Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares have stormed higher through the first nine months of 2026.

At the time of writing on Friday afternoon, the shares are trading in the green, up around 1% to $38.51. 

The latest increase means the shares are now up an impressive 31% for the year to date, and they’re 44% higher than 12 months ago.

The increase has been pretty stable and consistent, too.

The supermarket giant’s stock has mostly trended upwards (with the exception of a dip in late April and a recovery a month later).

It looks like the growing share price is mostly driven by investor confidence that the company’s turnaround story is coming to fruition, after a difficult period in 2025.

The supermarket’s most recent price-sensitive news was the announcement of its impressive FY26 results in late August. It posted a 3.6% year-on-year increase in sales and a 6.7% increase in EBITDA (before significant items). On the bottom line, Woolworths achieved a 15.4% increase in its NPAT (before significant items) for the year.

As part of its FY26 results announcement, management declared a 52-cent per share dividend, up 15.6% from FY25.

It’s been tailwind after tailwind for Woolworths shares this year. Now the question is, is there any more upside left? Or has the ASX consumer staples stock finally reached a ceiling?

Buy, hold, or sell? Here’s what brokers forecast for Woolworths shares

The experts are divided.

Market Index data shows that brokers are split equally between a hold and a sell rating. The $37.57 average target price implies a potential 2% downside ahead.

On TradingView, the majority of analysts (nine out of 17) have a hold rating on the shares. Another six rate Woolworths shares are a sell/strong sell and two rate them as a buy.

The $39.67 average target price implies a potential 3% upside ahead. Although the range between the maximum and minimum is quite wide. Some tip the shares to fall 8% to $35.40, and others think they would increase 13% to $43.50, at the time of writing.

Shaw and Partners has a sell rating on Woolworths shares. The broker warns that the shares could struggle to outperform over coming months. It adds that the supermarket has experienced a strong recovery in the past year, and now much of the recent improvement is reflected in the share price.

Elsewhere, Bell Potter is more positive. The broker has a hold rating on Woolworths shares and a $42.35 target price. It was impressed with the company’s latest FY26 results but doesn’t think potential growth is high enough to warrant a buy rating.

Morgans has an accumulate rating and $43.50 target price. Following the supermarket’s results, the broker is more confident that its sales growth can be sustained.

The post Woolworths shares jump 31% in 2026. Is there any upside left? 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.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stocks are getting ready to turn the calendar page on a tough month.

Indeed, while the ASX 200 has slumped 5.6% since market close on 25 August, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) – which also contains some smaller miners outside of ASX 200 gold stocks – is down as steeper 8.3%.

Although most gold stocks have still strongly outperformed over the past full year, with the All Ords Gold Index still up 22.1% in 12 months, compared to the 1.4% one-year losses posted by the ASX 200.

As for the three big Aussie gold miners I’d buy today, Newmont Corp (ASX: NEM) shares are down 8% in a month and up 45.3% in a year, while Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) shares are down 13.9% in a month and up 33.2% in a year.

It’s a bit of a different picture for Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares, which are down 9.5% in a month and also down 2% in a year.

As you may know, Northern Star has faced some difficulties on and below the ground this year. Those include lower grades at some of its mines as well as lower overall gold production for FY 2026.

But I believe the miner’s recent capex spend is set to pay off in FY 2027 and 2028, which should see a notable improvement in the share price performance.

What’s been pressuring the ASX 200 gold stocks?

The common headwind pressuring Northern Star, Newmont, and Evolution Mining shares over the past month has been a sharp retrace in the gold price.

Trading for US$4,294 per ounce today, the gold price is down 7.7% since 25 August.

The gold price is now also down around 21% from its record highs, posted on 28 January.

A lot of that fall can be pinned on the outbreak of the Iran war. The conflict has sent global energy prices surging, stoking inflation and pushing central banks, including the US Federal Reserve and the RBA, to increase interest rates. And gold, which pays no yield itself, tends to perform better in low or falling rate environments.

But the case for higher gold prices remains very much in play, which could usher in a big rebound for the recently beaten-down ASX 200 gold stocks.

What are the experts saying?

Hedge fund manager Raphael Lamm, who manages a long-short gold fund, expects that the falling gold price is likely to be short-lived.

Among the reasons Lamm expects a rebound in the price of bullion, which would also support ASX 200 gold stocks, is the “unsustainability of fiscal situations in key markets,” with the United States government debt recently topping US$40 trillion.

According to Lamm (quoted by Bloomberg):

While there’s been some headwinds to gold markets and the gold price since the Iran war, we think they’re very temporary in nature. Most of the key drivers of demand for gold are going to remain intact or even strengthen over the medium term…

We started to increase our long positions relatively aggressively when the gold price got below $4,000, and now we’re keeping it where it is, which is in the low- to mid-60% net long.

The post Why I’d buy the dip in top ASX 200 gold stocks like Newmont, Northern Star and Evolution Mining shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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.

Australia could be facing another two interest rate hikes before Christmas, and that has one economist worried.

According to The Australian, HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham has warned that the Australian economy could be heading for a difficult few months.

He believes the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) may need to lift rates again, despite signs of slowing growth.

And if he’s right, Aussies could be facing more than just higher mortgage repayments.

With the RBA meeting next Tuesday, his latest outlook gives borrowers and investors plenty to think about.

So, just how worried should Australians be?

HSBC sees recession risk climbing

Bloxham believes the RBA has a strong case to lift interest rates next week, followed by another increase in November.

But he warns that two more hikes could leave the Australian economy struggling to grow around the turn of the year.

He expects economic growth to come close to stalling in the December and March quarters.

That has him putting the risk of a technical recession at close to 50%.

A technical recession occurs when the economy contracts for two consecutive quarters.

For comparison, Bloomberg’s surveyed recession probability over the next 12 months is currently just 20%.

So, why is Bloxham particularly concerned?

He points to Australia’s weak productivity growth, which has left the economy with very little room to expand without pushing inflation higher.

Bloxham believes growth may need to slow considerably, or the economy may need to contract.

He says this could be necessary to bring underlying inflation back to target by late 2027.

Why are more rate hikes expected?

The RBA has already increased interest rates 3 times this year, taking the cash rate to 4.35%.

However, inflation remains above the central bank’s 2% to 3% target.

The latest ABS inflation figures showed annual headline inflation at 3.5% in July, while trimmed mean inflation remained at 3.6%. 

Higher oil prices and global inflation pressures are adding to the RBA’s concerns.

Earlier this week, RBA governor Michele Bullock warned that inflation risks were materialising, although she stopped short of committing to another rate increase. 

Meanwhile, yesterday’s employment report showed Australia’s unemployment rate increasing to 4.6% in August.

Employment rose by 39,500 people, but full-time employment declined by approximately 6,000. 

Those figures suggest the labour market is cooling, but inflation remains a concern.

What happens next?

The RBA will announce its next interest rate decision on Tuesday, 29 September.

But there’s another complication.

August’s inflation figures aren’t due until Wednesday, one day after the board meets.

That means policymakers will have to make their decision without another inflation reading.

The post Could two more RBA rate hikes push Australia into recession? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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HSBC Holdings 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 recommended HSBC Holdings. 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.