Sell alert! Expert calls time on Corporate Travel and CBA shares

It may be time to sell those Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares.

That’s according to Red Leaf Securities’ John Athanasiou, who earlier this week issued a sell recommendation on both ASX travel stocks (courtesy of The Bull).

In morning trade today, CBA shares are changing hands for $149.07 each, down 0.8%. That sees shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stock down 10.8% since this time last year, trailing the 1.6% 12-month losses posted by the benchmark index.

Now some of that underperformance will have been mitigated by the two fully franked CBA dividends, totalling $5.05 a share, that the big four bank paid out over the year. CBA shares trade on a 3.4% fully franked trailing dividend yield.

It’s a bit of a more complicated picture for Corporate Travel Management shares, which only resumed trading on the ASX on 3 September. As you may be aware, Corporate Travel shares were suspended back in August 2025 following some material accounting errors.

Prior to the suspension, Corporate Travel shares were trading for $16.07. On 3 September, shares crashed 85.6% to close the day at $2.32 as frustrated investors overheated their sell buttons.

In morning trade today, the Corporate Travel share price stands at $2.32.

With those pictures in mind…

Time to exit CBA shares?

“CBA is Australia’s highest quality major bank, but, in my view, quality doesn’t always represent value,” Red Leaf Securities’ Athanasiou said.

Explaining his sell recommendation on CBA shares, Athanasiou noted:

Its premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment as rising interest rates potentially slow credit growth and increase borrower stress. Investors could use the opportunity to take profits and consider better-value alternatives elsewhere in the banking sector.

Should I sell Corporate Travel shares?

Atop his bearish outlook on CBA shares, Athanasiou also issued as sell recommendation on Corporate Travel shares.

“CTD reported improved underlying earnings in fiscal year 2026,” he said.

Indeed, the company reported a 4% year on year increase in revenue and other income to $670 million, with underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) up 36% to $114 million.

But that’s not enough to keep this ASX share off Athanasiou’s sell list.

“However, in my view, questions remain around historical customer remediation, governance, financial controls and funding requirements,” he said.

Summarising his sell recommendation on Corporate Travel shares, he concluded:

In a company update on April 22, 2026, a review had found that UK customers were charged in excess of their contractual entitlement. On September 1, 2026, the company noted about 78 per cent of customer refunds had been agreed or were nearing finalisation.

In my view, the near term risk-reward equation remains unattractive.

The post Sell alert! Expert calls time on Corporate Travel and CBA shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Corporate Travel Management. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Corporate Travel Management. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.