The Meeka Metals Ltd (ASX: MEK) share price is in focus after the company reported June 2026 quarter gold production of 6,424 ounces, a slight improvement on the previous quarter but below expectations. Mine operating cash flow came in at $6.4 million, while cash at quarter end stood at $38 million.

What did Meeka Metals report?

• Gold production for the June quarter was 6,424oz (March quarter: 6,083oz)
• Gold sales for the quarter totalled 6,242oz at an average price of $6,213/oz
• Full-year FY26 gold production reached 56,400oz
• Mine operating cash flow was $6.4m; net mine cash outflow of $11.1m after $17.5m in growth capital
• Closing ore stockpiles increased to 25,414oz (806kt @ 1.0g/t Au)
• Cash balance decreased to $38m as at 30 June 2026

What else do investors need to know?

The quarter saw the first contribution of higher-grade underground stope ore to the mill blend, with underground ore expected to make up 40% of the blend in the September quarter. Open pit mining continued to be affected by lower-than-expected contractor productivity, delaying access to high-grade open pit ore.

As a result, Meeka Metals plans to end open pit mining in July 2026, preserving a significant in-ground open pit resource. The company invested $17.5 million in non-recurring growth projects this quarter, including underground development at Andy Well, equipment, and expansion of site infrastructure.

What did Meeka Metals management say?

Managing Director Tim Davidson said:

It was another frustrating quarter from a production perspective and while the result fell short of expectations, the drivers are well understood and the corrective path is clear. Production is expected to improve in the September 2026 quarter as the operation transitions away from its reliance on open pit ore. Higher-grade underground production is ramping up and will make up an increasing proportion of the mill blend, lifting both head grade and recovered ounces. Cash is expected to grow through the September 2026 quarter on the back of this stronger gold production, as the higher-margin underground material flows through to the bottom line. Development of our second underground mine at Turnberry, commencing in September 2026 will further increase the availability of higher-grade underground ore for the processing plant.

What’s next for Meeka Metals?

Meeka expects gold production and operating cash flow to increase in the September quarter, driven by a greater proportion of higher-margin underground ore in the mill feed. The company is set to begin portal development on the second underground mine at Turnberry in September 2026, further boosting access to higher-grade ore.

With the conclusion of open pit mining, management aims to reduce costs and focus on underground operations, positioning Meeka to benefit from improved grades and production stability.

Meeka Metals share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Meeka Metals shares have declined 34%, trailing the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO), which is flat over the same period.

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The post Meeka Metals June 2026 quarter: Production edges up, strong outlook with underground focus 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.

Having a target when you’re putting away money for superannuation is a great way to stay on track and have some peace of mind about what you can expect from your super when you retire.

Nothing is certain in the world of investing, but what is certain is that if you just leave it up to fate, you’re more likely to have a surprise on the downside.

Time to do the sums on your superannuation

So, how much money do you actually need? As much as possible is the obvious answer; however, most of us have to strike a balance between what we can put away for the future and what we need to fund our current lifestyle.

A good yardstick for how much is needed is the figure published by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), which says that, for a comfortable retirement, singles need $55,923 per year and couples need $78,566 per year.

These figures assume the retiree owns their own home and is therefore not paying rent or a mortgage.

Looking at these figures, a $5000 per month superannuation income stream places a single retiree squarely in the comfortable zone, with a little buffer to play with.

To hit the $5000 per month target in terms of investment returns, assuming no drawdown of capital, a retiree would need $857,142 in their super if they could achieve a dividend return of 7% per year, which I’d argue is doable.

If that return were to drop to 5%, the amount needed in super would rise to $1.2 million, while it would drop to $600,000 if a 10% return could be achieved.

So, how realistic is a 7% return?

First, you have to take into account that retirees get the benefit of franking credits, meaning they are reimbursed for the tax paid by companies they own shares in.

For example, Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) is paying a trailing dividend of 6.46%. But when the franking credit is added back in, this rises to 9.23%.

While high dividends cannot be assured over the longer term, it is possible to focus on companies or funds that specifically aim to return dividends rather than grow capital.

One such is WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA), which recently announced a special dividend on top of its final dividend.

The fund said in a statement to the ASX that this would bring its fully-franked dividend yield to 8.6% and its grossed-up dividend yield to 12.3%.

There is also the S&P/ASX 200 Covered Call Complex ETF (ASX: AYLD), which uses a more complex strategy to deliver high yields, paying 9.64% over the past 12 months, albeit only franked at 15.3%.

Infrastructure companies, which tend to plan for the long term, can also be consistent dividend payers, with gas pipeline company APA Group (ASX: APA) paying 5.63% and Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure Ltd (ASX: DBI) paying 4.56%.

The post How much do I need in superannuation to receive $5000 per month in passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England 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 positions in and has recommended Apa Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

After falling significantly over the last 12 months, there could be a rebound coming for S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) stocks Light & Wonder Inc (ASX: LNW) and HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB). 

Both have fallen by more than 20% over the last year; however, new analysis from Bell Potter suggests they could offer value right now. 

Here’s what the broker had to say. 

Light & Wonder a monster discount

Light & Wonder develops technology-based products and services, along with associated content.

In yesterday’s report, the team at Bell Potter highlighted that conditions may be favourable for the company over the next 12 months. 

The American Gaming Association reported an overall improvement in conditions for gaming operators and suppliers. Notably, 63% of the surveyed gaming executives expected growth in capital investment over the next 6-12 months, a substantial increase on prior surveys. Further, a net positive of 60% and 20% of Suppliers expected growth in replacement and expansion sales, respectively. Overall, these results leave us less concerned with operator capex spend in CY26.

The broker believes the ASX 200 stock offers compelling value at 9 times EV/EBIT(A), given its growth metrics.

Hub24 a compelling option 

Hub24 is a diversified financial services business. The company’s core platform segment develops and provides an administrative services platform to financial advisers, stockbrokers, accountants, and their clients.

Bell Potter provided fresh guidance on the company after it released quarterly results yesterday. 

As reported by The Motley Fool team, the company announced record net inflows of $18.9 billion in FY26, up 20% on the prior comparable period (pcp), and total funds under administration (FUA) hitting $164.3 billion, up 20% on pcp.

Overall, Bell Potter said HUB24 delivered a solid quarter, even though growth slowed a little.

The underlying business remains healthy, superannuation growth is improving, and Bell Potter still sees HUB24 as being on track for solid long-term growth.

Class is improving, with superannuation net inflows growing as a share, and boosting the result. The addition of retirement income streams (TAL) should support this trend and the result leaves FY27 target parts intact.

How much upside is there for these ASX 200 stocks?

In yesterday’s reports, the team at Bell Potter retained its buy recommendations for both ASX 200 stocks. 

The broker has a price target of $110 for Hub24 shares. 

This indicates an upside potential of just over 35% for the ASX 200 stock. 

Meanwhile, it has a price target of $190 on Light & Wonder shares. 

This indicates an upside of nearly 72% for the gaming company. 

The post These ASX 200 stocks are tipped to rise up to 71% – Expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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 Hub24 and Light & Wonder Inc. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24 and Light & Wonder Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.