Sharesight users' top 20 trades in ASX stocks for 2022

Each year, Sharesight looks back at the top 20 buy and sell trades made by Sharesight users throughout the year. Welcome to the 2022 edition of our ASX snapshot, where we explore the top trades users made in stocks on the ASX this year, plus the market-moving news behind some of these stocks.

Sharesight users’ top 20 ASX trades in 2022

This year’s top trades were largely dominated by traditional blue chip stocks and Vanguard ETFs.

Buy trades were strongly led by Vanguard’s Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), followed by the ETF provider’s MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS). In terms of individual stocks, buy and sell trades were led by Woodside Energy (ASX: WDS), which experienced fluctuation in its share price throughout the year, but ultimately has seen its share price increase by over 55% since the beginning of 2022 (as at the time of publishing).

Trades were followed by BHP (ASX: BHP), which experienced a steep drop in its share price throughout the July-November period, but has also seen its share price grow by over 6% since the beginning of the year.

It was a varied year overall, with the top trades spread across stocks in the mining, banking, biotech, retail and technology sectors.

Let’s look at the news behind some of the key stocks in this year’s snapshot:

Woodside Energy (ASX: WDS)

• February: Woodside profit hits seven-year high; full year dividend surges

• March: Shares surge as oil price continues to rise

• April: Applies for US listing prior to AU$63 billion merger vote

• June: Woodside completes merger with BHP; becomes largest ASX energy company

• July: Woodside share price drops despite strong Q2 revenue

• September: Woodside signs deal to supply LNG to Europe

• November: Share price hits 8-year high amid soaring oil and gas prices

• December: Woodside reveals cash flow outlook; analysts concerned about future dividend payouts

BHP (ASX: BHP)

• January: Shareholders vote for BHP to abandon dual-listed structure and return to Australian market

• February: BHP pays record interim dividend for third consecutive year

• March: BHP share price rises following broker upgrade

• April: BHP sued over alleged environmental damage caused by Chilean mine

• May: BHP approved to merge petroleum assets with Woodside; could gain AU$9.5 billion

• July: Reports strong quarterly performance, but warns of volatile FY23

• August: OZ Minerals turns down BHP’s AU$8.3 billion takeover offer

• September: BHP share price down 14% in a month

• October: Relief for BHP as Chile lowers mining taxes

• November: BHP makes final offer of AU$9.6 billion for OZ Minerals

• December: BHP and OZ Minerals extend takeover deadline

Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS)

• January: Pilbara share price surges 35% in a month

• April: Share price drops 5% following quarterly guidance update

• May: Share price surges following AU$20 million manufacturing grant; lithium price boom

• June: Plans to raise AU$297.5 million to increase production at Pilgangoora project

• August: Posts inaugural full year net profit of AU$562 million

• September: Share price soars by 30% in a month

• October: Share price hits record high after earnings update

• November: Pilbara shares rise on announcement of Calix deal

• December: Pilbara sells AU$120 million-worth of spodumene in pre-Christmas lithium auction

Fortescue Metals (ASX: FMG)

• January: Fortescue acquires Williams Advanced Engineering for AU$310 million

• February: Fortescue lowers interim dividend on the back of tumbling profit

• March: Share price drops as iron ore prices impacted by Chinese COVID surge

• May: Fortescue restructures leadership team to help deliver green strategy

• June: Share price falls 9% amid broader market sell-off

• July: Share price rises following record iron ore exports

• August: Fortescue profit down despite record iron ore shipments

• September: Fortescue rejects claims that fossil fuel exit will result in dividend cuts

• October: Share price rises following strong quarterly results

• November: Fortescue appoints new CEO

• December: Signs deal to develop net-zero emissions iron-making plant

ANZ (ASX: ANZ)

• May: ASIC sues ANZ for overstating credit card balances, leading customers to pay inflated fees

• July: ANZ announces AU$5 billion deal to acquire Suncorp

• August: Completes AU$3.5 billion capital raise to fund Suncorp acquisition

• December: ANZ shareholders vote to establish new holding company, separating banking and non-banking businesses

Westpac (ASX: WBC)

• January: Westpac trading at 52-week low

• February: Westpac reveals strong quarterly earnings

• May: Commits to AU$8 billion cost cutting program

• July: Plans to sell off investment platform for AU$1 billion

• December: Forced to pay AU$29 million in super class action

Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG)

• February: Improved market conditions result in record quarter for Macquarie

• March: Macquarie buys stake in National Grid’s gas transmission business

• May: Macquarie share price drops 8% following FY22 results

• June: Announces AU$400 million capital raise

• July: Macquarie reports strong quarterly earnings, but warns of ‘softening’ ahead

• September: Share price drops 10% following rejected takeover bid for UK waste business

• October: Macquarie share price hits 52-week low

Core Lithium (ASX: CXO)

• March: Core Lithium to supply 110,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate to Tesla

• April: Up 427% YoY, Core Lithium share price continues to surge

• May: Share price surges on Finniss Project progress

• August: Core Lithium appoints its first CEO

• September: Core Lithium prepares for first DSO shipment at Finniss project in NT

• October: Core Lithium fails to secure Tesla deal

• November: Share price hits all-time high amid reports of China easing COVID-19 restrictions

• December: Analysts see 25% upside for Macquarie

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FURTHER READING

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• How Sharesight calculates your investment performance

• Top 20 ASX trades by Sharesight users – November 2022