If you are paralysed by choice, then exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be a good option for you.

They remain one of the smartest ways to gain broad exposure to quality assets without the stress of picking individual stocks.

With that in mind, let's take a look at three ASX ETFs that could be good picks in 2026 and beyond. Here's what you need to know about them:

Betashares Australian Momentum ETF (ASX: MTUM)

The Betashares Australian Momentum ETF gives investors exposure to the strongest-performing shares on the ASX. This means its holdings are updated regularly to reflect the top Australian stocks that are showing the highest price momentum.

This means the ASX ETF naturally adapts to changing market conditions. When leadership shifts, Betashares Australian Momentum ETF shifts with it. At present, its portfolio includes well-known names such as Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN), Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

Momentum investing tends to perform best during market upswings, capturing the shares that are already trending higher. So, with the ASX expected to benefit from lower interest rates and stronger economic growth in 2026, this fund could be well positioned to ride the next phase of the bull market.

Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF)

For investors who prefer simplicity, the Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF is a complete, globally diversified portfolio in a single trade. It is designed for those seeking long-term capital growth through exposure to thousands of stocks across Australia, the United States, Europe, and emerging markets.

The Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF holds a collection of other funds covering sectors like technology, healthcare, industrials, and financials. That means investors get exposure to global powerhouses such as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), all through one ASX-listed fund.

With a focus on growth assets, this ASX ETF could be a good fit for investors who want broad diversification and are happy to leave their money to compound.

Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM)

Finally, if you are looking to add a thematic growth opportunity to your portfolio, the Betashares Global Uranium ETF could be a good choice. It provides exposure to a rapidly re-emerging nuclear power industry, which is seeing renewed global demand as countries seek reliable, low-carbon power sources.

The Betashares Global Uranium ETF invests in a mix of uranium miners, refiners, and producers, including Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ), NexGen Energy (ASX: NXG), and Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN).

As governments around the world turn to nuclear energy to meet emissions targets and stabilise their grids, uranium could be one of the standout commodities of the next decade and this fund offers an easy, diversified way to participate.

The post 3 ASX ETFs to buy for 2026 and beyond appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In afternoon trade, the ASX uranium stock is up 7% to $8.46.

But this gain isn't even the strongest in the industry today.

For example, at the time of writing, Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) shares are currently up 10%, Lotus Resources Ltd (ASX: LOT) shares are up 13%, and Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) shares are up 14%.

Why are ASX uranium stocks rocketing?

Investors have been scrambling to buy ASX uranium stocks on Friday after there was some big news in the industry.

That news came from Canadian uranium giant Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ).

According to the release, Cameco has been informed by its partner Kazatomprom that production has been suspended at its Inkai joint venture in Kazakhstan.

The release notes that the Inkai JV has not received an extension to submit its updated project for Uranium Deposit Development documentation. This was an extension that was expected prior to the end of 2024.

Kazatomprom has informed the uranium miner that the extension was not received as expected due to the delayed submission of the necessary documentation to the Ministry of Energy.

In light of this, Kazatomprom has directed the joint venture to halt operations to avoid potential violation of Kazakhstan legislation.

Commenting on the news that gave ASX uranium stock's a huge boost, Cameco said:

Based on the information we had been receiving from JV Inkai and Kazatomprom, a process to address the update of the Project Documentation was underway and a positive outcome was expected. Reports received by Cameco as recently as December 26, 2024, made no mention of a production suspension being a risk in relation to this process.

We are disappointed and surprised by this unexpected suspension and we will be seeking further clarification on how this transpired, as well as the potential 2025 and 2026 production and financial impacts (including on future dividends), and what Cameco can do to help Kazatomprom and JV Inkai restart mining operations.

This is bad news for Cameco but good news for ASX uranium stocks. That's because any potential supply constraints could have a major impact on uranium prices. Especially given how demand is increasing for the chemical element.

Short squeeze

Also potentially giving uranium stocks a lift today is short covering.

Paladin Energy and a number of other ASX uranium stocks, such as Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE), are among the most shorted on the local market.

With their shares hurtling higher, it is possible that some short sellers will be buying shares to close their short positions.

The post Why Paladin Energy and these ASX uranium stocks are rocketing appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

With many countries seeing nuclear power as the answer to clean energy, the demand outlook for the chemical element has become incredibly positive.

However, this is happening at a time when uranium supply is under pressure due to softer-than-expected production in Kazakhstan, which is the world's largest producer.

In addition, the United States is in the process of banning Russian uranium, which is just adding to the supply issues.

But this is all good news for ASX uranium stocks, which stand to benefit greatly from sky-high prices of the chemical element.

How can you invest in uranium on the ASX?

Fortunately for investors, there are a good number of uranium stocks listed on the ASX.

This includes Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX: AGE), Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN), Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE), Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL), Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) and Peninsula Energy Ltd (ASX: PEN).

Investors can also choose to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETF) instead to gain exposure to this side of the market.

The Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM) aims to track the performance of an index that provides investors with access to a portfolio of leading companies in the global uranium industry.

As well as local players like Boss Energy and Paladin Energy, you would be buying a slice of giants Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ) and Kazakhstan's Kazatomprom.

Which uranium stocks do brokers like?

Given how ASX uranium stocks have rocketed over the last 12 months, investors may be wondering which ones are still in the buy zone.

Well, Bell Potter sees value in Boss Energy's shares. It currently has a buy rating and a $6.35 price target on them, which implies a potential upside of 13% for investors.

Over at Morgan Stanley, its analysts have an overweight rating and a $17.45 price target on Paladin Energy's shares. Though, this offers only a modest upside of approximately 3% from current levels.

Deep Yellow is another ASX uranium stock that Bell Potter likes. It has a buy rating and a $1.90 price target on the Tumas project owner's shares. This suggests a potential upside of 13% is possible for investors from current levels.

Finally, Bell Potter sees the most value in Alligator Energy shares with its buy rating and 10 cents price target. This is over 50% higher than where the uranium stock trades today.

The post How to invest in uranium on the ASX appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Thanks to supply concerns and growing demand, the price of the chemical element has been surging. This has put a rocket under uranium stocks across the globe.

This includes companies held by the URNM ETF such as Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE), Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ), NexGen Energy Ltd (NYSE: NXE), and Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN).

Supply concerns as demand grows

Last year, traders were bidding uranium prices higher and higher after the world's largest uranium miner, Kazatomprom, warned that it would fall short of its production targets.

This was being driven by shortages of sulphuric acid, which is a key ingredient in the production process for some uranium mills.

This couldn't have come at a worse time, with demand for uranium growing rapidly due to global governments seeing nuclear energy as a way to achieve key decarbonisation goals.

But it gets even better for the companies included in the Betashares Global Uranium ETF. In light of the above, SP Angel mining analyst John Meyer, believes that uranium prices could be on a very long upwards trajectory. According to Reuters, he said:

The market has been slowly building higher prices as mining costs rise and nuclear generators look to build stocks to guard against increasingly risky supply-side issues. We see prices rising year-on-year for next 10-20 years or till the world finds another source for large scale un-interruptible base load power with a low carbon footprint.

The World Nuclear Association was forecasting demand from nuclear reactors to be 65,650 tonnes of elemental uranium (tU) in 2023 and then almost double to 130,000 tU by 2040.

Investing $10,000 in the Betashares Global Uranium ETF URNM

If I had invested in the Betashares Global Uranium ETF a year ago, I would be smiling widely today.

During this time, the fund has absolutely smashed the market with a return many times the average for the period.

For example, if I had invested $10,000 into the URNM ETF in April 2023, I could have picked it up for $5.63 per unit. This means I could have snapped up 1,777 units for a total investment of $10,004.51.

Today, the Betashares Global Uranium ETF is fetching $9.81. This is 74.2% higher than the price I would have paid a year ago.

So, my 1,777 units would now have a market value of $17,432.37. That's a sizeable $7,427.86 more than my original investment in the URNM ETF after just 12 months. Impressive!

The post How much would I have now if I'd invested $10,000 in Betashares Global Uranium ETF (URNM) a year ago? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the industry is a sea of red as investors hit the sell button in a panic.

Here's the state of play at the time of writing:

• Alligator Energy Ltd(ASX: AGE) shares are down 9% to 7.2 cents
• Bannerman Energy Ltd(ASX: BMN) shares are down 12% to $3.47
• Boss Energy Ltd(ASX: BOE) shares are down 12% to $5.28
• Deep Yellow Limited(ASX: DYL) shares are down over 13% to $1.45
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) shares are down 8% to $1.31

Why are ASX uranium shares being hammered?

Investors have been selling off uranium stocks this morning in response to an update from one of the world's largest uranium miners, Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ).

The US$19 billion miner released its FY 2023 results and revealed that its net earnings, adjusted net earnings, and cash from operations all more than doubled compared to 2022. This was driven by higher sales volumes and realised prices.

While this is a great result and would ordinarily get uranium investors excited, its production plans appear to have spooked them.

What's going on?

As you may be aware, uranium prices have been surging recently amid concerns over the supply of the chemical element. This was caused by the world's largest uranium miner, Kazatomprom, warning that its production could fall short of expectations over the coming years.

However, overnight Cameco revealed that it sees opportunities to increase production to take advantage of the strong demand. It said:

With the improvements in the market, the new long-term contracts we have put in place, and a pipeline of contracting discussions, our plan is to produce 18 million pounds (100% basis) at each of McArthur River/Key Lake and Cigar Lake in 2024. We also plan to begin the work necessary to extend the estimated mine life at Cigar Lake to 2036.

In addition, at McArthur River/Key Lake, we plan to undertake an evaluation of the work and investment necessary to expand production up to its annual licensed capacity of 25 million pounds (100% basis), which we expect will allow us to take advantage of this opportunity when the time is right.

This appears to have put a dampener on optimism that prices could remain sky high (or go even higher) in the near term, which is disappointing news for ASX uranium shares.

The post Why are ASX uranium shares getting thumped on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.