CAR Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) has come a long way from the Australian classifieds business many investors still associate with carsales.com.au.

Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) share owns leading automotive marketplaces across several major international markets.

I think that global expansion could give the company plenty more room to grow over the next decade.

The model has travelled well

What first catches my attention is that CAR Group has managed to take what worked in Australia and build a much larger international business around it.

The company now operates major marketplaces in Australia, South Korea, Brazil, and North America. Importantly, management says its brands hold the number-one audience position in each market where they operate.

That scale can create a powerful cycle.

Car buyers gravitate towards marketplaces with plenty of vehicles to choose from. Dealers want to advertise where the buyers are. More dealers then bring more inventory, giving consumers another reason to return.

CAR Group now attracts an average monthly audience of around 52 million people across its marketplaces. I think that figure is worth highlighting because it shows how far the opportunity has expanded beyond Australia.

There is also still room to build more services around these audiences, rather than relying solely on charging for vehicle advertisements.

It can become more valuable to dealers

I think the next stage of this ASX 200 share’s story could increasingly be about helping dealers run their businesses.

The company already sits between dealers and millions of potential buyers, giving it access to information about vehicle demand, pricing, enquiries, and how quickly particular cars sell.

It is now using that data to develop tools that can help dealers decide which vehicles to acquire, how to price them, and which enquiries deserve the most attention.

That moves CAR Group further into the daily operations of its customers.

For me, this could strengthen the relationship considerably. A dealer using the platform to advertise vehicles is valuable. A dealer relying on CAR Group to source inventory, set prices, manage leads, and improve turnover could be worth much more over time.

AI could strengthen an advantage it already has

Artificial intelligence (AI) provides another opportunity, although I think CAR Group’s approach is more interesting than simply adding an AI feature to its website.

The company has decades of proprietary information covering listings, prices, enquiries, consumer behaviour, and vehicle transactions across its markets. Management is using this data to power its own AI platform.

The early applications are practical.

Its conversational search tool is helping people find vehicles using natural language, while AI is also being used to improve dealer listings, respond to enquiries, and provide pricing intelligence. CAR Group says users of its AI-led search are four times more likely to submit a lead.

I think this is where the company’s scale becomes particularly valuable. The technology itself will continue evolving, but CAR Group owns data and customer relationships that have taken years to build.

That could allow AI to make an already strong marketplace more effective rather than forcing the company to create an entirely new business.

Foolish takeaway

CAR Group is the sort of ASX 200 share I find increasingly attractive the further ahead I look.

It has already shown that its marketplace model can succeed internationally, and the opportunity is now expanding into dealer technology, transactions, data, and AI.

If CAR Group keeps becoming more important to both buyers and sellers, I think today’s business could look surprisingly small compared with what it becomes by 2036.

That is a growth story I would be happy to buy and give plenty of time.

The post Could this ASX 200 share be one of the best long-term buys? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 recommended CAR Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) share price had its best day in recent memory on Tuesday.

The biotech giant’s shares ended the day 17% higher at $157.82 following the release of its FY 2026 results.

Is it too late to buy CSL shares? Let’s see what Bell Potter is saying.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter notes that CSL delivered a result in line with guidance for FY 2026. And while weak on paper, the broker was pleased to see the key CSL Behring business rebound in the second half. It said:

NPATA declined -2% to $3.14b (cc) and was in line with $3.1b guidance. Revenue declined -1% to $15.37b (cc) and was above the $15.2b guidance. FX lifted reported revenue to $15.8b (above VA cons and BPe of $15.4b) but dragged down reported NPATA to $3.10b (in line with VA cons and BPe of $3.1b). 

The biggest highlight was in Behring, particularly the rebound in 2H26 Ig sales (+7% at cc or +11% reported) and to a lesser degree albumin declining less than feared (-5% at cc or -1% reported). The excess Ig supply imbalance that was prevalent earlier in CY26 now appears to have largely returned to normalcy based on comments from CSL and its main rivals Takeda and Grifols. Behring gross margin however continued to face pressures, with 2H gross margin of 48.2% the lowest half-yearly result since at least FY17.

The broker also highlights that CSL’s FY 2027 guidance was above expectations. It adds:

FY27 guidance for underlying NPAT +5% (cc) is above the +1% growth consensus had been expecting based on the old metric of NAPTA, hence the downgrade cycle has likely eased for the first time in several results despite the expected drag from Vifor in FY27. Investors will have also been buoyed by FY27 guidance for Behring growth at mid-single digits and an expectation of a turnaround in the Behring GM by ~70bps. We have revised our forecasts following the result and guidance, resulting in upgrades of 8%/6%/6% at the NPATA line across FY27/28/29.

Is the CSL share price in the buy zone?

Despite the positives, Bell Potter is sitting on the fence when it comes to the CSL share price.

According to the note, the broker has retained its hold rating with an improved price target of $150.00 (from $120.00).

Commenting on its recommendation, Bell Potter believes that CSL’s shares are fully valued at current levels. It said:

Based on the new underlying NPAT metric, CSL trades on a PE multiple of ~19x FY26 and ~18x FY27 earnings, with flat revenue growth and low-to-mid single digit earnings growth expected for FY27. While the result today suggests the worst (by way of earnings declines) is in the rear-view for CSL, we find it difficult to justify a greater premium than is now being attributed relative to global biopharma peers.

The post Is the CSL share price in the buy zone after the biotech giant’s results? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have had a tough two week run.

In late afternoon trade on Tuesday, shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stock were down 1.3%, changing hands for $162.84 apiece.

That marks the eighth consecutive day of losses for Australia’s biggest bank stock. And it sees CBA shares down 9.5% since market close on 6 August, the last day the stock closed in the green.

That’s certainly unwelcome news for longer-term shareholders.

But if you bought shares in the ASX 200 bank yesterday, and held them at market close, then you’ll be getting the all-time high dividend payout management declared when CommBank released its full year FY 2026 results last Wednesday, 12 August.

CBA stock trades ex-dividend today. And at recent share price levels you’ll be getting a significantly higher yield than if you’d bought the stock two weeks ago.

Among the more impressive figures from CBA’s FY 2026 results, the big four bank reported a 6.2% year-on-year increase in operating income to $30.2 billion.

And with profits up as well, management declared a fully franked dividend of $2.70 per share. That represents a 3.9% increase from last year and marks a record passive income payout from the company.

At the recent share price of $162.84, the final dividend alone offers a yield of 1.7%. Eligible stockholders can expect to receive that payout on 29 September.

Of course, that rising dividend means little if CBA’s share price continues to decline in the first half of FY 2027.

Which brings us back to our headline question.

CBA shares: Buy, hold or sell?

Dolphin Partners Financial Services’ Arthur Garipoli recently analysed the outlook for Australia’s biggest bank stock (courtesy of The Bull).

“Cash net profit after tax of $10.982 billion in full year 2026 was up 7% on the prior corresponding period. The net interest margin of 2.05% was down 3 basis points,” he noted of the bank’s full year results.

As for his sell recommendation on CBA shares, Garipoli said:

The bank acknowledged growth is slowing in response to higher interest rates and inflation placing uneven pressure on household incomes and economic activity.

Home loan applications since the federal budget in May fell 15%.

And despite the recent share price decline, Garipoli still has concerns over CBA’s valuation.

He concluded:

CBA is a high-quality bank, but an uncertain Australian economy leaves a challenging outlook at this point. We believe the bank is trading on a stretched valuation, so it may be prudent to lock in some profits.

CBA stock trades on a price to earnings (P/E) ratio of around 26 times, the highest among the big four ASX 200 bank stocks.

The post With $30 billion in FY26 income, should I buy CBA shares today? 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 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.