The share market naturally draws attention towards businesses promising rapid growth or the next major breakthrough.

But building wealth does not always require that sort of excitement.

I think some of the best long-term investments can be companies doing fairly ordinary things, provided they keep doing them well for many years.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Selling groceries is hardly a new business idea.

But that is one reason I like Coles as a long-term investment. Australians need food regardless of which technology trend is dominating the headlines or where we are in the economic cycle.

The opportunity comes from improving a huge existing operation.

Coles has invested heavily in automated distribution and fulfilment centres, which can help move products more efficiently through its network and support the continued growth of online shopping.

Even modest improvements can become meaningful when they are applied across hundreds of stores and millions of customer visits.

I think Coles can continue growing earnings by making its operations more efficient, improving the shopping experience, and serving a gradually expanding Australian population.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Toll roads are another business that may not generate much excitement, but I think the economics can be attractive over long periods.

This ASX share owns and operates major roads in Australia and North America.

These are pieces of infrastructure used by commuters and businesses every day, often in cities where congestion makes additional road capacity valuable.

Traffic can grow as populations increase, while toll prices generally rise according to agreements attached to each road.

Transurban can also invest in expansions and new projects when suitable opportunities arise.

I think that gives the business a fairly straightforward way to become more valuable over time.

For shareholders, dividends can provide income along the way, while the underlying road network remains difficult for competitors to recreate.

Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL)

Sonic Healthcare provides pathology and diagnostic services across several countries. Again, I wouldn’t say there is anything fashionable about this.

Doctors need tests to diagnose illnesses, monitor patients, and make treatment decisions. As populations grow and age, I think the amount of diagnostic testing required over time should increase.

This ASX share has built a large global network of laboratories and medical professionals, allowing it to serve healthcare systems at significant scale.

The company can also continue expanding through M&A, an approach it has used for many years.

For me, this is the sort of business that does not require extraordinary assumptions about the future. If demand for healthcare keeps increasing and Sonic continues operating well, there should be opportunities to grow.

Foolish takeaway

I would never dismiss an ASX share investment simply because the underlying business sounds boring.

Groceries, toll roads, and pathology testing all solve needs that are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

If a company can keep serving those needs, reinvest sensibly, and increase earnings over many years, shareholders can still end up with an excellent result.

That is the type of quiet compounding I would be happy to have working in my portfolio.

The post Why I think these boring ASX shares could build serious wealth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Coles stock vs Woolworths shares: Who had the better dividend this week?
• 9 ASX 200 shares with strengthened buy ratings this week
• 3 high-yield ASX dividend shares to buy with $10,000
• How much passive income can I earn off a $1 million superannuation balance?
• 37 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) has just delivered an FY26 result that strengthens my confidence in its long-term growth story.

The company is investing heavily to meet rising demand for data centre capacity, and artificial intelligence is giving that opportunity another powerful push.

For me, the latest numbers support a buy.

The forward order book is the standout

I think the most important figure in NEXTDC’s FY26 result was not revenue or profit.

It was the 565MW forward order book, up sharply over the year. This represents contracted capacity that has not yet started billing, and every megawatt is backed by a binding customer commitment.

I think this gives investors much better visibility over where growth can come from next.

NEXTDC expects 197MW of that capacity to begin billing in FY27 and another 221MW in FY28. Together, that would convert almost three-quarters of the current forward order book within two years.

The company estimates its existing contracted utilisation could eventually generate more than $1 billion of EBITDA, without assuming any additional customer wins.

For me, that shows just how much growth is already locked into the pipeline.

Artificial intelligence is changing the scale of demand

The artificial intelligence (AI) boom is a major reason I think NEXTDC can keep growing beyond those existing commitments.

Training and running advanced AI models requires enormous amounts of computing power, which in turn creates demand for data centres capable of handling high-density workloads.

NEXTDC says AI, cloud providers, hyperscalers, and newer specialised cloud operators are all contributing to strong demand. Its facilities are being designed for advanced computing environments, including the higher power densities and cooling requirements associated with AI infrastructure.

This is not simply a case of hoping AI demand eventually arrives. NEXTDC’s contracted utilisation has already climbed to 740.1MW on a pro forma basis, more than triple the level a year earlier.

I think that provides tangible evidence that customers are committing significant capital to this infrastructure now.

FY27 could show the next step

Management expects FY27 net revenue to rise by 52% to 58%, while underlying EBITDA is forecast to increase by 55% to 65%.

Those are substantial growth rates for a company already operating data centres across Australia and expanding internationally.

There are risks. NEXTDC expects to spend between $5.25 billion and $5.75 billion in FY27, making execution, financing, construction, and access to power important areas to watch.

But much of that spending is being directed towards capacity customers have already contracted.

Foolish takeaway

I would buy NEXTDC shares following the FY26 result.

The AI boom is creating enormous demand for computing infrastructure, and NEXTDC now has a record amount of contracted capacity waiting to become revenue.

The investment will require patience as the company builds that capacity, but I think the scale of the opportunity has become much clearer.

If NEXTDC delivers on its current pipeline and keeps winning AI-related demand, I believe it could be a considerably larger business by the end of the decade.

The post Would I buy NEXTDC shares after its strong FY26 results? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX data centre stocks rated a buy
• 9 ASX 200 shares with strengthened buy ratings this week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• NEXTDC share price in focus after record FY26 earnings and strong outlook
• Investing in AI stocks on the ASX? Here’s what you should buy

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

A new report from Global X has identified that Australian investors have used gold’s recent pullback as a buying opportunity. 

After record outflows from Australian gold-related exchange traded funds in June, local investors changed course in July. 

Gold has long been a safe-haven asset for Australian investors, which contributed to its boom over the course of 2025 and into 2026. 

According to the report, investors allocated a combined $334 million to gold bullion and gold miners ETFs during the month, making it the fourth-strongest month on record for the combined category.

Why has gold rallied?

According to Global X, the reversal suggests investors viewed the weakness as an opportunity rather than a reason to abandon gold. 

Gold climbed above US$4,600 an ounce this week, reaching a three-month high, while Bitcoin rallied towards US$77,000. Both moves accelerated after the US Treasury announced that it would at least double the maximum size of selected buyback operations for longer-dated government securities, from US$2 billion to at least US$4 billion per operation.

These operations allow the Treasury to repurchase older, less actively traded bonds, helping improve liquidity in the market. They are not the same as the US Federal Reserve printing money or launching quantitative easing, nor do they eliminate the government’s debt burden.

Gold can appeal in this environment because it is scarce, globally recognised and not issued by a government.

Not a unique situation 

This behaviour is not unique to precious metals. 

Australian investors have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to invest during market weakness when they believe the long-term case remains intact. 

A similar pattern emerged in Australian technology stocks between October 2025 and April 2026, when concerns about artificial intelligence disruption contributed to a decline of more than 40%. Investors continued adding exposure through the drawdown.

That same “buy-the-dip” mentality now appears to be extending to gold.

How to invest in gold?

For investors looking to add exposure to gold in their portfolio’s, there are several options. 

One strategy is to target specific gold miners. 

Some popular options include: 

• Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) – One of the largest gold mining companies in the world. 
• Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) – Large mining company with projects in Australia and the United States.

Another option is to target ASX ETFs that track the price of physical gold. 

One such fund is the Global X Physical Gold (ASX: GOLD) fund. 

It aims to deliver a return mirroring the growth in the Australian dollar gold price. 

Another option that targets miners rather than the physical gold price is the BetaShares Global Gold Miners ETF – Currency Hedged (ASX: MNRS). 

It targets the largest global gold mining companies (ex-Australia). 

The post Why gold stocks have regained their shine: Expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Northern Star shares are closing in on $25. Can the rally keep going?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• 37 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• 2 ASX 200 shares I’d buy and 2 I’d avoid amid a surging Aussie dollar

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.