• If I buy $6,000 of Westpac shares, how much dividend income will I receive in 2027?

    Man holding Australian dollar notes, symbolising dividends.

    Owners of Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares normally receive a pleasing level of dividend income each year. 2027 could be another rewarding year for the ASX bank share.

    The largest Australian banks usually have generous dividend payout ratios, partly because they don’t have many places to invest profit generated at a strong return. Plus, plenty of individual investors are looking for passive income (including the franking credits).

    Let’s take a look at what the ASX bank share is forecast to pay in 2027.

    Dividend forecast for Westpac shares

    The company’s dividend has grown in most of the years this decade and I’m sure shareholders are hoping for another increase in 2026.

    The ASX bank share is facing economic volatility amid an elevated cost-of-living and higher interest rates. It’ll be interesting to see how Westpac’s financials handle the current situation.

    We haven’t seen the 2026 financial year annual dividend yet because the ASX bank share’s FY26 only just finished at the end of September 2026, so we’ll find out what those numbers are in the next few weeks when it reports.

    According to the projection on CMC Invest, owners of Westpac shares are forecast to see a $1.55 dividend per share related to FY26.

    Pleasingly, analysts are expecting a larger dividend for investors in the 2027 financial year. According to the forecast on CMC Invest, the business is forecast to grow its annual dividend by 1.6% to $1.575.

    At the time of writing, that translates into a dividend yield of 4.7% excluding franking credits and 6.7% including franking credits. That’s a solid dividend yield compared to the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO), which has a dividend yield of just over 3% (excluding franking credits).

    If someone were to invest $6,000 in Westpac shares, they would unlock sizeable passive income, according to the projections.

    At the time of writing, an investor would be able to buy 177 Westpac shares (with a little bit of cash left).

    Excluding franking credits, 177 shares of the bank could deliver $278.78 of dividend cash. Including franking credits, it could be $398.25 of grossed-up dividend income.

    Is this a good time to invest in Westpac shares?

    According to CMC Invest, there have been eight ratings on the business. Of those ratings, one was a buy, two were a hold and five ratings were a sell. The average price target of those eight analysts is $34.23, suggesting a rise of around 1% over the next year (at the time of writing).

    Therefore, it’s not cheap and may not deliver market-beating returns. But, it could still deliver solid passive income.

    The post If I buy $6,000 of Westpac shares, how much dividend income will I receive in 2027? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Westpac Banking Corporation right now?

    Before you buy Westpac Banking Corporation 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 Westpac Banking Corporation 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 1 August 2026

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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.

  • UBS’ top nine ASX large-cap stock picks

    A man clenches his fists in excitement as gold coins fall from the sky.

    UBS has just released a new research report naming their top ASX large-cap stocks.

    The report takes into account the results from the most recent earnings season, as well as the macroeconomic environment going forward.

    The broker says they are the “most compelling” opportunities drawn from a wider list of 30 stocks.

    Sectors they are avoiding include the banks and consumer stocks, which could be buffeted by higher interest rates.

    But they see ongoing tailwinds for the industrial and mining sectors.

    Let’s see who they like specifically.

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

    UBS likes BHP for its 55% exposure to copper, which is its preferred commodity.

    They said they are “constructive on the fundamental outlook for copper (and) expecting a protracted period of elevated prices”.

    They have a price target of $62 on BHP shares.

    Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

    The broker says this company is trading on a lower price-to-earnings ratio than the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) despite offering higher earnings per share growth in FY27.

    They added:

    Earnings per share growth will be much more resilient this hiking cycle due to a higher proportion of recurring earnings, resilient institutional capital flows and tailwinds from FY26.

    UBS has a price target of $24 on Charter Hall shares.

    Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)

    IAG is UBS’ top pick among the insurance companies, reflecting its robust home and motor policy pricing, leverage to higher bond yields, and potential upside from its proposed RAC acquisition.

    If that deal does not go ahead, UBS said a buyback was possible.

    UBS has a price target of $9.10 on IAG shares.

    Light & Wonder Inc (ASX: LNW)

    UBS said this gambling company was trading at a low multiple despite guiding to mid to high-single-digit earnings growth.

    The broker said the industry had strong dynamics and iGaming was growing well.

    The broker has a price target of $210 on Light & Wonder shares.

    Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

    UBS said MinRes is entering a “cash harvest” phase, which should support deleveraging and increased shareholder returns.

    They added:

    Governance concerns have eased, with a credible succession plan now in place. Combined with a materially improved outlook, the stock’s valuation appears increasingly attractive.

    UBS has a price target of $72 on MinRes shares.

    Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

    The broker said the company’s Latitude division was reshaping its earnings profile through long-duration AI compute contracts and accelerating annual recurring revenue growth.

    They said guidance had been upgraded, with further upside risk, liquidity remains strong, and any incremental revenue carried high earnings conversion.

    UBS has a price target of $29 on Megaport shares.

    Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI)

    UBS said it expected resilient global mine production activity and the integration of recent acquisitions to drive 7% compound growth over three years.

    They have a price target of $27 on Orica shares.

    Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG)

    The broker said Sigma had ongoing sales strength across existing and new stores at Chemist Warehouse in Australia and overseas.

    The company was also “leveraging structural tailwinds in back of store and health & beauty, plus gross margin expansion and operating leverage from cost management in time”.

    UBS has a price target of $3.15 on Sigma shares.

    Ventia Ltd (ASX: VNT)

    The infrastructure services company, UBS said, had a growth outlook of 8% compound over three years, “supported by increased infrastructure investment, government outsourcing, and defence spending”.

    UBS has a price target of $7 on Ventia shares.

    The post UBS’ top nine ASX large-cap stock picks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in BHP Group right now?

    Before you buy BHP Group 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 BHP Group 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 1 August 2026

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    Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has positions in Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Light & Wonder Inc and Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and Light & Wonder Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • How much is needed in superannuation to target $2,000 a week in passive income

    Australian dollar notes in the pocket of a man's jeans, symbolising dividends.

    Planning for retirement with a firm idea of what sort of income you might expect from your superannuation is a recipe for peace of mind.

    The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) calculates the amount you need for a comfortable retirement at $56,166 for singles and $78,998 for couples.

    Keep in mind that this assumes the retiree owns their own home and will draw a part pension.

    But what about if you want to live off dividends from your superannuation alone?

    In that case, it’s a good idea to run the numbers on the level of superannuation savings you’ll need.

    How much superannuation will I need to earn $2,000 a week?

    If you’re aiming for $2,000 per week, or $104,000 per year, you’d need $1.04 million in superannuation if you were able to generate returns of 10% per year.

    While some shares do have dividend yields around this mark, it’s unlikely that you’d be able to replicate this high level of returns across a portfolio without being exposed to a high level of risk.

    If you earned a 5% return you’d need superannuation savings of $2.08 million.

    I’d suggest this is too low a benchmark to aim for given the benefits which accrue to retirees from franking credits.

    Retirees who pay no tax are eligible for a full refund on the tax paid by companies they invest in, which for fully franked dividends is a 30% rate.

    In practical terms this means a 5% dividend turns into a 7.14% dividend once franking credits are factored in.

    So let’s assume you can earn a 7.5% return – this would mean you would need $1.38 million in superannuation savings.

    So, what sort of shares might generate the sort of return you are after?

    At the upper end of the spectrum Centuria Office REIT (ASX: COF) is forecasting paying dividends of 9 cents per share in FY27, which at the current share price equates to a dividend yield of 10.8%.

    Arena REIT (ASX: ARF) has guided to a dividend yield of 7.3%, while HealthCo Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX: HCW) is currently on track to pay an 8% yield this year.

    Among infrastructure companies, Atlas Arteria Ltd (ASX: ALX) is expected to pay a forward dividend yield of 9.7%, while APA Group Ltd (ASX: APA) has a trailing dividend yield of 5.48%.

    Betashares Australian Dividend Harvester ETF (ASX: HVST) is paying 5.67%, while WAM Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: WMX), which pays monthly dividends, is paying 4.58%.

    If your superannuation needs a top up, be sure to read up on concessional contributions, which are tax-effective contributions you can make to your superannuation, up to a cap of $32,500 – which includes contributions made by your employer.

    The post How much is needed in superannuation to target $2,000 a week in passive income appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Centuria Office REIT right now?

    Before you buy Centuria Office REIT 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 Centuria Office REIT 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 1 August 2026

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    Motley Fool contributor Cameron England 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 positions in and has recommended Apa Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.