Today is ex-dividend day for a large number of ASX 200 shares.

When this happens, it means the rights to the dividend are locked in and new buyers won’t be eligible to receive this payout when it is made.

This means that even if you bought shares today, the rights would stay with the seller and they would receive the dividend on pay day.

So, if you are a shareholder of any of the seven ASX 200 shares named below, you can look forward to a pay check coming your way in the not-so-distant future.

Here’s what you need to know:

APA Group (ASX: APA)

This energy infrastructure company’s shares are going ex-dividend this morning for its 30.5 cents per share final dividend. Eligible shareholders can look forward to receiving this dividend on 16 September. Based on its last close price, this single payout equates to a 2.8% dividend yield.

Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP)

Industrial property company Centuria Industrial REIT recently declared a 4.2 cents per share quarterly dividend. It will be paying this to its shareholders on 14 August.

Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

Property giant Charter Hall’s shares will be going ex-dividend today for its partially franked 25.8 cents per share dividend. Shareholders can expect to receive this payout at the very end of August.

Dexus (ASX: DXS)

Property developer Dexus recently declared a 17.7 cents per share dividend. This will be paid to eligible shareholders in around two months on 28 August.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Another ASX 200 share going ex-dividend today is industrial property giant Goodman. It recently declared a 15 cents per share final dividend. This will be paid to eligible shareholders on 26 August. Goodman has now paid out 15 cents per share in dividends every half since 2019.

Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR)

Another property developer that is going ex-dividend this morning is Mirvac. It recently declared a 4.8 cents per share quarterly dividend. Shareholders can look forward to receiving this on 31 August.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Finally, this toll road giant will be rewarding its shareholders with a 35 cents per share final dividend. They can expect to receive their pay check on 18 August. Based on where this ASX 200 share ended last week, this dividend represents a 2.3% dividend yield.

The post 7 ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Goodman Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goodman Group and Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group and Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It’s been a tough run for S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stocks since the price of the yellow metal hit record highs at the end of January.

As you may recall, on 28 January, the gold price created a stir by setting a new all-time high just north of US$5,420 per ounce. At the time, that saw the gold price up around 93% over the previous 12 months.

But since that high water mark, the gold price and ASX 200 gold stocks have come under heavy pressure.

On Friday, gold was fetching US$3,994 per ounce. That’s down more than 26% since the end of January.

As for the Aussie gold miners, since market close on 29 January, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) has tumbled 29%, materially underperforming the 1.8% losses posted by the ASX 200 over this same period.

Why is the gold price in free fall?

After its meteoric rise in 2025, the gold price has tumbled back to earth, in part due to expectations of higher interest rates in many major economies.

That’s particularly relevant for the United States, with the US Federal Reserve now increasingly expected to lift interest rates rather than cut them to combat resurgent inflation in the world’s top economy.

Gold, which pays no yield itself, tends to perform better in low or falling rate environments.

Commenting on the outlook for the gold price, and by connection ASX 200 gold stocks, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) head of commodities Vivek Dhar said (quoted by the Australian Financial Review):

A rebound in gold prices is now likely contingent on US inflation and labour market data weakening further. Our view that the Fed needs to raise the Fed Funds rate by 75 basis points from December, which the market is under-pricing, [and] suggests further headwinds to gold futures.

Five ASX 200 gold stocks to weather the storm

A number of leading fund managers said they’ve reduced their holdings in smaller ASX gold explorers in favour of the larger gold producers.

“The gold price has taken an absolute beating. Now is not the time to be going for more speculative gold names, or those that are relatively high cost,” Argonaut’s David Franklyn said (quoted by the AFR).

Franklyn named ASX 200 gold stocks Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD), Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS), Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP), and Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) as miners that he’s still optimistic on.

And while his fund has reduced its overall exposure to the gold sector, Acorn Capital portfolio manager Rick Squire expects Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) is well-positioned to outperform. That’s partly due to the ASX 200 gold stock’s lower reliance on ever more expensive diesel following its renewable energy investments.

According to Squire:

We’re looking at companies that have the cash to withstand the dip or, if they are developers, are [at] least fully financed and are in that construction phase. With the gold pullback, there will be a change [in] investor sentiment around what projects are likely to get up and their ability to fund them.

The post 5 ASX 200 gold stocks to buy and hold amid the crashing gold price 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 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.

End of financial year sneaks up every single year.

30 June 2026 is tomorrow, and for ASX investors it is the single most consequential date on the calendar.

Decisions made before that date are what move the needle on tax and superannuation outcomes for the year.

Here is what is worth checking before the window closes.

Superannuation: the concessional contributions cap

The concessional contributions cap for FY2026 sits at $30,000, including employer contributions.

Investors who have not yet reached that cap can still make additional voluntary contributions.

These are taxed at 15% inside super rather than at a marginal rate that could be more than double that.

As such, every dollar contributed at the concessional rate before 30 June is a permanent and compounding tax saving. But super funds need to actually receive the contribution by the deadline, not simply have it initiated.

For investors with room left under the cap, this is one of the most reliable ways to reduce a tax bill before the financial year closes.

New tax laws change the maths for larger balances

This end of financial year is different from previous years for one specific reason.

Division 296, which takes effect from 1 July 2026, introduces an additional 15% tax on the earnings attributable to superannuation balances above $3 million.

This brings the effective rate to 30% on that portion.

For balances above $10 million, there is an additional 25% tax rate, bringing the effective rate to 40%.

Both thresholds are indexed to CPI. Unlike the original 2023 proposal, the version that passed Parliament applies only to realised earnings, such as dividends, interest, rent, and capital gains actually realised on sale. Importantly, it does not apply to unrealised “paper” gains on assets still held.

The first assessment will be based on balances at 30 June 2027. However, SMSF trustees can elect to reset the cost base of fund assets to their value as at 30 June 2026. This can reduce the Division 296 tax payable when those assets are eventually sold.

That election needs to be made by the 2026-27 tax return lodgement date. As such, it’s worth raising the issue with an accountant or SMSF adviser now rather than waiting.

Capital gains and losses can be locked in

Before 30 June, it is worth reviewing the portfolio for both gains and losses.

Selling a loss-making position can help offset capital gains tax from profitable positions sold earlier in the year. This is a strategy worth discussing with an accountant given how complex the rules around using capital losses can be.

To be clear, investors should not be making last-minute trades purely for tax reasons.

But there is an opportunity for investors to reduce this year’s tax bill by locking in capital losses against gains already realised.

It’s also a natural moment to review what you actually hold

Beyond the tax mechanics, end of financial year is a sensible moment to step back and review the quality of what is sitting inside your portfolio or super fund.

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) and CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) are two examples of quality, well-known ASX stocks that can compound over time.

For investors using the end of financial year as an opportunity to reassess their holdings, these stocks could be a good starting point.

Foolish takeaway

End of financial year is not just an accounting deadline.

It is the one moment each year when superannuation contributions, capital gains positioning, and portfolio quality all intersect with a hard cutoff date.

A few considered decisions before 30 June tend to matter far more than anything done in a rush on the day itself.

The post End of financial year is upon us. Here’s what you should do before the deadline appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Chasing early retirement at 55? These ASX shares and ETFs could help
• Why US stocks have hit record highs while ASX shares have barely risen in 2026
• 3 top ASX shares to buy for an SMSF
• Why this fundie is overweight CSL and underweight CBA shares
• 3 ASX blue chip shares to buy and hold for the next 20 years

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