Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares are having a rough start to the week after the gold miner announced another change to its senior leadership team.

At the time of writing, the Northern Star share price is down 5.45% to $23.43.

The stock opened at $23.71 and has fallen as low as $23.37 during the session, after closing at $24.78 on Friday.

The S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR) is also having a weak day, falling around 2%.

So, what has changed at Northern Star?

Another executive is leaving

According to the release, Northern Star chief financial officer Ryan Gurner will leave the company on 30 November after more than 11 years with the gold miner.

Gurner was appointed deputy CEO in July and only stepped into the interim CEO role on 29 August following the departure of long-time boss Stuart Tonkin.

He will stay in the top job until Suresh Vadnagra starts as managing director and CEO on 5 October.

After that, Gurner will return to his CFO role and help with the leadership handover before leaving Northern Star at the end of November.

General manager of finance, Philip Coetzer, has been appointed acting CFO while Gurner is serving as interim CEO.

The company will also begin looking for a permanent replacement in the CFO role.

Chairman Michael Chaney thanked Gurner for his contribution, saying his “financial acumen, integrity and leadership” had played a significant role in Northern Star’s growth.

Plenty of changes at the top

The latest announcement adds to what has already been a busy few months across Northern Star’s leadership team.

Tonkin finished up last week after more than a decade with the company, while Vadnagra is preparing to take over in October.

Chaney is also due to retire at the annual general meeting in November, with Michael Ashforth set to become chairman.

All of this is happening while activist investor Elliott Management continues to push for changes at the gold miner.

Elliott has criticised Northern Star over operational issues, cost overruns, and its strategic direction, while calling for changes to the board and a wider review of the business.

Earlier this month, it also released a list of potential directors it would like to see considered, including former Anglo American chief executive, Mark Cutifani.

Foolish takeaway

Today’s fall comes after a strong run through August.

Northern Star shares are still almost 18% higher over the past month, although they remain down roughly 12% since the start of 2026.

The stock is also well below its 52-week high of $31.96.

The post Northern Star shares slide 5% as investors digest another surprise appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.

Leading ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be the best way to invest in this period of uncertainty. I believe high-quality stocks are more likely to deliver satisfactory returns.

The two ASX ETFs I’m going to highlight have among the highest quality portfolios due to how they choose their holdings.

Over the long-term, I think the two funds below are extremely attractive.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

This ASX ETF aims to give investors exposure to a portfolio of high-quality US companies, which is where many of the leading global companies are listed.

The MOAT ETF uses a two-step process to ensure it maintains a high-quality portfolio that can perform over the long term.

Firstly, the fund wants to invest in businesses that have wide economic moats (competitive advantages). To achieve a wide economic rating, Morningstar analysts need to think that the company’s economic moat will almost certainly endure for the next decade and more likely than not for the next two decades.

In other words, these are some of the best, long-term companies that we can find in the US.

Competitive advantages can come in a variety of forms, such as cost advantages, intangible assets (patents, brands, regulatory licenses), switching costs, network effect, and efficient scale.

The second factor that the MOAT ETF looks for is a compelling valuation. Target companies must be trading at attractive prices relative to Morningstar’s estimate of fair value.

Over the long term, this ASX ETF has performed strongly for investors. Over the past 10 years, the MOAT ETF has returned an average of 14.3% per year. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance, of course.

Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY)

The other fund I want to highlight is the QLTY ETF, which uses multiple factors to decide which are the highest-quality stocks in the world and invests in the top ones.

The four factors that go into choosing stocks for the portfolio include a high return on equity (ROE), low debt levels, earnings stability, and cash flow generation.

A high ROE says that the business earns a high level of profit for how much shareholder money is retained within the business. It may also suggest the business can generate strong returns on future additional retained earnings.

Having low levels of debt is likely a great sign of business health and helps it weather economic uncertainty.

Earnings stability helps protect the business during downturns (and perhaps it means less volatility for the share price, too). Plus, if earnings don’t fall, then that likely means profit is rising, which can help power shareholder returns.

Finally, cash flow is the best sign that a company’s profit generation is turning into real money that’s flowing into the bank account.

With 150 holdings from across the world, I think the ASX ETF offers pleasing diversification with good potential returns. Since inception in November 2018, the QLTY ETF has returned an average of 13.6% per year.  

The post 2 incredible ASX ETFs I’d buy for long-term returns appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 strong ASX ETFs I’d buy to try and beat the market
• Why these ASX ETFs are on my watchlist
• Here are 3 top Betashares ETFs I’d buy now
• 3 strong ASX ETFs for smart investors to buy and hold
• 2 amazing ASX ETFs I’d buy and hold for the next decade

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. 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 recommended VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is trading close to flat on Monday.

At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.03% to 9,089 points after closing Friday at 9,092.3 points.

The ASX 200 climbed as high as 9,122 points earlier in the session before dropping to 9,055 points.

It also remains around 2% below the record high reached earlier this month.

So, what is keeping the ASX 200 close to flat today?

The banks are having a strong day

The ‘big four’ banks are doing plenty of the work keeping the ASX 200 around the flat line.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares are up 2.22% to $160.74, while Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares have climbed 2.63% to $34.79.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares are 2.17% higher at $39.12, and ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares have gained 2.31% to $37.58.

However, with the banks carrying such large weightings in the index, those gains are helping offset weakness across a number of other sectors.

At the latest check, 101 stocks were lower, 91 were higher, and 8 were unchanged.

Gold miners are getting hit

The other side of the market looks very different, with gold and mining shares among the biggest losers.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares are down 5.27% to $23.48, while Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) shares have fallen 5.90% to $14.75.

Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) shares are also down 4.99% to $16.37, and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have dropped 2.30% to $65.75.

Gold tanked late last week after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh warned that price pressures remained a concern and interest rates may need to rise again.

Warsh said inflation still needs to return to the Fed’s 2% target, which sent bond yields higher and lifted expectations for another rate hike.

More pressure from overseas

The lead from overseas is not helping much either.

US futures are pointing lower ahead of Monday’s session, with S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) futures down around 0.5% and Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) futures around 0.7% lower.

Oil prices have also moved higher after US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about another escalation in the region.

Brent crude futures are trading around US$89 a barrel.

That is helping energy shares hold up better.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares are up 1.05% to $8.21, and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are 0.93% higher at $32.57.

The post Why the ASX 200 is struggling today despite a bank share rally appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• 5 superannuation mistakes that could shrink your nest egg
• Are ASX bank shares a buy in September?
• ASX 200 mining shares outperform in final week of earnings season
• Could ASX shares crash? 5 questions every investor should ask now

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.