
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN), and Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) shares are creating a stir today.
In morning trade, all three of the big name ASX shares are outperforming the 0.4% losses posted by the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) on Thursday.
Here’s what’s catching investor interest.
Qantas shares lift on revenue growth outlook
Qantas shares are gaining altitude today, up 2.6% and trading for $9.46 apiece.
This follows the release of the ASX 200 airline’s full-year FY 2026 results.
For the 12-month period, Qantas reported a 12.7% year-on-year decline in underlying earnings per share to 96 cents.
On the bottom line, the airline achieved an underlying profit before tax of $2.06 billion, down 13.8% from FY 2025.
With profits down, management declared a fully-franked final Qantas dividend of 19.8 cents per share, down 25% from last year’s final payout.
The company estimated that the impact from the Middle East conflict has so far cost it $420 million, largely driven by higher jet fuel costs.
Despite the higher fuel costs, the company expects to see unit revenues grow by 8% to 10% in the first half of FY 2027.
Wesfarmers shares lift on dividend boost
Like Qantas shares, Wesfarmers shares are in the green today, up 0.2% and changing hands for $83.41 apiece.
The ASX 200 conglomerate â whose retail subsidiaries include Bunnings Warehouse, Kmart Australia, Officeworks, and Priceline â also reported its FY 2026 results this morning.
Highlights included a 3.4% year-on-year increase in revenue to $47.25 billion, and (excluding significant items) earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increased by 7.3%
Wesfarmers’ free cash flow was up as well, increasing 15.8% to an impressive $3.99 billion.
On the bottom line (excluding significant items), Wesfarmers achieved a statutory NPAT of $2.87 billion, up 8.3% from FY 2025.
Management declared a fully-franked final dividend of $1.20 per share, up 9.1% from last year’s final Wesfarmers dividend.
Which brings us toâ¦
Mineral Resources shares jump on surging cash flow
Joining Wesfarmers and Qantas shares in turning heads today, we find Mineral Resources.
At the time of writing, shares in the ASX 200 lithium miner and diversified resources producer are trading for $68.96 apiece, up 3.1%.
Investors are bidding up Mineral Resources shares after the miner posted record full-year revenue in FY 2026 of $6.5 billion. That’s up 44% from last year. And earnings rocketed 183%, with the company reporting underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $2.6 billion.
This helped drive a 141% surge in FY 2026 free cash flow to $849 million.
On the bottom line, Mineral Resources shares look to be getting a lift today, with FY 2026 underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $822 million, up 831% from FY 2025.
And passive income investors will be pleased to see the return of the Mineral Resources dividend, suspended in the second half of 2024. The FY 2026 final fully-franked dividend works out to 83 cents per share.
The post Why Wesfarmers, Mineral Resources and Qantas shares are turning heads on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.
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More reading
- Own Qantas shares? Here’s how much the latest dividend will pay
- Here’s what brokers tip for Wesfarmers shares over the next 12 months
- Qantas Airways share price on watch as FY26 profit dips but dividend and upgrades unveiled
- Wesfarmers posts higher earnings, lifts dividend in FY26 results
- Mineral Resources share price on watch as record earnings, dividend highlight FY26
Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.