ASX 200 utilities shares led the 11 market sectors with a 4.47% gain, capitalising on a 3.64% lift the week before.

ASX 200 healthcare shares rose 3.88%, adding to their 3.53% increase the week before.

Last week was the second consecutive case of these traditionally defensive sectors outperforming their peers.

Meanwhile, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 1.03% to close at 8,806.7 points.

Defensive shares tend to do well amid economic uncertainty.

Investors remain worried about a potential fifth interest rate hike in November due to persistently high inflation.

Experts described a hawkish tone in the minutes of this month’s Reserve Bank (RBA) board meeting, released on Tuesday.

However, news on Thursday of a rise in unemployment to 4.7% in September eased fears of another rate hike somewhat.

The market is now pricing in a 16% chance of the RBA raising the cash rate to 4.85% next month.

Eight of the 11 market sectors finished in the green last week.

Let’s recap.

Utilities shares led the ASX sectors last week

Just 21 companies make up the ASX 200 utilities sector.

Here’s how the top companies by market capitalisation performed last week.

The Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price ripped 6.06% to close at $12.06 on Friday.

The APA Group (ASX: APA) share price ascended 2.37% to $11.23.

Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY) shares decreased 2.68% to $5.45 per share.

The Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) share price rose 4.61% to close at $4.54.

AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) shares lifted 4.27% to $8.79 apiece.

Contact Energy Ltd (ASX: CEN) shares edged 1.59% higher to $7.04 per share.

Genesis Energy Ltd (ASX: GNE) shares fell 1.28% to $1.94.

The LGI Ltd (ASX: LGI) share price soared 6.84% to $2.50.

In the healthcare sector, CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares rose 4.55% to $192.20.

Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) shares increased 5.95% to $2.85 apiece.

The Resmed CDI (ASX: RMD) share price ascended 5.43% to $34.35.

The Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) share price rose 6.03% to $175.73.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here’s how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

S&P/ASX 200 market sector	Change last week
Utilities (ASX: XUJ)	4.47%
Healthcare (ASX: XHJ)	3.88%
Consumer Staples (ASX: XSJ)	3.35%
Financials (ASX: XFJ)	3.2%
Consumer Discretionary (ASX: XDJ)	2.15%
Energy (ASX: XEJ)	1.31%
Industrials (ASX: XNJ)	0.61%
Communication (ASX: XTJ)	0.42%
Information Technology (ASX: XIJ)	(1.28%)
A-REIT (ASX: XPJ)	(1.73%)
Materials (ASX: XMJ)	(2.31%)

The post ASX 200 utilities and healthcare shares win the week again appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 9 ASX 200 shares experts are backing for growth amid market weakness

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 positions in and has recommended CSL and ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group and ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL, LGI Limited, and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

WiseTech Global vs Netwealth Group shares: Which beaten-down stock could rebound?

Looking for a quality bounce after some tough months? Both WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) and Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL) have copped a beating in 2026, catching the eye of contrarian investors hoping for a big comeback. If you’re wondering which of these two ASX tech stocks is more likely to double from here, let’s break down their businesses, financials, and recent momentum.

The case for WiseTech

WiseTech Global is a leading logistics software provider, well known for its CargoWise One platform. Its clients include top global freight forwarders—think names like Toll and DHL—allowing it to play a central role in streamlining complex global supply chains. Founded in Sydney in 1994, WiseTech now has a major international footprint. While the company profile highlights its reach and innovation, most recently confirmed user or revenue numbers weren’t available in the supplied data.

A few things stand out in the numbers:

• Market cap of $11.28 billion makes WiseTech a significant force in the tech sector.
• P/E ratio sits at 43.47, which is substantial, but arguably not strange for a high-growth software business.
• EPS is 0.532, and the dividend yield is a modest 0.66%. All dividends are fully franked, which is handy for tax-conscious Aussie investors.
• Year-to-date (YTD) WiseTech shares are down a hefty 51.3%, so it’s fair to say sentiment is gloomy, but steep declines can sometimes mean the sharpest rebounds—if business momentum returns.

The case for Netwealth

Netwealth Group is another Australian tech success story, though its focus is on wealth management platforms and superannuation services. The firm provides cloud-based admin software and managed accounts to advisers, private clients, and institutions, charging SaaS fees largely based on funds under administration.

Netwealth’s investment case leans on these features:

• Market cap is $4.12 billion, much smaller than WiseTech but still firmly mid-cap territory.
• P/E ratio is comparatively high at 68.50 (not unusual for platform businesses with sticky customers, though definitely toward the upper end of ASX valuations).
• EPS is 0.247 and the dividend yield is much higher at 2.48%, with all dividends 100% franked.
• Netwealth shares are down 32.5% YTD—a painful slide, but far less extreme than WiseTech’s recent plunge, making the prospective “double from here” a less herculean task if sentiment changes.

Valuation comparison

Let’s look at how the key numbers stack up side by side:

Metric	WiseTech	Netwealth
Market Cap	$11.28 billion	$4.12 billion
P/E Ratio	43.47	68.50
EPS	0.532	0.247
Dividend Yield	0.66%	2.48%
Dividend Franking	100%	100%
YTD Return	-51.3%	-32.5%

A quick note: Netwealth Group’s P/E ratio is much higher than WiseTech’s, despite having a significantly lower EPS. This usually implies investors expect more future growth from Netwealth or see its earnings as higher quality. But with both companies in different parts of the tech space, direct P/E comparisons need some caveats—platform SaaS versus global logistics have different typical multiples.

Recent share price momentum

Comparing recent share price performance up to 13 October 2026:

• WiseTech Global closed at $33.11 on 13 October 2026, after dropping 2.8% that day. Momentum has been volatile with sharp losses and gains, but the overall trend remains deeply negative for the year.
• Netwealth Group finished at $16.92 on the same date, down 3.0%. Its short-term trading has been choppy too, especially after an 8%+ drop in late September, but the losses haven’t been as brutal as WiseTech’s over 2026.

Which is the better buy?

If I’m picking which beaten-down stock is more likely to double from today, I’d lean toward WiseTech Global. Here’s my reasoning:

• The market has hammered WiseTech far harder in 2026, with shares sinking over 51%. That kind of sell-off can sometimes (not always!) be a set-up for a sharp recovery, especially given the company’s global reach, strong customer base, and mission-critical software.
• WiseTech’s valuation, while not low, is meaningfully below Netwealth’s on a P/E basis (43.5 vs 68.5). They’re different kinds of businesses, but I’d rather back a global tech leader with a lower multiple if I’m hunting for a rebound.
• The dividend yield is low on both, but fully franked. Netwealth pays more, but if I’m after a potential double, it’s capital growth that matters more, not yield.
• Netwealth hasn’t fallen anywhere near as far, so a double from here would require an even bigger surge in optimism and growth. That feels less likely unless the business suddenly accelerates.
• Of course, turnarounds are always risky. There’s no guarantee WiseTech will be back in favour soon—sentiment could worsen before it improves.

For those willing to stomach volatility in exchange for the potential of outsized gains, WiseTech looks like the better bet to stage a double from here—though it’s not one for the faint-hearted!

The post WiseTech Global vs Netwealth: Which ASX tech stock could double from here? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• This high-quality ASX 200 share could rise 60%
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Should I buy WiseTech shares after today’s big news?
• Netwealth reports record FUA and platform growth in September 2026 quarter

Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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 Netwealth Group and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Netwealth Group and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial draft. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

I’ve chosen a few ASX shares to be key sources of dividend income from my portfolio. There are four names that currently account for around 75% of the passive income I receive.

I’m a big fan of dividend income because I can use that cash flow in my own life to pay for discretionary spending or essentials. It’d be great if, one day in the future, my total dividends could cover my mortgage payment. I’m not there yet, though.

Australians can receive an elevated level of dividend income from their ASX investments thanks to the benefit of franking credits. These are refundable tax credits that can reduce the tax owed or increase the tax refund for individuals.  

I don’t pick an investment just because of franking credits. I’ll mention that I’m also a fan of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) that don’t attach franking credits to their payments.

There are a few factors that I do look for when considering ASX dividend shares.

I want to see that the investment has a compelling outlook to increase its underlying value over time, whether that’s earnings growth, rental profit growth or growth in its net tangible assets (NTA) per share.

I like to see a track record of dividend growth because it shows reliability and the board’s commitment to paying shareholders passive income during uncertain economic times.

I’d also like to see a solid starting dividend yield. If I’m investing for passive income, I want to see a good level of dividends in the first year of ownership and growth from there. But I’m wary of investments that pay huge yields because that could be unsustainable.

With those goals in mind, let’s run through which ASX dividend shares I’m confident will continue to play a huge role in my household’s cash flow. I’ll go through them in alphabetical order.

L1 Long Short Fund Ltd (ASX: LSF)

This first ASX dividend share is a listed investment company (LIC). I like the LIC structure because it can provide a winning combination of diversified investment exposure, growing dividends, a good dividend yield and capital growth, as long as the portfolio performs.

There are a variety of LICs that follow different investment strategies. I like the L1 Group Ltd (ASX: L1G) strategy of avoiding what the investing crowd is chasing. Growing businesses with low price/earnings (P/E) ratios can deliver strong returns if bought at the right time.

L1 Long Short Fund looks at both ASX shares and international shares for investment opportunities, using both ‘long’ investing and short selling to find stocks that could deliver returns.

I like how it’s willing to look beyond the tech and banking sectors, which dominate the global and ASX markets, respectively. Its three most fruitful sectors for returns have been materials, industrials and communication services.

Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance, but its portfolio has produced an average return of 15% per year in the last five years and 20.4% per year in the last seven years. That shows it can perform strongly by picking stocks some investors may avoid.

It started paying a dividend in 2021 and has increased the payout each financial year since. If it continues the same progressive dividend policy, its next quarterly dividend is likely to be 11.4% higher than the quarterly payment 12 months prior. I’d say that’s a solid growth rate.

I expect the next 12 months of dividends will total at least 16.2 cents per share, which translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.25%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

MFF Capital Investments Ltd (ASX: MFF)

This second ASX dividend share is another LIC.

It targets a portfolio of high-quality shares that have strong competitive advantages and an above-average outlook for profit growth.

MFF is willing to invest anywhere in the world if it finds an opportunity. Its portfolio includes some of the strongest businesses in the international stock market, including several leading US tech giants, among other names.

Over time, the shares in the portfolio may change, but I expect the LIC’s holdings will collectively continue to deliver pleasing results (with both profit growth and capital growth).

It has grown its annual regular dividend nine years in a row and it has provided dividend guidance that suggests it will reach a decade of continuous growth. MFF expects to pay a half-year dividend of 12 cents per share and I expect the full-year dividend will be 25 cents per share.

At the time of writing, that potential payout translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 7%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

I’ve held this ASX dividend share longer in my portfolio than any other stock. It’s an investment house that has operated for more than 120 years.

The business has built an impressive and diversified portfolio of assets that are largely defensive and generate resilient cash flow. It’s invested across areas such as energy, swimming schools, telecommunications, agriculture, real estate, building products, electrification, financial services, credit, fixed income and more.

Its defensive and growing cash flow has allowed Soul Patts to increase its annual dividend every year since 1998, which is the best record on the ASX for consistent dividend growth.

The company has also delivered shareholders some sort of dividend every year since its listing in 1903, including through the world wars and major economic declines.

Soul Patts doesn’t pay out all of its cash profit each year – it’s currently retaining approximately a quarter of its cash earnings to re-invest in more opportunities and grow the portfolio value.

Its FY26 payout translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.4%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

WCM Global Growth Ltd (ASX: WQG)

The final ASX dividend share I want to highlight is another LIC, which is managed by fund manager WCM. WCM is based in Laguna Beach, California, a deliberate choice to be far from Wall Street culture in New York.

WCM Global wants to find quality global stocks. Its portfolio is spread across the world, mostly in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific – I like the diversification that can provide our portfolios.

There are two features that WCM wants to see from its stock picks.

It wants to find businesses with a widening economic moat (improving competitive advantages, measured by a strengthening return on invested capital (ROIC)).

WCM also wants to see evidence that the business has a corporate culture that supports the strengthening of the economic moat, which is an essential ingredient for long-term success.

The ASX dividend share has increased its payout every financial year since FY19, and it’s now increasing the payout each quarter. The next year’s dividend is guided to be 10.1 cents per share, which translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.3%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

I think all four of these stocks have a very promising future for dividend growth and total returns. I’d be very happy to buy shares today, and I plan to buy more in the coming weeks and months. I’ve also got my eyes on a few other investments.

The post 75% of my dividends come from these 4 ASX shares (and I want to buy more) appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why this ASX dividend share is a retiree’s dream for 2027
• How much is needed in superannuation to target a $7,500 monthly passive income?
• The 3 factors that have helped me build a six-figure ASX share portfolio at 35
• CBA vs Soul Patts: Which ASX share wins in 2026?
• How much is needed in superannuation to target a $100,000 annual passive income?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in L1 Group, L1 Long Short Fund, Mff Capital Investments, Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited, and Wcm Global Growth. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Mff Capital Investments and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.