S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are down 0.2% to 8,714.8 points on Thursday.

Meanwhile, brokers have lifted their ratings on several ASX 200 shares this week. 

Let’s review. 

PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The PLS Group share price is $2.97, down 6.3% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 lithium share has tumbled 30%.

Bell Potter upgraded PLS Group shares to a buy rating on Wednesday.

The broker cut its 12-month price target from $5.20 to $4.40.

This still implies a potential 48% upside ahead.

Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

The Minerals Resources share price is $44.36, down 4.9% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 mining share has fallen 18%.

Morgans upgraded Mineral Resources shares to a buy rating on Wednesday.

The broker cut its 12-month price target from $71 to $65.

This suggests a potential 46% upside ahead.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

The Paladin Energy share price is $6.89, down 5% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 uranium share has descended 28%.

Morgans upgraded its rating from accumulate to buy this week.

The broker has a 12-month price target of $13.10.

This implies a potential 90% upside ahead.

Morgans said:

PDN’s 1Q27 result reflected the anticipated slow start to FY27, with Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM) uranium production of 1.0Mlbs below consensus expectations of 1.16Mlbs.

Uranium sales of 1.16Mlbs were in line with consensus expectations of 1.13Mlbs.

The result was impacted by the flagged and planned July plant shutdown and weaker recovery rates due to ore characteristics.

Mining momentum and realised pricing – mining performance improved qoq following strong performance in 4Q26 and realised pricing increased 12% to US$79.4/lb, a record at LHM.

Following recent share price weakness, we upgrade our rating to BUY (previously ACCUMULATE) …

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The Lynas Rare Earths share price is $10.88, down 6% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 rare earths share has lost one-fifth of its market capitalisation.

Morgan Stanley upgraded Lynas Rare Earths shares to a buy rating on Monday.

The broker lowered its price target from $15.45 to $14.65.

This indicates a potential gain of 34% over the next year. 

Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD)

The Ampol share price is $43.24, down 0.6% today.

Over the past month, this ASX 200 energy share has risen 2%.

UBS upgraded Ampol shares to a buy rating on Tuesday.

The broker upped its 12-month price target from $41.50 to $47.75.

This suggests a potential 10% upside ahead.

The post 5 ASX 200 stocks analysts have upgraded this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX shares tipped by brokers to return 41% to 85% in the next 12 months
• Could Paladin Energy shares return 90% in 12 months?
• Own ASX mining shares? Official forecasts show commodity prices peaking in FY27
• Paladin Energy: Q1 FY2027 uranium output and outlook
• 2 ASX lithium shares to buy with 38% to 120% upside

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. 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.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) shares among my top picks for passive income.

The company is a major ASX energy company that supplies electricity, natural gas, and solar power to homes and businesses across the country.

The company operates a huge electricity generation fleet powered by traditional fuels like natural gas and coal, including the Eraring Power Station in New South Wales.

It is also expanding its footprint into large-scale batteries, wind, and solar assets. 

Through joint ventures, Origin Energy has also diversified into natural gas supply and exports liquefied natural gas (LNG) globally.

And there’s more. Origin has also invested outside of the energy sector. The company also offers NBN broadband internet packages, electric vehicle (EV) charging integrations, and what it calls “virtual power plant orchestration”. This is where it uses smart software to sync thousands of home batteries, solar panels, and EVs so they act as one giant, decentralised power station.

Given both energy and connectivity are essential services, Origin Energy is widely considered as a classically defensive stock. 

This means its shares can usually be relatively resilient to sharemarket volatility, global uncertainty and inflation shifts. 

After all, Australians won’t stop powering their homes and businesses because the purse strings have tightened.

And there is another defensive quality too. Origin’s assets operate under long-term contracts, often with rising income. This means the company can lock in a stable cash flow and manage volatility as it arises.

And it passes these benefits directly onto its shareholders.

What’s the latest out of Origin Energy shares?

At the time of writing, Origin Energy shares are trading at $11.82 a piece. That’s a 9% increase during the first two weeks of October alone, and they’re now up 4% for the year-to-date.

What does Origin’s dividend look like?

Origin has historically paid its shareholders every six months, consisting of an interim dividend in March and a final dividend in October.

In FY26, the company paid its investors a total 60 cents per share dividend – 30 cents per share in March and another 30 cents per share in October – fully franked.

At the time of writing that translates to a dividend yield of around 5.2%.

What is the ASX energy company forecast to pay shareholders in FY27 and FY28?

According to CommSec forecasts, Origin Energy is expected to continue paying shareholders a 60-cent annual dividend in FY27 and FY28. Is it then expected to pay a slightly higher 62-cent dividend in FY29.

At the time of writing, that implies a forward yield of 5.2% for FY27 and FY28. For FY29 the forward yield is a little higher, at 5.24%.

So, how many Origin energy shares do I need to generate $1,000 of passive income every month?

Origin Energy doesn’t pay its dividends on a monthly basis so first we need to calculate what $1,000 per month in passive income is over the whole year ($12,000). 

In order to earn $12,000 per year in passive income from Origin Energy shares in FY27 and FY28, at 62 cents per unit, investors would need to own around 20,000 shares.

To earn the same amount from the projected 62-cent dividend in FY29, investors would need to own roughly 19,354 shares.

What would that cost?

At $11.82 per share, 20,000 shares would require an investment of around $236,400 for FY27 and FY28. This would give the equivalent passive income of around $1,000 per month.

To earn the same in FY28, investors would need to spend closer to $228,764.

These aren’t small sums but Origin’s stable dividend payment could make the investment worthwhile. And remember, you don’t need to invest the whole lot in one go. Let compound growth do some of the work.

The post How many Origin Energy shares do I need for $1,000 per month of passive income in FY27? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Origin Energy vs Woodside Energy: Which ASX 200 share is more likely to beat the market?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Which does Macquarie prefer out of AGL and Origin?
• ASX 200 defensive sectors outperform amid volatile trading
• How much superannuation do I need to generate $100,000 per year in passive income?

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.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have climbed higher into the green in Thursday afternoon trade.

At the time of writing the shares are up over 3% and changing hands for $156.04 a piece.

At one point this afternoon, the shares reached as high as $157.08 each.

Today’s increase means the ASX bank shares are now up around 5% over the past week, recouping some losses shed earlier this year.

CBA shares are still down around 3% for the year-to-date and down roughly 6% compared to this time last year.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is travelling in the other direction today. At the time of writing the index is down slightly, around 0.5%.

Why are CBA shares climbing higher again today?

There isn’t any price sensitive news out of CBA today to explain today’s share price jump. 

It looks like the ASX bank sector as a whole is rallying higher, with the other big four banks also making gains in afternoon trade.

The main catalyst is most likely the result of fresh economic data, announced today. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released data showing that, in seasonally adjusted terms, Australia’s employment rate increased 0.1ppt to 4.7% for September. 

It looks like this has significantly boosted investor confidence that the Reserve Bank will decide to hold interest rates steady at its next meeting on the 3rd of November, rather than implement another hike as originally feared.

Renewed confidence that the RBA will pause rates for the time being looks to have lifted the entire financial sector. And as CBA has the most dominant market position as Australia’s largest bank, it is leading the share price increase today.

Are the bank shares a buy, hold, or sell now?

The latest analysts data still shows the experts are wary about the outlook for CBA shares over the next 12 months. 

Market Index data shows that all brokers still have a strong sell rating on CBA shares. The $125.20 target price implies the shares could fall another 20% over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

TradingView shows something similar. The majority (14 out of 16) have a sell/strong sell rating on the shares. However, two more have a hold rating on CBA.

The average $128.29 target price still implies a potential downside of around 18%, at the time of writing.

It looks like today’s news was positive for CBA shares, but it’s most likely to be short-lived. The bank is still significantly overvalued versus its peers and the mortgage market still remains under pressure.

The post CBA shares jump 3% today: Is this the start of a rebound? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• I compared 5 of the ASX’s best shares. Here’s which one I’d buy today
• How much passive income can I earn off a $700,000 superannuation balance?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: Wildcat Resources, Ramsay Health Care, CBA 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.