I think there are some high-quality exchange traded funds (ETFs) that could make good investments for any portfolio.

There are plenty of ETFs out there. But I think country-specific ones like Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) miss out on other great global businesses. The industry-specific ones like Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) are good if you find ones that give exposure to the right industry.

But the below two ETFs offer almost everything you could want in my opinion:

Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY)

As the name may suggest, this ETF looks to give Aussies exposure to global, quality businesses.

What does ‘quality’ mean? To make it into this ETF’s holdings it has to rank on return on equity (ROE), debt to capital, cashflow generation ability and earnings stability.

This combination of useful factors combines into a very strong portfolio in my opinion.

It owns 150 quality businesses from across the world. Just under a third of them are IT businesses, with just over a quarter being healthcare. Other investments are in the sectors of industrials, communication services, consumer discretionary, financials and consumer staples.

Whilst almost two thirds are headquartered in the US, it’s important to remember that many of those American companies generate earnings from right across the world. Other countries with an allocation of more than 2.5% are: Japan, Switzerland, Denmark and France.

I’m sure you want to know what some of the biggest positions are, here are the largest 10: Keyence, Nvidia, Intel, Nike, Novo Nordisk, Texas Instruments, Apple, Adobe, Intuit and Intuitive Surgical.

This ETF has an annual management fee of 0.35% per annum. It has performed really well for investors since inception in November 2018, returning 19.6% per annum after fees.

BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI)

Many investors may think that investing in ‘ethical’ businesses may mean that you’re sacrificing returns. But that isn’t the case with this ETF.

Since inception in January 2017, BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF has delivered returns of 20.9% per annum. That’s after the annual management fees of 0.59% per annum, which is very cheap compared to active managers who give access to an ‘ethical’ investment style.

The problem with investing ethically is that everyone has different thoughts of what counts as ethical. Some people may be fine with junk food but not gambling. Alcohol may be okay for some investors, but not oil or coal companies.

I think this ETF provides a strong level of ethical screening, whilst providing it for an attractively low price.

BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF excludes things like gambling, tobacco, armaments, uranium and nuclear energy, alcohol, junk food, pornography, human rights and supply chain concerns and so on.

It particularly aims to invest in businesses that are ‘climate leaders’, meaning ones that are carbon efficient. That means they’re in the top third of their respective industry or are otherwise good performers in relation to scope 4 carbon emissions.

Which businesses pass this pretty stringent list of criteria? These are the top 10 holdings: Apple, Nvidia, Mastercard, Home Depot, Visa, Adobe, Tesla, PayPal, Netflix and Toyota.

Almost 40% of the ETF is invested in IT businesses, so it has a high allocation to a high-growth, high-margin sector. Healthcare is the second biggest allocation with a 15% position.

About 28% of the ETF isn’t invested in US-listed businesses, so it offers substantial global diversification for Aussies. It owns 200 businesses overall. 

I think this shows that ethical investing can generate really strong investment returns if you’re invested in really good businesses.

Foolish takeaway

I’d be happy to buy both of these ETFs for my portfolio. I think both of them can keep performing over the long-term.

But I’m also looking at other ASX share opportunities at the moment.

More reading

• I don’t normally buy ETFs, but I would buy these 2
• How to replace your entire wage with ASX dividend shares
• Top ASX growth shares to buy in October 2020
• 3 ASX shares that I’d invest $1,000 into EVERY month
• 2 top ETFs that would be good investments in any portfolio

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. 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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The Medusa Mining Limited (ASX: MML) share price has climbed today following the release of its quarterly update.

At the time of writing, the mining outfit’s shares are up 1.85% to 82 cents. In contrast, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.6% to 6,424 points.

Medusa is an Australian-based gold producer focused on growth in the Asia Pacific region. The company is currently operating in the Philippines, with its flagship project at the Co-O underground mine.

How did Medusa perform?

For the period ending September 30, Medusa reported a strong performance, eclipsing previous quarterly results.

Gold production increased 29% to 28,363 ounces at an average head grade of 7.56 grams per tonne (g/t). In the prior quarter, gold production stood at 21,947 ounces mined with an average head grade of 6.59 g/t of gold.

Medusa sold gold at an average realised price of US$1,927 per ounce, a slight jump of 10% due to the rising spot price of gold.

Operating cash costs reduced 12% to US$615 per ounce. All-in sustaining costs (royalties and local business taxes) came in at US$1,079 per ounce.

Total underground development of 8,887 meters was reached for the quarter, a 10% increase on the June period.

Underground resource drilling expanded to 10,986 meters, with reserve drilling at levels 4, 9 and 10 totalling 5,762 meters from 10 holes. High-grade results returned from multiple strikes including 24.8 g/t of gold with a 2.3-meter intercept.

Total cash and cash equivalents on metal account at the quarter end increased by 37% to US$64.7 million, with no long-term debt.

Medusa’s annual general meeting is scheduled for 29 October. Executive director Raul Villanueva has advised he will be not standing for re-election to the board.

FY21 guidance

For the current financial year, Medusa expects to have a production guidance between 90,000 ounces and 95,000 ounces of gold. All-in sustaining costs are anticipated to average around US$1,200 to US$1,250 per ounce of gold produced.

The company said that the strong September quarter result had put it marginally ahead of plan in production and costs.

Is the Medusa share price a buy?

The Medusa share price has taken shareholders on a rollercoaster ride over the last five years. The miner’s shares have reached lows of 28 cents and recent multi-year highs of $1.06, representing a cyclical trend.

As the company is reliant on the rising spot price of gold to become profitable, I think investors may prefer to look to more established businesses for gold exposure. 

More reading

• Why the Aspen (ASX:APZ) share price is charging higher?
• Here’s why the Clean TeQ (ASX:CLQ) share price has surged 10% today
• The Michael Hill (ASX:MHJ) share price has rocketed 11% today. Here’s why.
• The iSelect (ASX:ISU) share price was on the move today. Here’s why.
• Why the Spirit (ASX:ST1) share price is shooting the lights out today

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. 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) went up by 0.5% today to 6,210 points.

Here are some of the highlights from the ASX today:

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

Imaging healthcare business Pro Medicus announced a European contract win today.

It said that its German subsidiary has signed a 7-year, AU$10 million contract with Munich-based Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU Klinikum), which is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe.

This contract will see the company’s Visage 7 technology implemented across all of LMU’s Klinikum’s radiology and subspeciality imaging departments replacing existing legacy PACS systems with a single centralized instance of the Visage 7 platform. Visage is also used in the hospital’s state of the art operating theatre suite for HD video documentation and point-of-care ultrasound archival and viewing.

The implementation is scheduled to commence in December 2020.

Pro Medicus CEO Dr Sam Hupert said: “Traditionally, large European teaching hospitals like LMU Klinikum have standardised on IT platforms for large, multinational imaging equipment vendors making this a difficult market to penetrate. So this is a very significant milestone for us in this highly competitive market.”

The Pro Medicus share price rose 7.6%. It was one of the best performers in the ASX 200 today.

Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE)

Today, the car dealership business announced a trading update for the nine months ending 30 September 2020.

It said that it has recorded an underlying operating profit before tax from continuing operations of $96.6 million, which represents an increase of 45.4% from the prior corresponding period.

Management said that in the Australian states and territories not currently locked down, vehicle sales have rebounded strongly from historical lows experienced during April and May.

However, whilst demand is high, supply constraints have caused global manufacturer closures during the June quarter, meaning lower vehicle deliveries to customers.

The reduced inventory position combined with cost cuts after the AHG merger, and in response to COVID-19, have led to the strong underlying trading performance.

The AP Eagers share price went up by 6%. It was another of today’s strongest performers in the ASX 200.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

Coal miner Whitehaven delivered its September 2020 update today.

It said that it saw strong sales in the quarter ending 30 September 2020, with total managed coal sales of 6Mt, up 13% on the prior corresponding period. Managed run-of-mine production was 4.5Mt, up 4% on the prior corresponding period. The company attributed this pleasing update to demand from Asian customers

One highlight from the quarter was that on 12 August 2020, the NSW Independent Planning Commission approved the Vickery Extension Project to operate up to a 10Mt per annum open cut metallurgic and thermal coal mine.

As part of the update, the company refined its FY21 guidance unit cost range to be between AU$69 per tonne to AU$72 per tonne.

Whitehaven CEO and managing director Paul Flynn said: “Operationally, we have continued the June quarters’ momentum by delivering on-plan mining performance of coal and overburden across all operations laying a solid foundation to much improved operational results.

“In a more capital constrained environment we continue to cautiously progress our development projects and implement a range of business improvement measures to drive cost reductions.”

The Whitehaven share price grew by 12.1% today. It was among the best ASX 200 performers.

Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL)

Online artist marketplace business Redbubble reported a strong set of numbers for the first quarter of FY21.

Redbubble reported that its marketplace revenue jumped by 116% to $147.5 million. This boosted gross profit by 149% to $64.5 million.

The company generated EBIT of $22.1 million. Operating cash inflow was $27.1 million, up from $10.2 million in the prior year.

Redbubble finished the quarter with a cash balance of $85.4 million.

The CEO of Redbubble, Martin Hosking, said: “The strategic priority for the group now is to ensure we extend the market leadership we have established. We intent to invest in the customer experience to improve loyalty and retention and ensure long-term higher levels of growth. The company has the resources to undertake the anticipated investments and the margin structure to ensure it can do so while remaining profitable.”

The Redbubble share price grew by 8.1% today. 

More reading

• Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) among the latest buy ideas from brokers
• The Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price rocketed 25% higher today: Is it a buy?
• Why the Eagers Automotive (ASX:APE) share price is zooming 9% higher
• Looking to invest in ASX real estate shares? Read this first
• Why Bank of Queensland, BHP, Pro Medicus, & Redbubble shares are charging higher

Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus 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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When you first start investing, you might look for high risk, high reward growth shares.

After all, if things don’t go to plan, you have plenty of time to recover.

But when you’re in retirement, I think it is best to focus on income and capital preservation.

With that in mind, below I have picked out two shares which I think are safe options for retirees to buy right now. They are as follows:

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

The first option to consider for a retirement portfolio is this supermarket giant. I’m a big fan of Coles due to its solid growth prospects, refreshed strategy, its generous dividend policy, and its defensive qualities. The latter was on display for all to see with its strong performance in FY 2020 despite the pandemic.

For the 12 months ended 30 June 2020, Coles delivered a 6.9% increase in sales to $37.4 billion and a 7.1% lift in net profit after tax to $951 million. It also revealed that its same store sales growth had been strong early in the financial year. And while its growth is likely to moderate a touch once the pandemic passes, I remain confident that it is still well-positioned to grow its earnings and dividend at a solid rate long into the future. For this reason, I think it could be a fantastic option for retirees today. 

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Another option for a retirement portfolio could be Telstra. While Telstra has been a terrible investment for retirees over the last few years, I believe the tide is finally turning and a return to growth could be on the horizon in the near future. This is due to its strong market position, rampant cost cutting, the easing NBN headwind, and the arrival of 5G.

In respect to the latter, I expect the upcoming release of the new iPhone to kickstart its adoption in Australia. This should be a big boost to Telstra’s all-important mobile revenues. Another positive is that the Telstra board has recently advised that it will do all that it can to maintain its 16 cents per share fully franked dividend. Based on the current Telstra share price, this represents a generous 5.6% yield.

More reading

• Is the Coles (ASX:COL) share price set for a big Santa Rally?
• 2 blockbuster blue chip ASX shares to buy
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Could this small cap ASX telco become the next Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price? 
• Why it’s always a good time to buy blue chip ASX shares

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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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The Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ) share price rallied today after two brokers upgraded the stock. But it’s not the only ASX stock to get boosted to a “buy” today.

The BOQ share price extended yesterday’s gain by 2.5% to $6.90 ahead of the close when the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) gained 0.7%.

The bank jumped by over 5% on Wednesday after it posted a pleasing full year result. This prompted Credit Suisse to lift its recommendation on the stock to “outperform” from “neutral” as it increased its 12-month price target to $7.60 from $5.50 a share.

Cost control and margins prompt broker upgrade

The broker was impressed with the bank’s strong cost control in a tough environment and the 3 basis point uplift in its second-half net interest margin (NIM).

Management also managed to deliver a CET1 ratio of 9.78%. This is ahead of its cash buffer target range of 9% to 9.5%.

“With this result, we now see the downside to be limited with a COVID‐19 provision conservatively set together with good execution of strategy delivering underlying profit growth,” said the broker.

Downside risks limited

But Credit Suisse isn’t the only broker upgrading the stock. Morgans changed its recommendation to “add” from “hold” as the bank’s cash earnings of $225 million was 4% ahead of its expectations.

“While we have not materially changed our credit impairment charge forecasts for FY21F and FY22F, and despite our forecasts being more optimistic than FactSet consensus, we believe our forecasts are starting to look conservative in light of emerging data,” said Morgans.

The broker’s 12-month price target on the stock increased to $7.20 from $5.50 a share.

Challenger upgraded due to better than expected quarterly

Meanwhile, the Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) share price also benefitted from a broker upgrade today.

Bell Potter upped its rating on the annuity products company to “buy” from “hold” following its September quarterly update.

“We do this due to the strong sales figures in its Life business in addition to the robust net-flows it’s seeing on the Funds Management side,” said the broker.

“CGF flagged improving margin through a more attractive asset allocation and the capital position remains higher than target ratios.”

Blowing past estimates

The group’s sale of life insurance was more than twice Bell Potter’s estimate of $100 million for the quarter.

Its fixed-Term annuities (ex MS&AD) sales of $634 million also blew past the broker’s $330 million estimate.

Bell Potter increased its price target on Challenger to $4.70 from $4.20 a share.

The CGF share price jumped 2.6% on Thursday to $4.40.

More reading

• Looking to invest in ASX real estate shares? Read this first
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today
• Why Bank of Queensland, BHP, Pro Medicus, & Redbubble shares are charging higher
• ASX 200 up 0.9%: Big four banks rise, Pro Medicus jumps, miners charging higher
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Challenger Limited. 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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There are two broad schools of thought when it comes to seeking out responsible investments on the ASX. By ‘responsible’, we mean shares that place a high value on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. Also known as the ‘triple bottom line’.

The first is that you should invest in shares which you believe will deliver you the absolute highest returns, regardless of ESG considerations. Then, if you so choose, you can use some of those gains to support your favoured environmental or social causes.

The second is to seek out shares that are actively pursuing ESG policies. Ideally then, your investment can not only return capital gains but your money can also have a positive impact on the world around you. Hence, you’ll also hear this referred to as ‘impact investing’.

We’ll leave it to you to decide how to balance the two choices. But according to this morning’s press release from the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), ESG investment is booming.

Hitting new heights

In 2018, professionally managed responsible investments in Australia totalled $980 billion. Today that figure is $1.15 trillion, representing growth of 17%. RIAA notes that 37% of all professionally managed investments are now managed using one or more responsible investment approaches.

And it looks like this trend has a lot more growth ahead of it.

Michelle Lacey is the Head of Core Client Group, Australia, AXA Investment Managers. According to Lace:

RIAA’s research shows Australian investors would like to increase their allocation towards impact investments more than fivefold over the next five years, so we believe this should be a particular area of attention for financial advisers.

This rapid growth is also seeing an increasing range of ESG investment options opening up, says Yo Takatsuki, Head of ESG Research and Active Ownership at AXA IM.

Takatsuki adds:

Funds that have been established to target specific social and environmental objectives, often called impact funds, are becoming far more ambitious in their investment goals. They are attracting sophisticated investors who expect very clear and detailed reporting, both quantitative and qualitative.

With that in mind, the Association urges financial planners and managers to be familiar with ESG investments, pointing to their free Financial Adviser Guide to Responsible Investment publication.

And ESG investing doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing share price gains for a healthy conscience.

Quite the contrary, according to Simon O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer of RIAA. He says:

The rapid growth in responsible investment has been driven by client demand and strong investment outcomes, with clear evidence that responsible investments deliver stronger risk-adjusted returns.

There you have it.

Maybe you can have your cake and eat it too, investing responsibly on the ASX and reaping big share price gains.

More reading

• Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) among the latest buy ideas from brokers
• Why the Aspen (ASX:APZ) share price is charging higher?
• How I’d get ready for buying opportunities in the next stock market crash
• Why the Wisr (ASX:WZR) share price is up 8%
• 3 exciting ASX growth shares to buy for stellar long term returns

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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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The Aspen Group Limited (ASX: APZ) share price is pushing higher today after a strong quarterly announcement. The real estate investment trust (REIT) is up 4.85% in afternoon trade, reaching a price of $1.08.

What does Aspen do?

Aspen Group is an ASX-listed property group formed in 2001 which is strategically focused on providing “value for money” accommodation.

Aspen has owned and managed holiday and accommodation parks since 2004. The group currently owns 9 tourist parks across Australia.

Quarterly trading update

Aspen revenue in the first quarter of FY21 increased 8% to $8.79 million despite the impact of COVID-19. The company also saw a major boost in both operating profit and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) as it cut down on expenses. EBITDA rose 59% to $3.18 million while operating profit soared from $1.72 million to $2.85 million.

All these factors drove 37% growth in underlying earnings per share (EPS) compared to 1Q FY20.

With the holiday season fast approaching, Aspen is pivoting back to the more profitable short-stay business model. Impressively, three of its NSW parks are now almost fully booked for the peak summer period at rates above the previous corresponding period.

Moreover, the company has ongoing insurance claims for lost profits and physical damage due to the bushfires last summer. These are still being negotiated and are not included in the results, which are expected shortly.

What now for the Aspen share price?

The company advised it was in a good position to acquire properties on attractive terms thanks to the recessionary environment. As such, Aspen would continue to seek opportunities to grow its portfolio of affordable accommodation properties through development and acquisition.

However, wages expenses will increase as the REIT will not meet the current Job Keeper requirements for the rest of the year. 

In addition, due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic , the company was unable to update on profit or distribution guidance for FY21.

Aspen’s share price is trading 6.78% lower this year, largely in line with the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) drop of 6%.

More reading

• Here’s why the Clean TeQ (ASX:CLQ) share price has surged 10% today
• The Michael Hill (ASX:MHJ) share price has rocketed 11% today. Here’s why.
• The iSelect (ASX:ISU) share price was on the move today. Here’s why.
• Why the Spirit (ASX:ST1) share price is shooting the lights out today
• The Azure Minerals (ASX:AZS) share price has rocketed 62%. Here’s why.

Motley Fool contributor Daniel Ewing has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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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The next stock market crash may not be all that far away. After all, risks such as political uncertainty in the US and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic may cause investor sentiment to weaken after its recent recovery.

As such, now could be the right time to start planning for the next stock market downturn. Through reviewing your existing holdings and identifying attractive stocks, you could capitalise on future buying opportunities that may only be available for a limited amount of time.

Reviewing your existing holdings ahead of a stock market crash

Many companies have very different prospects now than they did prior to the stock market crash. In some cases, they may face challenging futures. This could mean that they are less attractive as investments than they were in the past. Similarly, some stocks may now be trading on excessive valuations that are not representative of their financial prospects.

It could be a good idea to review your holdings to identify such companies. This may lead you to sell some of them, which would raise cash that can be used to purchase more attractive opportunities in the next market decline. Clearly, this process can be challenging – especially if you sell a stock at a loss. However, it may be a logical approach to take that allows you to enjoy higher returns in the long run.

Identifying attractive stocks and sectors

The speed of the recent stock market crash caught many investors by surprise. Within a matter of weeks, indexes such as the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) had rebounded from their March lows. This meant that investors had very little time to react to low valuations that were present across a wide range of sectors.

Therefore, it may be a good idea to identify attractive stocks and sectors prior to the next market downturn. This may mean that you can react more quickly to share price declines that may swiftly be replaced by gains. By analysing a stock now, you can build a list of businesses that, should they decline in value to more appealing price levels, could be worth adding to your portfolio at some point in the coming months or years.

Ensuring you have a sound financial position

One of the difficulties with a stock market crash is that it often coincides with a challenging wider financial position for investors. For example, a weak economic outlook may mean that your employment prospects are less secure. This may mean that you are less inclined to take risks, such as buying shares, when the best opportunities arise.

It could be worth ensuring that you have a sound financial position ahead of the next market decline. This may mean that you have cash savings that can sustain you in a difficult economic period. Doing so may enable you to fully take advantage of cheaper stock prices that are likely to be ahead over the long run.

More reading

• Why the Wisr (ASX:WZR) share price is up 8%
• 3 exciting ASX growth shares to buy for stellar long term returns
• Here’s why the Clean TeQ (ASX:CLQ) share price has surged 10% today
• The Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price rocketed 25% higher today: Is it a buy?
• Why the BHP (ASX:BHP) share price is up on AGM news

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. 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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The Wisr Ltd (ASX: WZR) share price is soaring today after the company provided an update on its loan origination. At the time of writing, the Wisr share price is trading 7.89% higher at 20.5 cents.

The fintech is Australia’s first neo lender. Wisr offers a unique form of personal lending compared to services provided by the major banks. It claims to offer more competitive interest rates by tailoring loans to meet customer needs and eliminating early repayment penalties and annual fees.

The company also boasts the country’s only credit score comparison service.

Wisr displays impressive growth

The Wisr share price is on the move after the company delivered record growth results for Q1. New loan originations were $61.9 million, a 47% increase on Q4 FY20 and a 166% increase on Q1 FY20. The increase takes the company’s total loan originations since inception to $306.7 million, with the most recent $50 million coming in during the last three months.

Furthermore, the average customer credit score of 732 is the highest average in the company’s history. This also compares very favourably to the average Australian credit score, which is 600 according to data supplied to Wisr by Equifax. The impressive credit performance reinforces the strong nature of the company’s loan book, and customer credit quality.

About the Wisr share price?

Despite having delivered 47% quarterly growth in new loan originations, it would appear that Wisr still has room to grow. This, in part, is thanks to the recently added vehicle financing product, which opens up a potential addressable market that may be worth up to $35 billion, according to a report published by The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.

Today’s rise in the Wisr share price would have been a welcome boost to shareholders who have watched shares in the neo-lender fall 28% since the start of the financial year, excluding today.

Anthony Nantes, CEO of Wisr was also pleased as he stated:

We’re excited for the quarter ahead, as Wisr’s business model and commitment to the financial wellness of customers is strongly resonating in-market and driving record growth in all key financial metrics.

The Wisr share price is trading 7.8% higher so far this year.

More reading

• 3 exciting ASX growth shares to buy for stellar long term returns
• Here’s why the Clean TeQ (ASX:CLQ) share price has surged 10% today
• The Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price rocketed 25% higher today: Is it a buy?
• Why the BHP (ASX:BHP) share price is up on AGM news
• Countries are panic buying food and this isn’t reflected in ASX agriculture stocks

Motley Fool contributor Daniel Ewing has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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’re looking for strong returns over the 2020s, then I think the three ASX growth shares listed below could be worth considering.

I believe all three ASX shares are well-placed to grow their earnings strongly over the long term. This could lead to their shares being market-beaters in the 2020s. Here’s why I like them:

ELMO Software Ltd (ASX: ELO)

ELMO is a cloud-based human resources and payroll software company. It provides businesses with a unified platform to streamline a range of processes. Demand for its offering has been growing strongly in recent years, even during the pandemic. This led to ELMO delivering impressive annualised recurring revenue (ARR) growth in FY 2020.

Pleasingly, more strong organic growth is expected in FY 2021. This should be bolstered by the major new acquisition of UK-based Breathe for an initial payment of 18 million pounds (A$32.4 million). Breathe is a fast-growing, scalable human resources platform for small businesses. Its annualised recurring revenue (ARR) as of 31 August 2020 stood at 3.6 million pounds (A$6.5 million) and has been growing at over 30% annually. Considering its sizeable cash balance, I suspect there could be further acquisitions in the pipeline.

Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA)

Another ASX growth share I would buy is Nearmap. It is a leading aerial imagery technology and location data company which gives businesses instant access to high resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D datasets, and integrated geospatial tools. The beauty of its platform is that users can undertake site visits from the comfort of their home or workplace. Not only does this offer significant time and cost savings for users, it is also very helpful during this age of social distancing and remote working. 

Looking ahead, management appears confident that its growth will accelerate thanks to its recent capital raising and new growth initiatives. It is targeting annualised contract value (ACV) growth of 20% to 40% per annum over the long term, with underlying churn of less than 10%. Thanks to the quality of its offering, particularly its latest AI product, I believe it is well-placed to achieve this.

NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

A final ASX growth share to consider buying is NEXTDC. It is an innovative data centre operator which owns a collection of world class centres in key locations across Australia. Over the last few years NEXTDC has experienced very strong demand for capacity in its centres. So much so, this year the company brought forward capacity additions in response to customer demand.

The good news is that the shift to cloud is still only just getting started. I expect this to lead to a sustained increase in demand for its services over the next decade. I’m confident this will underpin very strong earnings growth over the long term. In addition to this, I suspect NEXTDC could look to accelerate its growth by expanding into the Asia market in the coming years.

More reading

• How top ASX tech shares like Afterpay (ASX:APT) have performed in 2020
• Why the Nearmap (ASX:NEA) share price is surging 8% higher today
• 4 ASX shares rated as strong buys by brokers
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Top ASX tech shares to buy in October 2020

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 Elmo Software. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Nearmap Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elmo Software and Nearmap 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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