Having a few blue chip ASX 200 shares in a portfolio is a great way to shore it up.
But which blue chips would be top picks in August?
Let's take a look at a couple that Bell Potter rates highly and has named as key holdings in its core portfolio.
Here's what the broker is tipping as buys:
News Corp (ASX: NWS)
Bell Potter believes this media giant could be an ASX 200 blue chip share to buy.
This is because of the quality and growth potential of its core assets. In addition, it likes that News Corp's revenue mix has shifted to more stable high-margin enterprise income streams. It explains:
Our positive view on News Corp is driven by a sum-of-the-parts valuation which suggests the market is heavily underappreciating the quality and growth of the company's core assets. The current market price largely reflects the value of its 61% stake in REA Group, effectively allowing investors to acquire the fast-growing Dow Jones business at a steep discount.
This valuation opportunity is enhanced by the company's deliberate shift in its revenue mix away from cyclical advertising towards more stable, high-margin enterprise income streams. Dow Jones is central to this strategy and is projected to deliver an 18% revenue CAGR for the next three years, contributing 40% of group EBITDA in FY26, driven by growth in its high-margin B2B Risk and Compliance and Dow Jones Solutions segments.
SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH)
Another ASX 200 blue chip share that features in its core portfolio is diversified investment company SGH. It was formerly known as Seven Group Holdings and owns a range of market-leading businesses across industrial services, energy, and media.
Bell Potter is feeling very positive about the company's outlook due to the rebuild of its WesTrac business and potential earnings accretive acquisitions. It said:
The investment thesis for SGH is underpinned by a firm growth outlook and its position as a quality exposure to the Australian domestic economy. A key driver is the anticipated rebuild cycle in the WesTrac business, with management pointing to a strong, stacked rebuild opportunity that should drive activity in FY26 and FY27, while short-term risks due to a weather effected Q4 are known in the market.
We are also watching for SGH's next potential acquisitive move as the company continues to strengthen its balance sheet by deleveraging to below 2x ND / EBITDA.
