Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) shares are pushing higher on Tuesday after the media company gave investors something new to weigh up.

At the time of writing, the Nine share price is up 1.87% to 92.7 cents.

It is only a modest gain, but shareholders will take it. Nine shares are still down 17% since the start of 2026 and 43% over the past year.

Here’s what the company announced.

NRL rights locked in

According to the release, Nine has signed an agreement for NRL and NRLW broadcast rights from 2028 through to the 2034 seasons.

Under the agreement, Channel 9 and 9Now will keep their current NRL coverage. That includes 3 live NRL games each week, the Finals Series, and Test matches played in Australia.

The NRL Grand Final and State of Origin will continue to be shown exclusively on Channel 9 and 9Now.

Nine has also secured exclusive free-to-air and free streaming rights to 33 live NRLW games, the NRLW finals, and Women’s State of Origin.

What Nine is paying

Nine said the annual cost will be $145 million in cash. This will be partly offset by $10 million in committed annual NRL advertising and other services, as well as $15 million each year in contra.

Live sport remains one of the few things that can still pull big audiences at the same time. Rugby league is also a major part of Nine’s broadcast schedule.

The company said men’s streaming and broadcast audiences have increased across all formats. Rugby league also delivered double-digit revenue growth for Nine in the 2025 season compared with 2024.

Why are Nine shares only up a little?

The Nine share price gain isn’t huge, and that probably comes down to the cost of the deal.

Investors knew Nine was chasing the NRL rights, so the agreement itself is not a major surprise. The bigger question is how much value Nine can pull from the content over the life of the deal.

That leaves the focus on what Nine can do with the rights from here.

Advertising conditions are still uneven, and Nine will need rugby league to keep driving audiences, revenue growth, and 9Now engagement to make the extra spend worthwhile.

Can Nine shares recover?

The deal doesn’t solve all of Nine’s problems, but it does take a big risk off the table.

Losing rugby league would have been a bad result. It is a major part of Nine’s free-to-air and streaming schedule, and still one of the better ways to bring in big live audiences.

Nine now has the rights locked in through to 2034, across both the men’s and women’s competitions. That should help 9Now, the broadcast business, and the way Nine sells advertising around its sports coverage.

Nonetheless, after a 43% fall over the past year, the share price still has plenty of work to do. But this is one less thing investors have to worry about.

The post Why this beaten-down ASX media stock is rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 recommended Nine Entertainment. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares are continuing their impressive run on Tuesday.

At the time of writing, the ASX 200 tech stock is up 10.43% to $39.06. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is relatively flat at 8,833 points.

WiseTech shares have now climbed 15% over the past week, although they remain down 43% since the start of 2026.

After such a heavy fall this year, the latest gain suggests investors are responding to signs of progress.

So, what did WiseTech announce?

Richard White hands over the chair role

According to the release, Raelene Murphy has been appointed Independent Chair with immediate effect.

Murphy only joined the WiseTech board at the start of this year, but has already been moved into a bigger role. She became lead Independent Director in May and is now taking over the chair position.

However, White isn’t stepping away from the company. He will remain on the board as an Executive Director and continue as Chief Innovation Officer.

This means he will still be involved in the parts of WiseTech that investors probably care about most, including product, technology, and growth.

White said recent personal media attention had become an unnecessary distraction from the strength of the business. He also repeated that he denies the recent allegations reported in the media.

Board renewal continues

In addition, WiseTech advised that it isn’t finished with the board changes just yet.

The company said it is still searching for another independent non-Executive Director.

Since March 2025, Chris Charlton, Sandra Hook, Rob Castaneda, and Murphy have all been appointed as independent non-Executive Directors.

Once the next appointment is made, WiseTech will have a total of 5 Independent Directors on its board.

That should help answer some of the governance concerns that have followed the company over the past year.

WiseTech also pointed to Zubin Appoo’s appointment as CEO in July 2025 as part of its wider succession planning.

The board commented:

Appoo has demonstrated strong leadership since taking on the CEO role, and said it is comfortable with the progress of its executive succession plan.

The business is still growing

Away from the board headlines, WiseTech is still a major global software business.

The company provides software for the logistics, global trade, and supply chain industries. It serves more than 22,000 logistics companies and other industry participants across 193 countries.

And its latest half-year result also showed why investors haven’t completely given up on the stock.

In 1H26, revenue increased 76% to US$672 million, helped by e2open and growth in CargoWise. EBITDA rose 31% to US$252.1 million, although statutory net profit fell 36% to US$68.1 million.

Despite the mixed results, WiseTech is a growing business.

Keep in mind, the underlying business has not changed. If anything, investors now have a better reason to focus on the growth still coming through.

The post WiseTech shares surge 10% as Richard White steps back from chair role appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have been fairly resilient so far this year. 

At the time of writing, the ASX bank stock is down slightly, around 0.1%, to $164.57 a piece. For the year to date, however, the shares are still around 2% higher.

CBA shares rocked higher in mid-February after the bank posted an unexpectedly-positive half-year FY26 result. The bank shares were relatively unchanged over the next few months, even in the face of higher inflation and headwinds flowing out from volatility in the Middle East. 

But then, in early-May, CBA shares tanked following a disappointing third-quarter capital update. Investors were spooked by the results at the time and rushed to sell up their shares.

The downturn was short lived though. CBA shares rebounded by the end of May and have stayed relatively consistent since.

It’s clear that CBA shares are still in favour. It’s likely CBA’s safe-haven appeal that continues to appeal to investors. In times of market chaos, investors typically flock to well-known and large-scale stocks.

The problem is that CBA shares have been widely considered overvalued for some time now. CBA is currently trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio over 26, making it one of the most expensive banking stocks globally. The bumper price tag isn’t supported by the bank’s core strength or earnings either.

Brokers are bearish, with some expecting CBA shares to fall to just $90 a piece over the next 12 months. 

I wouldn’t add CBA shares to my portfolio right now. But the good news is that there are two other ASX bank shares tipped to outperform this year.

I’d buy these ASX bank stocks instead

Analysts expect all the big four banks’ shares, and some mid-tier bank stocks, to decline throughout the second half 2026. 

Data shows that experts think CBA shares carry the most downside risk, with a downside of up to 45% at the time of writing, to $90 each.

But there are two ASX bank shares tipped to travel in the opposite direction this year.

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) is the only S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank share that brokers think can keep climbing higher over the next 12 months. Market Index data shows the majority of brokers have a buy rating on Macquarie shares. The $253.54 average target price implies a potential 1% upside, at the time of writing.

And then there is Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO). Brokers are very bullish on the outlook for Judo Bank shares, with the majority holding a buy rating, according to Market Index data. The average $1.60 target price currently implies an impressive 80% potential upside ahead over the next 12 months.

What sets Macquarie and Judo Bank apart from the rest?

Macquarie is the fifth-largest ASX 200 bank by market capitalisation, and it is incredibly diversified. The bank does more than just banking; it also provides financial, advisory, investment, and fund management services across 34 markets globally. 

That means it has exposure to commodities trading, infrastructure deals, asset management, and capital markets across multiple regions.

Unlike CBA, Macquarie isn’t reliant on lending margins. Its diversity also means that it can remain stable, or even benefit, when markets are going through periods of volatility.

Meanwhile, Judo Bank works differently to its peers. Unlike many other banks in the sector, Judo Bank was built to focus on providing financial services and lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These SMEs have annual turnovers of up to $100 million.

The bank was founded in 2016 and received its banking license in 2019. That means it’s relatively new in comparison to the majors. It was listed on the ASX in 2021.

The bank provides business lending starting at $250,000 and touts itself as providing more flexibility than major banks. It also offers personal term deposit products and home loans.

The post Forget CBA shares, I’d buy these ASX bank stocks instead 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 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.