S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are 0.8% lower at 8,691.8 points on Thursday.

Here are some new expert recommendations on three ASX stocks.

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

The Lovisa share price is steady at $24.52 today, and down 36% over 12 months. 

Bell Potter upgraded this ASX consumer discretionary share from hold to buy.

The broker kept its price target at $27.

Analyst Chami Ratnapala said: 

While we remain cautious on the current weak consumer landscape and investments into market share & store refits to mitigate competitive pressures in key markets, we see a higher tolerance re accessibility from a low price point perspective together with a strong gross margin.

Post the market sell-off, we think the current valuation at ~22x FY27e P/E (BPe) which is a ~20% discount to LOV’s recent mid-cycle P/E as BPe of 28.5x appears attractive, and we upgrade our recommendation to BUY.

BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL)

The Bluescope share price is $30.44, up 1.4% today and up 35% over 12 months. 

Andrew Wielandt from DP Wealth Advisory has a hold rating on this ASX 200 materials share. 

Wielandt said (courtesy The Bull):  

BlueScope delivered a strong result in full year 2026. Underlying earnings before interest and tax increased to $1.273 billion, supported by stronger US steel production, margins and a record Southeast Asian performance.

Management delivers disciplined cost management. We expect free cash flow to improve and and support total shareholder returns.

However, BSL remains a cyclical business. Despite the business performing well, the operating environment remains volatile, which is behind our hold recommendation.

Echo IQ Ltd (ASX: EIQ)

The Echo IQ share price is 69 cents, up 7% today and up 260% over 12 months. 

Bell Potter downgraded this ASX tech share from speculative hold to speculative sell.

The broker slashed its 12-month price target from $1.75 to 30 cents.

Analyst John Hester said:

The company’s 510(k) application for registration of EchoSolv HF has been rejected by the FDA.

The agency issued a detailed ‘Not Substantially Equivalent’ notice which describes the reasons for its decision.

The company revealed little regarding the contents of the NSE and only highlighted disagreement on matters of statistical
analysis.

EIQ intends to hold further dialogue with the Agency in order to determine if there is a path forward, hence it created an expectation for a future approval either via a resubmission of the 510(k) or alternative registration pathway.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Echo IQ, Bluescope Steel, Lovisa shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top broker names 2 growing ASX dividend shares to buy now
• Down 65%: Is it a good time to buy this exciting ASX tech stock?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Lovisa vs Universal Store shares: Which ASX retail stock is the better buy today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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 Lovisa. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Lovisa. 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) shares are down 0.9% to 8,689.1 points on Thursday.

Meanwhile, three experts share their views on three ASX 200 shares.

Let’s take a look.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

The Telix Pharmaceuticals share price is $16.02, down 0.4% today and up 4% over 12 months. 

Bell Potter has a buy rating on this ASX 200 healthcare share. 

Analyst John Hester said: 

TLX has announced a scrip-based merger with the privately owned ITM Group, based in Germany for consideration of up to US$2.35bn.

ITM is a leading manufacturer of therapeutic isotopes, including Lu-177, being the dominant therapeutic isotope for the treatment of cancers including for the Novartis blockbuster Pluvicto.

The merger creates a vertically integrated radiopharmaceutical company with enhanced capabilities across development, isotope production and global manufacturing.

[The merger] represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a dominant share in the supply of Lu-177 that is very difficult to replicate. While earnings may take a year or two to realise, the underlying value is obvious.

New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

The New Hope Corporation share price is $5.86, down 0.09% today and up 49% over 12 months. 

Morgans has a hold rating on this ASX 200 coal share.

The broker said: 

Cash surprise drives dividend beat – Strong operational delivery and a year-end cash balance of A$485m supported a fully franked 30cps final dividend, materially ahead of MorgansF (20cps) and consensus (14cps).

Operational performance exceeded expectations – NHC delivered record saleable coal production of 11.5Mt and coal sales of 11.8Mt, exceeding the top end of guidance and demonstrating the resilience of its operations despite disruptions throughout the year.

Strong run, balanced view – NHC shares have rallied 60% YTD, supported by stronger coal prices and improving market sentiment. While we remain constructive on thermal coal fundamentals, the recent share price performance may provide an opportunity for investors to crystallise some gains.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

The REA share price is $151.55, down 0.5% today and down 34% over 12 months. 

Morgans has a sell rating on this ASX 200 communications share. 

Analyst Michael Ardrey said:

Despite REA’s ability to generate strong results in challenged operating environments, we continue to see significant downside risk to listings volumes/earnings vs. company guidance and consensus and await further data points via lending volumes and market listings before re-considering our thesis.

The post Buy, hold, sell: New Hope, REA, Telix Pharmaceuticals shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Whitehaven Coal vs New Hope: Which ASX coal share offers better value today?
• Bought $5,000 worth of New Hope and BHP shares 5 years ago? Guess how much passive income you’ve already earned!
• Where to invest as interest rates charge higher
• Telix Pharmaceuticals vs Ramsay Healthcare: Which ASX healthcare stock made investors richer in 2026?
• Soul Patts vs BHP: Which ASX share is best for beginners?

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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 Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Just when it looked like oil prices might be settling down, Brent crude has made its way back towards US$103 a barrel.

As of Thursday morning, the global benchmark is trading at approximately US$102.92, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is changing hands at US$92.26.

Brent slipped below US$98 on Tuesday amid signs of improving Middle Eastern oil supplies, but it didn’t stay there long.

According to Trading Economics, Brent has gained around 11.7% over the past month and more than 48% over the past year.

That puts US$110 less than 7% away.

So, what’s driving the rebound?

Oil supply disruptions continue

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is still a long way from normal, and that’s keeping oil traders on edge.

According to Reuters, just 3 commodity vessels passed through the waterway on Tuesday, compared with 4 on Monday.

That’s 80% below the 10-day average of approximately 15 vessels.

All 3 were heading out of the Strait, although the figures don’t include ships travelling with their tracking systems switched off.

Before the conflict, approximately 1/5th of global oil and gas flows passed through the waterway.

With traffic still so low, getting oil out of the region remains difficult, and thus helping keep prices elevated.

Saudi Arabia gets oil moving again

There has been some good news on the supply side, with Saudi Arabia restarting its East-West oil pipeline.

This comes after drone attacks forced its closure earlier this month.

The pipeline had been transporting around 4 million barrels per day to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

However, operations have only resumed at reduced capacity of late.

It could apparently take another 6 to 8 weeks before the pipeline is fully operational again.

US oil inventories rise unexpectedly

The latest US inventory figures weren’t quite what analysts had expected.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that crude inventories increased by 3 million barrels to 426.4 million barrels last week.

Analysts had expected a decline of approximately 641,000 barrels.

Fuel stockpiles moved in the opposite direction, though.

Gasoline stockpiles fell by 1.7 million barrels. Distillate inventories, including diesel and heating oil, declined by 400,000 barrels.

US refineries also processed 519,000 fewer barrels per day, with utilisation falling to 94%.

Could Brent hit US$110?

I think US$110 is within reach, although much depends on what happens next between the US and Iran.

Just yesterday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would not surrender to the US, but remained open to diplomacy.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within 7 days if Washington eased military pressure.

The next level I’ll be watching is US$105. A move through there would put US$110 right in my view.

I expect more volatility along the way for now, but I do think oil prices have further to climb.

The post Oil prices are climbing again. Could Brent crude hit US$110? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• ASX 200 turns higher after a rocky start. Is a recovery on the table?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Best performing ASX 200 stock is up 350%. Can it keep rising?

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.