM) grew by approximately $700 million over the three months to December 2025. This was driven by positive investment returns and strong L1 Global Long Short Fund Ltd (ASX: GLS) inflows after a capital raising, partially offset by Platinum legacy outflows predominantly from the Platinum International Fund.

I expect these trends to continue in the coming years, with strong investment performance and further net inflows.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

This is a software business that enables families to stay connected and know they’re safe. Its offerings include location sharing, safe driver reports, and crash detection with emergency dispatch. It also has an offering for pet tracking.

As the world becomes increasingly digital and risks become highlighted and amplified by technology, Life360 can provide reassurance.

The ASX share has more than 50 million monthly active users (MAU) in the US, making it one of the top technology apps in the country. The company also said that it provides advertisers with a “powerful way to reach families with high intent in real-world moments when decisions are made, from a quick trip to the grocery store to a top at a local coffee shop”.

It’s also seeing strong growth in places like Australia and other international locations. As a technology business, it has pleasing operating leverage, giving it a good outlook for profit and cash flow growth in the coming years.

Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA)

Tuas is one of the most promising non-tech companies on the ASX, in my view.

The business offers telecommunication services in Singapore, with a focus on mobile users, though it also has a small (but growing) broadband segment. Its aim to provide value for customers is drawing many thousands of new customers each year.

Tuas has seen its mobile subscriber base reach 1.34 million as of the first quarter of FY26, helping increase its scale and grow its profitability. It’s growing at a double-digit rate in percentage terms.

The ASX share is about to become much more profitable if and when the M1 acquisition (a competitor) goes through.

It could be a particularly good investment if it successfully expands into other markets.

The post 3 unstoppable ASX shares to buy with $3,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Tuas. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

With so many shares to choose from on the Australian share market, it can be difficult 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:

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE)

According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have upgraded this uranium producer’s shares to an overweight rating with a $2.05 price target. The broker sees value in the company’s shares at current levels. Particularly given its belief that its Honeymoon operation could outperform production and sales expectations. It also suspects that its costs could be lower than consensus estimates. Outside this, the broker sees a number of potential catalysts on the horizon that could support its shares. This includes updates on the Gould’s Dam and Jason deposits. The Boss Energy share price is trading at $1.77 on Monday.

Mader Group Ltd (ASX: MAD)

A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have upgraded this specialised contract labour provider’s shares to a buy rating with a price target of $9.00. The broker made the move on valuation grounds following a sizeable pullback in its share price. It feels this share price weakness offers investors a more attractive risk-reward proposition. Bell Potter also highlights that Mader’s outlook is positive thanks to favourable trading conditions in both the Australian and North American markets. Outside this, it feels that the disclosure of the company’s next five-year strategy could be a near-term catalyst for its share price. The Mader share price is fetching $8.19 at the time of writing.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

Analysts at UBS have retained their buy rating on this buy now pay later provider’s shares with a trimmed price target of $5.20. According to the note, the broker believes that significant share price weakness has created a buying opportunity for investors. It notes that this has been driven partly by an inquiry into the industry. However, there has been good news with President Trump calling for 10% caps on credit card interest rates. It feels that this could mean tighter conditions for credit card lending and push consumers to buy now pay later services. Though, it does concede that a lot will depend on how Zip’s fees are interpreted by law makers. The Zip share price is trading at $3.04 on Monday.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy 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 positions in and has recommended Mader Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Mader Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in Metallium Ltd (ASX: MTM) are in a trading halt today after the company requested a temporary suspension in trading.

The halt will remain in place until trading resumes on Wednesday, 21 January 2026. It could also be lifted earlier if an announcement is released.

So, what is Metallium preparing to release to the market? Let’s take a look.

What triggered the trading halt

In its request to the ASX, Metallium confirmed the trading halt is pending the release of an announcement relating to a strategic US capital raising.

The company has not yet disclosed the size, structure, or pricing of the potential capital raise. However, the wording suggests Metallium is working on funding linked to its US operations, potentially to support commissioning and early commercial activity.

Why funding is important at the moment

Metallium is moving through a critical phase of its development.

The company is working toward commissioning and early commercial activity in the United States, where it plans to deploy its Flash Joule Heating technology to recover metals from recycled and industrial materials.

That stage of growth usually requires additional funding, with costs rising as the business moves closer to commissioning.

What investors will be watching for

When the halt is lifted, investors will be focused on several key details.

These include the amount of capital being raised, whether existing shareholders are diluted, and whether the raise involves new strategic investors or institutions.

The market will also be watching how the funds are expected to be used, particularly whether they are tied to specific milestones in the US, such as commissioning progress or capacity expansion.

The price set for the raising will also be important. A heavily discounted issue could pressure the share price, while a smaller discount may be seen as a sign of confidence.

A quick reminder on the business

Metallium is a technology-focused metals recovery company.

It does not operate traditional mines. Instead, it uses its patented Flash Joule Heating process to extract metals from mineral concentrates, industrial waste, and recycled materials.

Target metals include rare earths elements, gallium, germanium, antimony, and gold, many of which are considered important to modern manufacturing and energy systems.

Foolish Takeaway

Another trading halt always puts a stock firmly on investor watchlists, especially when it follows a halt earlier this month.

I will be paying close attention to the details of the proposed capital raising. In particular, how it supports Metallium’s US strategy and advances the business toward sustainable commercial operations.

The post Why this ASX small cap has hit the pause button again 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 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.

ASX All Ords mining stock Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) is taking a hit today.

Shares in the Aussie graphite producer closed on Friday trading for 30.5 cents. In morning trade on Monday, shares are swapping hands for 28.7 cents apiece, down 5.9%.

For some context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.1% at this same time.

Here’s what’s happening.

ASX All Ords mining stock catching Tesla headwinds

Investors are pressuring Syrah Resources shares today following an update on its offtake agreement with Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA).

The offtake agreement with Elon Musk’s EV company is for the supply of natural graphite active anode material (AAM) from Syrah’s 11.25 thousand tonne per annum Vidalia AAM facility, located in the US state of Louisiana.

The ASX All Ords mining stock initially executed the offtake agreement with Tesla back in December 2021.

On 30 July 2025, Syrah announced to the market that Tesla had sent a notice alleging that Syrah had defaulted on an obligation under the agreement to provide conforming AAM samples from Vidalia.

Following an amended notice, Tesla required Syrah to cure the alleged default by last Friday, 16 January, or risk the termination of the offtake agreement. Tesla has the right to terminate the agreement if final qualification of Vidalia AAM is not achieved by 9 February.

Syrah stated that it does not accept that it is in default under the offtake agreement.

However, in news that has yet to lift the ASX All Ords mining stock today, the company said that it is closely collaborating with Tesla to cure the alleged default. In light of the collaborative efforts, the two companies have agreed to amend the offtake agreement to extend the potential termination date to 16 March.

The amended agreement remains subject to the consent of the United States Department of Energy.

What’s the latest from Syrah Resources?

Syrah Resources reported its first quarter (Q1 FY 2026) results on 28 October.

Among the highlights, the ASX All Ords mining stock produced 26,000 tonnes of natural graphite at its Balama mine and processing facility, located in Mozambique.

Over the three months to 30 September, the miner sold and shipped 24,000 tonnes of natural graphite to third-party customers at an average price of US$625 per tonne.

Commenting on the quarterly performance on the day, Syrah CEO Shaun Verner said:

Syrah’s operational highlights for the third quarter included the safe ramp-up of operations at Balama following the extended non-operating period and the completion of large-volume breakbulk shipments to Indonesia and the US.

As for its US operations that involve the offtake agreement with Tesla, Verner noted, “The company’s successful capital raising in July better positions us to manage market volatility and extended AAM qualification processes at Vidalia.”

The post ASX All Ords mining stock sinking on big Tesla news 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 positions in and has recommended Tesla. 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.

The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.1% in morning trade, with ASX All Ords gold stock Red Hill Minerals Ltd (ASX: RHI) trading flat at this same time.

Red Hill shares closed on Friday trading for $5.07. At the time of writing on Monday, shares are changing hands for, well, $5.07 apiece.

This leaves the Red Hill share price up 81.1% since plumbing a one-year closing low on 7 April.

Here’s what’s happening today.

ASX All Ords gold stock expanding its footprint

The Red Hill Minerals share price has yet to make any big moves following the release of an exploratory drilling update.

The ASX All Ords gold stock reported on a fresh batch of assay results from a diamond and reverse circulation (RC) drilling program targeting the Barkley Gold prospect, situated within its West Pilbara Gold and Base Metal Project, located in Western Australia.

Red Hill’s 2025 RC and diamond drill program expanded the mineralisation footprint at Barkley to more than a one-kilometre strike length. The target was reported to remain open in multiple directions.

The miner said the results from the two latest diamond twin holes, which were drilled for a total of 424.3 metres, have confirmed gold mineralisation and “extensive alteration”.

Among the top results, Red Hill reported 1.3 metres at 2.0 grams of gold per tonne from 9.7 metres, and 0.7 metres at 1.2 grams of gold per tonne from 83.3 metres.

For the geologically informed, management stated:

Drilling across the target confirms mineralisation is present in both weathered and fresh rock. Bedrock alteration and structural overprint has been observed in diamond drill core to increase with depth, adding previously undescribed alteration styles for this project including hematite alteration, observed from approximately 190 metres.

The ASX All Ords gold stock has commenced initial 3D geological modelling that incorporates the structural information from the diamond core to assist with future drill planning.

Management said that Future drilling at Barkley will likely step out to the north, south, and east of three of its most promising drill holes, “where the thickest and highest-grade mineralisation remains open and heritage clearance has been obtained”.

What’s been happening with Red Hill Minerals?

Atop its recent exploration successes at the Barkley Gold Prospect, the ASX All Ords gold stock has been catching solid tailwinds from the surging gold price.

Gold is currently fetching US$4,596 per ounce. That’s within a whisker of its all-time highs posted last week. And it sees the price of the yellow metal up a whopping 67% since this time last year.

The post Up 81% since April, ASX All Ords gold stock reveals latest exploration success appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• 3 unstoppable ASX shares to buy with $3,000
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
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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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy share Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) has certainly seen plenty of volatility over the last few years, including takeover approaches.

Volatility is part of what we should expect with energy businesses – resource prices can change quite dramatically in a short amount of time as supply and demand dynamics adjust.

When that happens, sell-offs can be opportunistic times to invest, while high prices can be helpful for shareholders deciding to take profit off the table.

Is the Santos share price attractive?

Broker UBS certainly thinks so. Analysts from that investment institution have put a buy rating on the ASX energy share.

A price target is where analysts think the share price will be in 12 months from the time of the investment call. UBS currently has a price target of $7.80 on the business, implying a rise of more than 20% from where it is at the time of writing.

UBS is expecting Santos’ earnings per share (EPS) to grow from 33.4 cents in FY25, to 42 cents in FY26 and 44.8 cents in FY27.

In a recent note, UBS reduced its Santos 2026 EPS projection by 5% to the above forecast of 42 cents.

That means it’s trading at approximately 10x FY26’s estimated earnings, at the time of writing, according to UBS’ projection.

Santos is UBS’ preferred Australian energy exposure, the valuation appears “compelling” and provides the strongest growth in free cash flow over the coming 12 months.

Even so, UBS is expecting weaker GLNG (Gladstone LNG) production in the three months to 31 December 2025 along with a modest delay to commissioning at the Barossa resulting in softer fourth quarter production compared to expectations.

The broker is expecting updates on the commissioning of Santos’ Pikka oil project, with the first oil production expected in 2026, though cool weather in North Alaska could slow the commissioning of the seawater treatment plant by a month or two.

What’s happening with energy prices?

UBS sees oil prices facing pressure because of a surplus and OPEC+ (a group of oil-producing countries) retaining spare capacity of 4.1 million barrels per day (excluding Iran and Venezuela). The broker’s base case assumes OPEC+ unwinds the rest of the 1.65 million barrels per day of voluntary cuts this year.

The broker commented on oil prices and its expectations:

We cut our 2026 oil prices by $2/bbl to a $62/bbl average Brent, driven by a larger oil surplus now up to 1.9Mb/d in 2026, in line with 2025. However, we expect the surplus to narrow over the course of the year, driving our Brent forecast from $60/bbl in 1Q26 to $64/bbl in 4Q26. Geopolitical risks persist, and potential supply disruptions in Russia, Venezuela, and Iran could keep volatility elevated. A further 0.5 mb/d decline in supply may support Brent prices in the mid- to high-$60s.

Time will show how accurate UBS’ optimistic view on the Santos share price is.

The post Is the Santos share price too cheap to ignore? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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.

Djerriwarrh Ltd (ASX: DJW) will be moving to quarterly dividend payments this year, with the first of these to be paid in May, subject to board approval.

The listed investment fund announced its half-year results on Monday, and set its dividend at 7.25 cents per share fully franked – equal to the same corresponding period last year.

The company said regarding the dividend:

Based on the interim dividend declared and the final dividend paid, the dividend yield including franking on the net asset backing is 6.6%. This represents an enhanced yield of 2.6 percentage points higher than that available from the S&P/ASX 200 Index when franking is included.

Benchmark missed

The fund said that for the six months to the end of December, its portfolio return, including franking, was 2.1%, which underperformed the ASX 200, which returned 4.2%.

Over 12 months, the fund also underperformed, returning 5.5% compared with 11.5%.

The fund said in its report:

Djerriwarrh’s relative underperformance over these periods was heavily impacted by the cumulative effect of being underweight in gold and critical minerals companies, which have risen significantly, and the decline in the share prices of EQT Holdings and CSL. Djerriwarrh typically does not have exposure to small and mid-cap sized companies in gold and critical minerals as they are very cyclical investments and do not produce dividends of any significance. It is also difficult to write call options over many of these companies.  

The fund’s net operating result for the half was $19.7 million, down from $21 million for the previous corresponding period.

The fund went on to say:

In the current highly valued market, we have allowed many option positions to be exercised and have maintained a net cash position for the majority of the period. We also don’t have exposure to small and mid-cap resources which have risen significantly over these periods. These factors have all impacted relative portfolio returns but we have been able to maintain a significant fully franked dividend yield ahead of the market which is a key objective of Djerriwarrh.

The largest contributors to Djerriwarrh’s income were BHP Group (ASX: BHP), Woodside Energy Group (ASX: WDS), Transurban Group (ASX: TCL), Region Group (ASX: RGN), Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO), CSL (ASX: CSL), Woolworths Group (ASX: WOW) and Telstra Group (ASX: TLS).

The first half dividend will be paid on February 23. The dividend reinvestment plan remains in place with zero discount applied.

Djerriwarrh was valued at $822.8 million at the close of trade on Friday.

The post A major change to the Djerriwarrh dividend is on the way appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL and Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Region Group, Telstra Group, Transurban Group, and Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Building your first share portfolio can feel like a big leap, but it does not have to be complicated.

The goal is not to get everything perfect on day one, as much as you would like to. It is to create a simple structure you can stick with, then build on it gradually as your confidence grows.

Here is a step-by-step way to approach it.

Step one: Decide what the portfolio is for

Before you buy anything, it helps to be clear about the purpose.

Are you investing for long-term wealth, extra income, or a future goal like a home deposit or retirement. The longer your timeframe, the more you can ride out market ups and downs, and the more you can lean toward growth-focused investments.

This also helps set expectations. It is worth remembering that ASX shares can be volatile in the short term, but over longer periods, quality businesses have historically rewarded patient investors.

Step two: Start with a simple core

A first portfolio usually works best when it has a strong centre.

For many beginners, that means starting with broad market exposure rather than trying to pick lots of individual winners. An ASX exchange traded fund (ETF) like the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF (ASX: VAS) or the Vanguard MSCI International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) can provide instant diversification and reduce the risk of one poor stock choice doing too much damage early on.

The core is the part of the portfolio you can keep adding to consistently, even when markets are noisy.

Step three: Add quality ASX shares

Once you have a core, individual ASX shares can be added around it.

The key is to keep it manageable. A handful of high-quality companies is usually better than buying a long list you cannot properly follow. When choosing shares, look for businesses with strong competitive positions and the ability to keep growing over the long term.

Examples many long-term investors consider include global healthcare leaders like CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), software businesses such as TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE), or behemoths like Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).

The goal is not to trade these ASX shares. It is to own them as the businesses grow.

Step four: Invest regularly

Many first-time investors make the same mistake. They wait.

A regular investing plan can remove a lot of stress. By investing a set amount each month, you spread your entry points over time. This reduces the pressure to time the market and helps build the habit that matters most for long-term wealth.

It also turns investing into a process, also known as dollar-cost averaging, not a one-off decision.

Step five: The final step

You do not need to monitor your portfolio every day, but you do want to avoid common pitfalls.

Diversification matters, especially early. Avoid building a portfolio that is heavily concentrated in one sector or one theme. Fees matter too. High costs can quietly eat into returns over time, which is why low-cost ETFs are often a good starting point.

Most importantly, remember that your behaviour will often have a bigger impact than your stock picks. Staying calm during volatility and sticking to a long-term plan is what separates successful investors from the rest.

Foolish takeaway

Your first ASX share portfolio does not need to be perfect. It needs to be sustainable.

Start with a simple diversified core, add a small number of high-quality shares you are happy to hold for years, invest regularly, and avoid overcomplicating things. Over time, this will help you build long-term wealth.

The post How to build your first ASX share portfolio step by step appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL, Technology One, and Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL and Technology One. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL, Technology One, and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.