Like most Australian stock market investors, I began my investing journey by buying a handful of ASX shares.
Companies like Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) and Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) are businesses we see and interact with every week, and whose stock prices we see quoted on the daily news.
As such, it makes sense to begin one's investing journey with these kinds of names.
Over the years though, my investing journey led me to start buying international stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Today, My investments in international companies dwarf those in Australian business in my personal stock market portfolio.
The reality is that, although the ASX is home to many fine companies, almost none offer the kind of world domination and global appeal that international stocks do. Think about the international reach of a company like Visa, Apple or Netflix compared to Telstra, Woolies or Westpac. It's a no-contest.
Saying that, I still do own quite a few ASX shares in my personal portfolio. So, without further ado, here are the only Australian stocks that are against my name at the start of 2025.
The only Australian stocks I own today
By far, my largest Australian stock is one of my favourite investments. It's Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL), an investment house.
I've written about Soul Patts many times before, so if you want to dig deeper into my high conviction in this company, do so here. In a nutshell though, I find this company's diversified, market-beating portfolio, as well as its market-leading two-decade streak of increasing its annual dividends, too hard to resist.
Another top Australian stock in my portfolio is listed investment company (LIC) MFF Capital Investments Ltd (ASX: MFF). But seeing as MFF itself only holds a portfolio of international stocks, it arguably doesn't really count.
But another Australian stock that certainly does is Plato Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: PL8). I've owned Plato for a couple of years now, mostly due to its tendency to pay out fat, fully-franked dividends on a monthly basis. It's a great investment to own for upfront cash flow.
Two of my other positions – Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) – could be considered legacy holdings. These staple Australian stocks are amongst the first shares I ever bought. Today, they are relatively small holdings in my portfolio, but I still hang on to them for a mixture of nostalgia and an appreciation of the consistent, fully franked dividends they pay as well.
The good and the bad…
CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) can be considered core holdings, though. Both companies are amongst the highest-calibre businesses on the ASX, in my view.
I love CSL's global presence in the healthcare space, as well as its tight business model and future-focused management team.
With Wesfarmers, I appreciate the exposure to some of Australia's best retailers in Bunnings and OfficeWorks. As well as the diversification of Wesfarmers' other underlying companies like WesCEF and Priceline.
Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) is also worth a mention. This position stems from my old ownership of Newcrest Mining, which used to be the ASX's largest gold mining stock. I retain Newmont thanks to its status as one of the world's largest gold miners. This functions as more of a hedge in my portfolio, and I think of it as more of an insurance play due to the historical function of gold as a 'safe-haven' investment.
The other Australian stocks that I own are positions in which I have less confidence. They include A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M), Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN), Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH), and Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV).
These particular companies have been more disappointing investments for me. I still have some confidence that they will perform decently going forward, otherwise I would have sold out already. However, I don't plan on adding to my positions anytime soon, and might even sell some down this year.
Foolish takeaway
So there you have it, all of the Australian stocks I own in my personal portfolio and why I own them.
In addition to these names, I also own a few ASX ETFs, but that's a story for another day. Hopefully, 2025 will be another kind year for my ASX investments, and all of yours too.
