The a2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price is in focus today after the Board declared a $300 million fully franked special dividend, following recent approval from Chinese authorities to transition product registrations to a2 branded infant formula.

What did The a2 Milk Company report?

• Declared a fully franked special dividend of NZ$300 million (41.36 cents per share)
• Dividend payment set for 24 July 2026
• Ex-dividend date: 8 July 2026; record date: 9 July 2026
• Dividend carries a franking credit of 17.72 cents per share
• Triggered by China regulatory approval for a2 branded infant formula registrations

What else do investors need to know?

The special dividend comes after the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) in China gave the green light to transition two China label infant formula product registrations, linked to the company’s Pokeno facility, to the a2 brand. This regulatory milestone appears to strengthen the company’s footprint in one of its largest markets.

The Board confirmed that the dividend amount has been rounded to 41.36 cents per share for communication purposes, but the actual payment will be calculated based on a gross distribution of 41.355 cents. The announcement follows a series of regulatory updates in recent months.

What did The a2 Milk Company management say?

Chair Pip Greenwood said:

With the necessary China regulatory approvals now in place, the Board is pleased to declare a $300 million special dividend. This reflects our commitment to delivering shareholder returns while maintaining disciplined capital management.

What’s next for a2 Milk Company?

Looking ahead, a2 Milk Company is set to benefit from the new regulatory approvals in China, which may underpin further growth in its infant milk formula segment. The special dividend highlights the Board’s focus on balancing shareholder returns with ongoing investment needs.

Investors will likely monitor progress in China and any future updates regarding capital management or new product registrations.

A2 Milk Company share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, a2 Milk Company shares have declined 13%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 3% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post A2 Milk declares $300 million special dividend after securing China approval 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.

The Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price has been through plenty of volatility in the last few months. So, after so much has happened, it’s good to ask whether this is a good time to invest.

As the above chart shows, there have been plenty of ups and downs this year. Despite the decline since April, it’s still up more than 18% since 2026.

The question now is whether the business is good value. Let’s see what experts think.

Expert recommendations

According to CMC Invest, there have been nine analyst ratings on the business within the last three months.

Of those nine ratings, two were buy ratings, five were hold ratings, and two were sell ratings.

These ratings average out to a hold rating, though there are both positive and negative views on the business.

However, the price target may be a better indicator of whether experts think a business could deliver good returns.

Woodside share price target

A price target tells investors where an expert thinks the Woodside share price will be in 12 months from the time of the investment call.

Of course, a price target is not a guaranteed return (or decline), it’s just what the expert thinks.

The average price target of those nine ratings is $31.39. At the time of writing, that translates into a possible rise of 12% over the next year.

But, the most optimistic price target is $36.50, implying a possible rise of 30% in the next 12 months. The lowest price target is $24.75, suggesting the Woodside share price could decline by more than 11% in the next year.

What to look at next

Woodside can’t really control energy prices, but the disruption in the Middle East could last longer than just the next few weeks – it may take a while for fuel supply and inventory to return to normal. Energy prices could rise from here, even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

It’ll be very interesting to see what happens with energy prices. In the first quarter of 2026, Woodside reported that the average realised price was $63 per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE), up 11% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025.

I think the energy price could remain stronger than previously expected amid global growth of energy demand, particularly because of the growth of AI and data centres. Only so much renewable energy can be installed each year, while nuclear power is expensive to build and takes a while to complete. LNG could be important for filling in that demand gap.

Woodside is investing in new projects that will help improve its scale advantages and unlock more cash flow for the business.

It’s one of the ASX shares to keep an eye on, though there are plenty of ideas that aren’t linked to the volatility of energy prices which could be better buys.

The post Is the Woodside share price a buy in July? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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.

The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price is typically low enough to offer investors an attractive dividend yield. The ASX bank share is among the most popular picks for passive income because of its large market capitalisation and perceived stability.

As one of the largest ASX bank shares in Australia, Westpac typically offers a higher yield than Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) because it usually trades on a lower price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio.

But Westpac usually has a dividend yield similar to that of National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) and ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ), as they have similar earnings multiples and dividend payout ratios.

Let’s take a look at how appealing the Westpac share price could be for passive income.

Dividend projection for the ASX bank share

According to the forecast on Commsec, Westpac could pay an annual dividend per share of $1.54 in the 2026 financial year. That would be a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.1%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

We’re already more than halfway through FY26, so it’s worthwhile looking at what the payout could be in the next financial year – FY27.

The projection on Commsec suggests the business could hike its annual dividend per share to $1.55 in the 2027 financial year. That translates into a potential forward grossed-up dividend yield of 6.2%, including franking credits.

While those aren’t the biggest yields on the ASX, the potential passive income is very competitive against the best term deposits right now.

We should also remember that term deposit income is limited to the advertised interest rate. On the other hand, businesses with good prospects can grow their profits and dividends over time.

For me, the dividend income prospects are solid, but I wouldn’t say it’s impressive enough – large or growing quickly – to justify buying at the current Westpac share price just for dividends.

Is the Westpac share price a buy?

The Westpac share price has fallen 16% since April, with headwinds from the Federal budget likely weighing on investor confidence. Is the ASX bank share attractive when negative gearing and capital gains tax (CGT) changes are seemingly hurting property buyer (and borrower) demand?

But, in my view, it’s better to buy when the price is lower rather than higher. It’s possible that owner-occupier demand could offset lower investor demand in the medium term.

According to CMC Invest, there have been nine ratings on the ASX bank share in the last three months. Six of those were sell ratings and three were hold ratings.

Of those nine ratings, the average Westpac share price target is $33.63. That implies a possible 6% decline over the next year, so analysts think the business is overvalued.

Therefore, it doesn’t seem like it’s great to invest in the bank today, while other ASX share opportunities look more appealing.

The post Is the Westpac share price a buy for its 6% dividend yield? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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.