Xero vs Megaport shares: Which tech stock is right for a 20-year-old investor?

If you’re a young Aussie investor looking to pick up your next tech stock, Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) are two homegrown names you might have your eye on. Both have built innovative platforms and attracted plenty of attention — but they couldn’t be more different under the hood. Here’s how their investment cases stack up.

The case for Xero

Xero is a New Zealand-based software company specialising in cloud-based accounting software for small to medium-sized businesses. Since launching in 2006, Xero has helped transform the way businesses manage their finances, jumping onto the software-as-a-service wave early and expanding its market presence globally. As of its company profile, Xero is recognised as a leader in cloud accounting, offering flexible, subscription-based plans designed for business owners.

When I look at Xero’s key numbers, a few things stand out. It sports a sizeable market cap of $9.57 billion, making it a heavyweight in the Aussie tech scene. The company’s P/E ratio sits at 49.87 — definitely on the higher end, but not unheard of for high-growth tech firms. It has reported earnings per share (EPS) of -0.158, which is in the red. Xero does not currently pay a dividend, which means all profits and cash flow are being reinvested back into the business.

Lastly, Xero’s share price has taken a solid step back this year, with a Year To Date (YTD) return of -51.1%. That’s a big fall and could make it look like a bargain to some, but it’s also a reminder that tech investing can be volatile, especially if growth expectations reset.

The case for Megaport

Megaport operates in a different corner of the tech world, focusing on network-as-a-service infrastructure. It provides a global platform that lets customers connect to more than 1,100 data centres in 31 countries, mostly to link into major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Customers can spin up connections across continents in minutes, and Megaport has been hustling into new frontiers, such as the AI compute infrastructure space (according to its most recent public description, via its 2025 acquisition of Latitude.sh).

Fundamentally, Megaport’s market cap is $5.01 billion, so while it’s no minnow, it’s notably smaller than Xero. Its reported P/E ratio is a whopping 370.00, which would normally make my eyes water — but its EPS is also negative (-0.218), so there’s a clear disconnect here. Megaport hasn’t paid a dividend either, and for a company still likely prioritising market growth and new ventures, that’s no surprise. However, what really jumps out is its YTD return: up 78.7%. That’s the kind of meteoric rise that puts a lot of eyes (and speculation) on a stock.

Valuation comparison

There are a handful of metrics we can line up directly:

Metric	Xero	Megaport
Market Cap	$9.57 billion	$5.01 billion
P/E Ratio	49.87	370.00
Dividend Yield	0.00%	0.00%
EPS	-0.158	-0.218
YTD Return	-51.1%	78.7%

Both companies are unprofitable on a trailing basis (negative EPS), yet Xero’s P/E is at least tied to rapid revenue growth expectations, while Megaport’s eye-watering P/E suggests enthusiasm around its growth story — or perhaps a stretch in valuation. Note: Megaport’s reported P/E ratio may be based on a different earnings measure (e.g. underlying or forward earnings) than the EPS figure shown, which is why they may appear inconsistent.

No dividends are currently offered by either stock, so this is firmly a growth play either way.

Recent share price momentum

Comparing recent share price performance up to 7 October:

• Xero closed at $56.10 on 7 Oct 2026, posting a small gain of 0.7% for the day, but its YTD return sits at -51.1% — a big comedown.
• Megaport finished at $21.07 on the same date, up 0.29% for the session, and boasts a 78.7% YTD gain — a rocket year-to-date.

Which is the better buy?

If I were 20 and weighing up where to invest next, my pick would be Megaport. Here’s why: the company is delivering massive price momentum, has tapped into surging demand for cloud connectivity, and its recent move into AI infrastructure is the sort of “future-facing” pivot that could pay off over time. Yes, the P/E ratio appears sky high and the company still runs at a loss (as does Xero), but the market clearly has faith in Megaport’s growth runway right now.

Xero is a quality business with a strong competitive position and larger scale, but its negative YTD return and lack of short-term momentum make it less exciting for a young investor looking for the next wave. Both stocks carry the risks typical for high-growth, unprofitable tech names, and neither pays a dividend — but for me, Megaport’s innovation and year-to-date surge give it the edge for those keen on growth and disruption. Just don’t bet more than you’re prepared to see fluctuate — the excitement factor cuts both ways.

The post Xero vs Megaport: Which ASX tech stock suits young investors better? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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 Megaport and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial draft. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) has long been one of the most popular dividend shares on the ASX.

And with its enormous customer base, strong profitability, and history of returning billions of dollars to shareholders, it isn’t hard to see why.

But how much would you need invested in Australia’s largest bank to generate $10,000 in annual passive income? Let’s take a look.

Why CBA remains popular

When Australians think about dividend shares, CBA is usually one of the first names that comes to mind.

And for good reason. The banking giant has a long history of paying shareholders twice a year, with fully franked dividends that can provide a valuable source of passive income.

But a good dividend history is only part of the story.

What investors like about CBA is its ability to generate billions of dollars in annual profits, giving management plenty of capacity to reward shareholders while retaining enough capital to support the business.

And if those profits continue growing over time, there should be opportunities for dividends to increase as well.

Of course, there are no guarantees. A weaker economy, rising bad debts, or pressure on lending margins could weigh on earnings and dividends.

Nevertheless, CBA arguably has a lot going for it as a long-term income investment, even if its dividend yield isn’t among the highest on the ASX.

So, how much passive income could its shares generate over the next 12 months?

How many CBA shares would you need?

There’s no getting away from the fact that generating $10,000 in annual passive income from CBA shares would require a sizeable investment.

After all, while CBA has a strong dividend history, its shares aren’t offering a particularly high yield at current prices.

Based on its current share price of $149.29 and the consensus FY 2027 fully franked dividend forecast of $5.15 per share, investors are looking at a forward yield of approximately 3.45%.

That means an investor would need to own around 1,942 CBA shares to generate $10,000 in annual passive income, before considering any additional benefits from franking credits.

Buying that many shares today would cost approximately $289,921.

Could the passive income grow?

Looking further ahead, consensus estimates forecast CBA’s earnings and dividends to increase in FY 2028.

The market is forecasting earnings per share of $6.86, which will be up from $6.67 in FY 2027.

This is expected to support an increase in annual dividends to $5.30 per share.

For someone holding 1,942 shares, that would lift annual passive income to approximately $10,293 in FY 2028.

These are only forecasts and actual dividends will depend on CBA’s financial performance and economic conditions. But with its strong market position and history of returning profits to shareholders, CBA arguably remains one of the first ASX shares worth looking at when building a passive income portfolio.

The post How many CBA shares do I need to buy for $10,000 of passive income? 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 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.

Once again, it was a busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to a number of broker notes being released. 

Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR)

According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts have retained their buy rating on this mining royalties company’s shares with a trimmed price target of $4.75. This follows news that Deterra has announced the acquisition of a royalty on ~84% of Ivanhoe Electric’s Santa Cruz copper project for US$74.15 million in cash. Morgans values the Santa Cruz royalty at A$110 million or A$0.21 per share and expects it to be around 7% earnings accretive. Outside this, the broker sees Deterra Royalties as a formidable inflation hedge with upside leverage to metal prices. The Deterra Royalties share price ended the week at $3.92.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Another note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this cloud infrastructure company’s shares with an improved price target of $27.00. The broker made the move in response to Megaport lifting its FY 2027 EBITDA guidance by 25% following further contract wins. Morgans highlights that Megaport’s compute and network businesses continue to deliver above expectations, with three new AI infrastructure contracts boasting a total contract value of around $1 billion. Collectively, it believes these set a path for annualised EBITDA in excess of $850 million, which has led to a material increase in Morgans’ earnings per share forecasts. The Megaport share price was fetching $18.78 at Friday’s close.

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

Analysts at Bell Potter have retained their buy rating and $4.45 price target on this biotechnology company’s shares. According to the note, the broker has described Mesoblast as an enigma for most Australian long only institutions. This is despite having achieved multiple clinical trial successes, product approvals, and having revenues likely to exceed US$200 million in FY 2027. However, Bell Potter expects this information gap to close over the coming year as the company delivers on additional wins in the clinic. As a result, the broker sees now as a great time to snap up the company’s shares. The Mesoblast share price ended the week at $2.00.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Megaport. 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.