Author: openjargon

There aren’t too many tin-specific companies trading on the ASX, and like many other minerals, the industrial metal has been outshone in recent times by gold and silver.

That’s not to say there isn’t robust demand, and like any mining project, if you can sell the stuff for more than it costs to produce, you’re in clover.

This is the thesis behind a new research report from Morgans on Sky Metals Ltd (ASX: SKY), which forecasts significant share price upside.

Development plans

So firstly, what is the company up to?

Sky is the 100% owner of the Tallebung tin project in New South Wales, a historic tin mining region where the company to date has a mineral resource of 15.6 million tonnes at 0.15% tin, for 23,200 tonnes of contained minerals.

The company just this week announced to the ASX that extension drilling had hit prospective quartz vein structures beneath an extensive soil anomaly, “confirming the potential for repetitions of the Tallebung mineralisation to the south‑east”.

The company said its exploration efforts, “provide further strong evidence that the Tallebung system remains open in all directions, with significant potential for continued growth beyond the current resource footprint”.

The company is expecting to publish an updated mineral resource estimate in the first half of the year, incorporating what is expected to be more than 400 drill holes, up from just 115, which make up the current resource.

Sky Managing Director Oliver Davies said the recent exploration results were encouraging.

He said:

The combination of recent surface sampling, the discovery of new cassiterite‑bearing rock chips and successful extensional drilling continues to define new tin mineralisation well beyond the margins of the current Resource. This expanding footprint highlights the growing scale of the system and the opportunity for further high‑grade discoveries.

Shares looking cheap

Morgans has done its own modelling and calculated that, at a tin price of US$31,816 per tonne, the project, once brought into production, will generate $60 million per year.

At US$45,000 per tonne, that lifts to $113 million, and Morgans said the actual tin spot price was currently around US$55,000, “highlighting further unmodelled upside”.

The Morgans team has a speculative buy rating on Sky Metals shares, and a target price of 32 cents, compared with the current price of 17 cents.

The shares have already more than quadrupled from lows of 3.8 cents over the past year.

Morgans went on to say:

Tallebung provides investors access to a ASX-listed tin development opportunity, complemented by an established resource base and strong ore sorting amenability, which underpins a capital-efficient development pathway and project economics. Lead by a proven management team and spot tin prices sitting above both our base and bull case assumptions, we see Sky as well positioned to benefit from sustained tin price strength and supply-driven volatility.

Sky Metals was valued at $150.4 million at the close of trade on Monday.

The post Tin time? Let’s have a look at this four-bagger appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares are slipping today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) telco provider closed yesterday trading for $4.88. In early afternoon trade on Tuesday, shares are swapping hands for $4.865 apiece, down 0.3%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.3% at this same time.

Taking a step back, Telstra shares have gained 24.4% over the past 12 months, racing ahead of the 4.9% one-year gains delivered by the benchmark index. And that’s not including two fully franked interim dividends Telstra paid out over the full year.

Now, here’s why Family Financial Solutions’ Jabin Hallihan expects more outperformance from the ASX 200 telco in the months ahead (courtesy of The Bull).

Should you buy Telstra shares today?

“Telstra is Australia’s dominant telecommunications provider with infrastructure‑like cash flows,” Hallihan said.

Citing the first reason he has a buy recommendation on Telstra shares, Hallihan said:

Reported net profit after tax of $2.3 billion in full year 2025 was up 31% on the prior corresponding period. Cash earnings per share of 22.4 cents were up 12%. The shares were trading at $4.935 on February 5, below our fair value of $5.40.

At the current share price, Telstra is trading 11.0% below Family Financial Solutions’ fair value for the stock.

As for the second reason you might want to buy the ASX 200 telco, Hallihan said, “Cost discipline, share buy-backs and resilient mobile earnings support steady upside in a market that still rewards defensiveness.”

Share buy-backs can have a material impact on a company’s share price, as they reduce the number of shares available to the market.

Following Telstra’s full year FY 2025 results release on 14 August, the company announced an additional on-market share buy-back of up to $1 billion.

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said the buy-back was enabled by earnings growth and a strong balance sheet.

“We are focussed on continuing to deliver value for our shareholders, including through our core business cash flow, active portfolio and investment management, and disciplined capital management,” she said on the day.

Which brings us to the third reason you might want to buy Telstra shares today, the passive income on offer.

According to Hallihan:

On top of this, Telstra pays reliable, fully franked dividends. Its full year dividend of 19 cents a share in fiscal year 2025 was up 5.6% on the prior corresponding period. TLS was recently trading on a dividend yield of 3.85%.

The post 3 reasons to buy Telstra shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Forget this ASX 200 share and buy Telstra and Zip shares: Experts

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

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) shares are charging higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) buy now, pay later (BNPL) stock closed yesterday trading for $2.47. In early afternoon trade on Tuesday, shares are swapping hands for $2.60 apiece, up 5.3%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.4% at this same time.

With today’s intraday gains factored in, Zip shares are up 17.7% over 12 months. And brave investors who waded in and bought the BNPL stock when it hit one-year closing lows of $1.19 on 7 April last year will be sitting on gains of 118.5%.

That’s enough to turn an $8,000 investment into $17,479.

And according to Ord Minnett’s Tony Paterno, the ASX 200 stock is well-placed to deliver more outperformance in the months ahead (courtesy of the Bull).

Should you buy Zip shares today?

“This digital financial company operates in Australia, New Zealand and the United States,” said Paterno.

Commenting on the first reason he has a buy recommendation on Zip shares, Paterno said:

There’s a lot to like about this buy now, pay later platform provider’s first quarter result in fiscal year 2026. Total transaction volume (TTV) growth in the US was up 47.2% and revenue was up 51.2%.

And the full-year outlook for TTV growth marks the second reason the ASX 200 BNPL stock is a buy.

“Consequently, Zip’s management has increased TTV guidance in the US to more than 40% in full year 2026, which is up from 35%,” Paterno said.

And the third reason you might want to buy Zip stock today is the company’s strong, and potentially growing profit margins.

According to Paterno:

Margins were strong across the board, highlighted by an operating margin of 19.5% in the first quarter, which is above the guidance range of between 16% and 19% for full year 2026. Margins are usually stronger in the second half.

What’s been happening with the ASX 200 BNPL stock?

The last price-sensitive news for Zip shares was the company’s Q1 FY 2026 results, released on 20 October.

Atop the impressive TTV and revenue growth that Paterno mentioned above, Zip achieved record cash earnings before taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBTDA) of $62.8 million, up 98.1% year on year.

Commenting on those record quarterly earnings on the day, Zip Cynthia Scott said, “This was underpinned by strong unit economics, material operating leverage and disciplined execution, driving a significant increase in operating margin to 19.5%.”

The post 3 reasons to buy Zip shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 3 ASX 200 shares to buy: experts
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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.

ASX-listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) don’t usually get a lot of attention as one of the best sectors to invest in. But, amid the recent uncertainty, it could be smart to look across this sector for passive income.

REITs give investors exposure to the commercial property sector, with landlords leasing their real estate to tenants.

The advances in AI have opened up questions about business models in certain industries. But, REITs can provide investors with secure rental income that is contracted, sometimes for a large number of years.

I’d focus on businesses that seem likely to deliver organic rental growth, which is a driver of the value of the real estate and the distribution.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

Rural Funds is unique on the ASX – it owns a portfolio of farmland across Australia, which includes cattle, almonds, macadamias, vineyards and cropping.

I think it’s a good idea for the business to spread its investments across different sectors because that means not having all of its eggs in one basket. It also gives the business a wider search zone to find the best opportunities that can provide a mixture of capital growth and passive income.

The business is expecting to pay an annual distribution per unit of 11.73 cents in FY26, translating into a forward distribution yield of 5.8%.

The ASX REIT has agreed incredibly long rental contracts with many of its tenants, resulting in a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 13.9 years, giving investors significant income security.

The business is benefiting from built-in rental growth, with a mix of lease indexation mechanisms and market rent reviews. It also has a development and leasing pipeline, with productivity improvements and conversion to ‘higher and better use’ development opportunities. I’m expecting these growth avenues to help improve the value of the farms and grow rental earnings over time.

Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP)

Another ASX REIT I’m expecting to have a good future is Centuria Industrial REIT, which is the largest domestic pure play industrial REIT. It has a portfolio of industrial assets across key metropolitan locations throughout Australia, with a quality and diverse tenant base.

Industrial assets are benefiting from tailwind demands including e-commerce growth, more demand for refrigerated space (for food and medicine), data centres and more. This is helping drive the long-term rental potential of this business.

This is helping drive the rental earnings, underlying value of the properties and the distribution.

In FY26, Centuria Industrial REIT expects its funds from operations (FFO) to grow to a range of between 18.2 cents to 18.5 cents per unit (representing growth of up to 6% year-on-year). Using the low end of that guidance, it’s trading at less than 18x its projected rental earnings.

Additionally, the ASX REIT’s distribution per unit is forecast to be 3% higher year over year at 16.8 cents. That works out to be a forecast distribution yield of 5.2%.

With the FY25 result in August, the REIT’s fund manager Grant Nichols said:            

Looking ahead, CIP is well positioned to take advantage of the positive outlook for Australian urban infill industrial real estate. Vacancy rates remain very low, while supply is very constrained – despite the strong rental growth we have seen during the past five years, market rents remain below the required economic rent for new development in virtually all markets. Coupled with the ongoing industry tailwinds, most notably population growth and increasing e-commerce adoption, the outlook for rental growth over the medium term is compelling.

The post 2 ASX REIT stocks I want to buy for a lifetime of passive income! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Shares in Region Group (ASX: RGN) are modestly higher today. This comes after the company released its half-year results for the six months ended 31 December 2025.

At the time of writing, the Region share price is up 2.59% to $2.38. Over the past 12 months, the stock is around 10% higher.

Here are the details of the results.

Earnings and distributions move higher

Region reported Funds From Operations (FFO) of 7.9 cents per security, representing a 3.9% increase on the prior corresponding period.

Adjusted FFO (AFFO) came in at 6.9 cents per security, up 3%, reflecting additional capital deployed as vacancies were leased.

The interim distribution was declared at 6.9 cents per security. That represents a payout ratio of 87% of FFO and 100% of AFFO, in line with management’s stated distribution framework.

Statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) rose sharply to $180 million, up from $81.8 million a year earlier. This increase was driven largely by higher investment property valuations rather than operating income.

Operating performance remains steady

Operationally, the portfolio delivered modest but consistent growth.

Comparable net operating income increased by 3.7% during the half, supported by supermarket sales growth of 3.1% and non-discretionary specialty sales growth of 3.3%.

Portfolio occupancy improved to 97.7%, up 20 basis points from June 2025. Specialty vacancy declined to 4.5%, down from 5.4% six months earlier.

Average specialty rent rose to $930 per square metre, representing annualised growth of 5% since December 2022. Fixed rent reviews averaged 4.3% and were applied across 96% of specialty and kiosk tenants.

During the period, 177 specialty leasing deals were completed, with average leasing spreads of 3.4% and tenant retention of 79%.

Balance sheet and capital management

Assets under management increased to $5.4 billion, up 3.9% since June, supported by valuation gains and fund growth.

Net tangible assets rose to $2.56 per security, up 3.6% over the half.

Gearing stood at 32.7%, which sits at the lower-end of Region’s 30% to 40% target range. The company reported a weighted average cost of debt of 2.89%, with 100% of debt hedged or fixed.

Region also continued its on-market security buyback, purchasing 6.7 million securities at an average price of $2.39, for total consideration of $16 million.

Outlook and guidance

Management upgraded FY26 earnings guidance.

Region now expects FFO of 16 cents per security for the full year, up from prior guidance of 15.9 cents. AFFO guidance was maintained at 14.1 cents per security.

Target distribution payout ratios remain approximately 90% of FFO and 100% of AFFO.

Foolish Takeaway

Region’s half-year result shows steady income growth, improving occupancy, and disciplined capital management.

The headline profit lift was largely valuation-driven, with underlying earnings growth continuing at a steady pace.

The post This ASX retail REIT just reported its half-year results. Here’s what stood out 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 positions in and has recommended Region Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Sims Limited (ASX: SGM) share price is higher on Tuesday following an update released after market close yesterday.

At the time of writing, the stock is up 3.06% to $21.25, taking its gains to around 18% so far in 2026. The move comes as investors digest changes to the company’s US operations.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 2.2% this year.

Here’s what was announced.

What Sims is buying

In a statement to the ASX, Sims has agreed to acquire the assets of Tri-Coastal Trading, a Houston-based ferrous scrap processor, for US$65.5 million.

TCT processes more than 350,000 tonnes of scrap annually and operates a deep-water dock facility in the Houston Ship Channel. That access is a key feature of the deal, giving Sims direct exposure to export pricing while maintaining access to domestic markets.

Management expects the acquisition to deliver an EBITDA multiple of less than 4 times and a return on invested capital above 20% after synergies. The transaction is also expected to contribute more than US$25 million in EBITDA once fully integrated, assuming current pricing conditions.

How the deal is being funded

At the same time, Sims has entered into an agreement to sell its Mayo Shell property in Houston, a surplus non-operating site.

Proceeds from the sale are expected to exceed US$100 million over time and will substantially fund the Tri-Coastal acquisition. Management expects the initial sale to close in the coming months, with additional land parcels potentially taking up to 18 months to divest.

Why margins should improve

The deal allows Sims to consolidate its Houston ferrous operations into a single, lower-cost hub.

Management highlighted several benefits, including reduced logistics costs, elimination of duplicated overheads, and improved sourcing efficiency. The deep-water access removes the need for costly dock arrangements and expands Sims’ ability to serve international customers directly.

The company also noted that the consolidation removes the need for significant capital expenditure at the existing Mayo Shell site, further improving capital efficiency.

Foolish bottom line

The deal strengthens the company’s position in an important US scrap market and should help improve margins. Most of the funding comes from selling assets rather than taking on new debt or issuing shares, which reduces risk.

It also gives the business greater exposure to export prices, which are usually higher than domestic scrap prices and can help steady earnings over time.

Overall, the Houston changes should simplify the business, improve capital returns, and free up cash from non-core assets.

The post This ASX 200 stock is moving higher after a US reshuffle 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.

ASX copper shares are higher on Tuesday as the copper price continues its recovery from the recent commodities sell-off.

The copper price surged to a new closing price record of US$13,694 per tonne last month.

It then plunged to a low of US$12,763 per tonne on 5 February before rebounding to US$13,117 per tonne today.

The rout was sparked by the US President’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to be the new Federal Reserve chair.

Warsh is seen as hawkish, so his selection strengthened the US dollar, which led to a metals sell-off as investors scrambled to take profits.

The copper price rose by 42% in 2025 and is 4.8% higher in 2026-to-date.

The red metal’s ascendancy has pushed many ASX copper shares higher.

Last month, the Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) share price soared to a record high of $21.75.

Today, Sandfire shares are $19.43, up 0.3%.

Capstone Copper Corp CDI (ASX: CSC) shares also hit an all-time high of $17.83 per share last month.

On Tuesday, Capstone Copper shares are $16.60, up 3.6%.

The Global X Copper Miners AUD ETF (ASX: WIRE) also reached a record $28.98 per unit in January.

Today, WIRE ETF is $25.55 per unit, up 3.2%.

Why is the copper price rising?

Copper is benefiting from increasing global demand due to the energy transition.

Copper is essential for electrification in the major infrastructure being built to create a greener energy supply, such as wind turbines.

Top broker Goldman Sachs says new grid and power infrastructure built in 2025 required more than 11,300 kilotonnes of copper.

On top of that, electric vehicles (EVs) and renewables required 4,118 kilotonnes.

The building industry in China used 3,471 kilotonnes of copper last year, and data centres ate up 369 kilotonnes, the broker said.

The copper price is also being pushed higher by the debasement trade.

A debasement trade occurs when currencies weaken.

This inspires investors to move from paper assets, like cash and bonds, into hard assets, like metals, and particularly gold.

The most notable currency losing value right now is the US dollar, which is the world’s primary reserve currency.

Reflecting rising interest in copper, leading global metals specialist, Sprott, launched the world’s first physical copper fund in mid-2024.

After 18 months of trading, the Sprott Physical Copper Trust (TSE: COP.U) has a net asset value of $190 million at US$11.87 per unit.

Sprott says:

Demand for electricity is estimated to increase 157% by 2050 as middle classes grow in the East, clean energy technologies proliferate, electric vehicles (EVs) gain market shares and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers provide a new demand shock for copper markets.

Amid rising long-term demand, the copper price is also supported by restricted long-term supply.

Sprott analysts Paul Wong and Jacob White say it takes an average of 17 years to develop a copper mine from discovery to production.

Sprott says:

While Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, ore grades are declining and supply disruptions are common.

Major new copper discoveries are infrequent, and lead times and costs to develop new mines are significant.

Based on projections, copper supplies are not expected to keep up with the growing demand for copper over time.

In the short-term, Goldman Sachs noted a 600 kilotonne (kt) surplus of supply in 2025, the largest absolute surplus since 2009, after miners ramped up production to meet rising demand.

But in the long term, Goldman acknowledges the ‘unique constraints’ in copper mining production.

What’s next for the copper price?

In a recent report, Goldman Sachs Research increased its copper price forecast for the first half of 2026.

The team expects the copper price to remain about $13,000 per tonne before declining to $11,200 per tonne by the end of the year.

The decline relies on the assumption that the US will announce a 15% tariff on refined copper by mid-2026, to be implemented in 2027.

Analyst Eoin Dinsmore said US buyers have been stockpiling copper to get ahead of the possible tax.

But there is uncertainty as to whether a tariff will eventuate — either this year or at all — particularly given that affordability remains a key focus in the lead up to US mid-term elections in November.

This uncertainty continues to support the copper price at current levels.

Dinsmore said:

We are very likely in the late stages of this rally, but US economic growth, AI spending, and US stockpiling will likely remain supportive in the coming months.

However, Dinsmore said the copper price had “overshot its fair fundamental level” and a decision on tariffs should provide a “catalyst for a correction”.

That’s the short-term picture.

In the long term, Goldman favours copper over other industrial metals like aluminium, lithium, and iron ore.

In its 2026 Commodities Outlook, the broker said:

Despite the recent rally in copper prices and our expected consolidation in 2026, it remains our ‘favorite’ industrial metal, especially in the long-run, as electrification — which drives nearly half of copper demand — implies structurally strong demand growth and as copper mine supply faces unique constraints.

The post Copper price forecast for 2026: Goldman Sachs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Global X Copper Miners ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. 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.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares are trading in the green on Tuesday. At the time of writing the shares are 1.35% higher to $50.40 a piece. The increase means the stock is now 10.14% higher for the year-to-date and 25.72% higher than this time last year.

What has driven BHP shares higher?

The mining giant gained the title of the largest stock on the ASX in January. The share price crossed the $50 mark in late-January. This pushed its market capitalisation to just over $253.5 billion. 

But Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) has since regained its crown, pushing BHP back into second place. 

At the time of writing CBA has a market cap of $266 billion and BHP has a market cap of $356 billion.

This year, BHP’s shares have been fuelled by the miner’s first-half production update. In January, the mining giant confirmed its iron ore production had risen 2%, to 134 million tonnes, over the first-half of FY26. Its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations achieved record high shipments.

Meanwhile steelmaking coal production was up 2% and energy coal production up 10% over the same period. 

Elsewhere, copper production was flat versus the previous corresponding period at 984,000 tonnes. But the miner lifted its full year FY26 copper guidance to 1,900kt to 2,000 kt (up from guidance of 1,800kt to 2,000 kt previously).

The update followed strong production figures throughout 2025. Also in late 2025, the mining giant announced it had struck up a new US$2 billion infrastructure agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an investment group owned by BlackRock. 

Investors are clearly pleased with the miners progress, with many buying into the stock.

Now the question is, how high can it go?

Can BHP shares break the $55 barrier?

The shares peaked at an all-time high of $52.40 a piece just last week. At the time of writing, they’re just 3.8% below that level.

I don’t think it wouldn’t take much for the miner’s share price to push past the $55 a piece barrier, especially if the Australian dollar continues to strengthen this year or the resources and commodities boom accelerates.

However, analyst sentiment on where the stock will travel this year is very mixed at present. TradingView data shows that 10 out of 19 analysts have a hold rating on the shares. Another six analysts have a buy or strong buy rating while three have a sell or strong sell rating.

Some are bullish that the share price could storm higher this year, and past $55 a piece too. The maximum target price is $56.64, which implies a 12.4% upside over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

However others are a lot more bearish and think the mining stock could drop up to 28.6% to $35.98 this year. 

The post Will BHP shares soar past $55 this year? 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 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.

Shares in Web Travel Group Ltd (ASX: WEB) have been gyrating wildly over the past week, with double-digit falls on Friday followed up with double-digit gains on Monday, all over a release to the market that the company didn’t see as material.

The company issued a brief market release on Friday saying its Spanish subsidiary was being audited, which sent its shares plunging, even prompting a ‘please explain’ letter from the ASX itself.

The company responded, saying it did not believe the announcement was market sensitive and that the audit had been proactively announced to the market following coverage in Spanish media.

Web Travel Group shares have since made up much of the ground lost, but are still shy of the $4.20 they were changing hands for on Thursday, and are trading up 5.3% on Tuesday at $3.69.

So are the shares cheap at current levels?

I’ve looked at reports from three different brokers, and the consensus is that yes, at these levels, Web Travel shares are a buy.

UBS has the most bullish share price target on the stock of $6.15.

In a note to clients sent out this week, the team seemed unfazed by the Spanish tax audit, saying the company said they had been audited in Spain in 2024, and management “emphasised they consider this audit immaterial” on an investor call this week.

The UBS team went on to say:

Minimal details given around underlying tax audit, however conference call comments should alleviate some investor concern. Pleasingly, the business is continuing to outperform the underlying travel market (and in line with expectations), which we think will be well received.

UBS is also forecasting a large dividend yield of 8.2% for Web Travel, with an anticipated total return of more than 100%.

The team at Jarden also has a bullish price target of $5.70 per share.

The Jarden team said the company gave “a reassuring update on both trading and the immateriality of the Spanish tax audit” on the investor call.

As well as dismissing the audit as immaterial, the Jarden team said the company reaffirmed its FY26 guidance of $147-$155 million, and also reaffirmed double-digit booking growth.

The Jarden team also addressed the potential impact of AI on the business.

Web is a unique global business with a large total addressable market, within which it is growing share (>3x market) and return on invested capital. The key near-term debate will be the impact of AI and notably around disintermediation risk and AI agents ability to automate rate optimisation. However, we believe bed-banks will remain an important source in aggregating this process, with Web already far advanced with its own Ai pricing model driving conversion uplifts.

Finally, Morgan Stanley has a $4.40 price target on Web Travel shares.

The post The brokers are unanimous, this ASX travel stock is a buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

Steadfast Group Ltd (ASX: SDF) shares are plummeting today. At the time of writing, the shares have dropped 11.37% to $4.40 a piece. The decline means the shares are now down 17.2% year to date and 22.45% from this time last year.

It’s been a tough few months for the insurance broker network company. Its shares crashed over 21% in October following news that its Managing Director had temporarily stepped aside amid an investigation into a workplace complaint against him.

On the 30th of October, Steadfast shares were placed in a trading halt with the company saying at the time the halt was necessary, “as Steadfast investigates a workplace complaint against a senior executive”. The company immediately appointed Tim Mathieson, CEO Australasian Broking, to the role of acting CEO.

Steadfast shares struggled to recover the losses and ended 2025 just over 10% lower. The declines have picked up pace in 2026 so far.

What is causing Steadfast shares to tumble?

There isn’t any price-sensitive news out of the insurance company to explain today’s sell-off. 

It looks more likely that today’s sharp decline is a perfect storm of events that are leading investors to sell up.

Broader market sentiment put insurance stocks under pressure in late 2025, and this has continued through to 2026.

At the same time, Steadfast’s leadership and reputational headwinds continue to weigh on investor confidence, and uncertainty about the company’s upcoming financial results announcement could also be causing jitters.

Steadfast is expected to release its results for the first half of FY26 later this month on the 25th of February.

In August, Steadfast released guidance for the current financial year, saying it expected underlying net profit to come in at $315 to $325 million, based on achieving a 3% to 5% increase in the pricing of insurance premiums in Australia.

Can Steadfast shares recover this year?

Despite the headwinds and dwindling share price, it looks like analysts are very optimistic that Steadfast can turn itself around this year.

TradingView data shows that eight out of 11 analysts currently have a buy or strong buy rating on Steadfast shares. Another three analysts have a hold rating on the stock.

The annual estimates are high, too. The maximum target price over the next 12 months is $6.90 a piece, which implies a potential 55.76% upside ahead, at the time of writing.

Even the minimum target price represents a decent opportunity for investors. Some expect the shares could climb to $5 a piece this year, which would still imply a 12.87% gain from the current trading price.

The post Why are Steadfast shares crashing 11% today? 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 Steadfast Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Steadfast Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.