Once a week, I like to look at ASIC’s short position report to find out which ASX shares are being targeted by short sellers.

That’s because I believe it is worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn’t quite right with a company.

With that in mind, listed below are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC.

The top 10 most shorted ASX shares

• DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) has returned to the top of the table with short interest of 15.2%, up from 14.3% last week. The counter-drone technology company remains a major target for short sellers, possibly due to the uncertainty created by the ongoing ASIC investigation.
• Lotus Resources Ltd (ASX: LOT) has seen its short interest fall sharply to 13.3%. Short sellers may have concerns over the uranium producer’s production ramp-up at Kayelekera and how quickly it can reach its longer-term targets.
• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has seen its short interest rise to 13.2%. Despite achieving its revised FY 2026 production guidance, short sellers may be questioning the longer-term production outlook at Honeymoon.
• IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) has short interest of 12.8%, which is up again week on week. Short sellers seem to believe plenty of future growth is already priced in as the titanium company works to scale up its US operations.
• Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) has seen its short interest jump to 12.7%. Short sellers may believe higher interest rates could put pressure on the buy now pay later company’s business model by increasing funding costs and weighing on consumer spending.
• PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) has 12.3% of its shares held short, up from 11.7% last week. Short sellers may be betting that the recent improvement in lithium market conditions will not last.
• 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) has seen its short interest ease slightly to 11.9%. The medical technology company continues to make commercial progress, but its high valuation relative to current revenue makes it an obvious target for short sellers.
• Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) has short interest of 11.8%, which is broadly unchanged week on week. Short sellers may still be waiting for stronger evidence that the pizza chain operator’s turnaround can deliver a meaningful earnings recovery before closing positions.
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) has returned to the top ten with short interest of 11%. This is a third uranium stock that short sellers are loading up on.
• Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) has seen its short interest rise slightly to 10.9%. Short sellers may remain cautious on the Penfolds owner due to weak luxury wine demand and the work still required to improve its Americas business.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, DroneShield, and Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished the week in a positive fashion. The benchmark index rose 0.8% to 8,682.1 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise

The Australian share market looks set for a positive start to the week following a strong session on Wall Street on Friday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 26 points or 0.3% higher. In the United States, the Dow Jones was up 0.5%, the S&P 500 rose 0.75%, and the Nasdaq stormed 1.2% higher.

Oil prices soften

ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a subdued start to the week after oil prices fell on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was down 1.9% to US$91.11 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price was down slightly to US$102.25 a barrel. This appears to have been driven by optimism that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen soon.

Buy Artrya shares 

Artrya Ltd (ASX: AYA) shares could have major upside potential according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating and $6.00 price target on the AI stock. It said: “AYA has secured its fourth customer for its Salix platform which improves the detection and management of coronary artery disease (CAD). Huntsville Hospital Health System (HH) is a 14-hospital system (and 19 care centres) across Alabama and Tennessee in the US. […] The material rise in the share price illustrates how significant the HH signing is, albeit completing integration of NGHS / Cone, as well as the FFR-CT FDA submission / approval are more significant catalysts at present.”

Gold price drops

It could be a subdued start to the week for ASX 200 gold shares Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) after the gold price dropped on Friday night. According to CNBC, the gold futures price was down 0.95% to US$4,162.3 an ounce. A strong US dollar and elevated Treasury yields weighed on the gold price last week.

Buy NextDC shares

Dolphin Partners has named NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares as a buy this week according to The Bull. Commenting on its recommendation, it said: “NXT has invested heavily in infrastructure during the past three years. The recent share price decline enables longer term investors to gain entry into a growth stock with structural tailwinds.”

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nextdc and Woodside Energy Group Ltd. 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.

When it comes to your superannuation, it’s important to keep on track of how much you should have stashed away.

How else will you know if you have enough money to retire when the time comes?

Age 50 and age 60 are important milestones. 

Age 50 marks the final 10-15 years before quitting work. At this point, Australians are usually earning around their peak income, and compound growth is in full force.

At 60, you can access your superannuation if you meet the conditions of release.

These two milestones are important because they mark the lifestyle shift between actively building your wealth, to when you can start drawing down on it.

So, how does your super balance compare to other Aussies the same age?

Let’s take a look.

What is the average superannuation balance of Australian men and women aged 50 in Australia?

There aren’t exact figures for the average balance at age 50, but the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) provides a handy guide.

The average 50-54 year old male in Australia has around $254,071 in their superannuation. 

But age 50 is right at the bottom of that age bracket. So it can help to look at the one below, too.

The average balance for men aged 45-49 is $193,501.

Meanwhile, women aged 50-54 have an average of $190,175 in superannuation. Those aged 45-49 have less, at around $147.146.

What is the average superannuation balance for 60-year-old men and women?

Again, there aren’t exact figures for the average balance at age 60, but ASFA has some ranges to keep in mind.

The data shows that the average Australian male aged 60 to 64 has around $395,852 in their superannuation.

Looking at the bracket below, ASFA’s data shows that the average superannuation balance for Australian men aged 55-59 is $319,743.

Once again, women the same age have less.

The average balance for Australian women aged 60 to 64 is around $313,360. That’s a huge gap of around $83,000 compared to men the same age.

For the age bracket below, the gap is a little lower. Women aged 55-59 have around $242,945 saved in their superannuation for retirement.

How does your super balance compare with that of men or women your age?

Is it possible to retire comfortably off these average balances?

Unfortunately not.

ASFA calculates that a comfortable retirement will cost single Australians $56,166 per year and couples closer to $78,998 per year.

To fund that, individuals need at least $630,000 saved in their super, and couples need at least $730,000 combined.

These figures also assume you’ll start your retirement at age 67. It also assumes that you’ll receive a part Age Pension around this time and that you own your home outright.

That’s significantly less than the average balances of Australians across all the age brackets mentioned above. 

To reach these figures, all individuals need a superannuation balance of $254,500 at age 50. This increases to $457,500 by the time you reach age 60.

The post The average superannuation balance at ages 50 and 60. How does yours compare? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• PLS vs BHP: Which ASX 200 mining stock looks better today?
• By October 2027, $5,000 invested in this ASX bank stock could turn into…
• Droneshield vs Zip Co: Which tech share is the better ASX growth pick?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week

Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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.