S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) shares are 0.26% lower at 8,668.3 points on Friday.
Today’s fall builds on yesterday’s 1.77% drop after missile strikes on energy assets in the Middle East caused a spike in oil prices.
ASX All Ords shares have fallen 8.13% since the war began, and the market is now 4% in the red for the year to date (YTD).
Meantime, brokers have named 3 ASX shares with buy recommendations amid all this volatility.
Let’s take a look.
Helloworld Travel Ltd (ASX: HLO)
Helloworld Travel shares are steady at $1.44 on Friday, down 23.8% YTD and down 6.5% over 12 months.
Shaw and Partners reiterated its buy rating on this ASX travel share after the Australian Bureau of Statistics released new data.
The broker commented:
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Overseas Arrivals and Departures data for January 2026 bodes well for Helloworld Travel Limited (ASX:HLO) with Departures up 8.4% Financial YTD and the travel destination mix reasonably steady.
Shaw and Partners kept its 12-month share price target at $2.80.
This implies a potential 94% upside from here.
Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA)
The Bega Cheese share price is down 0.27% to $5.60 at the time of writing.
The ASX consumer staples share is down 7.67% YTD and up 8.6% over the past year.
This month, PAC Partners retained its buy rating and increased its price target by 7% to $7.50 per share.
This implies a potential 34% upside from here.
The broker said:
Bega Cheese Limited’s (ASX:BGA) vision of a great Australian food company arrived this year with: a scalable platform #1 and #2 “better for you” brands; #1 Australian cold chain; off-shore leverage; and a 50% lift in dividend in 1H’26.
Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)
The Starpharma share price is 47 cents, up 1.1% on Friday.
This ASX small-cap share has risen 25.7% YTD and soared 365% over 12 months.
PAC Partners has a buy rating on this ASX healthcare share.
The broker forecasts growth in partnerships and over-the-counter revenue over the next four years.
PAC Partners says it has a “high risk” 12-month price target range of 80 cents to $1 on Starpharma shares.
This suggests a possible minimum capital gain of 70% over the next 12 months.
PAC Partners commented:
Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL) will start human clinical trials of its novel radiotherapy drug for a solid cancer target by the end of 2026.
This in-house project opens up SPL dendrimer applications beyond the Genentech, medicxi and RAD.ASX partnered projects.
The post 3 buy-rated ASX shares in today’s falling market appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.
Should you invest $1,000 in Bega Cheese Limited right now?
Before you buy Bega Cheese Limited shares, consider this:
Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Bega Cheese Limited wasn’t one of them.
The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*
And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…
* Returns as of 20 Feb 2026
.custom-cta-button p {
margin-bottom: 0 !important;
}
More reading
- These 3 ASX stocks are paying better than 7% dividend yields
- ASX travel shares are hovering near yearly lows – time to buy?
- 2 ASX small-cap shares with 100% potential upside
- What is Morgans saying about Helloworld, TPG Telecom, and Coles shares?
- Brokers think these two travel shares could take off
Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.