Echo IQ Ltd (ASX: EIQ) has been one of the fastest-growing stocks on the ASX this year.

Since January, it has risen over 500%. Fortunately for prospective investors, the team at Morgans believes this growth is set to continue. 

Company overview 

EchoIQ develops artificial intelligence for the cardiac diagnostics sector and supplies software to the health fund and insurance sectors. 

It operates through the Houston WeHave Software and Echo IQ segments. 

The Houston WeHave Software segment offers products and services across defence and other sectors. 

The Echo IQ segment focuses on developing artificial intelligence software that aids in predicting Aortic Stenosis heart condition.

In 2026, it has risen more than 500% as investors responded to a series of major commercial milestones. 

This includes its strategic partnership with Pro Medicus, new US market opportunities, a $110 million capital raising, and expanded access to a large cardiovascular imaging dataset to strengthen its AI-powered diagnostic platform. 

The rally has also been fuelled by optimism that these developments could accelerate US commercialisation and establish Echo IQ as a leading player in AI-driven cardiovascular diagnostics. 

Morgans upgrades its outlook 

Yesterday, the team at Morgans released an updated note on this ASX growth stock. 

It said Echo IQ has de-risked the commercial pathway since Morgan’s initiation via a $110m placement at $1.45 per share and a new distribution partnership with Pro Medicus.

HF FDA clearance remains the single biggest re-rating catalyst from here, and while timing has slipped slightly from our expected 4Q26 window, we remain confident on approval and expect feedback imminently. We lift our discounted target price to $1.85 (from $1.30), driven by a medium-term acceleration of revenues. Speculative Buy rating retained.

From yesterday’s closing price of $1.57, this indicates a further upside of nearly 18%. 

Elsewhere, Bell Potter recently tipped further upside for this ASX growth stock. 

It has a price target of $1.75 on Echo IQ shares. 

The broker said Echo IQ is making good progress by developing new products and securing long-term funding.

The broker warned, however, that the share price could experience volatility in coming months for several reasons:

• Revenue growth is expected to be modest over the next two years.
• The company will continue to spend significant cash.
• The share price will likely move based on announcements of new customer wins.

The post This ASX growth stock is up 500% this year and set to keep rising  appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

For plenty of Australians, turning 60 feels like reaching the finish line and starting retirement.

It’s the age when most people can finally access their superannuation. After decades of work, the money is finally yours.

So why not hand in the resignation letter? Because there’s one detail that’s easy to miss: the Age Pension generally doesn’t begin until age 67. That means if you retire at 60, you’re responsible for funding every single day of the next seven years yourself.

That’s where the maths starts getting interesting.

The seven-year gap

Spend enough time on retirement forums and you’ll quickly find plenty of doom and gloom. “Retirement is dead.” “We’ll all work forever.” “Nobody can afford to stop.”

It’s easy to get caught up in that negativity.

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), a single person needs around $630,000 in super to enjoy a comfortable retirement.

But there’s an important catch. That figure assumes retirement begins at around Age Pension age.

Retiring at 60 changes the equation dramatically.

Your super suddenly changes direction

Here’s what many people overlook.

The day you stop working isn’t just the day your salary disappears. It’s also the day your employer stops making super contributions.

Until then, your super has been doing two jobs at once. Investment returns are compounding, while your employer keeps adding another 12% of your salary into the account.

Once you retire, that conveyor belt switches off. Instead of filling the bucket, you start emptying it.

ASFA estimates a single retiree needs around $51,000 a year for a comfortable lifestyle.

If you begin retirement with $630,000, that’s more than 8% of your balance withdrawn in the very first year. Repeat that for seven years and your nest egg can look very different by age 67.

Those are also some of the most valuable years for compound returns. Once that capital has been spent, you can’t simply replace it.

Waiting until 67 changes everything

Now flip the scenario. Instead of retiring at 60, you keep working until 67. Your super isn’t shrinking. It’s still receiving employer contributions, while investment returns continue compounding.

Using a simple illustration, a $600,000 super balance earning an average annual return of 6% — alongside ongoing employer contributions — could potentially grow to around $950,000 over seven years. Actual outcomes will vary depending on investment returns, contributions, fees, and market conditions.

That’s an enormous difference. One person reaches 67 with a much smaller balance after drawing down their savings. The other arrives at retirement with a significantly larger portfolio.

That’s the real cost of retiring seven years early.

There is a middle ground

Fortunately, retirement doesn’t have to be all or nothing. A Transition to Retirement Pension (TTR) allows eligible Australians to access part of their super while continuing to work.

That could mean dropping back to three days a week instead of walking away altogether. Your employer is still making super contributions, while your investments continue working in the background.

There’s one catch, though. Many people assume a TTR automatically receives tax-free treatment. It doesn’t. Earnings within a TTR pension are generally taxed at up to 15%. The tax-free treatment usually begins only once you’ve fully retired or reached age 65.

The bottom line

Spreadsheets can tell you how much money you might have. They can’t tell you how much seven extra years in a job you dislike will cost your health or happiness.

For some Australians, retiring at 60 will be entirely achievable. For others, working a little longer could dramatically improve their financial security.

Neither choice is automatically right or wrong.

The important part is having a plan. Retirement isn’t something to drift into. The earlier you understand the trade-offs, the more choices you’ll have when the time finally comes to stop working.

The post Retirement at 60 or 67: The hidden cost most Australians never calculate appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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 team at Morgans has been running the rule over a number of ASX shares this week.

Let’s see if it is bullish, bearish, or something in between. Here’s what the broker is saying:

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

Morgans remains positive on this medical imaging technology company after reviewing its financial model. This week, the broker has reaffirmed its accumulate rating and $230.00 price target on Pro Medicus shares. It said:

We have identified an error in the previously published financial summary tables, where a number of figures did not pull through correctly from our underlying model. The error was presentational only. The underlying financial model is unchanged, with no impact on any forecast, assumption or valuation input. No change to our ACCUMULATE rating or A$230.00 DCF-based target price.

ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

The broker has been looking at ResMed’s decision to sell one of its software businesses. Morgans supports the decision and believes ResMed remains well-placed for growth through to FY 2028.

In response, it has retained its buy rating with a $40.97 price target. It explains:

MatrixCare will be divested for US$490m cash (c9x earnings), crystallising a disappointing financial outcome (paid US$750m (25x) in 2018) for a business that expanded software capabilities but delivered modest earnings growth. Strategically, however, we believe the transaction makes sense, as it simplifies the portfolio and retains Brightree and MEDIFOX DAN, while exiting a lower-growth, non-core software business. Importantly, net proceeds will largely be returned to shareholders via an accelerated share repurchase (ASR), which should substantially offset earnings dilution from both the MatrixCare disposal and the recently completed Noctrix acquisition, while FY26 guidance has been reaffirmed. We make modest adjustments to FY26-28 forecasts, with our target price moving to A$40.97 (from A$41.72). BUY.

Worley Ltd (ASX: WOR)

Morgans isn’t feeling as positive on this engineering company. It thinks investors should probably keep their powder dry for the time being due to challenging trading conditions. As a result, it has put a hold rating and $10.80 price target on its shares. It said:

The late June trading update lifted the FY26 Middle East impost to $60m EBITA (from $30-40m) and quantified the 2H FX impact as $50m. Medium term, WOR should see some earnings support from Middle East repair activity and a broader uplift in global upstream hydrocarbon spending driven by renewed energy security concerns. However, consensus already embeds strong growth into FY27 (Visible Alpha EBITA +12% YoY) which is well above industry forecast growth rates. With capex expectations continuing to soften in the key Energy end-market and the order book likely to roll over at the FY26 result, we retain our conservative view. We reduce our EBITA forecasts by 8-9% across our forecast period and cut our target price to $10.80 (from $11.80). HOLD maintained.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Pro Medicus, Worley, and ResMed shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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