Investing can become complicated very quickly.

There are individual shares to research, results to follow, broker notes to read, and market swings to understand.

But not every investor wants to build a portfolio company by company.

For those who want a simpler way to invest, ASX exchange traded funds (ETFs) can do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Here are three ASX ETFs to consider buying if you want to keep things simple.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF could be a good starting point.

This fund gives investors exposure to a large collection of companies listed across developed markets.

I think this is valuable for Australian investors because the local share market is quite concentrated. Banks, miners, supermarkets, and a handful of healthcare and industrial names do a lot of the work.

The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF changes that in one trade. It gives investors access to global companies involved in technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer products, industrials, and communications.

That makes it a simple way to move beyond Australia without having to choose which overseas shares to buy.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

The iShares S&P 500 ETF is another ASX ETF that can keep investing simple.

This fund tracks the S&P 500 Index, which is where you’ll find 500 of the largest listed companies in the United States.

That includes many of the businesses already shaping the global economy through cloud computing, artificial intelligence, software, payments, healthcare, consumer brands, industrial products, and digital advertising.

There is some overlap with the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF because the United States is such a large part of global share markets.

But the iShares S&P 500 ETF gives investors a more direct exposure to corporate America and the S&P 500, which has been one of the world’s most important long-term wealth-building markets.

For investors who want a simple, low-fuss way to own leading US companies, this ETF could be worth considering.

Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

A third ASX ETF to look at is the Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF.

It gives investors access to companies helping protect networks, cloud systems, devices, data, payments, and digital identities.

This could be a good place to be. As more of the economy moves online, more money needs to be spent keeping it safe.

Businesses now rely on cloud software, remote access, online payments, artificial intelligence tools, and connected systems. None of that works properly if security fails.

The Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF will not be as diversified as a broad global ETF, so investors should expect more ups and downs. But as a long-term theme, cybersecurity looks like a problem that companies cannot afford to ignore.

The post 3 ASX ETFs to buy for simple investing appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the Vanguard US Total Market ETF (VTS) the best buy for investing in America?
• Why I think the IVV ETF is a strong buy for ASX investors
• 3 amazing ASX ETFs for Aussie investors in September
• VGS vs VHY: Which Vanguard ETF comes out on top?
• Why every Aussie investor should own one of these ASX ETFs

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 BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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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• 37 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week
• NEXTDC share price in focus after record FY26 earnings and strong outlook
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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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.

More reading

• How much superannuation is needed to target a $50,000 annual passive income?
• Metrics Master Income Trust posts unfranked August 2026 distribution
• How much passive income can I earn off my $730,000 superannuation balance?
• $10,000 invested in these dividend ETFs will bring how much passive income?
• 2 ASX dividend shares with yields above 10%

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.