Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are slipping today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy stock closed on Friday trading for $29.03. In early afternoon trade on Monday, shares are swapping hands for $28.71 apiece, down 1.1%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.1% at this same time.

Taking a step back, Woodside shares have strongly outperformed the benchmark index in 2026, fuelled by rising global oil and gas prices.

Down 1.4% over the weekend, the Brent crude oil price currently stands at US$79.47.

While that’s down some 33% from the 29 April peak, the oil price remains up more than 30% year to date amid ongoing negotiations to end the Middle East conflict and the resulting shipping restrictions in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Spurred by higher oil prices and its own operational successes, Woodside stock has leapt 21.3% year to date, compared to the 1.3% gains delivered by the ASX 200 over this same period.

And we haven’t included the 83.5 cents per share fully-franked dividend that Woodside paid to eligible shareholders on 27 March. Adding in the 81.8 cent per share interim dividend the oil and gas giant paid on 24 September, and this ASX 200 energy stock trades on a 5.8% fully-franked trailing dividend yield.

Which brings us back to our headline question.

Should I buy Woodside shares today?

Peak Asset Management’s Niv Dagan recently analysed the outlook for the ASX oil and gas stock (courtesy of The Bull).

“Operationally, the energy giant continues to execute strongly,” Dagan said.

Explaining his hold recommendation on Woodside shares, Dagan said:

It achieved an 11% increase in the average realised price of a barrel of oil equivalent in the first quarter of 2026 when compared to the fourth quarter of financial year 2025. However, quarterly production fell by 8% due to seasonal weather events.

The Scarborough energy project was 96% complete and remains on track for first LNG cargo in the fourth quarter of 2026. Other major projects remain on budget and on schedule.

What’s the latest from the ASX 200 oil and gas stock?

Woodside shares created a buzz last Monday following media speculations that the company could be a takeover target for global energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE: XOM).

This came after sources, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that Exxon had been holding early-stage internal discussions on the potential to acquire Woodside.

However, Woodside’s management poured cold water on those rumours, stating:

Woodside is not aware of any proposal and confirms it is not in discussions regarding a potential transaction with Exxon Mobil Corporation.

The post Up 23% this year, should I buy Woodside 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.

The Growthpoint Properties Australia (ASX: GOZ) share price is in focus after the company declared a final FY26 distribution of 9.2 cents per security, taking total distributions for the year to 18.4 cents and matching prior guidance.

What did Growthpoint Properties Australia report?

• Final distribution: 9.2 cents per security for six months to 30 June 2026
• Full-year FY26 distribution: 18.4 cents per security
• Distribution aligned with the company’s FY26 guidance
• Distribution Reinvestment Plan remains suspended

What else do investors need to know?

Growthpoint’s final distribution covers the period to 30 June 2026, with an ex-distribution date of 29 June, a record date of 30 June, and payment scheduled for 28 August 2026. The company confirmed that the Distribution Reinvestment Plan will continue to be paused for this period.

Growthpoint remains an internally managed REIT with a portfolio that spans office and industrial properties, alongside funds management activities for institutional clients. Growthpoint also highlights progress on sustainability targets, including achieving Net Zero for directly owned operational office assets and corporate activities by July 2025.

What’s next for Growthpoint Properties Australia?

Growthpoint says it is dedicated to creating long-term value and maintaining prudent management through modern, high-quality Australian real estate. The REIT’s ongoing focus on sustainability and disciplined capital allocation aims to support future distributions in line with investor expectations.

Looking forward, Growthpoint is expected to keep collaborating with tenants and investors, while remaining agile and committed to sustainable practices in its property and funds management businesses.

Growthpoint Properties Australia share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Growthpoint Properties shares have declined 8%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Growthpoint Properties Australia matches FY26 guidance with 18.4c distribution 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 Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) share price is in focus as the company announces a $300 million fully underwritten equity raising to support accelerated growth in its AI Factory pipeline and real estate funds management platforms.

What did Centuria Capital Group report?

• $300 million equity raising via $200 million institutional placement and $100 million entitlement offer
• New securities issued at $2.00 per security, a 6% discount to the adjusted last close of $2.18
• Approximately 150 million new securities to be issued, representing 17.6% of existing securities
• FY26 operating earnings per security guidance reaffirmed at 13.6 cents (up 11.5% from FY25)
• Proceeds to accelerate growth across ResetData (AI Factories) and real estate equity and credit funds

What else do investors need to know?

Centuria’s equity raising is designed to provide the flexibility needed for rapid expansion, particularly for its AI Factory projects through ResetData (of which Centuria owns 50%). Strong customer demand for AI capacity is driving the need to bring more AI Factories online and prepare for larger-scale GPU deployments.

A portion of the funds will also help originate and underwrite new real estate transactions and seed larger unlisted funds, in line with Centuria’s strategy to scale and diversify its platform. Growth initiatives targeting Centuria’s private credit funds will also receive support, aiming to increase market share in a sector growing around 13% annually.

What did Centuria Capital Group management say?

Joint CEOs John McBain and Jason Huljich said:

The Centuria and ResetData combination has created a differentiated NVIDIA neocloud partner with scalable sovereign AI Factories and access to Centuria’s real estate, land and potential 200MW+ power pipeline. ResetData is one of three Australian NVIDIA Cloud Partners and is uniquely placed to take advantage of an upswing in international demand for the establishment of Australian-based AI Factory capacity uptake. It is worth noting that comparable neocloud platforms in Australia have experienced rapid re-ratings as contracts and scale have emerged and we have this firmly in mind as we respond to increased AI demand and build out our capability in this area.

What’s next for Centuria Capital Group?

Centuria will use proceeds from this equity raising to accelerate expansion in both AI infrastructure and real estate funds management. Further investments are planned in customer onboarding and in scaling private credit funds, while continuing to develop larger real estate assets for future funds.

The company has reaffirmed guidance for operating earnings per security, highlighting confidence in its growth path. Investors can expect Centuria’s next phase to focus strongly on innovation in property and AI-driven platforms.

Centuria Capital Group share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Centuria Capital Group shares have risen 26%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Centuria Capital Group launches $300m equity raising for AI Factory and real estate expansion appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• PLS shares drop 5%: What’s driving the move?
• Growthpoint Properties Australia matches FY26 guidance with 18.4c distribution
• Metcash shares: FY26 profit edges lower, dividend maintained
• SGH announces $500m buy-back and highlights financial strength
• AFIC reveals 2026 dividend plans for shareholders

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 Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia. 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.