• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare shares: Earnings outlook upgraded for FY27

    Scientists working in the laboratory and examining results.

    The Fisher & Paykel Healthcare share price is front and centre today after the company issued upbeat guidance, forecasting first-half revenue of NZ$1.24 billion and net profit after tax (NPAT) of NZ$280 million for the 2027 financial year.

    What did Fisher & Paykel Healthcare report?

    • Forecast first-half revenue of approximately NZ$1.24 billion, up 14% on the prior corresponding period
    • Expected first-half NPAT of around NZ$280 million, up 24% (excluding US tariff refunds)
    • Full-year operating revenue guidance: NZ$2.47 billion to $2.57 billion
    • Full-year NPAT guidance: NZ$525 million to NZ$565 million (including $23 million in US IEEPA tariff refunds)
    • Improvement in gross margin and operating efficiencies anticipated

    What else do investors need to know?

    Fisher & Paykel Healthcare saw particularly strong demand in its Hospital product group for the start of FY27, driven by adoption of its latest hardware devices and increased consumable sales stemming from changing clinical practices. The company’s positive momentum is also underpinned by continuous improvement activities that are delivering results in gross margin and operating efficiency.

    The updated guidance assumes current global tariff rates will remain in place for the financial year. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s annual shareholders’ meeting is set for 25 August 2026, offering an opportunity for investors to engage with leadership on strategy and performance.

    What did Fisher & Paykel Healthcare management say?

    The company’s CEO, Lewis Gradon, said:

    We have had a strong start to our first half, particularly in our Hospital product group, as a result of continued strong demand for our latest range of hardware devices and ongoing change in clinical practice driving consumable sales. It is also pleasing to see the progress we are making with our continuous improvement activities and the impact on our gross margin and other operating efficiencies.

    What’s next for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare?

    Looking ahead, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare plans to keep investing in innovation to support clinicians and adapt to evolving healthcare needs. Management expects continued improvement in gross margin while progressing ongoing projects to sustain the company’s growth momentum.

    The current outlook remains subject to changes in global tariffs and foreign exchange conditions, but management remains confident in the strong demand outlook and ability to deliver operating efficiencies.

    Fisher & Paykel Healthcare share price snapshot

    The Fisher & Paykel Healthcare share price is marginally outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) on a 12-month basis with a gain of around 3%.

    View Original Announcement

    The post Fisher & Paykel Healthcare shares: Earnings outlook upgraded for FY27 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Fisher & Paykel Healthcare right now?

    Before you buy Fisher & Paykel Healthcare shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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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.

  • Why were Telix shares just downgraded?

    A distressed young woman reads bad news on her smartphone while standing in a modern indoor setting.

    Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) shares have been strong performers in 2026.

    Since the start of the year, the radiopharmaceutical company’s shares have risen a sizeable 53%.

    While this still leaves its shares well short of their 2025 highs, one leading broker is calling time on the rally.

    What is the broker saying?

    Bell Potter notes that it recently met with the company and spoke about the prospects of its Pixclara product, which is seeking FDA approval. It commented:

    Following a tough year in CY25, Telix continues to control the controllable factors and is now on the cusp of a major step forward with the pending approval of Pixclara. We recently met with the company at Bioshares (Queenstown), coming away encouraged with the prospects for Pixclara’s approval based on the company’s extensive engagement with the FDA. 

    Pixclara is included on the NCCN guidelines for disease management, virtually ensuring commercial success if approved. The resubmission of the NDA for Pixclara included extensive new data which the company expects will satisfy the FDA’s efficacy concerns.

    The broker has also been looking at Telix’s half-year results and was pleased with what it delivered. And while it expects the launch of a competing product to impact fourth-quarter revenue, Bell Potter still believes that its guidance is achievable. It explains:

    1H26 increased by 22% to $477m, dominated by US sales of PSMA imaging agents. FY26 revenue guidance range is unchanged at $950m – $970m with the company guiding to the upper end. We expect the launch of a competitor product (TruVu – Lantheus) will impact 4Q26 revenues, nevertheless, the top end of the guidance is realistic. We do not anticipate a change in guidance irrespective of 3Q26 revenues.

    Telix shares downgraded 

    Despite the positives, Bell Potter believes that Telix shares are now approaching fair value.

    As a result, the broker has downgraded them from a buy rating to a hold rating with a steady price target of $19.00. This implies potential upside of approximately 9% for investors from current levels.

    Commenting on its investment thesis, Bell Potter said:

    The pivotal moment is in a few days time for Pixclara with this event alone to dominate short term share price performance. We expect approval but without great conviction. FY26 earnings adjustments are modest. We retain our PT $19.00 and downgrade to Hold following the recent share price increase.

    The post Why were Telix shares just downgraded? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Telix Pharmaceuticals right now?

    Before you buy Telix Pharmaceuticals shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Telix Pharmaceuticals wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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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 positions in and has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Investing in AI stocks on the ASX? Here’s what you should buy

    Hologram of a man next to a human robot, symbolising artificial intelligence.

    Investing in AI stocks on the ASX is harder than it looks because our market lacks “no-brainer” stocks like Nvidia and Microsoft.

    Our local Aussie index is dominated by banks, miners and supermarkets.

    But that does not mean there are no opportunities. What it does mean is that we need to look at the plumbing and the applications driving AI rather than the AI chips themselves.

    The Motley Fool has previously covered how to invest in artificial intelligence locally.

    Here are three ASX companies I think give you strong exposure to the AI theme.

    Why ASX AI stocks look different to Wall Street

    Australia does not manufacture semiconductors.

    What we do have is land, power and regulated demand for sovereign data storage, and that has turned the local artificial intelligence trade into an infrastructure trade first and a software trade second.

    NextDC: the purest infrastructure play

    NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) builds and operates the data centres that artificial intelligence workloads run inside.

    The company’s scale is now hard to ignore.

    In an April update, contracted utilisation reached 667MW as at 31 March 2026, a 60% increase, while the forward order book jumped 83% to 544MW.

    Contracted earnings from existing agreements now exceed $1 billion.

    Chief executive Craig Scroggie did not undersell the shift:

    The scale of this increase in contracted utilisation and the resulting uplift in the Company’s pro forma Forward Order Book are unprecedented, underscoring the record levels of demand we continue to experience.

    The catch is cost.

    NextDC guided to FY26 capital expenditure of $2.7 billion to $3.0 billion with roughly $5 billion forecast for FY27, and it funded part of that through a $1.5 billion entitlement offer priced at $12.70 per share.

    Investors are still debating whether the AI boom is only getting started for NextDC shares.

    The company reports its FY26 result on 27 August.

    Pro Medicus: one of the few profitable AI stocks

    Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) sells medical imaging software to United States hospital networks.

    Its FY26 result delivered revenue of $261.7 million, up 22.9%, while underlying net profit after tax rose 24.1% to $144.7 million.

    The underlying earnings before interest and tax margin reached 74.9%.

    Dividends climbed 25.5% to 69 cents per share fully franked, and the company signed 10 new contracts worth at least $407 million.

    Chief executive Sam Hupert framed the AI opportunity in terms of access:

    We are the gatekeeper for image-based AI to now 11% of the market in the U.S. and growing.

    That gatekeeper position represents the premium the market pays for.

    Shares jumped more than 10% on results day, although they remain down roughly 11% for the calendar year.

    Macquarie Technology: the small-cap option

    Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) runs data centres, cloud and cybersecurity services for government and corporate customers.

    The company is a fraction of NextDC’s size, with a market capitalisation of roughly $1.6 billion.

    The company delivered its 22nd consecutive half of EBITDA growth in the first half of FY26, with EBITDA of $57.9 million and full-year guidance of $114 million to $117 million.

    Its IC3 Super West facility in Sydney is the real prize.

    Phase one delivers 6MW, with a pathway to 19MW and an option over a Sydney campus site above 150MW.

    Macquarie Technology also reports on 27 August.

    The risks with ASX AI stocks

    None of these businesses is cheap.

    Pro Medicus trades on a price-to-earnings ratio near 88, which leaves no margin at all for a missed contract or a slower implementation schedule.

    NextDC has never reported a statutory profit, and its capital intensity means further raisings are possible.

    Macquarie Technology is small, thinly traded and spending heavily ahead of revenue.

    Buying AI stocks means accepting that the market has already priced in a great deal of future growth.

    Foolish takeaway

    I would not put an entire portfolio into this single theme.

    But a modest allocation across infrastructure and applications gives you two very different ways to win, because the companies building the capacity and the companies monetising it rarely peak at the same moment.

    NextDC and Macquarie Technology sell the shovels.

    Pro Medicus sells the software that makes the data useful.

    For investors who want exposure to AI stocks without leaving the ASX, that is where I would start.

    The post Investing in AI stocks on the ASX? Here’s what you should buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Nextdc right now?

    Before you buy Nextdc shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Nextdc wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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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 Microsoft and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Microsoft, Nvidia, and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.