Author: openjargon

The best ASX growth shares are not always the newest or most exciting names on the market. They are often businesses with proven models, expanding addressable markets, and management teams that still have plenty of room to execute.

With that in mind, here are three ASX shares that could be much bigger in 10 years.

Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)

Breville Group has spent years turning kitchen appliances into a global premium brand.

Coffee has been central to that story. The company’s espresso machines have tapped into the shift toward higher-quality coffee at home, helping Breville build a strong position in a category with repeat customer engagement and premium pricing.

But Breville is not standing still. It continues to expand across geographies, brands, and product categories. Its portfolio now stretches across Breville, Sage, Baratza, and Lelit, giving it exposure to different regions and parts of the premium kitchen market.

The company also has a habit of turning product innovation into growth. That matters in a category where design, performance, and brand trust can influence buying decisions.

If Breville keeps deepening its presence in the US, Europe, and newer markets, it could continue to grow well beyond its current size.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

Hub24 is benefiting from a long-running shift in wealth management.

The company provides investment platform technology used by financial advisers and their clients. These platforms help manage portfolios, reporting, administration, and access to investments.

The important point is that advisers are still moving away from older legacy systems. That shift has created a long runway for modern platforms that are easier to use and more flexible.

Hub24 has been one of the clearest winners from this trend. As more funds move onto its platform, the company benefits from rising scale and operating leverage.

Australia’s pool of investable wealth is large and still growing. That gives the company an attractive backdrop if it can keep winning adviser support and expanding funds under administration.

With structural tailwinds and a scalable platform, this ASX share could be far larger in 10 years.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Megaport is building a larger role for itself in digital infrastructure.

The ASX share started with a clear proposition: making it easier for businesses to connect to cloud providers, data centres, and networks on demand. That remains a useful service as companies continue moving workloads into cloud environments.

But the story has become more interesting following its acquisition of Latitude.sh. This adds compute capability to Megaport’s existing connectivity platform and broadens its market opportunity.

In simple terms, the company is moving beyond helping customers connect to infrastructure. It is gaining exposure to more of the infrastructure stack itself.

That could be important as demand for cloud, AI workloads, and flexible digital capacity continues to rise.

If Megaport can successfully integrate Latitude.sh and keep expanding customer usage, it could be a very different business by the mid-2030s.

The post 3 ASX shares that could be much bigger in 10 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX mid-cap stocks that could be tomorrow’s big winners
• 3 ASX stocks that could win big from the AI infrastructure boom
• Why I think DroneShield and these ASX growth shares could beat the market over 10 years
• 3 ASX 200 shares I’d buy with $20,000
• 3 high-quality ASX 200 shares for beginners to buy and hold

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Hub24 and Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24. 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) continued its recent slump on Monday. This included a heavy sell-off for many well-known ASX shares that hit fresh 52-week lows. 

Three ASX shares hitting new yearly lows were: 

• Brambles Ltd (ASX: BXB) crashed 20%
• Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) dropped a further 2%
• Amcor Plc (ASX: AMC) fell 4%. 

For investors holding positions in these companies, it can be difficult not to panic when shares hit 52-week lows. 

For investors on the outside looking in, it can be an opportunity to find value in quality stocks. 

Let’s see what experts are saying. 

Brambles crashes on trading update

Brambles is the world’s largest supplier of reusable wooden pallets and crates used for storing and transporting goods. 

It operates in more than 60 countries, primarily under the Chep brand. The company touts itself as a pioneer of the ‘sharing economy’, managing a reusable pool of pallets and containers to service global supply chains and logistics.

Yesterday, it released a FY26 trading update.

It revealed revised FY26 guidance and the announcement of a new US$400 million share buy-back.

Brambles now expects sales revenue growth of 2% to 3% (previously 3% to 4%) and underlying profit growth of 3% to 5% (from 8% to 11%).

This news sent investors running for the hills, as the share price crashed 20% to a new 52-week low of $17.63. 

It may be a buy-low candidate after the crash.

The team at Jarden recently placed an overweight rating and $25.15 price target on Brambles shares. 

It’s worth noting this was prior to the recent guidance downgrade. 

Sonic Healthcare continues its slump

Sonic Healthcare is a global healthcare provider. It is the largest private medical laboratory and pathology services operator in Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Switzerland.

It hit new 52-week lows yesterday closing at $18.39. 

Its share price is now down 18% year to date. 

It does have appeal as a dividend stock, as well as some capital upside. 

16 analyst forecasts via TradingView place an average price target of $24.25 on this ASX healthcare stock.

That indicates roughly 30% upside from current levels. 

Amcor continues to slide

Amcor operates as a holding company, which engages in the consumer packaging business.

It has struggled so far in 2026, falling 4% yesterday to take its year to date fall to roughly 18%. 

It recently released 3Q26 earnings which were largely in line with expectations. 

The team at Morgans is optimistic this ASX stock can bounce back from fresh 52-week lows. 

The broker recently lowered its price target to $65.40 (from $68.20), however maintained its buy recommendation. 

From yesterday’s closing price of $51.44, this updated target indicates an upside potential of 27%. 

The post Should investors buy low on these ASX shares hitting 52-week lows? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why A2 Milk, Brambles, Elders, and Tuas shares are sinking today
• Why is everyone talking about Elders, Brambles and New Hope shares on Monday?
• Why are Brambles shares crashing more than 15% to a new 12-month low today?
• Brambles revises FY26 outlook, announces new US$400m buy-back
• 5 ASX shares with upgraded ratings this week

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Amcor Plc. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It has been a tough 2026 for ASX technology stock Gentrack Group Ltd (ASX: GTK). 

Gentrack engages in the development, implementation, and support of software solutions for electricity, gas and water utilities, and airports.

Yesterday, it continued its free fall, dropping 5% to take its year to date fall to 55%. 

Why is this ASX technology stock crashing this year?

Much of this pain came on May 5th when it crashed 35% in a single session following a trading update.

According to the release, the company expects FY2026 revenue to range between NZ$229 million and NZ$238 million.

This is below its previous guidance and broadly in line with FY2025 revenue of NZ$230.2 million.

Management said the weaker outlook is due to softer non-recurring (NRR) revenue, which is expected to decline compared with FY2025 and offset growth in recurring revenue. Recurring revenue, however, is forecast to increase by more than 10% to approximately NZ$174 million.

Bell Potter tips a rebound

A new report from Bell Potter suggests this ASX technology stock is now attractively valued.

This comes following the announced acquisition of New Zealand energy software business Prospero Energy for NZ$24 million. 

The deal aims to strengthen its utilities platform.

Bell Potter said Gentrack Group’s acquisition of energy pricing software business Prospero Energy strengthens its g2.0 platform and could also perform well as a standalone product.

The broker noted the NZ$24 million deal is unlikely to materially boost earnings in FY26 or FY27, although management expects it to be earnings accretive by FY28, and Bell Potter views the acquisition positively because it is not being used to fill short-term revenue weakness.

Buy rating retained 

Based on this guidance, Bell Potter has retained its buy recommendation on this ASX technology stock. 

The broker has also slightly increased its price target to $5.70 (previously $5.60). 

From yesterday’s closing price of $3.32, this indicates an upside potential of over 70%. 

We anticipate the market will continue to discount GTK until it is able to visibly execute on Utilities NRR, however we remain broadly positive on GTK due to the large secular tailwinds in rapidly shifting energy production and consumption trends driving increased complexity within grids, billing platform requirements and broader digital transformations.

Bell Potter isn’t the only analyst tipping a rebound. 

Shaw and Partners recently issued a research report on Gentrack that included a $8 price target for the company.

If it were to reach that level, it would represent a gain of 141%. 

The post Bell Potter is tipping a 70% rebound for this struggling ASX technology stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Which ASX technology company, which is tipped to double in value, has just announced an acquisition?
• Which 2 ASX tech companies could more than double according to Shaw and Partners?
• Despite a recent trading downgrade this ASX small cap could still return more than 100%: Broker
• Down 75%: Is this ASX tech stock a bargain buy?
• Guess which ASX tech share is crashing 35% today

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

As we slowly approach the halfway point of 2026, investors may be repositioning their portfolios after a lacklustre opening few months. 

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 2.5% year to date. 

However the soft start to the year has created value opportunities across the market. 

Many of these opportunities are in the travel, healthcare and technology sectors, which have struggled so far this year. 

With that in mind, here are five ASX shares that could be set to bounce back. 

Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN)

Australia’s largest airline has unsurprisingly struggled in 2026. 

Headwinds like spiked oil prices and global conflict have weighed heavily on travel shares. 

Additionally, interest rate hikes and inflation have put pressure on household spending. 

Despite these headwinds, there is reason to be optimistic long-term for this blue-chip ASX stock. 

TradingView data shows the current share price could be overestimating these headwinds, as the average analyst rating has a one year price target of $11.04 on these ASX shares. 

This indicates an upside potential of 30% for Qantas shares. 

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

Life360 is a United States-based software development company. The company’s core product is a private family and friends social networking app that allows users to communicate and share their locations.

Its share price is down 44% year to date. 

However this could be another buy-low opportunity. 

Despite the recent share price softness, the company recently reported revenue growth of 38%, advertising revenue growth of 329% and operating cash flow increase of 42% year-over-year.

As the Motley Fool’s Tristan Harrison reported yesterday, the average price target according to CMC Invest, is $30.52 on these ASX shares. 

This indicates an upside potential of roughly 66% in the next 12 months. 

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

REA Group has been another online classified stock caught in the crosshairs of AI disruption fears.

Its share price is down 11% this year but has shown signs of a rebound already. 

Bell Potter believes this rebound can continue into the second half of the year. 

The broker has an updated price target of $217 on these ASX shares, indicating an upside potential of 32%. 

ResMed CDI (ASX: RMD)

Moving attention to the healthcare sector, Resmed shares have been heavily sold off in 2026. 

The global leader in sleep technology has seen its share price tumble 22% year to date. 

However it has recently been attracting plenty of attention as a buy-low candidate. 

Recently, the team at Morgans placed a price target of $41.72 on these ASX shares after quarterly results.

This price target indicates an upside potential of 48% from current levels. 

Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH)

Cochlear shares crashed earlier this year after the ASX healthcare company downgraded its FY26 earnings guidance. 

At the time of writing, they are down 65% in 2026, making them some of the worst performing ASX 200 shares this year. 

For investors playing the long game, the current price might be too good to ignore, as Cochlear shares peaked at more than $330 in 2024, and currently sit at $93 per share. 

16 analyst forecasts via TradingView place fair value at around $130 per share, roughly 39% higher than current levels. 

The post 5 ASX shares that could bounce back in the second half of 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX mid-cap stocks that could be tomorrow’s big winners
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: ResMed, Sigma, and TechnologyOne shares
• Could this fallen ASX 200 stock be a once-in-a-decade opportunity?
• Why Life360 shares are jumping higher in Monday’s falling market

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Cochlear, Life360, and ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360 and ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and sank deep into the red. The benchmark index fell 1.45% to 8,505.3 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 to rebound

The Australian share market looks set to jump on Tuesday following a mixed night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 95 points or 1.1% higher. In the United States, the Dow Jones rose 0.3%, but the S&P 500 edged 0.1% lower and the Nasdaq dropped 0.5%.

Oil prices mixed

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) will be on watch on Tuesday after a mixed night for oil prices. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.75% to US$106.23 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 0.4% to US$108.82 a barrel. This follows reports that Donald Trump has called off a planned attack on Iran on Tuesday.

TechnologyOne results

All eyes will be on TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares on Tuesday when the enterprise software provider releases its half-year results. Bell Potter is expecting a strong result. It said: “We forecast PBT growth of 9% to $89.4m while VA consensus is growth of 8% to $88.4m. The area which could surprise, however, in our view is ARR where there is no guidance for H1 but both we and VA consensus forecast a 17% increase y-o-y to c.$600m.”

Gold price edges higher

ASX 200 gold shares including Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch on Tuesday after the gold price edged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up slightly to US$4,563.1 an ounce. Gold rose in response to a weaker US dollar.

Buy Elders shares

Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD) shares could be in the buy zone after crashing 22% on Monday. In response to the agribusiness company’s half-year results, Bell Potter has retained its buy rating with a reduced price target of $6.45 (from $9.00). It said: “1H26 was a consensus miss on higher SYSMOD linked costs and to a degree reflects dual running costs that should reduce into FY27e. However, this was poorly communicated and largely mitigated the benefit of operating leverage. Delivering on the promise of Delta, backward integration and SYSMOD, while unwinding duplicate cost structures are central to EPS growth, but this needs to be done in a potentially more difficult 2HCY26 seasonal backdrop with a CEO transition.”

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

More reading

• Why is the ASX 200 starting at a 7-week low today?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: ResMed, Sigma, and TechnologyOne shares
• Why the ASX 200 is sinking to a 7-week low today
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

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

These three companies have already delivered impressive growth.

But the most exciting part of their stories may still be ahead.

The ASX has no shortage of large-cap stocks to choose from, but some of the most interesting long-term opportunities sit in the mid-cap space.

These businesses are large enough to have proven their models but still small enough to deliver outsized growth.

Three names stand out right now.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

The numbers Pro Medicus keeps producing are remarkable for a company of its size.

The medical imaging software specialist delivered revenue growth of 28.4% to $124.8 million for the first half of FY2026, with an EBIT margin of 73%, one of the highest of any listed technology company in Australia.

The company signed more than $280 million in new contracts during the half, including a $170 million ten-year deal with the University of Colorado.

Five-year contracted revenue now sits at approximately $1.1 billion, giving the business extraordinary earnings visibility.

Pro Medicus shares have fallen sharply from their all-time high of $336, which has reset the valuation to a level brokers describe as a genuine entry point.

Morgans maintains a buy rating with a price target of $275, noting that the longer-term growth outlook has actually strengthened through the recent wave of contract wins.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

Life360 has quietly become one of the best growth stories in the ASX technology sector.

The company’s family safety and location sharing platform now reaches 97.8 million monthly active users globally, up 17% year-on-year.

In Q1 2026, Life360 delivered record total revenue of US$143.1 million, up 38% year-on-year, with advertising revenue surging 329% to US$19.7 million as the company’s Life360 Ads platform scales rapidly.

In addition, Life360 crossed three million paying circles in the quarter, its strongest quarter ever for subscriber growth.

The company raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to US$640 million to US$680 million, representing growth of 31% to 39% on 2025.

CEO Lauren Antonoff said:

Life360 has become a meaningful part of everyday family life for more than 97 million people who use Life360 to keep their families safe and connected. The value we deliver to our members powered record-breaking Paying Circle additions in Q1. At the same time, our Life360 Ads platform scaled to become a material part of our business.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

Hub24 operates one of Australia’s fastest growing investment and superannuation platforms, and the tailwinds behind the business look as powerful as ever.

The company delivered record first-half results for FY2026, with underlying EBITDA up 35% to $104.9 million, underlying NPAT up 60% to $68.3 million, and record net platform inflows of $10.7 billion.

Furthermore, total funds under administration reached $151.7 billion as at 31 March 2026, up 22% year-on-year.

As a result, Hub24 has ranked first for quarterly and annual net inflows for nine consecutive quarters.

This streak reflects both the quality of its platform and the structural shift of advisers away from legacy providers.

Management upgraded its FY2027 platform FUA target to $160 billion to $170 billion and plans to roll out the myhub ecosystem, an integrated technology platform combining AI capabilities, advice tools, and the core Hub24 platform.

Foolish takeaway

ASX mid-cap stocks Pro Medicus, Life360, and Hub24 each operate in large, growing markets with defensible competitive positions and management teams that have demonstrated a consistent ability to execute.

All three have experienced sharp share price pullbacks at various points over the past year.

This has made the entry points more attractive for long-term investors willing to look through the volatility.

The post 3 ASX mid-cap stocks that could be tomorrow’s big winners appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX shares that could be much bigger in 10 years
• 5 ASX shares that could bounce back in the second half of 2026
• How to generate $20,000 a year in passive income on the ASX
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Brazilian Rare Earths, Pro Medicus, Service Stream, and Woodside shares are charging higher

Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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 Hub24 and Life360. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24 and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The big four ASX bank stocks will always be relevant in the Australian stock market because of their dominant market share. 

Collectively, they make up over 20% of Australia’s benchmark index, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). 

That means the performance of the big four banks largely influences many investors’ the portfolios.

Let’s see how they are performing so far in 2026. 

2026 at a glance

As we approach the halfway mark of the calendar year, all four banks are in the red since January. 

• Commonwealth Bank Of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares are down just 0.2%
• ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares have fallen nearly 4%
• Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC) shares have dropped 8%
• National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares are 14% lower than the start of the year. 

Investors have been rotating out of ASX bank stocks for a few reasons, with valuations being hit hard. 

This was clear last week when CBA shares dropped 9% in a single day.

Among many headwinds, ASX bank shares are down in 2026 because investors expect slower profits after Australian housing tax changes, reduced confidence in mortgage and property-market growth. 

Banks are also increasing provisions for bad debts as households face higher financial stress and loan arrears rise. The selloff has been amplified because bank valuations were already considered expensive, making investors quick to react to weaker outlooks.

What are brokers saying?

With recent share price weakness, investors may be thinking these blue-chips are now trading at a relative discount. 

However recent analysis from experts indicates there could be more pain in the short term. 

For Australia’s largest bank, brokers have price targets set between $90 per share and $130 per share on CBA. 

This indicates a further drop of between 18% and 44%. 

It’s a similar outlook for Westpac shares. 

After the company released half-year results, the team at Ord Minnett placed an updated price target of $31.00 on the ASX bank stock. 

This implies a downside potential of 13%. 

Turning attention to NAB shares, there is mixed sentiment amongst brokers. 

Fair price estimates range from $26 to $48 per share. 

With the current share price sitting at around $36, this indicates a wide range of outcomes over the next 12 months. 

Finally, ANZ appears to be the ASX bank stock receiving the most broker optimism.

Citi recently renewed its buy rating on ANZ shares on Tuesday along with a 12-month price target of $40.

This indicates an upside potential of 14% from current levels. 

The post Which big four ASX bank stock is the best buy right now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the ASX 200 starting at a 7-week low today?
• Buying Westpac shares? Here’s the yield you’ll get today
• 4 ASX 200 shares I’d buy with $5,000 this week
• Down 17%: Are Westpac shares cheap?
• Buy, hold, sell: Catapult Sports, Worley, CBA shares

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has positions in National Australia Bank. 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.

What a disastrous start to the trading week for ASX investors it was yesterday. After leaving the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) last week on a dispondent note (down 0.11% to 8,630.8 points), investors seem to have come back from the weekend in an even fouler mood.

The ASX 200 opened at just 8,577.9 points yesterday morning and just kept on falling as the day unfolded. By the time the markets had closed, the index was sitting at 8,505.3 points, down a nasty 1.45%, after getting as low as 8,500.2 points during intra-day trading.

This latest drop means that the ASX 200 has now lost about 5% of its value over the past month alone. The index is also sitting on a year-to-date loss of 2.55%, and is down by roughly 7.6% since early March.

We haven’t seen the index at 8,500 points since the end of March, meaning the Australian share market is now at a seven-week low.

So what’s going on here?

Why is the ASX 200 at a seven-week low today?

Well, with 200 stocks making up the overall ASX 200 Index, it can be hard to pinpoint exact catalysts for its performance. However, we can note a few relevant factors here.

Generally speaking, there is no doubt that the ongoing Iran War is weighing on investors’ confidence. Despite endless back and forths, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to most maritime traffic. That in turn means that oil is still facing a severe supply shock.

The markets arguably spent most of April assuming that the Strait wouldn’t be shut for long. Perhaps the realities of a potentially prolonged supply squeeze are settling in. Closer to home, the recent federal budget also seemed to have a depressing effect on the share market. Since last Tuesday night, the ASX 200 has fallen every session, bar one, and has lost 1.9% of its value. That could be a coincidence, of course. But numbers don’t lie.

The other factor that is probably pushing the ASX 200 to its seven-week lows this week is the performance of some individual ASX shares. The ASX 200 forest is made up of 200 ASX stock ‘trees’, if you’ll pardon the metaphor. We’ve seen some fairly consequential moves from a few of the trees over the past week.

CSL and CBA weigh down the index

For one, there was the 10% drop in the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price last week. Just before that, CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) had almost 16% of its value wiped out in one session.

These two companies are top ten ASX 200 stocks (or at least were in CSL’s case). As such, moves of this nature are more than enough to have an impact on the broader index. Although a smaller stock, yesterday’s 62.8% crash for Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA) shares wouldn’t have helped matters either.

Let’s see how this Tuesday, and the rest of this week, treat the Australian markets.

The post Why is the ASX 200 starting at a 7-week low today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Which big four ASX bank stock is the best buy right now?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why the ASX 200 is sinking to a 7-week low today
• Why A2 Milk, Brambles, Elders, and Tuas shares are sinking today

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

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) gave investors a reason to cheer last week, with the ASX travel giant releasing a positive trading update at the annual Macquarie Conference.

Management reaffirmed its full-year profit guidance, but warned of near-term uncertainty from travel disruptions in the Middle East.

This sent shares up in a market that fell on the same day.

Here is what the update revealed and what it means for shareholders heading into the final stretch of FY2026.

The nine-month numbers

Flight Centre reported a 7.6% year-on-year increase in total transaction value to $19.5 billion for the nine months to 31 March 2026.

The third quarter showed particularly strong momentum, with Q3 Total Travel Value (TTV) rising 6.8% to $7 billion, representing 9.4% growth in constant currency terms.

Underlying profit before tax reached $226.4 million over the nine months, up 9.7% year-on-year, a result that signals the business continues to recover strongly from its pandemic-era lows.

Guidance reaffirmed

Management reaffirmed its full-year FY2026 underlying profit before tax guidance of $315 million to $350 million, a range that implies a materially stronger second half than the first.

Macquarie retained its outperform rating on the stock with a price target of $17.95.

Macquarie described the update as reflecting a strong corporate performance that offsets disruption in the leisure segment.

The broker also pointed to ongoing cost discipline and productivity gains as drivers of medium-term earnings growth.

The Middle East wildcard

Flight Centre did not shy away from flagging near-term risks.

Management noted that disruptions in the Middle East are creating uncertainty and temporarily disrupting international travel patterns.

The leisure business took an estimated $10 million profit hit in April as a result, though the global corporate division has not yet been significantly impacted.

Management acknowledged the impact of ongoing unrest on the key May to June trading period remains unclear, a caveat investors should watch closely.

Where the stock sits today

Flight Centre shares remain down ~24% over the past twelve months, even after the positive reaction to this week’s update.

That underperformance relative to the broader market may reflect the ongoing sensitivity of the leisure travel segment to geopolitical events and consumer confidence.

But with corporate travel continuing to perform strongly and full-year guidance intact, the investment case for patient investors may remain largely unchanged.

Foolish takeaway

Flight Centre is not without its risks, and the Middle East situation deserves close monitoring heading into the key June quarter.

But a 9.7% rise in underlying profit and a reaffirmed guidance range suggest the underlying recovery is progressing well.

For long-term Fools, this is a business worth keeping on the watchlist.

The post Here’s what Flight Centre’s latest trading update tells investors about FY2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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 Flight Centre Travel Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Artificial intelligence needs enormous amounts of physical and digital infrastructure to run.

Behind every large language model sits a vast and rapidly expanding layer of physical data centres, network connectivity, and logistics software.

The three ASX-listed companies are quietly positioning themselves as essential infrastructure providers for the AI age.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Goodman Group approaches artificial intelligence from the ground up.

The company owns, develops, and manages industrial property and data centre assets across 16 major cities globally.

Data centres now make up 73% of Goodman’s $14.4 billion development pipeline, up from just 40% eighteen months ago.

The company has assembled a power bank of 6.0 gigawatts across its global network.

This is becoming increasingly difficult for competitors to replicate as power access emerges as one of the key constraints on AI infrastructure expansion.

Amazon has committed $20 billion to Australian data centres by 2029, the largest technology investment in the country’s history, and Microsoft has pledged a further $5 billion.

Goodman is well positioned to benefit from this buildout, with the land, power, and expertise to deliver.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Megaport connects the AI infrastructure stack at the network layer, enabling businesses to instantly connect to cloud providers, data centres, and digital infrastructure on demand.

The company’s acquisition of Latitude.sh in November 2025 pushed the company deeper into the AI infrastructure stack, adding GPU, CPU, and storage capabilities that complement its core network offering.

Last week, Megaport announced $254 million in new contracts through Latitude.sh with two US-based AI technology companies, generating $90.6 million in annualised recurring revenue.

CEO Michael Reid described the announcement as evidence that:

Megaport is becoming an essential platform for powering the applications of tomorrow with globally distributed, automated infrastructure.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

WiseTech Global plays a less obvious but equally important role in the AI infrastructure story.

Its CargoWise platform provides software that manages the enormously complex global supply chains required to source, manufacture, and ship the hardware that powers AI, including NVIDIA GPUs, memory chips, and the specialised cooling equipment that data centres demand.

WiseTech has shifted almost all CargoWise customers to a transaction-based commercial model and is now embedding artificial intelligence directly into the platform to automate workflows, improve compliance, and reduce costs for customers.

The company maintains FY2026 revenue guidance of US$1.39 billion to US$1.44 billion and an EBITDA margin of 40% to 41%.

WiseTech shares have fallen from their highs, which has compressed the valuation significantly and may have created a more attractive entry point for potential investors.

Foolish takeaway

Together, these stocks represent three distinct but complementary ways to gain exposure to the AI infrastructure boom.

They are great examples of ASX-listed companies already generating real revenue from a theme that has dominated the last few years.

The post 3 ASX stocks that could win big from the AI infrastructure boom appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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 Goodman Group, Megaport, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.