It was a busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to a number of broker notes being released.

Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $39.25 price target on this banking giant’s shares. The broker thinks proposed changes to negative gearing could have a big (and negative) impact on mortgage lending in the near term. In fact, Citi expects mortgage credit growth to slow to just 3.5% from 7%. However, the good news is that the broker believes business lending will be robust, especially given AI-related project investments. Citi thinks this bodes well for ANZ due to its extensive business banking division. The ANZ share price ended the week at $35.04.

Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO)

A note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this small business lender’s shares with a heavily reduced price target of $1.47. The broker acknowledges that Judo Capital downgraded its earnings guidance for FY 2026. While this was a letdown, the biggest disappointment for Morgans was the company’s guidance for FY 2027. It notes that this guidance fell well short of consensus estimates for next year. Nevertheless, the broker thinks the doom and gloom and vicious selloff were an overreaction. Morgans highlights that Judo Capital’s shares are now trading at under 7x FY 2027 earnings. This is despite its guidance pointing to 30% earnings growth across both FY 2026 and FY 2027. Morgans suspects that the market has now priced in a significant risk premium or probability of failure. The Judo Capital share price was fetching 88 cents at Friday’s close.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

Analysts at Ord Minnett have retained their buy rating on this logistics software company’s shares with a reduced price target of $60.00. According to the note, Ord Minnett believes the company could be struggling to convert customers to its new pricing model. It suspects that customers are not in a rush to switch to the new model and could be waiting until the end of their contracts before doing so. As a result, it has downgraded its revenue assumptions meaningfully to reflect this. Nevertheless, Ord Minnett remains positive and sees significant value in its shares at current levels, even after cutting its valuation. The WiseTech Global share price ended the week at $31.55.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The ASX dividend stock Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) could be one of the best opportunities for Australians right now.

The real estate investment trust (REIT) may not be as famous as names like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). But, in some ways, Charter Hall Long WALE REIT could be more appealing.

For a few different reasons, I think it’s a better buy for the foreseeable future.

Strong dividend yield

I think the Charter Hall Long WALE REIT dividend yield is very attractive compared to many other ASX dividend stock options.

It’s able to deliver such a good dividend yield because it pays out 100% of its operating rental profit each year, making it a very rewarding holding for passive income.

The business can still experience profit and distribution growth while paying out 100% of its operating profit due to contracted rent increases with its tenants.

It increased its FY26 annual payout by 2% to 25.5 cents per security. That translates into a forward distribution yield of 6.7%, at the time of writing. To me, that’s a much more appealing yield than what CBA or BHP have to offer.

Diversification

One of the best things about this ASX dividend stock is its highly diversified portfolio across multiple property sectors. I like that strategy because it reduces the risk of being overly exposed to one area while also giving it the largest investment hunting ground to find the best opportunities.

The business is invested in a number of defensive tenant industries, including government tenants (such as Geoscience Australia), pubs and hotels, grocery and distribution, telecommunications exchanges, data centres, service stations, food manufacturing, waste and recycling management, and so on.

In terms of tenants, some of its key tenants include government tenants, Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), BP, Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS), Westpac Banking Corp(ASX: WES) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

Long-term rental income

What links all of the properties in the portfolio together is that they have long-term rental agreements with tenants. As of December 2025, it had a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of more than nine years.

That means it has close to a decade of rental income already signed with tenants, giving the business compelling security for its future distributions.

Its rental income is steadily growing, with the rent either rising at a fixed rate annually or linked to inflation. With that rental income tailwind, the business has a compelling future, barring the short-term headwind of rising interest rates.

It looks like great value to me after reporting net tangible assets (NTA) of $4.68 per security at 31 December 2025, which means it’s trading at a 19% discount to this.

The post Is this the best ASX dividend stock to buy for passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Superannuation balances can vary enormously from person to person, depending on income, career breaks, investment choices, and extra contributions.

But averages still give us a useful guide.

Looking at ages 45, 55, and 65 shows how super can build through the later stages of working life, and whether Australians are getting closer to the level needed for retirement.

How do you compare to the average? Let’s find out.

First, what is the end goal?

Before looking at the averages, it helps to understand what those balances are supposed to fund.

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), a comfortable retirement requires around $630,000 in super for a single person and $730,000 for a couple. This assumes the retiree owns their home outright and receives some Age Pension support over time.

A comfortable retirement is not about living extravagantly. It is about having enough money for private health insurance, a reliable car, regular leisure activities, household repairs, domestic travel, and the occasional overseas trip.

A modest retirement requires far less, at around $110,000 for singles and $120,000 for couples. But this lifestyle is much more constrained and relies heavily on the Age Pension.

With that in mind, the average balances at 45, 55, and 65, according to recent data, tell an interesting story.

The average superannuation balance at 45

At age 45, the average Australian woman is likely to have approximately $130,000 in superannuation, while the average Australian man is likely to have around $170,000.

This is the stage where super starts to become more noticeable. The balance is no longer insignificant, but it may still feel a long way short of what is needed for retirement.

That is completely normal. At 45, most people still have two decades or more before Age Pension age. The priority is not whether the balance is enough today, because it almost certainly is not. The priority is whether the account is set up to keep growing.

This is often a good age to review investment options, check fees, consolidate any old accounts, and consider whether extra contributions are possible.

The average super balance at 55

By age 55, the numbers have usually moved materially higher.

The average Australian woman is likely to have roughly $220,000 in super, while the average Australian man is likely to have about $290,000.

This is where retirement planning starts to feel more personal. The finish line is not right around the corner, but it is close enough that decisions begin to matter more.

For many Australians, the 50s can be a powerful decade for superannuation. Incomes may be higher, mortgage pressure may have eased, and compulsory employer contributions are being added to a larger balance.

The key point is that a balance at 55 is not the final result. There is still time for contributions and investment returns to make a meaningful difference.

The average super balance at 65

By age 65, superannuation is usually front and centre.

The average Australian woman is likely to have around $360,000 in superannuation, while the average Australian man is likely to have approximately $425,000.

For couples, combining two average balances can put retirement much closer to ASFA’s comfortable benchmark. For singles, the average balance is more likely to sit somewhere between modest and comfortable, depending on housing, spending needs, health, and access to other assets.

This is why averages need to be treated carefully. A homeowner with low expenses may feel comfortable on less than someone renting or carrying debt. Two people with the same super balance can have very different retirement experiences.

Foolish takeaway

The average super balance at 45 is likely to be around $130,000 for women and $170,000 for men. By 55, that rises to around $220,000 and $290,000. By 65, it increases again to roughly $360,000 and $425,000.

Those numbers are useful, but they are not the whole story.

What is important is not whether your balance matches the average. It is whether your super, combined with the Age Pension and any other assets, can support the retirement you actually want.

The post Here is the average Australian superannuation balance at ages 45, 55, and 65 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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.