Key takeaways:

• Once a stalwart at the top of the list of the most popular holdings, CSL fell to fifth position 

• Long' buyers embraced ETFs with international exposure, while traders honed in on geared funds

• Project updates were responsible for a surge in trading activity across certain lithium names

The local share market gained 1.6% last month as investors grew hopeful about the prospect that we may be nearing the end of the rate cycle both in Australia and the US. Across the financial year the S&P/ASX 200 rose 9.7%, adding $276 billion in market value.

Retail stocks, materials, and financials outperformed throughout June, whereas healthcare shares tumbled, and real estate names also had a month to forget.

On that note, these were the most popular holdings and trades last month.

What are the most popular ASX shares and ETFs?

There were a number of changes to the most popular names in the Selfwealth community, and many of these were at the pointy end where the greatest money flow typically occurs.

Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) dislodged Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX: NEU) after its three-month run at the top of the charts. 

The collective value of holdings in NEU fell by 14.1% in June, slightly more than the 11.5% drop in the underlying share price. A weak showing from healthcare stocks weighed on the company last month, but it also appears as though some long-term holders took profits off the table after the stock gained 222% in FY23 following the US FDA approval of Daybue, the first and only treatment for Rett syndrome.

Elsewhere, BHP (ASX: BHP) moved one spot higher into third position. The first two-thirds of the month saw the stock rise by a double-digit percentage as efforts by the Chinese government to stimulate the world second largest economy resonated with investors. Next up, Westpac (ASX: WBC) also gained ground, with investors taking an opportunity to add to their holdings after the stock briefly touched its lowest price in 11 months. Concerns about mortgage competition, bad debts, and net interest margins quickly faded, however, as broad-based market strength helped the stock climb by more than 3% across the course of the month.The biggest talking point last month was none other than global biotech giant CSL (ASX: CSL), which fell to fifth position, its lowest-ever ranking by value on the Selfwealth platform. That was prompted by a 6.6% decline in the value of community holdings in CSL. At the heart of the stock retreat was a trading update where the company guidance outlook fell well short of market forecasts. Furthermore, management indicated that currency headwinds are currently weighing on earnings.And in a sign of interest surrounding the unfolding energy transition, Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) leapt ahead of Woodside Energy (ASX: WDS) for the first time since January. That was in no small part thanks to an 11.4% increase in the value of PLS holdings within the Selfwealth community. The collective total reached a record value of $89 million, up 100% versus a year ago.ASX StockCompany1CBACommonwealth Bank2NEUNeuren Pharmaceuticals3BHPBHP4WBCWestpac5CSLCSL6ANZAustralia and New Zealand Banking Group7NABNational Australia Bank8MQGMacquarie Group9AFIAustralian Foundation Inv10FMGFortescue Metals Group11PLSPilbara Minerals12WDSWoodside Energy13LTRLiontown Resources14WESWesfarmers15TLSTelstra16RIORio Tinto17SOLWashington H. Soul Pattinson and Co18WOWWoolworths19ARGArgo Investments20FLTFlight CentreVanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) swapped places with its Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG) last month, with investors warming to its wholly growth-focused exposure via international markets. VGS provides exposure to many of the world's largest companies listed in major developed countries, and while VDHG includes exposure to VGS, it also assigns capital to the local share market, emerging markets, small companies, and some fixed income assets.ASX ETFsCompany1VASVanguard Australian Shares Index ETF2VGSVanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF3VDHGVanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF4IVVIshares S&P 500 ETF5A200BetaShares Australia 200 ETF6VTSVanguard U.S. Total Market Shares Index ETF7NDQBetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF8VHYVanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF9VEUVanguard All-World ex-U.S. Shares Index ETF10DHHFBetaShares Diversified All Growth ETF

ASX share trading activity

ETFs were particularly popular last month, taking out six of the top ten spots for the most actively traded securities on the Selfwealth platform. There wasn't any singular theme to these trades, with investors trading funds offering local and international exposure, as well as different growth profiles. 

Interestingly, each of these ETFs enjoyed strong buying support, with none recording a buy-to-sell ratio of less than 66%. In other words, more than two-thirds of all trades, and in some cases like the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) and Ishares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV), more than 80% of trades in these funds were buy orders. Meanwhile, if Pilbara Minerals wasn't a barometer for lithium interest, then observers need only look at the rest of the top 20 for an indication as to how prominent this investment theme remains. Lake Resources (ASX: LKE) was the seventh most traded stock last month. However, it was selling activity that dominated trading after the company informed the market that its original production target will be delayed by several years, with project costs set to more than double.Faring more favourably, Leo Lithium (ASX: LLL) and Latin Resources (ASX: LRS) both made an appearance among the most popular trades for June. Buyers controlled trading in these names, with the catalyst for each being positive news regarding the resource deposits at their key projects.

Leo Lithium gained 20.2% after upgrading the mineral resource estimate at its Goulamina Project by 48.2% from 142.3Mt at 1.38% Li2O to 211Mt at 1.37% Li2O. The company claims this makes it the fifth largest spodumene deposit in the world. On the other hand, Latin Resources returned a remarkable 88.2% for the month after reporting a 241% increase in resources at its Colina deposit in Brazil, representing 45.2Mt at 1.34% lithium oxide.

Appen (ASX: APX) was the only pure-play tech company in the top 20 last month, which followed huge interest in artificial intelligence (AI) the month prior. The stock encountered a volatile month, with shares at one stage trading 20% higher, before ending the month nearly 30% below where they started. The peak-to-trough performance saw APX shed around 40%, but a slight majority of Selfwealth members were still keen to try their luck buying the dip.Top 20 stocks by tradesCode Security

Buy-Sell Ratio

1VASVanguard Australian Shares Index ETF

81.3%

2VDHGVanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF

70.4%

3VGSVanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF

77.3%

4BHPBHP

54.1%

5PLSPilbara Minerals

53.4%

6NDQBetashares Nasdaq 100 ETF

66.3%

7LKELake Resources

44.7%

8IVVIshares S&P 500 ETF

81.2%

9A200BetaShares Australia 200 ETF

78.3%

10CSLCSL

68.5%

11FMGFortescue Metals Group

36.9%

12WBCWestpac

54.1%

13MQGMacquarie Group

53.8%

14LLLLeo Lithium

62.4%

15APXAppen

52.7%

16ANZANZ

54.4%

17CXOCore Lithium

52.9%

18WDSWoodside Energy

46.6%

19CBACommonwealth Bank

50.9%

20LRSLatin Resources

52.2%

By money flow, the most active trades last month indicate there might still be some doubts about the market rally in light of the economic outlook. Traders took up mixed positions on key benchmark indexes, which was evident from the fairly evenly split trading action across a number of ETFs. 

The ETFS Ultra Long Nasdaq 100 Hedge Fund (ASX: LNAS), Betashares Australian Equities Strong Bear Hedge Fund (ASX: BBOZ), Betashares Geared Australian Equity Fund (ASX: GEAR), and ETFS Ultra Short Nasdaq 100 Hedge Fund (ASX: SNAS) were all in the top 20 traded stocks by value.Last but not least, resources and energy stocks dominated money flow throughout June. While Pilbara Minerals was out in front, BHP ranked second, and its peer Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) finished the month in fifth. Further down the list, Whitehaven Coal (ASX: WHC) made an appearance in 16th spot, buyers supported South32 (ASX: S32), which placed 17th for the month, while AGL (ASX: AGL) and Woodside (ASX: WDS) ranked 18th and 20th respectively.Top 20 stocks traded by valueCode Security

Buy-Sell Ratio

1PLSPilbara Minerals

50.1%

2BHPBHP

44.3%

3LNASETFS Ultra Long Nasdaq 100 Hedge Fund

49.1%

4VASVanguard Australian Shares Index ETF

68.7%

5FMGFortescue Metals Group

42.9%

6WBCWestpac

42.6%

7BBOZBetashares Australian Equities Strong Bear Hedge Fund

48.0%

8CSLCSL

56.5%

9GEARBetashares Geared Australian Equity Fund

54.6%

10AAABetashares Australian High Interest Cash ETF

58.0%

11CBACommonwealth Bank

42.1%

12ANZANZ

41.9%

13VGSVanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF

47.3%

14MQGMacquarie Group

39.2%

15NABNAB

46.4%

16WHCWhitehaven Coal

47.4%

17S32South32

60.0%

18AGLAGL

41.7%

19SNASETFS Ultra Short Nasdaq 100 Hedge Fund

45.0%

20WDS Woodside Energy

49.4%

That all for this Trade Trends report, stay tuned for the next edition this time next month!