Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares have climbed further into the green in Wednesday morning trade.  

The shares are up around 1% for the day, to $80.63 at the time of writing.

The increase means the conglomerate’s shares have now rebounded around 12% from its latest low of $72.29 recorded in mid-September.

They’re still down around 1% for the year-to-date and are trading around 11% below levels seen this time last year.

It’s been a volatile ride for Wesfarmers shares in 2026. The shares have suffered two significant crashes, one in February after the company posted its first-half FY26 results, and again in mid-August when it posted its full-year FY26 update.

The latest full-year update two months ago was good on the surface and the conglomerate saw strong performance across its major Bunnings and Kmart divisions. These included a 3.4% increase in revenue, to $47.3 million, and a 7.3% increase in EBIT. But statutory NPAT fell 1.8% to $2.8 million including significant items, or was up 8.3% excluding them.

Wesfarmers’ result came in slightly ahead of the market’s $47.1 billion forecasts for revenue, and was in line with expectations for NPAT.

What spooked investors is that management flagged concerns about increasing operating costs, labor cost pressures and softer reading momentum heading into FY27.

Wesfarmers expected higher capital expenditure of $1.3 to $1.5 billion for FY27, particularly to support lithium production, store refurbishments, supply chain upgrades, and the start of a new joint venture in modular residential construction.

What has caused the latest rebound?

There isn’t any specific price sensitive news out of the company to explain why its shares have been rebounding since mid-September.

It’s most likely that after a huge 20% crash during the six weeks from early-August to mid-September saw investors shift their view on the share price value. It’s likely that savvy investors realised the stock had become oversold and was trading well below fair value.

Retail shares have also benefitted from a boost in confidence following the latest softer-than-expected Australian employment data. This has eased fears about a further interest rate hike, and eased pressure on household budgets, which is great news for retail businesses like Wesfarmers.

Can the Wesfarmers shares keep climbing higher?

Sentiment is still very mixed on the outlook for the conglomerate over the next 12 months.

Market Index data shows the majority of brokers have a sell rating. The $75.58 average target price implies around a 6% downside over the next 12 months.

TradingView data presents slightly more positive forecasts. Half of the 16 analysts have a strong sell rating on Wesfarmers shares. But another three rate the stock as a hold and five more have a buy/strong buy rating.

The average target price is a little higher, at $76.59, but that still implies a downside of around 5% at the time of writing.

But the gap between the maximum and minimum target prices is huge. Some expect the shares to drop another 19% to just $65 over the next 12 months. Others think Wesfarmers shares have the potential to jump 10% higher to $89 each, at the time of writing.

The post Wesfarmers shares rebound 11%: Can they keep climbing? 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 positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) share price is in focus today after the gold producer delivered Q1 FY27 gold production of 98,393 ounces and saw its treasury increase by $101 million to $1,040 million, with a strong AISC margin of $3,117 per ounce helping to underpin robust cash generation.

What did Westgold Resources report?

• Gold production of 98.4koz at an All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) of $2,912/oz
• Gold sales revenue of $602 million from 99,900oz sold at $6,029/oz
• Operating mine cash flow of $292 million and net mine cash inflow of $157 million
• Underlying treasury build of $251 million and period-end cash, bullion, and liquid investments of $1,040 million
• Group Ore Reserves increased by 41% to 4.1Moz
• Westgold remains debt free and unhedged, with a $50 million on-market share buy-back approved for FY27

What else do investors need to know?

Westgold’s ore stockpiles grew by 51% to 696,000 tonnes, supporting continued production during planned maintenance and adverse weather. The company’s mining operations across the Murchison and Southern Goldfields also reported increased ore production, with improvements in safety records – no lost time injuries were recorded in the quarter, lowering the LTIFR.

Significant investments of $111 million in growth capital and $24 million in exploration further strengthen the company’s resource base and support organic growth initiatives. Westgold also revised its Shareholder Capital Returns Policy, establishing a minimum annual return of 3 cents per share, with at least 2 cents paid as a fully franked dividend.

What did Westgold Resources management say?

Westgold Managing Director and CEO Wayne Bramwell said:

Westgold made a strong start to FY27, producing 98,393oz at an AISC of $2,912/oz. Mine ore production rose 7%, building ore stockpiles and supporting steady mill output despite planned maintenance and wet weather in the Murchison and we remain on track to meet FY27 guidance. The strength of the business is clear in our cash generation. An AISC margin of $3,117/oz delivered $292M of mine operating cash flow and an underlying Treasury build of $251M. During the quarter, Group Ore Reserves increased 41% to 4.1Moz. We continued to invest in drilling and growth, while ending September with $1,040M in Treasury, no debt and no hedging. Our focus is now on turning this financial strength and growing ore inventories into higher production, lower unit costs and stronger cash generation. This plan is encapsulated in our 4-5-6 strategy—a fully funded pathway that expands production towards 500koz by FY29.

What’s next for Westgold Resources?

Looking ahead, Westgold remains on track to meet its full-year guidance of 385,000–425,000 ounces at an AISC of $2,980–$3,380 per ounce. The company’s 4-5-6 growth strategy aims for four operating hubs, a fully funded pathway to approximately 500,000 ounces per annum by FY29, and emerging organic growth options.

Key enablers will be the planned expansions of the Cue and Meekatharra hubs, increasing processing capacity and supporting further cost reductions. Westgold also continues to actively return capital to shareholders via its new policy and on-market buy-backs, while investment in resource definition and mine development will help underpin future production increases.

Westgold Resources share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Westgold Resources shares have declined 11%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has declined 3% over the same period.

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The post Westgold Resources: Q1 FY27 earnings update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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 Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) share price is in focus today after the toll road operator posted a 3.1% jump in group average daily traffic for the September quarter, with strong contributions from Sydney, Melbourne, and North America.

What did Transurban Group report?

• Group average daily traffic (ADT) rose 3.1% year-on-year to 2.58 million trips
• Sydney ADT up 3.0% to 1.08 million trips, led by a 10.7% gain on the M7 after the M7-M12 Integration Project
• Melbourne ADT up 4.2% to 875,000, supported by West Gate Tunnel opening; CityLink flat (-0.2%) excluding WGT
• Brisbane ADT lifted 1.1% to 498,000, with solid truck volumes (+3.6%)
• North America ADT up 4.7% to 127,000, strong growth on the 495 Express Lanes (+17.3%)

What else do investors need to know?

Transurban addressed a vehicle classification issue in Melbourne and the West Gate Tunnel, with no material impact expected to free cash flow or upcoming distributions. The company does not anticipate significant impacts from recent Victorian toll policy changes flagged during the state election.

In North America, dynamic toll prices soared—up 20% on the 95 Express Lanes and 47% on the 495 Express Lanes—highlighting customer demand for reliable travel options, even as roadworks temporarily weighed on the 95 corridor.

The Group’s revenues remain highly resilient, with more than 90% of income CPI-linked or subject to fixed increases, cushioning against inflation and uncertainty.

What’s next for Transurban Group?

Transurban will keep providing monthly traffic updates throughout 2026 as it closely watches changing economic and policy conditions. The Group remains focused on disciplined balance sheet management, operational efficiency, and delivering projects that add value for both customers and investors.

The company reiterated the essential role of its urban transport assets, with recent capital projects like the West Gate Tunnel and M7-M12 Integration now contributing to traffic growth. Management expects continued resilience, helped by its inflation-linked revenues and ongoing infrastructure investments.

Transurban Group share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Transurban shares have declined 7%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has fallen 3% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Transurban posts September quarter 2026 traffic lift as project openings boost growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Transurban Group. 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.