The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has made a 4th week of gains to keep the extraordinary new share market bull run alive.

Despite 2 days of red ink on Thursday and Friday offsetting the strong gains we saw earlier in the week, the ASX 200 still managed to power ahead and finish the week with a 1.71% gain.

It was the big miners that underpinned much of the ASX ‘s positive momentum. Production slowdowns in the iron-heavy Brazilian mining industry prompted an explosion in the iron ore price last week. This pushed the shares of the big ASX iron miners to new highs. Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) even reached a new all-time high of $14 at market open on Thursday.

Fellow mining giants BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) didn’t make new highs but still joined the party with 8.37% and 6.99% gains for the week, respectively.

ASX responds to good news

In other news, the ongoing lifting of coronavirus-related restrictions throughout the economy is continuing to flow through to investor sentiment. As were persistent rumors of a potentially successful candidate for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Last week, it was announced the ski season will be going ahead in Victoria. New South Wales is also preparing to allow the reopening of gyms and beauty facilities after pubs were allowed to open their doors again recently. This steady drip-feed of good economic news is also likely playing a part in the wall of confidence ASX investors are building.

All of this ‘good news’ was enough to offset an eruption of tensions between Australia and China last week. After Australia called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, China responded by denouncing Australia’s foreign policy and slapping an 80% tariff on Australian exports of barley (although China claims this is ‘unrelated’). Barley is not the only valuable commodity Australia sends China’s way, and these tensions (combined with some healthy speculation) were behind the more subdued market activity on Thursday and Friday last week.

How did the markets end the week?

As already mentioned, the ASX 200 had a relatively strong week overall. Commencing on Monday at 5,404.8 points, it concluded the week 1.71% higher on Friday at 5,497 points.

Monday and Tuesday were by far the week’s strongest trading days, with the ASX 200 chalking up gains of 1% and 1.81% respectively (the latter being the best day for the ASX 200 in May so far). Wednesday also brought a day in the green – albeit one far milder. Then Thursday and Friday saw shares backtrack significantly. Thursday saw the ASX 200 lose 0.4%, whilst Friday saw a heavier loss of 1% overall. It still wasn’t enough to nullify the earlier gains of the week or snap the ASX 200’s ‘4 out of 4’ streak of weeks in the green.

Meanwhile, the All Ordinaries (ASX: XAO) also had a strong week. It rose 2.1% from 5,492.8 points on Monday to 5,608.8 points on Friday.

Which ASX shares were the biggest winners and losers?

Let’s get into the Foolish ‘gossip pages’ and see which ASX shares were the week’s biggest winners and losers. As always, let’s start with the losers!

Worst ASX losers	% loss for the week
Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (ASX: SXL)	12.5%
Austal Limited (ASX: ASB)	8.3%
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (ASX: URW)	7.9%
NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF)	6.5%

As you can see, Southern Cross Media once again gets the wooden spoon this week. This advertising company has been hit extremely hard during the coronavirus crisis as advertising dollars dry up or head to cheaper alternatives. Closing at just 14 cents per share on Friday, Southern Cross Media shares are now down around 78% since mid-February.

The pain also continues for shipbuilder Austal, which investors apparently still haven’t forgiven for being passed over for a major multi-billion-dollar U.S. Navy defense contract. Austal shares still aren’t quite at the lows we saw in March, but that 52-week high is slipping further and further away nonetheless.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield had another shocker as well and closed on Friday at $3.49 per share. This represents a post-merger all-time low for the European retailing giant.

With the losers out of the way, let’s have a look at last week’s winners!

Best ASX gainers	% gain for the week
NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH)	30.2%
Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA)	22%
Lynas Corporation Ltd (ASX: LYC)	21.8%
Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE)	21.7%

Leading the winning pack last week was infrastructure company NRW Holdings, which surged over 30%, despite falling more than 9% before close on Friday. The catalyst for this move was an earnings update, which mightily impressed investors with record revenue numbers. Despite this move, the NRW share price is still down more than 35% from its pre-March highs.

Also joining the party this week was aerial mapping software provider Nearmap, which saw its shares surge last week despite there being no tangible reason for celebration. Nearmap shares have more than doubled since hitting multi-year lows in March, so perhaps more investors are simply trying to jump on the bandwagon with this one.

Lithium miner Lynas was also a beneficiary of investors’ affections this week, along with Orocobre and the other ASX lithium stocks. Lithium miners have had a hard couple of years, so investors might be seeing some value in the rock-bottom prices this sector has been throwing up of late.

What is this week looking like for the ASX 200?

With 4 weeks of gains now in the bag for the ASX 200, investors will no doubt be wondering if it’s going to be ‘5 for 5’ this week. If all goes well regarding coronavirus and the continuation of restrictions being eased, it might well continue to support bullish sentiment for the share market.

Australia’s relationship with China is one area worth watching this week, in my opinion. Putting aside political opinions, the economic impacts of any further retaliatory moves by China on Australian exports shouldn’t be underestimated. As such, any developments in this area could have market-moving potential.

Over the past 2 weeks, it has been ASX resource shares that have powered much of the market’s gains. The week before last, we had ASX gold miners raising the roof, followed of course by iron miners last week. Thus, the prices of these metals as well as other commodities (oil for instance) also merit a watchful eye.

So before we go, here’s how the ASX’s movers and shakers, a.k.a. blue chips, are looking 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 5,497 points
•     ALL ORDINARIES (XAO) at 5,608.8 points
•     Dow Jones Industrial Average at 24,465.16 points
•     Gold (Spot) swapping hands for US$1,734.68 per troy ounce
•     Iron ore asking US$97.65 per tonne
•     Crude oil (Brent) trading at US$35.13 per barrel
•     Crude oil (WTI) going for US$33.25 per barrel
•     Australian dollar buying 65.35 US cents
•     10-year Australian Government bonds yielding 0.86% per annum

Foolish takeaway

Yet another week has passed us by on the markets, and the ‘slow-but-steady’ recovery the ASX has been experiencing since March continues. Although the markets feel calm (perhaps eerily so), it’s worth remembering that the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic remain fluid and the economy fragile. Investing with this in mind is prudent, at least in this writer’s view. Still, it’s great news to read about our economy opening up and life slowly returning to some semblance of normality.

As always, stay safe, stay rational, and stay Foolish!

More reading

• Why Leigh Creek, Lynas, Monadelphous, & TechnologyOne are dropping lower
• Should you invest $1,000 in Altium shares today?
• 3 commodity trends to watch this week
• ASX 200 shares to buy for growth and income
• Where to invest $5,000 in ASX 200 shares immediately

Sebastian Bowen owns shares of National Australia Bank Limited, Newcrest Mining Limited, and Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Austal Limited and CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited, Nearmap Ltd., and Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET, Transurban Group, Wesfarmers Limited, and Woolworths Limited. 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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S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares offering both growth and income could be solid ideas in this current operating environment.

There are plenty of ASX 200 shares that face short-term and/or long-term impacts because of the coronavirus. But there are some shares that are still growing and could be solid ideas today:

Amcor Plc (ASX: AMC)

Amcor is now one of the biggest global packaging businesses in the world with its flexible and rigid offerings. After the Bemis merger it’s now a powerhouse. The combination of the two companies has already generated $55 million of synergy benefits.

Adjusted free cash flow is still solid and the company increased its adjusted earnings per share (EPS) growth to 11% to 12%. Not many businesses are increasing their guidance at the moment.

The ASX 200 share currently offers a dividend yield of 4.9% with more growth likely in FY21.

Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN)

Ansell is one of the ASX 200 shares involved in fighting the spread of the coronavirus. It makes a number of products like gloves, masks and protective suits.

It’s another business that is still expecting to generate solid profit despite the global pandemic that’s currently going on.

I believe that Ansell is a defensive option now. Its products are useful for fighting against the coronavirus and if life goes back to normal it was expecting growth anyway.

It currently offers a trailing dividend yield of 2.1%.

Service Stream Limited (ASX: SSM)

Service Stream is an ASX 200 share that helps design, build, maintain and operate essential network infrastructures. The company has been steadily increasing its operating earnings and its dividend over the last few years.

The company recently said that its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from operations will be approximately $108 million which would be a record operating result.

As part of the update the Service Stream board said it has the confidence with the company’s ability to maintain its commitment to dividends.

Service Stream has a trailing grossed-up dividend yield of 6.7%.

Foolish takeaway

Each of these businesses offer compelling long-term growth with a good immediate yield. In today’s environment the ASX 200 share I’d pick is Amcor because it has stated its earnings expectations are higher and it has the highest yield too.

More reading

• 2 quality ASX shares to buy for long-term growth
• Top brokers name 3 ASX dividend shares to buy
• What to watch on the ASX 200 next week
• The latest ASX small caps broker picks to buy today
• Why this ASX infrastructure company could help protect your portfolio in a downturn

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Amcor Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ansell Ltd. and Service Stream 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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If you’ve got $5,000 to invest right now, ASX 200 shares could be a great place to put it. Interest rates are at all-time lows, which means a bank account won’t give you much return right now. 

It’s a similar story with bonds, which are trading at or near zero yields as central banks scramble to stabilise the economy.

Property is expensive and $5,000 probably won’t buy you anything in the current market. That leaves us with ASX 200 shares – but which ones are in the buy zone today?

Where to invest $5,000 in ASX 200 shares immediately

If you’ve sorted out your personal finances and have $5,000 to invest, there are a lot of good value ASX 200 shares to buy right now.

I like the look of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) at the moment. Given the current uncertainty, I think large-cap shares could outperform in 2020 and beyond.

BHP is about as large as it gets with a current market capitalisation of $163 billion. Despite tensions with China, I think iron ore exports could pick up again in the coming months. China is looking to kickstart its economy and infrastructure is a great way to do that.

BHP shares climbed 8.37% higher last week but remain down 11.82% in 2020 at the time of writing.

Another ASX 200 share that could be undervalued is Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC). Westpac shares are down 38.05% this year (at the time of writing), which is lower than its big four banking peers. Westpac has had its fair share of issues, but I think it could be a good relative value play. 

ASX bank shares are far from a safe bet right now. However, if the economy picks up quicker than expected, that could be good news for bank earnings and asset quality.

If you’re looking for an undervalued income share, Scentre Group (ASX: SCG) could be worth a look. The Australian real estate investment trust is down 41.51% this year and slashed its dividend, but could be a long-term buy and hold option.

More reading

• 5 ASX 200 winners and 4 losers of last week
• 3 high yield ASX dividend shares to buy right now
• How $1,000 can be enough to change your money mindset
• How to make a $50,000 passive income with ASX shares
• Have $500 to invest? Then buy these 5 ASX 200 shares immediately

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Scentre Group. 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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ASX dividend shares could be in the buy zone right now. The coronavirus pandemic has cast big question marks over corporate earnings in 2020.

That’s bad news in the short-term. However, I believe it presents a great chance to buy shares for a bargain price. Here are a few of my favourite companies that could be in the buy zone today.

3 ASX dividend shares to buy today

I think Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) could be in the buy zone. The Aussie telco is still an industry leader and its earnings may be steadier than most.

The nature of the pandemic has forced many workers home and increased demand for network infrastructure. Telstra shares are trading down 13.56% this year but that could be a bargain price. 

The company continues to invest in the future through its 5G network capabilities and could be a more nimble technology company in the future.

I like the look of another ASX dividend share at the moment, Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU). Altium shares have climbed 3.40% this year but are still yielding 1.06%. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a temporary dividend cut, but the software group could be a long-term buy for both income and growth.

Finally, I think Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) is an ASX dividend share that’s worth keeping an eye on. Wesfarmers is looking to refine its current business model by restructuring its retail arm and is sitting on a lot of cash right now.

That could be used for further acquisitions or distributed to shareholders in the coming years. Either way, I think Wesfarmers could be a stable ASX dividend share to buy and one that is currently yielding 3.94% per annum.

Foolish takeaway

If you’ve got $5,000 to invest, I think these are just some of the ASX dividend shares that are worth a look.

More reading

• 3 high yield ASX dividend shares to buy right now
• How I would build a $130,000 ASX dividend portfolio right now
• How to make a $50,000 passive income with ASX shares
• Have $500 to invest? Then buy these 5 ASX 200 shares immediately
• 3 ASX dividend shares I would buy to beat low rates

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Altium and Wesfarmers 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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It’s fair to say the National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price hasn’t had a great run in 2020. In fact, the Aussie bank’s shares have fallen 37.72% while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 17.76% this year.

So, is the Aussie bank’s share price in the buy zone or should you steer clear in 2020?

What’s been happening to the NAB share price?

The ASX bank shares are under pressure this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. The public health response has forced Aussies to stay home and many businesses have shut down.

That’s put pressure on the economy, Aussie households and corporate earnings. The big banks underpin the economy and could feel the blow of a recession harder than most. That has spooked investors in 2020 and sent the NAB share price falling lower.

NAB reported a $1,313 million half-year net profit and cash earnings of $1,436 million. That means the ASX bank’s cash earnings slumped 51.4% on the prior period or 24.6% excluding notable items.

NAB also announced plans to raise up to $3.5 billion via a fully underwritten institutional share placement of $3 billion and a non-underwritten Share Purchase Plan (SPP) to raise approximately $500 million.

The bank raised the funds at $14.15 per share, which represented an 8.5% discount to its last close price. However, the NAB share price is now trading at $15.34 per share, so is it back in the buy zone?

Is the ASX bank back in the buy zone?

I think there’s more uncertainty ahead for the ASX banks in 2020. While the government stimulus measures are helping to prop up the economy, there are question marks over what happens in September and beyond.

If restrictions continue to ease, we could see the NAB share price bounce back quickly. With the economy up and running, the economic burden on businesses and households could be eased quicker than expected.

I think NAB is a speculative buy in the current climate but could be a long-term success if you’re willing to buy and hold.

More reading

• 3 ASX 200 shares to watch this week
• 2 quality ASX shares to buy for long-term growth
• 5 ASX 200 winners and 4 losers of last week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Why these ASX stocks will be under the spotlight on Monday

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall 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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It was a bumper week for ASX 200 shares as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) jumped 1.71% higher.

Last week I was watching Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST), Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

The Northern Star share price jumped 3.06% higher as investors looked to the safety of gold amid continued volatility. Woodside shares climbed as OPEC slashed production – a potential sign that the oil price war is coming to an end. Wesfarmers shares gained 2.53% despite announcing 75 Target store closures on Friday.

After a big week for last week’s top picks, here are the 3 ASX 200 shares that I’ll be keeping my eye on in the week ahead.

3 ASX 200 shares to watch this week

I think it’s worth watching the CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price this week. The biotech giant’s shares fell 3.61% lower last week and are trading at $290.93 right now.

CSL shares have had strong support around the $290-300 per share mark. I think earnings could still be steady in 2020 given CSL’s operations are spread far and wide across the healthcare sector.

Another ASX 200 share to watch is A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M). The Kiwi dairy group’s shares fell 2.88% last week but remain up 22.80% in 2020. 

I think investors are wondering how to value the dairy company right now. Tensions with China may threaten more exports than just barley and a2 Milk generates significant revenue from its Asian sales channels.

My final ASX 200 share to watch this week is Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP). In contrast to the other 2, Stockland shares rocketed 13.70% higher last week.

Many of the Australian real estate investment trusts (REITs) jumped in value last week as Aussies anticipated the easing of coronavirus restrictions. That’s good news for the retail REITs and their tenants, and could provide a much-needed earnings boost in 2020.

The Stockland share price is worth keeping an eye on this week to see if there’s more growth in store as the Aussie economy begins to re-open.

More reading

• Is the NAB share price a buy today?
• 2 quality ASX shares to buy for long-term growth
• 5 ASX 200 winners and 4 losers of last week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• 3 ASX 200 growth shares I want to buy for my portfolio

Ken Hall 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 A2 Milk and Wesfarmers 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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In turbulent times like these, expanding your portfolio with quality, diversified, well-priced ASX shares with a proven track record is, I believe, a good way to achieve portfolio stability. Not to mention, help provide the foundation for strong shareholder returns over the next decade and beyond. 

Here are two S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares which I believe meet these criteria: Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) and Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW).

Ansell

Ansell is involved in the development, manufacturing and sale of gloves and protective personal equipment in the industrial and medical markets.

The manufacturer reported in a business update in late March that it has been experiencing high demand for its hand and body protection products, as these products are industry certified for protection against infections such as the coronavirus. This includes its single-use examination gloves and surgical gloves. These products are very likely to continue seeing strong demand over the next few months as the crisis continues. Although there has been reduced demand for some of its industrial products, the overall demand for Ansell’s product portfolio has been higher over the past few months.

This increased demand has helped drive up its share price. Despite an initial dip in its share price in February and the middle of March, at the time of writing Ansell was at a 52-week high of $34.82.

Even with this recent share price increase, I still think that Ansell offers a relatively good buying opportunity for investors with a long-term investment horizon.

Ansell’s significant size and geographic spread helps the company maintain a very strong competitive position. Also, new product lines position Ansell well to generate growth over the next few years, supported by a strong research and development program.

Brickworks

Brickworks has gained a strong reputation as one of the most consistently performing businesses on the ASX over the past few decades, underpinned by its diversification across a number of divisions.

The group’s Building Products division manufactures and distributes a range of bricks and other masonry products. Its property division owns a significant holding of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL), providing the company with a strong and steady dividend income stream.

Brickworks also has a significant stake in an industrial property trust with Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), which builds and operates a range of property for industrial businesses.

Although there is always the risk of a further downturn in the building industry, I believe that the significant fall in its share price since late February by more than 30%, now offers investors a relatively good buying opportunity.

Brickworks shares also currently offer an attractive trailing dividend yield of 4.27%, which grosses up to 6.1% with full franking.

More reading

• ASX 200 shares to buy for growth and income
• Is the NAB share price a buy today?
• 3 ASX 200 shares to watch this week
• Replace your term deposit with these dividend shares
• 5 ASX 200 winners and 4 losers of last week

Motley Fool contributor Phil Harpur has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ansell 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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