Tag: Motley Fool

Let’s not bury the lead huh?

The answer is: Nothing.

(Yes, you can stop reading now, if you want. But don’t.)

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news to the commentators who’ll breathlessly cover the election’s impact on markets.

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news for those ideologues – on both sides – who desperately want the result to be some sort of proof of their own political preference.

But let me be clear:

It. Won’t. Matter.

Which isn’t the same as saying ‘there won’t be volatility‘.

It’s not even the same as ‘the market won’t take a particular view for a while’ either.

But, for investors – defined properly as people who buy stakes in companies with a view to holding for the long term – have nothing to fear, or cheer, from this election.

Let’s count the ways.

First, we can’t know who’ll win.

Yes, yes. You know who you think deserves to win.

But that’s not going to change the result.

Yes, yes. The pollsters have a view on who they think will win.

But then, that doesn’t explain Trump 2016 or Morrison 2019, does it?

You can take a punt on who you think will win, if you want. But what are you really punting on?

And that takes me to my second point:

We can’t know how the winner will impact the market.

The research suggests there is very, very little correlation between the party that wins the White House and the subsequent performance of the share market.

And then, it’s not like 2020 is an ordinary year.

2021 will hopefully be less dramatic, but the economic recovery, when (not if!) it comes, will be largely independent of the affiliation of the occupant of the Oval Office.

If, right now, you’re mentally starting with the ‘yeah, buts’, I’m going to respectfully suggest you’re trying to make the facts fit your narrative, rather than the other way around.

If you’re a Trump fan, you’re telling me how much he’s done for the economy.

If you’re a Biden supporter, you’re telling me that Trump’s success is either because of the Obama legacy or is less impressive than his supporters say.

(If you are in one of those two groups, a reminder that I can’t hear you, no matter how loudly you shout!)

So, if we don’t know who’ll win… and we can’t know how the eventual winner will impact the stock market…

Doesn’t it make sense to stop trying?

Yeah, I thought so, too.

It’s kinda like the impact of ‘ethical investing’ – wanting it to be true just can’t make it so.

You know – when you want something to be true so badly that you engage in a little magical thinking so you don’t have to confront the reality?

Yes. That.

So, if history suggests that the office-holders in the US don’t give us a sense of where the market will go (and even if it did, we don’t know with any certainty who’ll win), what should we focus on?

I’m glad you asked.

The answer is deceptively simple. In fact it’s so simple some people just can’t help but try to make it harder.

Just. Invest.

I know, right?

That’s what they pay me the big bucks for – stating the bloody obvious.

Except that, if it was obvious, everyone would already do it.

There is a huge gulf between what ‘everyone knows’ and what ‘everyone does’.

“I know I should just invest long term, but what stocks should I buy before the election” is something I hear more than I’d like.

Humans just can’t help trying to make this investing caper more complicated than it needs to be.

And it drives me a little nuts.

Seriously, there’s nothing better, in my experience, than the combination of time, and regular dollar-cost-averaging.

Nothing.

Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your results – you are just really unlikely to do it, sustainably, trying high risk speculation.

Instead, I’d be looking for quality businesses. Trading at attractive prices.

The ones that are likely to either grow more quickly than the market assumes, or the ones the market is leaving for dead that, well, aren’t dead.

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) is a good example of the former. Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) was a good example of the latter. (I own shares of Kogan, for the record)

No, neither was a guaranteed winner, but investors seemed to miss the compound growth – past and potential future – of Kogan, even before the coronavirus pandemic. The company was adding customers and growing sales at a rate of knots. It had turned profitable, and had (and still has) very attractive economics. But investors were too shy to pay up.

Nine was about as different from Kogan as you’ll find. Sales weren’t growing. The industry was challenged. And, well, COVID-19 hit during that time.

Yet, in our view, Nine had been left for dead, share price-wise. It was beaten down. Unloved. Which smelled like opportunity. Turns out it was, and we recommended our members sell for a 57% gain in a little over 18 months.

Kogan, by the way, is up 471% and 210% since each of our two recommendations. It’s still a Buy, too.

Each could have gone badly, by the way. We possess no perfect crystal ball.

But we’ve found – both by experience and the results of our scorecard – that getting the process right is likely to lead to impressive results, on average.

Neither of those successes relied on US (or Australian) politics or legislation. Nor have any of our losers (we have some of those) come down to the vagaries of political whim.

Elections come and go. They rarely, if ever, matter, unless you’re betting specifically on a policy one or the other party might enact. In which case, you might as well bet on the smokey in the fifth at Randwick.

Instead, my advice is simple:

Ignore the noise. Tune out the politics.

Save, hard.

Invest, regularly.

Buy the best investments you can find. And if you’re not sure, either find a trusted adviser (cough, cough), or buy the index.

By far, the two worst things you can do, in my view, are either ‘nothing’, or ‘speculate’.

Leave that to the political pollsters and pundits.

Fool on!

More reading

• Is the Adore Beauty (ASX:ABY) share price in the buy zone?
• Are these small cap ASX shares the next Kogan (ASX:KGN) and Nearmap (ASX:NEA)?
• Why Redbubble, Kogan, Marley Spoon and 1 other ASX share are surging
• Temple & Webster (ASX:TPW) share price barnstorms back with 11% rise
• 3 explosive ASX growth shares to buy with $3,000

Scott Phillips owns shares of Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Kogan.com 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.

The post Here’s what the US election means for investors appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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The Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) share price was among the best performers on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) last month with a strong gain.

The health supplements company’s shares jumped 11.6% over the period.

Why did the Blackmores share price jump higher in October?

Investors were scrambling to buy the company’s shares last month following the release of an update at its annual general meeting.

That update revealed that Blackmores continues to expect to report a rebound in its profits in FY 2021 following a very disappointing time in the previous financial year.

In FY 2020, Blackmores posted a 3% decline in revenue to $568 million and a 66% reduction in net profit after tax to $18.7 million.

And while there was some impact from COVID-19, it is worth noting that its performance was already faltering pre-pandemic. For example, its first half profit was down 47% on the prior corresponding period in FY 2020.

According to its recent update, management is anticipating full year profit growth in FY 2021. This is despite additional cost variances arising from Braeside manufacturing ownership in the first half of the year.

Though, it is worth noting that the company is expecting this growth to come predominantly in the second half of the year.

What else got investors excited?

In addition to this improving outlook, investors appear to have been pleased with management’s confidence in its renewed strategy. It expects this strategy to put the company back on a path to sustainable, profitable growth and in a position to restore future dividends.

Another positive that caught the eye of the market was its cost cutting.

Blackmores advised that it has completed its restructuring, which is set to deliver $15 million of gross annualised savings from the second half. It has also initiated a Leading Value Position (LVP) savings program, which will contribute to cost of goods sold savings of $10 million in FY 2021.

Combined with its decision to offload its Global Therapeutics business to McPherson’s Ltd (ASX: MCP) for $27 million, investors appear to be finally warming up to this beaten down former market darling.

More reading

• These were the 5 best performing ASX shares last week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX 200 has another shocker as US election approaches
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• These were the best performing shares on the ASX 200 last week
• Why the Blackmores (ASX:BKL) share price is rocketing 12% higher today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Blackmores 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.

The post Here’s why the Blackmores (ASX:BKL) share price jumped 11% higher in October appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price will be one to watch on Wednesday when it releases its highly anticipated first quarter update.

Ahead of the release, I thought I would take a look to see what the market was expecting from the retail conglomerate.

What is the market expecting from Woolworths during the first quarter?

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it expects the company to report revenue of $17.5 billion for the quarter. This will be a 9.8% increase on the prior corresponding period.

The key driver of this growth is expected to be is supermarket business. This is thanks to a successful collectibles promotion, the outperformance of its online channel, and strong demand because of the pandemic.

Goldman Sachs is forecasting comparable store sales growth for the key Australian Food segment of 9%.

Supporting this growth will be its Endeavour Drinks and New Zealand supermarkets businesses. Goldman is forecasting first quarter comparable store sales growth of 18% for Endeavour Drinks and 8.5% comparable store sales growth for its New Zealand supermarkets.

Another highlight is expected to be the Big W business. The broker expects it to deliver 24% growth during the first quarter.

What does Goldman Sachs think of Woolworths?

Ahead of the result release, Goldman Sachs is sitting on the fence with its recommendation. The broker has a neutral rating on the company’s shares on valuation grounds.

It explained: “Our 12-month target price is derived from a 50:50 EV/EBIT-based SOTP and DCF methodology. Our SOTP, based on FY21E EBIT, results in a valuation of A$37.50 (prior A$37.30) and our DCF valuation is at A$41.10 (prior A$40.30). Our revised blended target price is at A$39.30 (prior A$38.80). We are Neutral on WOW.”

Though, the broker will no doubt be updating its recommendation (for the better or worse) following this release. So stay tuned for that.

More reading

• Why I would buy Woolworths (ASX:WOW) and these shares for a retirement portfolio
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX 200 has another shocker as US election approaches
• Are Coles (ASX:COL) or Woolworths (ASX:WOW) shares a better ASX dividend buy today?
• Could this HomeCo (ASX:HMC) REIT IPO be the biggest in 2020?
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX snaps winning streak… just

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Woolworths 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.

The post What to expect from the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) Q1 update this week appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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Later today the Reserve Bank of Australia is widely expected to cut the cash rate at its November monetary policy meeting.

According to the latest cash rate futures, the market has priced in an 84% probability of a cut to a record low of zero.

Unfortunately, this means income investors and savers are going to have to contend with even lower rates in the near term.

Fortunately, the Australian share market is home to a wide range of companies that share their profits with shareholders in the form of dividends.

For example, two ASX dividend shares with yields above 4% are named below:

BWP Trust (ASX: BWP)

BWP is a real estate investment trust with a focus on commercial assets. The majority of its assets are leased to home improvement giant, Bunnings Warehouse. In FY 2020, BWP reported like-for-like rental growth of 2.4% and an occupancy rate of 98%. This led to it delivering a 1% increase in profit before gains on investment properties to $117.1 million despite the COVID crisis.

It also allowed the company to pay its distribution as normal. BWP paid shareholders a full year distribution of 18.29 cents per unit, up 1% year on year. Based on the current BWP share price, this represents a 4.5% yield.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

Rural Funds is an agriculture-focused property group that owns a number of properties across five agricultural sectors. These high quality properties and are leased on long term agreements to some of the biggest operators in the industry such as wine giant Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE). At the last count, Rural Funds’ weighted average lease expiry (WALE) stood at 10.9 years.

This gives management great visibility on its future earnings and has allowed it to provide guidance even during the pandemic. In FY 2021, the company intends to increase its distribution by 4% to 11.28 cents per share. Based on the current Rural Funds share price, this equates to a 4.75% yield.

More reading

• Why I would buy Woolworths (ASX:WOW) and these shares for a retirement portfolio
• Top ASX shares to buy in November 2020
• 3 ASX 200 shares that every investor should own
• How ASX investors can capture these ‘billionaire trends’
• Why market crashes are useful for buying ASX dividend shares

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended RURALFUNDS STAPLED. 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.

The post 2 ASX dividend shares with 4% yields appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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On Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week on a positive note. The benchmark index rose 0.4% to 5,951.3 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to rise.

The Australian share market looks set push higher again on Tuesday following a rebound on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 17 points or 0.3% higher this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is up 1.1% and the S&P 500 is up 0.7%. However, the Nasdaq is struggling to bounce back and is currently down 0.3%.

Reserve Bank meeting.

The Reserve Bank is due to meet this afternoon to discuss the cash rate. The central bank is widely expected to cut rates at this meeting. The only real unknown is by how much. The economics team at Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) have forecast a cut down to 0.1%. Whereas the current cash rate futures have priced in an 84% probability of a cut to zero.

Gold price rises.

Gold miners including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a good day after the gold price climbed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.75% to US$1,893.40 an ounce. Investors have been buying gold after the pandemic worsened and ahead of a chaotic couple of days because of the U.S. election.

Oil prices rebound.

Energy shares such as Oil Search Limited (ASX: OSH) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could be on the rise today after oil prices rebounded. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 2.45% to US$36.67 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 2.4% to US$38.83 a barrel. This follows a tough week for oil prices last week which saw them drop to five-month lows.

Westpac given buy rating.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have retained their buy rating but trimmed their price target on Westpac’s shares slightly to $19.50 following its full year results. Although the broker notes that Westpac is facing a number of revenue headwinds, it holds firm with its buy rating on valuation grounds. It points out that Westpac’s shares are “trading more than one standard deviation cheap[er] versus the sector on PPOP multiples (17% discount vs. 7% long-run average discount).”

More reading

• What is the best US election outcome for ASX shares?
• Westpac (ASX:WBC) reports FY20 result, ASX 200 up 0.4% today
• Why the CSR (ASX:CSR) share price is climbing today
• Top brokers just upgraded the ResMed (ASX:RMD) share price and this other ASX stock
• 3 ASX 200 shares that received broker upgrades last week

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. 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.

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

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According to one top broker, the Openpay Group Ltd (ASX: OPY) share price could be undervalued right now.

What did the broker say?

A note out of Shaw and Partners reveals that its analysts have recently retained their buy (high risk) rating and put a $5.00 price target on the buy now pay later provider’s shares. This price target implies potential upside of 92% over the next 12 months.

This follows the release of a first quarter update which showed that Openpay delivered a 245% jump in active plans to 1,060,000 and a 95% increase in total transaction value to $68 million.

Key drivers of this growth were a 145% lift in active customers to 372,000 and a 35% rise in active merchants to 2,229. In respect to the latter, the broker points out that one of Openpay’s new merchants was fast-growing online retailer, Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN).

It also notes that while its merchant growth has slowed in recent quarters, this is largely due to the company targeting larger enterprises.

What else did the broker like?

Shaw and Partners was pleased with the company’s very low bad debts, which were down to a market-leading 1.6%. This compares to normalised industry levels of ~3%.

It was also pleased with its focus on the UK market and its performance in the country. It notes that the company is “pursuing [the] UK channel whilst other largely homogenous BNPLs pile into the US.”

In addition to this, it is pleased with the company moving into new vertical channels and the way it differentiates itself from Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT).

It commented: “[Openpay is] moving into new vertical channels with agreements with Pentana (1,900 car dealer deployment) and MSL/Stack Sports (sports memberships). This compares to the crowded BNPL space where most of the incumbents, unlike OPY, merely replicate the APT model.”

What about the future?

Shaw and Partners is expecting a strong second quarter for FY 2021, particularly given its deal with Kogan and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).

“2Q21 shaping up to be potentially massive period given (1) underlying seasonal growth expected to be significant given Xmas trading; (2) recent wins from Kogan, JD Sports Australia and Just Group all contributing; (3) WOW deal now “live”; (4) Pentana / MSL still to be fully implemented; and (5) VIC re-opening,” it concluded.

More reading

• Will the Openpay (ASX:OPY) share price reverse on positive update?

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Kogan.com 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.

The post Top broker names Openpay (ASX:OPY) shares as a buy appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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If you’re looking to invest in some ASX blue chip shares, then I would suggest you take a look at the two listed below.

Here’s why I think they are among the highest quality options for blue chip investors to choose from right now:

Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)

Trading conditions have been tough for Ramsay Health Care in 2020 because of the pandemic. However, I believe it is worth looking beyond this short term pain and focusing on the long term. Thanks to its world class network of private hospitals, I believe it is positioned to benefit from the expected increase in demand for healthcare services in the future. This is due to ageing populations, increased chronic disease burden, and advancements in treatments.

Another positive is the company’s penchant for acquisitions. Over the last decade or two the company has been acquiring its way into new markets. Combined with organic growth, this has underpinned solid earnings growth over the long term. Pleasingly, I expect more of the same over the next decade or two. I feel this could mean the Ramsay share price provides investors with strong total returns over the long term.

REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

A final blue chip ASX share to buy is this property listings company. Like Ramsay, times have been hard for REA Group recently. As well as contending with a housing market crash in the late 2010s, it has had to battle the pandemic in 2020. But, amazingly, it has managed to still deliver solid earnings growth through these periods.

So with house prices tipped to rise next year once the pandemic passes, trading conditions could be about to improve greatly. I expect this to lead to higher listing volumes and an acceleration in its profit growth in the coming years. Especially given new revenue streams, costing cutting, and price increases.

In addition to this, the company recently increased its interest in India-based Elara Technologies to a controlling level. This could be a big boost to its revenues in the late 2020s. Management commented: “With over 700 million internet users and roughly half a billion yet to come online, our increased investment in Elara will allow REA to be at the forefront of the considerable long-term opportunities within India, and the digitisation of the real estate sector.”

More reading

• 4 outstanding ASX 200 shares to buy with $4,000
• Is the REA Group (ASX:REA) share price a buy?
• ASX 200 sinks 1.6%, ANZ (ASX:ANZ) reports FY20 result
• Why market crashes are useful for buying ASX dividend shares
• REA Group (ASX:REA) share price in focus amid acquisition news

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ramsay Health Care Limited and REA Group 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.

The post Why I would buy REA Group and this ASX blue chip share appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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I think exchange traded funds (ETFs) can be great additions to a balanced portfolio.

This is because they give investors easy access to a large and diverse number of different shares through just a single investment.

There are a lot of ETFs for investors to choose from, so which should you buy? Three of the best in my opinion are listed below. Here’s why I like them:

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF is my favourite ETF. It gives investors exposure to 100 of the largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq index. This means investors will be getting a slice of some of the biggest and most iconic companies in the world. Among its holdings are the likes of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, and Tesla. Given the quality of these companies and their very positive outlooks, I expect the Nasdaq 100 ETF to generate strong returns for investors over the next decade.

VanEck Vectors Australian Banks ETF (ASX: MVB)

If you’re looking for exposure to the banking sector, then you might want to look at the VanEck Vectors Australian Banks ETF. This ETF gives investors a piece of all the big four banks, the regionals, and also investment bank Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) through a single investment. I think this is great for investors that are unsure which of the banks they want to invest in. Another positive with the ETF is its generous dividend. I expect when bank dividends return to normal, it could yield somewhere in the region of 5% or more.

VanEck Vectors China New Economy ETF (ASX: CNEW)

A final ETF I think investors should look at is the VanEck Vectors China New Economy ETF. This fund gives exposure to the growing Chinese economy through a portfolio of 120 exciting companies which are in sectors making up the New Economy. This includes the technology, health care, consumer staples, and consumer discretionary sectors. I like the fact that the fund invests in shares it believes represent growth at a reasonable price. This should make the fund appropriate for investors looking for lower risk growth options.

More reading

• 2 ETFs to buy next week
• I plan to invest heavily in ASX shares next week
• What do you do when your ASX 200 shares are falling?
• 2 fantastic international ETFs that ASX investors can buy today
• Douugh and Afterpay were among the most traded shares on the ASX last week

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. 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.

The post I would buy the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX:NDQ) and these ETFs this month appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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If you’re looking for small cap ASX shares to add to your watchlist, then I think the two listed below could be worth considering.

I think they could be among the most exciting shares at the small end of the market right now. Here’s why they should be on your watchlists:

Aerometrex Ltd (ASX: AMX)

The first ASX small cap share to add to your watchlist is Aerometrex. It is a growing aerial mapping business specialising in aerial photography, LiDAR, and aerial imagery subscription services. It is arguably best-known for its MetroMap offering, which allows users to access high quality 2D imagery and 3D reality mesh models. This provides an easy-to-consume product for varied applications across a diverse range of industries. 

In addition to this, the company has been developing new products and recently announced a new bush fire prevention product. This new technology can determine the exact fuel load densities in any bushfire prone region in Australia. Management believes the breakthrough could allow users to adopt a far more science-based and pre-emptive fuel load strike position ahead of this year’s bushfire season. Given the importance of bushfire prevention, this development could give its sales a boost.

Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8)

Another small cap to look at is Audinate. It is a digital audio-visual networking technologies provider best known for its industry-leading Dante audio over IP networking solution. This product is used widely across a number of industries and has a clear lead over the competition.

In fact, management notes that the number of Dante enabled products manufactured by its customers is materially more than the nearest competitor. At the end of FY 2020, there were 2,804 Dante-enabled products on the market, which is eight times greater than rival Cobranet. I believe this bodes well for its growth over the coming years, once the pandemic passes.

More reading

• Are these small cap ASX shares the next Kogan (ASX:KGN) and Nearmap (ASX:NEA)?
• 3 quality ASX growth shares to buy in November
• Why Aerometrex, Healius, Megaport, & Temple & Webster shares are pushing higher
• Aerometrex (ASX:AMX) share price on watch after announcing new bushfire product
• Are these shares the next Afterpay (ASX:APT) and Appen (ASX:APX)?

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of AUDINATEGL FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended AUDINATEGL FPO. 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.

The post 2 exciting small cap ASX shares that should be on your watchlist appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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It’s my belief that exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a great option for beginner investors. Most ETFs don’t offer the same risk levels that investing in an individual share does. An ETF can’t go bankrupt for instance. And since ETFs usually hold a broad basket of individual shares within them, the risks of a single company tanking your entire investment are also very low. As such, I would happily recommend an ETF to a beginner ASX investor as part of a diversified, balanced portfolio. Here are 2 that I think are worth a look today:

2 ASX ETFs for a beginner investor’s portfolio

iShares Global 100 ETF (ASX: IOO)

This ETF has a very simple mandate: holding 100 of the largest companies in the world that are listed in advanced economies. Most (72.7%) of the companies in this ETF are US-listed, but Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan also have a presence. Some of the companies with the largest presence in IOO include Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Johnson & Johnson, and Nestle SA.

This ETF’s very nature makes it a remarkably stable investment, and thus a great one for a beginner investor in my view. All of the companies in this ETF got to where they are for a reason, and many (such as Apple and Amazon) have thrived in 2020 under the dire circumstances of the pandemic. Thus, I just don’t think you can go wrong with a long-term investment in this one as part of a balanced share portfolio.

Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (ASX: VTS)

This ETF from Vanguard is a little less diverse than iShares Global 100. Rather than holding a basket of companies from around the world, VTS instead simply holds every share listed on the US markets (all 3,566 of them). The US has always been a great market to invest in – it is the country that produced Amazon, Apple, Netflix Inc, Berkshire Hathaway Inc, and Tesla Inc after all. You’ll of course find all those companies in the fund, as well as Microsoft Corporation, Facebook Inc, Visa Inc, and almost every other American company you can think of.

VTS has returned an average of 16.95% per annum over the past decade, and charges a management fee of just 0.03% per annum (or $3 for every $10,000 invested). As such, I think this is another ASX ETF which would work well for a beginner portfolio today. As with IOO, I think one can confidently buy VTS and throw it in the bottom drawer, content that it will continue to build wealth on your behalf.

Foolish takeaway

Both of these ETFs offer access to top, global companies outside the ASX. Because of this, I think using either ETF as part of a balanced and diversified portfolio of shares is a great move for a beginner investor today.

More reading

• Which ASX ETFs offer the most diversification?
• Is the Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (ASX:VTS) a great long-term investment?

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, Tesla, and Visa. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, Tesla, and Visa. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Johnson & Johnson and recommends the following options: long January 2021 $200 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), short January 2021 $200 puts on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), long January 2021 $85 calls on Microsoft, short January 2021 $115 calls on Microsoft, short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon, long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon, and short December 2020 $210 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), Facebook, and Netflix. 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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