Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) has just given investors another look at the strength of its banking franchise.

For me, three parts of the business stood out from its FY26 result and support the long-term investment case.

A broad franchise

CBA’s scale across Australian banking remains one of its biggest strengths.

The bank says it is the main financial institution for one in three Australians and one in four Australian businesses. During FY26, it also grew at or above the wider banking system across home lending, business lending, consumer finance, household deposits, and business deposits.

I think the range of that growth is particularly encouraging.

CBA has relationships with customers across everyday banking, savings, mortgages, credit cards, business finance, and investing. Those relationships give it plenty of opportunities to serve customers as their financial needs change over time.

A customer might begin with a transaction account before eventually taking out a home loan, opening an investment account, or starting a business.

The more products customers use, the deeper that relationship can become.

For me, this enormous customer base provides CBA with a strong foundation to keep growing alongside the Australian economy.

Business banking continues to impress

I also like what CBA is building in business banking.

Around one in four Australian businesses now considers CBA its main financial institution, and the bank continued increasing its share of business lending and deposits during FY26.

This gives CBA exposure to another large part of the economy.

Businesses need funding to buy equipment, expand premises, manage working capital, and pursue new opportunities. They also need transaction accounts, payment services, and other banking products to run their day-to-day operations.

CBA can build much broader relationships with these customers than simply providing a loan.

I think the bank’s ability to serve businesses of varying sizes gives it a considerable opportunity as Australian companies grow and invest over the years ahead.

Its strong position in this market also complements the enormous retail franchise, giving CBA several avenues for long-term growth.

Technology remains a major strength

CBA has spent years building one of Australia’s strongest digital banking offerings, and I think this remains an important competitive advantage.

The CommBank app sits at the centre of the relationship for millions of customers. The bank continues adding tools that help people manage spending, savings, home loans, investments, and other parts of their finances.

It is also pushing further into artificial intelligence. CommBank Companion is being developed to help retail and business customers interact with their financial information conversationally, while the bank is investing in AI across areas such as customer service, productivity, and fraud detection.

I think technology can help CBA make banking easier while strengthening customer relationships.

It can also improve how quickly the bank makes decisions and handles routine processes. For example, CBA says around 70% of proprietary home loan applications are now automatically decided on the same day.

Continuing to invest heavily in these capabilities could help CBA protect its leading position as customer expectations keep changing.

Foolish takeaway

CBA’s FY26 result reinforced several of the reasons I like the business for the long term.

Its enormous customer franchise gives it plenty of opportunities to grow existing relationships, business banking continues to strengthen, and its technology investment could keep making the bank more valuable to customers.

Those are three qualities I would be happy to back for many years.

The post 3 reasons to buy CBA shares following its results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Commonwealth Bank Of Australia. 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.

If you are looking for the best ASX shares, then it could be worth listening to Bell Potter.

That’s because the broker has just released an update on its Core Portfolio.

Here’s what Bell Potter holds in its portfolio:

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ)

This big four bank features in the portfolio due to its earnings resilience, income, and valuation. In addition, Bell Potter thinks it is better positioned than its major bank peers. It explains:

We hold ANZ as our preferred exposure to the Australian banking sector, offering a compelling combination of earnings resilience, attractive income and valuation support. We increased our position as we see ANZ as better positioned than its major bank peers, many of which continue to trade on demanding multiples.

Higher interest rates should continue to support margins and profitability, while a strong capital position underpins sustainable dividend payments and shareholder returns. As the domestic economy navigates a higher-for-longer interest rate environment, ANZ provides exposure to improving credit demand, robust cash generation and potential earnings upgrades, while still trading at a discount to the sector ‘ s highest-rated names.

Brambles Ltd (ASX: BXB)

Another ASX share that could be worth considering is supply chain logistics company Brambles.

Bell Potter likes the company due to its recurring revenues, strong free cash flow generation, and attractive returns on invested capital. It explains:

We hold Brambles for its exposure to a high-quality global logistics franchise with recurring revenues, strong free cash flow generation and attractive returns on invested capital. Through its market-leading CHEP pallet pooling network, Brambles benefits from powerful network effects and long-term structural growth in supply chain outsourcing. Recent operational challenges in the US appear temporary rather than structural, creating an opportunity to buy a quality business at a more attractive valuation.

As pallet repair capacity normalises, earnings growth should reaccelerate, supported by improving economic activity, greater pooling penetration and digitisation initiatives that enhance productivity and margins. We believe the market is underappreciating the resilience of the franchise and the potential for earnings upgrades as operational performance improves.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

A final ASX share that Bell Potter is positive on is mining giant South32. It likes the company’s exposure to global electrification and infrastructure investment through its copper and zinc operations.

The broker also highlights that it sees significant value in South32’s copper growth pipeline. This includes the Sierra Gorda expansion and Hermosa development. Bell Potter said:

We hold South32 as a simplified base-metals growth story with increasing leverage to copper and zinc, two commodities that sit at the heart of global electrification and infrastructure investment. The sale of the aluminium business to Alcoa transforms South32 into a more focused mining company, reducing earnings volatility, lowering legacy liabilities and improving the overall quality of the asset portfolio. The transaction is expected to leave the company with substantial balance sheet flexibility, supporting capital returns while retaining the capacity to fund future growth.

We see significant value in South32’s copper growth pipeline, including the Sierra Gorda expansion and Hermosa development, which provide long-duration exposure to commodities benefiting from the energy transition and the build-out of AI and data-centre infrastructure. As the business becomes increasingly weighted toward higher-growth, higher-multiple base metals, we believe South32 is well positioned to deliver both earnings growth and a valuation re-rating over the medium term.

The post Bell Potter names the best ASX shares to buy in August 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.

ASX reporting season is now past its halfway mark, and the gap between winners and losers is widening.

Roughly half of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has reported its FY26 numbers.

Companies that beat their guidance have been rewarded, and those that missed have been sold hard within minutes of the announcement hitting the market.

Three results released this week captured that divide neatly, and each one tells you something different about what the market is currently willing to pay for.

Zip: the standout of ASX reporting season

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) delivered the cleanest beat of the week.

Its FY26 result showed total transaction volume of $16.7 billion, up 27.2%, on revenue that rose 24.6% to $1.35 billion. Cash EBTDA jumped 57.9% to $268.9 million, comfortably ahead of the $260 million guidance.

Net profit after tax climbed 45.7% to $116.4 million.

The United States did the heavy lifting again, with transaction volume there up 42.5% in local currency across 4.6 million active customers.

Management is now guiding to cash EBTDA of $340 million in FY27.

The shares surged on the day, and several brokers reaffirmed their buy ratings.

Even so, Zip remains down roughly 23% for the calendar year.

Northern Star: record profit with a catch

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) posted the biggest headline number of the day.

The company’s FY26 result delivered revenue of $7.6 billion, underlying EBITDA of $4.3 billion and underlying net profit after tax of $1.8 billion.

The company sold 1.54 million ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $2,698 per ounce.

The full-year dividend rose to 55 cents per share.

The catch lies within the cash flow statement. Underlying free cash flow was only $190 million, as KCGM’s capital spending has reached its peak.

FY27 guidance compounds the point, with production of 1.5 million to 1.65 million ounces expected at an all-in sustaining cost of $3,050 to $3,450 per ounce.

That is a meaningful step up in costs.

Brambles: resilient, but not enough

Brambles Ltd (ASX: BXB) had a tough time this reporting season.

Its FY26 numbers showed sales revenue up 2% and underlying profit up 4%.

Excluding a US$90 million hit from United States repair capacity constraints, profit would have risen 11%.

Free cash flow before dividends topped US$1 billion for a second consecutive year, and dividends rose 16% to 46.15 US cents per share alongside US$509 million of buybacks.

Chief executive Graham Chipchase was measured about the year.

We delivered a resilient financial result while advancing the customer operational and sustainability initiatives that strengthen our long-term competitive advantage.

The market wanted more, and the shares drifted lower despite a dividend increase that would have been celebrated in a quieter year.

FY27 guidance of 2% to 6% underlying profit growth includes a further US$35 million to US$55 million repair drag.

What the rest of ASX reporting season holds

The heaviest week is still ahead.

Fortescue, Woodside and Coles report early next week, while Woolworths, WiseTech and Domino’s follow on 26 August.

Wesfarmers, Qantas and South32 close things out on 27 August.

The full calendar runs through to the end of the month.

Foolish takeaway

ASX reporting season rewards clarity more than it rewards size.

Zip beat its own guidance and told investors exactly what FY27 should look like.

Northern Star delivered a record profit but flagged materially higher costs ahead.

Brambles did neither particularly well nor particularly badly.

With the biggest week of ASX reporting season still to come, investors may want to wait a bit longer before judging whether this reporting season was a success.

The post Brokers name the ASX 200 winners and losers from the first half of reporting season appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Bell Potter names the best ASX shares to buy in August
• 3 ASX shares UBS says will return better than 36%
• How high do UBS and Macquarie think Zip shares will go?
• Buy, hold, sell: Fortescue, Northern Star, and Megaport shares
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, Wesfarmers, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.