• 1 ASX dividend stock down 37% I’d buy right now

    Hand holding Australian dollar (AUD) bills, symbolising ex dividend day. Passive income.

    ASX dividend stock Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK) has fallen 37% from its peak less than six months ago.

    I love buying dividend-paying shares when their valuations decline because we can get a lower price and a higher dividend yield.

    For example, if a business has a dividend yield of 5% and then the share price falls 10%, the dividend yield becomes 5.5%. That’s a noticeably better passive income return, just because we bought during a dip.

    The Nick Scali share price is down 37% – investors can get a much better dividend yield now.

    I think the ASX dividend stock is a great buy today for a few different reasons.

    Opportunistic time to buy

    It’s understandable that retail shares go through volatility because of how economic conditions can change, affecting consumer spending and investor confidence.

    Higher interest rates may well mean that demand for mid-range furniture declines during this period, but I don’t think conditions will remain negative forever, which is why this could be a good time to invest opportunistically.

    It’s not often that the business falls by more than a third, but those large declines have proven to be good times to buy for the longer-term as the business grows.

    The company’s existing store network can see like-for-like sales grow in reasonable conditions, but the store network expansion is helping increase its underlying value as time goes by, even as the share price moves up and down.

    Store expansion

    As of December 2025, the business had 64 Nick Scali stores across Australia and New Zealand and 46 Plush stores in Australia.

    The company says there’s a long-term opportunity to reach 86 Nick Scali stores in Australia and New Zealand, as well as between 90 to 100 Plush stores across Australia and New Zealand. In other words, its overall ANZ network could grow from 110 to up to between 180 to 200 stores.

    On top of that, the company recently expanded into the UK after acquiring Fabb Furniture. It’s now rebranding those stores to Nick Scali. The UK has a much bigger population than Australia, so there’s plenty of room for growth there too.

    For now, the ASX dividend stock has around 20 stores in the UK and the business has a long-term opportunity of between 60 to 70 UK stores. With how the business is selling Nick Scali furniture to UK stores, the UK segment’s gross profit margin is rapidly rising.

    The UK business saw total January written sales of $6.7 million, with four refurbished stores achieving LFL store written sales growth of 32% compared to the prior corresponding period.

    Better dividend yield

    According to Commsec, for FY26, the business is projected to pay an annual dividend per share of 68.7 cents – that translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.1%, including franking credits.

    The dividend is forecast to grow even further by FY28, with a possible annual payout of 76.9 cents per share. That translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.8%, including franking credits.

    Overall, the future looks positive for dividend investors.

    Cheaper valuation

    It’s clear that the ASX dividend stock is cheaper – it has dropped by more than a third. But what earnings multiple is it now trading at?

    According to the forecast on Commsec, the Nick Scali share price is valued at 19x FY26’s estimated earnings and 16x FY27’s estimated earnings.

    I think this is a great time to invest in the ASX dividend stock, though it’s not the only ASX share that looks good value today.

    The post 1 ASX dividend stock down 37% I’d buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Nick Scali right now?

    Before you buy Nick Scali 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 Nick Scali 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 16 June 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 recommended Nick Scali. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Why Mesoblast shares could double in value

    Two smiling work colleagues discuss an investment at their office.

    Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) shares could be seriously undervalued.

    That’s the view of the team at Bell Potter, which remains very bullish on the biotechnology company’s shares.

    What is Bell Potter saying?

    Bell Potter was pleased to see that Mesoblast’s Ryoncil product is building momentum. This saw Mesoblast report sales in line with the mid point of its guidance range. It said:

    MSB has reported 4Q26 revenues of US$36m (+20% vs 3Q26) in line with our forecast. FY26 revenues for Ryoncil totalled US$115m which is the mid point of guidance (i.e. US$110m – $120m). The full year result represents an outstanding result considering the product was launched from a standing start in April 2025, prior to broad reimbursement availability. 

    Commercial adoption has been exceptionally strong and has continued to grow as barriers to adoption have fallen away – particularly for reimbursement. We expect Group revenues for FY26 of US$121m inclusive of Temcel royalties (Japan).

    Looking ahead, the good news is the broker continues to believe that sales will grow strongly in FY 2027. It adds:

    Our forecast for FY27 Ryoncil sales remains bullish at US$275m relative to the annualised exit rate of US$144m. The implied quarterly growth rate is ~27% compounding. We continue to believe this is achievable given the progress in recent months on two key fronts: a) expansion of the key account manager team servicing this market – 6 additional FTEs being hired to service large markets in the north eastern US and California; and b) MSB has only recently begun to gain traction with the very largest transplant centres in the US, both on the east and west coast. 

    The forecast also includes a small revenue stream from off label use amongst young adults, where some payers have reimbursed hospitals for off label use in isolated cases following patients failing on SOC for SR aGvHD. For these reasons, we retain our FY27 forecast.

    Mesoblast shares tipped to double

    According to the note, Bell Potter has effectively upgraded Mesoblast shares to a buy rating (from speculative buy) and held firm with its $4.45 price target. This is approximately double its current share price. It concludes:

    MSB is expected to commence submission of the various modules of the Biological Licence Application for Rexlemestrocel-L in heart failure and commence recruitment of the adult study in GvHD (for Ryoncil). We expect MSB will also engage in preliminary discussions with distributors for Rexlemestrocel-L in the chronic lower back pain indication, ahead of the phase 3 readout in mid CY27. 

    Investment thesis: TP $4.45 (unchanged) There are no changes to earnings and we retain our $4.45 target price and Buy rating. As MSB is generating strong revenue growth the Speculative risk rating is no longer warranted.

    The post Why Mesoblast shares could double in value appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Mesoblast right now?

    Before you buy Mesoblast 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 Mesoblast 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 16 June 2026

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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.

  • Where I’d invest $20,000 into ASX growth shares right now

    Rising arrow on a blue graph symbolising a rising share price.

    I believe ASX growth shares have excellent potential to deliver long-term returns because of their ability to compound earnings at a strong rate.

    I’m going to highlight three investments I expect big things from over the next three to five years, which I’d happily invest $20,000 in.

    Below are two of the ASX’s leading growth companies and one compelling exchange-traded fund (ETF).

    Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

    Temple & Webster is one of the leading online retailers in Australia, selling hundreds of thousands of homewares and furniture through its website. A significant portion of the items are shipped straight from the supplier, reducing the need for the company to hold inventory and warehouse space – it creates a capital-light model for the business.

    The company is growing rapidly and this is steadily giving it stronger scale benefits. Plus, it’s deploying technology and AI throughout its business, which is helping with costs and boosting customer conversion.

    During this period of weaker consumer conditions, the ASX growth share is focused on increasing profitability. It expects to approximately double its operating profit (EBITDA) in FY27, even if trading conditions are challenging.

    Over the longer-term, I expect rising e-commerce adoption in Australia can help the company increase its market share further. I’m also hopeful that the home improvement segment can continue growing in size and become a significant contributor in the coming years – home improvement revenue rose 46% in HY26 off a small base.

    According to the projections on Commsec, the ASX growth share could grow its earnings per share (EPS) by around 160% between FY26 and FY28, with it trading at 32x FY28’s estimated earnings at the time of writing.

    Global X S&P World Ex Australia GARP ETF (ASX: GARP)

    This is an ETF focused on finding quality growing businesses at a reasonable price, with solid financial strength. There are 250 international businesses in this portfolio that demonstrate ‘GARP’ characteristics – it offers good diversification across countries and sectors.

    There are three boxes that stocks need to pick. First, they must demonstrate growth with both sales and earnings. Second, they should be good value on a price to earnings (P/E) ratio basis. Third, they must be quality in terms of low debt levels a high return on equity (ROE).

    This high-quality fund has an annual management cost of just 0.3%. Impressively, it has delivered an average return per year of 17.5% since inception in September 2024. Of course, past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

    L1 Group Ltd (ASX: L1G)

    Plenty of funds managers go through ups and downs, which can give investors buying opportunities. L1 is a highly respected funds management business with a compelling future with a number of high-performing funds.

    Some of its funds like L1 Global Long Short Fund Ltd (ASX: GLS) have a strong track record for delivering returns, which is a very powerful tailwind for growth of funds under management (FUM) and management fees. The great returns also help attract more FUM.

    The ASX growth share has highlighted a number of other factors that could help earnings rise in the coming years such as joint ventures, acquiring other fund managers and launching more strategies.

    Additionally, the business is working on unlocking synergies from the Platinum acquisition.

    According to the projection on Commsec, the ASX growth share is valued at 23x FY27’s estimated earnings and is forecast to grow earnings per share (EPS) by 25.5% in FY27.

    The post Where I’d invest $20,000 into ASX growth shares right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    * Returns as of 16 June 2026

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.