Every investor has to start somewhere. And if I were hitting reset on my portfolio today, I wouldn't be chasing the next big thing or getting lost in the noise — I'd be laying a rock-solid foundation with high-quality ASX stocks that I believe can stand the test of time.
It certainly wouldn't be a bad time to start, either. With many ASX stocks trading at a deep discount to what investors were willing to pay just a few weeks ago, now is potentially one of the most attractive buying opportunities we have had in years.
With that in mind, here are three ASX shares I'd want at the core of my fresh portfolio from day one. They are as follows:
Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)
If I'm looking for a structural winner, Goodman Group would be near the top of my list. As a global industrial property powerhouse, it is deeply embedded in the future of e-commerce, logistics, and data infrastructure. With tenants ranging from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) to Australia Post, its portfolio is geared towards high-growth digital economies.
Goodman has been growing its earnings and assets under management at a consistently strong rate for years and appears well-placed to continue this trend. Particularly given its strong balance sheet and a development pipeline of over $13 billion.
Morgan Stanley has an overweight rating and $37.50 price target on its shares.
ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)
ResMed is another ASX stock I'd be very comfortable building around. The sleep disorder treatment company has proven its quality time and time again, delivering strong returns on equity and consistent earnings growth over the long term.
While it has faced pressure over concerns about weight-loss drugs disrupting its market, those fears look increasingly overdone. In fact, analysts suggest rising awareness around sleep apnoea may actually lift diagnosis rates, playing right into ResMed's hands.
So, with its leading position in CPAP devices and growing cloud-based software offering, ResMed looks like a long-term winner at a much more attractive price than just a few months ago.
Goldman Sachs is a big fan and has a conviction buy rating and $49.00 price target on its shares.
TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)
If I want dependable, compounding growth, TechnologyOne is hard to overlook. This enterprise software company has been a model of consistency, growing its earnings for 14 years straight and paying dividends along the way.
Its transition to a SaaS-based model has boosted margins and recurring revenue, giving it resilience even in tougher economic conditions. With governments and universities among its biggest customers, its revenue base is also notably sticky.
UBS is tipping its shares as a buy and has a $33.80 price target on them.
