• This ASX 200 stock just dropped 4% after revealing a big business reset

    A woman looks questioning as she puts a coin into a piggy bank.

    A big restructuring plan has not been enough to stop one S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) stock from falling on Tuesday.

    Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC) is in focus after the company announced another round of operational changes.

    At the time of writing, the Reliance share price is down 4.36% to $3.51.

    The plumbing products company has still gained around 12% over the past month, but it remains about 15% lower than this time last year.

    Here’s what was in the update.

    Reliance closing brass sites

    In a statement to the ASX, Reliance said it plans to close its brass casting, forging, and machining operations in Moorabbin and Braeside, Melbourne.

    It will also shut several smaller sites as part of a wider move to make its manufacturing operations more efficient.

    Reliance said the closures follow a sustained fall in brass production volumes at its Melbourne facilities in recent years. As such, the company no longer sees enough value in keeping those sites running.

    Management said the changes are expected to start supporting earnings from FY27.

    However, the move will affect around 85 employees in Australia. The company has started consulting with those workers and expects that process to finish in July 2026.

    Why is brass demand falling?

    Reliance pointed to a few reasons why its brass volumes have been falling.

    In the US, the company has invested in its Alabama facility to automate the assembly of its SharkBite Max brass push-to-connect fittings.

    SharkBite Max has also been redesigned so it uses less brass. According to the company, that has reduced the amount of brass needed per fitting by about 20%.

    Reliance is also moving some of its APAC SharkBite production out of Melbourne and to third-party suppliers in Asia.

    On top of this, the company expects brass demand to fall further as it keeps replacing brass with stainless steel across some of its key product ranges.

    What will it cost?

    The changes will come with a fairly large hit in the short term.

    Reliance expects to record a one-off net charge of between US$100 million and US$110 million in FY26. This will be left out of operating earnings.

    The charge includes about US$5 million for redundancy and property exit costs, around US$25 million in net asset write-downs, and a US$70 million to US$80 million impairment of intangible assets.

    However, most of that isn’t a cash cost. Reliance said only about US$5 million is expected to be cash, with the rest being non-cash.

    From FY27, the company expects more production to shift away from the APAC region. That is expected to reduce APAC revenue by about US$38 million compared with FY25, but improve APAC operating earnings by about US$9 million.

    Across the group, Reliance expects the changes to lift annual EBITDA by about US$9 million by the end of FY27. Once all the benefits are flowing through, the total annual uplift could reach around US$15 million.

    The post This ASX 200 stock just dropped 4% after revealing a big business reset appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Reliance Worldwide right now?

    Before you buy Reliance Worldwide shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Reliance Worldwide wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 16 June 2026

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    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.

  • REA shares fall 43% to a three-year low. Is it time to buy?

    A bored man sits at his desk, flat after seeing the latest news on the share market.

    REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA) shares have fallen further into the red in Tuesday morning trade.

    At the time of writing, the shares are down around another 2% and are changing hands for $133.12 a piece.

    Today’s drop is the latest of a long string of share price declines. 

    In fact, REA shares have suffered a gradual but relentless downturn since the company announced the appointment of a new CEO in August last year. 

    REA shares dropped from above $260 in August 2025 to around the $150-range by March 2026. And now they tumbled even further.

    The shares are now down around 28% year to date and roughly 43% lower than this time last year.

    What has happened to REA shares?

    REA was previously one of the more expensive stocks on the ASX. It was supported by strong profits, its dominant position in online property listings, and a robust property market.

    Investors were expecting years of strong growth. But indications that the Reserve Bank would begin another interest rate hike cycle in late 2025 saw many investors shy away from the high-growth property share. 

    Rising rates, softer lending demand, and concerns about tax changes affecting property investors have led the market to forecast weaker house prices and transaction volumes. 

    Given REA earns a significant portion of its revenue from property advertising, analysts and investors are concerned that a weaker housing market will translate to fewer homes for sale and therefore a lower advertising spend. This directly affects REA’s bottom line.

    The company’s latest financial results haven’t helped either.

    REA reported robust second-quarter FY26 results in early February. But the figures came in short of market expectations, and investors were spooked. 

    The company’s third-quarter results update in early May was a little more optimistic. But the small share price uptick was short-lived and quickly followed by huge losses.

    Is there any chance of a rebound ahead?

    Analysts are divided on their outlook for REA shares, but it looks like they mostly agree we’ll see some upside ahead.

    Market Index data shows that the majority have a hold rating on REA shares. But after the latest share price slump, the average $181.20 target price now implies an upside of around 36%, at the time of writing.

    Over on TradingView data, analysts are a little more positive. The majority (nine out of 16) have a buy or strong buy rating. Another six rate the stock as a hold. 

    The average $198.12 target price implies a potential 48% upside over the next 12 months, at the time of writing. However, some are tipping the share price to rocket another 86% to $249 a piece. 

    The post REA shares fall 43% to a three-year low. Is it time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in REA Group right now?

    Before you buy REA Group shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and REA Group wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 16 June 2026

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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.

  • Woolworths shares soar to new multi-year high: Buy, sell or hold?

    A man in a supermarket strikes an unlikely pose while pushing a trolley, lifting both legs sideways off the ground and looking mildly rattled with a wide-mouthed expression.

    Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares have climbed around another 0.2% to a three-year high of $38.60 on Tuesday morning.

    At the time of writing, the shares are up a huge 31% year to date. They’re also around 23% higher than 12 months ago.

    It’s been a bumpy ride for the ASX supermarket giant’s shares over the past 12 months, with its share price jumping anywhere between $25.51 and $38.55 a piece. 

    While the volatility has continued throughout the first six months of 2026, the shares have been generally trending higher.

    The latest dip came about after Woolworths posted its third-quarter sales update in late April. For the 13 weeks to the 5th of April, the supermarket major reported total sales of $18.1 billion, up 4.5% from Q3 in FY25. Its Australian Food sales were up 5.9% year on year to $13.8 billion. 

    The company said that underlying trading momentum remained solid, but management noted they have seen “some signs of increased customer caution”.

    Investors were spooked and quickly offloaded their shares.

    But the stock was quickly considered oversold and undervalued, and investors started buying back in. Over the past five weeks alone, Woolworths shares have rebounded nearly 19%.

    Why is everyone snapping up Woolworths shares again?

    There hasn’t been any price-sensitive news out of Woolworths since its third-quarter sales result in late April, but the retail giant has hit headlines recently.

    Two weeks ago, the AFR reported that Woolworths has outlined plans to offshore hundreds of corporate roles as part of a $400 million office cost reduction push. 

    The corporate jobs include staff in financial, human resources, and IT. It comes as part of the company’s plan to simplify operations and reduce costs to maintain its competitive advantage.

    A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed the outsourcing but declined to say how many workers would be affected. The corporate office employs almost 10,000 staff.

    It looks like investors were pleased with the news. The Woolworths share price ended the day in the green and has climbed higher since.

    The update comes on the back of the company’s better-than-expected first-half profit result, an upgraded outlook, and progress on its cost-savings plans.

    The question now is, can confidence keep building further?

    Are Woolworths shares a buy, sell, or hold now?

    Analysts are divided about the outlook for Woolworths shares over the next 12 months.

    Market Index data shows that the majority of brokers have a hold rating, but the $35.46 average target price implies a potential 8% downside at the time of writing.

    TradingView data shows something very similar. The majority of analysts have a hold rating on the supermarket stock. The average $35.02 target price also implies a 9% downside at the time of writing. Even the maximum $39 target price only implies a minor 1% upside after the latest price rally.

    The post Woolworths shares soar to new multi-year high: Buy, sell or hold? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Woolworths Group right now?

    Before you buy Woolworths Group shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Woolworths Group wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 16 June 2026

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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.

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