Author: openjargon

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares are slipping today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) conglomerate – whose retail subsidiaries include Bunnings Warehouse, Kmart Australia, Officeworks and Priceline – closed yesterday trading for $79.75. During the Tuesday lunch hour, shares are changing hands for $78.67 apiece, down 1.4%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.6% at this same time.

Longer term, Wesfarmers shares are down 5.6% over the past year, underperforming the 3.1% 12-month gains posted by the benchmark index.

Although that underperformance will have been somewhat eased by Wesfarmers fully franked dividend payouts over this time. The ASX 200 stock trades on a 2.7% fully franked trailing dividend yield.

And there were some promising growth signs in the first half of the 2026 financial year, with Wesfarmers reporting a 9.3% year-on-year increase in net profit after tax (NPAT) to $1.6 billion.

So…

Should I buy Wesfarmers shares today?

Red Leaf Securities’ John Athanasiou recently ran his slide rule over the $89 billion ASX 200 stock (courtesy of The Bull).

“The industrial conglomerate’s performance is supported by a diversified portfolio across retail, industrials and chemicals,” he noted.

“The group’s strength lies in disciplined capital allocation and its ability to generate steady returns across cycles,” Athanasiou added.

But Athanasiou sounded a cautious note on the further short-term growth prospects for Wesfarmers shares.

“However, in our view, near term growth is likely to remain subdued as consumer spending normalises and retail conditions become more selective,” he said.

Summarising his hold recommendation on the ASX 200 stock, Athanasiou concluded:

Hardware giant Bunnings continues to provide earnings stability. The stock’s valuation appropriately reflects its quality profile, leaving limited re-rating potential in the absence of a stronger macro tailwind.

Wesfarmers remains a reliable long-term holding, but it’s best viewed as a steady compounder rather than a growth catalyst.

A more bearish view on the $89 billion ASX 200 conglomerate

Medallion Financial Group’s Philippe Bui has a more bearish take on the outlook for Wesfarmers stock.

“Wesfarmers is a diversified industrial conglomerate,” he said. “Major retail brands include Bunnings, Kmart, Target and Officeworks.”

Bui noted, “Wesfarmers is a high-quality business, but the outlook is softening, in our view.”

As for his sell recommendation on Wesfarmers shares, Bui said:

A deteriorating consumer environment and sticky inflation are pressuring forward earnings, while Amazon’s growing penetration across core retail categories is an intensifying competitive threat that shows no signs of abating.

The post Wesfarmers shares: Buy, hold or sell? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Down 17%: Why I’d buy and hold Wesfarmers shares

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

Buying shares at 52-week highs can feel unnerving.

It feels much easier emotionally to buy after a pullback. But I do not think a rising share price automatically means investors have missed the boat.

Sometimes a share is trading strongly because the investment case is improving.

That is how I see the ASX shares in this article. All three have reached 52-week highs or better on Tuesday, but I would still be happy to buy and hold them.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

BHP has had a powerful run, and I can understand why some investors may hesitate after such strength.

Resource shares can be cyclical, and buying after a rally is never without risk. Iron ore prices, China’s economy, costs, and commodity sentiment can all move the share price around quickly.

But I think BHP’s long-term story remains attractive, particularly because of copper.

Copper is becoming increasingly important to electricity networks, data centres, renewable energy, electric vehicles, industrial activity, and broader electrification. At the same time, new copper supply is difficult to bring on quickly.

That is a useful setup for a company with BHP’s scale, balance sheet, and existing copper exposure.

Iron ore still gives the group a powerful cash flow base, while potash offers another long-term option through Jansen. I like that mix. BHP is not a pure copper stock, but it gives investors exposure to copper through a diversified mining giant with world-class assets.

The valuation may not be cheap after the recent rise, but I would still buy BHP shares as a long-term resources holding.

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

Electro Optic Systems is a much higher-risk ASX share, but I think the opportunity is compelling.

The company is focused on defence technology, with key areas including counter-drone systems, remote weapon systems, high-energy laser weapons, and space control.

I like the exposure because modern defence needs are changing quickly. Drones are now a major feature of military conflict, border protection, critical infrastructure security, and public safety planning. That creates demand for systems that can detect, track, and respond to threats.

EOS has also completed its acquisition of MARSS, which adds command-and-control capability through the NiDAR system and broadens the group’s counter-drone offering.

That could make the business more valuable to customers looking for a more complete solution, rather than a narrow product set.

The company’s recent AGM presentation highlighted a large illustrative order book and strong customer interest across counter-drone and space control.

Investors still need to watch execution, contract timing, and cash flow, but I think EOS now has a stronger platform to chase a large defence technology opportunity.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

Dicker Data is another ASX share I would buy despite its recent strength.

The technology distributor is not always viewed as an exciting growth stock, but I think it has a very useful position in the Australian and New Zealand technology market.

Dicker Data works with reseller partners and distributes hardware, software, cloud, and infrastructure products from major global vendors. That puts it close to ongoing technology spending across businesses, government, and enterprise customers.

I also like that the business is exposed to several steady technology trends at once. These include cloud adoption, software subscriptions, infrastructure upgrades, cybersecurity needs, AI-related spending, and the continuing PC refresh cycle.

Dicker Data will still be affected by margins, demand cycles, working capital, and vendor relationships. But I think its long operating history, partner network, and broad product exposure make it a quality technology share.

Foolish takeaway

A 52-week high should not automatically scare investors away.

The more important question is whether the business can keep improving over the next five or 10 years. In these three cases, I think the answer is yes.

What matters to me is whether the strength in these share prices is backed by real business momentum. In each case, I think there are long-term drivers that could continue to support growth, even if the ride becomes bumpier from here.

None are perfect, but I think each has enough long-term potential to justify buying, even after a strong run.

The post 3 top ASX shares at 52-week highs I’d still buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 positions in and has recommended Dicker Data. 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.

Like many travel company shares, Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (ASX: VGN) shares have been under pressure since the conflict in the Middle East broke out in late February.

But the downwards pressure on the company’s share price has created a buying opportunity, according to the team at RBC Capital Markets, which has just initiated coverage of the company with an outperform rating.

What’s the company saying?

For some insight into how Virgin is faring, let’s check in on the company’s last update to the market.

Back in mid-April, the company said there had been significant fuel price volatility, but that it was well-prepared.

As the company said:

In FY26 the Group continues to experience strong customer demand with higher fuel costs largely mitigated through effective fuel hedging and recent airfare and capacity adjustments. This has resulted in Virgin Australia’s FY26 financial guidance remaining unchanged with 2HFY26 underlying EBIT and underlying EBIT margin expected to be higher than 2HFY25.  

Virgin said fuel was one of its highest costs, representing 21% of total operating expenses.

The company added further clarity on its hedging program:

Virgin Australia operates a fuel hedging program to manage the risks from fuel price volatility which includes hedging both Brent crude oil and refining margins when economically viable. The price of jet fuel has been extremely volatile and has more than doubled since the end of February 2026 which impacts fuel costs for the June 2026 quarter. Virgin Australia’s policy is to operate hedging with higher volumes in the short term to mitigate this price volatility, with other operational levers including fare and capacity adjustments available to be implemented over time. For the remainder of 2HFY26, the Group is hedged 92% for Brent crude oil and 71% for refining margins. Therefore, the exposure in FY26 is only the unhedged portion of both Brent crude oil and refining margins. This is expected to result in an increase of fuel costs for 2HFY26 of approximately $30-40m2 compared to previous expectations.

Shares looking like good value

The RBC team said in their research note to clients this week that they believed Virgin and Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) would remain focused on internal improvements, “and therefore limit market share chasing activities that could or would instigate another capacity war”.

The RBC team said Virgin’s transformation program could deliver significant earnings expansion through FY25 to FY28, and given this outlook, the company’s shares were undervalued at the current share price.

RBC said:

With a solid earnings growth outlook and trading at a discount to its peers we believe VGN is attractive at current levels. Our 12-month rounded Price Target of $3.50 implies a ~27% return, so we initiate with an Outperform rating. However, we add a Speculative Risk qualifier to reflect VGN’s: (i) limited pricing power, (ii) low earnings diversification, (iii) high operating leverage, and (iv) limited equity free-float, leaving investors more exposed if its market conditions deteriorate.   

Virgin Australia shares are currently trading at $2.64, implying a 32.6% return if RBC’s price target is met. The company is valued at $2.15 billion.

The post How high could Virgin Australia shares fly? RBC Capital Markets weighs in appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 4 ASX 200 shares I’d buy with $5,000 in June
• Virgin Australia, Qantas shares jump 8% higher this week. Are the ASX airline stocks a buy, sell or hold?
• Are these ASX shares a buy, hold or sell after jumping 8% or more?
• Why are Virgin Australia shares booming 8% higher today?
• Webjet shares crash 15% as Virgin Australia blow hits outlook

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.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stocks like Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN), Newmont Corp (ASX: NEM), and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares put in a mixed performance in May.

Over the month just past, the ASX 200 gained 0.8%.

Evolution Mining shares outpaced those gains, closing at $12.14 apiece on 29 May, up 2% for the month.

Newmont shares just trailed the benchmark index, gaining 0.6% in May to close the month trading for $151.27 each.

Northern Star shares were the laggards of the pack. Northern Star shares slumped 10.4% in May, finishing the month at $18.81.

All of the ASX 200 gold stocks faced some modest headwinds, with the gold price declining 1.6% from US$4,614 per ounce on 1 May to US$4,540 on 29 May, the last trading day of the month.

Still, at the close of the month, the gold price remained up more than 32% year on year.

Why did Northern Star shares underperform in May?

Northern Star shares have been under pressure since notching an all-time high of $31.73 in early March.

Among other issues, investors have been concerned over recent production downgrades along with rising cost forecasts.

The ASX 200 gold stock dropped another 2.1% on 21 May. That came after the miner announced that its managing director, Stuart Tonkin, will step down from his position in Q1 FY 2027, after 13 years with the company.

Turning our attention to today, you might have noticed that Northern Star shares are surging 10.7% to $20.49 apiece.

That big leg-up comes amid news (courtesy of The Australian Financial Review) that US hedge fund juggernaut Elliott Management is calling for a major overhaul at the beleaguered Aussie gold giant.

Elliot Management said it now holds more than $1 billion worth of Northern Star shares.

Elliot Management stated:

The market views Northern Star as a poor operator with a pattern of operational missteps and repeated failures to execute capital projects on time and on budget…

Northern Star owes it to its shareholders to promptly explore all strategic alternatives, including a sale of the company. We believe there would be significant strategic interest in Northern Star.

Stay tuned!

How did these other top ASX 200 gold stocks perform in May?

Moving away from the biggest three, here’s how these other leading ASX 200 gold stocks stacked up in May amid the 1.6% retrace in the gold price:

• Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares fell 4.2%
• Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) shares gained 2.0%
• Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) shares gained 0.9%
• Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) shares fell 4.8%
• Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) shares fell 6.5%
• Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) shares fell 4.1%
• Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) shares gained 3.8%
• Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP) shares gained 2.1%

The post Buying ASX 200 gold stocks? Here’s how Evolution Mining, Newmont and Northern Star shares stacked up in May appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a poor session on Tuesday. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.7% to 8,669.9 points.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are rising.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up over 2% to $3.17. This morning, the counter-drone technology company revealed that it has secured a $24.9 million contract linked to the US Department of War’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The release notes that the contract has an initial value of $19.3 million, but has another $5.6 million in options over a 5-year period. DroneShield’s CEO, Angus Bean, commented: “This contract demonstrates the growing requirement for counter-drone capabilities across complex operational environments. Customers are increasingly seeking solutions that combine rapid deployment with persistent airspace security, and DroneShield is well positioned to support these requirements through its range of mobile and fixed-site systems.”

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price is up a further 6% to $152.87. Investors have been buying this health imaging technology company’s shares this week after it announced a new contract win. Pro Medicus signed a five-year, A$28 million contract renewal with Allegheny Health Network (AHN). The new contract includes the addition of its Visage 7 Workflow. Commenting on the deal, Pro Medicus’ CEO, Dr Sam Hupert, said: “We are very pleased to have played such a key role in AHN’s growth over the past 10 years. AHN has now renewed for a third contract term, reflecting the strength of our long-standing partnership and the value our platform continues to deliver across their organisation.”

SRG Global Ltd (ASX: SRG)

The SRG Global share price is up 12% to $3.52. This has been driven by news that the diversified infrastructure services company has secured $1.85 billion of contracts with blue-chip clients across a diverse range of sectors. The company’s CEO, David Macgeorge, said: “We are pleased to have secured these significant contracts across Australia in a broad range of sectors with blue-chip repeat clients. These contract awards are a further demonstration of our market-leading capabilities as a truly diversified infrastructure services company.” In response to the strong performance, management has upgraded its earnings guidance for FY 2026 and provided consensus-beating guidance for FY 2027.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

The Woodside Energy share price is up 2% to $31.32. The catalyst for this has been a strong rise in oil prices overnight. Traders were bidding oil prices higher after Iran reportedly ended peace talks with the US and vowed to block the Strait of Hormuz.

The post Why DroneShield, Pro Medicus, SRG Global, and Woodside shares are charging higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shares are storming higher on Tuesday.

At the time of writing, the shares are up just over 10% to $22.42 a piece.

Today’s uptick follows on from a 5.5% share price increase on Monday. 

The latest update is great news for investors, following Life360 shares’ tumble of just over 4% in May. 

At the time of writing, the US-based software development company’s shares are around 59% below an all-time high recorded in October last year and 31% lower year to date.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down around 1% at the time of writing.

What happened to the beaten-down tech stock?

The tech stock has been caught up in an ongoing tech-sector-wide sell-off earlier this year. Investors have shied away from ASX tech shares amid a growing fear that companies’ core services could be replaced by AI. 

At the same time, there has been some concern that tech sector share prices, including Life360, could be overpriced.

Why are Life360 shares jumping higher today?

There isn’t any price-sensitive news out of the ASX 200 tech stock this week to explain the latest share price increase.

It’s likely the uptick is due to several factors shifting investor sentiment.

The stock has fallen heavily since late 2025, and many now view the shares as oversold and attractive at current levels. It’s likely that today’s rise is driven by bargain-hunting investors who are buying into the shares for cheap.

It looks like positive broker updates over the past few weeks are also helping a turnaround in investor confidence for Life360 shares. Analysts note that Life360’s fundamentals are strong, with solid subscription growth, robust revenue, and profitability. 

Meanwhile, there has also been a turnaround in sentiment for the tech sector as a whole today. The S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) is one of the few sectors climbing higher today, up just over 2.5% at the time of writing. 

How much higher can Life360 shares go?

TradingView data shows that brokers are very bullish on Life360’s outlook.

Out of 14 analysts, 13 have a buy or strong buy rating on the shares. The average $31.71 target price implies an upside of around 42% at the time of writing. Whereas some think the shares could rocket another 75% to $39.10 within the next 12 months.

Late last month, Bell Potter said it has retained its buy rating and improved its price target to $33 on Life360 shares. The broker said it thinks the market focused on the wrong metric in the company’s quarterly update. 

Instead of negatively reacting to softer monthly active user (MAU) growth, Bell Potter thinks investors should have responded positively to its strong growth in paying circles (paid subscribers). The broker also notes that the company is strategically implementing AI into its model. 

Citi also has a buy rating and $32.10 price target on Life360 shares. The broker said it thinks that recent product improvements will help to boost the company’s engagement and monetisation. 

The post Why are Life360 shares soaring 10% higher today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. 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 Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Another US contract has put DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) back on investors’ radar on Tuesday.

At the time of writing, the DroneShield share price is up 3.55% to $3.21.

The ASX defence stock was stronger earlier in the session, hitting an intraday high of $3.33 in morning trade.

Even with today’s gain, DroneShield shares are still down around 11% over the past month.

Zoom out, though, and the longer-term picture looks very different. The stock remains up about 150% over the past year.

Let’s take a closer look at today’s announcement.

A new US defence contract

According to the release, DroneShield has secured a $24.9 million contract linked to the US Department of War’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401.

The contract has an initial value of $19.3 million, with another $5.6 million in options over a 5-year period.

It covers the supply of mobile and fixed-site counter-drone systems, including hardware, subscriptions, warranties, and services.

DroneShield said the hardware is available from existing planned production, with deliveries expected across 2026 and 2027.

The company also said the contract requires it to buy and install third-party interoperable solutions alongside its own products.

Payments for the initial contract value are expected from the second half of 2026 through the first half of 2027.

At least $10 million of the initial contract value is expected to be recognised as committed revenue in FY 2026.

The remaining amount is expected to be recognised in FY 2027.

Why investors are buying

The US defence link appears to be the main reason investors are buying the stock today.

DroneShield said JIATF-401 is the US Department of War’s main organisation for coordinating counter-drone efforts across the joint force.

Its role is to help partners acquire counter-drone capability in response to the growing threat from drones.

Chief Executive Angus Bean said the contract shows rising demand for counter-drone capability across complex operating environments.

He said customers are looking for solutions that combine fast deployment with ongoing operational support.

The company’s US President, Ray Fitzgerald, also said the contract represents another milestone in DroneShield’s growth in the United States.

Foolish Takeaway

The contract is a useful win for DroneShield, especially given the US defence customer and multi-year structure.

It also gives investors more detail on future revenue, with at least $10 million expected to land in FY 2026.

Still, expectations around DroneShield are already high.

Even after the recent monthly pullback, the company has a market capitalisation of about $3 billion.

The next test is whether DroneShield can keep turning strong demand into larger contracts and revenue growth.

The post DroneShield shares jump as fresh US defence deal fires up investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why DroneShield, Pro Medicus, SRG Global, and Woodside shares are charging higher today
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• What happened to DroneShield shares in May?
• 3 ASX shares that brokers tipped to soar in the next 12 months
• Why I think DroneShield could be an ASX growth share to buy and hold

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 positions in and has recommended DroneShield. 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 are down 0.8% to 8,661.98 points on Tuesday.

Meanwhile on The Bull this week, two experts give us their views on three ASX 200 shares.

Let’s take a look.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

The Origin Energy share price is $10.67, down 1.3% today and down 6% in the calendar year to date (YTD).

Dylan Evans from Catapult Wealth has a buy rating on the ASX 200 utilities share this week.

He explains:

Origin is a key player in Australia’s energy supply chain.

Broader energy supply disruptions caused by the conflict in Iran are likely to be a net positive for Origin.

The company’s gas will become more appealing to Asian consumers when compared to Middle Eastern competitors.

Electricity sales volumes in the March quarter were up 4 per cent on the prior quarter.

Longer term, Origin is positioned to benefit from electrification and its energy security.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The Megaport share price is frozen at $16.61 today after the company entered a trading halt.

Megaport requested the trading halt ahead of an announcement regarding “new material commercial transactions”.

The trading halt will remain in place until either an announcement is made or until the commencement of trading on Thursday.

Meantime, ASX 200 tech shares are having another strong day, up 2.4%. Tech is the best performer of the 11 market sectors today.

Philippe Bui from Medallion Financial Group has a hold rating on Megaport shares.

He explains:

MP1 is a leading global network-as-a-service provider, connecting enterprises to cloud providers and data centres.

Artificial intelligence-driven data centre investment is a direct tailwind, and this business is capturing it.

Revenue quality is improving, margins are expanding and existing customers are spending more.

Wholly owned subsidiary Latitude.sh secured three major contracts in May, representing a meaningful step forward in recurring revenue.

At current prices, in line with historic valuation averages, emerging upside doesn’t appear fully priced in.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) 

The NAB share price is $37, down 1% today, and down 12.7% YTD.

Evans has a sell rating on the ASX 200 bank share this week.

He explains:

The bank’s first half result in fiscal year 2026 was underwhelming, in our view.

Investment loans account for about a third of residential lending.

Proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax are likely to reduce loan and property price growth, in our view.

Given higher interest rates and affordability pressures, NAB may struggle to deliver the growth needed to support current expectations.

The government proposes to scrap negative gearing for established residential property investments purchased after budget night, which was 12 May, from 1 July 2027.

Grandfathering arrangements will protect existing negatively geared investments.

In relation to capital gains tax (CGT), the government proposes to replace the 50% CGT discount for assets held for more than a year with cost-based indexation, and to introduce a 30% minimum tax on net capital gains from 1 July 2027.

Existing investments in ASX shares and property will be grandfathered, so the 50% discount will continue to apply to gains accrued before 1 July 2027 on those assets.

After 1 July 2027, cost base indexation and the new minimum 30% CGT tax rate will apply for future gains on those existing investments.

Landlords who buy new housing after budget night will be able to choose between the two CGT methods when they sell down the track.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Origin Energy, Megaport, NAB shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Megaport shares halted after 86% surge. Is another major deal coming?
• 3 ASX 200 shares to sell this week according to experts
• Guess which ASX 200 share is jumping 17% on earnings guidance upgrade
• Why did Megaport shares rocket 70% in May?
• 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 positions in and has recommended Megaport. 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.

It has been a tough session for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) on Tuesday. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.9% to 8,651.1 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

The Evolution Mining share price is down 2% to $12.17. Investors have been selling this gold miner’s shares on Tuesday following a pullback in the price of the precious metal overnight. Traders were selling gold after US-Iran peace talks ended abruptly and sent oil prices charging higher. This has sparked fears that inflation will rise and lead to interest rate hikes, which would likely be bad news for the gold price.

JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH)

The JB Hi-Fi share price is down 3.5% to $72.44. This appears to reflect broad weakness in the retail sector today. In addition, the retail giant was the subject of a bearish broker note out of Morgan Stanley this morning. According to the note, the broker has retained its underperform rating and $70.00 price target on its shares. It believes the company could fall short of consensus expectations given the weakening housing market.

Scentre Group (ASX: SCG)

The Scentre Group share price is down 4.5% to $3.60. This morning, the team at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) downgraded this shopping centre operator’s shares to an underperform rating (from neutral) with an improved price target of $3.45. The broker made the move largely on valuation grounds, highlighting that the company’s shares have risen strongly from their lows and now trade at a premium to net tangible assets.

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG)

The TPG Telecom share price is down 7% to $3.71. This follows the release of a first half trading update from the telco at its Investor Day event. TPG Telecom revealed that it expects mobile subscriber growth of 70,000 to 80,000 during the first half of FY 2026 driven by Digital First and MVNO. Home Broadband subscribers are expected to fall 45,000 for the half. It highlights that competitive dynamics remain challenging in NBN. Nevertheless, management has reaffirmed its FY 2026 EBITDA guidance of $1,665 million to $1,735 million (up from $1,637 million in FY 2025). However, it has warned that “EBITDA delivery is anticipated to be weighted to a stronger second-half performance.”

The post Why Evolution Mining, JB Hi-Fi, Scentre Group, and TPG Telecom shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• TPG Telecom posts mobile growth and strong free cash flow in 2026 update
• Why did ASX 200 retail shares lead the market last week?
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and 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.

The lithium market has had its ups and downs over the past few years, but according to one of the broker reports I’m having a look at today, the outlook is now “strenuously bullish”.

Shaw and Partners and Macquarie have both released new research reports naming their top picks in the lithium sector, which I’ll run through shortly.

But firstly, why is sentiment trending positive at the moment?

Demand and supply under pressure

Shaw and Partners said in its research note that, “Between global supply curtailments, significant future battery energy storage demand and turbo-charged electric vehicle demand, the underpinning fundamental outlook for lithium remains long-term strenuously bullish”.

The broker has upgraded their lithium price forecast, and that has flowed through into increased target prices for the companies they are recommending.

In terms of the demand thematic, Shaw and Partners said global electric vehicle sales grew 6% to 1.6 million units in April, and grid-scale battery storage was growing at nearly twice this rate.

The lithium market was also under pressure due to under-investment in new mines.

As they said:

Years of sub-economic prices forced widespread curtailments, deferred expansions, and slashed exploration budgets. With mine development lead times of 7-10 years, supply simply cannot respond quickly as prices recover. High-quality, low-cost spodumene and brine deposits are geographically concentrated and increasingly depleted at surface. In a twist familiar to all copper followers, newer resources are deeper, lower grade, or located in jurisdictions with elevated sovereign and permitting risk.

Shaw and Partners are expecting lithium prices to remain elevated “well into 2028”, underpinned by strong electric vehicle demand following the recent oil price shock.

Companies in focus

In terms of specific companies, Shaw and Partners has upgraded Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8) from a price target of $1.20 to $1.80, saying that with native title and a mining lease already in place, the company is “fast-tracking its world-class Tabba Tabba Lithium Project to achieve production during the current lithium price cycle”.

They have upgraded their price target for Global Lithium Resources Ltd (ASX: GL1) to $1.75 from $1.50, saying its Manna project is rapidly advancing towards production.

And they have also upgraded Pmet Resources Ltd (ASX: PMT) from $1.20 to $1.50, saying it is advancing the Shaakichiuwaanaan Project in Quebec.

Meanwhile, Macquarie has an outperform rating on IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) with a price target of $9.50, and PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) with a price target of $6.20.

Macquarie said:

IGO remains our preferred exposure, with cash flow yields screening attractively across price scenarios in FY27–28. We also see upside to 4QFY26 production results. For PLS, the P2000 capex plan remains a key focus, with further clarity expected at the upcoming 4Q and FY26 results. Against a backdrop of rising diesel and steel prices, management of capex escalation will be critical.

The post Which ASX lithium shares to buy as the market recovers: 2 brokers weigh in appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: 3 very popular ASX mining stocks
• Top 10 ASX shares bought and sold by investors in May
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• How much could the PLS Group share price rise in the next year?
• If I’d invested $5,000 in this ASX mining stock 12 months ago I’d have over $23k today!

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.