The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) decided this week to increase the cash rate by 25 basis points (0.25%), which I think has opened up significant opportunities with some ASX share sectors.
I'm always on the lookout for potential buys that could mean strong returns.
Sometimes that means investing in businesses that consistently grow earnings year after year. But there can also be excellent cyclical opportunities when we buy at the weaker point of the cycle.
High interest rates are a headwind for some areas of the ASX share market, and I think that opens up an opportunity to buy during a temporary dip. Hopefully, interest rates will start coming down again at some point, and that could lead to a significant turnaround of investor confidence.
I'm going to highlight three areas that now look significantly undervalued.
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Real estate investment trusts
A lot of real estate investment trusts (REITs) now trade at significant discounts to their underlying net asset value (NAV) or net tangible asset (NTA).
I love being able to buy assets for less than they're worth, and I think, on a long-term basis, that the current unit prices are trading too cheaply.
With how taxes have changed for investing in residential property, I think there could be stronger investor demand for commercial property, which could be supportive for REIT unit prices in the medium term.
I don't necessarily think that every single REIT is a buy, but I'd focus on the ones with positive long-term outlooks and rising rental income.
I think industrial properties and farmland are two areas with promising outlooks. That's why I currently really like Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP), Dexus Industria REIT (ASX: DXI), Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) and Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF).
Each of those four ASX shares has declined recently, but they're offering strong distribution yields, making them particularly appealing today.
ASX retail shares
The high cost of living and higher interest rates are likely to be a headwind for retail spending, particularly for discretionary retailers.
Retail spending is notoriously cyclical, and it can lead to volatile businesses during an economic cycle.
Even if consumers do reduce spending somewhat, I don't think the current prices reflect the long-term prospects of the retail businesses, largely just the shorter-term pain.
I'd look at names like JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH), Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK), Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI), Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV), Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).
I think they could be great opportunities to buy today for the longer term.
ASX defensive shares
Higher interest rates can make defensive businesses look less appealing because investors can get a solid return from safe investments like savings accounts, term deposits, and quality bonds.
I think ASX defensive shares could be a great investment amid higher interest rates, and lower rates in the future could make the current valuations very attractive.
After recent falls, I think names like Propel Funeral Partners Ltd (ASX: PFP), Transurban Group (ASX: TCL), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL), and Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) look appealing.
These aren't the only ASX shares on my watchlist after the RBA interest rate rise, but they're among my favourite ideas today.
