Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares closed in the red on Tuesday afternoon.

The bank shares fell around 0.4% for the day, ending at $170.49 a piece.

Thanks to a strong start to the year, the bank shares are up around 6% for the year to date, but they’re still around 4% lower than 12 months ago.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up around 1% year to date and roughly 1.5% higher than 12 months ago.

But brokers are pretty pessimistic about the outlook for CBA shares over the next 12 months. Market Index data shows that all brokers have a sell rating on the banking giant’s shares. The average $123.25 target price implies a potential 28% downside at the time of writing. 

It’s not good news for CBA shares. But regardless of where the stock will be in 12 months’ time, there are a few other reasons I think the ASX bank shares are a screaming buy right now.

Here are three of them.

1. CBA has defensive qualities

CBA is huge in scale. The bank sits in second place on the ASX 200, behind only BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) in terms of market capitalisation.

CBA is primarily a cyclical stock, but it has strong defensive qualities. Scarcity of quality stocks on the ASX also means investors tend to put major players, like CBA, on a pedestal. Its sheer scale often means investors generally consider it a safe haven when markets are unstable. 

We’ve seen this play out throughout 2026. Regardless of the business fundamentals and analyst outlooks, many investors will always favour and buy into CBA shares purely because it is Australia’s largest bank.

2. Consistent operational performance

Because CBA is a large-scale ASX bank stock with defensive qualities, its operational performance and earnings are mostly strong and consistent, even when markets are weaker. 

CBA posted its half-year results in February, where it revealed a 6% increase in cash net profit to $5,445 million. The result was far better than the market expected and demonstrated core banking business growth. 

The latest update from the bank was for the three months to 31 March 2026. It reported statutory net profit of $2.6 billion, while cash net profit was $2.7 billion – this was up 4% year on year, but down 1% on the quarterly average of the FY26 first half.

But the bank also reported growth in both loans and deposits. Annual growth to March 2026 saw business lending grow by 12.5%, household deposits grow by 9.1%, and home lending increase by 7.1%.

3. The bank pays a reliable passive income

CBA’s huge scale and consistent operational performance have enabled the bank to generate a long history of paying regular fully-franked dividends every year, dating back to 1992. 

And it pays its shareholders a good dividend yield, too. Its latest payment was a fully-franked interim dividend of $2.35 per share in late-March.

Looking ahead, the bank is forecast to pay a total dividend of $5.15 per share to shareholders in FY26. It is then expected to pay around $5.45 per share in FY27.

At the time of writing, this translates to a forward dividend yield of around 3% for FY26. For FY27, the forward dividend yield is about 3.2%.

The post 3 reasons CBA shares are a screaming buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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.

Once Australians reach age 67, they might be eligible to receive the Age Pension to help fund living costs in their retirement.

The Age Pension is a fortnightly payment, paid by Centrelink, up to a maximum of $1,200.90 per fortnight for singles and $1,810.40 for couples combined. 

These figures include the maximum basic rate, the maximum pension supplement, and the energy supplement.

But not everyone is eligible. Eligibility for the Age Pension is heavily dependent on your income level and the assets you own. 

The problem is that many Australians miss out on payments because they understand the income test, but don’t really understand how the asset test works.

Overlooking your asset limits could quickly reduce your Age Pension payment, or worse, push it down to zero.

Here are the eight most important things Australians at age 58 need to know about the Age Pension asset test before they retire.

1. Limits and rules vary depending on if you’re single or a couple

In order to receive the full Age Pension, single homeowners cannot own assets valued at $333,000 or more. Meanwhile, a couple (combined) can own up to $499,000 in value if they own a property.

2. Limits and rules are higher for non-homeowners 

In order to receive the full Age Pension, single non-homeowners have a higher asset threshold of up to $600,000, and a couple (combined) can own up to $766,000 in asset value if they don’t own a property.

3. Your assets include everything, except the home you live in

The asset test includes everything you own, whether it’s in full, in part, or you have an interest in. This includes any stocks, like S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares, property, superannuation, an SMSF, or possessions you own. It also includes assets held outside Australia and any debts owed to you. It generally excludes the home you live in.

4. Deeming rules apply

In order to determine how much income you make from your assets, Centrelink uses a deeming rule. Deeming assumes your financial assets earn a fixed, set rate of income, regardless of what they actually earn. This assumed income is then added to your other income to determine your Age Pension rate. For single Australians, the first $66,800 of their financial assets has a deemed rate of 1.25%. Everything over that is deemed to earn 3.25% interest. Couples will have a 1.25% deeming rate on their first $110,600 of combined financial assets (this includes superannuation). Anything over $110,600 is deemed to earn 3.25%.

5. You can go over the limits and get a part-payment

If your assets are over the limit, it’s still possible to receive a part Age Pension payment. The cut-off point for a part-payment for single homeowners is $733,500, and $1,000,500 if you’re a single non-homeowner. Couples are also entitled to a part-payment, so long as their combined assets don’t exceed $1,102,500 for homeowners. Non-homeowners can own assets totalling up to a limit of $1,369,500. If your assets come in above the initial limits but below these thresholds, you’re still entitled to some level of payment.

6. You’re subject to the “lower rule of two”

Centrelink assesses you under both an income and an asset test. It then applies whichever gives you the lowest rate of payment for your individual circumstances, which it calls a “lowest rule of two”. 

7. Gifting money is a no-no

It can be tempting to gift a portion of your assets if you’re approaching the Age Pension age and think you’ll be over the thresholds. But Centrelink has rules to prevent this too. Individuals can give away up to $30,000 over a five-year period before it will affect their assets test. Any amount over $30,000 will be counted, for five years, as an asset and included in the asset test. The good news is, at age 58, Australians can gift any amount of money without immediate penalties from Services Australia, as long as they are at least five years away from Age Pension age (age 67). 

8. Downsizing could easily push you over

Similarly, it can be tempting to downsize your home to free up some cash, but this can be a bad idea too. The property you reside in is not included as part of the Age Pension asset test. But if you decide to downsize to something smaller and either invest or bank the rest, it could push you over the asset thresholds. For example, if you sell your $1 million primary residence, for example, and downsize to a $500,000 property, that $500,000 difference then becomes an assessable asset under Age Pension rules.

The post 8 things Aussies at age 58 need to know about the Age Pension asset test before they retire appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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.

The Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price is in focus today after the company reported quarterly production of 4.9 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) and total revenue of $400 million for the June quarter.

What did Beach Energy report?

• Quarterly production of 4.9 MMboe, up 1% on the prior quarter
• Quarterly sales volumes of 4.8 MMboe
• Sales revenue of $400 million, down 5% on Q3 FY26
• Average realised oil price rose 39% to $174 per barrel
• Perth Basin production up 15%, Otway up 4%, Taranaki up 14%
• Available liquidity of $983 million and net gearing of 10.6%

What else do investors need to know?

Beach Energy marked a record 18 months without a recordable injury, highlighting its operational safety focus. The company completed the successful sale of its operated interest in VIC/L35, providing an upfront cash injection of $70 million and a future gas production royalty.

Oil prices provided a boost this quarter, but overall sales volumes were down 11% from Q3 mainly due to the timing of Cooper Basin oil shipments. A review of Beach’s capital management framework is underway, with an update expected at the full year results.

What did Beach Energy management say?

Brett Woods, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Beach Energy, commented:

Beach finished FY26 with strong operational momentum, delivering quarterly production of 4.9 MMboe while recording no recordable injuries and no Tier 1 or 2 process safety events in the quarter. Achieving a record 18 months recordable-injury free while safely executing major offshore activities, active drilling campaigns in the Cooper Basin and daily operations across all sites, is an exceptional outcome… Quarterly revenue of $400 million, supported by strong oil pricing and another LNG cargo, further strengthened Beach’s available liquidity to $983 million and a reduction in net gearing to 10.6%, providing financial flexibility.

What’s next for Beach Energy?

Looking ahead, Beach plans to prioritise higher-return growth opportunities, with a focus on the Western Flank oil campaign, further appraisal in the Perth Basin, and new exploration targets in Otway and the Taroom Trough. The company expects further improvements in Waitsia Gas Plant production in FY27 as technical issues are addressed.

Investors can expect more detail with the full year FY26 results and FY27 guidance, scheduled for release on 6 August 2026.

Beach Energy share price snapshot

The Beach Energy share price has fallen 36% over the past 12 months, underperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is up a modest 1.35% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Beach Energy posts steady Q4 production and a resilient outlook 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. 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.