ASX All Ords healthcare share Monash IVF Group Ltd (ASX: MVF) has enjoyed a solid rebound since getting hammered in March and April 2025.

Trading for 72 cents a share in late afternoon trade on Monday, Monash IVF shares have gained more than 22% since market close on 19 November. For some context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has gained 3.6% over this same time.

Atop that share price rebound, Monash IVF also paid out a 1.2 cent per share fully franked dividend to eligible stockholders on 10 April.

If we add that back in to Tuesday’s share price, then the accumulated value of the stock is up 24.1% since 19 November.

Looking ahead, however, Bell Potter Securities’ Christopher Watt forecasts a more difficult run over the coming months (courtesy of The Bull).

Time to exit this ASX All Ords healthcare share?

“The fertility services company recently downgraded fiscal year 2026 guidance,” Watt said. “It now expects underlying net profit after tax [NPAT] to range between $17 million and $18 million.”

Monash IVF reported that adjustment, down from prior FY 2026 NPAT guidance of $20 million, on 12 June.

Management noted that the primary driver for the lowered FY 2026 earnings outlook was lower than expected Australian assisted reproductive technology (ART) market activity in the second half of the financial year.

Addressing the slowdown, Monash IVF CEO Victoria Atkinson said “Monash IVF has increased its Australian stimulated cycle market share during this period and has taken steps to reduce costs and improve operational performance.”

But Bell Potter’s Watt still foresees potential headwinds over the medium-term.

Summarising his sell recommendation on the ASX All Ords healthcare share, Watt said:

Across the Australian market, stimulated cycle volumes were down 4.7% on a rolling three-month basis to the end of April when compared to the prior corresponding period. Cost-of-living pressures and declining birth rates are structural headwinds for the whole industry.

New leadership has a genuine reset opportunity, but until there’s evidence of an industry-wide recovery, I remain cautious.

Consider this surging ASX stock instead

Rather than buying ASX All Ords healthcare share Monash IVF, Watt recommended that investors consider buying ASX energy services provider GenusPlus Group (ASX: GNP)

“GNP appeals following the acquisition of MPC Kinetic Holdings, which broadens the business beyond electrical infrastructure and into gas, water and renewable energy services,” he said.

Summarising his buy recommendation on GenusPlus shares, Watt concluded:

The deal adds scale, recurring customer relationships and complementary civil capability, while also improving the earnings outlook. With upgraded guidance, manageable leverage and exposure to major infrastructure investment, GenusPlus remains well placed to deliver growth from existing operations and future contract wins.

With a strong contracted position and the tailwind of tighter east-coast gas, I believe there’s still upside to consensus.

As of late trade on Monday, GenusPlus shares are up 180% over the past 12 months.

The post Up 21% since November, should I buy this dividend paying ASX All Ords healthcare share today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX healthcare shares to sell despite signs of sector rebound
• Down 50%: Is this ASX stock a buy?
• Up 200%! Is it too late to buy this ASX stock? Bell Potter says it isn’t

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

There is a number that haunts Australian retirement planning. For years it was $1 million. Now it is the ASFA benchmark. Either way, the message lands the same: you are probably behind.

So when your superannuation balance reads $500,000, it is easy to assume the answer is no.

But that headline figure hides something important.

The benchmark everyone quotes assumes you fund your entire retirement yourself. Most Australians do not.

The benchmark only tells half the story

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) says a single homeowner needs about $630,000 in super for a comfortable retirement, while a couple needs roughly $730,000. Those targets buy a genuinely good lifestyle: private health cover, a reasonable car, the odd holiday, and regular dinners out.

On paper, $500,000 falls short of the single figure.

Here is the part the benchmark quietly builds in. Those numbers already assume you receive a part Age Pension on top of your own drawdown. The pension is not a backstop you hope to avoid. It is baked into the maths.

And it is more generous than many people expect. From 20 March 2026, the maximum single rate is around $31,200 per year, while a couple can receive close to $47,000 combined, including supplements.

That changes the conversation entirely.

Single or couple changes everything

This is where $500,000 splits into two very different stories.

A single homeowner with $500,000 sits above the full-pension assets threshold of $321,500, but well below the part-pension cut-off of $722,000. They would draw a part Age Pension, then top it up from their super. Combine a sensible drawdown with that pension and the result lands comfortably above a modest lifestyle, though still shy of the full comfortable benchmark.

A couple with $500,000 between them is a different picture. Their combined balance sits just above the full-pension assets threshold of $481,500. That points to close to the full couple Age Pension, plus drawdown from their super. Together, that can push annual income within striking distance of the comfortable couple standard.

Same balance. Two outcomes. The difference is simply who is drawing on it.

The real variable is you

Numbers like these are starting points, not verdicts.

Owning your home outright matters enormously, because rent in retirement can swallow a large share of any budget. Retiring at 67 rather than 60 matters too, since every early year is a year you fund alone before the pension begins.

Then there is the question only you can answer. What does your version of comfortable actually cost?

Some retirees are content below the ASFA comfortable line. Others want more travel and more margin for the unexpected. $500,000 can stretch a long way for one person and feel tight for another.

The case for aiming higher

None of this is an argument to stop at $500,000.

A larger balance is not about luxury. It is a margin of safety. The cost of living rarely moves backwards, and a bigger buffer absorbs the steady climb in groceries, energy, and healthcare without forcing you to cut back.

The years before you finish work can be the most powerful stretch of your investing life. Invest well through them, and over the long run the share market has rewarded those who stay the course.

The Foolish takeaway

So, can you retire on $500,000 of super in 2026?

For some Australians, the honest answer is yes, with help. The Age Pension does far more heavy lifting than the headline benchmarks suggest, especially for couples who own their home.

It may not fund a luxurious retirement, and markets will never move in a straight line. But comfortable and secure is well within reach for plenty of people sitting on this balance.

The figure that matters is not the one the headlines fixate on. It is the income your super and the pension generate together, set against the life you want to live.

$500,000 is not the finish line everyone fears. For some, it is already enough.

The post Can you really retire on $500,000 of super in 2026? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• I’d invest $500 a month in ASX 200 shares to retire early
• Should I buy the NDQ ETF or the VAS ETF?
• Up 1,700% and more, what’s next for these ASX 200 shares?
• WiseTech shares just crashed. Can investors look past the company’s governance issues?
• Could this be the best ASX dividend share to buy now?

Motley Fool contributor Leigh Gant 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 iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week with a small decline. The benchmark index dropped 0.15% to 8,816.1 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rise on Tuesday despite a relatively poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 18 points or 0.2% higher. In the United States, the Dow Jones rose 0.3%, but the S&P 500 dropped 0.4% and the Nasdaq sank 1.3%.

A2 Milk shares given hold rating

A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) shares are fully valued according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its hold rating with an improved price target of $6.90 (from $6.75). It said: ” At current share price levels the stock sits at the more expensive side of the consumer sector (on a FY25-28e PEG ratio) and is likely to be materially more volatile given the polarising views on earnings expectations into the August guidance statement. Our forecasts largely split the divide and for this reason our Hold rating is unchanged.”

Oil prices fall

ASX 200 energy shares including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a poor session after oil prices dropped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 1.8% to US$75.19 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 2.8% to US$78.33 a barrel. This follows reports that US-Iran talks are going well.

Gold price softens

ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a soft session after the gold price weakened overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 1% to US$4,205.3 an ounce. Inflation and rate hike concerns continue to weigh on the precious metal.

Buy EOS shares

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) shares are good value according to Bell Potter. In response to the announcement of a US$124 million (A$175 million) Slinger counter-drone contract, the broker has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $12.50 (from $10.60). It said: ” We retain our Buy rating and raise our TP to $12.50/sh. EOS is positioned as a market leader across many C-UAS verticals and is leveraged to increasing defence budget allocations to C-UAS technologies. The conditional JV announcement presents a clear path towards producing HELW systems at scale and is therefore a significant development. We expect further JV’s to be signed over the coming years. The agreement suggests there is a strong likelihood of major HELW order intake over the next 12 months from the UAE.”

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 1,700% and more, what’s next for these ASX 200 shares?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• ASX 200 stuck in the red as investors wait for US lead
• With the gold price up on Monday, are Northern Star shares a good buy now?
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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 Electro Optic Systems. 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.