On Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought back from a poor start to end the day flat a fraction higher at 8,793.3 points.

Will the market be able to push on from this on Wednesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 to rise

The Australian share market looks set for a good session on Wednesday following a strong night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 22 points or 0.25% higher. In the United States, the Dow Jones rose 0.75%, the S&P 500 climbed 0.9%, and the Nasdaq stormed 1.3% higher.

Oil prices rise again

ASX 200 energy shares including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have another good session on Wednesday after oil prices charged higher again overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 2.1% to US$84.99 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 2.6% to US$91.51 a barrel. Traders bid oil prices to five-week highs following reports of more US-Iran attacks.

Buy Hub24 shares 

Bell Potter sees lots of value in Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) shares following the release of its quarterly update. This morning, the broker retained its buy rating and $110.00 price target on the investment platform provider’s shares. This implies potential upside of 35% for investors. It commented: “Our Buy recommendation is unchanged. Class is improving, with superannuation net inflows growing as a share, and boosting the result. The addition of retirement income streams (TAL) should support this trend and the result leaves FY27 target parts intact.”

Gold price rebounds

ASX 200 gold shares Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a good session on Wednesday after the gold price rebounded. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 1.8% to US$4,088.5 an ounce. The precious metal climbed amid hopes that there could be a de-escalation in Middle East tensions.

Quarterly updates

There are a number of ASX 200 shares that are scheduled to release quarterly updates on Wednesday. This includes gold miner Westgold Resources, rare earths producer Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC), and uranium producer Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN).

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

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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 Hub24. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have created significant wealth for long-term investors. Over the past decade, the mining giant’s share price has surged almost 235%, comfortably outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which gained around 60% over the same period.

But could Australia’s largest mining company repeat that performance and triple in value again by 2036? While predicting a decade of share price returns is impossible, BHP has several powerful long-term trends working in its favour.

Here are three reasons the mining giant could potentially deliver another market-beating run.

Demand for copper could drive the next growth phase

BHP has historically been known as a major iron ore producer, with its Western Australian operations generating billions of dollars in profits during periods of strong steel demand.

However, the future growth story of BHP shares is increasingly linked to copper. Copper is a critical commodity for electrification, renewable energy, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and global power networks. As economies transition towards lower-carbon energy systems, demand for copper is expected to rise significantly.

The mining giant has been positioning itself for this trend, including its acquisition of OZ Minerals in 2023, which strengthened its exposure to copper and other future-facing commodities.

If copper prices remain elevated and BHP successfully expands production, the commodity could become a major earnings driver over the next decade.

The asset base could keep generating cash

One of BHP’s biggest advantages is the quality and scale of its global operations. The company owns some of the world’s largest and lowest-cost mining assets, including its Western Australian iron ore operations, Olympic Dam copper-gold project, and Jansen potash development in Canada.

Low-cost producers typically have a major advantage through commodity cycles because they can remain profitable when weaker competitors struggle.

That financial strength has allowed BHP shares to consistently return billions of dollars to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks.

If commodity demand remains healthy, BHP’s ability to generate strong free cash flow could continue supporting shareholder returns well into the future.

Long-term resource demand could provide a tailwind

The world is becoming increasingly resource-intensive. Population growth, urbanisation, infrastructure investment, artificial intelligence, and energy security are all expected to support demand for commodities.

Even as the global economy changes, the need for raw materials remains essential. Data centres require enormous amounts of electricity and copper wiring, while renewable energy projects require significant quantities of metals. BHP’s scale means it is positioned to benefit from these long-term structural trends.

Of course, there are risks. Commodity prices are cyclical, China remains a major source of demand uncertainty, and large mining projects require significant capital investment.

A threefold return over 10 years would also require strong execution from management and favourable commodity conditions.

However, BHP has already demonstrated its ability to create substantial shareholder wealth over long periods. If copper demand accelerates, its growth projects deliver, and commodity markets remain supportive, another decade of strong returns may not be out of the question.

The post BHP shares have tripled in the past 10 years. Could history repeat itself over the next decade? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has positions in BHP Group. 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 BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX All Ords healthcare share Cogstate Ltd (ASX: CGS) has raced ahead of the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) over the past year.

In late trading on Tuesday, Cogstate shares were changing hands for $2.73 apiece. That sees the share price up 53.4% since market close on 21 June 2025, smashing the 0.7% 12-month gains posted by the benchmark index.

And according to Ellerston Capital Australian equities portfolio manager James Barker, the ASX All Ords healthcare share is well-positioned to deliver more outsized gains in the year ahead (courtesy of The Australian Financial Review).

Here’s why.

ASX All Ords healthcare share on the growth path

Commenting on Cogstate, a stock his fund owns, Barker said, “This is a relatively undiscovered business as most of its operations are in the US with large global pharma.”

As for what the company does, Barker explained:

The company has a digital cognitive assessment platform used in clinical trials for medicines targeting the central nervous system.

The business was historically focused on Alzheimer’s disease trials, but it has recently been expanding into other indications such as mood, sleep, psychiatry and rare diseases.

And Barker noted that the ASX All Ords healthcare share has been on the growth path.

“Last week [8 July] it gave an update that showed total contracts signed were up 116% on the prior year, with US$89 million (AU$127 million) of contracts sold for the year,” he said.

Summing up his bullish outlook on Cogstate shares, Barker concluded, “We see this as validation that the business is executing well; it’s profitable, generating cash and has a share buyback in place.”

What’s the latest from Cogstate?

Cogstate released its half-year results (H1 FY 2026) on 19 February.

Highlights for the six months to 31 December included a 12% year-on-year increase in revenue to $26.9 million. And earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $6.5 million were up 5% from H1 FY 2025.

On the bottom line, the ASX All Ords healthcare share reported a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $4.5 million, up 16% year on year.

As for the balance sheet, Cogstate held $34.1 million in cash as at 31 December.

“These results demonstrate Cogstate’s growing momentum and the increasing strength of our competitive position,” Cogstate CEO Brad O’Connor said on the day.

O’Connor added:

We’re seeing record levels of sales opportunities from an expanded customer base across more therapeutic indications, and those opportunities are converting into meaningful contract wins.

The post Up 53%, here’s why this ASX All Ords healthcare share is tipped for more outperformance 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 positions in and has recommended Cogstate. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Cogstate. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.