ASX 200 energy shares outperformed the 10 other market sectors last week, rising 4.25%.

At the other end of the spectrum, tech shares fell 6.61% after inflation data raised the risk of an interest rate hike next week.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index rose by 3.8% in the 12 months to December.

That was an 0.4% increase compared to the 12 months to November.

The inflation data also followed surprisingly strong jobs data in the week prior, which showed that unemployment fell in December.

On Friday, markets were pricing in a 67% chance of a rate rise next week when the Reserve Bank Board meets for the first time this year.

The RBA will announce its decision on rates at 2:30pm on Tuesday.

Mining shares had another big week, with the materials sector up 3.66% by Thursday before a strong pullback on Friday.

Commodity prices continue to run, particularly gold, which went close to US$5,600 per ounce last week.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 0.1% to close at 8,869.1 points on Friday.

Seven of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let’s review.

Why did ASX 200 energy shares lead the market last week?

ASX 200 energy shares led the market because of a spike in Brent crude and WTI oil futures, as well as an 18% lift in the uranium price.

On Friday, Brent Crude was US$68.47 per barrel, up 4.6% for the week and up 13.3% in the year to date.

WTI crude was US$64.31 per barrel on Friday, up 6% for the week and up 12.8% in the year to date.

On Friday, Trading Economics analysts said Brent and WTI oil prices were on track for their best month of price growth since July 2023.

Oil prices are being supported by a rising geopolitical risk premium.

The analysts said:

Concerns persist on renewed US–Iran tensions, after US President Donald Trump called on Iran to engage in nuclear talks, while Tehran warned of retaliation.

Market attention is focused on the potential impact of these tensions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula that is critical for global energy flows, with tankers transporting crude oil and LNG passing through it daily.

Earlier this month, oil prices were also supported by geopolitical tensions in Venezuela, production outages in Kazakhstan, US production freeze-offs, and tightening US restrictions on purchases of Russian oil, factors that have pushed prices higher so far this year despite expectations of oversupply.

Higher oil prices supported ASX 200 oil shares like Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS), which rose 5.36% to $25.37 on Friday.

The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price soared 8.51% to $7.01.

The Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price lifted 3.36% to $1.23.

Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) shares fell 4.82% to $28.84 and Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) lost 13.46% to close at $1.80.

The uranium price ripped 18% over the week to US$101.55 per pound on Friday as market confidence about long-term demand grew.

This lifted the ASX 200’s largest uranium share Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) 3.98% higher to $13.84 per share.

Paladin Energy shares hit a 52-week high of $14.44 on Friday.

The Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) share price ripped 21.27% to close at $2.84 after hitting a 52-week peak of $2.97 on Friday.

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) shares increased 4.28% to $1.95.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here’s how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

S&P/ASX 200 market sector	Change last week
Energy (ASX: XEJ)	4.25%
Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ)	1.26%
Financials (ASX: XFJ)	0.68%
Utilities (ASX: XUJ)	0.23%
Materials (ASX: XMJ)	0.18%
Communication (ASX: XTJ)	0.18%
Healthcare (ASX: XHJ)	0.11%
Industrials (ASX: XNJ)	(0.92%)
A-REIT (ASX: XPJ)	(1.08%)
Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ)	(1.19%)
Information Technology (ASX: XIJ)	(6.61%)

The post ASX 200 energy shares lead the market as oil and uranium prices spike appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These were the worst-performing ASX 200 shares in January
• Zimplats quarterly earnings: production up, costs down, projects on track
• Deterra Royalties posts higher Q2 revenue as MAC iron ore shines
• These were the best-performing ASX 200 shares in January
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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.

I think that buy and hold investing with ASX shares is one of the best ways to become rich.

But you can’t just buy anything, you have to invest your hard-earned money smartly.

With that in mind, here is how you could use buy and hold investing to create wealth.

Focus on quality ASX shares

When you buy a high-quality ASX share, you are not just buying a ticker code. You are buying a business with customers, employees, systems, and a strategy.

Over time, it is the business performance that drives returns. Earnings grow, products improve, and competitive positions strengthen. This is how long-term blue-chip winners such as Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA), and ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD) have rewarded patient investors.

None of this progress is visible in day-to-day share price movements. It happens gradually.

Time smooths out mistakes

No one buys at the perfect time. Buy and hold investing accepts that reality. Instead of trying to avoid every downturn, it relies on time to smooth out poor entry points. Even some of the best ASX performers have gone through uncomfortable periods.

Shares like Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) and Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360) have experienced sharp pullbacks along the way, despite delivering strong long-term returns. Investors who stayed focused on the business rather than the share price were the ones who benefited most.

Time allows good decisions to matter more than perfect ones.

Simplicity reduces costly behaviour

Buy and hold investing is as much about behaviour as it is about returns.

Fewer decisions mean fewer chances to make mistakes. Investors who keep portfolios simple and focused on quality are less likely to panic, overtrade, or abandon their strategy at the wrong time.

Holding a small group of strong businesses or even broad-market exchange traded funds (ETFs) can make it easier to stay invested when volatility strikes.

Buy and hold investing is not passive

Holding an ASX share does not mean ignoring it forever.

Buy and hold investing still involves monitoring businesses and reassessing when fundamentals change. The difference is that decisions are driven by long-term business performance, not short-term price movements.

That patience allows investors to capture the upside of long-term growth without being shaken out by temporary noise. Prime examples today are WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) and CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL). Both are working their way through short-term issues, but nothing about the long-term investment thesis is broken.

Getting rich with ASX shares

If you are able to make a $1,000 investment into ASX shares each month and earned an average return of 10% per annum (not guaranteed but largely in line with historical returns), your wealth would grow materially.

After 20 years of doing this, you would have a portfolio valued at $725,000. And if you kept going for a further five years, you would see your portfolio increase to approximately $1.25 million.

Foolish takeaway

Buy and hold investing still works because businesses still grow.

On the ASX, shares like Pro Medicus, REA Group, and ResMed show how time, quality, and patience can work together to build wealth. Buy and hold investing may not feel exciting, but for investors focused on long-term results, it remains one of the most effective strategies available.

The post Why buy and hold investing with ASX shares could make you rich appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These were the worst-performing ASX 200 shares in January
• These 2 ASX shares are set to soar in 2026 and beyond
• Why these brokers are very bullish on the WiseTech share price
• How to turn $250 a month into a $500,000 ASX share portfolio
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL, Goodman Group, Life360, Pro Medicus, REA Group, ResMed, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL, Goodman Group, Life360, ResMed, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360, ResMed, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL, Goodman Group, and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Looking for some new portfolio additions in February? If you are, then let’s see what analysts are saying about the popular ASX shares named below.

Are they buys, holds, or sells? Here’s what you need to know about them:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

This mining giant’s shares have been on fire in 2026. Unfortunately, the team at Morgans thinks they have now peaked and that investors should wait for a better entry point.

In response to BHP’s quarterly update, the broker has put a hold rating and $47.90 price target on the Big Australian’s shares. It said:

A sound 2Q26 result operationally, with WAIO setting a H1 production record and BHP upgrading guidance at both Escondida and Antamina. The offsetting negative was the separate update on the Jansen Stage 1 potash project, seeing a further budget upgrade to US$8.4bn and leaving concern around possible changes to Jansen Stage 2.

We have applied upgraded metal price forecasts, driving the upgrade in our target price but not transforming the value proposition, with BHP still appearing fair value. In our sector investment strategy we view BHP as a core holding on earnings and portfolio quality grounds as well as dividend profile, we maintain our Hold rating.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

This counter-drone technology company’s shares have pulled back recently and Bell Potter thinks a buying opportunity has opened up. Especially given how 2026 could be a very big year for the company.

Bell Potter has put a buy rating and $5.00 price target on DroneShield’s shares. It said:

We believe DRO has a market leading RF detect/defeat C-UAS offering and a strengthening competitive advantage owing to its years of battlefield experience and large and focused R&D team. We expect 2026 will be an inflection point for the global C-UAS industry with countries poised to unleash a wave of spending on RF detect and defeat solutions.

Consequently, we believe DRO should see material contracts flowing from its $2.1b potential sales pipeline over the next 3-6 months as defence budgets roll over to FY26e. At 47x CY26e EV / EBITDA, DRO trades at a 28% discount to the global drone peer group. Further, we see upside risk to our revenue forecasts in CY26/27e, given the opportunities observed in the C-UAS industry

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

The team at Morgans has also been looking at energy giant Santos. Although it delivered a fourth quarter update largely in line with expectations, the broker hasn’t seen enough to justify a higher valuation.

Morgans has put a hold rating and $6.60 price target on Santos’ shares. It said:

STO posted a largely in line 4Q25 production and revenue result, although updates on its two key growth projects did flag some incremental negatives. Barossa ramp-up is dealing with an expected ~2-month delay vs planned. Pikka Phase 1 saw a ~US$200m upgrade in capex budget on a combination of cost pressures.

Hiccups aside STO has done a good job executing, with Barossa and Pikka startups set to help the cash flow equation. Trading closed at a modest discount to our A$6.60 Target Price and we maintain our Hold rating.

The post Buy, hold, sell: BHP, DroneShield, and Santos shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• What is driving today’s sell-off in ASX defence tech stocks?
• 3 ASX 200 stocks smashing the benchmark this week
• Why ASX 200 energy stocks like Santos and Woodside shares are ending the week with a bang
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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 DroneShield. 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.

There are certain ASX-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that I’m very optimistic about. I don’t know what’s going to happen with share markets, but certain characteristics could help deliver strong returns for investors.

The global share market is home to thousands of businesses, but not all of them will be great ones to own for the long term.

Wouldn’t it be good to just own a portfolio of the best ones? That’s what the two ASX ETFs I’m going to talk about have constructed – portfolios full of purely high-quality businesses that have a good chance to deliver pleasing returns.

VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL)

Both of the ASX ETFs I’m going to talk about offer fairly similar investment strategies. I have been invested in the QUAL ETF for some time, but I’d happily own units in the other fund (or both).

The QUAL ETF aims to have 300 companies in its portfolio, which are diversified across a range of geographies, sectors, and economies. I like this for the diversification it provides for investors.

VanEck, the provider of this fund, says that investments focusing on companies with quality characteristics have historically delivered outperformance over the long term compared to the global share market benchmark.

The QUAL ETF looks for three fundamentals to decide if a business is high-quality.

First, there’s the requirement that they have a high return on equity (ROE). That means they earn a high level of profit for how much money is retained within the business. That demonstrates a high level of profitability and suggests how much the business could make on additional profits retained within the business.

Second, the businesses in the ASX ETF must have stable earnings. In my mind, if earnings aren’t going backwards, then it means profit is probably rising, which is a good tailwind for share price growth.

Third, the QUAL ETF’s holdings must have low financial leverage. That means the balance sheets are healthy and the ROE hasn’t been boosted artificially by utilising a lot of debt.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to its top holdings being names like Meta Platforms, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Eli Lilly, Alphabet, Visa, and ASML.

The investment strategy is clearly working well, with the QUAL ETF delivering a total return per year of 14.8% over the last decade. Time will tell if it can produce further strong returns in the coming years.

Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY)

There are some differences between the QLTY ETF and the QUAL ETF, which could make the one I’m about to outline seem more appealing in its own way.

The QLTY ETF has only 150 companies in its portfolio, but their weightings are more evenly spread, which, in some ways, makes it more diversified than the QUAL ETF.

This portfolio is also spread across a number of countries, including the US, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Spain, and the UK. Excitingly, the fund has a double-digit allocation to a number of sectors, including IT, industrials, healthcare, financials, and consumer discretionary.

There are four factors that decide what the QLTY ETF invests in – ROE, debt to capital, earnings stability, and cash flow generation ability. The first three elements are essentially the same as the QUAL ETF, so I won’t repeat what they mean. The fourth element – cash flow – means that we want to see earnings translate into cash hitting the bank account.

Since the QLTY ETF’s inception in November 2018, it has returned an average of 14.4% per year. I think its future returns are promising, so we’ll see how it performs in the coming years, but I’m optimistic.

The post 2 excellent ASX ETFs I rate as buys in February appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 10 most popular ASX ETFs on the market today
• 3 of the best ASX ETFs for Australian investors to buy now
• 2 incredible ASX shares to buy in February
• 3 VanEck ETFs on the ASX I rate as buys
• 3 ASX ETFs to buy and hold until 2036

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in VanEck Msci International Quality ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ASML, Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Visa. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ASML, Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

2025 was the year of multiple RBA interest rate reductions, with three rate cuts. However, some economists think the RBA could raise interest rates in 2026. If that happens, there are a few ASX shares I’d keep my eyes on.

I regularly talk about ASX shares that I’m bullish about, such as Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) and TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE). I still think they (and other ASX growth shares) are opportunities.

But there are a few ASX shares that could become more attractive after an RBA rate cut.

RBA rate cut beneficiaries

There are some businesses that could see an earnings increase due to how they generate earnings or with the amount of cash that they have on their balance sheet.

For example, Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) holds a significant amount of client cash and generates interest income from that. Any rate rises would be a very helpful boost for earnings. There are other, smaller businesses that also hold significant cash balances (for their size). But, the actual investment must make sense too, not just the fact that it holds cash.

The broker UBS recently commented in a note that ASX bank shares could benefit from a rate rise if it means stronger lending margins (with an increase in the net interest margin (NIM) metric). UBS said:

Upside risk [potential boost] to EPS with cash interest rates forecast to increase 50bps in 2026, possibly contributing to a stronger-than-anticipated NIM performance and revenue growth for major banks, exceeding consensus expectations. Core earnings may also benefit from higher-than-expected loan growth, while banks are actively managing persistent cost pressures, which are ~+6.0% on an underlying basis.

With that note, UBS upgraded National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), and Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) to a buy. NAB is the only major ASX bank share that UBS rates as a buy, with the next major bank choice being Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) with a neutral rating.

Businesses with debt and ASX retail shares

I’m not expecting history to repeat itself exactly, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if certain rate-sensitive businesses suffer a share price decline because it could hurt profitability. I like to take advantage of declines in businesses like this, thanks to the lower valuation and the potential for a bounce back.

For example, real estate investment trusts (REITs) may suffer because of the increase in interest costs (and the headwind for real estate values). I’d be looking at names like Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW), Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP), and Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF).

I’ll also keep an eye on a number of ASX retail shares – if they decline due to consumer worries, they could be particularly good cyclical opportunities to buy for the long term. I’m thinking of names like Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW), Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), and Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK).

Volatility can prove to be a positive for investors to take advantage of, so if there is market negativity, then I’ll be ready. But it’s possible there may not be any declines at all.

The post Where I’d invest in ASX shares if the RBA increases the interest rate appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• In a hot market, the undervalued Australian shares to buy now
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• How to turn $250 a month into a $500,000 ASX share portfolio
• 3 ASX 200 shares trading at 52-week lows: Are they a buy?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Rural Funds Group, Technology One, and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Lovisa, Macquarie Group, Technology One, Temple & Webster Group, Wesfarmers, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group, Rural Funds Group, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Lovisa, Nick Scali, Technology One, Temple & Webster Group, and Wesfarmers. 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) was on form in January and pushed higher. The benchmark index rose 1.8% over the month.

Not all ASX 200 shares climbed with the market. For example, the shares listed below all fell heavily during the month. Let’s find out why they were the worst performers on the ASX 200 in January:

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip share price was the worst performer on the index with a decline of 19%. This was despite there being no news out of the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider. Not even a bullish broker note out of Citi was able to stop the rot. Its analysts put a buy rating and $4.30 price target on its shares. The broker notes that app downloads hit record highs in the US during December, which bodes well for its transaction growth in the massive market. There was even positive news for the BNPL industry, with Donald Trump suggesting that he would put caps on credit card interest rates. This could lead to tighter lending from credit card providers, pushing people into BNPL services.

Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360)

The Life360 share price wasn’t far behind with a decline of 18% in January. This appears to have been driven by a broad tech selloff which dragged down the location technology company’s shares despite a very strong quarterly update which smashed expectations. For the same reasons, the shares of cloud accounting platform provider Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) also dropped 18% during the month.

ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB)

The ARB share price was sold off and dropped 18% during the month. Investors were hitting the sell button after the 4×4 automotive parts company released a trading update. ARB revealed that unaudited sales revenue for the first half was $358 million, which was down 1% on the prior corresponding period. Things were worse for its earnings because of margin pressures. ARB expects to report underlying profit before tax of approximately $58 million for the half. This represents a 16.3% decline compared with the prior year.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price was out of form and dropped 16.5%. This health imaging technology company’s shares appear to have been caught up in the tech selloff. Not even a bullish broker note out of Macquarie could prevent this decline. Its analysts upgraded Pro Medicus’ shares to an outperform rating with a $291.30 price target.

The post These were the worst-performing ASX 200 shares in January appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These 2 ASX shares are set to soar in 2026 and beyond
• Zimplats quarterly earnings: production up, costs down, projects on track
• Deterra Royalties posts higher Q2 revenue as MAC iron ore shines
• These were the best-performing ASX 200 shares in January
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360, Pro Medicus, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ARB Corporation, Life360, Macquarie Group, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360, Macquarie Group, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ARB Corporation and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

There are a few ASX-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that look like particularly good buys right now, in my view.

Changes in share prices (and currency exchange rates) can quickly make an investment look cheaper.

This week, we’ve seen a decline of around 10% in just one day for both ServiceNow and Microsoft. These businesses are still the same companies that they were at the start of the week, yet the market has decided their future prospects are now worth significantly less.

In the last few months, we’ve seen the share prices of a number of tech-related businesses decline. ASX ETFs that are exposed to this sector could be smart buys at the current level after recent falls, so let’s get into those ideas.

Global X Fang+ ETF (ASX: FANG)

This fund is one of the clearest ways to invest in the large US tech stocks. It owns 10 names in the portfolio and aims to ensure they are equal-weighted at around 10% each.

The 10 businesses it owns include Alphabet, Nvidia, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Broadcom, Microsoft, CrowdStrike, Apple, Netflix, and Palantir.

These are some of the world’s strongest businesses with leading positions in one, or more, product/service.

When I think of which businesses are going to directly or indirectly be involved in changes to how we live life, the above names would be some of the most likely players. This portfolio represents areas such as AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, online video, chips, smartphones, social media, and so on.

At 28 January 2026, the ASX ETF could point to an average return per year of more than 20% over the prior five years. However, it’s also true to say that the FANG ETF unit price has declined by 17% since the end of October 2025. That’s a big decline.

It’s not common for some of the strongest global businesses to drop by more than 10%, so the buy-the-dip opportunity could be too good to miss.

I don’t know which stock(s) will end up winning the AI race, but I think the FANG ETF is a particularly attractive way to invest in this theme.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

If investors are looking for broader exposure to the US tech sector than just 10 names, then this could be the right way to do it. Instead of 10 positions, the NDQ ETF has 100 holdings.

These businesses are the 100 largest non-financial companies on the NASDAQ, including the biggest US tech companies I mentioned with the FANG ETF. Other holdings in the portfolio include Walmart, Costco, Intuitive Surgical, Shopify, Applovin, and many more.

I like the diversification that the NDQ ETF provides for investors because of the variety of sectors it’s invested in. In terms of returns, over the past five years, it has returned an average of 18%. This was a very powerful level of return, but came with more diversification.

Since the end of October 2025, the NDQ ETF unit price has dropped more than 7%, making it noticeably better value today. This could be a good time to invest while the underlying businesses continue to post rising earnings.

The post 2 ASX ETFs I’d buy amid the AI sell-off appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 10 most popular ASX ETFs on the market today
• How a beginner investor could build a $250,000 ASX share portfolio
• Where to invest $10,000 in ASX ETFs
• Why ASX ETFs are a good place to start for beginner investors
• How to make $24,000 in passive income a year

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Costco Wholesale, CrowdStrike, Intuitive Surgical, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, ServiceNow, and Shopify. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Broadcom. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, CrowdStrike, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, ServiceNow, and Shopify. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It might come as a surprise for many ASX investors to learn that there is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) on the Australian stock market that has more than doubled in value over the past 12 months.

It’s obviously not an ASX index fund. The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), has fared decently, of course. But its respectable 10.67% return over the 12 months to 31 December doesn’t quite cut the mustard in this instance.

No, the ASX ETF that has delivered that breathtaking 119% return is none other than the Global X Copper Miners ETF (ASX: WIRE).

Yes, this time last year, WIRE units were asking just $12.46 each. As of Friday’s close, those same units will set an investor back $26.29, up more than 111% in 12 months. Add in the dividend distributions that this ETF has paid out over this period, and we get to a 12-month performance figure of 118.77%.

As its name suggests, the Global X Copper Miners ETF is a fund that holds a basket of global stocks all involved in the extraction and processing of copper ore.

This is a truly global ETF. At present, 36.8% of WIRE’s portfolio is domiciled in Canada. The United States and Australia make up another 10.45% and 10.3% respectively, while Hong Kong, Japan, Poland and Sweden also contribute meaningfully.

Some of this ASX ETF’s top holdings include KGHM, Lundin Mining Corp, Boliden AB, and Sumimoto Metal Mining Co. Our own BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) is also a holding.

Is it too late to buy this ASX ETF?

Copper is one of the most important industrial metals in the global economy, forming the backbone of almost every electronic product you can think of. Demand has been increasing in recent years, thanks to the heavy copper needs of future-facing technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels and data centres.

Whilst it might be tempting to look at the copper price trajectory and conclude that this ASX ETF is a long-term winner, investors would take note that commodity prices are notoriously volatile, and the share prices of their miners even more so. This ETF has been around since 2022, and hasn’t really experienced a sharp share market correction or crash. As such, its 37.55% average return per annum since inception should be taken with a grain of salt.

Saying all of that, we can’t deny that this ETF has been an unbridled winner. It may be suitable for investors who are convinced that copper’s best days are ahead of us. But I would still class this ASX ETF as a high-risk, high-reward play.

The Global X Copper Miners ETF charges a management fee of 0.65% per annum.

The post Meet the ASX ETF up 119% in a year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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.

The Australian share market has delivered an average return in the region of 10% per annum over the long term.

While this is a great return, Bell Potter thinks these ASX shares could rise materially more in 2026. Here’s what it is recommending to clients:

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

Bell Potter remains bullish on radiopharmaceuticals company Telix and believes it could be an ASX share to snap up in 2026. Especially given how it believes the US FDA will approve its Zircaix product this year. It commented:

We are confident regarding the approval in CY 2026 of Zircaix following resubmission of the Biological License Application (BLA). The FDA rejected the original BLA due to CMC (chemistry manufacturing & control) matters at Telix’s manufacturing partner. There were no matters related to safety or efficacy. We expect the market for Zircaix once approved will be in excess of US$500m.

The product has been included in guidelines for disease management in the US and Europe and continues to be available in the US under the expanded access program. Elsewhere, sales of Iluccix/ Gozellix in the PSMA franchise continue to grow and were recently boosted by the refresh on the pass through pricing.

The broker currently has a buy rating and $23.00 price target on its shares. Based on its current share price of $10.55, this implies potential upside greater than 100%.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

Another ASX share that could soar in 2026 is health imaging technology company Pro Medicus.

The broker believes that the company is well-placed to benefit from a structural shift to the cloud in the radiology industry. Especially given its sustainable competitive advantage over peers. It said:

Pro Medicus is among the highest quality companies on the ASX. CY25 was yet another banner year with 10 major contract announcements, totalling minimum revenues of $445m. We expect EPS growth of 36% in FY26 followed by 30% in FY27. The company continues to announce new contract wins on a regular basis as the drivers of interest in its product offering remain firmly in place. The entire radiology industry is headed to cloud-based (off premises) archiving.

Put simply, the Visage 7 viewer, Workflow and Archive are the fastest and most advanced tools for the retrieval and viewing of large radiology files. The platform is immensely scalable and relatively easily installed, providing it with a sustainable competitive advantage over the likes of peers Intelerad, Sectra, Philips and GE Healthcare. The company is conservatively managed and well owned by large institutional investors while the two founders continue to have a controlling stake.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $320.00 price target on its shares. Based on its current share price of $184.12, this suggests that upside of almost 75% is possible in 2026.

The post These 2 ASX shares are set to soar in 2026 and beyond appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pro Medicus and Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price has dropped around 50% in the last six months. Multiple experts think the business is undervalued and that it could produce great returns.

WiseTech provides software called CargoWise that the global trade and logistics industry relies on to carry out its operations. Its customers include over 17,000 logistics companies across 193 countries, including 47 of the top 50 global third-party logistics providers and 24 of the 25 largest global freight forwarders.

According to a CommSec collation of expert opinions on the ASX tech share, there are 13 buy ratings on the business.

UBS is one of the brokers that rates the company as a buy at the current WiseTech Global share price. Let’s look at why.

Strong outlook for returns

The broker recently pointed out in a note that some ASX tech shares have suffered from market concerns around broader displacement.

UBS is positive around software’s defensive moat against AI, continued strength in pricing power, and the sector’s ability to monetise agentic AI investments, “all of which could drive a meaningful re-rate through the course of the year”, in the expert’s view.

The broker believes valuations in the sector look attractive relative to the average over the last five years, including the WiseTech Global share price. It thinks WiseTech’s double-digit growth profile remains intact, with attractive total addressable market (TAM) potential.

UBS thinks software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses like WiseTech could be beneficiaries rather than victims of AI, driving average revenue per user (ARPU). The broker’s research suggests that customers are willing to pay for AI.

The analysts suggest that WiseTech is moving a lot of customers onto its new commercial model, where customers will be able to access four new AI capabilities.

There is further upside, according to UBS, if large freight forwarders move earlier than expected to the commercial model and customers are willing to pass on CargoWise software costs to the end customer.

UBS expects WiseTech’s growth to be driven by price rises and product uptake. The broker expects the new commercial model to drive around 5% price rises going forward.

The broker thinks WiseTech’s CargoWise revenue could grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 25% between FY26 and FY29, thanks to the commercial model move, the launch of container transport optimisation (CTO) rollout, and general continued penetration of freight forward customers.

WiseTech Global share price target

A price target indicates where analysts expect the share price to be in 12 months from the time of the investment call.

UBS has a price target of $115 for WiseTech Global shares, implying a potential rise of approximately 90% from current levels.

That implies a great return if the broker is right about the company.

The post Why these brokers are very bullish on the WiseTech share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX 200 shares trading at 52-week lows: Are they a buy?
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• How much could $1,000 in WiseTech shares be worth in 3 years?
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• This ASX 200 tech stock just hit a 2-year low. Is it worth a closer look?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.