Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares are rebounding in Monday afternoon trade.

At the time of writing, the iron ore shares are up around 2% and changing hands at $15.62 a piece.

It’s been headwind after headwind for the shares this year, and they’ve fallen mostly consistently throughout 2026 so far, off the back of iron ore price pressure. For the year to date, the shares are down around 29% and 18% lower than this time last year.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up around 1% today and up around 1% year to date.

Why are the shares climbing higher today?

There isn’t any price-sensitive news out of the iron ore miner today to explain today’s increase.

But ASX mining shares are trending higher today, driven by an overnight bounce in commodity prices.

The prices of major metals, including Chinese iron ore, copper, and gold, are climbing again. 

Iron ore futures dropped toward CNY 680 per ton late last week, which is the lowest level since October 2022, as Chinese markets reopened after a week-long holiday.

Elsewhere, Copper futures in the US have risen close to a record high of US$6.80 per pound, thanks to threats around global supply and continued speculative demand. 

Gold prices have also climbed as falling oil prices helped alleviate some concerns about rising inflation.

Fortescue is a major global iron ore producer and is also actively expanding its portfolio into copper and green energy. So its share price is heavily influenced by changing commodity prices.

Where to next for Fortescue shares?

Sentiment about the outlook for the ASX miner is pretty neutral

Market Index data shows brokers have a hold rating on Fortescue shares. The $17.88 average target price implies around a 14% upside, at the time of writing.

On TradingView, again, the majority of analysts (9 out of 16) have a hold stance on Fortescue shares. Another three rate the shares as a sell/strong sell, and two rate them as a strong buy.

The average $16.88 target price implies an 8% upside, but some think the shares could climb another 41% to $22.01 over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

The team at Bell Potter have a hold rating on the shares and recently reduced their price target to $15.80. The broker noted that Fortescue’s latest quarterly update showed lower shipments, impacts from port maintenance, and shipment-to-sales gaps.

Late last week, UBS also confirmed its hold rating on the shares, with a $16.40 target price, following the miner’s latest quarterly update.

Fortescue reported its first-quarter FY27 iron ore shipments were 46.8 million tonnes (Mt), 6% lower than FY26 Q1. 

Cash was US$3.2 billion and net debt was US$2.8 billion on the 30th of September 2026, compared with net debt of US$0.9 billion on the 30th of June 2026.

The post Down 29% so far in 2026: What do brokers tip next for Fortescue shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 6 ASX shares downgraded by experts this week
• Is the Fortescue share price a bargain buy?
• Buy, hold, sell: Rural Funds Group, Imdex, Fortescue shares

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 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.

Since mid-May, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has held up relatively well. Despite some volatility along the way, the ASX 200 presently sits about 2% above where it was back on 19 May. However, we cannot say the same for Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares.

Back in May, Telstra had just hit a new 52-week (and multi-year) high of $5.55 a share. Today, those same shares sit at a far less impressive $4.65 each. That’s after the nasty 2.6% plunge that we are witnessing today.

Given that Telstra first started exploring this territory back in September, it might be easy to blame the telco’s full-year earnings that month for the lacklustre reception Telstra shares are still on the pointy end of. To be fair, these earnings didn’t exactly light up the room. Telstra reported a 0.8% drop in revenues to $22.94 billion. Despite that, the company still managed to reveal a 4.9% rise in underlying net profits after tax to $2.5 billion, as well as a 14% increase in cash earnings per share (EPS) to 25.5 cents.

This allowed Telstra to boost its 2026 final dividend by 10.5% to 10.5 cents per share. A $1 billion share buyback program was also announced.

So why then have Telstra shares taken such a dramatic plunge since May? Well, we can’t totally rule out a poor reception of these earnings. After all, if Telstra’s revenues continue to flatline in the years ahead, its current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 23.4 arguably starts to look a little generous.

However, I think there’s another factor at play here: interest rates.

Telstra shares fall as interest rates rise

Telstra is first and foremost known as one of the ASX’s best and most reliable dividend payers. Many, if not most, of those Australian investors who own Telstra shares do so with the expectation of receiving fat dividend cheques, with at least some franking credits attached.

As we’ve already touched on, Telstra is continuing to deliver in this department. But perhaps the problem is the growing attractiveness of alternative sources of passive income.

2026 has been a dramatic year when it comes to interest rates. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has already hiked rates three times this year. Although the cash rate now sits at a 15-year high of 4.6%, many commentators anticipate it hasn’t finished its current cycle yet. Most Australians understandably associate high interest rates with more painful mortgage repayments. However, this 4.6% cash rate has also resulted in the returns from term deposits and savings accounts exploding. Today, and for the first time in 15 years, one can open a term deposit with an interest rate of over 5.5% per annum – unheard of for years.

Back when Telstra was sitting at $5.55 a share, it would have only been offering a dividend yield of under 3.8%. You can see why more than a few investors would just take the risk-free 5% return instead.

Perhaps the company is finding more buyers at the current price of $4.65. That offers up a much improved 4.52% yield. But as a company that could be described as a bond proxy, I don’t find it at all surprising to see demand for Telstra shares drop off when risk-free passive income is looking so lucrative. Unless Telstra can start growing its revenues at a healthy rate again, or until interest rates start coming down, I’m not expecting to see Telstra shares back above $5 anytime soon.

The post Why have Telstra shares lost 16% since May? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• How much superannuation do I need to generate $100,000 per year in passive income?
• Woolworths Group vs Telstra Group: Which ASX blue chip pays better passive income?
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• How much passive income can I earn from a $950,000 superannuation balance?

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It’s important to know how much superannuation you have accumulated at any age.

But your late 50s and 60s are a crossroads in life when the amount you have saved will directly affect the type of retirement lifestyle you live when you decide to stop working.

At age 55, many Aussies are approaching their final decade of working life. At this point, you’re just five years away from your preservation age. That’s when you can access your super, provided you’ve stopped working. 

By age 65, you can get full access to your superannuation regardless of whether you’re still working or not.  

So, how does your balance compare to other Aussies the same age? And how does it compare to how much super you should actually have at age 55 and age 65? 

Let’s take a look.

What’s the average superannuation balance of Aussies aged 55 in Australia?

There aren’t exact figures for the average balance at age 55, but the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has a rough guide.

The data shows that the average Australian male aged 55 to 59 has around $319,743 in their superannuation.

Women in the same age bracket have a lot less. That’s because women tend to take time out of the workforce or work reduced hours to raise children or care for other family members. This means they earn less superannuation income and earn less compound growth on a lower balance. 

The average balance for Australian women aged 55 to 59 is around $242,945. That’s a gap of around $77,000 compared to men the same age.

How does your super balance stack up with men and women the same age as you?

What’s the average superannuation balance for Aussies aged 65 in Australia?

Again, ASFA provides a guide. The data shows that the average Australian male aged 65 to 69 has around $448,518 in their superannuation.

Women in the same age bracket have closer to $392,274. By this age bracket, it looks like some women have started to catch up. Perhaps that’s because many have returned to work full-time over the past decade as their children have grown older. 

But that’s still a gap of over $56,000 compared to men the same age.

How much do you need at age 55 to be able to retire comfortably?

ASFA data concludes that a comfortable retirement is expected to cost around $56,166 per year for individuals and $78,998 combined per year for couples.

To afford that, by retirement, a single person will need a superannuation balance of around $630,000. Meanwhile, couples will need around $730,000.

The data assumes you’ll begin retirement from age 67, will earn a part Age Pension, and that you own your home outright.

In order to be on track to reach that $630,000 goal, Australians should have at least $348,500 in their superannuation at age 55.

That’s a lot less than the average balances of both men and women at age 55.

How much do you need at age 65 to retire comfortably?

I’ve run the numbers for what you should have at age 65, too.

Again, ASFA expects that you’ll retire at age 67, will earn a part-Age Pension, and that you own your home outright.

In order to be considered as on track to reach $650,000 within the next two years, Australians at age 65 should have around $578,000 in their superannuation.

How does your balance compare now?

The post The average superannuation balance at age 55 versus 65 in Australia appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Down 29% so far in 2026: What do brokers tip next for Fortescue shares?
• Why have Telstra shares lost 16% since May?
• Fortescue vs Rio Tinto: Which ASX mining giant is the better buy today?
• Should you buy Lynas and this ASX share at their 52-week lows?
• Nextdc vs WiseTech: Which ASX tech stock is better for a 25 year old investor?

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 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.