On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and sank into the red. The benchmark index fell 1% to 9,038.2 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise

The Australian share market looks set for a positive session on Friday following a strong night of trade in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 11 points higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 0.2%, the S&P 500 rose 0.7%, and the Nasdaq jumped 1.55%.

Oil prices rise

ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)could have a good finish to the week after oil prices rose overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.55% to US$83.51 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.9% to US$89.52 a barrel. This follows news that the White House has stated there are no US-Iran peace talks happening.

NextDC results

NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares will be on watch on Friday after the data centre operator released its FY 2026 results. The company reported a 16% increase in revenue to $405 million and a 15% lift in underlying EBITDA to $248.8 million. Both were ahead of management’s guidance range for FY 2026. This was driven by a record 202% increase in contracted utilisation to 740.1MW.

Gold price edges higher

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) could have a decent finish to the week after the gold price edged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.1% to US$4,657.6 an ounce. This may have been driven by easing interest rate hike expectations.

Sigma Healthcare upgraded

Chemist Warehouse owner Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) could be an ASX 200 share to buy according to Bell Potter. This morning, in response to its results, the broker has upgraded the company’s shares to a buy rating with a $3.00 price target. It said: “The obvious overhang on the stock is the potential sell down by founders now that their 5.0bn share are out of escrow. Nevertheless the earnings outlook remains exceptionally strong with debt leverage falling and dividends likely to grow. Execution on the merger between the legacy Sigma and CWG appears to have been well executed by the highly skilled management team.”

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nextdc and Woodside Energy Group Ltd. 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.

ASX dividend shares are a simple way for Australian investors to earn a regular passive income.

But because there are so many on offer, all yielding different amounts, it can be difficult to find the best ones to invest in.

Here are two of my top ASX dividend stock picks. And they all both pay their shareholders a yield of 8% or more.

BetaShares Australian Top 20 Equities Yield Maximiser Complex ETF (ASX: YMAX)

Unlike many ASX shares listed on the sharemarket, YMAX is an ASX-listed exchange-traded fund (ETF). That means that it’s not a straight company stock, but instead it gives its shareholders exposure to Australia’s 20 largest blue-chip shares. 

The fund uses a covered call strategy to generate extra income that is typically higher than dividend yields alone. It generally offers lower volatility than a direct investment in the underlying shares. It does not aim to track an index.

YMAX’s largest allocation is to the financial sector, which accounts for 45.8% of its allocation at the time of writing. The materials sector is second, accounting for 22.7% of the ETF.

The fund also invests into the consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, industrials, real estate, communications, and healthcare sectors. 

Aside from diversification, YMAX offers another perk that many other ASX shares on the index don’t. It pays its shareholders a dividend every single month.  

As of the 31st of July, the YMAX ETF has a 12-month gross distribution yield of 8.6%, and a net yield of 7.3%. The total franking level is 41.2%.

The ASX dividend share’s most recent dividend was a 5 cents per unit payment to shareholders in mid-August. It has paid between 3.5 cents and 5 cents per share since it moved to monthly payouts in February this year. Prior to this, YMAX paid shareholders on a quarterly basis.

Metrics Master Income Trust (ASX: MXT)

The Metrics Master Income Trust is a listed investment trust (LIT) which gives direct exposure to the Australian corporate loan market. This is a space currently dominated by regulated Australian banks.

Rather than owning a portfolio of ASX shares, the trust has a portfolio of corporate loans and private credit investments (an increasingly popular asset class for income-focused investors). It currently manages around $40 billion in assets.

Metrics Master Income Trust said it targets a return of the Reserve Bank cash rate plus 3.25% per annum through the economic cycle. This is net of around 7.60% per annum fees. 

Distributions are paid monthly, and there is also a distribution reinvestment plan (DRP). The plan allows its investors to reinvest their monthly income distributions.

The Trust’s most recent unfranked dividend of 1.44 cents was paid to shareholders earlier this month. The latest dividend means that the fund has paid 12 dividends to investors over the past 12 months, totalling 15.8 cents per share. At the time of writing, this gives the trust a dividend yield of 8.18%.

The post 2 ASX dividend shares yielding 8% (or higher) appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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.

Two ASX fintech shares stand out to me for their potentially enormous US growth opportunities. While both companies already have established businesses, their exposure to the world’s largest economy could provide another leg of growth.

For investors seeking ASX shares with international ambitions, Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) and Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) are two names worth considering.

Xero: first moves in US$29 billion market

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software company that helps small and medium-sized businesses manage accounting, invoicing, payments, payroll and other financial tasks.

Australia and New Zealand provided Xero with its foundation, while the UK has developed into another substantial market. The company finished FY26 with 4.92 million customers globally, an impressive customer base for a company that began in New Zealand less than two decades ago.

Yet, Xero estimates its total addressable market at around 100 million small and medium-sized businesses worldwide.

The US could therefore be crucial to the next phase of growth for these ASX fintech shares. Xero had approximately 424,000 US customers at the end of FY26, leaving plenty of room to expand in one of management’s three most important markets.

The acquisition of US billing platform Melio has strengthened Xero’s US proposition by allowing businesses to manage outgoing payments directly through its platform. Management estimates the US small-business payments opportunity alone at US$29 billion.

Xero’s combination of accounting, payments and payroll gives customers more reasons to stay within its ecosystem. Its JAX artificial intelligence platform could provide another growth engine by automating financial tasks and helping customers make better decisions using their existing data.

There are risks, including intense US competition and the need to integrate Melio successfully.

Zip: US is only source of customer growth

Zip is a fintech company that provides buy now, pay later and digital payment services to consumers and merchants. It is also another ASX fintech share with a rapidly expanding US opportunity. The US is already its biggest source of growth, accounting for around two-thirds of revenue in FY26.

Total revenue increased 24.7%, including 37.3% growth in the US in Australian dollar terms. In US dollar terms, US revenue climbed 44.3%, compared with just 4.6% revenue growth in ANZ.

The US is also Zip’s only source of customer growth. US active customers increased 9.3% to 4.65 million, while ANZ active customers declined 8% to 1.88 million. For FY27, Zip expects US total transaction value growth of more than 30%.

Importantly, Zip isn’t simply growing revenue. Operating leverage is helping profits grow substantially faster. Cash gross profit rose 26.2% to $642.3 million in FY26, while cash operating profit jumped 57.9% to $268.9 million.

That combination of strong US growth and improving profitability makes Zip one of the ASX fintech shares I think investors should keep on their radar.

The post 2 ASX fintech shares to buy for their huge US growth potential appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 excellent ASX shares I’d buy for long-term wealth creation
• What on earth’s going on with Xero shares?
• 2 ASX shares tipped to grow 60% or more in the next 12 months
• 3 reasons why the Zip share price could be a great buy
• Brokers name the ASX 200 winners and losers from the first half of reporting season

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