The Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price is in focus after the company reported quarterly production up 9% to 5.4 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) and record sales revenue of $565 million, a 41% jump on the previous quarter.

What did Beach Energy report?

• Production rose 9% quarter-on-quarter to 5.4 MMboe, with August recording a six-year monthly high.
• Sales revenue surged 41% to $565 million, Beach’s highest-ever quarterly result.
• Average realised gas price improved 7% to $11.9 per gigajoule (GJ); average realised oil price was $166 per barrel.
• Sales volumes climbed 32% to 6.3 MMboe, aided by the timing of LNG and oil liftings.
• Capital expenditure fell 46% to $129 million as offshore abandonment works were completed.
• Total liquidity stood at $945 million, with $205 million in cash and $740 million in undrawn debt facilities.

What else do investors need to know?

Beach’s Waitsia Gas Plant performed strongly, achieving record monthly output in August and returning to full operation after planned maintenance in September. The completion of the Equinox rig abandonment campaign means no significant offshore abandonment spending is expected until the mid-2030s, reducing near-term cash flow risks.

The company settled a long-running shareholder class action for $43.5 million, to be fully covered by insurance and with no impact on FY27 financials. In gas marketing, Beach signed new medium-term contracts, including its first JKM-linked domestic gas sales deal on the East Coast, improving both supply flexibility and pricing.

What did Beach Energy management say?

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Brett Woods said:

We delivered a strong start to FY27, with production up 9% to 5.4 MMboe and sales revenue increasing 41% to $565 million for the quarter, which is the highest quarterly sales revenue result ever realised by Beach. The result reflects disciplined execution across our operations and stronger performance from the Waitsia Gas Plant, which achieved a record average monthly production rate of 219 TJ/day in August.

What’s next for Beach Energy?

Beach reaffirmed FY27 guidance for production (19.5–23.0 MMboe) and capital expenditure ($600–700 million). Looking ahead, management is focused on portfolio optimisation, progressing new gas contracts with flexible pricing, and advancing key projects such as the Waitsia Inlet Compression and Otway nearshore developments.

Exploration, drilling and infrastructure upgrades remain a priority, with near-term work aimed at supporting future production and extending asset life. The company continues to engage with regulators and partners as it advances its growth pipeline.

Beach Energy share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Beach Energy shares have fallen 22%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has declined 3% over the same period.

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The post Beach Energy posts record Q1 sales revenue and higher production appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has climbed higher over the past week thanks to a rebound in bank, healthcare, and energy stocks.

Find out how three major ASX 200 shares, Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB), and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), and Westpac Banking Corporation Ltd (ASX: WBC) are tracking. And which one brokers rate as a buy, a hold, and a sell.

Brokers rate Austal shares as a buy

Austal shares have jumped 12% higher over the past week, up to $4.18 a piece at the time of writing. The rebound is great news for investors but there is still some way to go before the Australian-based global shipbuilding company and defence prime contractor’s shares have recouped losses shed earlier this year.

The shares are still down around 38% for the year-to-date and 39% lower than this time last year.

There hasn’t been any specific price sensitive news out of the company to explain the rebound over the past week, but there are media reports that the company is still weighing up two competing offers for its US operations. 

Wildcat Infrastructure launched a non-binding counter-bid of US$1.25 billion to US$1.35 billion to acquire Austal’s US operations as a standalone platform last month. This proposal directly competes with Hanwha Group’s earlier US$1.05 billion to US$1.20 billion buyout offer.  

Last week Austal confirmed that it had extended the due diligence period provided to Hanwha Defence USA, Inc. to enable it to firm-up its indicative, non-binding and conditional offer into a binding offer for Austal USA.

Brokers are optimistic that Austal shares can rally even higher. According to Market Index, the majority have a buy rating on the shares and the $5.36 average target price implies a 28% upside, at the time of writing.

Brokers rate BHP shares as a hold

BHP shares are also in focus this week after the mining giant posted its first quarter FY27 update on Tuesday. 

The company announced steady iron ore production and stronger realised prices, despite a drop in copper output. The miner also confirmed that there is no change to its FY27 production or unit cost guidance across core divisions.

The update follows two fatalities at its Escondida and Peak Downs sites during the quarter. These have prompted company-wide safety reviews and temporary operational pauses at the affected sites.

At the time of writing, BHP shares have fallen around 3% over the past week, to $59.50. Despite the decline, the shares are still trading around 30% higher for the year-to-date and they’re up around 35% compared to 12 months ago.

But the experts are still reserved about where the ASX mining shares could go from here. Market Index data shows the majority have a hold rating on the shares. And the $62.63 average target price implies a potential 5% upside, at the time of writing.

Brokers rate Westpac shares as a sell

Westpac shares are largely flat over the past week, to $35.13 at the time of writing. The ASX bank shares have now fallen around 10% for the year-to-date and are 10% lower than this time last year.

It looks like investors are sitting tight on Westpac shares ahead of the bank’s FY26 earnings announcement on the 2nd of November. Investors are likely waiting to see how the bank’s net interest margins and revenue. The bank is guiding revenue growth of 3-5% and a cost-to-income ratio of 51-53%.

On Monday, Westpac announced a $41 million pre-tax notable item in the second half of FY27 for expenses related to the RAMS litigation matters and associated legal costs.

Elsewhere in the bank sector there has been a rebound in confidence following fresh unemployment data and renewed confidence that the RBA will pause rates for the near future.

Market experts think that there is potential for Westpac shares to fall further. Market Index data shows the majority have a sell rating on the stock, and the $34.18 average target price implies a potential 3% downside, at the time of writing.

The post ASB, BHP, Westpac shares: Buy, sell, hold appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies has positions in BHP Group. 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 BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) shares are up around 1% in early morning trade at $140.22 a piece.

This morning’s increase means the shares have now climbed 9% higher over the past week alone, and they’re up 56% from a 10-year low recorded in late April.

It’s certainly a step in the right direction, and the increase is great news for Cochlear investors. But the shares are still around 51% lower than a year ago, so there is still a long way for them to go before they return to the highs recorded in late 2025. 

But what about a more achievable target? 

Cochlear shares are slowly creeping back up to $150. Can they break that barrier?

Here’s what the experts tip next

Market Index data shows that all brokers agree to a hold rating on Cochlear shares. The average target price is $131.37 a piece, which implies around a 6% downside at the time of writing.

TradingView data shows something similar. The majority (16 out of 18) of analysts have a hold rating on the shares. Another two rate Cochlear shares as a sell.

The average target price is a little higher, at $138.53, but that still implies around a 1% downside at the time of writing.

But there are some more bullish experts who think that it’s possible for Cochlear shares to break past $150 over the next 12 months. The maximum target price is actually much higher than the $150 level, at $165 each, which implies a potential 18% upside from the trading price at the time of writing.

The team at Morgans retained a hold rating on the healthcare company after its FY26 results announcement. The team said that while the result was mixed, underlying NPAT came in ahead of forecasts and revenue was broadly in line. Cochlear’s FY27 NPAT guidance of $330 million to $350 million implies only modest growth and no material turn in earnings.

What could drive Cochlear shares higher this year?

It’s no secret that 2026 has been a difficult year for the medical hearing implant device company. Cochlear has suffered from several strong headwinds, including a sector-wide rotation away from ASX healthcare shares this year. 

But the company’s latest result does suggest that business is getting back on track.

Looking ahead, I still see Cochlear as a strong, globally dominant business with its long-term outlook intact. I think the steep sell-offs this year were overdone.

The company’s AGM next week could help provide more insight into how the company is tracking so far in FY27. And in the absence of bad news, I think Cochlear shares could keep climbing higher past $150 in the coming months.

The post Cochlear shares jump 9% in a week: Can they break past $150? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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