The Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price is in focus after the company reported a 13% rise in operating revenue to US$7,446 million and declared a fully franked interim dividend of 57 US cents per share for the half-year ended 30 June 2026.

What did Woodside Energy Group Ltd report?

• Operating revenue rose 13% to US$7,446 million (H1 2025: US$6,590 million)
• Net profit after tax (NPAT) was US$1,672 million, up 27% from H1 2025
• Underlying NPAT of US$1,334 million, a 7% increase year-on-year
• EBITDA (excluding impairment) was US$4,647 million
• Free cash flow of US$352 million, up from US$136 million a year ago
• Fully franked interim dividend of 57 US cents per share (80% payout ratio)

What else do investors need to know?

Woodside delivered strong production of 86.5 million barrels of oil equivalent, although this was a 13% decline from last year due to planned turnaround and cyclone impacts. Unit production costs rose to US$8.8 per barrel of oil equivalent. Key major projects progressed well, with Scarborough 98% complete and on track for first LNG cargo in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Trion project offshore Mexico reached 64% completion, and Louisiana LNG reported 28% completion.

The balance sheet remains robust with liquidity of US$8,189 million. Gearing increased slightly to 20.6%, just outside the target range, due in part to new lease liabilities and hedge settlements. The interim dividend represents a yield of 5.9% and the dividend reinvestment plan remains suspended.

What did Woodside Energy Group Ltd management say?

Woodside’s CEO, Liz Westcott, said:

We once again delivered strong production, cash flow and shareholder returns, while continuing to execute the next phase of growth. Keeping our people safe remains our highest priority… The Scarborough Energy Project is now 98% complete and remains on track to deliver first LNG cargo in the fourth quarter of 2026.

As we focus on Woodside’s next phase of disciplined delivery, we have announced a series of actions to lift performance and sharpen our focus on value. We have set an annual cost savings target of $350 million from 2028 to be delivered through the structured review of our business.

What’s next for Woodside Energy Group Ltd?

Looking ahead, Woodside reaffirmed full-year production and capital expenditure guidance. The company expects to complete key projects including Scarborough, Trion, and Louisiana LNG in line with previously announced timelines. Woodside continues work on asset portfolio optimisation, decommissioning activities, and expansion into lower-carbon and new energy opportunities.

The company is targeting cost savings of $350 million per year from 2028, with a renewed focus on operational discipline. Woodside is also progressing regulatory and development work on the Browse and Sunrise projects, as well as sustainability initiatives—aiming to underpin long-term returns for shareholders.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd share price snapshot

The Woodside share price has beaten the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) with a gain of around 25% over the past 12 months.

View Original Announcement

The post Woodside Energy half-year results: US$1,672 million profit and 57 US cents dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• How much passive income can I earn off a $900,000 superannuation balance?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Woodside Energy Group Ltd. 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. 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.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) is a leading exchange-traded fund (ETF) for Australians wanting passive income.

The S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) is weighted towards a number of businesses with large dividend yields, which means VAS ETF investors get decent diversification as well as a solid dividend yield.

Many international-focused ETFs have very low dividend yields because the businesses inside those portfolios also have low dividend yields. ETFs simply pass through the dividends they receive to unitholders.

Thanks to the VAS ETF’s holdings, the investment can provide a pleasing distribution yield.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF has a large dividend yield

Dividends are not guaranteed of course, but payouts can be much more consistent than capital growth because dividends are funded from earnings but capital growth requires share prices to rise, which can be unpredictable at the best of times with the share market.

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF regularly tells investors the fund’s dividend yield, which is the weighted average yield of the shares it holds. In other words, its largest holdings of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) play a much more important role in the yield of the VAS ETF than the two smallest positions.

Nearly all of the top 10 holdings inside the VAS ETF pay pleasing passive income, in my view. That includes BHP, CBA, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG). Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS). Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) is the only one with a low yield.

According to Vanguard, the VAS ETF had a dividend yield of 3.1% at the end of July 2026. Compared to many other broad-based ETFs, that’s an attractively high dividend yield.

How many VAS ETF units to pay for $10,000 of passive income?

With a dividend yield of 3.1%, an investor would need to own a sizeable amount of VAS ETF to generate $10,000 of dividends each year.

Currently, an investor would need to own 2,867 VAS ETF units to generate that much passive income.

I think the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF is a solid investment option for the long-term, with low management fees, around 300 holdings and a track record of decent returns, though it could be helpful to look at other ASX shares with strong growth potential.

The post How many Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) units do I need to buy for $10,000 of passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How much super do you need to retire on $100,000 a year?
• How I’d make investing easy with Vanguard ETFs
• Top 3 ASX ETFs for a first-time investor in 2026
• How to turn $10,000 into $100,000 with ASX shares
• Is $2 million really the new superannuation target?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 Goodman Group, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group, Goodman Group, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR) share price is in focus today after the company lifted adjusted EBITDA by 96.5% to $28.1 million and grew revenue 22% (constant currency, organic) to $266.1 million in FY26, highlighting strong profitability and expansion of its Smart Platform.

What did SiteMinder report?

• Revenue up 22.0% (cc, organic) to $266.1 million (reported growth 18.6%)
• Adjusted EBITDA up 96.5% to $28.1 million; margin expanded to 10.6%
• Net loss improved to ($11.3) million, down from ($24.5) million in FY25
• Annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 24.1% (cc, organic) to $313.7 million
• Adjusted free cash flow more than doubled to $10.5 million
• Transaction revenue up 34% (cc, organic); Smart Platform adoption surged

What else do investors need to know?

SiteMinder delivered this performance despite a stronger Australian dollar and ongoing global travel challenges. Over 85% of customer billings are in foreign currencies, making constant currency metrics a clearer guide to underlying results.

Smart Platform products saw rapid adoption. Dynamic Revenue Plus supported over 50,000 hotel rooms, Channels Plus grew its hotel count by 43% year-on-year, and ARPU climbed 9.3% (constant currency, organic) to $429. Net property additions brought SiteMinder’s total to 56,000 global hotel customers.

Improved margins reflected disciplined Smart Platform investment and broader use of AI. Lifetime value (LTV) increased, as did LTV/CAC ratio, while adjusted group gross margin reached 67.2%.

What did SiteMinder management say?

CEO and Managing Director Sankar Narayan said:

SiteMinder’s FY26 performance builds on three years of sustained progress. Subscription and transaction ARR growth have exceeded 15% and 30%, respectively, on a constant-currency and organic basis in each of those years, while adjusted EBITDA has improved by more than $50 million with margins expanding from negative 14.5% to positive 10.6%. This demonstrates the strength and scalability of our business and provides a durable foundation for continued growth and margin expansion. With continued momentum across the Smart Platform, a strong product pipeline and go-to-market engine, and significant opportunities to apply AI across our operations and product suite, we are well positioned to build on our strong performance and create long-term value for shareholders.

What’s next for SiteMinder?

Looking ahead, SiteMinder expects its adjusted EBITDA margin to keep expanding in FY27 and reach the mid-20% range by FY30. ARR is targeted to continue growing in the 20% range (CAGR) over the next four years, fueled by strong Smart Platform uptake and AI-driven efficiencies.

Management is rolling out further optimisation features for the Smart Platform and new B2B distribution support, aiming to deepen customer adoption and broaden global reach. AI use is set to accelerate across both product and internal operations, supporting ongoing margin gains and scalable growth.

SiteMinder share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, SiteMinder shares have declined 30%, trailing the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

View Original Announcement

The post SiteMinder: FY26 profit nearly doubles, revenue jumps 22% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 excellent ASX shares I would buy and hold for 10 years or more

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 SiteMinder. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended SiteMinder. 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 summary of the company announcement. 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.