The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) is one of the ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs) I would be comfortable owning for a very long time.

It gives investors access to a huge collection of global businesses through one investment, while keeping the strategy simple.

For me, that makes the VGS ETF a strong buy and hold option.

Global exposure in one investment

The VGS ETF invests across major developed markets outside Australia.

That gives investors exposure to the US as well as countries across Europe and Asia, spreading the investment across a much larger part of the global economy.

I think that is particularly valuable for Australian investors.

The ASX has some excellent companies, but many major global industries are better represented overseas. Software, semiconductors, global consumer brands, healthcare, industrial technology, and digital services are all areas where international markets offer far more choice.

The VGS ETF opens the door to those opportunities without requiring investors to research companies across dozens of countries.

It does not depend on one winner

Another reason I like the VGS ETF is that the long-term result does not rest on getting a handful of stock picks right.

The fund owns a large collection of companies, and their importance within the portfolio can change as markets evolve.

Some of today’s biggest businesses may continue growing for decades. Others could eventually lose ground to companies that are much smaller today.

With the VGS ETF, investors do not need to know in advance which ones will come out on top.

I think that is a strong feature when your investment holding period could stretch across 10, 20, or even 30 years.

It can complement Australian shares

I would also consider the VGS ETF alongside Australian investments rather than viewing it as a replacement for them.

Many ASX portfolios naturally end up with significant exposure to banks, resources, and domestic businesses.

Adding the VGS ETF can introduce companies operating in industries and markets that are less prominent locally.

It also means the portfolio is not relying entirely on the Australian economy.

For investors who already pick individual ASX shares, I think this can be an easy way to add international diversification without building a separate overseas portfolio one company at a time.

Foolish takeaway

The VGS ETF gives me access to opportunities around the world without requiring constant decisions.

I could buy it today, add more money over time, and let the underlying portfolio change as global markets develop.

For investors looking for a simple international investment they can potentially hold for decades, I think the VGS ETF is a strong choice.

The post Why I think the VGS ETF is a strong buy and hold pick appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Are these 2 top Vanguard ETFs still worth buying today?
• How to build an ASX portfolio you do not need to check every day
• 3 ASX ETFs to buy for simple investing
• VGS vs VHY: Which Vanguard ETF comes out on top?
• Why every Aussie investor should own one of these ASX ETFs

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Choosing ASX shares in September 2026 is always a tough proposition.

Reporting season finished yesterday.

During the past month, hundreds of companies updated guidance, brokers rewrote their models, and plenty of share prices moved a long way in a very short time.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 4% for the calendar year.

In that broader context, here are three names I would look at now.

Why these ASX shares stand out after reporting season

The market has become far more selective.

Results that beat guidance were rewarded, and anything short of that was sold hard almost instantly.

That has left expensive winners and heavily punished losers sitting side by side.

The three companies below are all at different places on that spectrum, which is exactly why I would own them together rather than individually.

1. CSL: a reset year, priced as though nothing improves

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) delivered the ugliest headline result of the season and one of the better share price reactions.

FY26 revenue slipped 1% to US$15.8 billion, and impairments of US$7.1 billion drove a statutory loss of US$2.6 billion.

Underlying net profit after tax and amortisation still came in at US$3.1 billion.

Investors focused instead on FY27 guidance of roughly 5% underlying profit growth, comfortably ahead of the 2% consensus.

The shares finished last week at $172.32 and are up just 0.2% for the year.

Morgans analyst Damien Nguyen believes the downgrade cycle has finally ended.

In our view, the latest full year result in 2026 is generating confidence that repeated earnings downgrades are behind CSL.

Plasma collection remains a key moat, because a rival donor network takes years and huge quantities of capital to build.

A US$1 billion buyback suggests management shares that view.

2. BHP: the copper story is finally showing up

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) is the momentum name of the three, and the most expensive.

FY26 attributable profit rose 9% to US$9.8 billion on revenue of US$58.8 billion.

Copper delivered US$18.2 billion of underlying EBITDA, up 48%, and accounted for 54% of group earnings for the first time.

Net debt finished the year below US$9 billion.

The catch is the price.

Shares hit a record $68.77 last week and have since eased to about $66, still well above the average broker target of $58.68.

Income softens that somewhat.

BHP’s final fully franked dividend of 99 US cents per share goes ex on 3 September and is paid on 23 September.

3. Temple & Webster: the contrarian option

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) is, admittedly, the uncomfortable one to own.

The online furniture retailer’s shares are near $4.81 and are down roughly 80% over twelve months.

Yet FY26 revenue reached a record $664.6 million, up 10.6%, with EBITDA of $21.9 million.

Active customers grew 5% to 1.33 million, and cash stood at $123 million at 30 June.

Management is guiding to FY27 EBITDA of $33 million to $40 million, implying growth of 50% to 80%.

A soft start to FY27 explains much of the de-rating.

Canaccord Genuity is unconvinced by the sell-off and has a buy rating with a $9 price target, implying 89% upside.

This is comfortably the highest-risk idea on the list, and as a result it should be sized accordingly.

The risks with these ASX shares

Free money on the market doesn’t exist.

CSL still has to prove its FY27 guidance holds after several years of downgrades.

BHP trades above where most analysts think it belongs, and iron ore prices remain entirely outside its control.

Meanwhile, Temple & Webster is a discretionary retailer facing a stretched consumer and a possible interest rate rise on 29 September.

Foolish takeaway

These three ASX shares are deliberately different from one another.

CSL is a quality business emerging from a bad patch.

BHP is a cash machine at a full price.

Temple & Webster is a turnaround bet with a wide range of possible outcomes.

Owning all three would give you defensiveness, income and optionality in roughly equal measure.

For investors adding money this month, that mix of ASX shares strikes me as more sensible than backing a single theme.

The post Top 3 ASX shares to buy in September 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: South32, Mineral Resources, BHP shares
• CSL shares are up more than 40% in a month. What just happened in the US?
• 5 things reporting season taught ASX investors about FY27
• Want to bank the boosted BHP dividend? You’d better hurry!
• BHP shares are pulling back from a record high. What now for ASX investors?

Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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 CSL and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group, CSL, and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It has been a remarkable month for CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shareholders, and the stock is pushing higher again on Tuesday.

The CSL share price is up 2.09% to $175.15 at the time of writing, extending a rally that has driven the stock up more than 40% over the past month.

That recovery has wiped out most of its losses from earlier in the year, leaving CSL shares roughly flat in 2026.

So, what has investors looking at the stock again today?

CSL reaches deal with the US government

According to the release, CSL has reached two agreements with the Trump administration covering drug pricing and its manufacturing plans in the United States.

The first is with the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Under the deal, CSL will give the Medicaid program access to its medicines at prices comparable with those available in other developed countries.

It has also agreed to take a similar approach with any newly launched therapies across US payers.

The second agreement is with the US Department of Commerce and relates to CSL’s US$1.5 billion expansion in Kankakee, Illinois.

That project was first announced in April and is designed to increase the company’s capacity to produce plasma-derived therapies in the US.

CSL said the agreements give it “greater certainty regarding exposure to U.S. drug pricing and certain Section 232 tariffs”.

Despite the new arrangements, the company does not expect them to have any material financial impact in FY27.

Why this could be a relief for investors

US drug pricing has been one of the issues hanging over global pharmaceutical companies this year.

The agreement gives investors more clarity around how CSL will operate in its biggest market, while also tying in with its existing plan to increase US manufacturing.

And this announcement comes just after a difficult period for the company.

CSL reported a statutory net loss of US$2.58 billion in FY26 after recording major impairments, although underlying profit came in at US$3.1 billion.

Revenue increased 1% to US$15.8 billion, while management is targeting around 5% underlying profit growth in FY27.

The company has also been dealing with weaker US vaccination rates and softer sales in parts of its plasma business.

Has the rally gone too far?

After a move of more than 40% in just over a month, CSL shares have already come a long way from their July lows.

The stock was trading below $125 in late July and is now back above $175, which changes the conversation a little.

Yes, the latest US deal is another positive step, but a lot of the easy recovery has already happened.

From here, I think investors will be looking more closely at whether earnings can start doing some of the heavy lifting.

The post CSL shares are up more than 40% in a month. What just happened in the US? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top 3 ASX shares to buy in September 2026
• 5 things reporting season taught ASX investors about FY27
• Where will CSL shares be in 12 months? Brokers weigh in
• Up 88%! Why CSL shares remain an ‘appealing’ buy today
• Experts name 2 ASX 200 blue chip shares to buy this week

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