Author: openjargon

There was a time when CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) could almost do no wrong in the eyes of investors.

But that now feels like a very long time ago.

At the time of writing, the CSL share price is down 1.77% to $112.85.

This comes after the biotech giant released another disappointing update tied to its Vifor business.

It is the latest blow in what has become an absolute brutal period for one of the ASX’s former market darlings.

CSL shares are now down around 34% since the start of 2026 and have fallen more than 50% over the past year.

So, what’s the latest to go wrong?

CSL’s Vifor troubles deepen in Europe

According to the release, CSL said a European Medicines Agency committee has recommended that marketing authorisation for TAVNEOS be revoked in the European Union (EU).

TAVNEOS, also known as avacopan, is sold by CSL Vifor affiliates in the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) under a licence agreement.

The treatment is used for adults with severe, active ANCA-associated vasculitis, a rare disease that causes inflammation in small and medium blood vessels.

The recommendation follows a review into the handling of data in the pivotal Phase 3 ADVOCATE clinical trial, which supported the product’s approval.

CSL said the European Commission will now review the committee’s opinion and make a final decision in due course.

In the meantime, the company expects to stop new patient starts in EU and EEA markets, in line with regulatory guidance.

Management commentary

CSL said it was disappointed with the outcome, but will respect the regulatory process.

Bill Mezzanotte, CSL’s head of research and development, noted that the company recognises this is a difficult moment for the community.

He said:

Patient care remains our highest priority, and we are working closely with regulatory authorities, healthcare professionals and patient organisations.

CSL advised that sales revenue from TAVNEOS is expected to be approximately US$45 million in FY26.

The company will provide more detail on the intellectual property impairment linked to TAVNEOS when it reports its FY26 full-year results on 18 August.

CSL also pointed out that today’s announcement doesn’t change the estimated impairment it provided to investors in May.

Why this still hurts

Despite the setback , keep in mind that TAVNEOS is tiny next to CSL’s broader global operations.

However, Vifor has already been a major frustration for investors after CSL flagged large write-downs earlier this year.

So, another issue from the same part of the business was never going to land well.

CSL is still a global biotech heavyweight, with major plasma, vaccine, and iron deficiency businesses. Its market capitalisation also remains above $54.5 billion, so this isn’t a business suddenly running out of options.

Nonetheless, investor trust has already been severely damaged.

The post Another CSL blow: Why this beaten-up ASX giant is sliding again appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Once untouchable, now unloved: What’s up with CSL shares?

Forrestania Resources Ltd (ASX: FRS) has agreed to buy the Edna May Gold Hub from Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) in a deal worth $300 million in cash and scrip.

Transformational gold opportunity

Under the deal, Forrestania will pay Ramelius $200 million in cash and $100 million in its own shares for the hub, which includes the 2.9 million tonne per annum Edna May mill, associated infrastructure and the existing 945,000 ounce gold resource.

The company said the deal complements its Lake Johnston processing hub which is currently undergoing refurbishment.

Forrestania Chair David Geraghty said regarding the deal:

This transaction upholds Forrestania’s strategy to consolidate the proven and prospective gold assets in the Forrestania region. Approximately 12 months ago, Forrestania embarked on an aggressive M&A strategy to consolidate stranded high-quality gold assets and underexplored tenure surrounding Edna May. This strategy has been incredibly successful and set Forrestania up for today’s acquisition. Forrestania believes it has the proven development and delivery team that is ready to refurbish, upgrade and commission the 2.9Mtpa Edna May Mill going forward. This work will be completed in conjunction with Forrestania’s commissioning of Lake Johnston which is on-track for late 2026.

Forrestania said it was targeting a restart of the Edna May mill in the first half of 2027.

Forrestania shares were in a trading halt on Monday while the company completed a $300 million capital raise to fund the deal.

The company said it was targeting more than 6 million tonnes of ore processing capacity by the first half of 2027, with the Lake Johnston facility on track for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Building a bigger WA footprint

The company added:

With Forrestania already holding significant tenure and JORC Resources surrounding Edna May, the acquisition builds-out its dual processing hub-and-spoke network, increasing Forrestania’s operational flexibility and ensuring the right ore goes to the right mill. With a permitted and existing processing plant and associated infrastructure, Edna May presents a compelling near-term restart opportunity and allows Forrestania to avoid the approvals burden, development timeline and increased capital intensity associated with greenfield developments.

Forrestania shares, which last changed hands for 42.5 cents, are expected to remain in a trading halt until Wednesday, July 1.

The company is currently valued at $569.2 million.

Ramelius shares were up 3% on the news.

Ramelius said in a statement to the ASX, “the transaction provides Ramelius with an opportunity to crystallise value from a non-core asset and further focus resources on its core business”, while also retaining exposure to Edna May through its equity in Forrestania.

The post This ASX gold company’s aggressive M&A program continues with $300 million deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

With lots of ASX shares to choose from on the Australian market, it can be difficult to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are outlined below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $39.25 price target on this banking giant’s shares. Citi highlights that Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO) recently downgraded its earnings guidance due to three specific exposures. The broker believes these exposures are a credit risk problem and not signs of a systemic issue. As a result, it isn’t worried about ANZ at this stage. However, it concedes that the economy is in a challenging place and there are macro headwinds that the big banks could face. Nevertheless, the broker likes ANZ due to its exposure to business banking, which it prefers to retail banking at present. The ANZ share price is trading at $35.11 on Monday.

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU)

A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this biotechnology company’s shares with an improved price target of $23.50. This follows news that European regulators have reversed a negative recommendation on its Daybue product, which makes its approval quite likely now. Outside this, the broker estimates that the market is giving no value to Neuren’s NNZ-2591 product, which is under development. This could be a big mistake given how it estimates the product could be a multi-billion-dollar value asset if it succeeds in its Phase 3 trial. Trial results for NNZ-2591 are expected towards the end of 2027. The Neuren Pharmaceuticals share price is fetching $15.63 at the time of writing.

Qualitas Ltd (ASX: QAL)

Analysts at Macquarie have retained their outperform rating on this alternative asset manager’s shares with a trimmed price target of $3.95. According to the note, the broker was pleased to see Qualitas upgrade its margin guidance for long-term funds management EBITDA. It notes that this is being driven by benefits from an AI-enabled platform that should streamline the investment process. In addition, it has been pleased to see the company continues its long run of growing funds under management quicker than peers. It expects this to underpin strong earnings per share growth through to at least FY 2028. The Qualitas share price is trading at $3.01 this morning.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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

Some investors enjoy picking individual shares.

I do too. But I also think there is a lot to be said for owning an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that can quietly keep working in the background for years.

That is why I would consider buying Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS).

It is not the most exciting ETF on the ASX. It does not try to pick the next hot sector, chase the latest theme, or concentrate money in a handful of fast-moving stocks.

But that is why I think it can be so useful.

A simple way to invest globally

The first thing I like about the VGS ETF is the access it provides.

The ETF gives investors exposure to a large portfolio of international shares across developed markets. That means an investor can gain exposure to many of the world’s largest companies without needing to pick individual winners overseas.

For Australian investors, I think that is valuable.

The ASX has plenty of good companies, but it does not offer the same depth in areas such as global technology, healthcare, consumer brands, industrials, payments, and software.

A global ETF can help fill that gap.

Rather than relying only on Australian banks, miners, retailers, and infrastructure names, investors can own a broader mix of businesses that earn money across many countries and industries.

That can make a portfolio feel more balanced over the long term.

Why simplicity can be powerful

One of the underrated strengths of ETFs is that they reduce the number of decisions an investor has to make.

Investing can become harder than it needs to be when every dollar has to be allocated to one specific company. Investors need to think about valuation, earnings, management, competition, risk, and whether something better is available.

With a broad ETF, the decision is simpler. Investors are buying a slice of a large market and letting time do more of the work.

That does not mean returns are guaranteed. Share markets can fall, currencies can move, and global investors can go through long periods of poor sentiment.

But I think the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF suits investors who want to keep adding money over time without constantly needing to make big calls.

It can be a useful default option for spare cash, regular investing plans, or long-term wealth building.

A long-term compounding machine

The reason I like VGS ETF is not because it will shoot the lights out every year.

It is because it offers exposure to thousands of businesses competing, adapting, reinvesting, and trying to become more profitable over time.

Some companies in the ETF will disappoint. Others may become much larger. The beauty of a broad ETF is that investors do not need to know in advance which names will do all the best work.

The fund can evolve as markets evolve.

That is important because the global economy changes. New leaders emerge, old leaders fade, and industries shift. A broad international ETF can move with those changes in a way that a static list of hand-picked shares may not.

Foolish Takeaway

If I wanted to keep investing simple, the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF would be one of the first ASX ETFs I would consider buying.

It offers global diversification, access to industries that are harder to find on the ASX, and a straightforward way to keep putting money to work over the long term.

It will still have weak years, and investors need patience. But for those trying to build wealth without overcomplicating the process, I think it could be a smart ETF to buy and hold for decades.

The post The amazing ASX ETF I’d buy for easy investing 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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Atlas Arteria Group (ASX: ALX) share price is in focus today following an update on the ongoing Dulles Greenway litigation, with the US District Court dismissing the 2024 rate case. Notably, recent legislative reforms have streamlined the regulatory process, offering more certainty for the company and its stakeholders.

What did Atlas Arteria report?

• The US District Court dismissed the Dulles Greenway 2024 rate case litigation against TRIP II.
• TRIP II is reviewing the decision and considering an appeal.
• Legislative reforms now allow for two-year toll applications and set defined timelines for regulatory decisions.
• The latest Dulles Greenway rate case, submitted in December 2025, continues as scheduled.

What else do investors need to know?

The dismissal relates directly to Atlas Arteria’s Dulles Greenway asset in the US, part of its portfolio spanning France, Germany, and the United States. Earlier this year, regulatory changes were enacted in Virginia that make toll application processes faster and more predictable, which could reduce costs and improve planning for the company.

Atlas Arteria remains active in engaging with the Commonwealth of Virginia, local governments, and communities to build and maintain positive partnerships. Its approach emphasises long-term stakeholder and shareholder value through constructive engagement and disciplined management.

What’s next for Atlas Arteria?

Atlas Arteria’s focus is now on evaluating legal options while working within the revised regulatory environment in Virginia. The latest toll rate application process is continuing, and management says it is progressing in line with schedules.

The company has reiterated its commitment to sustainable business practices and stakeholder value, signalling ongoing dialogue with authorities and communities across its global portfolio.

Atlas Arteria share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Atlas Arteria shares have remained flat, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 3% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Atlas Arteria reacts to Dulles Greenway litigation outcome appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV) shares are in the spotlight on Monday.

In morning trade, the ASX lithium share is up by 5% to $10.04.

This compares to a solid performance from the ASX 200 index, which is up 0.5% at the time of writing.

Why is this ASX lithium share getting a lot of attention?

Investors have been buying the lithium miner’s shares following the release of a big update on its North American Lithium (NAL) operation.

According to the release, the ASX lithium share has reached a milestone in the expansion of the NAL operation with the official groundbreaking of the NAL Expansion Project.

It notes that the groundbreaking follows the successful completion of its May capital raise, which fully funded the NAL Expansion and strengthened its balance sheet to support execution of its staged growth strategy.

As part of ongoing project execution, equipment for the expansion has been ordered to enable the planned development timeline and reduce schedule risk.

This certainly could be worth the hard work. The company highlights that upon completion in mid 2027, Stage 1 of the NAL Expansion is expected to deliver a 15% to 20% increase in annual spodumene concentrate production capacity.

Importantly, it is also expected to result in a reduction in unit operating costs through improved scale and efficiency.

Furthermore, management believes that as North America seeks to strengthen domestic battery materials supply to reduce reliance on external sources, the NAL expansion will help by delivering increased supply of traceable and transparent lithium to the rapidly growing electric vehicle and energy storage markets.

Management commentary

The ASX lithium share’s managing director and CEO, Lucas Dow, was pleased with the news. He commented:

The groundbreaking of the NAL Expansion marks a milestone for Elevra and reflects the progress we have made since announcing our staged expansion strategy. With funding secured and equipment orders being placed, we are focused on disciplined execution to deliver Stage 1. This expansion will increase production capacity and further strengthen NAL’s position as a strategically important source of lithium supply in North America.

Elevra Lithium’s shares have been on fire over the past 12 months. Following today’s move, the company’s shares are now up almost 350% since this time last year.

That’s despite its shares trading almost 30% below their 52-week high of $14.06.

The post Which ASX share is racing 5% higher on big news? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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.

Investing for solid dividend yields can be a great strategy for some investors, and if you’re looking to follow this strategy, selecting companies with solid underlying businesses and a track record of performance is a good place to start.

Companies in infrastructure or with infrastructure-like qualities can be good investments as they tend to have businesses with a high barrier to entry and arguably good visibility of future revenues.

I’ve selected three companies which are currently paying dividend yields of better than 5% for you to consider.

AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL)

AGL is one of the country’s major energy suppliers, with a market position which ensures it is likely to have a steady stream of income over the long-term barring unforeseen events.

That’s not to say the business does not have its challenges, with investing in the energy transition and managing energy supply and pricing all factoring into the company’s financial performance.

The stock is down 13.9% over the past year to $8.42.

Managing Director Damien Nicks told a recent conference that the company was expecting growing demand from the data centre sector in coming years as the emerging industry’s need for power doubled from current levels.

Mr Nicks said during the update that AGL expected underlying net profit to be $610-$680 million, tigthening the guidance from $580-$680 million.

AGL is currently paying a 5.81% trailing dividend yield with its next dividend payment scheduled for September.

APA Group Ltd (ASX: APA)

Another energy company here but this time in the gas pipeline game.

APA has performed quite well from a share price standpoint over the past year, adding 32.3% to be changing hands for $10.77.

That level is just higher than Macquarie’s price target for the company, which it recently pegged at $10.41.

Encouragingly Macquarie expects the APA dividend yield to grow from 5.7% this year to 5.9% by FY28.

One of the drivers for the company, Macquarie said, is the growth in data centre demand for power, and from the retirement of the nation’s coal fleet.

Macquarie said the federal gas reservation policy also creates incentives for energy companies to develop new gas fields, while adding that APA has improving balance sheet capacity.

Stockland (ASX: SGP)

Morgan Stanley analysts think there is upside to be had in Stockland’s share price, with a price target of $4.90 compared with the current price of $4.32.

The broker thinks there could be some residential settlements headwinds for the property development company following recent interest rate increases and changes to tax laws in the Federal Budget.

They say Stockland has in the past mitigated downturns with land selldowns or joint ventures, but say this might be far off at this stage.

They said:

We see limited scope for material land profits in FY27, as Kogarah/Waterloo/DCs all still require detailed planning, power, and/or tenant commitments. However, the FY28+ pipeline looks robust and could drive a higher weighting to development profits vs traditional resi over the next cycle.

Morgna Stanley is forecasting the Stockland dividend to stay steady at 25.2 cents out to FY28, which at the current share price is a 5.8% dividend yield.

The post Buy these 3 blue-chip shares for better than 5% dividend yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa 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.

In my view, Future Generation Australia Ltd (ASX: FGX) is one of the most reliable ASX dividend stocks available to Aussies.

It may not be as famous as Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) or BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), but I think it’s a better pick for both reliability and dividend yield.

Future Generation Australia is a listed investment company (LIC) with a big difference. Instead of a typical arrangement where investors pay management fees to a fund manager, this LIC charges no fees (including no performance fees). Instead, it donates 1% of net assets each year to youth-focused charities.

The LIC is invested in the funds of 16 different fund managers, giving it excellent diversification. Future Generation Australia gives exposure to more than 430 underlying shares across different sectors, meaning it’s significantly more diversified than the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)

It also gives access to variety of companies across different market capitalisations – at the end of May, more than 19% of the portfolio came from outside the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO).

Let’s get into what makes it such an appealing choice for dividends.

Reliability

Both CBA and BHP have given their shareholders dividend cuts this decade, so they haven’t been very reliable, despite having reputations as Australia’s biggest and bluest of ASX blue-chip shares.

As a LIC, Future Generation Australia is capable of smoothing out its dividends because it can build up its profit reserve with investment gains during positive years, allowing it to pay a rising dividend even in more difficult years.

It has increased its annual dividend per share each year since 2015 – that’s more than a decade of consistent dividend growth.

The ASX dividend stock has built up a profit reserve of 41.8 cents per share as of May 2026 – it could keep funding the same size dividend for more than five years.

Dividend yield

Future Generation Australia is attractive not just for its reliability but also for its strong dividend yield.

In 2025, the business paid an annual dividend per share of 7.2 cents. That translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.6%, including franking credits.

But, I’m expecting the business to hike its payout in 2026 to 7.4 cents per share, which would equate to a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.8%, including franking credits.

It’s hard to find another ASX dividend stock that offers a good a dividend yield as that, and has increased the dividend for as many years in a row.

Is this a good time to invest?

We can already see that the business offers compelling dividend income.

The business is trading fairly closely to its net tangible assets (NTA) – I’d prefer to buy when it’s trading at a discount, but today’s price is still solid, in my view.

With $1,000, an investor could buy 735 shares of this appealing LIC. Plus, it’s providing a great philanthropic service.

The post $1,000 buys 735 shares in an incredibly reliable ASX dividend stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

When it comes to copper, many investors will turn to Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares.

That makes sense, the mining giant owns Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia, which is one of the largest known copper-gold deposits in the world.

But there’s another name that could be worth considering if you’re looking for copper exposure according to Bell Potter.

Which ASX copper share?

The share that Bell Potter is recommending to investors is AIC Mines Ltd (ASX: A1M).

It is a copper production and exploration company focused on the 100%-owned Eloise Copper Project (ECP) in Queensland.

Bell Potter is feeling positive following a site visit to the Eloise copper mine, which is undergoing an expansion to its production capacity. It said:

We attended a recent site visit to A1M’s 100%-owned Eloise copper mine in QLD. It is currently being expanded from nameplate of 725ktpa to nameplate of 1.1Mtpa. The expansion is targeting to lift Eloise’s copper production from ~12-13ktpa to ~20ktpa. The expansion commenced during the September quarter 2025, with a scheduled 18- month construction period targeting commissioning in the December quarter 2026, for which it remains on schedule.

The good news is that Bell Potter believes the expansion is on target. It explains:

Based on our observations at the site visit, we are comfortable with the view that the Eloise mine expansion is on schedule and mill commissioning will commence in the December quarter 2026. Major components of the process plant are on site, including the recent installation of the ball mill onto its foundations, marking a key critical path milestone. Structural steel erection is largely complete with the crushing circuit 95% mechanically complete and dry commissioning planned for July.

Integration of the new crushing and grinding circuit with the existing circuit is well progressed, with 8 of 9 tie-ins complete. Much of the plant is sized for 1.5Mtpa throughput, providing optionality for a low-cost staged expansion later in Eloise’s mine life.

Time to buy

According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating on the ASX copper share with an improved price target of $1.00.

Based on its current share price of 70.5 cents, this implies potential upside of approximately 42% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its recommendation, the broker said:

EPS changes with this update are: FY26: -1%, FY27: +5% and FY28: +8%, on a less conservative ramp-up schedule. A1M represents leveraged copper exposure via its Eloise Copper Project with a clear, organic growth strategy being advanced. We retain our Buy recommendation and lift our NPV-based target price to $1.00/sh.

The post Forget Rio Tinto and buy this ASX copper share appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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.

Owning Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares has been a pleasing choice for earnings growth over the last 30 years – it has been an excellent long-term performer.

The ASX bank has a closer connection with customers than many other banks, as shown by its high percentage of loans originated through proprietary channels. In other words, it doesn’t rely on brokers for most of its loan flow.

I think its ability to connect with customers, including winning many new customer transaction accounts each year, is key to the bank continuing to grow strongly while also achieving a good profit margin.

Let’s look at what’s expected of the ASX bank share in the coming years and how much it could grow earnings.

FY26

The 2026 financial year has nearly finished for Commonwealth Bank, but it’ll still be a month or so until we hear how the company has performed in the period to June 2026.

The projection on Commsec suggests that CBA’s earnings per share (EPS) could rise in FY26. The independent forecast implies that the business could generate $6.54 of EPS for the financial year. At the current CBA share price, it’s valued at close to 25x FY26’s estimated earnings.

The latest update from the bank was for three months to 31 March 2026. It reported statutory net profit of $2.6 billion, while cash net profit was $2.7 billion – this was up 4% year-over-year, but down 1% on the quarterly average of the FY26 first half.

Impressively, the bank reported excellent growth in both loans and deposits. Annual growth to March 2026, business lending grew 12.5% (1.2x the overall loan system), household deposits grew 9.1% (1.1x the banking system), and home lending increased 7.1% (1x the loan system).

One of the main negatives of that result was a $316 million loan impairment expense, with higher collective provisions reflecting “heightened geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty”. Its underlying portfolio credit quality remained “sound”.

The higher RBA cash rate can help CBA earnings because it means it can lend out money from balances that CBA doesn’t pay interest on (namely transaction accounts) at a higher loan interest rate. However, the higher rates also come with a higher risk of loan defaults by borrowers.

Pleasingly, the bank’s lending growth has been strong enough to drive year-over-year earnings higher.

Can it continue to deliver good growth amid the Federal budget changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax?

Let’s look at the profit forecast for next year.

FY27

According to the projection on Commsec, the business could grow EPS by (just) 2.7% in FY27.

Earnings growth is essential to push the CBA share price higher over time, but 2.7% growth is not exactly exciting. Higher profit can also help fund larger dividend payments from the ASX bank share.

According to that forecast for FY27, the business is valued at 24x FY27’s estimated earnings.

It’s a great bank, but there are many other ASX shares that could grow earnings faster and trade at more attractive valuations.

The post Here’s the earnings forecast out to 2027 for CBA shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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