If you’re a growth investor, then you’re in luck. At present the Australian share market is home to a number of companies growing their earnings at a rapid rate.

Three of the best ASX growth shares that I would buy today are listed below. Here’s why I think they are top buy and hold options:

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

One of my favourite ASX growth shares is CSL. The biotherapeutics company has been consistently growing its earnings at a solid rate and looks well-placed to continue this positive trend in FY 2020. For example, in the first half CSL delivered an 11% increase in profit after tax to US$1,248 million. This was driven by strong growth in immunoglobulin products, the continued evolution of its haemophilia therapies portfolio, and a strong performance by its Seqirus influenza vaccines business. Pleasingly, I expect these factors to lead to further growth in the coming years and be supported by its lucrative research and development pipeline.

NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Another top option for growth investors to consider is this innovative data centre-as-a-service provider. It has been experiencing increasing demand for its centres in recent years thanks to the rise of cloud computing. Over the last four years NEXTDC’s customer numbers have grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21%. Growing even quicker have been interconnections, which have grown at a CAGR of 31% over the same period. This has been driven by the increasing use of hybrid cloud and connectivity inside and outside its data centres due to customers expanding their ecosystems. This is a big positive as it is driving higher margins and sticky recurring revenues. With the shift to the cloud continuing to accelerate, the future looks bright for NEXTDC’s data centres.

Pushpay Holdings Group Ltd (ASX: PPH)

A final ASX growth share to consider buying is Pushpay. Pushpay started life as a mobile giving solution that made generosity easy and simple. Since then it has evolved into a full engagement solution that serves over 10,500 churches around the world. It connects them to the local community and inspires generosity. The increasing demand for its platform, which has accelerated during the pandemic, has resulted in stellar operating revenue and profit growth. The good news is that the company is only serving a small portion of its market, which means it still has a very long runway for growth.

More reading

• Why now could be a better time to buy the underperforming CSL share price
• 4 ASX fintech shares to make you rich
• 3 ASX shares Warren Buffett couldn’t ignore today
• 1 key trait to look for with most top ASX growth shares
• Should you ever buy ASX shares at an all-time high?

James Mickleboro owns shares of NEXTDC Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended PUSHPAY FPO NZX. 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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On Thursday Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe confirmed that he expects rates to remain at ultra low levels for years.

While this is good news for borrowers, it is a blow for income investors that rely on the interest generated by term deposits and savings accounts.

But don’t worry, because the Australian share market is home to a large number of quality ASX dividend shares offering generous yields.

Two that I would buy are listed below:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

I think the Big Australian would be a good ASX dividend share for income investors that are looking for a little exposure to the resources sector. Although there are a lot of options in the sector, I think BHP is the top pick right now. This is due to its world class operations, low costs, and strong cash flow generation.

Another positive is the high iron ore prices that the company is currently commanding. I believe this has put BHP in a position to reward its shareholders with sizeable dividends again in 2020 and 2021. At present, I estimate that its shares offer a forward fully franked 5.5% dividend yield.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

The big four banks have been flying high this week after investors returned to them en masse. This appears to have been driven by optimism that the economic damage caused by the pandemic won’t be as great as previously expected. Which could even mean a reversal on some of the provisions they have made in recent weeks.

Nevertheless, I still expect the Commonwealth Bank to make a reasonably sharp dividend cut in FY 2021 to ~$3.70 per share. However, even after this cut and strong share price gain this week, its shares will still provide a very generous fully franked forward 5.6% dividend yield.   

More reading

• ASX 200 rises again, ASX banks push higher
• Are ASX bank shares finally back in the buy zone?
• ASX 200 up 2.4%: Blackmores raises $92m, big four banks jump, Nearmap rockets
• ASX 200 edges down, bank share prices fly
• Is now the right time to be buying ASX bank stocks?

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. 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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I believe it could be the perfect time to buy the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS).

About Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF

Firstly, let me tell you about Vanguard if you don’t already know. It’s one of the world’s biggest providers of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It’s special because it’s not trying to make heaps of money from its investors. Instead, the owners of Vanguard are the investors. Vanguard shares the profit with investors in the form of lower fees.

This particular ETF invests in the entire global share market. It’s invested in almost every major share market such as the US, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Sweden and so on.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF also has attractive diversification in the sense of the different industries it’s invested in. The biggest allocation is 20% to IT, followed by 14.7% to health care, 12.7% to financials, 10.9% to consumer discretionary, 10% to industrials, 9% to communication services and 8.7% to consumer staples.

In terms of actual holdings it’s invested in almost 1,600 businesses. But its top holdings are: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Visa, JPMorgan Chase and Proctor & Gamble.

Why I think it’s a good time to buy

This could be one of the easiest investments to hold for the long-term in any environment because of the Vanguard ETF’s diversification. It also has a very low management fee. It’s not the cheapest out there, but 0.18% per annum is great for the global nature of it.

I think it’s a good time to buy for two reasons. Number one is that Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF is still 11% lower than its pre-coronavirus high. Bearing in mind that interest rates are now incredibly low, that’s not bad at all if you’re a long-term investors. Granted, there could be more declines later this year. Particularly with the US election coming up. 

Second, the Australian dollar has significantly recovered. The Aussie dollar now buys US$0.66. During the worst part of the crash it was under US$0.60. This gives us more buying power to buy international shares compared to nearly all of April and May.

More reading

• Buy these 4 ASX shares to diversify your portfolio
• The importance of diversifying your ASX portfolio and how you can do it
• ASX shares can help millennials retire before their parents
• How to make a $1 million share portfolio by investing $1,000 a month
• Is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF the best long-term investment?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. 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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On Thursday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) returned to form and stormed notably higher. The benchmark index climbed 1.3% to 5,851.1 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Friday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to drop lower.

The ASX 200 looks set to end a fantastic week with a day in the red. According to the latest SPI futures, the benchmark index is expected to open the day 19 points or 0.3% lower this morning. This follows a weak night of trade on Wall Street which saw the Dow Jones fall 0.6%, the S&P 500 drop 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fall 0.45%.

Oil prices rebound.

Energy producers such as Oil Search Limited (ASX: OSH) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could be on the rise today after oil prices rebounded. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price climbed 2.5% to US$33.63 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price rose 1.5% to US$35.27 a barrel. Higher U.S. gasoline demand supported oil prices.

Gold price pushes higher.

Gold miners such as Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) will be on watch after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.3% to US$1,731.70 an ounce. The precious metal pushed higher on concerns over U.S.-China tensions.

Costa annual general meeting.

The Costa Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: CGC) share price will be one to watch this morning when the horticulture company holds its annual general meeting. Costa is very likely to provide an update on how it is performing during the pandemic. Last month the company withdrew its guidance because of the crisis.

Nearmap rated as a buy.

The Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) share price could be on the move again on Friday after analysts at Goldman Sachs reaffirmed their buy rating on its shares. This follows the release of the aerial imagery technology and location data company’s market update on Thursday. The broker has increased its price target on Nearmap’s shares to $2.55.

More reading

• ASX 200 rises again, ASX banks push higher
• These ASX tech shares could take your portfolio to the next level
• Why ANZ, Blackmores, IDP Education, & Nearmap shares are racing higher
• Why the Nearmap share price has surged 15% higher today
• ASX 200 up 2.4%: Blackmores raises $92m, big four banks jump, Nearmap rockets

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended COSTA GRP FPO 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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