S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are down 0.9% to 8,763 points on Thursday.
The market is nervously awaiting a fresh round of negotiations between the US and Iran to begin in Islamabad.
Today, the only market sector in the green is energy, which is up strongly by 2.5%.
This follows four straight trading sessions of rises in the Brent Crude oil price, which is now at US$103.40 per barrel at the time of writing.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil and gas is transported, remains effectively shut down.
Investors now fear a global recession if the global energy supply shock does not end soon.
Amid all this pessimism, two experts have revealed their views on three ASX 200 shares.
Let's see what they think.
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NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)
The NextDC share price is $14.63, up 2.2% today and down 8% over the past six months.
John Athanasiou from Red Leaf Securities has a buy rating on this ASX 200 tech share.
Athanasiou said (courtesy The Bull):
Australia's leading data centre operator provides connectivity and colocation services to cloud, enterprise and government clients across Australia and the Asia Pacific.
Its network of certified facilities underpin critical digital infrastructure amid surging demand for cloud, artificial intelligence and high performance computing. A strong forward order book reflects institutional confidence in its long term growth.
The company continues to build new facilities and sign strategic partnerships, positioning it to capture structural tailwinds in digital transformation and infrastructure demand.
PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)
The PLS Group share price is $5.68, down 4.1% today and up 92% over six months.
PLS Group shares rose to a new record high of $6.14 apiece last Friday.
This follows a substantial rebound in lithium commodity prices since mid-2025.
Dylan Evans from Catapult Wealth has a hold rating on this ASX 200 lithium share.
Evans said:
Demand for lithium is well supported, driven by consistent growth and adoption of technologies, including battery energy storage and electric cars.
Demand is revealed in the group's recently signed off-take agreement with China's Canmax Technologies, a deal that included a record $US1000 a tonne price floor.
Looking forward, PLS is well placed to grow as it has the means for substantial expansion potential at its existing Pilgangoora operations in Western Australia.
Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)
The Hub24 share price is $85.17, down 0.7% on Thursday and 25% over the past six months.
Athanasiou has a sell rating on this ASX 200 financial share.
Athanasiou commented:
The company's diversified financial services platform provides investment and superannuation administration technology to advisers and institutions.
Despite its strong technology footprint, current multiples imply high future growth expectations that may be difficult to meet, in our view.
Any slowdown in adoption or execution could put pressure on its share price.
Given what we consider an elevated valuation and the inherent risks in scaling further, HUB24 presents limited upside from current levels, making it a candidate for investors to reduce holdings.
