Author: openjargon

The Amcor CDI (ASX: AMC) share price is in focus today as the global packaging leader reported net sales up 77% to US$5.91 billion for the March quarter, driven by the Berry acquisition, and an 87% jump in adjusted EBITDA to US$892 million.

What did Amcor preport?

• Net sales of US$5,914 million for the March quarter, up 77% year-on-year
• GAAP net income of US$278 million and diluted EPS of US$0.60
• Adjusted EBITDA up 87% to US$892 million; adjusted EBIT up 79% to US$687 million
• Quarterly dividend lifted to 65.0 US cents per share (91.0 Australian cents for ASX CDIs)
• Acquisition synergies of US$77 million realised during the quarter
• Year-to-date adjusted EPS climbed 11% to US$2.79

What else do investors need to know?

The standout increase in Amcor’s sales and earnings stems from the completed acquisition of Berry Global, marking the first full fiscal year since integration. Both the Flexible and Rigid Packaging divisions delivered strong gains thanks to synergy benefits and productivity initiatives, though overall volumes were about 1.5% lower versus combined legacy businesses.

The company’s previously announced portfolio optimisation is progressing, with six divestiture agreements reached so far this year. Cash flow remained steady, with a free cash outflow of US$39 million for the quarter after absorbing around US$78 million in one-off transaction and integration costs.

The board’s confidence in long-term growth is underlined by a higher quarterly dividend, up from the prior year even as inventory levels remain elevated to secure customer needs amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

What did Amcor management say?

Amcor CEO Peter Konieczny commented:

Third quarter results were in line with expectations and reflect the resilience of our business as we mark the first anniversary of bringing legacy Amcor and Berry together as One Amcor. Over the past year, we have executed a smooth integration, built a strong leadership structure, and made meaningful progress on synergy delivery and portfolio optimization. While we continue to operate in a challenging market environment, our global scale, diversified portfolio, and strong customer and supplier partnerships position us well. We remain focused on what we can control—ensuring reliable supply, managing costs and pricing responsibly to offset inflation, and supporting our customers. With clear visibility to additional synergy benefits and a proven ability to navigate volatility, we are confident in our outlook and the continued strength of our business.

What’s next for Amcor?

Looking ahead, Amcor expects full-year adjusted EPS of US$3.98 to US$4.03, representing around 12% growth at the midpoint, and free cash flow between US$1.5 and US$1.6 billion. This outlook includes full-year benefits from the Berry integration and reflects the company’s efforts to maintain service levels in the face of supply chain disruptions and Middle East conflict impacts.

Management will continue pursuing portfolio optimisation, cost synergies and productivity gains, though actual results could vary given ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. Investors can expect further clarity on progress at the next scheduled update.

Amcor share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Amcor shares have declined 26%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 8% over the sme period.

View Original Announcement

The post Amcor earnings surge on Berry acquisition 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 positions in and has recommended Amcor Plc. 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.

If you are looking for both exposure to the booming data centre market and an attractive dividend yield, then it could be worth looking at the ASX stock in this article.

That’s because Bell Potter believes it could rise strongly and provide a 4.1% yield over the next 12 months.

Which ASX data centre stock?

The stock that Bell Potter is bullish on is DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT).

Bell Potter notes that the company has announced the sale of its CHI1 data centre in Chicago for US$750 million. This represents a 5% premium to its purchase price.

In addition, it reiterated its FY 2026 guidance for A$125 million EBITDA.

The broker was pleased with the news and highlights three key positives. It said:

(1) Overhang removed, balance sheet scope – Following completion in 1QFY27, gearing will reduce to 17% on a pro-forma basis (was 36%) with proceeds used to pay down debt (net debt reduced by c.$1bn down to $0.5bn).

(2) Potential for capital return – DGT intends to explore capital management initiatives including distributing excess capital through “enhanced distributions in the short term above FFO. We assume upon completion in FY27.

(3) SYD1 update and plans – Reached practical completion for the first 15mw of the 20mw upgrade with remaining 5mw to be delivered prior to 30 Jun 26. We see an improved outlook for SYD1 acceleration given associated balance sheet scope and optionality post completion.

Should you invest?

According to the note, despite the ASX data centre stock rising 25% on Wednesday, Bell Potter sees potential for its shares to keep rising.

In response to the update, the broker has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $3.40.

Based on its current share price of $2.95, this implies potential upside of 15% for investors over the next 12 months.

And, as mentioned at the top, Bell Potter is expecting a 4.1% dividend yield in FY 2026. It then expects yields of 6.8% in FY 2027 and 6.3% in FY 2028.

Commenting on its recommendation, the broker said:

Today’s announcement is a clear positive for DGT in removing balance sheet overhang given the substantial level of debt on foot, risk from increasing marginal cost of debt, and ability to fund its SYD1 development expansion which is its best use of capital given company-stated 15% incremental yield on cost.

While it is a deviation from potential capital partnering plans (ie partial asset stakes vs. 100% disposal), and should LAX be disposed (BPe end 1QFY27), leaves US operations as sub-scale (Dallas and Kansas remaining), we think the deeply discounted trading price was mostly a reflection of balance sheet concern. Subject to completion, and LAX asset disposals (US$71m book value) which are a drag on the balance sheet (non yielding), the pay down of debt, and usage into SYD1 improves the forward earnings profile which could see upside given the lack of Aus market supply short term.

The post Bell Potter says this ASX data centre stock has 15% upside and a 4% yield 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.

Now could be an opportune time to buy Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360) shares.

That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, who believe the location technology company could release a strong quarterly update later this month.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter believes that there is “more upside than downside risk to Q1 result” and sees potential for Life360 to exceed expectations. It said:

Life360 will report its 1Q2026 result next Tuesday, 12th May and we expect the company to meet if not slightly exceed its flagged expectations for the quarter of y-o-y MAU growth <20%, adjusted EBITDA margin in the “low double digits”, device revenue down 50% on pcp and a negative hardware GM. Our key forecasts for Q1 are global MAUs of 98.4m (equates to a q-o-q increase of 2.6m or y-o-y growth of 17.6%), total paying circles of 2.93m (q-o-q increase of 99k), revenue of US$137.5m (y-o-y growth of 33%) and adjusted EBITDA of US$14.5m (equates to a margin of 10.5%).

Our view is that our Q1 forecasts are consistent with or slightly below the market so importantly both we and the market are at a level where there is probably now more upside than downside risk to the result. But Q1 is still expected to be a relatively soft quarter so we only expect the company to reiterate the full year guidance and if anything we see some downside risk to the forecast y-o-y MAU growth of 20% (we forecast 17.5%).

Big potential returns

According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating and $35.50 price target on Life360’s shares.

Based on its current share price of $19.84, this implies potential upside of approximately 80% over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its recommendation, Bell Potter said:

There is no change in our target price of $35.50 which we only updated last month. The key assumptions we apply in the valuations we use to determine the target price are a 35x multiple in the EV/EBITDA and a 9.5% WACC in the DCF. This TP is still a significant premium to the share price so we maintain our BUY recommendation.

Potential catalysts include the upcoming Q1 where, as mentioned, we see reasonable chance of a small beat but little prospect of an upgrade to the 2026 guidance. A larger potential catalyst, however, is the Q2 result in August if the company can show strong MAU growth and support the full year guidance of 20% growth. The Q2 result is probably also the earliest the company could upgrade the full year guidance though, given the H2 skew this year, this is perhaps more likely at the Q3 result.

The post Why Life360 shares are a strong buy this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Superannuation is one of the best places to invest for passive income given how tax effective it is. For some older investors, the tax cost may be zero.

For a full-time working Australian, holding higher-yielding investments in their own name does have negatives because the tax rate could be well over 30%. At least capital gains aren’t taxed until they’re sold.

So, if someone did have $5,000 (or materially more) to invest in superannuation, where would be a good place to invest it?

There are a few names that really stand out to me. I want to highlight two that I’ve put my own family’s money into.

MFF Capital Investments Ltd (ASX: MFF)

MFF is best known as a listed investment company (LIC) that invests in a high-quality portfolio of global shares from across the world, including regions such as North America and Europe. It only invests in those stocks on “satisfactory or better terms”.

LICs are appealing because they have diversified portfolios and can deliver a good level of passive income to investors, since the board of directors decide on size of the dividend payments each year.

LICs can build up investment returns as retained profit and pay a growing dividend from those profits. This is great for superannuation investors.

MFF has grown its regular annual dividend per share each year since 2018 and it’s expecting to increase its annual dividend per share to 21 cents. That translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.3%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

Impressively, over the past five years, MFF shares have delivered an average return per year of 15.3%, showing both passive income and capital growth. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns, though.

L1 Long Short Fund Ltd (ASX: LSF)

This business is another LIC that I’m also very optimistic about.

It invests in a mixture of both ASX shares and global shares, giving the portfolio significant diversification. Additionally, L1 Long Short Fund utilises short-selling to bet on those share prices declining.

Therefore, it can generate returns whether the market is going up or down. Over the five years to 31 March 2026, its portfolio returned an average of 16.1% per year, which is strong enough to fund passive income and achieve good capital growth.

It has a steadily growing dividend, which has increased each year since 2021. I think the regularity of the hikes make it a very appealing option for passive income in superannuation.

I like how the business provides investors with exposure to a high-performing portfolio, and does so by identifying in sectors that are sometimes unloved by the market. I like its willingness to invest with a contrarian attitude.

I expect the company’s next four quarterly dividends to amount to a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.2%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

The post How to invest $5,000 for passive income in superannuation? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in L1 Long Short Fund and Mff Capital Investments. 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 Mff Capital Investments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price has been an incredible performer amid the significant increase in energy prices.

As the chart below shows, the Woodside share price has soared by 60% in the past year.

The ASX oil and gas share doesn’t have much control over energy prices, but it has significant operating leverage when resource prices do increase.

It costs Woodside roughly the same to produce each ‘barrel’ of its resources month to month, but when revenue rises that largely adds to net profit (aside from paying more to the government).

Investors usually value a business based on how much earnings it’s expected to generate, so the recent increase in potential profitability has been great news for owners of Woodside shares.

How many Woodside shares we can buy with $10,000

A year ago, we would have been able to buy 501 Woodside shares – the world has changed a lot since then.

A $10,000 investment a year ago would have turned into around $16,000 today, plus a couple of solid dividend payments.

As I mentioned above, the Woodside share price has risen close to 60%. These days, an investment with $10,000 would only buy 312 Woodside shares.

It’s important to ask whether it’s good value today or not because it has already risen. Is it more likely to rise or fall from here? The US certainly wants the normal global fuel supply to return to normal.

Is the ASX oil and gas share a buy?

Analysts are currently mixed on the business. According to CMC Invest, there have been nine recent ratings with only two of those being a buy. Five of the ratings were hold and two were a sell.

The average price target of those nine ratings was $31.48, suggesting (at the time of writing) a slight decline for the Woodside share price over the next year.

The most optimistic price target is $36.50, suggesting it could rise 14% over the next 12 months. However, the most negative price target is $24.75, suggesting it could fall more than 20%.

If investors are thinking about buying Woodside shares, I’d suggest it’s important to consider how long energy prices are going to stay elevated. I’m not expecting it to go much higher in the foreseeable future, meaning I think there are better opportunities out there.

The post 5 years ago, $10,000 bought 501 Woodside shares. But how many would it buy now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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.

Australia’s two largest supermarket giants have released updates recently.

Do these updates make them buys for investors looking for blue-chip ASX shares? Let’s see what analysts are saying about them:

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

In response to Coles’ third-quarter update, Bell Potter has downgraded Coles shares to a hold rating with an improved price target of $22.80.

Bell Potter highlights that competition is increasing in the supermarket industry and that the liquor market remains challenged. And while Coles shares are trading at a discount, the broker thinks there are better value opportunities elsewhere in the consumer staples space. It explains:

We downgrade our rating from Buy to Hold. The shortfall between retail shelf price inflation and underlying food inflation in both WOW and COL has widened in the recent quarter. The competitive backdrop appears to be lifting and liquor remains challenged in a rising cost environment.

Trading a discount to WOW, there is a relative value argument to be made, particularly given the more limited exposure to discretionary channels in the near term, however we see more compelling GARP opportunities elsewhere in the consumer staples space at this juncture.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

Over at Morgans, its analysts note that Woolworths released a mixed trading update.

However, due to recent share price weakness, the broker has upgraded Woolworths shares to an accumulate rating with an unchanged price target of $37.30.

Commenting on the quarter, the broker said:

WOW’s 3Q26 sales trading update was mixed. Strong sales growth was offset by softer FY26 earnings guidance for Australian Food and NZ Food, as management chose to absorb higher fuel costs and invest in pricing. Management noted that value is becoming increasingly important, as customers become more cautious amid rising cost-of-living pressures. We reduce group FY26-28F underlying EBIT marginally by 1%. Our target price remains unchanged at $37.30. With a 12-month forecast TSR of 12%, we upgrade our rating to ACCUMULATE (from HOLD).

While absorbing higher costs and investing in pricing will weigh on margins in the near term, we believe this is the right strategy in the long-term as WOW works to improve its value perception with customers. These are levers within management’s control, and improving sales and volume momentum indicates the strategy is resonating. In an uncertain macro environment with soft consumer sentiment, WOW’s dominant market position and relatively defensive characteristics should support steady and resilient earnings growth.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Coles and Woolworths shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) shares enjoyed a strong run higher on Wednesday.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lithium stock closed the day trading at $8.08 apiece, up 6.6%.

For some context, the ASX 200 closed up 0.8% yesterday.

This outperformance is par for the course for IGO shares this past year. As at Wednesday’s close, the ASX 200 lithium miner is up 102.0% over 12 months, smashing the 7.4% gains delivered by the benchmark index over this same time.

But with the stock having more than doubled investors’ money since last May, is it time to take profits?

IGO shares: Buy, hold or sell?

Alto Capital’s Tony Locantro recently ran his slide rule over the ASX 200 lithium miner (courtesy of The Bull).

“IGO is a diversified battery metals company with exposure to lithium, nickel and copper, including a strategic interest in the Greenbushes lithium operation,” he noted.

Commenting on the big run higher in IGO shares this past year, Locantro said, “The company has benefited from strong investor interest in the energy transition theme, supported by long term demand expectations for battery materials.”

But with the ASX lithium stock having surged 102% over 12 months, Locantro believes investors would do well to sell.

He concluded:

While IGO remains a high-quality operator, the share price appears to reflect a recovery in underlying commodity prices. In our view, uncertainty in near term commodity prices amid earnings volatility are likely to persist.

The risk-reward balance supports taking profits.

What’s the latest from the ASX 200 lithium stock?

IGO reported its March quarter results (Q3 FY 2026) on 24 April.

Highlights included a 45% quarter on quarter increase in sales revenue to $119.7 million.

And earning saw an even bigger leap, with IGO reporting Q3 underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $119 million. That’s up 297% from Q2 FY 2026.

Despite those strong results, investors sent IGO shares tumbling 17.9% on the day after the miner revealed ongoing operational challenges at its flagship Greenbushes hard-rock lithium operation, located in Western Australia.

“Greenbushes production result this quarter is disappointing,” IGO CEO Ivan Vella said.

“Performance has been challenged across a number of metrics including safety, feed grade, recoveries, maintenance execution and plant reliability,” he added.

Vella noted that IGO is working to address the issues impacting Greenbushes.

“Many of these issues are systemic and, as part of the Strategic Options Review, programs and initiatives are being implemented to improve and address them,” he said.

The post Up more than 100% in a year, is it time to take profits on IGO shares? 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.

Okay, let’s have some real talk about AI. Not that I have all the answers, by the way, but I do want to talk about the looming crisis and opportunity that might be presented by artificial intelligence.

I don’t know where it’ll end up, and I don’t know how quickly it’ll get there. What I know is that we are using it at The Motley Fool to great effect, and I know plenty of other companies are claiming the same sort of success, with jobs being lost as a result.

Now, maybe some of the hyped advantages are exactly that – overhyped. Maybe there is even more to come. Maybe, as some have suggested, the whole thing is a charade. And frankly, my perspective is just that: mine.

But let’s break it down.

Let’s start with history.

Way back in the day, when the first technology was brought to bear on sewing, there were protests in the streets. Jobs would be lost, they said. And you know what? They were right.

Let’s go to farming. Once upon a time, more than 80% of us worked in agriculture, and the work was done largely by hand with some relatively simple tools. Now throw in some very early farm machinery, like the stump-jump plough. Add to that mechanisation through tractors and other pieces of relatively early-stage technology. Then fast forward many decades, and less than 5% of us work on farms. That is a massive number of jobs lost.

Look at car manufacturing. Henry Ford’s famous assembly line was a huge step forward in the way products were produced, but most of that was still done by hand, or at least using tools wielded by humans. And now? Most car manufacturing and assembly is done by robots. Yes, the work is overseen by individuals, but the machines do most of the tasks.

Remember stories of the typing pool? Or, if you’re a little older, maybe you remember the typing pool itself? That’s now gone, replaced in part by the personal computer.

Remember banks of accounting clerks? The proverbial green eyeshades of those who wielded spreadsheets when that word had its original application, and a ‘spreadsheet’ was a large piece of paper? Those two groups are gone now, too.

What about the cooper who made barrels? What about the farrier and the blacksmith?

Truthfully, I don’t love the idea that those jobs have been lost. I’m a romantic at heart and quite like my nostalgia. I like the idea of those things being handmade by artisans. The thing is, I also like the progress we’ve been able to achieve and the increase in living standards that we’ve enjoyed as those roles were replaced by faster, cheaper, and more efficient machines. So do we all.

And the result? Not mass unemployment. Not an economy that ground to a halt. Not the end of civilisation or the economy as we knew it. But progress.

We are far healthier and wealthier than we were in decades and centuries past. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, and there were real victims on the way through:

Farriers and coopers who maybe never worked again. Farm workers who couldn’t adapt to the changing workplace. These are not things we should blithely ignore.

But it’s also true that, as a society, we are far better off for the progress we’ve made. That’s the uncomfortable truth and uncomfortable trade-off.

Does anyone really want to go back to 85% of Australians working on farms? Do we want to give up the material comforts and workplace advances that have come from decades of progress? Do we want to forgo the improvements in health, national safety nets, shortened working hours, improvements in workplace health and safety, leisure time and options, and more? Because that’s the price of the nostalgia that we sometimes feel like we’d prefer to go back to.

And nor am I saying that things have improved unquestionably. There are absolutely negatives to the progress we’ve enjoyed, and we should fix those things. But that’s not the same as going back in time.

Farm tools improved our society. Automation improved our society. Computerisation improved our society. These are not things we should give up willingly.

And so we turn our thoughts to artificial intelligence.

Are all the claimed benefits going to come to fruition? Almost certainly not. But will some, or many? I’d bet on it. And will that come with disruption? I’d bet on that, too.

I suspect there will be many jobs disrupted and lost as artificial intelligence is adopted more deeply and broadly across the country and the world. The thing is, we couldn’t hold back that tide even if we wanted to. We could make local laws about it, I guess, but would our international competitors? I think we know the answer.

And so our choice is to adapt or go backwards. But even that adaptation isn’t just a question of staying still.

AI has the very real potential to improve our standard of living quite meaningfully. If just some of the efficiencies are able to be realised, we stand the very real chance of being able to grow the economy and improve productivity in ways we haven’t for a long time.

My bet? I think the benefits of AI accrue to the end users for the most part. Yes, some companies and individuals will make a fortune.

But as an analog, just think about the benefits of the internet. Sure, some internet companies have made a lot of money – a huge amount of money. But I’d bet an even larger amount of money that the ability to use the internet for everything that we do, professionally and personally, has created far, far, more value for us as a society than for those businesses.

I suspect AI will be the same.

And so, I think we should embrace it. Both because we don’t have a choice – others will even if we don’t – but also because I think it’s a potentially huge net positive.

I also think we should make room for the very real chance that its adoption will be quite disruptive for businesses and workers alike. We need to be prepared for the possibility that many, many jobs are lost, and potentially quite quickly.

And it’s that last bit that is the real social concern.

Lots of farm jobs were lost. Lots of factory jobs were lost. Lots of administrative jobs were lost. And these weren’t just absorbed, but many, many more jobs were created as time went on. Even better, those jobs, on the whole, paid more than the ones that were lost.

Progress is imperfect and sometimes unevenly distributed, but we should welcome it.

The real risk, as I see it, is that the pace of AI innovation may overwhelm our ability to create new jobs in time to re-employ those whose roles are eliminated thanks to artificial intelligence. That is where I think our social and political attention should be paid: How do we prepare for, and manage, that potential fallout? Not because it’s inevitable, but because it’s possible, and we should have war-gamed that outcome well in advance. 

Otherwise, we risk a significant jump in unemployment and potentially even a recession, as those put out of work no longer have the purchasing power to keep the economy growing. That’ll be bad for both those who lose their jobs directly as a result of artificial intelligence, and those who lose their jobs as a result of any subsequent recession. Ditto business failures.

Attention paid to that is far more useful than efforts to somehow retard the growth or progress of artificial intelligence, if only because a lack of international competitiveness would probably be more damaging than losing domestic jobs to AI itself.

As an investor, I’m not currently making any specific bets on artificial intelligence, by the way. If I’m right that AI becomes an enabling technology far more than specific value creation for a small number of AI companies, the question will be which companies adopt AI and use it to specifically get a jump on their competitors. Because just using AI, just like using the internet, isn’t an advantage; it’s simply required to be competitive and to serve your customers.

AI will probably improve our productivity and probably make us wealthier, and that is great for the economy and great for listed businesses as a whole, as they find a way to capitalise on better serving customers and more efficiently running their businesses.

My guess is that over the long term, it makes for a better economy and a more prosperous society. We just have to work out how we get from here to there and manage any unexpected or unwelcome fallout.

That’s the policy challenge, but we shouldn’t let it get in the way of taking advantage of the long-term value creation that could come from the use of an incredibly productive and useful technology.

Fool on!

The post Some real talk on AI appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Scott Phillips 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.

On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form and raced higher. The benchmark index rose 1.3% to 8,793.6 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to jump

The Australian share market looks set for a good session on Thursday following a strong night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 105 points or 1.2% higher this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones was up 1.25%, the S&P 500 rose 1.45%, and the Nasdaq jumped 2%.

Buy Life360 shares

Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360) shares could be a strong buy according to Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating and $35.50 price target on the location technology company’s shares. It said: “Life360 will report its 1Q2026 result next Tuesday, 12th May and we expect the company to meet if not slightly exceed its flagged expectations for the quarter of y-o-y MAU growth <20%, adjusted EBITDA margin in the “low double digits”, device revenue down 50% on pcp and a negative hardware GM.”

Oil prices sink

ASX 200 energy shares including Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a poor session on Thursday after oil prices sank overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 6.8% to US$95.30 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 7.7% to US$101.41 a barrel. This was driven by optimism that a peace deal will soon be signed by the US and Iran.

Super Retail update

Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL) shares will be on watch on Thursday after the retailer released a trading update. Super Retail revealed that group like-for-like sales are currently up 0.4% during the second half. It said: “Sales momentum across all four brands was adversely affected by the onset of the Middle East conflict. Inflationary pressures, including higher fuel prices and rising interest rates, together with concerns around fuel availability weighed on consumer sentiment, with the impact most pronounced over the key Easter trading period.”

Gold price storms higher

ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a good session on Thursday after the gold price stormed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 3.1% to US$4,708.3 an ounce. Speculation that a US-Iran peace deal is coming was behind the move. Peace could mean lower fuel prices, which could limit inflation and rate hikes.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 of the best Aussie ASX growth shares to buy and hold until 2036
• 3 ASX 200 shares on my May watchlist
• Super Retail Group provides a trading update
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• The Aussie dollar just hit a 4-year high. Which ASX shares will benefit?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360 and Woodside Energy Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360 and Super Retail Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360 and Super Retail Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It’s not an ideal starting point, but reaching 50 with little or no savings doesn’t mean you’ve missed your chance to build meaningful wealth. What matters now isn’t the past. It’s adopting an investing strategy that is simple, disciplined, and proven over time.

If I were starting from scratch at 50, I wouldn’t chase speculative trends or try to pick the next big winner. Instead, I’d follow the core principles championed by Warren Buffett: focus on quality, keep costs low, and stay invested for the long term.

Embrace simplicity

The first step in the investing strategy would be embracing simplicity. Warren Buffett has long argued that most investors are better off buying broad market exposure rather than trying to outsmart the market. In practice, that means focusing on a diversified fund or a small number of high-quality shares rather than building a complicated portfolio.

On the ASX, that could mean starting with a broad-based approach and then adding a few reliable companies. For example, a business like Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) offers exposure to multiple sectors of the economy through its retail and industrial operations. Its diversified earnings base can help smooth returns over time.

For income and stability, I’d look at infrastructure-style assets such as Transurban Group (ASX: TCL). With long-term concessions and inflation-linked toll increases, it provides a relatively predictable cash flow. That’s an important feature when you’re rebuilding wealth later in life.

Invest consistently

Another key Warren Buffett principle in his investing strategy is consistency. Trying to time the market is a losing game for most investors. Instead, I’d invest regularly, whether markets are rising or falling. This approach, often called dollar-cost averaging, reduces the risk of investing a large sum at the wrong time and helps build momentum over the years.

Dividends would also play an important role. Reinvesting those payouts can significantly boost long-term returns through compounding. Even if retirement is closer, there is still time for compounding to work, especially over a 10 to 15-year horizon.

Equally important is avoiding unnecessary risks. High-yield or speculative investments can be tempting when you feel behind, but they often come with hidden downsides. Buffett himself has consistently warned against reaching for returns at the expense of quality.

Adopt a disciplined mindset

Finally, mindset matters. Warren Buffett didn’t build his fortune overnight. He did it through decades of disciplined investing. Starting at 50 means your timeline is shorter, but the same principles still apply. Focus on steady progress rather than quick wins.

The reality is that building wealth later in life requires commitment and patience. But by following a proven investing strategy—prioritising quality investments, keeping things simple, and staying consistent—you can still make meaningful financial progress.

The post No savings at 50? Warren Buffett’s investing strategy builds wealth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The Aussie dollar just hit a 4-year high. Which ASX shares will benefit?
• 2 ASX shares I would buy for both growth and passive income today
• How much is needed in superannuation to target $10,000 of monthly passive income?
• Own Wesfarmers shares? It’s expanding into modular apartment construction
• I’m worried about the ASX 200 falling further. Here’s why

Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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 Transurban Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.