Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares have enjoyed a strong year of outperformance in 2026.

On Monday afternoon, shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) supermarket giant were swapping hands for $39.16 apiece. That sees the share price up an impressive 33.1% year to date, smashing the 1.1% gains delivered by the benchmark index over this same time.

Atop those capital gains, Woolies stock is also popular with passive income investors for the company’s fully franked dividend payouts.

If you owned Woolworths shares at market close on 24 February, you would have received the fully franked 45 cents per share interim dividend on 16 April. (The stock traded ex-dividend on 25 February.)

But with the ASX 200 stock having surged since plumbing multi-year closing lows in October, is it still a good buy for passive income today?

Should I buy Woolworths shares for passive income?

Shaw and Partners’ James Bills recently ran his slide rule over Woolies stock (courtesy of The Bull). And he expressed concerns over rising costs and competition in the sector.

“Woolworths is facing increasing competitive pressure in the supermarket sector, along with possible margin compression driven by higher operating and supply chain costs,” he said.

“While the share price has made a notable recovery since October 2025, the outlook is challenging given increasing cost of living pressures among price sensitive shoppers,” Bills added.

And following on the strong share price gains, Bills didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic about the stock’s passive income status, with Woolies now trading on a 2.3% fully franked trailing dividend yield.

Summarising his sell recommendation on Woolworths shares, he concluded, “With a relatively modest dividend yield and limited short-term catalysts, it may be prudent to reduce exposure and redeploy capital into opportunities with stronger growth prospects.”

And he offered another ASX passive income share investors may wish to consider instead.

This ASX passive income share has a 6.2% dividend yield

While recommending selling Woolworths shares, Bills issued a buy recommendation on listed investment company (LIC) Hearts and Minds Investments Ltd (ASX: HM1).

“HM1 offers investors access to a concentrated portfolio of high conviction global equity ideas sourced from leading fund managers across the world,” he said.

With the LIC not charging investment fees and instead donating to Australian medical research organisations, Bills added, “The unique structure, combined with its philanthropic component, has attracted some of the industry’s top investors, enhancing the quality of stock selection.”

On the passive income front, he said, “The portfolio is tilted towards innovative, growth-oriented companies with long-term upside potential. It also pays a fully franked dividend.”

At Monday’s intraday share price of $3.01, Hearts and Minds shares trade on a 6.2% fully franked trailing dividend yield.

Summarising his buy recommendation on the ASX dividend share, Bills concluded:

HM1 was recently trading at a discount to net tangible assets. In our view, the company provides an appealing entry point for investors seeking exposure to global growth themes with strong management backing.

The post Up 33%, are Woolworths shares still a good buy for passive income? 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.

Investors buy ASX 200 stocks for their reliable track record and long-term potential. Sometimes they are perceived as having lower returns and lower volatility.

However, that isn’t always the case. 

Occasionally, after heavy sell-offs, these quality companies can present significant upside. 

Right now, two that fit that criteria are PEXA Group Ltd (ASX: PXA) and Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL). 

Both ASX 200 stocks have fallen significantly over the last 12 months and are now drawing very positive ratings from brokers. 

Experts are tipping these ASX 200 shares to rebound more than 100% in the next year. 

Here’s what brokers are saying. 

PEXA Group Ltd (ASX: PXA)

PEXA provides a digital conveyancing platform for real estate settlements in Australia. The company touts itself as offering world-first technology that facilitates near real-time tracking of settlements and faster clearance of funds.

The company derives its revenue by charging fees to conduct property transactions over its network. Its digital process is recognised in the industry as speeding settlements, reducing the risk of manual errors, and alleviating settlement delays.

Over the past 12 months, its share price has fallen almost 32%. 

It closed trading yesterday at approximately $8.73 per share. 

However a new note out of the team at Macquarie indicates now could be the time for savvy investors to buy in at a bargain price. 

The broker said property settlements in New South Wales rose 3.1% in June from the corresponding period a year earlier, rebounding after a soft May.

Macquarie lifted its price target on the company to $19.30 from $19.05. 

From yesterday’s closing price, this indicates an upside potential of 121%. 

Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL)

Netwealth Group is another ASX 200 stock investors should be monitoring. It is a financial services and technology company that provides a wide range of products and services to the Australian financial investment industry, including cloud-based investment administration software-as-a-service (SaaS), a retail superannuation fund, and an administration business.

In the last 12 months, this ASX 200 stock has fallen 34%. 

It closed trading yesterday at $22.89 per share. 

However, the team at Bell Potter is optimistic this will rise in the next 12 months. 

The broker has retained its buy rating and $30.00 price target on Netwealth’s shares. 

This indicates 31% upside potential for this ASX 200 stock. 

Bell Potter said this ASX 200 stock is well positioned ahead of its 16 July trading update, with the June quarter’s strong rebound in global equity markets expected to drive a material uplift in funds under administration through positive market movements. 

The broker said Netwealth offers the strongest and most direct leverage to rising markets among the platform providers it covers, reinforcing its positive view on the stock.

 

The post 2 ASX 200 stocks that could rise 31% and 121% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why this ASX 200 share could deliver a 40% return

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

On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week with a small decline. The benchmark index edged 0.15% lower to 8,831 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 to edge lower

The Australian share market looks set for a subdued session on Tuesday despite a positive start to the week on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 8 points or 0.1% lower. In the United States, the Dow Jones rose 0.3%, the S&P 500 climbed 0.75%, and the Nasdaq stormed 1.1% higher.

Buy Genesis Minerals shares

Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) shares are good value according to Bell Potter. This morning, in response to a binding merger proposal with Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU), the broker has retained its buy rating on the gold miner’s shares with a trimmed price target of $9.75. It said: “The Proposed Scheme is not subject to due diligence or financing conditions and offers a materially better strategic and financial outcome than the status quo, in our view. We retain our Buy rating and lower our price target to A$9.75, on account of the recent Magnetic Resources Limited transaction completion (A$639m). The Proposed Scheme has not been incorporated pending resolution of the RRL matching right.”

Oil prices edge higher

ASX 200 energy shares including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a positive session after oil prices pushed higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.05% to US$68.73 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.05% to US$72.15 a barrel. This is despite OPEC announcing plans to boost its output.

Gold price charges higher

It could be a good session for ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) after the gold price charged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 1.2% to US$4,175.7 an ounce. Easing interest rate hike expectations boosted the precious metal.

Qantas shares on watch

Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) shares will be worth watching on Tuesday after UK airline easyJet received a US$7.3 billion takeover offer from U.S. private equity manager Castlelake. This represents a forward multiple of approximately 16.5x estimated 2027 earnings. Qantas shares are currently trading at a deep discount of around 10x estimated FY 2027 earnings.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday 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.