The EVT Ltd (ASX: EVT) share price is in focus today as the entertainment, ventures, and travel group posted FY26 results showing a 6.3% rise in normalised revenue to $1.31 billion and a 41.3% jump in normalised profit after tax to $54.3 million.

What did EVT Ltd report?

• Normalised revenue of $1,314.9 million, up 6.3% year on year
• Normalised EBITDA of $174.4 million, up 8.4%
• Normalised profit after tax of $54.3 million, up 41.3%
• Reported net profit after tax of $50.7 million, up 51.9%
• Final fully franked dividend of 23 cents per share

What else do investors need to know?

EVT’s hotels division delivered record results, with revenue up 5.1% and EBITDA up 1.0%, underpinned by strong RevPAR. Entertainment also rebounded, growing revenue by 7.7% and EBITDA by a notable 45.8% despite a smaller venue footprint.

The company has identified about $800 million in non-core property assets for divestment over the next three years, with the proceeds set to support further hotel growth and possible special dividends. An independent review of the group’s structure, overseen by Rothschild & Co, is underway to maximise the value of hotel opportunities and return for shareholders.

What did EVT Ltd management say?

Commenting on the results, EVT’s CEO, Jane Hastings, said:

Hotels are our primary future growth platform, and momentum continues across our two growth pillars, EVT Hotels & Resorts and Connect Hospitality. We have identified approximately $800 million of non-core property for divestment on a value-first basis to support hotel growth while the Board will also consider potential special dividends. Management has developed options for the future Group structure to support our hotel growth ambitions and long-term shareholder value, and Rothschild & Co has been engaged to independently assess those options under the oversight of an Independent Board Committee.

What’s next for EVT Ltd?

Looking ahead, EVT expects further EBITDA growth for FY27, with the Hotels division expected to deliver another record year, supported by major redevelopment projects and strategic initiatives. Connect Hospitality and newly launched venues like QT Auckland are tipped to contribute around $13 million in additional EBITDA.

Short-term impacts from development works and weaker snow conditions may temporarily affect some divisions, but the company is focused on delivering value with its strong hotel pipeline and improved entertainment slate. Updates on the group structure review and any divestments will be provided as outcomes are achieved.

EVT Limited share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the EVT Ltd share price has underperformed the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) with a modest 3.5% decline.

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The post EVT Ltd posts profit jump and pivots focus to hotel growth in FY26 results 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.

Analysts are always on the lookout for opportunities on the ASX share market. By responding to share price volatility and regular business updates, investors have a great chance to grab an undervalued stock.

We’re going to look at two ASX shares that are highly rated by analysts. These businesses haven’t received just one buy rating, but multiple positive ratings.

When numerous experts think an ASX share is a buy, it could suggest there’s good potential returns on offer.

Let’s look at two of the most heavily-backed businesses on the ASX.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

Santos is an ASX oil and gas share with a market capitalisation of $27 billion.

According to CMC Invest, there have been eight ratings on the business within the last three months, with nearly all of those coming after the company released its FY26 half-year result. Six of the eight ratings were a buy and two were a hold.

The ASX share reported first-half production of 45.6 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe), which was 3% higher year-over-year.

It delivered revenue of US$2.6 billion, operating profit (EBITDAX) of $1.6 billion, underlying net profit of $397 million and net profit after tax (NPAT) of $355 million.

Santos also managed to generate free cash flow from operations from its strong base business performance.

The Santos board of directors decided to pay an unfranked annual dividend per share of US 11.6 cents per share for a total of $377 million.

The ASX oil and gas share has been making progress with its projects. Santos said Pikka’s first oil was achieved in May, with continuous production from June and the first crude oil cargo was lifted in August.

Santos also said that Barossa delivered seven cargoes by the end of June, with another five cargoes delivered since 1 July.

The company is primed to increase its production in the coming reporting periods, which could help boost earnings.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Goodman is another ASX share that is heavily backed by analysts. It describes itself as a provider of essential infrastructure – the business owns, develops and manages high quality, sustainable logistics properties and data centres in major global cities that are important for the digital economy.

According to CMC Invest, there have been nine ratings on the business within the last three months, with seven of those being a buy.

The business had a solid FY26, with its total portfolio reaching $89 billion, which benefited from revaluation gains of $3.1 billion across Goodman.

It reported portfolio occupancy of 95.6% and like-for-like net property income (NPI) growth of 4%. This helped the business deliver 15.7% operating profit growth of 15.7% to $2.67 billion and 10.1% growth in per-security terms to 129.9 cents.

The ASX share ended FY26 with work in progress (WIP) of $19.7 billion across 50 projects in 12 countries, with a forecast yield on cost of 8.2%. Data centres currently make up 78% of the development WIP. This could help drive earnings for the foreseeable future.

Goodman is aiming for operating EPS growth of 9% in FY27, which is a solid growth rate for a real estate business.

The post 2 ASX shares highly recommended to buy: Experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 Goodman Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL) share price is in focus after the company reported a 6.3% rise in revenue to $917.4 million and a 13.1% jump in net profit to $54.5 million for FY26.

What did Data#3 Ltd report?

• Revenue up 6.3% to $917.4 million
• Net profit after tax (NPAT) up 13.1% to $54.5 million
• Gross sales and other revenue up 12.7% to $3.39 billion
• Basic earnings per share up 13.0% to 35.16 cents
• Total fully franked dividends up 13.0% to 31.75 cents per share
• Final dividend of 18.25 cents per share declared

What else do investors need to know?

Data#3 delivered another record performance in FY26, building on its long history of consistent growth in both sales and earnings. The company improved its financial position thanks to strong cash flow and a disciplined approach to managing costs.

Demand remained resilient, particularly in public sector and infrastructure solutions, despite some customers delaying technology spending decisions. Recurring gross sales, especially through Software Solutions and Managed Services, now account for 70% of total gross sales.

The company completed a board renewal process at the start of the financial year, adding new directors Diana Eilert and Laurence Baynham. The business also received multiple partner and industry awards, including recognition as Microsoft Country Partner of the Year and HP Amplify Impact Partner of the Year.

What did Data#3 Ltd management say?

Brad Colledge, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer said:

Data#3 is pleased to report another strong financial result for FY26, with record gross sales of $3.4 billion and earnings before tax up 14% to $78.8 million. This performance reinforces our agility and the continued strength of our people, strategy and business model. Our disciplined focus on cost management and ongoing alignment of our cost base to market demand also saw improved operating leverage and net profit margins this financial year.

What’s next for Data#3 Ltd?

Looking forward, Data#3 aims to accelerate growth in AI, cyber security, cloud, data, and managed services. The company will continue investing in its AI Practice, modernising infrastructure offerings, and expanding managed security services, including launching a new Sovereign Security Operations Centre.

With its strong customer base, vendor partnerships, and solid balance sheet, management remains confident Data#3 can deliver sustainable earnings growth. The FY27 plan places further focus on advisory and managed services, improving operational efficiency, and responding to the changing landscape in digital transformation and compliance needs.

Data#3 Limited share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Data#3 share price has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) with a 14% gain, reflecting the company’s robust financial performance and ongoing demand for technology solutions in the Australian market.

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The post Data#3 posts double-digit profit growth in FY26 earnings 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 recommended Data#3. 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.