Ampol Ltd (ASX:ALD) share price has been in focus after the company delivered a strong first half for 2026, with a 245% jump in RCOP EBIT to $1,392 million and the interim dividend more than quadrupling to 185 cents per share.

What did Ampol Ltd report?

• Group RCOP EBITDA (excluding Significant Items) rose to $1,637 million, up 152% on 1H 2025
• RCOP Net Profit After Tax (NPAT) (excluding Significant Items) surged to $857 million, up 376%
• Statutory NPAT at $1,363 million, compared to a loss of $25 million last year
• Fully franked interim dividend of 185 cents per share, more than four times the prior year
• EG Australia acquisition completed, supporting retail growth strategy

What else do investors need to know?

Ampol’s strong result was delivered despite global market disruptions from conflict in the Middle East, with reliable supply chains and trading capabilities helping to capture opportunities across its operations. Notably, its refinery performance improved, with Lytton Refiner Margin per barrel reaching a robust US$28.26 and total production up 8.7%.

The company’s Energy Solutions division continued to progress, narrowing losses and increasing public EV charging network bays to 356 across Australia. Ampol also reported sturdy balance sheet metrics, even after settling the EG Australia acquisition, with committed liquidity facilities of $5.8 billion and leverage at 1.8 times.

What did Ampol Ltd management say?

Matt Halliday, Managing Director and CEO, commented:

The first half of 2026 was marked by the Middle East conflict and the consequential impact on the flow of oil and refined products around the world, including Australia and New Zealand which were not immune. Against that backdrop, Ampol’s primary focus was to secure fuel and minimise the impact to our customers. I could not be more proud of the resilience of our business and the capabilities our people demonstrated during this period.

What’s next for Ampol Ltd?

Ampol is expecting ongoing volatility in oil markets due to geopolitical uncertainty, but its physical supply arrangements and recent acquisition of EG Australia are expected to underpin growth. Management is confident in delivering between $65 million and $80 million of annual cost synergies from EG Australia within two years.

The outlook for the second half also includes continued benefits from strong refinery margins, contribution from newly acquired assets, and ongoing investment in the Lytton Ultra Low Sulfur Fuels Project, which is on track to start up later in 2026.

Ampol share price snapshot

The Ampol share price has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) over the past 12 months with a gain of 34%, supported by strong earnings momentum and resilient refining operations.

View Original Announcement

The post Ampol profit and dividend surge in first-half 2026 results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX blue-chip shares experts rate as compelling
• Ampol Ltd delivers huge earnings jump as supply chain supports profit growth
• ASX 200 energy shares rise 6% as reignited US-Iran conflict continues

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. 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.

I think one of the best times to invest in a leading ASX dividend stock is when the business has fallen significantly. That’s because of the compelling dividend yield that it can unlock. The business WAM Microcap Ltd (ASX: WMI) is one of the leading dividend picks out there, in my view.

When a share price falls, it delivers a similar boost to the yield. For example, if an investment has a 5% dividend yield and the share price falls 10%, then the yield becomes 5.5%.

I believe WAM Microcap is a compelling investment today because it’s down 35% since October 2021 and 22% from October 2025.

Let’s get into why it’s a compelling buy today for passive income.

Exciting investment strategy

This business is a listed investment company (LIC). WAM Microcap aims to give investors exposure to a portfolio of undervalued ASX microcap shares (the majority of which are growth companies), with a market capitalisation of less than $300 million at the time of acquisition.

WAM Microcap can also provide exposure to “relative value arbitrage and market mispricing opportunities”.

The ASX dividend stock’s main sector focus is industrial shares, which gives it a large hunting ground, though at the end of July 2026 it also had a portfolio double-digit exposure to consumer discretionary, financials and IT stocks.

Investing in small-cap stocks can deliver strong returns because they are earlier in their growth journeys than blue-chip stocks. These businesses are often under-researched by analysts and, as a result, can be mispriced.

Since inception in June 2017, its portfolio has returned an average of 13.1% per year (before fees, expenses and taxes), doubling the return of its benchmark in that time.

Large dividend yield

One of the benefits of the LIC structure is that it enables the investment returns to be turned into a smoothed dividend. Excellent returns in one year can be accumulated to help pay for the dividend in a weak year.

The ASX dividend stock recently announced its FY26 annual dividend. It represents a very large annual dividend yield, which is a pleasing way to receive returns.

In FY26, its annual payout of 10.7 cents per share equates to a grossed-up dividend yield of 10.75%, including franking credits.

Rising payouts

Perhaps what’s even more important to me is that WAM Microcap has provided a very reliable dividend over the years.

It started paying a dividend in FY18, and that dividend has grown every year since then, aside from FY24, when it was maintained. The FY26 payout was only increased by 1%, but when you’re talking about a double-digit dividend yield already, any increase is pleasing.

I think this is a great time to invest in the ASX dividend stock for passive income.

The post 1 ASX dividend stock down 35% I’d buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This fund just declared a dividend yield of better than 7%
• WAM Microcap hikes dividend for FY26 despite tricky year
• 2 ASX passive income ideas I’d use to generate $200 a month in 2027
• How much is needed in superannuation to target a $2,000 monthly passive income?
• This fund manager thinks these ASX shares are buys and have big potential!

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Wam Microcap. 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.

The Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX: ALK) share price is in focus after the company announced the discovery of a new high-grade gold and antimony domain at its Costerfield site, alongside impressive drilling results from the Sub-KC area with gold grades reaching up to 580.9 grams per tonne.

What did Alkane Resources report?

• 23 new diamond drill holes in the Cuffley infill area revealed a new pod of high-grade gold and antimony.
• Significant intercepts at Cuffley included 580.9g/t gold and 24% antimony over 0.61m, and 168.9g/t gold and 33.5% antimony over 0.9m.
• 17 additional holes targeted the Sub-KC domain, with notable results such as 192g/t gold over 0.17m and 73.2g/t gold over 0.19m.
• The new Cuffley pod is accessible from existing mine infrastructure and will be integrated into the mine schedule.
• Further drilling at depth explored structural repetitions and growth potential at Sub-KC.

What else do investors need to know?

This new high-grade discovery sits in an area previously believed to be low-grade due to a crosscutting fault, emphasising the value of challenging established geological models. The Cuffley pod’s ease of access from current mine workings means it can be quickly added to production plans.

Additional intercepts in the Sub-KC system point to continued prospectivity, with target-testing holes beginning to test for further ‘repeats’ of the structural setup that hosts gold and antimony mineralisation.

What did Alkane Resources management say?

Alkane Resources’ CEO, Nic Earner, commented:

This discovery of unmined high-grade material directly adjacent one of Costerfield’s top-shelf historical orebodies showcases the importance of Alkane’s directive of revisiting and challenging old models and preconceptions surrounding mineralisation to extract value. We will continue seeking this new mineralisation alongside generating new targets within our leases.

What’s next for Alkane Resources?

The newly identified Cuffley pod will be incorporated into the Costerfield mine plan and is scheduled for production. Alkane sees significant growth potential in the Sub-KC domain, though further drilling will likely require surface-based programs or later mine development to reach optimal angles.

Ongoing exploration across the company’s Australian and Swedish assets continues to expand resources, supporting Alkane’s growth strategy as a mid-tier gold and antimony producer.

Alkane Resources share price snapshot

It has been a strong 12 months for the Alkane Resources share price. During this time, the gold miner’s shares have outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) with a gain of over 80%.

View Original Announcement

The post Alkane Resources discovers new high-grade gold zone at Costerfield appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Alkane Resources declares maiden dividend and $50m share buy-back after strong FY26

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. 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.