There are some diversified S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares in Australia.
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) is spread across several different resources including iron ore, copper and nickel. Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) offers a number of different telecommunication services, as well as Telstra Health and telco infrastructure.
But there are a few ASX 200 shares that are spread across multiple industries, such as these two:
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Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)
Wesfarmers is one of the oldest businesses on the ASX. It has origins going back to 1914 as a Western Australian farmers' cooperative.
But it has become a significantly diversified business.
The biggest business in the stable is Bunnings. A big retailer of home improvement and lifestyle products in Australia and New Zealand, and a major supplier to project builders, commercial tradespeople and the housing industry. Not only does it have hundreds of Bunnings locations, but within this segment are other businesses including Adelaide Tools, Beaumont Tiles and Tool Kit Depot.
Kmart Group includes three large retailers of a large array of products, including Kmart, Target and e-commerce business Catch.
Wesfarmers describes Officeworks as Australia's leading retailer and supplier of office products.
The ASX 200 share now has a health division after the acquisition of Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, which includes Priceline, Clear Skincare and Soul Pattinson chemists.
Wesfarmers has a chemicals, energy and fertilisers division. Within that, it owns 50% of Covalent Lithium which owns the Mt Holland lithium project. This will be a fully integrated producer of battery quality lithium hydroxide in WA.
It has an industrial and safety division which includes Workwear Group, Coregas and safety gear business Blackwoods.
Finally, the company owns parts of other businesses including Flybuys, BWP Trust (ASX: BWP), Gresham Partners and Wespine Industries.
Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)
Soul Pattinson is another of ASX's oldest businesses. It was listed in 1903 as a pharmacy business – the same Soul Pattinson pharmacy business that Wesfarmers just acquired.
These days, the ASX 200 share owns a wide array of private and listed businesses.
It has a portfolio of cornerstone shareholdings in different industries. Soul Pattinson owns 12.6% of TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG), 43.3% of Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), 39.9% of New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC), 29.8% of Apex Healthcare, 25.4% of Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA) and 36.5% of Pengana Capital Group Ltd (ASX: PCG).
Next, the investment conglomerate has a portfolio of ASX 200 shares that aim to generate long-term capital and income growth. That includes Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Wesfarmers, Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) and BHP.
Soul Pattinson also owns an 'emerging' companies portfolio. Some examples within this portfolio include Bailador Technology Investments Ltd (ASX: BTI), Life360 Inc (ASX: 360), Uniti Group Ltd (ASX: UWL), Clover Corporation Limited (ASX: CLV), Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) and Firefinch Ltd (ASX: FFX).
The ASX 200 share also owns a growing portfolio of private companies which it describes as platforms for further growth. Some examples in the private equity portfolio include Round Oak Metals (resources), agriculture and water investments, Ironbark (financial services), Ampcontrol (electrical parts) and Aquatic Achievers (swimming schools).
It also has a structured yield portfolio that invests across the 'capital structure'. Finally, it has a small property portfolio, partly because of its look-through interest in the Brickworks industrial portfolio.
