Some investors prefer lower-risk blue-chip stocks, while others are willing to take a punt on higher-risk small-cap growth shares. And, of course, passive income investors tend to prioritise dividends and high-yielding stocks.

But I think we can all agree that owning a company that returns 10 times – or more – our initial investment qualifies as a top ASX stock, especially if these gains are delivered in only 10 years.

You may have heard of this illustrious group of stocks referred to as ten-baggers.

And, according to research from online investment platform eToro, the ASX is one of the best exchanges in the world to find ten-baggers. eToro analysed the returns of ASX companies with a market cap minimum of AU$1 billion and FTSE 350 firms from 2013 to 2023.

The data revealed that the ASX currently boasts 19 ten-baggers, with each top ASX stock posting phenomenal growth over the past decade. That compares to just two ten-baggers on the FTSE 350.

As you might expect in Australia, 12 of the 19 ASX ten-baggers operate in the resource sector. Though you'll also find a few healthcare, finance and tech stocks.

Top ASX stocks with ten-bagger plus gains

Now, you're probably wondering which ASX ten-baggers we're talking about.

So, here's how these top ASX stocks performed from 2013 to 2023:

• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares gained 35,330%
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) shares gained 18,040%
• Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) shares gained 13,170%
• Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) shares gained 5,210%
• Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) shares gained 4,450%
• De Grey Mining Ltd (ASX: DEG) shares gained 3,620%
• Emerald Resources (ASX: EMR) shares gained 3,340%
• HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) shares gained 2,980%
• Stanmore Resources Ltd (ASX: SMR) shares gained 2,410%
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) shares gained 2,090%
• Altium (ASX: ALU) shares gained 2,020%
• Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR) shares gained 1,990%
• Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI) shares gained 1,930%
• Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) shares gained 1,920%
• Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares gained 1,770%
• Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares gained 1,740%
• Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) shares gained 1,450%
• Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) shares gained 1,270%
• Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU) shares gained 1,090%

That's one heck of a list of top ASX stocks!

Commenting on the data, eToro market analyst Josh Gilbert said: "A ten-bagger is the holy grail for many investors and looking locally could be the ticket for finding that stock when compared to other major markets."

Gilbert added:

The complexity of finding and investing in such opportunities requires careful analysis, risk management, and a willingness to take a long-term view.

Psychological factors are also challenging. Riding a stock to a 1,000% gain without taking profit requires serious patience, belief in the business and a strong mentality.

If you're looking to invest in companies that make the ASX top stock list 10 years from now, be sure to do your own thorough research first. If you're time-poor or don't feel comfortable with that, just reach out for some expert advice.

The post Ten-baggers galore! These 19 top ASX stocks returned 1,000% or more in just 10 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Altium, the provider of software that facilitates the design of printed circuit boards, has been a popular, if volatile, tech stock on the ASX for many years now. It first shot to prominence in 2015 and 2016 after attracting investors' attention with its massive growth numbers. This saw Altium shares rise from around $3 at the start of 2015 to over $20 by early 2018.

As a result, Altium became one of the ASX's hottest growth stocks, and a key player in the old 'WAAAX' group of ASX tech shares. This WAAAX club was promoted as the ASX's answer to the famous FAANG group of tech stocks on the US markets for a while.

Of course, WAAAX has slowly dissolved in relevance over recent years. WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) and Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) have continued to flourish.. But Afterpay was acquired by Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) back in 2022, and Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)'s star has faded. Altium shares' removal from the ASX is arguably the nail in the WAAAX coffin.

Japanese tech giant snaps up Altium

Investors were delighted back in February when Altium was approached by the Japanese company Renesas Electronics Corporation (TYO: 6723).

Renesas offered a chunky $9.1 billion (or $68.50 a share) for a complete takeover of Altium, which represented a 33.6% premium to the company's share price at the time. Investors jumped at the chance, and Altium shares rocketed in value. Ever since, the company has traded around that mark, arguably illustrating investor confidence and enthusiasm for the deal.

Check it out for yourself below:

Altium's board immediately recommended that shareholders vote to approve the deal. But this assent from investors only came last month on 12 July. With the deal also gaining the necessary regulatory approvals, the green light was given for Altium shares to be suspended from trading from 19 July.

On 25 July, shareholders received $68.50 in cash for their Altium shares. However, as of today, 2 August, Altium stock has only just been officially delisted from the ASX.

Can one buy Altium shares following their ASX exit?

Unlike Block's acquisition of Afterpay and subsequent ASX listing, Australian investors have no direct ASX pathway to owning Altium shares now that it has been removed from our local market. However, for true believers in this printed circuit board software stock, hope is not lost.

For one, they can always buy shares of Renesas directly from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Japanese stocks are not the easiest international shares for ASX investors to buy. But there are paths available if an investor is motivated enough. So for the purest exposure to Altium's business going forward, directly buying Renesas shares is probably the most effective path for bulls to take.

There is another option though, albeit less potent. ASX investors can buy the iShares MSCI Japan ETF (ASX: IJP), which is an index fund that tracks the MSCI Japan Index. This index offers exposure to around 85% of the entire Japanese stock market.

You'll get famous names like Sony, Nintendo and Toyota here, of course. But you'll also gain a small exposure to Renesas and, through it, Altium. Saying that, the current IJP weighting to Renesas sits at 0.64% of the ETF's portfolio. But that might be better than nothing for Altium shares' most ardent fans.

The post A final goodbye to Altium shares. Here's how to own a slice after its ASX life appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) rose by 27.99%, while the ASX 200 lifted by 7.83% (total returns were 12.1% if you add dividends to this capital growth).

ASX tech shares have certainly benefitted from strong market sentiment for technology stocks in the US.

The Magnificent Seven companies, which are either technology developers themselves or use high tech to produce their products and services, continued to impress investors in FY24.

In particular, the artificial intelligence (AI) megatrend has been a tailwind for ASX tech shares and US tech stocks. The share price of quintessential AI stock, Nvidia, rose by 192% in FY24 versus a 28.61% lift in the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC), a 22.7% lift for the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX), and a 13.69% increase in the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI).

In Australia, AI-associated stocks also did well. The NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price ascended 41.72% in FY24. Shares in Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), which is building data centres all over the world for AI, rose by 73.1%.

The top five ASX 200 tech shares for price gains in FY24 were Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) 122.72%, Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU) 84.26%, Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) 55.4%, Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) 49.81%, and Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) 38.42%.

All in all, FY24 was a ripper year for ASX tech shares and US technology stocks.

But will this trend continue in FY25?

'Signs of rotation' out of ASX tech shares

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) chief economist Dr Shane Oliver says there are now "signs of a rotation" out of tech shares and into value shares and cyclical stocks.

In the first few weeks of FY25 to date, the ASX 200 technology index has lost 1% in value. Meantime, the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index (ASX: XSO) has risen 2.17% and ASX 200 shares have lifted 2.71%.

In a blog, Dr Oliver said tech shares typically offer higher long-term growth potential. However, value and cyclical shares are more likely to benefit from interest rate cuts and economic growth.

The share prices of cyclical stocks are highly impacted by macroeconomics.

Examples of ASX cyclical shares include Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) and JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH). Both companies are impacted by consumer sentiment, which varies depending on macroeconomic factors like wages growth, inflation, and interest rates.

Dr Oliver said the rotation out of tech shares was evident in the US and may benefit ASX stocks.

He explained:

This has been most evident in the US with a resurgence in small caps, with the Russell 2000 small cap index up more than 11% [July 10-17], but it may also benefit the relatively cyclical Australian share market.

With the US earnings season upon us, RBC Global Equity Strategy Research Head Lori Calvasina said (courtesy The Australian):

The thing that we're most interested to get colour on is whether earnings dynamics will give US equity investors a reason to continue the rotation that appeared to begin yet again last week away from Growth, large, and mega-cap, to value, small cap, and everything else.

What's next?

Dr Oliver said the rotation out of tech shares was one of three factors that drove the ASX 200 to a new record high above 8,000 points last week.

AMP tips the benchmark index to end 2024 at about 8,100 points.

But Dr Oliver warns of a "volatile and more constrained outlook" ahead. He reckons there may be a correction in ASX 200 shares during the traditionally weaker months of August and September.

The post 'Signs of rotation' from ASX tech shares to value stocks and cyclicals: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the buy now pay later provider's shares are down 2% to $1.66.

What's going on with Zip shares?

Investors have been selling the company's shares this morning despite news that it will return to the benchmark ASX 200 index later this month.

After the market close on Friday, S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that it will remove Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) from the ASX 200 index when the electronic design software provider's acquisition by Renesas Electronics Corporation completes.

Taking Altium's place in the illustrious index next Monday on 22 July will be Zip.

This could be good news for Zip shares for a couple of reasons. One is that ASX 200 index funds will need to buy its shares to reflect the changes. This can add pressure to the buy side of the equation and propel its shares higher.

Another reason why it can be good news is that many fund managers have strict investment mandates. One common mandate is that they only invest in companies included in the ASX 200 index. This is to prevent the funds they manage from being invested in speculative stocks that could result in large losses.

So, if any of these fund managers have liked the look of Zip's impressive performances in 2024, they will now be allowed to buy its shares.

Should you invest?

There's no doubt that Zip's transition to profitable growth has been remarkable.

At one stage, many in the market believed the company would never be able to reach this milestone. But it certainly has proven the doubters wrong in FY 2024 and appears well-placed to build on this in FY 2025.

However, Zip shares are up approximately 300% since this time year because of this transformation. So, is it now too late to invest?

Unfortunately, as things stand, the broker community thinks that its shares have rallied beyond fair value now. For example, Citi currently has a buy rating and $1.40 price target on its shares, and UBS has a buy rating and $1.55 price target on them.

Based on the latest Zip share price, this implies potential downside of 15.5% and 6.5%, respectively.

Though, it is possible that these recommendations could be updated in August if Zip outperforms expectations with its full year results. But until then, investors may want to approach this one with caution.

The post Zip shares fall despite return to ASX 200 index appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to build on this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise again

The Australian share market looks set to rise again on Monday following a strong finish on Wall Street on Friday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 51 points or 0.6% higher. In the United States, the Dow Jones was up 0.6%, the S&P 500 was 0.55% higher, and the Nasdaq rose 0.6%.

Oil prices soften

ASX 200 energy shares including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a subdued start to the week after oil prices softened on Friday. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was down 0.5% to US$82.21 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price was down 0.4% to US$85.03 a barrel. This meant oil prices snapped their four-week winning streak.

Sell ASX Ltd shares

Goldman Sachs thinks that ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX) shares are overvalued. This morning, the broker has reiterated its sell rating with an improved price target of $59.50. Goldman commented: "We maintain Sell on ASX relative to our coverage with a revised PT of $59.50 (earnings upgrades to reflect recent operational trends). ASX trades at 25x FY25 EPS – on the higher side vs global peers with D&A drag to result in muted medium-term profit growth."

Gold price edges lower

It could be a soft start to the week for ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) after the gold price edged lower on Friday. According to CNBC, the spot gold price was down slightly to US$2,420.7 an ounce. This couldn't stop the gold price from recording its third consecutive weekly gain on interest rate cut hopes.

Zip returns to the ASX 200 index

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) shares will be on watch today after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that the buy now pay later provider will be added to the S&P/ASX 200 Index this month. Zip returns to the benchmark index in response to the removal of electronic design software provider Altium Limited (ASX: ALU), which is being acquired by Renesas Electronics Corporation. The change is expected to take place on 22 July.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose by 7.83% in FY24, and if we add dividends on top, the total return was a median 12.1%.

Meanwhile, the national median property price rose by 8%. If we add rental income to that capital growth, the total return for investors was a median 12.2%, according to CoreLogic data.

But these are just median figures, right?

As all investors know, returns can differ markedly depending on which individual ASX stocks you are invested in and the location of your real estate investments.

So, shall we get specific?

Best performing city and regional property markets of FY24

Home price growth across the city and regional property markets of Australia varied in FY24.

Home values in most markets went up. The Perth property market was an absolute screamer, with 23.6% growth over the 12 months. Two other mid-tier capital cities — Brisbane and Adelaide — also stood out.

But we have a couple of buyers' markets in play right now, too. They are Melbourne and Hobart, along with their regional counterparts.

Let's review the data from CoreLogic.

In short, investors holding properties in Perth and regional Western Australia did best in FY24.

Want to get even more specific?

Suburb-level data for price growth in FY24 is not publicly available from CoreLogic yet. However, we can report the best price growth among SA3 districts across Australia's eight capital cities.

An SA3 is a location metric used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The ABS defines SA3s as "often the functional areas of regional towns and cities with a population in excess of 20,000 or clusters of related suburbs …".

The top 10 SA3 areas for price growth nationally were all in Greater Perth and experienced between 26% and 33.19% capital growth.

In order, they were Kwinana, Armadale, Gosnells, Rockingham, Mandurah, Canning, Cockburn, Swan, Wanneroo and Serpentine-Jarrahdale.

Here are the No. 1 SA3s for home price growth in each of the greater capital city areas.

Best-performing SA3 areas for home price growth in FY24

Top performing ASX 200 shares of FY24

Now we can compare the capital growth of the top 10 ASX 200 shares vs. property in FY24.

What's the outlook for home values?

The CBA economics team has just revised its forecast for home price growth in the calendar year of 2024.

Senior economist Belinda Allen said the forecast had increased from 5% growth to 7% growth nationwide. The upward revision is primarily due to strong demand and a low supply of homes for sale.

Looking ahead to the calendar year 2025, CBA expects another 5% lift nationwide, with the mid-tier capital cities of Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide continuing to outperform Sydney and Melbourne.

The post Shares vs. property: Which stocks and suburbs delivered the best growth in FY24? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose from a closing value of 7,203.3 points on the last trading day of FY23 to a closing value of 7,767.5 points on the last trading day of FY24, delivering a 7.83% gain (excluding dividends — 12.1% after dividends).

Meantime, the national median home value, which reflects all types of property in a single data point, rose by 8% (12.2% after rent) over the 12 months, according to CoreLogic data.

In dollar terms, that's equivalent to a $59,000 increase per home across Australia over the financial year.

The national median house price rose by 8.4%, and the median apartment price lifted by 6.5% over FY24.

If we drill down to look at the capital gains across all eight of the capital cities and their regional counterparts, we see significant disparities.

The most glaring is the outstanding strength of Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide and the regional markets of those states, compared to the weak performance of Melbourne, Hobart, and their regional counterparts.

A key factor in their performance variance is that the strongest markets have tight supply and demand, while the weakest markets have the opposite situation.

We'll also take a look at the top 10 performing ASX 200 shares for the financial year. As usual, not even the strongest property markets grew by as much as those top-performing stocks!

Why are home values rising when interest rates are high?

It's unusual to see home values rising when interest rates are doing the same.

It's even more surprising given the 13 rate rises imposed by the Reserve Bank between May 2022 and November 2023 represented the fastest and largest rate hiking cycle in Australia's history.

However, the housing shortage has become so acute in this country that its impact is actually trumping interest rates in the marketplace.

Demand is so strong, and the number of homes for sale is so low in those strongest markets that prices are continuing to rise despite high interest rates making affordability worse.

How shares vs. property performed in FY24

Here we compare the capital growth rate for houses in each city and regional property market in FY24.

Best performing ASX 200 shares of FY24

Here we compare the capital growth of the top 10 ASX 200 shares in FY24.

The post Shares vs. property: Which delivered the best growth in FY24? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's why these shares are rising today:

Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU)

The Altium share price has hit a new record high of $68.20 on Tuesday.

Investors have been buying the electronic design software company's shares after its takeover by Japan's Renesas took another big step towards completion.

The ASX All Ords share advised that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has approved the deal after concluding that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the transaction.

This approval by CFIUS was the last outstanding regulatory authorisation required to complete the transaction. Shareholders will now vote on the deal at a meeting on 12 July. If everything goes to plan, the $68.50 per share takeover will complete on 1 August.

Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC)

The Superloop share price has hit a multi-year high of $1.65.

The catalyst for this has been the release of a trading update from the telco this morning.

Superloop advised that it has continued to perform very strongly in the high value segment of the residential broadband market. It notes that its high-speed plans (100Mbps or greater) now exceed 50% of its base.

The good news is that it expects this trend to continue, driven by consumer demand for higher internet speeds, reliability, and value.

In light of its strong performance, management expects its underlying EBITDA for FY 2024 to be at or above the top end of the $51 million to $53 million guidance range.

It also advised that FY 2024 cash capex remains on track for the $25 million to $27 million range previously guided. This includes $5 million in additional capex associated with the recent Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) and AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) contract wins, together with the accelerated customer growth in the Consumer segment.

Speaking of Origin, the energy retailer has reached "go live" with Superloop. This means that from today, Superloop's white label offering will underpin new sign-ups for Origin home broadband services.

The ASX All Ords share highlights that this milestone has been reached in under four months. It believes the speed of this achievement is testament to the capability of the Superloop platform and the strong collaboration between project teams.

The post 2 ASX All Ords shares smashing new multi-year highs on big news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) rose by 27.99%, and the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) ascended 23.11%, in FY24.

The laggards among the sectors were consumer staples and materials shares. This may be surprising given staples are usually defensive during periods of high inflation.

Materials shares were affected by mixed commodity price performances, with silver, gold, and copper rising strongly over the financial year while iron ore was volatile and lithium tanked.

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) tumbled 6.89% and the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) fell 6.4% in FY24.

Let's delve deeper.

Technology led the market sectors in FY24

Overall, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) booked a 7.83% gain over the FY24 trading year.

The index rose from 7,203.3 points on 30 June 2023 to 7,767.5 points last Friday.

As the chart below shows, the ASX 200 gradually fell over the first four months of FY24. Then, in early November, an early Santa Rally began amid speculation that interest rates would be cut in 2024.

The ASX 200 was volatile after reaching a record 7,910.5 points on 2 April. Hope for potential rate cuts faded over the next three months as inflation proved stickier than expected.

Why did technology lead the ASX market sectors?

The hype around artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to meaningfully move the dial on global productivity growth after many sluggish years is certainly a factor in this sector's success.

US semiconductor company NVIDIA Corp was the poster child of global AI stocks in FY24.

Nvidia stock rose by close to 200% in FY24 and is up 2,900% over five years. Such is the excitement over AI and its potential to spur innovation in businesses across many market sectors in the future.

The technology-dominated NASDAQ Composite Index, where Nvidia and its fellow Magnificent Seven stocks live, outperformed the S&P 500 in FY24, and AI was a driving factor in its approximate 30% surge.

This enthusiasm rubbed off on ASX tech shares in FY24, especially those most closely connected to the AI tailwind.

The CEO of data centre-as-a-service operator Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT), Craig Scroggie, described AI as "the fourth industrial revolution" in a recent interview published on asx.com.au.

Scroggie said:

It is significantly shaping the data centre industry, particularly in environments where AI workloads are managed, whether for training or inference purposes.

Although the full impact of AI on the Australian market is still unfolding, the trends observed globally, specifically in the US, combined with our active engagements with global customers, suggest a massive increase in demand for data centre services driven by AI applications. 

The NextDC share price ascended 41.72% in FY24 to close at $17.63 per share on Friday. It was the sixth-best performer for price growth among ASX 200 technology shares in FY24.

5 best ASX 200 shares of the tech sector in FY24

The tech sector's top performer in FY24 was social networking app provider Life360 Inc (ASX: 360).

Life 360 shares rose 122.72% over FY24 to close at $16.37 last Friday.

Here are the others making up the top 5 ASX 200 tech stocks for share price growth in FY24.

The post Leaders and laggards of the ASX market sectors in FY24 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Meantime, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lost 0.18% to finish the final trading week of the 2024 financial year at 7,767.5 points.

Only three of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let's recap.

Technology shares led the ASX sectors last week

Among the major ASX 200 tech stocks, Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares had a great week, with a 5.82% gain despite the company not releasing any price-sensitive news.

The Wisetech share price closed FY24 at $100.30 on Friday, up 25.67% over FY24.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shares rose 2.5% over the week to finish at $16.37. The ASX 200 social networking app developer was the sector's top growth stock for FY24, with a phenomenal 122.72% uplift.

The second-biggest ASX 200 tech share, Xero Limited (ASX: XRO), rose 2.06% last week. Xero shares closed at $136.40 on Friday, up 14.69% over FY24.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares lifted 0.54% to $18.60 by Friday. That's an 18.85% gain in FY24.

The Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price lost ground in the final trading week of FY24. NextDC shares fell 1.67% to close at $17.63.

The ASX 200 data centre-as-a-service operator made an impressive 41.72% share price gain over FY24.

Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU) shares closed at $68.03, up 0.21% over the week and 84.26% over FY24.

Altium advised the market this week that most regulatory approvals for its takeover by Renesas Electronics Corp have now been obtained.

What about ASX technology ETFs?

Among the ASX tech ETFs this week, Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) had a ripper week with a 3.08% gain to $11.70 per share over the five trading days.

The ASX HACK is benefitting from rising new demand as enterprises around the world seek to protect themselves from cyber attacks like those experienced by Optus and Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL).

The HACK ETF ascended 27.31% over FY24.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) rose 0.82% to finish the week at $45.51 per share. This is just short of its all-time high set on 18 June at $45.73 per ETF unit.

The ASX NDQ had a rocking FY24, soaring 31%, largely due to the success of the Magnificent Seven stocks within the NASDAQ 100. These include superstar stocks Nvidia Corp and Microsoft Corp.

Here are some things you may not know about the ASX NDQ.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

The post Here's how the ASX 200 market sectors stacked up last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's what got investors excited in the financial year just past.

Three top-performing ASX 200 shares

Financial technology company Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) is the third best-performing ASX 200 share in FY 2024.

Hub24 shares closed out FY 2023 trading at $25.86. At Friday's close, the stock was trading for $46.55 a share, up 80% over 12 months.

Hub24 reported on its most recent financial performance on 21 April, when the company released its Q3 FY 2024 results.

As you'd expect from the strong share performance, the fintech company's results showed strong ongoing growth.

Highlights included a 90% year-on-year increase in platform net inflows, which reached $3.5 billion, a new third-quarter record. The company's total funds under administration (FUA) reached $100.0 billion as of 31 March.

At its half-year results, Hub24 reported a 14% year-on-year increase in total revenue of $156.7 million for the six months.

Moving on to the second-best ASX 200 share to have been bought and held in FY 2024, electronic design software platform provider Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU).

The Altium share price ended FY 2023 at $36.38. Shares closed on Friday trading for $68.03 apiece, up 87% in a year.

Shares have been in an uptrend for most of the past 12 months, but the Altium share price really took off on 15 February.

That's when investors learned that management of the ASX 200 share had unanimously accepted a takeover offer from Japan's Renesas Electronics Corporation and urged shareholders to do the same. The takeover offer valued Altium at $68.50 per share. The Altium share price closed up 28.8% on the day.

Which brings us to the best ASX 200 share to have held in your portfolio in FY 2024, health imaging company Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME).

12 months ago, you could have bought Pro Medicus for $65.76 a share. On Friday, those same shares closed out the financial year, swapping hands for $143.26 apiece, up an eye-watering 117.8%.

The Pro Medicus share price has been trending strongly upward for most of the past year, supported by a record number of new contracts.

Most recently, on 28 May, the ASX 200 share announced it had inked five new contracts valued at $45 million. And management indicated investors could expect more good news in the months ahead.

Commenting on the new contract at the time, Pro Medicus CEO Sam Hupert said: "Despite record new contract signings this year, our pipeline remains strong with a broad range of opportunities both in terms of size and market segments."

Investors are also enthusiastic about the company's potential to harness AI to streamline costs and enhance its products. Towards the end of FY 2023, Pro Medicus recruited two people dedicated to its AI ambitions.

With the ASX 200 share racing higher, Pro Medicus joined the S&P/ASX 100 Index on 18 March as part of the S&P Dow Jones Indices quarterly rebalance.

The post The best three ASX 200 shares to buy and hold in FY 2024 revealed appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is currently up 0.39% on Friday and up 8.15% for the financial year.

Let's take a look at nine stocks setting new price benchmarks for themselves today.

9 ASX 200 shares smashing new price highs

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

The Macquarie share price hit a 52-week high of $207.57 on Friday. The ASX 200 bank share is up 16.8% over the past 12 months. There is no price-sensitive news from the financial major today.

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

Aristocrat shares soared to an all-time record high of $50.30 in earlier trading. The ASX 200 gaming tech share is up 30.19% over the past year. The company has not released any price-sensitive news today.

Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN)

This ASX 200 banking and insurance share hit a 52-week high of $17.73. This followed news that the Federal Treasurer has approved the proposed acquisition of Suncorp's banking division by Big Four bank ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ). Suncorp shares are up 28.38% over the past 12 months.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

This ASX utilities share hit a 52-week high of $11.06 on Friday. Origin shares are up 30.77% over the past year. There is no price-sensitive news out of the electricity and gas provider today.

Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)

The IAG share price reached a four-year high of $7.33 in earlier trading after the insurance giant announced a five-year reinsurance deal with a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B). The ASX 200 insurance share has risen 25.4% over the past year.

Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU)

ASX 200 technology share Altium reached an all-time high of $68.11 today. The company has made no price-sensitive announcements on Friday. However, earlier in the week, Altium advised the market that most regulatory approvals for its potential takeover by Renesas Electronics Corp had been obtained. The ASX tech stock is up 86.92% over the past 12 months.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN)

This regional bank stock hit a five-year high of $11.64. It has risen 34.5% over the past 12 months, the second-highest rate of growth (behind National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) at 37.5%) among the seven ASX 200 bank shares. There was no price-sensitive news from Bendigo Bank today.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

This ASX 200 tech share hit an all-time high of $18.70 despite no price-sensitive news today. Technology One shares are up 20.82% over the past 12 months.

HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

Hub24 has not released any news today, but its shares have once again reset their all-time record high. In earlier trading, these ASX 200 shares reached $46.64 and are up 79.52% over the year.

The post 9 ASX 200 shares finishing FY24 on a 52-week high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But even though most ASX 300 shares have followed the index and are having a day to forget, most is not all. In fact, there are no fewer than five ASX 300 shares that have just smashed new 52-week highs this Wednesday. Let's check them out.

5 ASX 300 shares smashing new 52-week highs today

First up, we have tech stock Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU). Altium shares closed at $67.88 each yesterday afternoon. But this morning, those same shares opened at $67.90 before climbing up to $68.03 just after market open. That's not just a new 52-week high for Altium, but a new record high. At the time of writing, this ASX 300 share has cooled off a little, but is still going for $67.95 a share, up 0.1% for the day thus far.

This rise today comes after Altium released an update regarding its potential takeover by Renesas Electronics. This confirmed that most regulatory approvals for the takeover have now got the green light.

Next up, we have mining equipment manufacturer Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA). Codan shares closed at $11.66 each yesterday but opened at $11.72 this morning before rising to $11.80 just after midday. That's this ASX 300 share's new 52-week high.

At present, Codan stock is trading at its $11.80 peak, up 1.2% for the day thus far. This rise (and new high) comes despite no fresh news or announcements out of the company today.

ASX 300 bank share Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) is our next high flyer. Bendigo shares closed at $11.55 each yesterday evening and opened at $11.57 today before rising up to a new 52-week high of $11.63 mid-morning. Right now, those shares are trading at $11.61 each, up 0.48% for the day.

Again, this comes despite no fresh news or developments out of this bank. Perhaps investors are being spurred on by Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)'s recent all-time highs here.

New highs for HUB24 and News Corp

ASX 300 tech share HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) has also had a day to remember. HUB24 shares closed at $46.21 each yesterday before opening at $46.34 this morning. Subsequently, this stock rose as high as $46.63 a share, which is a new 52-week — and all-time record — high. At the time of writing, HUB24 has risen 0.26% for the day at $46.33 a share.

There has been no news from HUB24 today, but this company has been up almost 80% over the past 12 months.

Our final ASX 300 share worth checking out this Wednesday is News Corporation (ASX: NWS). News Corp shares finished up at $42.60 each yesterday, but opened at $43.07 this morning before rising as high as $43.37. That's a new all-time record.

Right now, those shares are trading at $43.14 each, up a hefty 1.26%. Again, there has been no new ASX news from News Corp today. Saying that, this company's US stock also rose by 1.31% overnight, so it's not too surprising to see its ASX-listed stock follow suit today.

The post 5 ASX 300 shares smashing new highs while the market sinks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

One had its outlook cut.

The other two received boosted forecasts.

Read on for the details.

(Broker data courtesy of The Australian.)

One ASX 200 share getting downgraded

First, we turn to the ASX 200 share getting its rating cut today, software designer Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU).

Altium shares are down 0.1% in early trade today, changing hands for $67.48 apiece. That sees the Altium share price up 45% in 2024. The stock also trades on a partly franked trailing dividend yield of 0.9%.

Much of this year's strong performance stems from February's $9.1 billion takeover offer lobbed by Japan's Renesas Electronics Corporation. An offer the board supports and one that's headed for a shareholder vote.

The takeover offer values Altium at $68.50 per share.

That also happens to be Citi's price target for the stock. The broker doesn't appear to see any further upside from there and has cut this ASX 200 share's rating to neutral.

Two large caps getting upgrades

Moving onto the ASX 200 shares earning upgrades, we kick off with iron ore miner Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA).

The Champion Iron share price is up 0.9% in morning trade today at $6.66. But following on this year's slide in iron ore prices, Champion Iron share remain down 22% in 2024. The stock also trades on an unfranked trailing dividend yield of 2.3%.

Macquarie believes that the sell-off has been overdone.

The broker raised Champion Iron to an outperform rating with a $7.90 price target. That represents a potential upside of almost 19% from current levels.

The miner released some promising FY 2024 results on 31 May. Among the highlights, the company achieved all-time high earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of C$553, an 11% increase from the prior year.

Which brings us to the second ASX 200 share getting a broker upgrade, Aussie oil and gas giant Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

The Woodside share price is up 1.4% today, at $27.46 a share. That still leaves the stock down 13% in 2024. And it sees Woodside shares trading at a fully franked trailing yield of 7.9%.

According to Macquarie equities analyst Mark Wiseman, Woodside shares are now trading at bargain levels. Macquarie raised Woodside shares to an outperform rating with a $32.00 price target (unchanged). That represents a potential upside of almost 17% from current levels.

According to Wiseman, Woodside shares have been oversold based on excessive concerns over the company's project and climate risks.

On the project risk front, yesterday the ASX 200 share reported it had achieved its first oil from the offshore Sangomar project in Senegal. Sangomar is one of the company's major growth projects that's come under scrutiny following government elections in the African nation in March.

According to Wiseman (quoted by The Australian):

We see upside potential from the ramp-up of the Sangomar project, ability to book additional reserves. In 12 to 24 months Woodside can determine whether a phase 2 project is viable.

The post These 3 ASX 200 shares were just rerated by top brokers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Over the period, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose by 4.03% and hit a new all-time record of 7,848.5 points along the way.

Meantime, the median Australian house price rose by 1.7% to $883,854 and the median apartment price rose by 1.3% to $640,162, according to CoreLogic data.

As always, some individual ASX shares and metro and regional property markets outperformed.

Perth and regional Western Australia remain the hottest metro and regional markets in the country.

The median house price in Perth ascended 5.5% to $735,276 over the March quarter. In regional Western Australia, the median house price lifted 4.7% to $508,513.

Among ASX shares, the best performers included Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) up 73% and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) up 63%. ASX tech share Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU) rose 39% while Paladin Energy (ASX: PDN) lifted 38%. And GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) shares increased by 31%.

Shares vs. property: The long-term performance

For every investor who has grappled with the choice between shares vs. property, we have good news.

In his latest blog, AMP chief economist Dr Shane Oliver reveals that shares vs. property deliver very similar long-term returns. All up, 11.2% per year for shares and 10.9% for property over nearly 100 years.

Dr Oliver published a chart showing what $100 invested in real estate and shares in 1926 would be worth today (assuming dividends and rent after costs were reinvested along the way).

Source: Oliver's insights: Seven things you need to know about the Australian property market.

As you can see, that $100 would now be worth more than $1.6 million either way you invested.

The chart compares the performance of $100 invested in cash and bonds since 1926 as well.

Oliver comments:

Over the period both shares and property return around 11% pa.

Property's low correlation with shares, lower volatility but lower liquidity makes it a good portfolio diversifier. So, there is clearly a role for it in investors' portfolios.

For further reading, you can check out the most recent 10-year returns of shares vs. property here.

Property price growth predictions for 2024

Dr Oliver says property prices are rising in 2024 because a major chronic undersupply is creating a supply/demand dynamic that is producing rising prices despite rising interest rates.

Historically, rising interest rates have typically caused housing values to fall.

Dr Oliver explains:

Our base case is now for 5% or so home price growth this year, down from 8% last year, as still high interest rates constrain demand and along with higher unemployment lead to some increase in distressed listings.

However, the supply shortfall should provide support and rate cuts are expected to boost price growth later this year.

Delays to rate cuts and a sharp rise in unemployment would signal downside risks whereas the supply shortfall points to upside risk.

Dr Oliver said the key for property investors this year "is to look for properties offering decent rental yields" to offset the impact of high interest rates pushing up mortgage repayments.

The post Shares vs. property: What $100 invested in 1926 is worth now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's why we tend to see much higher yields from an ASX index fund compared to similar products covering international markets.

But there's another rather unique feature of our share markets that international investors might find odd. That would be our companies' propensity to pay biannual dividends.

In most other markets, including both the United States and the United Kingdom, quarterly dividend payments are the norm. But here on the ASX, we have twice as long between the metaphorical drinks. The vast majority of ASX dividend shares funding a dividend payment only every six months.

This means that whilst investor income is a little irregular, when the payments do arrive, it's something of a cash deluge.

Luckily for ASX investors, one of those deluges just happens to be scheduled for this week.

The five-day period we are currently in the midst of will see a plethora of ASX dividend shares dole out their latest dividend payments. Most of these were announced during the February earnings season we've just gone through. A rough $19 billion in dividends is set to be showered on investors by Friday's close of business.

Which ASX 200 shares are paying out dividends this week?

Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of the major ASX 200 blue-chip shares that will pay out dividends over this trading week:

• Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN)
• Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU)
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)
• ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX)
• Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG)
• Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)
• Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)
• Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)
• Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD)
• Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)
• Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)
• Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)
• Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)
• BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)
• Lottery Corp Ltd (ASX: TLC)
• Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM)

This Thursday, 28 March, might well be the biggest payday on the ASX this dividend season. That day, we'll see what could conceivably be a majority of all ASX investors receive some kind of dividend paycheque.

That's the day that Beach Energy, Origin Energy, CBA, Telstra, BHP, Lottery Corp and Newmont will send out their latest shareholder payments.

So strap yourself in, and get yourself an umbrella, because some of the ASX's favourite shares are about to make it rain.

The post $19 billion in ASX dividends is being paid out this week. Are you getting your share? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The general consensus among analysts is that results were, on average, better-than-expected. After all, many had speculated in the lead-up to February that this would be the set of figures that finally reflected cost inflation and a softening economy.

Still, not all roads led to Rome. Let's look at some Aussie companies that rose to the occasion and some that faltered.

Who are the winners of this ASX reporting season?

Arguably the standout sector of the month was ASX retail shares. Fears of corporate earnings feeling the sting of a spending-conscious consumer had set expectations. Investors were anticipating steep falls in revenue and profits as discretionary spending came under scrutiny of more households.

While some shoppers did dial back somewhat amid greater wallet strain, the reduction was not as dire as investors had prepared themselves for.

For example, Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN) and Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) reported sales declines of 6.8% and 5.6%, respectively. However, the share prices of these two companies rallied 4.4% and 23.7% on their results.

In the case of Kogan, investors were thrilled with the company achieving a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $10.2 million after netting a $9.6 million loss in the previous first half — fitting for an ASX winner. Meanwhile, investors were willing to forgive Harvey Norman for its 29.4% fall in pre-tax profits.

Another February earnings season ASX winner was chip design software seller Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU), although you wouldn't think so based on the price move on results day.

Altium shares retreated 0.1% to $65.05 after handing its first-half figures to the market on 27 February. However, this company's 'winning' part of reporting season arrived as a takeover offer before its results were posted.

Nevertheless, Altium's results were still impressive. Revenue jumped 15.9%, and net profits grew 11.4% for the six months ended 31 December 2023.

The lemons

Earnings among the top 200 ASX companies fell 35% in aggregate, meaning there were some real doozies during the month.

One of the most notable Australian companies taking a deep cut to its earnings was mining behemoth BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). Despite its underlying earnings holding steady at US$6.6 billion thanks to iron ore and copper prices, nickel became BHP's problem child in the half.

The mining giant incurred a US$2.5 billion impairment on its Western Australia Nickel asset. On top of that, another US$3.2 billion charge was booked related to the dam failure at Brazil Samarco several years ago.

Shifting gears, another company that possibly would have been on the ASX winners list if not for its weaker guidance was Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD). Despite posting revenue and NPAT gains of 25% and 222%, the travel operator sustained a 20% hit to its share price.

The post 3 ASX winners from the reporting season (and 2 losers) appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Next week will see this income stream accelerate, with no fewer than 34 ASX 200 shares scheduled to trade ex-dividend.

When a share goes ex-dividend, it means that anyone buying the shares from that date onwards is ineligible for the upcoming dividend payment in question.

As such, if you want any of the dividends that the following 34 ASX 200 shares are lining up to pay, make sure you own them before each company's ex-dividend date.

Dividends have a cost to a company's valuation, seeing as the cash is gone once it goes out the company's door. So don't be surprised if you see these shares fall substantially in value when their ex-dividend date does come around.

So, without further ado, here's a comprehensive list of the 34 ASX 200 shares that will experience this phenomenon next week.

34 ASX 200 shares trading ex-dividend next week

Foolish takeaway

So there you have it, the 34 ASX 200 shares set to trade 'ex-div' next week. Remember, you'll need to own share shares of any dividend payers before they trade ex-dividend if you wish to receive the payments this time around.

Even if you're a day late and buy shares on the ex-dividend date, you'll have to wait for the second payout of 2024 (if indeed there is one).

The post 34 ASX 200 shares with ex-dividend dates next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The index measures the entire housing market, including houses, townhouses, and apartments.

If we break down the latest data from CoreLogic further, we see that the median Australian house price increased by 0.6% in February to $825,923. The median apartment price rose by 0.2% to $628,980.

CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless said property values were "more than resilient" amid high interest rates and cost-of-living pressures. The key driver of this resilience is a persistent imbalance between supply and demand, which Lawless says varies in size across the capital cities and regions.

Perth was once again the standout capital city last month with a very strong 1.8% rise in median home values. Next came Adelaide at 1.1% and Brisbane at 0.9%. Among the regional markets, South Australia was on top with 1.1% growth, followed by Western Australia and Queensland with 1% growth each.

Lawless said:

These regions are generally benefiting from a combination of comparatively lower housing prices and positive demographic factors that continue to support housing demand.

Melbourne pivoted from three months of negative growth to 0.1% growth in February. Sydney property values recorded a second month of price rises after booking subtle falls in November and December.

Lawless added:

Potentially we are seeing some early signs of a boost to housing confidence as inflation eases and expectations for a rate cut, or cuts, later this year firm up.

Shares vs. property price growth in February

Here is how shares vs. property performed in terms of price growth in the month of February.

Source: CoreLogic

Top 5 risers of the ASX 200 in February

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) appreciated by 0.23% in February.

According to CommSec data, these ASX 200 shares below were the top risers of the month.

Source: CommSec

The February earnings season produced winners and losers, and most of the top 5 ASX 200 shares rose due to outstanding financial reports.

Budget fashion jewellery chain Lovisa soared following the company's strong 1H FY24 report.

Despite today's cost-of-living crisis, Lovisa delivered an 18.2% increase in revenue to $373 million and a 12% bump in net profit after tax (NPAT) to $53.5 million.

Lovisa shares will pay an interim dividend of 50 cents per share with 30% franking.

That's a more than 30% increase on the 1H FY23 dividend of 38 cents.

The post How ASX shares vs. property performed in February appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.