Author: openjargon

When it comes to picking stocks that might have some serious upside, it pays to ask the professionals.

I’ve had a look through the broker reports that came out this week and have selected three ASX 200 companies that the analyst team at Macquarie thinks will do well going forward. 

Let’s see what they’re saying.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

This oil and gas major recently announced it had hit continuous production at its Pikka oil project in Alaska, which was a major milestone for the company. 

The project is now producing about 20,000 barrels of oil per day, which will ramp up to 80,000 during the third quarter of 2026.

Santos Managing Director Kevin Gallagher said regarding the project:

Pikka is a high-quality, low-cost oil development with strong economics and long reserves life benefiting not only Santos and its joint venture partner Repsol, but also key stakeholders, including the State of Alaska and Alaska Native Corporations. The project is set to generate robust cash flows and support strong shareholder returns over the coming years.

Macquarie said in this week’s note to clients that Santos had “solid sequential growth” in its second-quarter production. 

They added:

Currently, we view STO as tracking to the lower end of its CY26 guidance range, due to the longer asset commissioning/ramp times than expected when the guide was set.

They also added that due to relative share price weakness, Santos may yet again be in the sights of acquirers.

Macquarie has a price target of $9 on Santos shares compared to $7.07 at the time of writing.  

Pexa Ltd (ASX: PXA)

Shares in this property settlements technology company are down about 16% over a 12-month period, but the Macquarie team believes there is significant upside.

Macquarie said property settlements in New South Wales improved by 3.1% in June compared with the previous corresponding period, after a weak May.

Macquarie boosted its price target on the company to $19.30 from $19.05, compared with $10.87 at the time of writing.

The broker added, “formal commitment from additional Tier-1 lenders is likely to incentivise the other Tier-1 lenders to onboard with PXA quickly, driving rapid market share gains”.  

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL)

A recent investor day from this company “illustrated Aristocrat’s dominant cross-channel position, and enterprise-wide approach to game development, which improves commercialisation of its market leading content”.

Macquarie said it saw market-share opportunities for Aristocrat in land-based gaming, but was more wary of the company’s Product Madness mobile gaming division. 

The broker said Aristocrat was well-placed to deliver 10% to 15% earnings per share growth.

They also said the company would benefit from AI, with the benefits including “creativity enhancements, improved velocity to market, and advancing data analytics”.

Macquarie has a price target of $65 on Aristocrat shares compared to $61.38 at the time of writing.  

The post Three ASX 200 companies Macquarie says are a buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• PEXA Group responds to IPART draft service fee review
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Why ASX 200 energy stocks like Woodside and Santos shares got smashed in June
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

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

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining shares experienced an outstanding year in FY26.

The ASX 200 materials sector, which is dominated by miners, was the best-performing of the 11 market sectors, rising 47% and offering a 4.6% dividend yield.  

The S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index (ASX: XMM), which captures more of the mineral explorers than the ASX 200, did even better.  

ASX 300 mining shares rose 53.2%, and delivered total returns of 58.59%. Wow. 

This all happened because Australia is in the midst of a new mining boom that will be different to the last one in the early 2000s to 2013.  

That boom was characterised by insatiable Chinese demand for iron ore to create steel for new infrastructure and residential apartments in the cities. 

The new mining boom today is being driven by the green energy transition, the artificial intelligence (AI) build-out, and central bank purchasing of gold. 

The green energy transition and AI build-out are driving much higher demand for critical minerals, such as lithium, and base metals, such as copper. 

Lithium prices slumped in 2023-2025 due to global oversupply, but supply/demand finally rebalanced at the start of FY26.  

Lithium went on to top the charts of best-performing commodities in FY26 by a long way.

The lithium spodumene price rose about 280%, and carbonate soared 160%. 

So, it’s no surprise to see four lithium producers among the top five ASX 200 mining shares for capital growth last year. 

Let’s review. 

1. Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

ASX 200 gold share, Minerals 260, skyrocketed 508% to close out FY26 at 73 cents per share. 

The mineral explorer is building the Bullabulling Gold Project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields region. 

Bullabulling is one of Australia’s largest near-term gold mines with a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 130MT at 1.0g/t for 4.5Moz.  

Minerals 260 recently signed a $220 million funding deal with gold royalty company, Franco-Nevada Corporation, to advance and de-risk Bullabulling. 

2. Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV)

This ASX 200 lithium share roared 327% higher to $9.60 apiece in FY26.

Elevra has a globally diversified portfolio of mines and development projects across Québec, North Carolina, Ghana, and Western Australia.

Formed through the merger of Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, Elevra’s flagship mine is the North American Lithium Project. 

3. PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, PLS Group shares rocketed 275% to close out FY26 at $5.02. 

PLS Group is the largest lithium miner on the ASX 200 by market capitalisation. 

The company’s flagship is the Pilgangoora Operation, the world’s largest independent hard-rock lithium mine. 

4. Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

Iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources experienced 188% share price growth in FY26. 

The Mineral Resources share price finished the year at $62.65.

Mineral Resources shares were in rebound mode in FY26 after serious corporate governance issues and financial concerns had plagued the company in FY25. 

Founder Chris Ellison faced board-imposed financial penalties of $8.8 million and loss of remuneration of up to $9.6 million for reputational damage to the company.

The need to strengthen the balance sheet contributed to the board’s call not to pay dividends in FY25. No dividends have been paid in FY26, either. 

The Mineral Resources share price hit a 5-year low of $14.05 in April 2025 before commencing its rebound into FY26. 

For 1H FY26, Mineral Resources reported its strongest half-year result ever. The miner reported record revenue of $3.1 billion and EBITDA of $1.2 billion.

Rebounding lithium prices and the successful ramp-up of the Onslow iron ore project contributed to the result. 

5. Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR)

The Liontown share price leapt 197% higher to finish the year at $1.58.

Liontown owns one of Australia’s newest lithium operations, the Kathleen Valley Project, which only began production in early FY25. 

The ASX 200 lithium share had the same commodity tailwinds as other providers last year, as the company sought to ramp up production. 

For 1H FY26, Liontown reported a doubling in revenue year over year to $207.5 million, after a 70% lift in spodumene production. 

In 3Q FY26, Liontown became cash flow positive and achieved its 1.5Mtpa annualised underground run-rate ahead of schedule.  

The post 5 best ASX 200 mining shares of FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX shares vs. property in FY26: Which investment outperformed?
• 6 ASX 200 large-cap shares that rose 60% to 275% in FY26
• The ASX 200 sector that outperformed the benchmark 7 to 1 in FY26. Can it keep delivering?
• Top ASX 200 share of each market sector in FY26
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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

Between S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares vs. property, bricks and mortar delivered the superior returns in FY26.

ASX 200 shares rose 2.77% and delivered total returns, including dividends, of 7% in FY26.  

Meanwhile, the national median home value, which reflects all property types in a single data point, rose by 7.3%.

The total return, including rental income, was 11% over the 12 months, according to Cotality figures.

Let’s break down the numbers a bit more. 

Typical Australian houses now cost $1M!

The national median house price rose 7.8% to $1,025,085, and the median apartment price lifted 5.6% to $752,007 over FY26. 

Three interest rate rises in CY26 are having a significant impact on the property market. 

Cotality’s research director, Tim Lawless, said the June quarter marked “a significant shift in Australia’s housing dynamic”.  

Lawless commented:

Weaker conditions through the second quarter of the year are attributable to an array of downside factors.

Even before interest rates rose by seventy-five basis points, we were seeing affordability hurdles weighing on buyer demand.

Higher cost-of-living pressures, deeply pessimistic sentiment and a further dampening of demand via property taxation changes announced in the federal budget are all contributing to weaker housing conditions.

Typical landlords and first home buyers tend to operate in the same part of the market: at the lower end of the price spectrum.   

The expansion of the 5% Home Guarantee Scheme in October has created more demand for lower-end properties. 

An expected decline in investor purchasing due to proposed changes to capital gains tax (CGT) may reduce competition for young first-home buyers.

The CGT changes may also weigh on sentiment so much that home values fall, further enhancing affordability for young buyers.

That’s the upside of the proposed CGT changes.

The downside is that an exodus of property investors would reduce the number of homes available to the 30% of Australians who rent, leading to higher rents.  

On top of that, current homeowners may have to cope with their cornerstone financial asset declining in value. 

How will CGT changes influence landlords? 

Australian residential real estate has a long and impressive multi-decade history of delivering exceptional capital gains.

Most landlords will tell you they are in it for the capital growth, not the rental yield.

Although rents have increased significantly since COVID, rental yields on property investments are notoriously low.

The national median gross rental yield is 3.7%, but that does not take into account all the holding costs of property.

Once landlords pay their loan repayments, strata fees, council rates, insurance, management expenses, and repairs, there’s usually a deficit, which is why they’re negatively geared.  

Negative gearing will be scrapped on established properties under the proposed CGT changes from 1 July 2027.

Investors will still be able to negatively gear new builds, but long-term data shows landlords strongly prefer established properties. 

So, it’s arguable as to whether investors will move to the new-home market en masse. 

Here’s what landlords are thinking about…

If the government intends to take more of a landlord’s capital gain, will long-standing landlords decide property is just too much trouble? 

Cotality analysts raised this in a recent article, commenting that investors “may now look to other (non-property) assets instead”. 

Could the CGT changes prompt landlords who have owned investment property for decades to take their discounted gains now? 

Their options for the sale proceeds are pretty attractive.

They could pop the money into a savings account yielding 5.5%. 

They could contribute the money to superannuation and pay just 15% tax on future earnings, 10% on future capital gains, and no tax after retirement. 

Perhaps they might invest in fully-franked ASX dividend shares.

Or they could buy the market’s most popular dividend-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF), Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: VHY), with its 7.2% average three-year yield and 8.8% growth rate. 

Research by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) shows that Australian landlords are predominantly high-income earners in their late 40s or early 50s, paying off a modest home mortgage. 

At their stage of life, running a property investment, with all its maintenance costs and tenant hassles, may start to look unappealing under the CGT changes, especially if home values fall. 

Treasury modelling suggests home values will keep growing, but at a 2% slower rate than otherwise under the CGT changes. Time will tell if that proves accurate.  

Shares vs. property in FY26: Houses

Here is the capital growth rate for houses in each market, ranked from highest to lowest.

Property market	Capital growth FY26	Median price
Perth	23.6%	$1,093,431
Regional Western Australia	22.1%	$751,927
Darwin	19.3%	$766,350
Brisbane	16.8%	$1,225,350
Regional Tasmania	12.8%	$646,512
AdelaideÂ	11.5%	$1,008,736
Hobart	9.7%	$803,094
Regional QueenslandÂ	14.3%	$864,094
Regional South Australia	11.6%	$569,830
Regional NSW	8%	$873,519
National	7.6%	$674,481
Regional Victoria	7.1%	$674,481
Canberra	3.5%	$1,035,828
Regional Northern Territory	0.8%	$445,087
Sydney	(0.1%)	$1,556,258
Melbourne	(-1.2%)	$948,482

Source: Cotality

Shares vs. property in FY26: Apartments

Here is the capital growth rate for apartments (and other strata properties like townhouses), ranked from highest to lowest.

Property market	Capital growth FY26	Median price
Perth	26.3%	$773,605
Darwin	20.9%	$472,572
Regional Western Australia	20.3%	$442,572
Brisbane	20.3%	$885,132
Regional Tasmania	14.7%	$487,510
Regional Queensland	12.1%	$833,791
Adelaide	11.7%	$695,151
Regional South Australia	9.2%	$394,057
Hobart	7.5%	$587,749
Regional Victoria	6.5%	$461,683
Regional NSW	6.4%	$687,320
National	5.6%	$752,007
Canberra	0.7%	$597,430
Sydney	1.1%	$898,623
Melbourne	(-0.2%)	$637,170
Regional Northern Territory	N/A	N/A

Source: Cotality

5 best-performing ASX 200 shares of FY26

The best-performing ASX 200 shares of FY26 outperformed real estate by a country mile.

Here is the capital growth rate of the five top ASX 200 shares of FY26.

ASX 200 shares	Capital growth FY26
4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)Â	1,786%
Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)	508%
Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV)Â	327%
PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)Â	275%
Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)Â	261%

The post ASX shares vs. property in FY26: Which investment outperformed? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 6 ASX 200 large-cap shares that rose 60% to 275% in FY26
• The ASX 200 sector that outperformed the benchmark 7 to 1 in FY26. Can it keep delivering?
• Top ASX 200 share of each market sector in FY26
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Up 275% in a year! Why this ASX defence stock refuses to cool down

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Electro Optic Systems. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX 200 stocks storming higher this week on big announcements
• This ASX gold stock is jumping 12% after a record year
• Up 70% in a year, guess which $4.6 billion ASX 200 gold stock is leaping higher again today
• Emerald Resources locks in major mining deals at Dingo Range, Okvau
• Genesis Minerals: FY26 guidance met and growth projects advance

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 Generation Development Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) shares are slipping today. 

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy provider closed yesterday trading for $10.48. In afternoon trade on Friday, shares are changing hands for $10.38 apiece, down 1%.  

That sees the Origin Energy share price at its lowest level since April 2025.

Shares are now down 19% from their recent 7 April highs, though only down around 4% over the past 12 months.

Now, nothing has gone drastically wrong for the ASX 200 energy stock. It appears shares have come off the boil amid lower realised LNG prices alongside additional headwinds as the Federal Government undertakes a review of electricity retailers’ pricing practices. 

Which brings us back to our headline question. 

With shares trading at 52-week-plus lows, is Origin Energy a good long-term passive income buy today?

What to look for with ASX passive income stocks

When I’m running my slide rule over potential passive-income stocks, there are a few things I look for.

First, while not a deal-breaker, I prefer to invest in companies that pay fully-franked dividends. That’s because with fully-franked dividend payouts, you get a credit for the 30% in taxes the company has already paid the ATO. We’ll look at the material difference that can make below. 

The second thing I look for in a passive income stock like Origin Energy shares is the company’s dividend track record. By that, I mean, has the company reliably paid dividends for many years without skipping a payout? It’s also a bonus to see those dividend payments increasing over time.

And then I look at the longer-term share price moves compared to the current dividend yield.

Sure, it’s great to see an ASX stock trading at a 10%-plus dividend yield. But if its share price has crashed by 70% over the previous year, then that’s likely a dividend trap to avoid.

Should I buy Origin Energy shares for passive income?

So, how do Origin Energy shares stack up on my passive income checklist?

First, the ASX 200 stock does pay fully-franked dividends. Over the last year, Origin Energy has paid out 60 cents a share in fully-franked dividends. At the current share price, that sees the stock trading on a 5.8% trailing dividend yield. 

Taking those franking credits into account, the grossed-up yield works out to 8.3%.

Second, Origin Energy has made two annual dividend payouts going back to 2019. And since 2022, those dividend payouts have been growing each year.

Then there’s the share price retrace.

While Origin Energy shares have tumbled 19% from their recent April highs, I’m not overly concerned about the 4% one-year decline. 

As a leading Australian power provider, the company should benefit in the long term from the energy security it provides, as well as the nation’s ongoing shift towards electrification.

The post Trading at 52-week lows, are Origin Energy shares a good passive income buy now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Guess which ASX stock is rocketing 10% today?
• 2 ASX blue-chip shares offering big dividend yields
• 3 compelling reasons to buy Origin Energy shares today

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.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares rose 2.77% and produced total returns, including dividends, of 7% in FY26.  

Here, we look at which ASX 200 large-cap shares achieved the most capital growth last year. 

Large-cap stocks have a market capitalisation of $10 billion or more.

Many investors favour ASX 200 large-cap shares because they are typically well-established companies that pay reliable dividends.  

Let’s check out last year’s best six performers. 

Best ASX 200 large caps for share price growth

1. PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, PLS Group is the largest lithium miner on the ASX 200. 

The PLS Group share price ripped 275% in FY26. 

The ASX 200 large-cap lithium share closed out FY26 at $5.02.   

The company’s flagship is the Pilgangoora Operation, the world’s largest independent hard-rock lithium mine. 

Like all ASX lithium shares, PLS Group benefited from surging commodity prices in FY26. 

Lithium spodumene soared 278%, and carbonate rose 160% over the financial year.  

2. Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

The Mineral Resources share price rebounded strongly in FY26, rising 188%.  

Mineral Resources produces lithium and iron ore, and offers a raft of specialised services to other miners. 

The ASX 200 large-cap mining share finished the year at $62.65. 

Value investors returned to Mineral Resources shares in FY26 after corporate governance and financial problems pushed the share price to a 5-year low of $14.05 in April 2025. 

Mineral Resources stopped paying dividends to save cash and reported its strongest half-year result ever for 1H FY26.

Soaring lithium prices and the ramp-up of its Onslow iron ore project contributed to the company’s stronger earnings. 

3. Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The Lynas Rare Earths share price ripped 115.26% higher in FY26.

The ASX 200 large-cap rare earths share finished the year at $18.06 apiece.  

The Lynas share price had several tailwinds last year. 

Firstly, restricted exports from China amid rising trade and geopolitical tensions continued to push commodity values higher. Neodymium was among them, rising 80%.  

This helped Lynas deliver an impressive 1H FY26 report, with net profit after tax (NPAT) jumping from $5.9 million to $80.2 million year over year.

Arguably, the most important company-specific catalyst for share price growth in FY26 was the long-term extension of Lynas’ supply agreement with Japan Australia Rare Earths B.V. (JARE) through to 2038.

The deal included a US$110 per kilo floor price for neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide and annual purchase commitments.

4. BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The BHP share price soared 61.63% in FY26.

The ASX 200 large-cap mining share also took back its crown as the market’s largest listed company during the year. 

The BHP share price finished FY26 at $59.40. 

A rising copper price, which hit a record US$6.60 per pound in May, contributed to BHP’s strong share price rise last year.  

While the Big Australian is still a major iron ore producer, it is now also the world’s largest copper producer.

In 1H FY26, copper accounted for more than half of BHP’s underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA). 

5. Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

The Rio Tinto share price roared 61.03% higher in FY26. 

Rio Tinto is also a major iron ore producer, but has diversified into lithium and copper in recent years. 

In FY26, lithium and copper were among the fastest-rising commodities relevant to Australia. 

This helped push the ASX 200 large-cap mining share to a closing price of $172.51 on 30 June. 

6. Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NST)

The Newmont Corporation share price increased 64.07% in FY26. 

The ASX 200 large-cap gold share benefited from a resilient gold price last year. 

The gold price rose by 18% in FY26, which was a far more subdued performance compared to FY25. 

Newmont shares finished the financial year at $134.52 apiece. 

The post 6 ASX 200 large-cap shares that rose 60% to 275% in FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is it smart to invest $5,000 into BHP shares?
• The ASX 200 sector that outperformed the benchmark 7 to 1 in FY26. Can it keep delivering?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• If I’d invested $4,000 in PLS Group shares 12 months ago, guess what I’d have now!

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in BHP Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. 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.

With only a few hours of trade left before today’s closing bell, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.9% since last Friday’s close, with these three surging ASX 200 stocks leaving those gains in the dust.

Here’s what’s been catching ASX investor interest this week. 

Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD)

Genesis Minerals shares closed last Friday trading for $5.39. At the time of writing, shares are swapping hands for $6.18 apiece. That sees this ASX 200 stock up 14.7% for the week.

Most of those gains are being delivered today after the Aussie gold miner released a business update.

Investors reacted positively to the miner reporting that its FY 2026 gold production hit 285,400 ounces. That’s towards the higher end of Genesis Minerals’ full-year guidance of 260,000 ounces to 290,000 ounces.

On the cost front, the gold mine also reported its full-year all-in sustaining cost (AISC) came within its FY 2026 guidance range of $2,500 to $2,700 per ounce.

And the balance sheet is growing, with Genesis Minerals reporting underlying cash and equivalents of $258 million, up from $253 million in March. 

Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT)

The second ASX 200 stock shooting the lights out this week is financial services company Perpetual.

Perpetual shares closed last Friday at $15.19 and are currently trading at $19.12. This sees the Perpetual share price up 25.9% over the week.

Perpetual shares leapt 16.8% on Wednesday after the company announced that it had received, and rejected, an unsolicited, non-binding takeover proposal from Windflower. According to the release, Windflower is indirectly controlled by EQT AB. 

Under the terms of the indicative proposal, Perpetual shareholders would have received $21.64 per share in cash, or almost 40% above Tuesday’s closing price.

In explaining its rejection, the Perpetual board noted:

The indicative proposal was highly conditional and did not adequately represent fair value for Perpetual shareholders in the context of a change of control transaction and the board determined that it was not in the best interests of Perpetual shareholders.

Which brings us to…

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU)

The top-performing ASX 200 stock on my list today is Neuren Pharmaceuticals.

Shares in the biopharmaceutical company closed last Friday trading for $12.20. At the time of writing, shares are changing hands for $16.71 each. This sees the Neuren share price up 37% for the week.

Neuren shares closed up a whopping 36.1% on Monday after announcing a crucial regulatory win in the European Union (EU) for its lead drug, DAYBUE.  

DAYBUE is intended to treat neurobehavioral symptoms of Rett syndrome.

Commenting on the positive decision from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), Neuren CEO Jon Pilcher said, “I am so delighted for all stakeholders to see this positive outcome from the CHMP re-examination process recommending marketing authorisation for DAYBU in the EU.”

The post 3 ASX 200 stocks storming higher this week on big announcements appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Genesis Minerals: FY26 guidance met and growth projects advance
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why this ASX 200 winner is halted on Wednesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 3 reasons to buy this recovering ASX biotech stock

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 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are popular for many reasons, including easy exposure to international shares via our local exchange.  

US stocks are particularly popular given that the S&P 500 Index (SP: INX) has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) for several years. 

Currency-hedging can reduce or amplify the returns for investors, and we are seeing this play out right now. 

It’s dividend season, and a closer look shows distributions from some hedged ETFs are more than triple their unhedged counterparts. Woah.  

This largely has to do with changes to the US currency.

Since early CY25, the US dollar has been weakening against a strengthening Aussie currency. 

The Aussie dollar rose from about 62 US cents in January 2025 to a four-year high of 74 US cents in May this year. 

This has helped turbocharge distributions for some currency-hedged ETFs this season. 

The US dollar has been weakening amid expectations of interest rate cuts, concerns about the economic impact of fiscal policy, and broader geopolitical and trade uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the AUD is stronger as the outlook for interest rates improves, and rising commodity prices support our terms of trade.

Strong demand for our metals and minerals, driven by the green energy transition and the build-out of artificial intelligence (AI), also supports our currency, as foreign buyers typically pay for exports in Australian dollars.

Let’s take a look at some examples of the hedging impact on ASX ETF distributions this season. 

ASX ETF distributions: Hedged vs. non-hedged 

The unhedged VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT) will pay $11.61 per unit this season. (By the way, MOAT is one of six ETFs paying a 10% dividend yield in a single payment this season.) 

Its currency-hedged counterpart, VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat (AUD Hedged) ETF (ASX: MHOT), will pay $20.54 per unit. That’s a 75% higher distribution than MOAT. 

The iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV), the market’s largest ETF tracking the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX), is paying a distribution of 23.3 cents per unit this season. 

The currency-hedged version of IVV, iShares S&P 500 (AUD Hedged) ETF (ASX: IHVV), will pay more than 10x that amount — 270.27 cents per unit.

The Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) will pay 90 cents per unit this season. 

The hedged version of this ETF, Betashares Nasdaq 100 Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: HNDQ), will pay 30% more at 120 cents per unit. 

iShares Global 100 ETF (ASX: IOO), which tracks the S&P Global 100 (Net) Index and is made up of 79% US stocks, is paying out 182 cents per unit this season.

The iShares Global 100 (Currency-hedged) ETF (ASX: IHOO) will pay investors 1,082 cents per unit, or almost 6x the IOO ETF. 

Global X S&P World ex Australia GARP ETF (ASX: GARP) will pay 70.76 cents per unit this season. 

Global X S&P World ex Australia GARP (Currency Hedged) ETF (ASX: GHRP) will pay almost 4x that amount at 269.5 cents per unit. 

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS), which invests in 1,500 stocks in developed nations outside Australia, and has a 77% US exposure, will pay 81.54 cents per unit. 

Its currency-hedged counterpart, Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares (Hedged) ETF (ASX: VGAD), will pay more than triple that amount at 293.5 cents per unit. 

Final distributions confirmed

ETF providers have confirmed their final distribution amounts for this season. 

If you own Vanguard ETFs, see this season’s final distributions here.

Interested in VanEck ETFs? View final distributions here.

If you own Betashares ETFs, see final distributions here.

If you’re invested in iShares ETFs, see final distributions here.

Invested in Global X ETFs? Find out final distributions here.

The post The currency-hedged ASX ETFs magnifying dividends by up to 10x this season appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF, Vaneck Morningstar Wide Moat (Aud Hedged) Etf, Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF, and iShares S&P 500 Aud Hedged ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF – Currency Hedged, VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF, Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) real estate stock Aspen Group Ltd (ASX: APZ) is marching higher today.

Aspen Group shares closed yesterday trading for $5.18. During the Friday lunch hour, shares are changing hands for $5.24 apiece, up 1.2%.  

For some context, the ASX 300 is up 1.2% at this same time as well.

Taking a step back, however, Apen Group shares have strongly outperformed the 2.8% 12-month gains delivered by the benchmark index. 

Indeed, if we add in the 11 cents per share in partly-franked dividends the ASX 300 real estate stock has paid out over the past year, then the accumulated value of Aspen shares has surged 40.1% in 12 months.

And according to Joe Wright, deputy portfolio manager on the Airlie Australian Share Fund, the company is well-positioned to keep outperforming in the year ahead.  

Here’s why.

ASX 300 real estate stock in the sweet spot

“We love residential property developer and operator Aspen Group,” Wright said (quoted by The Australian Financial Review).

“There continues to be a huge undersupply of affordable housing in Australia, which is exactly the area that Aspen looks to serve,” he added.

Summing up his bullish outlook on the ASX 300 real estate stock, Wright concluded:

Joint chief executives John Carter and David Dixon are experienced operators with a fantastic track record of buying land well and building houses that are reasonably priced and people want to live in.

It means there is a lot of demand, and that’s led to significant earnings growth and returns which we expect to continue over the next five years.

What’s the latest from Aspen Group?

Aspen released its Q3 FY 2026 update on 9 April, with management noting that the company is “well on track to achieve earnings guidance for FY26 and FY27”.

As for that earnings growth Wright mentioned above, for the nine months to 31 March the ASX 300 real estate stock reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $43.1 million. That’s up 45% from the same nine-month period in FY 2025. 

Management maintained full year FY 2026 EBITDA guidance of $53.3 million.

Also growing strongly was the company’s realised development profit, which leapt 153% year on year to $19 million in the first nine months of this financial year. 

Aspen Group management noted, “By the end of March, we achieved 88% of development profit guidance [of $21.5 million] for FY26, and we expect to achieve 100% in May.”

The post Up 40%. Why this surging ASX 300 real estate stock is tipped to keep outperforming 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.

Talga Group Ltd (ASX: TLG) shares are having one of their best sessions in months on Friday.

At the time of writing, the ASX battery materials stock is up 28.57% to an intraday high of 27 cents. 

The rally comes after a tough run for shareholders. Talga shares are still down 28% in 2026 and 36% over the past 12 months. 

But investors finally have something to cheer about. 

After years of work on its battery anode plans, Talga has given investors a sign that commercial progress is finally starting to show. 

Here’s what the company announced. 

First commercial deliveries begin

According to the release, Talga has started commercial deliveries of its flagship battery graphite anode product, Talnode-C, to Nyobolt. 

Nyobolt is a battery technology company focused on ultra-fast charging batteries, which are being developed for areas such as heavy-duty vehicles, mining equipment, and industrial robotics. 

The first shipment was delivered from Talga’s EVA demonstration plant in Lulea, Sweden, under the binding 3,000-tonne offtake agreement announced in May last year. 

While the early volumes aren’t huge, the update is still significant for the company. It means Talga has moved from testing and customer qualification work to commercial sales under a binding offtake agreement. 

The balance of the 3,000-tonne offtake is expected to come from Talga’s planned commercial-scale anode plant in the same area. Construction is targeted to start in 2027, although this still depends on a final investment decision.

A closer look at Nyobolt

Nyobolt is working on batteries that can charge very quickly and handle heavy use. 

Talga said the company recently completed a Series C capital raise at a US$1 billion valuation. So, clearly there’s some serious money behind what it is trying to build. 

Nyobolt advised that it has already demonstrated charging from 10% to 80% in under 5 minutes.

With that kind of speed, the batteries could be valuable in markets where downtime can cost operators money.

And that is why Nyobolt is targeting heavy-duty commercial vehicles, trucks, mining equipment, and autonomous warehouse robots.

These are all areas where battery performance, charging speed, and reliability need to hold up.

Talga also pointed to demand beyond passenger electric vehicles. This includes potential uses in industrial drones, hybrid heavy-duty vehicles, defence hardware, AI data centre power solutions, and backup power systems.

Foolish Takeaway

This update should give Talga shares more support after a brutal start to the year.

Talga has talked up its battery anode opportunity for years, making these first commercial sales a welcome milestone for investors. 

Furthermore, management said it is in advanced talks with offtake parties and new customers are nearing final qualification and onboarding.

If more deals follow, the share price could keep powering higher.

 

The post Guess which ASX stock is rocketing almost 30% 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.