Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield CDI (ASX: URW) shares are edging lower today despite the company advising it has finalised the sale of its French office buildings. At the time of writing, the Unibail share price is trading 0.71% lower at $5.62.

What did Unibail announce?

The Unibail share price is in negative territory after the shopping centre operator provided investors with an update on its divestment.

According to its release, Unibail has completed the disposal of its Village 3, 4, and 6 office buildings. Located in the La Défense (Paris region), the offices were sold to French institutional investors.

This follows the separate office disposal agreements that were entered into in December last year.

An institutional fund managed by La Française Real Estate Managers took the keys to Village 3 on 4 March 2021. Village 4 and 6 followed thereafter with institutional fund manager Perial AM taking ownership on 17 March 2021.

The total global lease area comprised 22,144 square meters, with Orange and Orange Cyberdefense as the main tenants.

For both transactions, the net disposal price to be received is 213 million euros. This includes all transfer taxes and transaction costs from the acquisition.

Unibail stated that with the latest agreements wrapped up, along with the SHiFT disposal, the group has completed 0.8 billion euros of its asset disposal target. The company has its sights set on delivering 4 billion euros via its European asset disposal program.

Quick take on Unibail

Established in 2007, Unibail is a European commercial real estate company headquartered in Paris, France. The company operates flagship shopping centres around the world and has an estimated portfolio valued at around 56.3 billion euros.

About the Unibail share price

Over the past 12 months, the Unibail share price has gained around 30%, with year to date gains sitting at around 10%.

The company’s shares have been on a wild rollercoaster ride since COVID-19 came into the world last March. At the end of September, Unibail shares were swapping hands for as little as $2.41, before accelerating upwards.

On current valuation grounds, Unibail commands a market capitalisation of roughly $1.2 billion, with more than 219.4 million shares outstanding.

More reading

• ASX 200 down 0.6%: Telstra upgraded, Webjet rated as a buy, Westpac update

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 Bruce Jackson.

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The Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL) share price is pushing higher on Thursday.

In morning trade, the clean lithium company’s shares are up 4% to $6.62.

This latest gain means the Vulcan Energy share price is now up 139% since the start of the year.

Why is the Vulcan Energy share price charging higher today?

Investors have been buying Vulcan Energy shares today after it announced a key new appointment to its board.

According to the release, the company has appointed former Tesla Head of Battery and Energy Supply Chain, Annie Liu, as a Non-Executive Director.

While at Tesla, Ms. Liu led and managed the multi-billion-dollar strategic partnerships and sourcing portfolios that support the electric vehicle (EV) giant’s Energy and Battery business units.

This includes Battery, Battery Raw Material, Energy Storage, Solar and Solar Glass, as well as raw materials sourcing efforts such as lithium for battery cells.

In addition to this, Ms. Liu is a co-founder of Alto Group Inc. It is a trusted advisor and counsellor to many of the world’s influential businesses in the EV value chain. The release notes that Alto Group also serves private and institutional investor clients in deal generation and due diligence with a focus on sustainable energy sectors.

Vulcan Energy’s Chairman, Gavin Rezos, commented: “Annie Liu has a deep knowledge and understanding of battery supply chains and the lithium marketplace. Her profound insights into OEM requirements will provide invaluable assistance to the Vulcan Board and Management.

Ms. Liu added: “Vulcan has a ready market on its doorstep with OEMs in close vicinity. I’m excited to help Vulcan with its premium product branding around Zero Carbon Lithium to meet the EU’s requirement for ethically sourced, sustainable battery metal supplies with a low carbon footprint.”

More reading

• Why the Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) share price is up today
• Mining companies with ESG strategies are at the front of the pack
• Vulcan Energy (ASX: VUL) share price up as revenue soars over 1,000%
• Why the Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) share price is jumping 12% today
• The Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) share price has fallen 17% in 2 weeks

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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 Bruce Jackson.

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If you’re interested in adding some exposure to the small side of the market to your portfolio then you might want to take a look at the shares listed below.

Here’s why these ASX small caps have been tipped as buys:

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

Bigtincan is an artificial intelligence-powered sales enablement automation platform provider. Among the growing number of blue chips using its platform are 7 of the top 10 companies on the Fortune 500. Bigtincan has been growing very quickly in recent years and looks well-placed to continue this trend in FY 2021 following a very strong half year result last month. At the end of the half, its annualised recurring revenue (ARR) stood at $48.4 million. This was a 50% increase over the prior corresponding period.

Analysts at Ord Minnett are positive on its prospects. They currently have a buy rating and $1.08 price target on its shares.

Doctor Care Anywhere Ltd (ASX: DOC)

Doctor Care Anywhere is a growing UK-based telehealth company. It is aiming to deliver high-quality, effective, and efficient care to its patients, while reducing the overall cost of providing clinical services. Thanks to the growing popularity of telehealth, Doctor Care Anywhere has been growing quickly. For example, in January it released its fourth quarter update and revealed a 151% increase in revenue to 3.8 million pounds.

Bell Potter is a fan of the company. It has a buy rating and $1.95 price target on the company’s shares.

Universal Store Holdings Limited (ASX: UNI)

Universal Store is a fashion retailer with a growing network of stores across Australia. It has been performing positively during the pandemic and recently released a very strong half year result. For the six months ended 31 December, Universal Store delivered a 23.3% increase in sales to $118 million and a 63.6% increase in underlying net profit after tax to $21.1 million. This was driven by strong online and like for like store growth. Pleasingly, management is confident this strong form will continue in the second half.

Morgans is positive on the company and has put an add rating and $8.37 price target on its shares.

More reading

• Wilson Asset Management thinks these 2 small cap ASX shares are a buy
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• ASX All Technology Index teetering on verge of a bear market

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends BIGTINCAN FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO and Doctor Care Anywhere Group PLC. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Splitit Ltd (ASX: SPT) share price is under pressure on Thursday following the release of an announcement.

At the time of writing, the buy now pay later provider’s shares are down 1% to 97.5 cents.

This means the Spiltit share price is now down 25% year to date.

What did Splitit announce?

This morning Splitit revealed that its global expansion has continued with new merchant deals.

According to the release, the company has formed a new partnership with a financial services company and expanded into key verticals through new merchant agreements worldwide.

In respect to the financial services company, Splitit has signed a deal with Findex. Its clients will now have the ability to pay for their professional services fees via monthly instalments using their existing credit cards via Splitit.

The company notes that Findex provides financial solutions to more than 250,000 personal and business clients across Australia and New Zealand.

What about the other merchant agreements?

Splitit has been busy signing up a number of new merchants. And while they are not well-known brands, management notes that they have lifted its addressable market to US$2.3 billion.

Among the new marchants are US based jewellery retailer Michaels Jewelry, Giant Bicycles, Echelon Fitness, Mate Bike, and furniture retailer Poly and Bark.

Splitit’s CEO, Brad Paterson, commented: “With more than $2.3BN in addressable sales volume now signed and currently integrating, Splitit acceptance continues to grow with some great new brands and further expansion into professional services, luxury goods, home furnishings and outdoor.”

“Our global platform and breadth of partnerships, combined with an AOV of $1K make us an attractive partner to merchants across the globe,” Mr Paterson added.

Though, one leading retailer that you won’t find on the Splitit platform is Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN). Despite highlighting its partnership with the online retail giant in 2019, it has neglected to advise that this partnership has now been discontinued.

More reading

• ASX 200 unmoved, Flight Centre soars, Afterpay keeps falling
• Is Afterpay (ASX:APT)’s BNPL competition heating up?
• Splitit (ASX:SPT) share price sinks as trade volumes bounce
• ASX 200 sinks 2.4%, Afterpay plunges, AMP jumps
• Splitit (ASX:SPT) share price tumbles despite quadrupling its revenue

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price is trading lower again on Thursday morning. At the time of writing, the payments company’s shares are down almost 2.5% to $110.42. 

This means the Afterpay share price is now down over 7% since the start of the year.

Why is the Afterpay share price down 7% in 2021?

Investors have been selling Afterpay’s shares for a number of reasons in 2021. One is profit taking after some outrageous gains over the last 12 months. Another reason has been rising bond yields, which have put pressure on the tech sector.

In addition to this, concerns over increasing competition appears to have been weighing on the company’s shares. This follows the launch of BNPL services by PayPal, Shopify, and even Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) this week. You can read more about the latter here.

Should Afterpay shareholders be concerned by increasing competition?

Goldman Sachs has been looking into the BNPL sector. It believes that further growth lies ahead for the sector thanks to a number of structural drivers. The broker also feels that Afterpay is well-placed to overcome the increasing competition.

It commented: “Declining popularity of credit cards and rising use of debit cards are likely to remain structural drivers. As a transaction-driven business model it is necessary for BNPL providers to scale with merchants and consumers to generate sustainable network effects.”

“This is why we believe relatively few players will dominate this sector in each market and flag that APT is showing the operational signs of being one of the key winners in this space (strong customer growth, merchant pipeline and frequency of use trends). Competition will likely be fierce but the market growth opportunity is substantial and unlikely to prevent APT from achieving our customer and Gross Merchandise Value forecasts.”

Where next for the Afterpay share price?

While Goldman Sachs’ analysts believe the Afterpay share price can still go higher from here, it isn’t enough for the broker to put a buy rating on its shares.

Its analysts have retained their neutral rating and $127.60 price target. This implies potential upside of 15.5%

More reading

• Revealed: 4 least profitable industries in Australia
• Is the new CBA BNPL service bad news for Afterpay and Zip shares?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• ASX 200 dips, CBA launches BNPL, Fonterra reports
• 2 ASX investing strategies that could give young people an advantage

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) share price will be in focus this morning. This comes after the company announced it has secured a long-term contract with a mining giant. At yesterday’s market close, the engineering company’s shares finished the day relatively flat at $11.25.

Quick take on Monadelphous

Established in 1972, Monadelphous is a leading Australian engineering group that provides construction, maintenance and industrial services. The company operates in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Monadelphous has major offices in Perth, Western Australia and in Brisbane, Queensland to run its biggest projects. Furthermore, the company supports its operations with projects, facilities, and workshops across seven different countries. These include Australia, New Zealand, Chile, China, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, and the Philippines.

Why will the Monadelphous share price be on watch?

The Monadelphous share price could be on the rise after the company provided the market with a positive update.

According to this morning’s release, Monadelphous has entered into a crane services contract with Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG).

Under the agreement, Monadelphous will provide a number of crane services to Fortescue’s Solomon and Eliwana operations in Western Australia. This will consist of supporting general repairs, maintenance and shutdown activities.

Monadelphous noted that it has continued to provide crane services to the Solomon operations since 2017, and Eliwana from 2020.

The contract will run for a five-year period and is expected to generate revenue of around $150 million for Monadelphous.

Words from the managing director

Monadelphous managing director Rob Velletri welcomed the deal, saying:

We are pleased to have secured this long-term contract with Fortescue and look forward to continuing to support their operations in the Pilbara with the ongoing provision of quality crane services.

Monadelphous share price snapshot

The Monadelphous share price has gained around 7% over the past twelve months but is down 18% year to date.

Based on the current share price, Monadelphous has a market capitalisation of around $1.07 billion, with roughly 94.6 million shares outstanding.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 Bruce Jackson.

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As of today, the figures show that 0.79% of the Australian population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. The Australian Government’s goal is to have most of the population vaccinated by October, meaning overseas travel could be back on the cards later in the year.

So, what does this mean for ASX listed airport shares Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) and Auckland International Airport Limited (ASX: AIA)?

Let’s take a look at how ASX airport shares could be impacted as more Australians receive vaccinations.

Here’s what happened to US and European airport shares when vaccinations began

Some insight into what we can expect for ASX airport shares once the vaccine rollout gains momentum can be gleaned from the United States and Europe. So far, 22% of US citizens have had their first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, while 12% have had both doses.

European countries differ in how quickly they’ve rolled out the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines. Politico reports that the United Kingdom is leading the race with more than 38% of its citizens having received a vaccine, but the median percentage of vaccinated people in European nations’ populations is around 11%.

Data on airport share prices is limited as, globally, very few airports are listed on stock exchanges. Though, the few that are seem to be showing promising gains since vaccinations began in their home countries.

European airport shares

Vaccinations began in Europe on 27 December 2020. Since that date, a number of airports listed on various global stock exchanges have posted gains, including:

Paris airport – Aeroports de Paris SA – which has had a share price gain of 7.1%.

Madrid airport’s management company – Aena SME – which has had a share price gain of 4%.

Copenhagen airport – Copenhagen Airports A/S – which has had a share price gain of 12.16%.

Zurich airport – Flughafen Zuerich AG – which has had a share price gain of 3.8%.

US airport shares

While the US share market doesn’t have any airports listed, there is one airport management company on the New York Stock Exchange.

Corporacion America Airports SA (NYSE: CAAP) operates more airports than any other operator in the world. Its shares are up by 16.75% since the US began vaccinating its population on 14 December 2020.

What this could mean for ASX airport shares

Vaccinations in Australia began on 22 February 2021, with around 200,000 Aussies having now received the jab.

Both Sydney Airport and Auckland International Airport saw increases in share prices during that week, and both have continued on a generally upward trajectory since. At the time of writing, Sydney Airport and Auckland International shares have increased by 14.54% and 13.54% respectively since the day the first Australian received the vaccine.

Currently, the Sydney Airport share price is down 24.5% from the first day of trade in 2020. Its latest Airport Traffic Performance report, which covered the month of January, showed passenger numbers were still down by more than 94% compared to the prior January. 

Auckland International shares are down 16.65% since the first day of trade in 2020.

We Australians love our international travel, and many of us are counting the days until we can next step foot in an airport. But, vaccination or no vaccination, international flights won’t resume until at least July 2021, according to SBS. That’s the earliest date airlines are taking bookings from.

There are even reports, like this one from Bloomberg, that international travel won’t return to semi-normal until 2023.

ASX listed airports do appear to be loosely following the upward trend displayed by their international counterparts following vaccination rollouts. However, unfortunately, there is no clear answer as to how this will continue to play out. 

More reading

• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Calm restored to the ASX 200
• What this broker thinks about ASX travel shares after government’s stimulus package
• ASX 200 unmoved, Flight Centre soars, Afterpay keeps falling
• Insiders have been buying Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) and this ASX share
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX finishes higher, despite tech selloff

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. recommends Moderna Inc. 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 Bruce Jackson.

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The fund Climate Capital Ltd (ASX: CAM), which operates as a listed investment company (LIC), has outlined some ASX shares that it’s excited about.

Clime looks at a wide range of different ASX shares to find the best opportunities. It’s willing to look at large caps like Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG). It’s also willing to look at much smaller stocks such as Mach7 Technologies Ltd (ASX: M7T) and Electro Optic Systems Hldg Ltd (ASX: EOS).

In the latest monthly update for February 2021, which was reporting season for most of the ASX, it made some comments about some of its positions.

The portfolio returned 2.4% pre-tax net of fees in February, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index return of 1.4%. Clime pointed out that materials and financials had a strong performance over the month, outperforming the technology sector significantly.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The BHP share price was a strong performer during last month as commodity prices performed well. One of the helpful factors for BHP investors was that the dividend declared was well ahead of expectations. The board decided to increase the interim dividend by 55% to US$1.01.

After that large half-year dividend from the ASX share, the market consensus for the full year dividend rose by 20% to $3.04, according to Clime.

Iron ore, BHP’s biggest contributor to profit, saw a 10% price increase during February and the copper price went up by 16%, whilst the oil price increased by 26%.

Clime also noted that the exchange rate didn’t change much during the month, with the US dollar depreciating by 0.8% during the month.

Codan Limited (ASX: CDA)

Another of Clime’s performers during the month was Codan, which the LIC said reported strongly.

Clime noted that the ASX share delivered revenue growth of 14% to $194 million and profit grew by 36% to $41.3 million.

Codan continues to build on its market leadership position within the global metal detection market, supported by a research and development program that exceeds the annual spending of all of its competitors combined, according to the LIC.

Another recent announcement was the acquisition of Domo Tactical Communications for $114 million, funded from existing cash reserves. This deal will add to earnings per share (EPS) immediately.

Clime said that it remains upbeat about the future prospects of the ASX share. Sales for metal detection have remained at record levels and the communications division is expected to have a significantly stronger second half.

Hansen Technologies Limited (ASX: HSN)

The LIC said that Hansen’s result was a standout performance last month.

Whilst revenue only went up slightly, profit jumped significantly by 65% to $29.6 million.

Clime said that the ASX share has a positive outlook and wonderful long term track record that has seen earnings per share grow at a compound annual growth rate of 31.4% per annum since 2006 (to FY21 based on the estimated EPS for the year).

On Clime’s numbers, Hansen currently trades on 12.6x the forward earnings and has a free cash flow yield of 8%.

Clime still thinks that this business represents “excellent value” at the current Hansen share price.

More reading

• Goldman rates the BHP (ASX:BHP) share price as the best ASX iron ore producer
• Broker warns of big iron ore oversupply next year: time to panic?
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• Should you buy BHP, Fortescue, or Rio Tinto shares?
• 3 ASX shares that just stormed to new 52-week highs

Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends MACH7 FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited and Hansen Technologies. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited, Hansen Technologies, and MACH7 FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Every investor will have a different approach when seeking to build a ‘best stocks to buy now’ list.

However, it could be focused on the quality of a business, as well as its price. This may enable an investor to buy the most attractive companies while they trade at prices that undervalue their long-term prospects.

Through focusing on a wide range of sectors, it may be possible to unearth a diverse range of companies. This could limit risk in what remains an uncertain economic environment.

High-quality companies may be among the best stocks to buy now

Companies with solid financial positions and competitive advantages may feature on a ‘best stocks to buy now’ list. This does not guarantee their investment success. However, they may be able to more easily overcome challenging operating conditions such as those currently in place for many companies. Similarly, they could deliver higher profitability in the long run because of their capacity to invest in new growth areas and rely on a loyal customer base.

Identifying such companies is very subjective. However, by assessing their annual reports and latest investor updates it may be possible to find them within a specific sector. Comparing them versus sector peers may also make it clearer as to which companies have a more attractive growth outlook in a potential economic recovery over the coming years.

Buying undervalued shares

Companies that offer good value for money may be among the best stocks to buy now. Even if an investor is able to unearth a very high-quality business, paying too much for it can lead to disappointing returns. Such a company could lack a margin of safety, which may indicate that investors have already factored in its future earnings potential.

Clearly, there are various methods to analyse companies. Different ones can be more relevant to different sectors. For example, the price-to-book (P/B) ratio may be more relevant for banks and real estate investment trusts (REITs), while the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio may be more useful when comparing consumer goods businesses. Comparing a company’s valuation to its long-term average and its sector peers may provide guidance as to whether it offers good value for money at the present time.

Searching in a wide range of sectors

It may be prudent to search for the best stocks to buy now in a wide range of sectors. Otherwise, an investor may be limiting their choice to a small number of businesses that leads to higher risks because of a greater reliance on a concentrated range of industries.

A diverse portfolio may also be able to offer greater returns in the coming years. It may allow an investor to capitalise on a broader range of growth opportunities that are lacking in a concentrated portfolio. Although a diverse portfolio never guarantees positive investment returns, it may create a more favourable risk/reward opportunity for a long-term investor.

More reading

• Why this fund likes these 3 exciting ASX shares
• How to invest in the Nasdaq Index on the ASX
• Revealed: 4 least profitable industries in Australia
• Why Webjet (ASX:WEB) got kicked out of ASX All Tech index
• Why the Austal (ASX:ASB) share price will be on watch today

Motley Fool contributor Peter Stephens 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 Bruce Jackson.

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The Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ: .IXIC) Index has been a growing point of fascination with ASX investors over the past few years.

The United States’s newer major stock exchange, the Nasdaq is famously home to most of the US’s disruptive tech companies.

Probably as a result of this, this index has been a top performer over the past decade. The index alone is up more than 83% over the past 12 months (not even including dividends), and up 181% over the past 5 years.

Is investing in the Nasdaq a good idea?

Since the Nasdaq is a US-based index, it offers many diversification benefits for an ASX investor. Having some investments denominated in a currency outside the Australian dollar can offer some benefits in this regard.

And since the ASX’s own tech sector pales in front of the Nasdaq’s offerings (more on that later), it can be an easy way to increase your exposure to tech as well.

How to invest in the Nasdaq on the ASX

Well, there are 2 ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) that directly track the Nasdaq, both from BetaShares. They are the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) and the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF-Currency Hedged (ASX: HNDQ).

These two ETFs are almost identical, they both mirror the NASDAQ-100 (INDEXNASDAQ: NDX), which holds the 100 largest companies in the Nasdaq Composite.

However, HNDQ is a hedged ETF, which means that it takes currency fluctuations between the US and Aussie dollar out of the equation. In exchange for a slightly higher management fee of course.

NDQ’s management fee is 0.48% per annum, while HNDQ’s fee is 0.51%. Movements in the exchange rate will affect NDQ though.

So, let’s look at which companies these ETFs hold. Here are the top 10, according to BetaShares:

Nasdaq Company	Weighting in NDQ (%)
Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL)	11.4%
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)	9.6%
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN)	8.2%
Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL)	7%
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA)	4.2%
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB)	3.6%
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA)	2.7%
PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL)	2.4%
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC)	2.1%
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA)	2.1%

So it is very obvious here where the Nasdaq gets it’s ‘tech-heavy’ reputation from. There are some ‘non-tech’ companies in the index as well, such as PepsiCo Inc (NASDAQ: PEP). But almost half of the index is allocated to the tech space.

Past performance doesn’t guarantee future success

So we’ve already touched on the Nasdaq’s performance history. But let’s take a look at the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF’s performance, given that it takes into account the currency fluctuations that we Australians face.

So according to BetaShares, NDQ has returned 27.34% over the past 12 months, 24.22% per annum over the past three years, and 23.67% per annum over the past five years.

That’s some impressive numbers to be sure. However, it’s worth noting that all sectors and indexes have their time in the sun, and the Nasdaq is no different.

Sure, this index is up an impressive 396% over the past decade. But before that, the picture was not as bright. The dot-com crash of the early 2000s hit the Nasdaq hard. In fact, it took until December 2014 for the index to once again hit the peaks that it first hit back in early 2000.

More reading

• Revealed: 4 least profitable industries in Australia
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price wobbles on CommBank BNPL news
• Elon Musk reviews title and decides ‘Technoking of Tesla’ is more fitting
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