Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have historically been viewed as a top pick for passive income due to the stability and growth they have delivered to investors.

The banking landscape has changed significantly over the past 10 years, with increasing numbers of borrowers using mortgage brokers and a rising challenge from Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

On the mortgage broker challenger, CBA has a large majority of mortgage flow of borrowers coming through proprietary channels. In other words, it doesn’t rely on mortgage brokers as much compared to other banks like Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB).

However, Macquarie could put a brake on Commonwealth Bank’s earnings growth, along with the Federal budget taxation changes. Let’s see what it could take to earn $10,000 of passive income from the ASX bank share in FY27.

Projected dividend for FY27

The independent forecast on Commsec suggests the major ASX bank share could hike its annual dividend per CBA share by 1% in FY27 compared to the projected payout for FY26. That possible annual payment could be $5.15 per share for FY27.

At the time of writing, that translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.3%, including franking credits, or 3% excluding the franking credits.

If I were a shareholder, any growth would be better than none. However, 1% growth isn’t even enough to offset typical inflation in a normal year. Of course, a forecast is not guaranteed to come true. Hopefully the ASX bank share can deliver a better outcome than what’s currently projected.

How many CBA shares do I need to make $10,000 of passive income?

Long-term shareholders can be happy with the upcoming potential dividends because they still represent significantly larger payouts than 20 or 30 years ago.

If CBA does indeed pay an annual dividend per share of $5.15 in FY27, then an investor would need to own 1,942 CBA shares to receive $10,000 of passive income. If we’re including franking credits as part of the income goal, then an investor would only need to own 1,360 CBA shares to receive the desired level of passive income.

Is this a good time to buy into Commonwealth Bank? Expert analysts don’t think so. According to Commsec, currently there are 14 sell ratings, two hold ratings and no buy ratings on the ASX bank share. There are a lot of other ASX shares that could be better buys.

The post How many CBA shares do I need to buy for $10,000 of passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What are experts tipping for the big four bank shares in the back half of 2026?
• ANZ, NAB, Westpac and CBA shares: Brokers rate 2 a sell, and 2 a hold
• Are CBA shares still worth buying for the long term?
• How to build a successful ASX dividend portfolio
• What did the market look like 10 years ago? Here’s what’s changed for the ASX 200

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

Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) shares showed further signs of stabilising on Tuesday.

The hearing implant giant climbed 1.6% to $123.20, extending its gain over the past month to 16%.

That’s an impressive rebound after one of the ASX’s most dramatic share price collapses this year.

But let’s keep things in perspective. Despite the recent recovery, Cochlear shares are still down around 53% in 2026 and have shed almost 59% over the past 12 months.

So, is this the start of a genuine comeback, or merely a relief rally?

What went wrong?

April was one of the darkest months in Cochlear’s history.

The healthcare company shocked investors when it revealed demand for hearing implants across developed markets had weakened more than expected. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East disrupted shipments and led to order cancellations.

Management responded by dramatically lowering its profit expectations. Instead of forecasting underlying net profit of between $435 million and $460 million for FY26, Cochlear slashed guidance to just $290 million to $330 million.

Investors didn’t hang around to hear the rest. Cochlear shares plunged more than 40% in a single session as the market questioned whether one of the ASX’s most reliable growth stories had hit a wall.

Since then, investors have been asking one question: is this a temporary stumble or something more serious?

Why the investment case remains intact

Despite the earnings shock, Cochlear’s competitive position hasn’t fundamentally changed.

The company still commands roughly half of the global cochlear implant market, making it the clear industry leader. That position has been built through decades of product innovation, clinical research, and strong relationships with hospitals and surgeons around the world.

Those competitive advantages are exceptionally difficult for new entrants to replicate.

The long-term growth opportunity for Cochlear shares also remains compelling.

More than six million people across developed markets are estimated to be eligible for cochlear implants, yet only around 3% have received one. That leaves a substantial untapped market as diagnosis rates improve, awareness grows, and technology continues to advance.

In other words, the company’s long-term runway may be just as attractive today as it was before April’s profit warning.

What do the experts think?

Broker sentiment suggests caution rather than outright pessimism.

According to TradingView data, hold remains the dominant recommendation among analysts.

The average 12-month price target sits at $127.64, implying only around 4% upside from current levels. That suggests many brokers believe the recent rebound of Cochlear shares has already captured much of the near-term recovery.

Not everyone agrees. Six of the 18 analysts covering Cochlear have either a buy or strong buy recommendation, with the most optimistic forecasting the shares could rise another 38% over the next year.

On the other hand, two analysts recommend selling. The lowest target price stands at $100, implying downside of roughly 19%.

The post Cochlear shares have bounced 16%. Should you buy, hold, or sell now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 10 fantastic ASX shares to buy for FY27
• Cochlear shares are slipping again. Is the comeback already over?
• Cochlear shares are flying. Is this just the start?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• ASX healthcare shares have jumped 21% since June. Can the recovery continue?

Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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 Cochlear. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price is in focus today after the gold and copper miner delivered record FY26 cash flow of $1,389 million and maintained a net cash position, while meeting its FY26 group production and cost guidance.

What did Evolution Mining report?

• FY26 gold production: 715,000 ounces; copper production: 66,000 tonnes
• All-in sustaining cost (AISC) in FY26: $1,717/oz, a sector-leading result
• June quarter production: 180,000 oz gold, 19,000 t copper at AISC $1,706/oz (improved 23% quarter-on-quarter)
• Record operating mine cash flow: $3,394 million; net mine cash flow: $2,079 million
• Group cash balance: $1,347 million, with no debt repayments due until FY29
• Record interim dividend: $406 million paid to shareholders

What else do investors need to know?

Operational highlights this year included Ernest Henry returning to full production after weather disruptions and the successful ramp-up of the Mungari mill. All high-return organic growth projects, such as Cowal Open Pit Continuation and the Northparkes E22 development, remain on schedule and within budget.

Importantly, Evolution Mining is now fully unhedged, giving it potential upside exposure to gold and copper prices. The company’s safety performance also remained steady, with a low total recordable injury frequency rate of 5.9 as at 30 June 2026.

What did Evolution Mining management say?

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Lawrie Conway said:

FY26 continued to build on the improved consistent performance of the past couple of years, meeting Group production and cost guidance. For the full year, we produced 715koz of gold and 66kt of copper at a sector-leading AISC of $1,717/oz. The June quarter delivered 180koz of gold and 19kt of copper at an AISC of $1,706/oz which improved 23%. We delivered record FY26 Group cash flow of $1,389M at a high margin of $1,958/oz. We are now fully unhedged and in a net cash position with a cash balance of $1,347M. All high-return organic growth projects remain on schedule and budget.

What’s next for Evolution Mining?

FY27 guidance will be formally released on 19 August 2026. Early indications suggest no major changes to production capacity, except for the planned closure of Mt Rawdon. Inflation pressures are expected to lift all-in sustaining costs by roughly $150–$160/oz in FY27, and mine development investment is set to increase to sustain operational reliability and progress key projects at Northparkes, Cowal, and Ernest Henry.

Exploration spend is also flagged to rise in FY27, as the company looks to build on success across its key gold and copper assets and evaluate promising greenfield opportunities. The focus will remain on reliable delivery, margin protection, and prudent capital investment.

Evolution Mining share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Evolution Mining shares have risen 53%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Evolution Mining posts record FY26 cash flow appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Rio Tinto: 3% production growth and strong lithium output in H1 2026
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Steadfast Group takeover bid update: KKR joins consortium
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. 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.