ASX healthcare stock Vitrafy Life Sciences Ltd (ASX: VFY) has been one of the hottest shares in 2026. 

The company has designed and developed an innovative solution to advance cryopreservation, including smart devices, a quality management software platform, and smart packaging solutions.

Commercial success has led to significant share price gains of almost 150% in 2026 alone. 

A new report from Bell Potter suggests this is likely to continue, with the broker significantly increasing its 12-month price target. 

$30 million capital raise

Vitrafy recently raised $30 million from institutional investors at $2.60 per share.

Following this, the company announced a Share Purchase Plan (SPP). 

The company said the SPP intends to raise up to $2 million. 

The SPP provides Eligible Shareholders with the opportunity to acquire new fully paid ordinary shares in the Company (“New Shares”) at the same price as the institutional placement announced to the ASX on Friday, 12 June 2026, which raised A$30 million.

Each Eligible Shareholder may apply for up to A$30,000 worth of New Shares at the offer price of A$2.60 per New Share, irrespective of the size of their holding in Vitrafy, without incurring brokerage or transaction costs.

What is Bell Potter’s view?

Following this announcement, the team at Bell Potter provided updated guidance on this ASX healthcare stock. 

The broker largely appears constructive/bullish on the capital raise, viewing it as growth funding rather than a rescue financing.

According to the report, commercial traction is improving, with positive developments in military blood studies, animal reproduction partnerships, and growing interest from the U.S. civilian blood market.

The $32 million total raise (A$30m placement + A$2m SPP) provides enough capital to manufacture approximately 100 units and accelerate commercial deployment. 

Bell Potter estimates those units could generate around A$12 million of annual managed-service revenue, plus recurring consumable sales.

Target price increase for ASX healthcare stock

This ASX healthcare stock closed trading yesterday at $3.19 per share. 

The team at Bell Potter have now upgraded their 12-month price target to $5.15 (previously $3.00). 

It has retained its speculative buy recommendation. 

This indicates an upside potential of 61% from current levels. 

The capital raising and developments in the Red Blood Cell market have instigated a revision to our estimates, particularly from FY28 on the revenue line, where we see 175 total units being installed by FY30 which could generate $80m in annual revenue.

We still anticipate VFY reaching breakeven by FY30.

The post This ASX healthcare stock just got a big upgrade following capital raise 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.

Chasing dividend yield at any price is a mistake.

A high yield sitting on top of a deteriorating business is rarely worth the risk.

The better approach is to find quality businesses that have pulled back enough to make their dividend yield attractive again.

These three well-known ASX dividend shares fit that description right now.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Wesfarmers is down about 9% from the all-time high of $95.18 it set in August last year.

That pullback has not been driven by a deteriorating business.

In the first half of FY2026, Wesfarmers delivered net profit after tax of $1.603 billion, up 9.3% on the prior corresponding period. Reassuringly, Bunnings and Kmart both continue to deliver strong sales growth.

The board lifted its fully franked interim dividend by 7.4% to $1.02 per share, a clear signal of confidence in the underlying cash generation.

At the lower share price, that growing dividend now goes further.

CMC Invest forecasts an annual dividend of $2.20 per share for FY2026, implying a forward yield of approximately 2.54%. That figure is expected to climb further as the dividend continues to grow into FY2027.

Wesfarmers has increased its dividend every year since divesting Coles in 2020. This streak gives income investors a degree of confidence in the trajectory of consistent dividend compounding.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

BHP offers a higher starting yield than Wesfarmers, backed by one of the strongest commodity tailwinds on the ASX.

BHP’s dividend is highly cyclical, swinging from $4.63 per share in 2022 to just $1.71 per share in 2025, before the trend reversed with a 2026 interim dividend of $1.04 per share, a healthy rise over the prior year’s 79 cents.

Including the September final dividend, BHP currently has a trailing 12-month payout of $1.96 per share. This is fully franked, putting the trailing yield at approximately 3.3% at current prices.

For Australian taxpayers, the full franking on that yield is important. This effectively lifts the after-tax return well above the headline figure for shareholders in the 30% tax bracket. What’s more, the franking lifts the after-tax return even further for those in pension-phase superannuation accounts able to claim the full cash refund.

The dividend backdrop has been reinforced by BHP’s copper exposure, with copper earnings now exceeding iron ore contributions for the first time in the company’s history. This comes as demand for AI data centres and electrification drives the copper price to record levels.

This tailwind gives the BHP dividend more support than its historical cyclicality alone would suggest.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Telstra is the most defensive of the three, and its dividend track record reflects that.

Shareholders have not seen a dividend cut since 2019 and have enjoyed an annual dividend increase every year since 2022.

Telstra’s most recent interim dividend came in at 9.5 cents per share, fully franked, matching the equivalent payout from 2025. This brings the trailing annual total to 19 cents per share and a trailing yield of approximately 3.7%.

Brokers see further growth ahead. UBS forecasts Telstra paying 21 cents per share in FY2026, implying a grossed-up yield of approximately 6.2% including franking credits.

Moreover, Morgan Stanley separately forecasts 20 cents per share with a price target implying further capital upside on top of the dividend.

Telstra’s mobile division, the largest network in Australia, continues to underpin that earnings growth through pricing power and steady subscriber growth.

The lesson for these ASX dividend shares

Each of these three businesses has pulled back for reasons that are largely cyclical or sentiment-driven rather than structural.

Wesfarmers fell on broader retail sector caution despite delivering double-digit profit growth.

BHP’s yield swings with the commodity cycle.

Telstra has simply continued growing its dividend through a defensive, less exciting period for the broader market.

That combination of real earnings growth and a lower entry price is exactly what makes these ASX dividend shares well priced.

Foolish takeaway

Wesfarmers, BHP, and Telstra all offer a different entry point into ASX dividend shares right now.

Wesfarmers offers the lowest starting yield but the most consistent growth track record. BHP offers a higher cyclical yield backed by a genuine structural copper tailwind. Telstra offers the most defensive earnings base and a long, uninterrupted streak of dividend growth.

For income investors prepared to look past the headlines, all three remain well-priced options on the ASX today.

The post There are still some well-priced ASX dividend shares. Here’s where to look appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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 Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Most Australians check their superannuation and focus on one thing: the balance.

That makes sense because it is the number staring back at you from the app or annual statement. It feels like the scoreboard. Higher is better, lower is worse, and anything below the average can feel like bad news.

But the uncomfortable truth is that your super balance is not the only number that matters in retirement planning. In many cases, it may not even be the most useful one.

The number that matters more is how much income that balance can realistically support.

A big superannuation balance can still feel small

It is easy to assume that reaching a large super balance will automatically make retirement feel comfortable, but that is not always the case.

A person with $500,000 in superannuation and high spending needs may feel far more financially stretched than someone with $350,000, a paid-off home, low expenses, and a modest lifestyle.

That is why retirement planning should not begin with the question: “How much do I have?” It should begin with a more practical question: “How much will I need each year?”

Once you know that, your super balance starts to make far more sense.

Retirement is a cash flow problem

During your working life, income usually arrives through wages or a salary. In retirement, that income has to come from somewhere else. It may come from super drawdowns, investment income, the Age Pension, savings, or a combination of all of them.

That means your superannuation is not just a nest egg. It is a future pay packet, and like any pay packet, what is important is whether it can cover the life you want to live.

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, a comfortable retirement requires around $630,000 in super for a single person and $730,000 for a couple, assuming home ownership and some Age Pension support.

Those numbers are useful, but they are only estimates of the capital needed to support a particular lifestyle.

Comfortable means choices

A comfortable retirement is not extravagant. It is not about luxury travel every month or spending without limits. Instead, it is about choice.

It means having the flexibility to eat out, run a reliable car, maintain private health insurance, replace household items when needed, visit family, and take occasional holidays without every decision feeling financially loaded.

By contrast, a modest retirement can still be workable, but it usually involves more compromise. The bills may be paid, but there is less room for mistakes, surprises, or indulgences.

This is why income is so important. It determines whether retirement feels flexible or fragile.

What to do instead

A better way to assess your superannuation is to work backwards.

Start by estimating the annual income you would like in retirement. Then consider how much of that could come from the Age Pension, if you are eligible. From there, your super only needs to fill the gap.

This approach can be far less intimidating than chasing a giant headline number.

It also makes the task more practical. If the gap is too large, you can respond by increasing contributions, reviewing investment options, reducing fees, delaying retirement, or adjusting expectations.

Foolish takeaway

Your superannuation balance is important, but it is not the whole story.

The real question is not whether your balance looks impressive on paper. It is whether it can help generate the income you need for the retirement you want.

In retirement, wealth is not just measured by what you have saved. It is measured by how comfortably that money lets you live.

The post The Australian superannuation number that is more important than your balance 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.