It’s been a difficult September for PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) shareholders, despite the lithium miner’s impressive gains over the past year.

The stock has climbed around 85% over the past 12 months, but has fallen more than 22% since closing at $5.48 on 1 September.

Today is offering some relief, though, with the PLS share price rising 2.79% to $4.245 in mid-afternoon trade.

However, despite the company’s improving financial performance, short sellers are still betting heavily against the stock.

In fact, PLS remains one of the most heavily shorted stocks on the ASX.

So, why are traders betting against the lithium miner?

The bears are still circling

According to the latest short-selling data, PLS is currently the 9th most shorted stock on the ASX.

As of 16 September, approximately 11.07% of its shares were held in short positions, representing more than 357 million shares.

That’s a substantial amount of money betting on the lithium miner’s share price falling further.

For those unfamiliar, short sellers borrow shares and sell them, hoping to buy them back at a lower price and pocket the difference.

With lithium prices still volatile, another pullback could take a decent chunk out of PLS’ earnings.

That’s something to watch as the company prepares to lift production again in FY27.

October could be a big test

PLS announced today that its September quarterly activities report will be released on 27 October.

The update will show how the miner is tracking against its FY27 production targets.

The company is forecasting production of between 1.03 million and 1.10 million tonnes this financial year, up from 879,500 tonnes in FY26.

Much of that increase will come from the restart of its Ngungaju processing plant, which began ramping up in July.

PLS is also expecting operating costs of between $575 and $625 per tonne, alongside capital expenditure of $620 million to $685 million.

Personally, I’ll be watching production, realised lithium prices, and cash generation closely.

The short interest is already above 11%, and a solid quarterly result could put some pressure on those betting against the stock.

Could short sellers get caught out?

While short sellers are betting on further weakness, analysts are pointing to a considerably higher share price.

According to TipRanks, the average 12-month price target from 12 analysts is $5.55, implying about 31% upside from today’s price.

7 analysts have buy ratings, 3 recommend holding, and 2 have sell ratings.

With so many shares currently shorted, I think the next few weeks could be very interesting.

The post PLS shares have surged 85% in a year. So why are short sellers circling? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 drops again as selling continues
• Buy, hold, sell: Magellan, Iluka Resources, PLS Group shares

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.

Anyone who bought ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares near their 52-week low of $32.46 would be sitting on a pretty decent gain today.

The banking giant has recovered more than 16% from that level, with its shares gaining around 13.5% over the past year and almost 7% since January.

Wednesday hasn’t been quite as positive, with the ANZ share price slipping 1.05% to $37.75 in midday trade.

That leaves the stock around 8% below its 52-week high of $41.

While ANZ has made progress with its turnaround, I think much of that improvement is already reflected in the share price.

Here’s why.

ANZ’s turnaround is gaining traction

ANZ’s latest quarterly results show some encouraging signs, although earnings growth remains fairly modest.

In its August trading update, ANZ reported cash profit of $1.90 billion, up just 1% compared with the quarterly average from the first half.

However, excluding a provision relating to a New Zealand class action, cash profit increased 5% to $1.98 billion.

Business and Private Banking lending grew 4%, while net interest income from its core banking operations increased 2%.

Operating expenses also fell 3% after excluding the legal provision, with management continuing to target a 5% reduction in annual costs.

Meanwhile, ANZ is progressing with its integration of Suncorp Bank, with customer migration scheduled for completion by June 2027.

The bank expects the integration to deliver approximately $500 million in annual pre-tax cost savings by FY29.

Is ANZ getting too expensive?

At $37.75, ANZ is trading on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 19.3, with a trailing dividend yield of approximately 4.4%.

The dividend is appealing, but I’m not convinced the current valuation leaves much room for further upside.

TipRanks has an average 12-month price target of approximately $35.40 across 8 analysts, implying around 6% downside from today’s price.

The ratings are fairly mixed, with 3 buys, 4 holds, and 1 sell.

Citi is among the more optimistic brokers, with a $39.25 price target, while Macquarie has a $33.50 target.

Personally, I think ANZ needs to show more meaningful earnings growth before I’d be comfortable paying close to 20 times earnings.

Would I buy ANZ shares today?

Not at $37.75 apiece.

I’d be more interested if the share price pulled back towards $35, particularly if the bank continues delivering on its turnaround plans.

The next opportunity to assess that progress comes in November, when ANZ is scheduled to release its FY26 results.

The post ANZ shares have climbed 13% in a year. Is there still room to run? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA), Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA), and AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) shares have all climbed to fresh annual highs in Wednesday lunchtime trade. 

Here’s why the shares are peaking today, and what brokers expect next.

Viva Energy shares

Viva Energy shares have climbed around 1% and are trading at a two-year high of $3.24 a piece, at the time of writing. The increase means the shares have jumped roughly 14% over the past month and are now up around 55% year to date.

As Australia’s second-largest vertically integrated refined transport fuel supplier, Viva Energy has enjoyed tailwinds from tight fuel supply and rising prices through 2026 as conflict in the Middle East constrains the flow of oil in and out of the region. 

It looks like investors are still flocking to the stock after the company posted a strong first-half result in late August. It announced record EBITDA results of $774.4 million for the half year ending June 2025, up a huge 154% from the same period last year. Its NPAT also boomed 493% higher to $371.1 million.

The news followed an update from the company in late July, in which it said its Geelong refinery had successfully returned to 90% of its operations after being affected by a fire in April. 

Going forward, it looks like the experts are bullish that the shares can keep rising. TradingView data shows the majority (six out of 10) have a buy/strong buy rating on the shares. Although after the latest rally, the $3.04 average target price now implies a potential 6% downside ahead.

AMP shares

AMP shares are up around 3% at the time of writing this morning, to an eight-year high of $2.61 per share. After the financial services shares dipped to an annual low of $1.16 in March, they’ve mostly consistently climbed higher to the time of writing. They’re now up 43% for the year to date.

AMP shares have rallied higher since March on the back of a rebound in investor sentiment. The company has managed to execute an operational turnaround this year, enabling it to improve its earnings and return some capital to shareholders.

It has posted strong financial results; its assets under management (AUM) have climbed; its wealth business has improved; it has boosted its interim dividend; and it has also completed a series of share buybacks.

Last month, the company announced a 33% increase in underlying NPAT for the first half of FY26, and an 8.2% year-on-year increase in AUM to $167.6 billion. Management credited its AUM growth to momentum in AMP’s wealth and retirement businesses.

Going forward, the experts are still bullish on the shares. According to TradingView data, the majority (seven out of nine) have a buy/strong buy rating on AMP shares. But after the rally over the past six months, the $2.57 target price implies around a 2% downside ahead, at the time of writing.

Codan shares

Codan shares have climbed around 2% higher at the time of writing, to an all-time high of $52.49. The shares have trended upwards throughout most of 2026 so far and are now up a huge 81% year to date.

The company, which develops electronic solutions for government, military, corporate, and consumer markets globally, has climbed higher this year amid continued geopolitical volatility.

Its communications segment, which designs drones and defence and public-safety equipment, benefited from a strong price rally, driven by soaring demand for defence-related stocks earlier this year.

The shares were propelled higher by a strong FY26 result last month, with net profit up 69% and revenue up 30%.

And the company believes it has another record year ahead. Earlier this week, it announced it is targeting full-year revenue growth of around 20% for FY27 and noted that the financial year has started with positive momentum.

Investors are clearly thrilled, and experts are also very optimistic that the company can continue to grow.

TradingView data shows that the majority (five out of nine) have a buy/strong buy rating on the stock. The average $53.17 target price implies around 1% upside. Although some think the shares could jump another 10% to $57.56 each, at the time of writing.

The post Viva Energy, Codan, AMP shares reach 52-week highs: How much higher can they go? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, sell, hold: AMP, Wesfarmers, Woodside shares
• Codan shares hit a new record high after the company predicts another strong year
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• 7 ASX 200 shares with reaffirmed buy ratings this week
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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.