Tag: Motley Fool Australia

I believe it could be the perfect time to buy the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS).

About Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF

Firstly, let me tell you about Vanguard if you don’t already know. It’s one of the world’s biggest providers of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It’s special because it’s not trying to make heaps of money from its investors. Instead, the owners of Vanguard are the investors. Vanguard shares the profit with investors in the form of lower fees.

This particular ETF invests in the entire global share market. It’s invested in almost every major share market such as the US, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Sweden and so on.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF also has attractive diversification in the sense of the different industries it’s invested in. The biggest allocation is 20% to IT, followed by 14.7% to health care, 12.7% to financials, 10.9% to consumer discretionary, 10% to industrials, 9% to communication services and 8.7% to consumer staples.

In terms of actual holdings it’s invested in almost 1,600 businesses. But its top holdings are: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Visa, JPMorgan Chase and Proctor & Gamble.

Why I think it’s a good time to buy

This could be one of the easiest investments to hold for the long-term in any environment because of the Vanguard ETF’s diversification. It also has a very low management fee. It’s not the cheapest out there, but 0.18% per annum is great for the global nature of it.

I think it’s a good time to buy for two reasons. Number one is that Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF is still 11% lower than its pre-coronavirus high. Bearing in mind that interest rates are now incredibly low, that’s not bad at all if you’re a long-term investors. Granted, there could be more declines later this year. Particularly with the US election coming up. 

Second, the Australian dollar has significantly recovered. The Aussie dollar now buys US$0.66. During the worst part of the crash it was under US$0.60. This gives us more buying power to buy international shares compared to nearly all of April and May.

More reading

• Buy these 4 ASX shares to diversify your portfolio
• The importance of diversifying your ASX portfolio and how you can do it
• ASX shares can help millennials retire before their parents
• How to make a $1 million share portfolio by investing $1,000 a month
• Is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF the best long-term investment?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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On Thursday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) returned to form and stormed notably higher. The benchmark index climbed 1.3% to 5,851.1 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to drop lower.

The ASX 200 looks set to end a fantastic week with a day in the red. According to the latest SPI futures, the benchmark index is expected to open the day 19 points or 0.3% lower this morning. This follows a weak night of trade on Wall Street which saw the Dow Jones fall 0.6%, the S&P 500 drop 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fall 0.45%.

Oil prices rebound.

Energy producers such as Oil Search Limited (ASX: OSH) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could be on the rise today after oil prices rebounded. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price climbed 2.5% to US$33.63 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price rose 1.5% to US$35.27 a barrel. Higher U.S. gasoline demand supported oil prices.

Gold price pushes higher.

Gold miners such as Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) will be on watch after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.3% to US$1,731.70 an ounce. The precious metal pushed higher on concerns over U.S.-China tensions.

Costa annual general meeting.

The Costa Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: CGC) share price will be one to watch this morning when the horticulture company holds its annual general meeting. Costa is very likely to provide an update on how it is performing during the pandemic. Last month the company withdrew its guidance because of the crisis.

Nearmap rated as a buy.

The Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) share price could be on the move again on Friday after analysts at Goldman Sachs reaffirmed their buy rating on its shares. This follows the release of the aerial imagery technology and location data company’s market update on Thursday. The broker has increased its price target on Nearmap’s shares to $2.55.

More reading

• ASX 200 rises again, ASX banks push higher
• These ASX tech shares could take your portfolio to the next level
• Why ANZ, Blackmores, IDP Education, & Nearmap shares are racing higher
• Why the Nearmap share price has surged 15% higher today
• ASX 200 up 2.4%: Blackmores raises $92m, big four banks jump, Nearmap rockets

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended COSTA GRP FPO and Nearmap Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX:XJO) went higher today to 5,851 points.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) continues to be a cautious voice on the economy. But Dr Lowe does see that things are looking better than perhaps was expected compared to a very negative scenario.

ASX 200 banks continue to push the index higher

The heavy lifting in the ASX 200 is being done by the banking sector.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) did actually provide its quarterly update today which included a provision for the COVID-19 impacts of $148.3 million.

The Bendigo Bank share price went up by 4.1% today.

The rest of the ASX 200 banking sector also had a very solid day, though the ending gains were lower than earlier in the day. Investors are becoming more positive on the banks. 

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price rose by 2.2%.

Westpac Banking Corp’s (ASX: WBC) share price went up by 4.4%.

The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price climbed 4.75%.

The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) share price rose by 4.5%.

Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) returns to trade

The ASX 200 vitamin business returned to trading on the ASX today after going into a trading halt yesterday to announce a capital raising.

Blackmores is using the money to strengthen the balance sheet, accelerate Asian growth and pay for an efficiency program.

The Blackmores share price ended the day higher by 3.25%.

Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) rockets

The share price of Nearmap rocketed today. It went up 16.7% as the aerial imaging company gave a trading update.

The ASX 200 business said that its annualised contract value (ACV) Is now more than $104 million at the current exchange rate between the Australian dollar and the US dollar. Customer churn has also fallen to less than 10% on a rolling 12 month basis.

The company also announced that it has launched Nearmap AI.

Finally the company said that thanks to cost cutting measures it is on course to be cash flow breakeven by the end of FY20.

More reading

• Are ASX bank shares finally back in the buy zone?
• Top brokers pick the latest ASX shares to buy today
• Another sign the ASX 200 bull run is justified
• RBA governor says economy “doing better than was earlier feared”
• Why now could be a better time to buy the underperforming CSL share price

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Nearmap Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Fuelled by surging ASX bank shares, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has had a truly extraordinary week – and we still have one more day of trading left!

Since Monday, the ASX 200 has risen from 5,497 points to close today at 5,851.1 points – a swing over 6.5%.

Driving this, the big four ASX bank shares have taken off this week in a big way.

Let’s take Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA). It was asking just $58.80 a share on Monday morning. Today, investors were seeking $65.73 a share at market close. That’s a four-day turnaround of almost 12% – as I say, extraordinary stuff.

It’s an even better story with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) shares, all of which are up more than 20% since Monday. You can’t make this stuff up.

So what’s going on here? And more importantly, are the ASX bank shares a buy today?

Why ASX bank share prices are raising the roof

In my view, what’s happening with the ASX bank shares is a pure shift in sentiment towards the economy, rather than anything specific to the banking sector.

Banks are one of the most economically-reliant companies on the ASX. That means they are usually more profitable when the broader economy is going well, and decidedly less so if the economy is going poorly or is in a recession.

Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the market has more or less valued the banks at ‘recession prices’, which explains why the big four ASX banks have seen their market capitalizations smashed in 2020 so far.

But this sentiment has decisively shifted this week. Why? Well, it’s likely to be a combination of factors. States around the country are increasingly lifting coronavirus-related restrictions and lockdowns, which is bringing thousands of businesses out of hibernation.

And just today, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Philip Lowe told a Senate hearing that the RBA expects there to be less economic damage than they first feared.

As you can imagine, these developments have likely contributed to a huge boost in confidence around where the economy is heading in the short- to medium-term.

Are the ASX bank shares a buy today?

Even though ASX bank shares are storming higher this week, I’m not too interested myself.

We still don’t know the extent of the economic damage that will stem from the coronavirus. We still don’t know how badly the banks will be hit for the rest of 2020 and in 2021 and beyond. And we still don’t know when the banks (who have always been known for their dividend payments) will be able to pay dividend cheques anywhere near the levels they used to.

As such, I think there are better places to put your money today. And if you were really bullish on ASX bank shares, you probably should have been buying last week!

More reading

• ASX 200 rises again, ASX banks push higher
• Top brokers pick the latest ASX shares to buy today
• Another sign the ASX 200 bull run is justified
• RBA governor says economy “doing better than was earlier feared”
• Why now could be a better time to buy the underperforming CSL share price

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of National Australia Bank Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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With almost every country in the world experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older people in their population, demand for healthcare services looks set to grow strongly over the next few decades.

I believe this makes the healthcare sector a great place to make buy and hold investments.

But which ASX healthcare shares should you buy? Here are two to consider snapping up:

Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME)

The first ASX healthcare share to consider buying is Pro Medicus. It is a fast-growing provider of a full range of radiology IT software and services to hospitals, imaging centres, and healthcare groups globally. The product which I think has the potential is its Visage 7 platform. It delivers fast, multi-dimensional images streamed via an intelligent thin-client viewer. This makes it vastly superior to cumbersome legacy systems and has a proven return on investment for users.

Also supporting its growth is the Visage RIS product. It is a comprehensive, enterprise-class, and state-of-the-art radiology information system. It is being used by two of the biggest radiology providers in Australia on long term contracts. Combined with its high margins, I believe these platforms leave Pro Medicus well-positioned to deliver strong earnings growth over the next decade and beyond.

Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)

Another ASX healthcare share to consider buying is Ramsay Health Care. It is one of the world’s leading private healthcare companies. Ramsay currently owns and operates a total of 480 facilities across 11 countries. From these facilities it looks after 8.5 million patients each year at present.

This makes it the market leader in the Australia, France, and Scandinavia markets. Due to its strong market position, I believe Ramsay Health Care will benefit greatly from the increasing demand for healthcare services in the future. This could make it well worth looking beyond the short term headwinds it is facing and focusing on the bigger picture.

More reading

• New to investing? Put $500 into these top ASX 200 shares
• 3 ASX 200 growth shares I want to buy for my portfolio
• 3 shares I’d buy if the coronavirus selloff gets worse
• $3,000 invested in these 3 ASX industries could make you a fortune in the future
• Where I would invest $5,000 into ASX shares immediately

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ramsay Health Care Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8) share price was a standout performer on the ASX today, catching the eye of small-cap ASX investors with an intra-day rise of as much as 46.94%.

Black Cat shares shot up after being reinstated to official quotation in afternoon trade. Shares eventually simmered down somewhat to close out the day 30.61% higher at 64 cents per share. This brings Black Cat’s current market capitalisation to around $54 million.

Black Cat Syndicate is a small-cap ASX gold miner. Its primary focus is on advanced exploration and development of the high-grade Bulong Gold Field, which is located 25km east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Bulong is the result of the consolidation of a number of small-scale, high-grade mines and is comprised of around 82 square kilometres of mainly granted tenements, all 100% controlled by Black Cat.

Why the Black Cat Syndicate share price rocketed today

On Tuesday morning, Black Cat requested its shares be suspended from official quotation, pending the release of an announcement regarding a potential acquisition.

That announcement came this afternoon, when Black Cat revealed it had entered a binding agreement to acquire 2 gold projects from Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR), subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.

The 2 projects are:

• The Fingals Gold Project which comprises ~64 square kilometres of land and is located 30km south-east of the Bulong Gold Project; and
• The Rowe’s Find Gold Project which comprises ~41 square kilometres of land and is located 100km east of Bulong.

Upon completion of the acquisition, Black Cat’s landholding will increase from 168 square kilometres to 233 square kilometres.

Additionally, Fingals and Rowe’s Find have a combined JORC Mineral Resource Estimate of 5.2 million tonnes at 2.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold for 425,000 ounces. This is expected to increase Black Cat’s total resources by 145% to 8.7 million tonnes at 2.6 g/t gold for 716,000 ounces.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Black Cat will pay a non-refundable deposit of $50,000. It will also issue around 8.4 million ordinary shares to Silver Lake, making Silver Lake a substantial shareholder in Black Cat.

The acquisition is conditional upon the completion of due diligence by Black Cat by 27 June 2020. Subject to the satisfaction of the conditions, the acquisition is expected to be completed in early July 2020.

Commenting on today’s update, Black Cat’s managing director Gareth Solly said:

“Fingals and Rowe’s Find have clear synergies to our Bulong Gold Project. The new projects contain 44 tenements of which 28 are Mining Leases with minimal barriers to mining. With this acquisition, we will increase our Resources by 145% to 719,000oz, add high quality exploration targets as well as near term mining opportunities. All this without significantly impacting Black Cat’s cash position.”

“We will complete due diligence and rank the exploration and mining opportunities accordingly. We also look forward to welcoming Silver Lake as a substantial shareholder upon completion of the Acquisition,” he added.

More reading

• 7 roaring ASX mid-cap shares last week
• ASX 200 finishes up 1.4%, gold miner share prices surge
• Why the best performing ASX stock might have more room to run higher
• These were the top 10 ASX 200 shares over the last year

Motley Fool contributor Cathryn Goh has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The bulls are back! The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) jumped a further 1.3% on Thursday – pushing the benchmark to a 12 week high.

We are likely to see more gains in the short-term too despite the market’s 29% gain since it hit a bear market bottom in late March.

More room for bulls to run

There are a few reasons for this, including an expected string of positive data from the gradual reopening of the global economy after the COVID-19 shutdown.

ASX shares certainly aren’t as cheap as they were in recent past, but there’s still value to be found for those who are yet to join in the party.

Testing positive in a good way

Testing and certification services provider ALS Ltd (ASX: ALS) is one that makes the cut, according to Morgans.

The broker reiterated it’s “add” recommendation on the stock after management posted its full year results yesterday.

“FY20 underlying financials met guidance despite COVID headwinds in Feb-Mar, suggesting Life Sciences [business] was tracking ahead of our expectations,” said the broker.

“We think the stock can keep running in-line with the re-opening of the global economy, and as it approaches the late July AGM where a critical trading update will be provided.”

The 6.1 cents a share dividend was also a positive surprise, although that was offset by a $90 million write-down of some underperforming businesses.

However, Morgans thinks the FY21 outlook for ALS is looking relatively bright considering the uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

The broker’s target price on the stock is $8.28 a share.

Strength in numbers

Meanwhile, JP Morgan reiterated its “overweight” rating on TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM) today as it believes there is good revenue upside potential for the telco post its merger with Vodafone Australia.

“There are a variety of revenue synergies that the company can pursue as a result of the merger and all are additive, with some potentially yielding as much as 30% further upside on a standalone basis,” said the broker.

These opportunities include fixed wireless broadband solution, fixed wireless data offload (used to cover holes in NBN coverage), cross selling NBN to Vodafone customers and cross selling mobile to TPG’s customers.

“While we currently don’t incorporate any of these opportunities in our estimates, adding them all together yields up to 85% further potential upside to our current DCF valuation,” added JP Morgan.

The broker’s current price target on the stock is $8.65 a share.

More reading

• Another sign the ASX 200 bull run is justified
• RBA governor says economy “doing better than was earlier feared”
• Why now could be a better time to buy the underperforming CSL share price
• ASX 200 bull market! Why this ASX fundie is getting nervous
• ASX 200 up 2.4%: Blackmores raises $92m, big four banks jump, Nearmap rockets

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of TPG Telecom Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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There’s another sign that the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bull run is justified. The indicator was revealed by shopping centre giant Scentre Group (ASX: SCG).

What’s the good news?

The ASX 200 retail landlord released a media update today. Customer visitation at the week ending 24 May 2020 has returned to 80% of what it had been in May the year prior. The coronavirus cloud appears to be lifting. 

I think that’s impressive. Approximately 80% of stores are open across Australian Westfield Living Centres and 93% of stores are open across New Zealand Westfield Living Centres.

I imagine more people will want to visit shopping centres once they’re back to 100% open again.

Obviously seeing that Australia’s infection numbers are very low helps. But Scentre said that the safety and hygiene measures are also helping. Some of those initiatives include signage, PA announcements, availability of hand sanitiser and more frequent cleaning in-centre.

There are apparently three top things that we’re looking forward to as easing restrictions ease are: going out for a meal, spending time with loved ones and going out shopping. I think that’s obviously that’s good news for Scentre.

I’m thinking of all of the ASX retailers that sell at Scentre’s locations. Some of the beneficiaries could be Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Coles Group Limited (ASX: COL), JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH), Reject Shop Ltd (ASX: TRS), Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV), Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV), Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) and so on.

Is Scentre a buy?

The Scentre share price is up 65% since 24 March 2020. I’m not sure how much it will keep recovering. There has been a shift to online sales over the past few months. I believe the return of shoppers to shopping centres is a good sign for Scentre, other retail landlords and the wider economy.

More reading

• RBA governor says economy “doing better than was earlier feared”
• Why now could be a better time to buy the underperforming CSL share price
• ASX 200 bull market! Why this ASX fundie is getting nervous
• ASX 200 up 2.4%: Blackmores raises $92m, big four banks jump, Nearmap rockets
• The next looming test for the ASX 200 bull market is just round the corner

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Premier Investments Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET, Wesfarmers Limited, and Woolworths Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Scentre Group. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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If you’re looking to retire in the coming years, then now might be the time to start thinking about a retirement portfolio.

But which shares should you buy for it? If I were constructing a retirement portfolio, I would want it to have quality blue chips which pay dividends and have solid growth prospects.

With that in mind, here are three top options which I think could be part of a retirement portfolio:

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

I think Goodman Group would be a good option for a retirement portfolio. I believe the integrated commercial and industrial property group is well-positioned for growth over the next decade thanks to the strength of its portfolio. Goodman focuses on high-quality properties in key locations that it believes will deliver sustainable returns for investors. These include logistics and industrial facilities, warehouses, and business parks. One of the key attractions for me is its exposure to the ecommerce market through relationships with Amazon, DHL, and Walmart.

Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD)

Another share which I would add to a retirement portfolio is Sydney Airport. The airport operator’s shares have fallen heavily this year because of the pandemic. And while its airport is a ghost town right now, it won’t be long until it is full of life again. Domestic tourism looks set to start its recovery in the coming months, with international tourism likely to follow in 2021. I’m optimistic by the end of 2022 the passenger traffic at its airports will be approaching pre-pandemic levels. This should put the company in a position to pay dividends that equate to very generous yields based on today’s share price. As a result, I think it could pay to be patient with this one.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

A final option to consider for a retirement portfolio is this conglomerate. I think the majority of Wesfarmers’ many businesses are well-placed for growth over the next decade. Not least the key Bunnings business which goes from strength to strength. In addition to this, with the company sitting on a mountain of cash, I don’t believe it will be long until it makes some earnings accretive acquisitions. All in all, I believe this leaves Wesfarmers well-positioned to grow its earnings and dividends consistently over the coming years.

More reading

• 3 ASX shares Warren Buffett couldn’t ignore today
• 1 key trait to look for with most top ASX growth shares
• 2 outstanding ASX 50 shares to buy today
• Is Wesfarmers in the buy zone?
• 3 easy rules for building a massive ASX share portfolio

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Wesfarmers Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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I think the market crash this year has demonstrated why having a balanced and diversified portfolio is very important.

Luckily for investors, diversification isn’t that hard to achieve. Four shares which I think would be good starters are listed below:

Aventus Group (ASX: AVN)

If you don’t have exposure to real estate, then Aventus could be worth considering. It is a retail property company specialising in large format retail parks. Its rental income has a reasonably high weighting towards everyday needs, with homewares, electrical, furniture, bedding and hardware making up the balance. I think this is a good mix and makes it one of the better options in the sector.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

The iShares S&P 500 ETF is an exchange traded fund that gives investors exposure to the 500 shares listed on Wall Street’s famous S&P 500 index. This index is home to many of the largest and most well-known companies in the world. This includes Apple, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, McDonalds, Microsoft, Visa, and Walt Disney.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF is probably as diverse as you can get with shares. This exchange traded fund gives investors exposure to a total of 1,579 of the world’s largest companies listed in major developed countries. Amongst its holdings are the likes of Apple, Nestle, Proctor & Gamble, and Google parent, Alphabet

Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW)

Finally, I think this conglomerate could be another way to add a bit of diversification to your portfolio. As well as its supermarkets, Woolworths is responsible for a wide range of businesses in different markets. These include Big W, BWS, Dan Murphy’s, and a large number of hotels/pubs. Given the positive outlooks for the majority of these businesses and their defensive qualities, I think Woolworths could be worth considering.

More reading

• Keytone Dairy share price storms 14% higher on new licensing agreement
• The Aussie dollar just hit an 8-week high. Here’s how it affects your ASX shares
• 3 easy rules for building a massive ASX share portfolio
• Where will the Coles share price be in 1 year?
• The ASX 200 just hit an 11-week high. Here are 3 reasons we might be in overvalued territory

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Woolworths Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended AVENTUS RE UNIT and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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