Author: openjargon

Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares are trading in the green on Tuesday morning. At the time of writing, the shares are up 1.7% to $20.60 a piece.

The latest uptick means the shares have now climbed 8.3% over the past month, although they’re still down 7% for the year to date.

For the year, the shares are 43.7% higher. 

It’s been a volatile start to the year for Fortescue shares, so if you’re thinking of adding the stock to your portfolio, here are some things to consider. 

3 reasons to buy Fortescue shares

1. Attractive dividend yield

Because the miner is a low-cost producer, meaning it can remain profitable even when iron ore falls, it is able to pay a reliable dividend to investors. Fortescue is a popular high-yielding dividend-paying stock. Broker UBS predicts that Fortescue could pay an annual dividend per share of $1.22. At the time of writing, that translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of just over 5.92%, including franking credits.

2. Copper exposure

Fortescue is primarily an iron ore miner but it is actively expanding in the copper space. Not only will that give the miner more diversity and less reliance on the iron ore market, it could also give long-term operational upside. If its copper exposure keeps growing it would help support overall earnings.

3. Expansion and growth

Fortescue is continually investing in business expansion. Not only is the miner planning to grow its copper exposure, it is also focused on building significant renewable energy infrastructure, decarbonisation and expansion of its green energy projects, and developing and expanding its existing iron ore sites to improve production efficiency. These projects are positive for long-term profitability.

3 reasons to sell Fortescue shares

1. Heavily tied to iron ore prices

While Fortescue has a copper footprint, the miner primarily mines and exports iron ore. This means it is heavily reliant on the price of iron ore and is subject to any price fluctuations that the material might have. The price of iron ore is expected to soften through 2026 and then gradually decline through to 2030 as supply increases and Chinese steel demand tapers off.

2. The shares are overpriced

Fortescue’s share price is looking overvalued right now. While its current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.54 looks attractive on the surface (the average P/E ratio within ASX metals and mining companies is anywhere between 12.5 and 25), it doesn’t take into account projected declines in earnings. UBS forecasts that the business will earn US$3.8 billion in net profit in FY26, but this is expected to drop to US$2.94 billion in FY27 off the back of lower iron ore prices.

3. Brokers rate the stock as a sell

Analysts are mostly bearish on Fortescue shares. TradingView data shows that nine out of 17 analysts have a hold rating on the stock, and another seven have a sell or strong sell rating. The average 12-month target price of $20.02 implies a potential 1.1% downside at the time of writing.

The post Fortescue shares: 3 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to sell appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buying ASX 200 mining shares? Here’s how Rio Tinto, Fortescue and BHP stacked up in March
• ASX 200 mining shares ride a rollercoaster in March quarter
• 3 reasons why this could be a great time to buy Fortescue shares!
• ASX 200 mining shares rebound after March sell-off creates opportunities
• Is this ASX iron ore stock a better buy than Fortescue?

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.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) shares are on the move on Tuesday morning.

At the time of writing, the radiopharmaceuticals company’s shares are up 8.5% to $14.05.

Why are Telix shares rising today?

Investors have been buying Telix shares following the release of a quarterly update highlighting strong revenue growth and progress across its therapeutics pipeline.

According to the release, Telix reported unaudited group revenue of US$230 million for the first quarter of FY 2026, representing a 24% increase on the prior corresponding period and an 11% lift on the previous quarter.

Its Precision Medicine division was a key driver, delivering US$186 million in revenue, up 23% year on year and 16% quarter on quarter. This was supported by strong demand for its imaging products Illuccix and Gozellix.

Guidance reaffirmed

In addition to the strong quarterly performance, Telix has reaffirmed its full year revenue guidance.

The company continues to expect FY 2026 revenue in the range of US$950 million to US$970 million, reflecting confidence in ongoing growth across its commercial operations.

Management highlighted that this outlook is underpinned by continued expansion of its global footprint and increasing adoption of its products.

Pipeline progress continues

Telix also provided an update on its therapeutics pipeline, highlighting progress across multiple late-stage programs.

Notably, its TLX591-Tx prostate cancer therapy candidate met safety and dosimetry objectives in a Phase 3 study, with no new safety signals observed.

The company also continues to advance other clinical programs, including trials targeting kidney cancer and glioblastoma, as well as expanding patient recruitment across multiple regions.

In addition, Telix is progressing regulatory submissions, including the resubmission of its New Drug Application to the US Food and Drug Administration for its brain cancer imaging candidate TLX101-Px.

Management commentary

Telix’s managing director and CEO, Dr Christian Behrenbruch, was pleased with the quarter and appears positive on its outlook. He said:

Growth accelerated across our Precision Medicine business in the first quarter, with U.S. dose volumes increasing 5% quarter-over-quarter. This performance reflects the growing uptake of Gozellix alongside Illuccix, contributing to market share gains underpinned by disciplined sales execution and pricing, and high-quality service delivery despite extreme North American weather conditions, an advantage of the pharmacy distribution model.

With our two-product PSMA imaging strategy, differentiated clinical positioning and expanding commercial presence globally, we are seeing a solid foundation for continued growth through 2026. Importantly, we are delivering on our strategic priorities to advance our high-value clinical programs, demonstrated by the momentum in our therapeutics pipeline this quarter.

The post Why are Telix shares jumping 8% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Telix Pharmaceuticals Q1 2026: Revenue growth, guidance reaffirmed
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• 3 ASX 200 healthcare shares to buy amid sector rout
• 3 reasons to buy this red-hot ASX healthcare stock today
• These were the best-performing ASX 200 shares in March

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

The Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) share price is in focus after the company reported Ryoncil® net sales of US$30.3 million for the March 2026 quarter, bringing total net revenue since launch to nearly US$100 million.

What did Mesoblast report?

• Net sales for Ryoncil® reached US$30.3 million in the third quarter to March 2026
• Revenue since Ryoncil® launch now approaches US$100 million
• Strong sales growth in February and March offset a seasonal dip in January
• Ryoncil® is the only FDA-approved cell therapy for children under 12 with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGvHD)

What else do investors need to know?

Mesoblast’s first year of Ryoncil® sales has boosted its balance sheet and is helping to fund label extensions and late-stage clinical programs. The company reiterated its leadership role by being first to market with an FDA-approved mesenchymal stromal cell therapy.

Mesoblast will host its first R&D Day in New York on 8 April 2026, where it will outline growth strategies for Ryoncil® and provide updates on its late-stage product pipeline. Investors can join the live webcast or access a replay on the company’s website.

What’s next for Mesoblast?

The company is focusing on expanding Ryoncil®’s approved uses, including studies in adults with SR-aGvHD and in biologic-resistant inflammatory bowel disease. Mesoblast is also progressing clinical development of rexlemestrocel-L for heart failure and chronic low back pain.

Ongoing investment in its product pipeline and global partnerships should ensure Mesoblast stays at the cutting edge of cell therapy for major inflammatory diseases.

Mesoblast share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Mesoblast shares have risen 29%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 20% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Mesoblast shares: Ryoncil® underpins strong earnings growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Bank of Queensland announces $3.7bn loan sale and capital partnership with Challenger
• Guzman y Gomez posts 20% Q3 FY26 sales growth

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.

Shares in Cauldron Energy Ltd (ASX: CXU) are trading strongly today after the company announced it has been included in the BetaShares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM).

Cauldron said in a statement to the ASX on Tuesday morning that public disclosures showed that Betashares currently holds 15.8 million Cauldron shares worth $678,352.

Major endorsement

Cauldron said that inclusion in the exchange traded fund was an important milestone for the company, “reflecting the Company’s growing relevance within the global uranium sector”.

The company went on to say:

Moreover, the company considers ETF inclusion extremely positive as it will likely enhance global investor awareness of Cauldron, broaden access to institutional and passive capital flows, support liquidity and trading volumes over time; and reinforce Cauldron’s exposure to the nuclear energy thematic, which is experiencing strong global momentum.

Cauldron Energy chief executive officer Jonathan Fisher added:

Inclusion in the BetaShares Global Uranium ETF is a strong endorsement of Cauldron’s progress and positioning within the uranium sector. As global capital continues to flow into nuclear energy and uranium equities, inclusion in a leading ETF such as URNM enhances our visibility to a broader investor base and supports our ongoing growth strategy.

Strong returns

The URNM ETF, according to its website, has returned 89.64% over the year to the end of March, and 26.47% per annum over five years.

The ETF says this regarding its objectives:

Nuclear energy is increasingly being accepted as a safe, reliable, low-carbon energy source and seen as a critical supplementary means of meeting the world’s growing energy demands. As a result, demand for uranium to fuel nuclear power stations is projected to grow strongly. URNM provides exposure to leading global companies involved in the mining, exploration, development and production of uranium, modern nuclear energy, or that hold physical uranium or uranium royalties.

The ETF is currently valued at $325.6 million.

The ETF holds a range of international and Australian companies, including Nac Kazatomprom and Cameco Corp internationally, and Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN), NexGen Energy Ltd (ASX: NXG) and Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL) locally.

Cauldron Energy shares were trading 11.6% higher in early trade at 4.8 cents. The company was valued at $88 million at the close of trade on Thursday.

Cauldron recently updated its mineral resource at its flagship Yanrey project in Western Australia, where it increased the resource by 13.67 million pounds of uranium oxide to more than 55 million pounds.

The company is expecting to start its 2026 drilling program in May, with “many high priority targets”.

The post Why are shares in this uranium company surging today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Paladin Energy shares: Judicial review challenges EIS approval
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 1.6% in early morning trade on Tuesday, with two ASX 200 gold stocks helping boost the benchmark index.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares are tracking the benchmark gains, up 1.6% at time of writing at $3.74 apiece.

Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) shares are enjoying an even stronger run, up 4.9% at $11.48 each.

This follows the release of preliminary March quarterly updates from both Aussie gold miners.

Here’s what we know.

Ramelius Resources shares lift on guidance outlook

Starting with Ramelius, the ASX 200 gold stock is marching higher after releasing its preliminary March quarter production update.

The miner reported gold production of 38,093 ounces for the three months, down more than 52% from the 80,455 ounces produced in the prior corresponding quarter.

Ramelius said the big decline in the quarterly production was caused in part by heavy rainfall from Cyclone Narelle. On the positive side, this has left the miner with significant high-grade mine stockpiles at the end of the quarter.

Management also said that operations have not been impacted to date by diesel supply chain disruptions.

And despite the March decline, the ASX 200 gold stock said it remains on track to achieve the midpoint of its full year FY 2026 production guidance of 185,000 to 205,000 ounces of gold, forecasting a strong June quarter.

As at 31 March, Ramelius Resources had a cash and gold balance of $606.5 million.

Commenting on the results, Ramelius Resources managing director Mark Zeptner said:

Ramelius remains committed to maintaining and growing shareholder returns. With $110 million in share buybacks during the quarter, we are executing on another element of our plan to deliver value to shareholders.

ASX 200 gold stock lifts on another strong quarter

Turning to Capricorn Metals, investors are bidding up the gold miner after the company reported producing 30,358 ounces of gold in the March quarter from its Karlawinda Gold Project (KGP). That’s broadly in line with the 30,599 ounces of gold produced in the prior corresponding quarter.

Management said that KGP has now produced 93,152 ounces of gold over the first three quarters of FY 2026. This positions the ASX 200 gold stock to achieve the upper end of its full year production guidance of 115,000 ounces to 125,000 ounces of gold.

Capricorn Metals expects to produce that gold at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $1,530 to $1,630 per ounce.

Capricorn said it is also not currently impacted by any diesel fuel supply issues. But the miner noted that this remains a material risk across the Australian mining industry.

At the end of the quarter, the miner had a cash and gold balance of $507.6 million.

The post 2 ASX 200 gold stocks jumping higher on major updates today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Capricorn Metals delivers solid Q3 FY26 gold production and growth update
• Ramelius Resources confirms guidance, strong March quarter gold output
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
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• These 3 dirt-cheap ASX shares are tipped to climb another 50-90%

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.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares are pushing higher on Tuesday after the company announced another major operational milestone.

In early trade, the Core Lithium share price is up 5.88% to 27 cents.

The gain comes after the lithium miner confirmed that open pit mining at its Grants deposit will begin immediately, marking the first stage of the Finniss Lithium Project restart.

Core Lithium remains one of the ASX’s strongest recovery stories, with its share price still up 347% over the past 12 months.

The positive move suggests investors are continuing to back the Finniss restart timeline as the company shifts from planning into execution.

Mining restart moves from plan to execution

According to the release, Core Lithium has awarded the surface mining contract for the Grants open pit to NRW Pty Ltd.

Mobilisation is set to begin immediately.

The contract covers all key mining activities required to deliver ore to the Grants run-of-mine pad.

Management said this is a key first step in the restart of mining operations at Finniss following last month’s final investment decision (FID).

The company expects the optimised Grants pit design to provide access to about 784kt of ore, which is forecast to produce roughly 134kt of SC6 spodumene concentrate over a short timeframe.

Ore from Grants is scheduled to be processed and hauled during the September quarter. First spodumene concentrate shipments are targeted for early in the December quarter.

This near-term production profile may be appealing to investors because it gives Core Lithium a pathway back to revenue using existing infrastructure and relatively low upfront capital.

Why the market is backing the Finniss restart

While the update supports the Finniss restart, today’s share price gain suggests investors are responding positively to the move into active mining works.

The company approved the Finniss restart less than 3 weeks ago. That decision followed a funding package of more than $300 million across debt, equity, and strategic support.

With funding secured, investors now turn to whether Core Lithium can meet production and shipment targets through the second-half of 2026.

Execution remains the next key focus, with mobilisation, processing readiness, and lithium pricing all likely to influence whether the rally can continue.

Foolish takeaway

Today’s announcement moves Core Lithium another step closer to turning its Finniss restart strategy into cash flow.

After a 347% gain over the past year, today’s rise suggests investors remain confident in the company’s near-term production pathway.

The next major catalyst is likely to be first ore movement and confirmation that September quarter processing remains on schedule.

The post Why this ASX lithium stock is charging higher after a major breakthrough appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 mining shares rebound after March sell-off creates opportunities
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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.

The ASX dividend stock Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) has suffered a sizeable sell-off. Since 18 February 2026, it’s down 18% (at the time of writing). It has also fallen 22% from August 2025, as the chart below shows.

It’s rare for the ASX blue-chip share to fall more than 20% from a peak to trough.

Of course, the market pessimism makes sense right now – the Middle East is still a volatile situation, fuel prices have soared, inflation in some categories have jumped and the prospect of rising interest rates has significantly increased.

For a number of reasons, I think this is an appealing time to look at the owner of Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, Priceline and WesCEF (chemicals, energy and fertiliser).

ASX dividend stock credentials

One of the main things I like to see when it comes to a compelling passive income idea is growing payouts. Inflation is a negative for the value of a dollar, so I want to see growth over time to offset that effect.

Plus, I’d like to feel wealthier over time, so payouts that rise will help more money hit my bank account.

Wesfarmers has delivered regular dividend growth for investors over the last several years. Its payout has grown each year since 2020 after it split off the Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) business.

In the FY26 half-year result, Wesfarmers’ board of directors hiked the interim dividend by 7.4% to $1.02 per share. That was comfortably above the rate of inflation, highlighting the strength of the company’s ability to grow its dividend (alongside net profit growth).

One of Wesfarmers’ stated goals is to increase its dividend for shareholders over time, alongside earnings growth.

According to the forecast on Commsec, the business is projected to pay an annual dividend per share of $2.16. That translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.2%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

Great time to invest

This is close to the best price that Australians can buy Wesfarmers shares in 2026, and also since mid-April 2025.

The lower the share price, the better the dividend yield and the lower the price/earnings (P/E) ratio.

This ASX dividend stock operates both Kmart Group and Bunnings Group, which both aim to provide consumers with great product prices. At times when households are feeling a financial pinch, this could see both businesses experience stronger demand and capture market share – that’s what happened a few years ago and it could happen again.

Additionally, the WesCEF business could see increased earnings during this period if commodity prices stay elevated for an extended period.

So, not only is the Wesfarmers share price lower, but there’s a good chance that the ASX dividend stock’s profit couldgrow during this period.

At the current valuation and using the current forecast on Commsec, the Wesfarmers share price is valued at less than 27x FY27’s estimated earnings. I think it’s a good valuation to be greedy in buying shares of this business.

The post 1 ASX dividend stock down 22% I’d buy right 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 positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. 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.

Shares in NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) are trading higher after the company announced it would raise $1 billion from the issue of new hybrid securities.

The capital raise is also underwritten, with Québec, Canada-based investment group La Caisse putting forward a binding commitment for the whole amount if other investors do not take it up.

Capital to drive growth

The companysaid in a statement to the ASX the hybrid securities, “will provide NextDC with flexible, long-term capital to support the company’s growth funding requirements and strategic initiatives, including the continued development of key data centre assets and the advancement of future capacity expansions”.

NextDC went on to say:

The hybrid securities will have a non-call period of five years and a maturity of 100 years. They are expected to be tax deductible and classified as debt for accounting purposes, and will sit outside the company’s senior debt covenants. This funding is expected to enhance the company’s financial flexibility, including through a lower cash coupon during the first five years, small coupon step-ups until year 10 and the ability to defer coupons at the company’s election.

The are no equity conversion features associated with the hybrid securities, which rank junior to the company’s existing debt.

NextDC will now offer the securities to other institutional investors with the closing date for acceptance expected to be on or about April 23.

Further raise potential

The company will have liquidity of about $5.2 billion once the new securities are issued.

NextDC said it also intended to undertake a subordinated notes issue in the Australian wholesale debt market to raise further funds, as flagged during the release of its first half results.

NextDC managing director Craig Scroggie said regarding the new capital raise:

The announcement of the hybrid securities offer and the La Caisse commitment represent another step toward NEXTDC delivering on a material step-change in the scale of our business as we deliver on the company’s contracted forward order book across the period to FY29 and make further investments across the portfolio of new projects. We are delighted with this binding commitment from La Caisse, a long‑term investor with deep experience in infrastructure, as further validation of our growth strategy.

La Caisse executive vice president Emmanuel Jaclot said:

This commitment will help underpin NextDC’s construction program, supporting growing demand for digital infrastructure in Australia and adding to La Caisse’s long track record in partnering with high-quality infrastructure operators through their growth phase. We see this as a promising first step toward a long-term partnership between La Caisse and NextDC.

NextDC shares were 5.9% higher in early trade at $11.93. The company was valued at $7.2 billion at the close of trade on Thursday.

The post Why are NextDC shares surging higher? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has positions in Nextdc. 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.

I’m purposefully building my portfolio with a focus on growing ASX dividend shares, and there are a few in which I have a significant position.

The two I’m going to highlight are ones I have a double-digit allocation to (in percentage terms).

I expect the second ASX dividend share, if not both, will remain as large holdings for decades to come.

MFF Capital Investments Ltd (ASX: MFF)

This business is best known as a listed investment company (LIC) – I have liked this business and written about it for almost a decade. There’s still a lot to like for dividend investors.

Firstly, it provides exposure to high-quality businesses from across the world, which should mean it can benefit from long-term compounding of earnings. MFF wants to invest in a portfolio of competitively advantaged businesses while avoiding permanent capital loss.

The investment returns have allowed the business to deliver impressive capital growth. Over the past five years, the MFF share price has risen by around 70%, excluding dividends. The total shareholder return (TSR) has been an average of 14.9% per year over the past five years.

One of its other main goals is to grow the dividend.

The ASX dividend share has increased its annual regular dividend each year over the past several years. It’s expecting to increase its annual payout to 21 cents per share in FY26. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the payout rise to at least 23 cents in FY27.

But the guided FY26 payout translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.5%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

I expect to buy more of this ASX dividend share in the coming weeks, particularly if it stays at around the current valuation.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL)

Soul Patts is the largest position in my portfolio, and I’m planning to buy more if the share price dips.

The investment conglomerate has proven itself yet again during the last month as a leading business for stability. Since the end of February 2026, the Soul Patts share price has risen by 7%, compared to a fall of more than 6% by the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

I think one of the key reasons for this performance has been its large stake in ASX energy share New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC), which has risen more than 20% since the end of February 2026.

But the ASX dividend share is invested in a variety of other defensive industries, including swimming schools, telecommunications, agriculture, water entitlements, and industrial properties.

Together, its portfolio can provide resilient cash flow, enabling the business to generate stable profit and pay a consistent (and growing) dividend.

It’s impressive to think that the business has increased its regular annual dividend per share every year for 28 years in a row. The company has also paid a dividend each year since it listed more than 120 years ago.

I think the business is on course for a very compelling future as its portfolio continues to evolve and find greater investment opportunities. At the time of writing, it has a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.7%, including franking credits.

The post 2 ASX dividend shares I’m betting on big-time to fund my retirement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Mff Capital Investments and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. 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.

Kelsian Group Ltd (ASX: KLS) shares are back in the red on Tuesday as the market reopens after the Easter long weekend.

In morning trade, the Kelsian share price is down 0.79% to $3.76, extending its one-month decline to more than 17%.

The move comes after the company released a market update on Thursday afternoon, giving investors their first real chance to react today.

While the release supports Kelsian’s longer-term growth plans, the market appears more focused on what it means for the near-term returns.

That may help explain why the stock is losing ground despite the company continuing to build momentum in one of its key offshore markets.

A new long-term contract adds to the pipeline

The update relates to Kelsian’s UK subsidiary, Huyton Travel, which has secured a new public transport contract in Liverpool under the region’s bus franchising rollout.

The deal covers the operation and maintenance of 73 buses from two leased depots, with services scheduled to begin in January 2027.

The initial term runs for 5 years and includes a 2-year extension option.

Across the full term, management expects the agreement to generate approximately $80 million in revenue.

The win strengthens Kelsian’s position in the UK as more city regions move toward franchised bus networks.

Liverpool’s second tranche is expected later in 2026 and could involve around 500 vehicles.

Execution on this first contract could help its chances when the larger Liverpool tender process resumes later this year.

The market may be looking at the cash outlay

Despite the long-term appeal, the more immediate focus may be on the capital required before revenue starts flowing.

Management said the contract will require about $8 million in new capital expenditure, with roughly $2.4 million scheduled for FY26 and the remainder in FY27.

Because services are not expected to begin until January 2027, the earnings benefit is still some way off.

That delayed earnings contribution may be behind today’s weaker share price reaction. The stock is still up more than 40% over the past 12 months and traded as high as $5.22 within the past year.

At the current share price, Kelsian’s market capitalisation is sitting around $1.03 billion, with 271 million share on issue.

Even after today’s pullback, the shares remain well above their 52-week low of $2.61, highlighting the scale of the past year’s recovery.

The next major catalyst could come later this year if Kelsian can turn this initial Liverpool win into further contract success.

The post This ASX stock just won an $80 million contract. So why are shares falling today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.