If you want to accelerate your long-term wealth creation without spending your weekends analysing individual stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be the answer.

The right mix of ASX ETFs can give you instant diversification, exposure to global megatrends, and access to some of the world’s best businesses in a single trade.

With that in mind, here are five excellent ASX ETFs that could help supercharge a portfolio over the years ahead.

BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The hugely popular BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF offers exposure to the world’s most influential technology and innovation leaders. Its holdings include Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA), alongside growing non-tech names like Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: COST) and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX). Given the quality on offer among its holdings, it appears well-positioned to deliver strong returns over the next decade.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

For broad-based US exposure, the iShares S&P 500 ETF is hard to beat. It tracks America’s 500 largest stocks, giving investors ownership in businesses such as Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), and Visa (NYSE: V). The S&P 500 index has a long track record of compounding wealth, and this ASX ETF provides a simple, low-cost way to tap into that engine of returns.

Betashares Australian Quality ETF (ASX: AQLT)

A third ASX ETF that could be a top pick for investors is the Betashares Australian Quality ETF. It takes a selective approach to the local share market. Instead of tracking the index, it focuses on high-quality Australian shares with strong balance sheets and consistent profitability. Key holdings include BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), making it a compelling option for investors seeking a quality tilt at home. It was recently recommended to investors by the team at Betashares.

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing areas of global technology, and the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF provides investors with targeted exposure to this critical theme. This ASX ETF holds specialists such as Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ: CRWD), and Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT). As cyber threats continue to rise, demand for these services looks structural rather than cyclical.

BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

Finally, the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF could be a great pick for investors. It offers access to Asia’s tech heavyweights, including Tencent Holdings (SEHK: 700), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (NYSE: TSM), and Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA). With rising digital adoption and long-term economic growth across Asia, this ASX ETF could be a great buy and hold pick for Aussie investors.

The post 5 excellent ASX ETFs to supercharge your portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Decade darlings – these ASX shares have provided 10 years of returns
• 3 strong ASX ETFs that could be top buys in 2026
• 5 fantastic ASX ETFs for beginners in 2026

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF and Betashares Capital – Asia Technology Tigers Etf. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Apple, BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Costco Wholesale, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, Macquarie Group, Microsoft, Nvidia, Starbucks, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Tencent, Visa, Wesfarmers, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Alibaba Group, Johnson & Johnson, and Palo Alto Networks and has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Apple, BHP Group, CrowdStrike, Microsoft, Nvidia, Starbucks, Visa, Wesfarmers, 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.

There are some truly wonderful S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares that investors can buy. Over time, there’s a good chance that the best businesses will deliver stronger returns, as we’ve already seen in the past decade.

In my view, businesses that have an excellent product/service with good economics are likely to continue winning over time.

In the next five years, I think the below two businesses could be among the best performers of the current names in the ASX 200 Index. I’d happily invest $2,000 between them.

Let’s get into why that’s my belief with these ASX 200 shares.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Xero, an accounting software business, has done an incredible job at growing its subscriber number to more than 4 million, with a sizeable presence in numerous countries including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, Singapore, the US and Canada.

The world is becoming more digital. This includes tax authorities wanting more lodgements done so in a timely fashion, and increasingly requiring them to be completed online. This provides a strong tailwind for ongoing adoption of Xero’s software by small and medium businesses.

For me, the most important thing to see with a software business is growing margins. It costs the business very little to sell one more piece of software to a new subscriber, allowing the the gross profit margin to be close to 90%.

The FY26 half-year result showed a number of positives for the ASX 200 share. Revenue grew 20%, net profit rose 42% and free cash flow surged 54%.

In five years, I believe the business will be significantly more profitable, justifying a substantially higher Xero share price than it currently trades at today.

Broker UBS forecasts that in FY30 Xero could generate net profit of NZ$1.1 billion. I think that is an exciting prospect for long-term shareholders, with the operating profit (EBIT) margin expected to reach 26.6% in FY30 (up from a projected 13.4% in FY26).

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

TechnologyOne is another software business that has impressive growth characteristics with international growth ambitions.

It provides enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for businesses, universities, councils and governments.

I like the defensive nature of TechnologyOne’s client base – they need the software for their operations and the client base is collectively very loyal. The company has worked hard at providing improvements to its software for clients, which also enables the ASX 200 share to generate more revenue from its clients.

A key driver of its underlying value is the net revenue retention (NRR) – this is how much revenue is generated from its existing client base from last year. TechnologyOne aims for a NRR of 115% each year, which means revenue can double every five years.

With the company targeting the UK as another growth centre, as well expectations of an overall rising profit before tax (PBT) margin over time, I think the software company has a very promising outlook for shareholder returns.

The forecast from UBS suggests the business could generate $340 million of net profit in FY30, up from a projected $163 million in FY26.

The post 2 incredible ASX 200 shares I’d buy with $2,000 right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How to turn small ASX share investments into life-changing money
• BlueScope fields $30-per-share takeover bid from SGH, Steel Dynamics
• Top 5 ASX 200 tech shares for growth in 2025
• Here are my top 3 ASX shares to buy in January
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Technology One. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Technology One and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Technology One. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX dividend shares can be a great source of cash returns for investors because they can pay dividends and hopefully grow earnings over time.

Businesses that trade at large discounts to their underlying value can provide a sizeable yield. The lower the price/earnings (P/E) ratio, the larger the dividend yield.

There are some very impressive dividend yields out there for investors to take advantage of. I’m going to talk about two with potentially large payouts.

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

Accent is a significant retailer of footwear in Australia. It owns a number of brands including The Athlete’s Foot, Nude Lucy, Stylerunner, Platypus and other brands. It also acts as a retailer of a number of global brands, including Vans, Hoka, Herschel, Skechers Ugg and others. Additionally, the ASX dividend share recently started opening Sports Direct stores Australia.

That agreement with Frasers to open Sports Direct stores locally has led to access to Frasers brands like Everlast, Karrimor, Lonsdale, Slazenger, as well as global brands like Nike, Adidas, Under Armour New Balance and Puma.

The company recently reported a trading update that showed total group owned sales were up 3.7% year-over-year, though the gross profit margin was down 1.6% year-over-year. FY26 full-year operating profit (EBIT) is expected to be in the range of between $85 million and $95 million, which sadly disappointed the market.

With the Accent share price down 60% in the last year, its dividend yield is still expected to be large, even if the payout projection has reduced. UBS forecasts that Accent could pay an annual dividend per share of 5 cents in FY26, translating into a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.6%, including franking credits.

UBS forecasts that Accent’s annual dividend per share could steadily increase over the subsequent financial years. It’s trading at 13x FY26’s estimated earnings, with profit projected to rise from there.

Bailador Technology Investments Ltd (ASX: BTI)

Bailador is an investment company that focuses on technology businesses which have compelling financials, strong growth potential, possible international revenue generation and the ability to generate repeat revenue.

This ASX dividend share is invested in software across a number of areas including hotel channel management and distribution for online bookings, financial advice and investment management, digital healthcare, tours and activities booking, volunteer management, AI-enabled property investment, fitness and wellness sector and more.

The businesses in the Bailador portfolio are growing at a rapid pace, with FY25 seeing a portfolio-weighted revenue growth rate of 47%. If the businesses continue growing at that sort of speed, the portfolio value could shoot higher in the coming years.

In a December update, Bailador reported that its Updoc value had increased by 20.5% and the PropHero value jumped 45.6%, taking the November 2025 pro-forma pre-tax net tangible assets (NTA) per share to $1.98. That means the Bailador share price is trading at a discount of close to 40%, which is huge.

Due to that massive discount, the potential annualised Bailador grossed-up dividend yield for FY26 is 9.25%, including franking credits.

The post 2 ASX dividend shares with yields above 7%! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 ASX dividend shares to buy in January
• 5 worst ASX All Ords shares of 2025, and why brokers rate 4 of them a buy
• 5 top ASX dividend shares to buy now
• All it takes is $3,500 in these three ASX dividend stocks to help generate $331 in passive income in 2026
• How to make $50,000 of passive income in 2026

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Accent Group and Bailador Technology Investments. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bailador Technology Investments and Nike. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group, Bailador Technology Investments, and Nike. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

One of the many ASX gold shares that enjoyed big returns last year was Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST). 

The company is a global-scale Australian gold producer with projects in Australia and North America. 

In 2025, its share price rose 73% on the back of soaring commodity prices.

Rocky start to 2026

However despite the strong gains last year, it has been a bumpy ride in the early days of 2026. 

Investors have been offloading Northern Star shares to start the year after the company reported softer gold sales for the December 2025 quarter and trimmed its full-year production guidance. 

The company revised its annual production guidance to between 1.6 million ounces and 1.7 million ounces, from between 1.7 million ounces and 1.85 million ounces.

This triggered a 8.6% share price drop on January 2. 

The company said operational hiccups during the December quarter – including equipment failures and ongoing recovery works – led to reduced gold sales across all three production centres.

Should you buy the dip?

Following last week’s sell-off, Broker Bell Potter weighed in with updated analysis on Northern Star shares. 

The broker said the stock closed 8.6% lower on the announcement equating to A$3.3bn in market capitalisation loss. 

Assuming that these issues are merely one-offs, with production normalising over 2H, we would argue the response is potentially overdone. On our estimates, we model a -12% impact to EBITDA (A$460m) for FY26.

Bell Potter said in the report that Northern Star will continue to generate above average returns in the current environment.

Target price unchanged 

Despite the recent dip, Bell Potter has reiterated its price target on Northern Star shares. 

However, the broker has updated its model ahead of the 2Q result (22nd Jan) which sees EPS decline 17% in FY26 and increase 11% and 27% in FY27 and FY28 respectively on higher assumed gold prices. 

Bell Potter has maintained its price target of $30.00 along with its buy recommendation on Northern Star shares. 

From yesterday’s closing price of $24.95, this indicates an upside of 20.24%. 

This is in line with targets elsewhere. 

TradingView has an average price target of $29.82 and online brokerage platform SelfWealth lists the stock as undervalued by approximately 21.4%. 

The post What’s this broker’s outlook on Northern Star shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Should you buy the early 2026 big dip in Northern Star shares?
• Can Genesis Minerals shares keep running after a 195% surge in a year?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Why Capstone Copper, Life360, Northern Star, and Weebit Nano shares are falling today

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week with a small gain. The benchmark index rose slightly to 8,728.6 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to push higher

The Australian share market looks set to push higher on Tuesday following a strong start to the week on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 35 points or 0.4% higher. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is up 1.55%, the S&P 500 is 0.7% higher, and the Nasdaq is up 0.65%.

Oil prices rise

It could be a good session for ASX 200 energy shares Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) after oil prices pushed higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.7% to US$58.29 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.6% to US$61.74 a barrel. Traders were buying oil in response to Venezuelan uncertainty.

BlueScope takeover

BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL) shares will be on watch today after the steel products company confirmed that it has received a $30.00 per share takeover offer from a consortium comprising SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH) and US-based Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD). After rejecting three earlier offers, the company is currently considering this one.

Gold price charges higher

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) could have a good session on Tuesday after the gold price jumped overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 2.8% to US$4,449 an ounce. This was driven by safe haven demand after UK strikes on Venezuela.

Buy Northern Star shares

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares are good value according to analysts at Bell Potter. According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating and $30.00 price target on the gold miner’s shares. In response to last week’s selloff following a production downgrade, Bell Potter said: “NST closed 8.6% lower on the announcement equating to A$3.3bn in market capitalisation loss. Assuming that these issues are merely one-offs, with production normalizing over 2H, we would argue the response is potentially overdone.”

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What’s this broker’s outlook on Northern Star shares?
• Should you buy the early 2026 big dip in Northern Star shares?
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Can Genesis Minerals shares keep running after a 195% surge in a year?
• 3 reasons to buy BlueScope Steel shares now

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 recommended Steel Dynamics. 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.

If you are on the lookout for some new ASX shares for your investment portfolio, then it could be worth listening to what Morgans is saying about the three named below.

Let’s see if the broker is bullish, bearish, or something in between:

Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)

Morgans thinks that recent weakness has created a buying opportunity for investors with this appliance manufacturer’s shares.

The broker has a buy rating and $36.05 price target on its shares.

It highlights that the company is well-placed thanks to its premium positioning, product innovation, and leverage to the coffee category. Morgans said:

BRG’s share price has retreated ~16% following the FY25 result, which we attribute to expectations of muted earnings growth in FY26 as the group navigates tariff-related margin pressure and an uncertain consumer discretionary backdrop. We view this weakness [as] more warranted for mass-market exposed peers such as Groupe SEB (SK-FRA) and Newell Brands (NWL-US), which have delivered softer updates amid consumer demand pressure (~30% share price decline). However, we believe BRG’s premium positioning, strong focus on new product innovation, and leverage to the coffee category position it to better withstand these pressures.

We are encouraged by recent positive updates from peers who share key attributes with BRG, including strong new product innovation and geographic expansion (SharkNinja; SN-US), premium brand positioning (KitchenAid / Whirlpool; WHR-US) and growing coffee category exposure (both). We view recent weakness in BRG as an opportunity to build a position in a high-quality, well-managed business, with structural coffee tailwinds. Upgrade to BUY.

Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL)

Another ASX 200 share that the broker has been looking at is gold miner Catalyst Metals.

Morgans remains positive on the company despite its softer than expected first quarter. It has a buy rating and $10.58 price target on its shares. It commented:

CYL delivered a softer than expected operating result for 1Q, driven predominantly mill maintenance, an isolated event. CYL reiterated its FY26 guidance despite 1Q unit costs being outside of stated parameters – we think guidance is still within reach and maintain our preference for CYL within the ~100kozpa producer peer group (CYL, PNR, OBM).

Following the result, we have raised our FY26 capex forecast to A$336m (from A$231m) to reflect updated exploration and non-essential growth capital requirements, primarily relating to the Four Eagles exploration drive (Victoria) and continued development at Plutonic. We reiterate our BUY rating, with a price target of A$10.58ps (previously A$11.00ps).

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Finally, Morgans isn’t quite as positive on this industrial property juggernaut. It has an accumulate rating (between buy and hold) and $36.30 price target on its shares.

The broker is positive on its data centre opportunity but acknowledges that it will result in an increase in capital intensity. It said:

GMG continues to reiterate the immense data centre opportunity ahead – 5GW of potential capacity across key global gateway cities. However, the longer time to develop these assets is seeing capital intensity increase as data centres form a larger proportion of work-in-progress (WIP). All while consensus EPS expectations continue to moderate – consensus now largely forecasts low double digit EPS growth through FY26/27/28 (vs prior expectations of mid double digits). Details of the lease-terms and funding partners remain scant, whilst negotiations progress.

Combined with the 2H skew for FY26 earnings, the likelihood of an FY26 earnings beat declines. That said, we attribute much of the recent share price decline to the shifting narrative around the outlook for hyperscale capex. To this end, we see the recent share price retracement more as an opportunity retaining our ACCUMULATE rating and $36.30/sh price target.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Breville, Catalyst Metals, and Goodman shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• How to make $20,000 of passive income from ASX shares
• 3 Australian shares with bullish catalysts heading into 2026
• Where to invest $10,000 into ASX 200 shares in January 2026
• 10 ASX shares I would buy in 2026

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

ASX penny stock Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC) has started the year off with a bang. 

The company is a producer of nickel pig iron, a key ingredient in stainless steel. It is also engaged in exploring, mining, acquiring, and developing nickel projects globally.

It closed 2025 trading at $0.83 each, and closed yesterday at $0.95. 

That’s almost 15% higher in just a few days of trading. 

Why the red hot start?

Investors have been reacting positively to the announcement of a strategic partnership with Sphere Corp, including a US$2.4 billion valuation for its ENC HPAL project and the first Western offtake agreement for ENC nickel cathode.

What does this mean?

South Korean-listed Sphere Corp will acquire a 10% stake in the ENC HPAL project at a US$2.4 billion valuation.

The funding completion is expected in early Q1 2026.

The partnership is the company’s first offtake deal into Western markets, specifically targeting the fast-growing aerospace and aeronautical industries.

What’s Bell Potter’s view?

Following the announcement, broker Bell Potter released a new report on this ASX penny stock. 

The broker said there have been positive catalysts emerging for the company in the last couple of weeks. 

Bell Potter views these as a precursor to a transformational year for Nickel Industries. 

These include receipt of an increased ore sales permit, the disclosure of a strategic partnership at the ENC HPAL plant and a rising nickel price.

The broker highlighted The LME nickel price has surged from an 8-month low to a 14-month high in the last two weeks in a burst of volatility that can be a feature of the nickel market. 

NIC’s share price has appreciated ~27% since early December, with this being a key driver.

Increased target price

In the report, Bell Potter included EPS changes of: CY25: -25%; CY26: +22%; CY27: +4%.

The broker also reinforced its buy recommendation, and upgraded its price target to $1.30. 

From yesterday’s closing price of $0.95, this indicates an upside of 36.84%. 

NIC is one of the world’s largest listed nickel producers and offers exposure across a range of nickel products and markets. It continues to make money through low nickel prices, benefitting from its upstream and downstream operations, diversified risk and margin exposure across an integrated value chain.

The post Already up 15% in 2026, how high can this penny stock rise? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why 4DMedical, Elsight, Judo, and Nickel Industries shares are pushing higher today
• Nickel Industries partners with Sphere Corp in landmark ENC deal
• Why these ASX 200 stocks could rise 45% to 50% in 2026
• Bell Potter names two base metals companies which are worth a look

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

The New Year period is a great time to reflect on where our personal finances are and where they could get to in 2026 and beyond.

Personal finances play a big part in our wealth because they provide the engine for investing and other efforts that improve our financial picture.

Depending on what your finances look like, doing one or more of the following steps could have a big impact.

Spend less than you earn

Each month, our personal finances have their own ‘profit and loss’. Is more money coming in than going out?

Money doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Income and saving are both important to build wealth.

Whether the income comes from a job, business ownership, dividends, rental profits, interest or something else, we need to have enough money coming in to cover the essentials like shelter, food, transportation and utilities.

After that, it’s down to us to decide how much we want to spend on non-essential items and services.

There are a variety of ways to spend less and a few ways to earn more (such as increasing our skills, taking up a side hustle, and so on).

Ultimately, if we earn $10 more than we spend each month, that’s building wealth.  However, consistently spending more is likely to lead to long-term problems.

Pay down debt

Debt can be one of the most problematic things if it’s not used to buy assets that rise in value over time. Most debt comes with an interest cost.

Considering we have to pay the interest with our after-tax money, the interest saving on paying down debt could be comparable to solid returns in the share market. For example, an interest rate of 7.5% for debt could be comparable to a pre-tax return of 10% from the share market. But, that’s a guaranteed saving, whereas the share market is not.

If someone has various debts, there are two methods that could make the most sense after paying the required minimum payments.

One option is to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate because this would be the best choice for our personal finances.

But, another option could be more powerful. Dealing with money is a very psychological thing, so paying off debts smallest to largest could be the way to go. Building momentum could be the way to see progress and stay committed to the cause until it’s done.

Start investing in (ASX) shares

Compounding is a very powerful financial force. While it works against us if we have debt, it works for us when we invest in assets that grow.

Investing in (ASX) shares is definitely a smart way to build wealth. Overall, shares have a long-term track record of delivering an average return of 10% per year. At that pace, $1,000 turns into $2,000 in around eight years. I reckon Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) is a great place to start investing for the long-term for diversified returns.

Some shares have delivered much stronger returns than 10% per year. Finding these opportunities means identifying which businesses are going to grow profit significantly over time.

In ten years, your future self could be very glad that your investment journey began in 2026.

The post Getting your personal finances on track in 2026? Here are three steps to take appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 unstoppable Vanguard ETFs to buy even if there’s a stock market sell-off in 2026
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• How to retire with a $1 million ASX share portfolio
• 10 excellent ASX ETFs to buy in 2026
• Why this could be the easiest way to become a millionaire with shares on the ASX

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 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.

Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks were on fire in 2025. 

During the year, there was an explosion of demand for cloud computing and automation. At the same time, there was a small pool of AI stocks listed on the ASX which meant investors had limited choices for where to put their money. As a result, ASX AI stocks saw their share prices skyrocket.

As we move in 2026, it looks like investment and adoption of AI-driven technologies is here to stay. 

And if 2026 is anything like the past year, there is one unstoppable ASX AI stock you’ll want in your portfolio.

The artificial intelligence stocks I’d keep in my portfolio

Over in the US, Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) is widely considered to be the top AI stock to own into 2026 due to the company’s dominance in the AI processor and infrastructure space.  

But looking closer to home, NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares present an excellent opportunity for Australian investors to jump aboard the AI-train before the next boom.

The data centre operator’s shares closed in the red on Monday afternoon. At the time of writing the shares are down 1.91% to $12.30 a piece. For 2026 so far, the shares are 2.15% lower.

Over the past year, the shares have dropped 18.54%. 

While it might not be the best start for NextDC shares, the AI stock is primed to soar over the next 12 months.

Here’s why.

NextDC operates a rapidly expanding network of data centres focused on cloud computing, telecommunication networks and supports AI workloads. It has physical centres, cooling, power, and security services and project support. As data usage explodes, demand for secure, high-quality infrastructure is likely to grow alongside it.

The company is heavily investing in expanding its business too. The company recently announced it has partnered with OpenAI to develop and operate a hyperscale AI campus and large-scale GPU supercluster at its site in Sydney. It’ll be the largest data centre in the southern hemisphere. 

Just two weeks following the announcement, NextDC announced that its pro forma contracted utilisation increased by 96MW or 30% to 412MW since its last update on 1 December.

As AI workloads increase, NextDC is positioning itself well to absorb a lot of the demand.

What’s next for NextDc shares?

I’m very optimistic that 2026 will be the year for growth of NextDC shares. 

TradingView data shows analysts are equally bullish. All 13 analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on the shares with an average target price of $21.04. At the time of writing this implies the shares could jump 71.04% higher over the next 12 months. 

However, some think the increase could be even higher. The maximum analyst target price is $29.36, which implies an incredible potential upside of 138.70% in 2026!

The post 1 unstoppable artificial intelligence stock you’ll want to own in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 4 reasons to buy Nvidia stock like there’s no tomorrow
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• 2 AI stocks to buy in January and hold for 20 years
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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 positions in and has recommended Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Happy new year! 

As we all slowly get the wheels turning in 2026, brokers are also waking up from their holiday slumber.

Many are now providing a fresh outlook for the year ahead. 

One such company receiving new analysis is ASX materials stock Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS). 

The company is a precious metals explorer and producer. Its copper-dominant portfolio comprises four operating assets across four states. 

How did this materials stock perform last year?

Like many copper shares, Aeris Resources enjoyed a stellar 2025 on the back of record global commodity prices.

At the beginning of 2025, this ASX materials stock was trading for just $0.18, and by the end of the calendar year, it had soared to $0.60. 

That’s a 236% rise. 

But after such a stellar performance, Bell Potter believes the growth isn’t finished. 

In a report from the broker last week, the broker reiterated its buy recommendation. 

Key approval

In Bell Potter’s report, the broker said the company has been granted Development Consent for its Constellation Project by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. 

The broker said this is a major permitting milestone for Constellation. It de-risks its pathway to production and its objective of commencing mining operations from mid-CY26. 

The Development Consent is issued under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and includes the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), representing the main hurdle for the operational plan and environmental and social impact approvals.

The broker said it anticipates this will boost production at 100% owned Tritton Copper Mine in NSW in 2HCY26. 

Furthermore, higher ore grades and tonnages should drive higher production and lower costs, improving margins and cash flows for the company.

Bell Potter believes combined with current production from other sites, the new site will reinforce its status as the largest Australian copper mine not owned by a major mining company. 

This will further leverage AIS’ exposure to a rising copper price and it remains one of our key picks in the sector.

Broker tipping more upside

Bell Potter raised its EPS guidance in FY26: +27%, FY27: +41% and FY28: +57% on higher copper price forecasts.

It has increased its price target to $0.82 (previously $0.65), and from yesterday’s closing price, this indicates an upside of 37%. 

AIS is a copper-dominant producer, with its near-term outlook highly leveraged to the copper price, increasing production at Tritton and gold production at Cracow.

The post Why Bell Potter thinks this materials stock can soar 37% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.