The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a shaky week last week, dominated by mixed earnings reports and some wild fluctuations in individual share prices. Earnings season is still in full swing, and we heard from a range of ASX shares last week in what was a mixed bag of results.

It was a volatile week for the ASX 200, which touched as high as 6,188 points and as low as 6,011 at various points. Despite these swings, the ASX 200 finished only  0.2% lower for the week.

It was a fast-paced and action-packed time, to be sure.

Some ASX 200 earnings tidbits

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) announced its third-quarter results and cancelled its interim dividend.

The WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price took off (up nearly 40% for the week) after the logistics company announced a 23% surge in revenue.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) also impressed with a bump in revenue and earnings and a hefty 14.6% increase for its dividend.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) was also in dividend investors’ good books last week. It announced a 77 cents per share dividend, as well as a special dividend of 18 cents per share, mostly funded from the sale of Coles shares that the company offloaded earlier in the year.

Another winner was Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD). Although the company announced an $8.2 million loss, there are signs of a recovery under way in the travel sector. That pushed up Corporate Travel shares up more than 20% for the week.

Meanwhile, a big loser for the week was Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE). After it was announced that China (a major market for Treasury) is considering possible tariffs on Australian wine over allegations of dumping, the company’s share price cratered more than 20%.

We also had some fairly momentous events over on the US markets as well. Hot stock Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TLSA) powered to over US$2,000 a share last week to yet another new all-time high. That helped push Tesla’s CEO (and major shareholder) Elon Musk’s net wealth to new heights. According to Forbes, Musk is now the world’s 5th richest person partly as a result. Tesla shares are now up more than 376% year to date

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) also passed a phenomenal milestone of its own, becoming the first publically-listed company to be valued at more than US$2 trillion when its share price passed US$473 last week. The shares closed on Friday night (our time) at close to US$500 a share, meaning Apple has now appreciated more than 65% in 2020 so far.

How did the markets end the week?

It was a topsy turvy week as companies’ earnings reports began trickling in. Overall, the ASX 200 saw a 0.2% drop for the week after starting out at 6,126.2 points and finishing up at 6,111.2 points. Monday saw a 0.8% drop, which Tuesday mirrored with a 0.8% rise. Wednesday saw the ASX 200 pile on another 0.7%, which took the index to its highest level since March at 6,167.1 points. This was erased on Thursday and Friday though, with falls of 0.8% and 0.14% respectively.

Meanwhile, in contrast to the ASX 200, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) eked out a small gain of 0.1% last week, after starting at 6,261.7 points and finishing up at 6,270.7 points. Since the All Ordinaries contains 500 ASX shares compared to the smaller ASX 200, its movements can often produce contrasting results.

Which ASX 200 shares were the biggest winners and losers?

Time now to get salacious and check out the ASX 200’s biggest winners and losers from the past week. So let’s get the kettle on and start with last week’s losers:

Worst ASX 200 losers	% loss for the week
Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)	(22.82%)
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (ASX: URW)	(12.89%)
Cooper Energy Ltd (ASX: COE)	(10%)
Resolute Mining Limited (ASX: RSG)	(9.52%)

As we flagged earlier, Treasury was the recipient of the wooden spoon last week over concerns that China is moving to restrict the importation of Aussie wine into China.

Struggling real estate investment trust (REIT) Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield also didn’t have a great week. Investors are apparently not convinced the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is behind the international owner of the Westfield brand.

Coopper Energy also had a shocker over issues with its bedfellow APA Group (ASX: APA) shutting down one of its gas pipelines.

Meanwhile, gold miner Resolute was sold off after political issues in Mali emerged involving a coup d’etat. Resolute has a large gold mine in the African country, so political instability isn’t good news.

Now with the bad news out of the way, lets now have a look at last week’s winners:

Best ASX 200 gainers	% gain for the week
WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)	39.99%
IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)	31.64%
Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND)	29.26%
Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD)	20.88%

Again, as we noted earlier, WiseTech was the week’s best share with an extraordinary 40% jump in market capitalisation after its well-received earnings report.

IDP Education also makes the list following a surprisingly good earnings report of its own. Investors clearly loved the company’s 29% increase for its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) that was revealed.

We’ve also already covered Corporate Travel, while engineering company Monadelphous benefitted from positive sentiment (including from brokers) after its own expectation-beating earnings.

What does this week look like for the ASX 200?

Earnings madness is set to continue this week, which will undoubtedly shape the ASX 200’s overall performance. Investors will be looking forward to seeing how companies like Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Appen Ltd (ASX: APX), Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG), Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) and Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) have been fairing when they release results this week. Considering the number of companies that have been forced to cut or cancel dividend in recent weeks, these payouts will form a major part of the reception of these earnings, particularly from blue chip ASX 200 shares like Fortescue and Woolworths.

I’m also keeping a close eye on coronavirus case numbers in New South Wales and Victoria this week, as any new developments (as always) have market-moving potential. The US Presidential election campaign is also heating up, so that also merits an increasingly watchful eye this week, in my view. As I discussed last week, we shouldn’t underestimate how much the US elections can have an impact on or own ASX.

Before we go, here’s a look at how the major ASX 200 blue chip shares are fairing as we start another week in paradise:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, here is the lay of the land for some leading market indicators:

•     S&P/ASX 200 (XJO) at 6,111.2 points
•     All Ordinaries (XAO) at 6,270.7 points
•     Dow Jones Industrial Average at 27,930.33 points after rising 0.69% on Friday night (our time)
•     Gold (Spot) swapping hands for US$1,940.89 per troy ounce
•     Iron ore asking US$121.78 per tonne
•     Crude oil (Brent) trading at US$44.35 per barrel
•     Crude oil (WTI) going for US$42.34 per barrel
•     Australian dollar buying 71.61 US cents
•    10-year Australian Government bonds yielding 0.87% per annum

Foolish takeaway

As we enter another week of warnings, I think keeping the following concept in mind is a great idea. Coronavirus brought a great deal of uncertainty to investors. We simply didn’t know how much the pandemic would affect each company.

Now, the curtains are finally being pulled back, it’s a great time to assess whether a company will suffer only in the short-term, or whether it might be in terminal decline. As always Fools, stay safe, stay rational and stay Foolish this week!

More reading

• These are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX
• 2 of the best ETFs for investing in ASX shares
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Why I would buy CBA and this top ASX dividend share
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week

Sebastian Bowen owns shares of National Australia Bank Limited, Newcrest Mining Limited, Ramsay Health Care Limited, Telstra Limited, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Apple and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd., Idp Education Pty Ltd, WiseTech Global, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited, Macquarie Group Limited, Telstra Limited, and Treasury Wine Estates Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO, APA Group, Appen Ltd, COLESGROUP DEF SET, Transurban Group, Wesfarmers Limited, and Woolworths Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple and Ramsay Health Care 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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On Friday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and finished the week with a small decline. The benchmark index fell 0.15% to 6,111.2 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX futures pointing lower.

The ASX 200 looks set to start the week in the red. According to the latest SPI futures, the benchmark index is poised to open the week 11 points or 0.2% lower. This is despite a solid finish to the week on Wall Street with all three major indices recording gains. The Dow Jones rose 0.7%, the S&P 500 climbed 0.35%, and the Nasdaq index pushed 0.4% higher.

Fortescue to declare big dividend?

The Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price will be on watch this morning when the iron ore producer releases its full year results. Because of its improving grades, strong iron ore prices, and its record shipments, expectations are high for Fortescue’s profits. As a result, analysts are forecasting a very generous full year dividend. Macquarie, for example, has forecast a fully franked dividend of ~$1.80 per share for FY 2020. This represents a 10% dividend yield.

Oil prices drop lower.

Energy producers such as Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could start the week in the red after oil prices dropped lower. According to Bloomberg, on Friday night the WTI crude oil price fell 1.1% to US$42.34 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price dropped 1.2% to US$44.35 a barrel. Despite this, oil prices recorded their fifth week of gains in the last six.

Gold price flat.

The shares of Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could be steady on Monday after a subdued night of trade for the gold price on Friday. According to CNBC, the spot gold price traded flat at US$1,947 an ounce.

NIB full year result

The NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF) share price will be one to watch this morning when it releases its full year results. According to CommSec, the private health insurer is expected to post a full year net profit after tax of just $95.02 million. Investors will no doubt also be looking for commentary around the positive and negative impacts of the pandemic on its financial performance.

More reading

• 5 blue chip ASX 200 shares a beginner can use to start a share portfolio
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 next week
• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares last week
• The ASX 200 fell 0.1% today, Suncorp shines

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended NIB Holdings 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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The market may have been out of form on Friday, but that didn’t stop some ASX shares from pushing higher.

Nor did it stop the three ASX shares listed below from climbing to new record highs. Here’s why these shares are flying high right now:

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

The Afterpay share price hit a record high of $82.00 on Friday. Investors were fighting to buy the payments company’s shares last week after a surprise upgrade to its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) guidance for FY 2020. According to the release, due to better than expected collections, its net transaction losses were far lower than first forecast. As a result, Afterpay is now forecasting EBITDA of approximately $44 million in FY 2020. This is a 76% to 120% increase on its previous EBITDA guidance of $20 million to $25 million.

Codan Limited (ASX: CDA)

The Codan share price continued its impressive run and hit a new all-time high of $11.08 last week. The catalyst for this was the release of an impressive full year result by the electronic products company. For FY 2020, Codan delivered record sales of $348 million thanks largely to strong metal detector demand. And on the bottom line, the company reported a record statutory net profit after tax of $64 million. This was an increase of 40% year on year. The exceptionally strong gold price has been supporting demand for its metal detectors.

Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK)

The Nick Scali share price was on form again last week and climbed to a record high of $9.41. Investors have been buying this furniture retailer’s shares since the release of a very positive full year result earlier this month. Although Nick Scali posted a 2.1% decline in sales, it managed to hold its profits steady at $42.1 million. However, what really got investors excited was its guidance for the first half. Following a very strong start to the financial year, Nick Scali is forecasting its first half profit “to be up by at least 50-60%” compared to the same period last year.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 next week
• Codan share price soars 16% thanks to record sales
• ASX 200 down 1%: Qantas results, Afterpay hits record high, Webjet crashes lower
• Why Afterpay, Codan, IDP Education, & Sonic shares are charging higher

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Why Afterpay and these ASX shares just hit record highs appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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If you’re wanting to add some dividend shares to your portfolio this week, then I think the two listed below could be top options.

Here’s why I think these dividend shares are in the buy zone:

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

The first ASX dividend share to consider buying is Commonwealth Bank. It remains my favourite in the banking sector due to the quality of its operations, its strong management team, and robust balance sheet. In respect to the latter, when it released its full year results earlier this month, it revealed a CET1 ratio of 11.6%. This is comfortably ahead of APRA’s ‘unquestionably strong’ benchmark of 10.5%.

Given the pandemic and the potential for APRA to place further restrictions on dividend payments in 2021, it is difficult to predict what dividend the bank will play next year. However, I would expect something in the region of $3.00 per share. Based on the Commonwealth Bank share price, this equates to a generous fully franked 4.3% yield.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

Another dividend share to consider buying is Rural Funds. It is a leading agriculture-focused real estate company which owns a collection of high quality rural assets. These assets are leased to some of the biggest names in the industry such as Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE).

I’m a big fan of Rural Funds because of its long leases and the periodic rental increases included in them. This gives the company great visibility on its future earnings and ultimately its distributions. In FY 2021 it intends to increase its distribution in line with its long term target of 4%. This will mean a distribution of 11.28 cents per share. Which based on the current Rural Funds share price, means a very attractive 5.15% yield.

More reading

• 2 of the best ASX dividend shares to buy next week
• 5 blue chip ASX 200 shares a beginner can use to start a share portfolio
• Where to invest your Commonwealth Bank dividends in September
• Which ASX bank share is the best buy for dividend income?
• This ASX fund manager is going back to value in a post-COVID world. Here’s why.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended RURALFUNDS STAPLED and Treasury Wine Estates 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.

The post Why I would buy CBA and this top ASX dividend share appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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I’m sure that many readers have aspirations to become a millionaire one day. While a lucky few may achieve this through winning the lottery, the odds are certainly not in your favour.

Instead, I would suggest readers grow their wealth by investing in the share market. Especially given how there are a number of ASX shares that have made regular investors millionaires over the last decade or two.

Take for example electronic design software company Altium Limited (ASX: ALU). Over the last 10 years the Altium share price has generated an average return of 66.4% per annum.

This means that a single $6,500 investment in 2010 would now be worth just over $1 million. 

But that was then and this is now. Which ASX shares could be future millionaire makers? My money would be on these ASX shares:

ELMO Software Ltd (ASX: ELO)

I think ELMO Software is worth looking closely at and could be a future millionaire maker. It is a cloud-based human resources and payroll software company that provides a unified platform to streamline processes for businesses. ELMO was a strong performer in FY 2020 despite the pandemic. It grew its annualised recurring revenue (ARR) by 19.7% to $55.1 million. The good news is that management expects similarly strong organic ARR growth in FY 2021. But perhaps even better is the mountain of cash the company is sitting on. It ended the period with a cash balance of $140 million, the bulk of which it plans to deploy on value accretive acquisitions in the near future. Looking longer term, I believe ELMO is well placed for long term growth thanks to its massive market opportunity and the continued shift to automated platforms.

Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA)

Another ASX share that I think could be a future millionaire maker is Nearmap. It is a leading aerial imagery technology and location data company. I believe it has enormous potential to dominate a highly fractured market and generate very strong returns for investors over the next decade. Especially given its high quality technology (which includes an excellent new AI offering), the cost savings it offers, and its significant global market opportunity.

Pushpay Holdings Group Ltd (ASX: PPH)

A final potential millionaire maker share is Pushpay. It is a donor management platform provider for the faith sector and has been growing at a rapid rate in recent years thanks to its leadership position in a niche but lucrative market. The good news is that this rapid growth doesn’t look likely to stop any time soon. Management has set itself a target of winning a 50% share of the medium to large church market in the future. This represents a US$1 billion revenue opportunity and is many times greater than FY 2020’s revenue of US$127.5 million. It also looks set to deliver improving margins in the coming years thanks to the benefits of scale and last year’s acquisition of Church Community Builder for total cash consideration of US$87.5 million. As a result, I expect its earnings growth to outpace its ARR growth this decade.

More reading

• 3 ASX growth shares to buy in September
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• Where to invest $100,000 into ASX shares right now
• At this share price is Pushpay a millionaire maker?
• 3 exciting mid cap ASX tech shares to buy for the long term

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 Altium and Elmo Software. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Nearmap Ltd. and PUSHPAY FPO NZX. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Elmo Software. 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 think there are a number of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) growth shares that have a place in a portfolio.

In my opinion, not every ASX 200 share is worth investing in. I think some ASX shares have quite limited medium-term profit growth prospects like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC).

But I think there are other ASX 200 growth shares that could generate strong returns:

A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M)

I think that A2 Milk could be the best value ASX 200 growth share. The infant formula business still has plenty of international growth potential in my opinion.

The FY20 result from A2 Milk was very strong. Total revenue increased by 32.8% to NZ$1.73 billion. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 32.9% to NZ$549.7 million. Net profit after tax (NPAT) rose by 34.1% to NZ$385.8 million.

What gives me hope for continued strong growth is that its distribution network continues to grow. In China its Chinese label infant formula nutrition has expanded to approximately 19,100 stores, compared to 18,300 at 31 December 2019. The US distribution network has grown to 20,300 stores, up from 17,500 at 31 December 2019 and 13,100 stores at 30 June 2019.

It can take a while for a consumer to try a new brand, so just the stores added this year alone could add to incremental growth for the ASX 200 share for the next few years.

I really like the growth potential into the Canadian market. An exclusive licensing agreement has been entered into with Agrifoods International Cooperative for the production, distribution, sales and marketing of A2 Milk branded liquid milk. The product has recently been launched to a number of customers in Western Canada.

A2 Milk is currently trading at 28x FY22’s estimated earnings.

Tassal Group Limited (ASX: TGR)

Tassal may not strike you as a growth share, but I think it continues to impress.

In FY20 the salmon and prawn business reported a number of good numbers. Operating EBITDA rose by 23.4% to $138.6 million with salmon operating EBITDA per kilo up by 4.3% to $3.29 (pre AASB 16).

The ASX 200 share reported that operating EBIT increased by 12.7% to $99.8 million and operating NPAT rose by 13.3%. Statutory net profit went up 18.3% to $69.1 million.

I’ve been impressed by the fish company’s ability to continue to grow its biomass and production efficiencies whilst boasting of “industry world best ESG initiatives”.

Fish is an important food source. With many other protein sources potentially being disrupted by COVID-19, demand for salmon could continue to rise.

In FY21 the company is looking to reduce costs with salmon after the improvements at its farming operations. In prawns it’s looking to increase its harvest volumes to around 4,000 tonnes to lift prawn earnings and generate “substantial growth”.

As a bonus, Tassal offers a partially franked dividend yield of 4.7%.

At the current Tassal share price it’s trading at 10x FY22’s estimated earnings.

Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)

Brickworks may not instantly strike you instantly as an ASX 200 growth share, but I think it should be considered as one.

The company has a number of growth initiatives which could grow its valuation into the future. The ASX 200 share has a strong existing Australian building products business with categories like bricks, roofing, paving, masonry, precast and so on. Brickworks’ Australian earnings can rise as Australia’s cities grow and renew.

I’m excited by the other avenues of growth. Brickworks recently invested into three brickmaking businesses in the US. I thought these acquisitions were a good idea – it made Brickworks the biggest player in the north east of the country. The United States is a much larger market than Australia, so it adds a lot of addressable market for Brickworks. The company can also improve efficiencies there significantly.

Brickworks currently owns around 40% of investment house Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) which owns a portfolio of defensive assets with good growth potential. Soul Patts is an ASX 200 share itself and provides Brickworks with rising dividends and a growing asset base.

The company owns a 50% stake of an industrial property trust along with Goodman Group (ASX: GMG). That industrial trust is investing in building large distribution centres for Coles Group Limited (ASX: COL) and Amazon, which should deliver a sizeable increase in the rental income and value of the trust.

At the current Brickworks share price it offers a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.8%.

More reading

• 3 ASX share reports I loved this week
• Is the A2 Milk share price still a good buy after strong full year results?
• The ASX 200 fell 0.1% today, Suncorp shines
• ASX 200 flat: Suncorp surges higher, A2 Milk acquisition plans, TPG’s half year update
• Why a2 Milk, Coca-Cola Amatil, Star, & Suncorp shares are charging higher

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of A2 Milk and 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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Once again, a large number of broker notes hit the wires last week. Some of these notes were positive and some were bearish.

Three sell ratings that caught my eye are summarised below. Here’s why top brokers think investors ought to sell these shares next week:

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their sell rating but lifted the price target on this pizza chain operator’s shares to $59.60. While the broker was pleased with its growth in FY 2020 and notes that the new financial year has started strongly, it has concerns over a lack of operating leverage and its valuation. It notes that the company’s shares are trading at a significant premium to the market average. The Domino’s share price ended the week at $85.00.

InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC)

A note out of the Macquarie equities desk reveals that its analysts have retained their underperform rating and cut the price target on this funeral company’s shares to $9.00. This follows the release of its half year results last week. Macquarie expects the tough trading conditions to persist in the near term and has downgraded its earnings estimates accordingly. In light of this poor form, it feels a rerating to higher multiples is off the cards for some time. The InvoCare share price last traded at $10.23.

Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN)

Analysts at Credit Suisse have retained their underperform rating and $3.00 price target on this airline operator’s shares. According to the note, the broker believes there could be upside for its shares over the next couple of years. However, it doesn’t see the current Qantas share price as an attractive entry point and thinks investors should keep their powder dry. Especially given how uncertain the recovery in travel markets is. Qantas shares were changing hands for $3.90 on Friday.

More reading

• WiseTech and 2 more ASX shares outperforming this earnings season
• Should you buy ASX shares before or after reporting season?
• Why I’d buy the Domino’s share price at an all-time high
• The latest ASX 200 stocks hit by broker downgrades
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited and InvoCare 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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A new month is upon us, so what better time to consider an addition or two to your portfolio.

If you’re interested in growth shares then I think the three shares listed below could be worth considering in September. Here’s why I like them:

BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

The first ASX growth share to consider buying is actually an exchange traded fund (ETF) that gives investors access to a group of the most promising technology companies in the Asian market. A total of 50 of the largest technology and ecommerce companies that have their main area of business in Asia (excluding Japan) are included in the fund. These include tech giants such as Alibaba, Baidu, JD.com, and Tencent Holdings. BetaShares notes that due to its younger, tech-savvy population, Asia is surpassing the West in respect to technological adoption. As a result, the sector is anticipated to remain a growth sector for a long time to come. I believe this bodes well for the 50 companies included in the fund.

NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

A second growth share to consider buying is NEXTDC. It is an innovative data centre-as-a-service provider with a growing network of centres in key locations across Australia. NEXTDC has been a very strong performer this year because of the accelerating shift to the cloud. This has driven exceptionally strong demand for its services and appears to have positioned the company to deliver stellar profit growth in the coming years. The company also has the option to accelerate its growth through further expansions in capacity, its network, and perhaps even into the Asia market. Overall, I believe the NEXTDC share price could be a market beater over the 2020s.

Pushpay Holdings Group Ltd (ASX: PPH)

A final growth share that I would buy is Pushpay. It is a donor management platform provider for the faith, not-for-profit, and education sectors which has carved out a big slice of the massive U.S. market in recent years. Pleasingly, thanks to the quality of its platform, it appears well-placed to continue growing its share over the 2020s. Especially given the US$87.5 million acquisition of church management system provider Church Community Builder last year. This acquisition has strengthened its offering and looks set to support margin expansion over the coming years. And while the Pushpay share price may have doubled in value over the last 12 months, I don’t believe it is too late to invest. I’m confident its shares can still go materially higher from here over the next decade.

More reading

• Where to invest $25,000 into ETFs right now
• At this share price is Pushpay a millionaire maker?
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF and 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.

The post 3 ASX growth shares to buy in September appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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Last week saw a large number of broker notes hitting the wires once again. Three buy ratings that caught my eye are summarised below.

Here’s why brokers think investors ought to buy them next week:

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have retained their overweight rating and $101.00 price target on this payments company’s shares following its guidance upgrade. The broker was pleased with this development. In addition to this, the broker believes the company was operating with conservative credit settings during the second half and would have delivered an even stronger result if the economic environment were more certain. I agree with Morgan Stanley and feel Afterpay would be a great buy and hold option. Though, I would suggest investors restrict an investment to just a small part of a balanced portfolio.

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

Analysts at UBS have retained their buy rating and lifted the price target on this biotherapeutics company’s shares to $346.00. This follows an FY 2020 result which was in line with expects and positive guidance for the year ahead. Overall, it appears to see a decent risk/reward on offer with its shares at the current level. I would have to agree with UBS on this one and believe CSL is a great option for investors.

Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA)

A note out of Citi reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and lifted the price target on this aerial imagery technology and location data company’s shares to $3.00. According to the note, the broker has lifted its estimates in FY 2021 to account for stronger annualised contract value. The broker also notes that Nearmap is aiming to achieve positive cash flow in the new financial year. I think Citi is spot on and Nearmap could be a great option for investors.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 next week
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• Buy CSL and these quality ASX blue chip shares today

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 CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Nearmap Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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I think that it makes a lot of sense to invest money into exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

ETFs allow investors to take a passive approach to investing into the share market without having to make the decisions about what shares to buy and sell – the ETF does it automatically.

An ETF is usually the type of investment that you could make and hold for many years, perhaps for the rest of your life.

They can give you good diversification with a single investment, which lowers risks.

Here are the ones I’d buy with $25,000 today:

Betashares Ftse 100 ETF (ASX:F100) – $5,000

This one is invested in the largest 100 businesses on the UK share market. In many ways the ASX is similar to the London Stock Exchange, although the UK has a few more global businesses than Australia.

Looking at the top holdings, these are the biggest 10 exposures: Astrazeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, Diageo, British American Tobacco, BP, Rio Tinto, Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser and Royal Dutch Shell.

I like the diversification offered by the London Stock Exchange – there isn’t a heavy focus on financials and materials.

The UK share market has been through a tough time in recent years due to Brexit, but I think there’s good value there. Be greedy when others are fearful, as the saying goes.

When COVID-19 passes I think this ETF could pay a very attractive dividend to investors.

BetaShares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY) – $15,000

This is one of my favourite ETF ideas these days. I think a focus on quality should generate good results. Indeed, this ETF has performed very well since inception in November 2018, it has produced net returns of 18.8% per annum.

Its investments come from across the world. Whilst around two thirds of the portfolio is invested in (multi-national) US shares, it’s also invested in businesses in various other countries like Japan, Switzerland, France, Denmark and so on.

Businesses have to rank well on four metrics to make into the portfolio: return on equity (ROE), debt to capital, cash flow generation ability and earnings stability.

A group of businesses that do well on all of these metrics are likely to generate solid total shareholder returns.

What businesses make it into the holdings? The biggest positions are: Apple, Nvidia, Adobe, Accenture, Facebook, Intuit, Nike, Intuitive Surgical, Texas Instruments and Alphabet (Google).

I like that it’s not just focused on one country, one region or one industry. Plus, you get the high-quality exposure for an annual fee of just 0.35% per annum.

BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA) – $5,000

Asia is a huge part of the global economy, I think it could be a mistake to largely ignore the whole region, which many ETFs do.

There are plenty of China risks when it comes to this ETF. Chinese businesses make up more than half of this ETF. However, I think the reward potential is higher if you focus on just the technology shares listed in Asia.

I think the Asian tech giants are the equal to technology giants in the US. Indeed, technology adoption is high in Asia and that’s helping the Asian tech businesses grow at a fast pace. 

These are some of the largest positions in the Asian technology ETF: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Meituan Dianping, Alibaba, Tencent, Samsung, JD.com, Netease, Infosys, Pinduoduo and Sea.

This ETF has been a strong performer – over the past year it has returned 56% after fees, and since inception in September 2018 it has returned 27.8% per annum.

The annual management fee is 0.67% per annum, which is on the pricier end of possible ETFs, but it would cost a lot more if we invested through an active manager.

Foolish takeaway

I like each of these ETFs. I particularly like the global quality ETF – it’s the type of investment that one could seemingly hold for many years and see strong returns. But I think the other two ETFs offer good income and growth prospects respectively.

More reading

• 3 high quality international ETFs for ASX investors to buy right now
• Have $3,000 to invest? Try these 2 dirt-cheap ASX shares
• 2 fantastic ETFs for ASX growth investors to buy today
• 2 exciting high-growth ETFs to buy for high returns today
• 2 ASX shares I would buy for growth and income

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers 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.

The post Where to invest $25,000 into ETFs right now appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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