The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) kicked off the new trading week in style this Monday, recording a solid gain over today's session. After a bouncy week last week, the ASX 200 climbed by a strong 0.81% today, leaving the index at 7,637.4 points. This encouraging start to the week follows a bullish conclusion to the American trading week last Friday night. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a decent time, climbing 0.4%. But the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) put that to shame, surging by a huge 2.03%. Let's get back to the local markets this week th ..read more

It could be a big week for Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) shares and shareholders. That's because the investment bank will be releasing its FY 2024 results before the market open on Friday. Ahead of the release, let's now take a look and see what the market is expecting from the results. Macquarie results preview Firstly, it is worth noting that Macquarie has been guiding to a result "substantially" lower than in FY 2023 all year. So, don't be alarmed by some of these numbers. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts are expecting Macquarie to report cash earnings of $3,481 mill ..read more

The Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) share price is up 8.2% in mid-afternoon trading after the casino business announced a change in its leadership. The company has been through a tumultuous period, and there are plans for another figure to depart. Let's investigate. Chair replaced In a statement to the ASX today, Star Entertainment announced that Anne Ward had been appointed as the new chair of the company's board, effective immediately. For an "interim period", David Foster – who had been the executive chair – will remain on the board of The Star and continue his executive respon ..read more

If you're an income investor that isn't a fan of stock picking, then exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be the solution. There are a number of funds out there that allow investors to buy groups of dividend-paying shares through a single click of the button. This means that you can diversify a portfolio easily, pay significantly less brokerage costs, and avoid the hassle of picking which stocks to buy. For example, three ASX ETFs that provide investors with a good source of income and could be worth considering in May are listed below. Here's what you need to know about these funds: BetaS ..read more

If you have a higher than average tolerance for risk, then you might want to consider adding some small cap exposure to your portfolio. But which small cap ASX shares should you buy? Listed below are three that Morgans rates very highly. Here's why it is bullish and has them on its best ideas list: Acrow Ltd (ASX: ACF) The first small cap ASX share that Morgans is bullish on is Acrow. It provides the construction sector with engineered formwork, scaffolding, and screen systems solutions. Morgans likes the company due to its positive long-term outlook, attractive valuation, and generous dividen ..read more

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares have been on a wild ride for the last few months. This ASX 200 lithium stock has arguably always been a volatile one. But investors have endured some particularly rough moves over the past few months. To demonstrate, it was only in August last year that Pilbara shares were trading at over $5.40 each. But today, those same shares are worth just $3.95 at the time of writing. That puts Pilbara down more than 26% from its August levels, as well as down almost 10% from where the company was at back at the beginning of March this year. At the current stock pri ..read more

With so many shares to choose from on the Australian share market, it can be difficult to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you. Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here's why they are bullish on them: Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) According to a note out of Bell Potter, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $1.80 price target on this energy producer's shares. This follows the release of a quarterly update, which was a touch short of its expectations. Howe ..read more

As an S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) investor, it can pay to keep an eye on the investing strategies employed by the Future Fund. Australia's sovereign wealth fund gained 10.1% over the 12 months to the end of March, with the portfolio hitting an all-time high value of $223 billion. The Future Fund achieved those impressive results, in part, by adjusting its investment strategies to incorporate the outlook that inflation and interest rates are likely to remain higher for longer than previously expected. Here's what ASX 200 investors can learn from the Future Fund's shift in focus. ASX 200 i ..read more

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is back on form and pushing higher. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.7% to 7,627 points. Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are falling: Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET) The Betmakers share price is down 14% to 12 cents. This follows the release of the betting technology company's quarterly update. Betmakers reported a 4.1% decline in revenue to $22.3 million. This was driven by soft conditions in the Australian wagering market. It highli ..read more

It's been a very strange start to the week for Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT) shares indeed. The ASX 200 asset manager ended last week's trading at $23.30 a share. But this morning, the company came out of the gate with the announcement that its shares would be suspended from trading. Normally, trading halts last for at least a day or two. But in this case, Perpetual resumed trading after only an hour or two of being on ice. At present, the company's share price is up a happy 2.75% at $23.94 apiece. So what on earth is going on here? Perpetual shares bounce back amid takeover talks Well, Perpetual ..read more