The Solvar Ltd (ASX:SVR) share price is in focus today after the company reported a 7.5% lift in normalised NPAT to $36.1 million, as well as continued progress in scaling its commercial lending and an increased fully franked dividend for FY26.

What did Solvar report?

• Normalised Net Profit After Tax (NPAT) up 7.5% to $36.1 million
• Statutory NPAT down 6.2% to $29.5 million
• Normalised earnings per share rose 14.7% to 19.0 cents
• Total FY26 fully franked dividend of 19.5 cents per share (including special dividend)
• Loan book in continuing operations up 10.5% to $920.3 million
• Commercial loan book now $109.8 million, with Bennji reaching $49.7 million

What else do investors need to know?

Solvar has been simplifying its operations and investing in scalable growth platforms, with commercial lending through Bennji now a key strategic pillar. The continued rise in the commercial loan book has helped diversify the group’s earnings and underpins a shift towards sustainable long-term growth.

Funding remains robust, with the company securing a new $488 million warehouse facility for Money3 and expanding overall funding capacity to around $1.1 billion. These moves bring over $400 million in available capacity, positioning Solvar for further loan book growth and expected funding cost savings in FY27.

Solvar also completed its exit from the New Zealand market, selling its written-off loan book and reducing future complexity. The group resolved historical ASIC proceedings this year and highlighted improvements made in credit assessment and compliance frameworks.

What did Solvar management say?

Mr Scott Baldwin, CEO and Managing Director of Solvar, said:

FY26 was an important year for Solvar as we continued rebuilding the foundations of the business to create a platform delivering sustainable growth.

What’s next for Solvar?

Solvar expects to see continued growth in both its consumer and commercial lending portfolios heading into FY27. The group will focus on expanding its commercial offering through Bennji, driving productivity through technology, and keeping capital allocation disciplined.

Management believes that Solvar’s strengthened funding platform, scalable operations, and focus on responsible lending leave it well placed to deliver sustainable growth and attractive returns for shareholders.

Solvar share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Solvar shares have risen 6%, outperforming the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 1% over the same period.

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The post Solvar earnings: NPAT up, commercial lending grows, dividend rises appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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.

Brambles Ltd (ASX: BXB) shares are a popular choice for ASX investors looking for passive income.

The ASX blue-chip company is the world’s largest supplier of reusable wooden pallets and crates used for storing and transporting goods. It has a huge global footprint and operates in more than 60 countries, primarily under the Chep brand. 

The company has been operating for over 150 years and has a strong competitive position in the market.

Brambles’ scale, strong cash generation, recurring revenue and long operating history mean it is a classic defensive stock. And these qualities also mean the Australian blue chip is able to pay a regular passive income to its shareholders.

But what if you wanted to generate $5,000 of passive income from Brambles shares every single year? Is it even possible? And if so, what would it entail?

Let’s investigate.

What’s the latest out of Brambles shares?

At the time of writing, Brambles shares are trading for $19.47 a piece. That’s about 15% lower year-to-date and a 16% decline from this time last year.

Brambles shares jumped to an all-time high in September last year, and they stayed relatively consistent for around the next nine months. 

But in mid-May, Brambles shares crashed roughly 26% within a couple of days after the company scaled back its guidance figures for FY26. 

What dividend does Brambles pay its shareholders?

Brambles historically pays its shareholders two partially franked dividends per year, in April and October.

The company most recently paid shareholders a 32.74 cent interim dividend, with 14.05% franking, in April. Assuming Brambles will pay around the same amount for the second half of FY26, a 65 cent total dividend implies a forward dividend yield of around 3.4%.

How many Brambles shares do I need to generate $5,000 per year in passive income?

Assuming Brambles pays a total FY26 dividend of 65 cents per share, investors would need to buy around 7,692 shares in order to earn around $5,000 per year in passive income.

How much would that cost me?

Based on the current share price of $19.47, in order to buy the 7,692 shares needed for the $5,000 passive income in FY26, you would need to invest around $150,000.

It’s not a small amount of money, but if a regular and reliable passive income is your goal, it could be a worthwhile investment over the long-term.

And remember, you don’t have to invest the full $150,000 at once. You can slowly build your investment over time and let compounding do the rest.

The post How many Brambles shares do I need to buy for $5,000 per year of passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

Yesterday, Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX: ASM) announced that its members’ and options schemes have now become effective, paving the way for the complete acquisition of ASM by Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE: UUUU). Key details include all ASM shareholders receiving either New Energy Fuels shares or CDIs and a cash component of 13 cents per share.

What did Australian Strategic Materials report?

• The schemes of arrangement to acquire 100% of ASM shares and options are now effective.
• ASM shareholders will receive 0.053 New Energy Fuels CDIs (or shares) and $0.13 cash per ASM share held on record date.
• ASM optionholders will receive $0.50 cash per option held on record date.
• ASM securities will be suspended from ASX trading at the close of 19 August 2026.
• Key implementation dates begin from 19 August, with payment expected on 28 August 2026.

What else do investors need to know?

The Federal Court of Australia has approved both the Share Scheme and Option Scheme, fulfilling the major remaining condition. The company has lodged the court order with ASIC, making the transaction legally binding.

Holders of ASM shares and options on the relevant record dates will automatically receive their consideration. For ineligible foreign shareholders, the New Energy Fuels shares will be sold on their behalf, with proceeds distributed accordingly.

ASM securities will be removed from official ASX quotation on 31 August 2026. From this point, former ASM investors will become shareholders or CDI holders in Energy Fuels Inc., a dual-listed company trading in both Australia and North America.

What’s next for Australian Strategic Materials?

ASM will progress with the implementation of the schemes, transitioning shareholders to New Energy Fuels ownership. Key trading and payment milestones are scheduled between 19 August and early September, finalising the delisting of ASM.

Looking ahead, future value for ASM’s former shareholders will track alongside Energy Fuels, which is focused on scaling critical materials production with newly acquired Australian assets.

Australian Strategic Materials share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, ASM shares have risen 109%, outperforming the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO), which has risen 1% over the same period.

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The post Australian Strategic Materials confirms scheme effectiveness as takeover completes appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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.