Tag: Motley Fool

The analysts at IML Australian Share Fund are not beating about the bush.

In a memo to clients, they said in no uncertain terms that the current market and economic situation is delicately poised.

“The outlook for the economy, inflation and interest rates remains uncertain, as central banks try to balance the risks of continued high inflation with further financial instability.”

So what does that mean for its stock portfolio?

“We continue to position the portfolio in well-established industry leaders with competitive advantage, recurring earnings, strong balance sheets and capable management teams.”

To demonstrate, the IML team named three S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares it’s confidently backing at the moment:

These industry leaders are set to fight through economic anxiety

When it comes to industry leaders, a prototypical example in Australia is telecommunications giant Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS).

The IML team noted how the stock surged after announcing a half-year profit boost in excess of 25%.

“It also reconfirmed its intention to cut $500 million of costs through to 2025 and increased its fully-franked interim dividend from 8 cents to 8.5 cents.”

Indeed the share price is up 8.9% year to date, while paying out a dividend yield of 3.7%.

“We believe Telstra is well placed to continue to deliver growth and dividends in challenging economic conditions and a high inflation environment.”

While Amcor CDI (ASX: AMC) is not a household name like Telstra, it nevertheless is a leader in the global packaging industry.

Its share price has dropped more than 6% year to date.

“While earnings were in line with our expectations, lower volumes in some categories and geographies led to some of Amcor’s customers destocking inventory.”

The IML analysts believe this is a short-term hiccup.

“We see this as relatively temporary, given most products are consumed relatively quickly, and believe Amcor remains well positioned for long-term growth.”

Lotteries operator Lottery Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLC) has enjoyed an 11% rise in share price so far in 2023.

Its reporting season was strong, according to IML.

“Group revenue was up 8%, group EBITDA was up 16% and both of its business segments (Keno and Lotteries) grew in terms of customers and revenue.”

The company has a monopoly in most states in Australia, with long-term licences.

“Its strong competitive advantage, loyal customer base and move to digital retailing have it well placed for continued strong growth even in tough economic times.”

The post ‘Well placed for strong growth’: 3 ASX 200 shares that hit the spot right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Buy Telstra and this ASX 200 dividend share for passive income: brokers
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• 5 dividend shares I think are among the safest on the ASX
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Here’s why Goldman Sachs just became even more bullish on Telstra shares

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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 positions in and has recommended Amcor Plc and Telstra Group. 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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Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares had a decent session on Wednesday.

In response to the release of the lithium miner’s quarterly update, investors bid its shares up 2% to $1.00.

Where next for Core Lithium shares?

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts didn’t see enough during the last quarter to change their bearish view on Core Lithium shares.

As a result, the broker has reiterated its sell rating and 80 cents price target. This suggests that the company’s shares could tumble as much as 20% from current levels.

What did the broker say?

Goldman continues to believe that the market is wrong when it comes to valuing Core Lithium shares. The broker estimates that the market is basing its valuation on a significantly higher long term lithium price based on the the multiples that it trades on compared to peers. It explains:

We rate CXO a Sell on: 1) Valuation at ~1.4x NAV (peer average ~1.1x), pricing in ~US$1,600/t spodumene (peer average ~US$1,100/t), while also having the lowest average operating FCF/t LCE, 2) Large resource upside still required, where CXO remains the smallest LCE resource in our coverage, and 3) Production risk through ramp up of new mines, while any downstream/tolling benefit looks longer dated.

And while Core Lithium recently announced an extension to its drilling campaign, Goldman Sachs doesn’t believe this is enough to change its view. It adds:

We reiterate that while further potential resource expansions could be promising it would need to be significant to support the asset life/capacity still priced in to the stock, where coming at depth likely limits near-term production upside with new developments unlikely to come online in time to benefit from the current pricing environment.

Its analysts conclude:

Our NAV increases 3% to A$0.96/sh (from A$0.67/sh) on factoring in the additional M&I resources taking our LOM to nearly 20 years at Finniss, and our 12m PT is unchanged at A$0.80/sh.

The post Buy or sell? What this broker is saying about Core Lithium shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Core Lithium, Kogan, Northern Star, and Pointsbet shares are storming higher
• Core Lithium share price pops on Q3 report
• Why are ASX lithium shares powering higher today as the resource sector bleeds?
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares this week

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 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.

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There are plenty of ASX 200 dividend shares to choose from on the Australian share market.

To narrow things down, I have picked out two that have been named as buys by brokers recently. Here’s what they are saying about them:

Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN)

The first ASX 200 dividend share that could be a buy for income investors is retail giant Harvey Norman.

Although there are concerns that the cost of living crisis and housing market weakness could impact its sales, Goldman Sachs believes the company will be well-placed to continue paying very attractive dividends.

In addition, the broker believes its shares offer meaningful upside from current levels. Especially given how they look dirt cheap in comparison to rival JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) when you adjust for its property portfolio.

Goldman currently has a buy rating and $4.70 price target on the retailer’s shares.

As for dividends, it is expecting fully franked dividends per share of 36 cents in FY 2023 and then 30 cents in FY 2024. Based on the current Harvey Norman share price of $3.64, this will mean yields of 9.9% and 8.25%, respectively.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Another ASX 200 dividend share that has been named as a buy is telco giant Telstra.

Morgans is feeling very bullish on the company. So much so, it has Telstra on its best ideas list.

This is due partly to its attractive valuation and the potential for value to be unlocked from asset divestments. The broker notes that Telstra’s “high quality long life assets like InfraCo are worth substantially more” than the market is valuing them.

Its analysts currently have an add rating and $4.70 price target on its shares.

As for dividends, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 17 cents in both FY 2023 and FY 2024. Based on the current Telstra share price of $4.33, this will mean yields of 3.9%.

The post Buy Telstra and this ASX 200 dividend share for passive income: brokers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• ‘Well placed for strong growth’: 3 ASX 200 shares that hit the spot right now
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• 5 dividend shares I think are among the safest on the ASX
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Here’s why Goldman Sachs just became even more bullish on Telstra shares

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 Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman and Telstra Group. 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 reality is that no one really knows how 2023 will pan out.

Both consumers and businesses are definitely suffering from inflation in costs and ten consecutive months of interest rate rises. 

Just how badly will the economy be hurt as the year plays out?

With so much uncertainty hanging over our heads, the team at Firetrail Australian High Conviction Fund is buying into S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares that can provide some confidence.

‘Strong earnings growth with relatively high certainty’

In a memo to clients, the fund revealed that it recently bought Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).

“We added Medibank Private to the portfolio during the quarter,” the memo read.

“We believe the stock offers strong earnings growth with relatively high certainty compared to the rest of the market.”

Of course, the private health insurer is infamous for having the personal data of its customers stolen in October, including some medical records.

That understandably saw the share price fall off a cliff. Amazingly, much of the drop has been recovered since, but Firetrail analysts reckon it’s still great value.

“The sell off that followed the cyber incident last year provided a compelling opportunity to enter the stock at attractive valuation levels,” read the memo.

“The stock still sits 15% below where it was trading prior to the cyber-attack despite an improved earnings outlook.”

Tailwinds galore; earnings forecast ahead of consensus

The Firetrail team noted that after three months of negative customer growth, Medibank was back in the black in February to the tune of 0.2%.

“Prior to the cyber-attack Medibank was growing policyholder numbers at ~3% per annum.”

The analysts admitted cost-of-living pressures will have a negative impact on the private health industry. But Medibank is fortunate to have a number of tailwinds that can counter:

• Low claims activity
• Lengthy public hospital waiting lists not improving
• Consumers more health-aware after COVID-19 pandemic
• 2023 will be the first time in more than 20 years that premium increases are below wage inflation

The Firetrail team is convinced Medibank can grow its earnings in excess of expectations.

“Our earnings forecasts for Medibank are 7% to 15% ahead of consensus and we forecast an earnings per share growth rate of 10% over FY23-25,” read the memo.

“On a multiple of 16x FY24 earnings per share, we believe Medibank is one of the cheapest defensives in the ASX 200.”

The post This ASX 200 stock is ‘one of the cheapest defensives’ to buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Buy Woolworths and this ASX share for your retirement portfolio: experts
• My $10-a-day approach to building a second income with ASX shares
• The boosted Woolworths dividend is hitting bank accounts today. Here’s what you need to know
• Brokers say these ASX 200 blue chip shares are buys
• I’m looking for once-in-a-decade opportunities in the stock market recovery

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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.

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On 29 December 2022, I named what I believed were the best Australian companies to invest in for the year ahead. One share mentioned was S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) constituent Codan Limited (ASX: CDA).

Since then, shares in the supplier of communications and metal detection equipment have performed tremendously. As a matter of fact, Codan is the fourth best-performing ASX 300 share in 2023 — returning 76% so far this year, as shown in the chart below.

Why am I telling you this? Not to skite, demonstrate my crystal ball prowess, and stroke my ego. There is no intellectual gain from such practices. As the late John Kenneth Galbraith said, “There are two kinds of forecasters: those who don’t know, and those who don’t know they don’t know.”

No, instead of meaninglessly celebrating the short-term returns, let’s put Codan up on the hoist again and reassess. Could it still be a worthwhile investment after sprinting to nearly $7 per share? Is the risk to reward still appealing? What is ultimately my five-year price target on this ASX 300 share?

Let’s not waste any time.

Do I still think Codan shares can beat the market?

The Codan share price was heavily sold off in the second half of 2022 amid fears of falling metal detector demand and lower forward guidance.

As it turns out, metal detection revenue dropped 46.4% to $73. 8 million in the first half of FY23 compared to the prior corresponding period. Likewise, the company’s net profit after tax (NPAT) slid 38.5% to $30.8 million.

However, the response by the market led to the lowest price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio that Codan has traded on since 2014. As shown below, the ASX 300 share could be purchased for under seven times earnings in December 2023.

Jumping back to the present, the momentum has shifted in 2023.

Whether investors are expecting stronger Minelab sales amid a resurgence in the gold price, or increased defence spending is being viewed as a positive for the communications segment, the market has been happy to bid Codan shares back up to a 15 times earnings multiple.

In my opinion, I think Codan remains a high-quality business with growth potential. The Minelab brand is incredibly strong with patented technology, while the communications segment provides a sticky revenue stream.

These facets combined, I remain confident the company can achieve a top-line 15% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years. Ultimately, this places my five-year price target at $14.90 — 114% above the current price of this ASX 300 share.

Comms could crack this ASX 300 share

Codan, as with any opportunity, is not without its risks. In my view, the communications division poses the greatest threat to achieving benchmark outperformance in the medium to long term. Allow me to explain.

Unlike Minelab, it is difficult to tell how much of a competitive advantage Codan’s various communication products hold. The segment as a whole is fairly opaque with regard to contract details, product specifications, and technology developments.

The company has purposefully pushed comms to be a bigger part of the business. Given its lack of transparency, this presents a risk of being blindsided.

Furthermore, the exposure to defence can be hit and miss. Take it from me, as a previous Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) shareholder. If the pipeline begins to dry up, this segment can quickly turn into a money drainer, rather than a maker.

Final takeaway

At this stage, I still think Codan shares make for an appealing long-term hold. Though, I’m yet to take my own advice and buy into this ASX 300 share myself.

However, if the company’s next update shows the company has performed resiliently in this difficult environment, I’d be inclined to pull the trigger around the current price. I believe there is a high level of longevity in this company that the broader market is discrediting.

The post This ASX 300 share is up more than 70% since making my 2023 buy list. Would I still invest? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• An ASX 200 share I’d buy with my last $2,000!
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• 3 highly rated ETFs for ASX investors to buy in May
• Guess which ASX mining share has exploded 300% in a month
• 2 strong and defensive ASX 200 shares to buy: analysts

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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 Electro Optic Systems. 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.

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The brutal reality that many novice investors have discovered over the past 18 months is that ASX shares can lose you money.

That’s what risk-reward is. Stocks potentially offer outstanding returns in the long run, but the price of admission is the risk of them plunging in value.

Sometimes, if you want to dial down the risk, you need to choose a stock that won’t give you explosive growth.

While the investment might not become a 10-bagger, it could prove to be a “safe haven” that could protect your capital.

Here is one S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) example that I would buy if I was down to my last $2,000:

Diversify with just one stock

The Washington H Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL) share price is at 52-week highs at the moment.

So while it might not be the cheapest time to buy right now, I reckon it certainly would be a prudent pickup with a long-term horizon with your last $2,000.

That’s because the company itself is in the business of investing.

So what better way to invest your last $2,000 than to have it parked with people who are diversifying your portfolio on your behalf and actively managing it, with far better resources than an amateur?

How does Soul Patts perform?

Of course, just because it’s an investment company doesn’t necessarily mean it provides excellent returns.

And while past performance is no indicator of how it will go in the future, Washington H Soul Pattinson shares have a pretty good track record over the decades.

Over the most recent five years, the share price has edged up a respectable 66%.

This is all while paying out a dividend yield of 2.5%.

That’s an important feature of Washington Soul Pattinson. The stock is famous for having increased its annual dividends uninterrupted since the year 2000.

That’s more than two decades of income growth.

The Motley Fool’s Tristan Harrison is a fan of Soul Patts for its ability to produce passive income.

“The ASX 200 stock is invested in blue chip ASX shares, small cap ASX shares, private businesses, structured loans, and property. Expanding its farmland investments has been a key focus over the past year or two,” he said.

“According to Commsec, by FY25 it could pay an annual dividend per share of 91 cents. That would be a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.1%.”

The post An ASX 200 share I’d buy with my last $2,000! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 dividend shares I think are among the safest on the ASX
• No savings at 40? I’d invest $5 a day in ASX shares for passive income of $7,800 a year
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• 3 ASX 200 shares trading ex-dividend this week
• For $20,000 in yearly passive income, buy 25,317 shares of this ASX 200 stock

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. 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 Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought hard but fell just short of positive territory. The benchmark index edged 0.1% lower to 7,316.3 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to fall

The Australian share market is expected to have a poor session on Thursday after a mixed night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 0.7% lower this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones fell 0.7% and the S&P 500 fell 0.4%, but the NASDAQ rose 0.4%.

Pilbara Minerals update

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares will be on watch today when the lithium giant releases its third-quarter update. The consensus estimate is for spodumene production of 148kt for the three months. This will be down from 162kt during the second quarter. In addition, the market is expecting an average realised spodumene price of US$5,209 per tonne.

Oil prices sink

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could come under pressure after oil prices fell on Wednesday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 3.6% to US$74.32 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 3.8% to US$77.62 a barrel. US recession concerns weighed on prices.

CBA shares rated as a hold

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price may be fully valued at current levels. That’s the view of analysts at Morgans, which have reiterated their hold rating with an improved price target of $97.87. This is broadly in-line with where Australia largest bank’s shares are currently trading.

Gold price edges lower

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a subdued session after the gold price edged lower overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.35% to US$1,997.6 an ounce.

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

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• Why are ASX 200 gold shares leading the market today?
• First Republic Bank shares just crashed 50%. Here’s how ASX 200 bank stocks are responding
• Are Santos shares worth buying following the oil giant’s latest results?

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 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.

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A new month is just around the corner, so what better time to make some new portfolio additions.

If you are looking to add some exchange traded funds (ETFs) to your portfolio in May, then you may want to take a look at the three ETFs listed below.

Here’s what you need to know about these highly rated ETFs:

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF could be another ETF for investors to consider in May. This very popular ETF gives investors access to the 100 largest non-financial shares on the famous NASDAQ index. These are many of the largest and highest quality companies in the world such as Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, and Tesla.

VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

Another ETF for investors to look at next month is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. This popular ETF gives investors access to a global video game market that is estimated to comprise almost 3 billion active gamers and growing. This huge and growing market bodes well for the companies held by the fund, which include gaming giants such as Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Roblox, and Take-Two.

Vanguard All-World ex-U.S. Shares Index ETF (ASX: VEU)

A third and final ETF to consider for next month is the Vanguard All-World ex-U.S. Shares Index ETF. This ETF provides investors with access to over 3,000 companies listed in developed and emerging markets across the globe (excluding the United States). Vanguard highlights that this allows Australian investors to expand their portfolio to include many sectors that are not well represented in Australia. Among the ETF’s holdings you’ll find the likes of Astra Zeneca, HSBC Holdings, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor, and Tencent.

The post 3 highly rated ETFs for ASX investors to buy in May appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• I think this underrated reason is key to why ETFs can be great investments
• Buy and hold these 3 ASX ETFs for a decade
• Here’s how I’ll use this ASX ETF to invest in my favourite stock
• 2 great ETFs for ASX investors to buy now
• Up 20% in 2023 so far, is it too late to buy Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (NDQ) units?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors Video Gaming And eSports ETF. 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 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) has climbed 3.5% in the last month, but this ASX mining share has rocketed far higher.

The Western Mines Group Ltd (ASX: WMG) share price has exploded 341% since market close on 24 March, finishing at 70.5 cents on Wednesday.

Let’s take a look at what has been going on with this ASX mining share.

What’s been happening?

Investors have been buying up this ASX mining share in the last month amid a nickel discovery in Western Australia.

On 5 April, the company advised it had discovered a “significant nickel system” at the Mulga Tank Ni-Cu-PGE Project.

Assay results showed multiple, broad intersections of nickel sulphide mineralisation at deep hole MTD023.

Commenting on this news, Western Mines managing director Dr Caedmon Marriott said:

It could well be a pivotal hole for the company, with these assay results confirming the visual observations of extensive disseminated nickel sulphide mineralisation.

Following this news, the company’s share price continued to soar on 6 April amid aqua regia test work results at the project.

The test work found a high percentage of nickel in sulphide form versus silicate nickel.

The company’s share price soared 233% between market close on 4 April and 6 April alone.

On 13 April, Western Mines conducted a capital raise to fast-track drilling at the Mulga Tank Project.

The company raised more than $2.7 million before costs via the placement of 8,019,500 new fully paid ordinary shares at 34 cents per share.

Finally, on 17 April, Western Mines provided an update on diamond drill hole MTD025 at the Mulga Tank project.

The hole intersected with about 446 metres of high MgO adcumulate dunite with multiple instances of visible nickel sulphide mineralisation.

Nickel can be used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Share price snapshot

Western Mines shares have risen 107% in the last year. In the last week, the company’s share price has soared 78%.

This ASX mining share has a market capitalisation of about $34.6 million based on the latest share price.

The post Guess which ASX mining share has exploded 300% in a month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here’s why the Western Mines share price is surging another 65% on Thursday
• Guess which ASX mining share is exploding 270% today on a ‘significant’ discovery

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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.

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With the global economy entering an uncertain period, many investors are understandably looking to add some defensive ASX 200 shares to their portfolios.

But which defensive shares could be good additions right now? Two ASX 200 shares that have defensive qualities and have been rated as buys by analysts recently are listed below.

Here’s why they could be top options for investors in the current environment:

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

This ASX 200 supermarket share could be a great pick if you’re looking for defensive options.

You only need to look at the company’s performance during the pandemic to see just how defensive its operations are. It delivered strong profits while most companies were getting thumped.

The team at Morgans is very positive on the company and has an add rating and $19.60 price target on its shares. It commented:

Trading on 22.5x FY24F PE and 3.6% yield, we continue to see COL as offering good value with the company’s healthy balance sheet and defensive characteristics putting it in a good position to navigate through a weaker economic environment. In our view, the unwinding of local shopping trends should continue to be a tailwind and further trading down from consumers will also be positive given COL’s strong Own Brand offering. Add rating retained.

Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV)

Another defensive option for investors to consider buying is drinks business, Endeavour. As one of the biggest owners of retail liquor stores, an historically defensive category, it appears well-placed to handle whatever happens in the economy.

Morgans is also a fan of Endeavour and has an add rating and $7.80 price target on its shares. It commented:

We believe the share price weakness over the past six months on the back of an uncertain regulatory environment (eg, potential introduction of cashless gaming cards in NSW) has shifted the balance of risks to the upside with EDV’s underlying business remaining strong. The company possesses a broad network of retail liquor stores/hotel venues, well-known brands (eg, Dan Murphy’s and BWS) and dominant market positions.

The post 2 strong and defensive ASX 200 shares to buy: analysts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 dividend shares I think are among the safest on the ASX
• 3 things ASX investors should watch this week
• Building wealth through dividend investing: 5 ASX shares to boost your income
• Could Coles shares be a market-beating buy for passive income right now?
• Here are the ASX 200 dividend shares to buy: analysts

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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Coles Group. 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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