Author: openjargon

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares are pushing higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) supermarket giant closed yesterday trading for $31.31. In late morning trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands at $31.45, up 0.5%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is just about flat at this same time.

Taking a step back, Woolworths shares have underperformed over the past 12 months, gaining a slender 0.6% compared to the 8.6% one-year gains posted by the benchmark index.

Though that doesn’t include the 84 cents a share in fully franked dividends Woolworths paid eligible stockholders over the year. Woolworths stock currently trades on a fully franked trailing dividend yield of 2.7%.

However, 2026 has been shaping up as a much stronger year for the Aussie supermarket giant, with shares up 7.1% year to date. That’s more than twice the 3.5% gains posted by the ASX 200 this year.

And Shaw and Partners’ Jed Richards believes that Woolies is well-placed for more outperformance in the months ahead (courtesy of The Bull).

Here’s why.

Should you buy Woolworths shares today?

The first reason you might want to snap up some Woolies stock is the company’s defensive consumer staples revenue model.

According to Richards:

The supermarket giant’s revenue base is remarkably consistent, supported by everyday essential spending. Even during softer economic periods, consumers continue to prioritise groceries and household staples, which helps stabilise WOW’s earnings.

Commenting on the second reason he has a buy recommendation on Woolworths shares, Richards added:

The company’s ongoing investment in digital shopping, supply chain improvements and customer experience initiatives should continue to support dependable, long-term performance.

And I’ll add a third reason you may want to buy shares today. Namely, Woolworths reports its half-year (H1 FY 2026) results tomorrow.

While I don’t have a working crystal ball, I expect Woolworths shares could post some sizeable gains on the heels of those results, with the supermarket having actively been working to reduce costs and improve customer experiences.

When Woolworths reported its first quarter (Q1 FY 2026) results on 29 October, shares closed the day up 2.4%.

What happened with the ASX 200 supermarket in the first quarter?

Woolworths’ half-year results release tomorrow will build on the company’s mixed first-quarter performance.

Over the three months to 30 September, Woolworths achieved sales of $18.5 billion, up 2.7% from Q1 FY 2025.

Woolworths shares jumped higher on the day, despite CEO Amanda Bardwell acknowledging that sales came in “below our aspirations”.

Noting that the supermarket has more to do yet, she added, “The changes we are making to improve value, convenience and availability are being recognised by our customers.”

Looking ahead to the three months to 31 December (Q2), which will be reported on with the half-year results tomorrow, Bardwell said:

We are cautiously optimistic about our key trading quarter [Q2] and we have strong plans in place for our customers for the festive season including a refreshed seasonal range.

Stay tuned!

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

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

The ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB) share price has crashed 15.39% in Tuesday’s trading. 

The decline comes after the 4WD and light commercial vehicle accessories manufacturer posted its first-half results for FY26, ahead of the ASX open this morning.

At the time of writing, ARB shares are changing hands for $20.79 a piece. The decline means the shares are now 34.9% lower for the year to date. They’re also 45.45% below the trading price this time last year.

It’s also the lowest price ARB shares have traded at since August 2020. 

Here’s what the company reported this morning.

Sales, profit, and earnings slump over the first half of FY26

For the six months ending 31st December 2025, ARB reported a 1% drop in its sales revenue compared to the prior corresponding period (pcp), to $358 million. The result reflected weaker domestic conditions, partially offset by strong growth offshore.

The company also posted a significant 18.8% decline in its reported profit before tax, to $57.1 million, and a 16.3% drop in its underlying profit before tax (excluding non-operating items) to $57.95 million. ARB said this decline was due to reduced margins, increased depreciation, and flat operating expenses. Over the period, profit after tax dropped 17.2% to $42.2 million.

In a revenue update last month, ARB explained that its gross margins were squeezed by a weaker Australian dollar against the Thai baht, which increased manufacturing costs. In addition, lower factory overhead recoveries followed elevated inventory levels in the pcp.

The company also flagged several one-off items during the half. These included a $1.3 million pre-tax gain on a property sale, partially offset by $2.2 million in goodwill impairment costs linked to the termination of the Thule distribution agreement.

Dividend payout remains unchanged

Despite the slump in revenue and reported profit for the first half of FY26, ARB’s interim dividend is unchanged. Management has agreed to pay 34 cents per share fully franked at a 30% tax rate. The interim dividend will be paid on the 17th April 2026, and the record date is the 2nd of April 2026.

Management also said that a dividend reinvestment plan and a bonus share plan will operate for the interim dividend. This will assist with funding for ARB’s ongoing expansion programme. 

What is the outlook for ARB this year?

Management said that ARB’s first-half FY26 result was “achieved in challenging conditions both locally and internationally, with the Australian dollar at historical lows against the Thai Baht, softness in new vehicle supply in Australia and other parts of the world and reduced consumer sentiment”. 

But going forward, ARB expects sales margins for the second half of FY26 to be broadly in line with those achieved in 2H FY 2025. This should be supported by the fact that its Thai baht exposure is nearly fully hedged at slightly more favourable rates. 

Overall, ARB’s financial performance in the 2H FY26 is expected to improve on H1 and trade closer to the pcp. 

It added, “The Board remains confident in the Company’s long-term growth prospects across both domestic and export markets and is excited by the strong performance of the US business. ARB is well positioned for sustained long-term success, supported by its globally recognised brands, loyal customer base, very capable senior management and staff, strong balance sheet and growth strategies in place.”

The post ARB shares crash 15% after half-year earnings result disappoints investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are rising on Tuesday.

Investors have been bidding the energy giant’s shares higher after it released its FY 2025 results.

As with every Woodside results release, income investors are paying close attention to its latest dividend announcement.

Let’s break down exactly what was declared and how it compares to last year.

What dividend has Woodside declared?

According to the release, the Woodside board has declared a fully franked final dividend of 59 US cents per share. This brings the total fully franked dividend for FY 2025 to 112 US cents per share.

The total value of the full-year dividend is US$2.1 billion and represents an 80% payout ratio, which is right at the top end of Woodside’s stated dividend policy range of 50% to 80% of underlying net profit after tax.

While the final dividend is up 11% on last year’s final dividend of 53 US cents per share, the full-year total of 112 US cents per share is still down 8% compared to FY 2024’s dividend of 122 US cents per share.

Eligible shareholders can look forward to receiving this dividend on 27 March. Woodside shares will trade ex-dividend for it on 5 March.

How did the results support the dividend?

For FY 2025, Woodside reported operating revenue of US$12.98 billion (down 1%), EBITDA of US$9.28 billion, underlying NPAT of US$2.65 billion (down 8%), and free cash flow of US$1.89 billion.

This was underpinned by record production of 198.8 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), which helped offset lower realised commodity prices during the year. Unit production costs fell 4% to US$7.8 per barrel of oil equivalent, demonstrating ongoing cost discipline.

Despite its softer earnings, Woodside maintained its commitment to returning cash to shareholders while continuing to invest heavily in growth projects such as Scarborough, Trion, and Louisiana LNG.

Commenting on its payouts, Woodside’s acting CEO, Liz Westcott, said:

The strength of our base business has delivered returns for shareholders, with Woodside having returned approximately $11 billion in dividends since merger completion in 2022. At the same time, we are reinvesting in the business and actively refining the portfolio, while maintaining a strong balance sheet and gearing within the targeted range.

What does this mean for the Woodside dividend yield?

At current exchange rates, the FY 2025 dividend of 112 US cents per share equates to approximately A$1.59 per share.

Based on the current Woodside share price of $27.28, this implies a generous dividend yield of approximately 5.8%.

The post Here’s everything you need to know about the latest Woodside dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Woodside Energy Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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’s shaping up to be a decent session for the Australian share market and many S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares so far this Tuesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 Index has jumped 0.16% and is back over 9,040 points, after rising as high as 9,050 points earlier this morning. But let’s talk about what is happening with BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares.

While today’s trading has been good for the broader market, it has been great for BHP shares.

The ‘Big Australian’ closed at $54.02 a share yesterday after hitting a record high of $54.75. But this morning, those same shares opened at $55.20 each before rising as high as $55.33. That represents another new 52-week and all-time record high for this ASX 200 mining stock in consecutive days. That’s no small feat for a company that has been around since 1851.

At the time of writing, BHP stock has cooled off a little but is still trading at $54.97. That’s up a happy 1.8% for the day thus far.

This latest high is just the latest feather in BHP’s cap, though. The company has enjoyed an extraordinary return to form over the past few months. BHP shares were as low as $35 each as recently as June 2025.

The company was trading at about $40 a share as recently as November.

Yep, open today’s numbers, the BHP share price has jumped 10.5% in the past month alone, 20% since the start of the year, and almost 55% since that $35 level back in June.

So why are BHP shares carving into this previously untouched ground this Tuesday?

Why are BHP shares at a new record high today?

Well, it’s hard to know for sure. But we can point to two potential catalysts. The first is commodity prices themselves. As a diversified miner, BHP shares are highly sensitive to the price movements of its sundry resources, particularly iron ore, gold, and copper.

As it happens, all of these commodities have seen some recent appreciation. Although copper is not quite at the record highs we saw late last month, it is still at the top of its 52-week range at just under US$13,000 per tonne. Although iron ore is going for under US$100 per tonne, gold has rebounded over the past week and is back over US$5,250 an ounce. That’s after the precious metal dipped below that US$5,000 mark earlier this month.

These commodity price movements are arguably beneficial for BHP shares.

But we also can’t ignore BHP’s earnings report last week, which could still be contributing to the miner’s positive momentum.

Earnings boost for the Big Australian

As we covered last Tuesday, BHP’s half-year results for the six months ending 31 December were nothing to turn one’s nose up at.

BHP reported an 11% increase in revenues to US$27.9 billion, as well as a 28% surge in underlying earnings to US$15.46 billion. This helped to push the company’s net operating cash flow up 13% to US$9.37 billion, and its underlying profit by 22% to US$6.2 billion.

The miner also upped its next interim dividend by an impressive 46% to 73 US cents per share (fully franked).

BHP shares rallied by more than 4% on the day these earnings came out, and have continued to rise ever since. The company is now up more than 9% since those earnings were released.

So it’s likely these reasons that are pushing up the BHP share price to new record highs this Tuesday. Let’s see how the rest of the trading week treats this mining giant.

The post Big ASX news: BHP shares hit new $55 record high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are in the green on Tuesday, up 0.15% to 9,039.2 points.

In the first hour of trading, three ASX 200 shares struck new record highs, amid earnings season continuing today.

Let’s take a look.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) 

The BHP share price increased 2.4% to a new record of $55.33 per share this morning.

This is the highest price that Australia’s largest ASX 200 mining share has traded at in its 140-year history as a listed company.

As we reported, BHP shares breached their previous record, set in mid-July 2021, yesterday.

The BHP share price has been on a positive trajectory since the miner released its 1H FY26 results last Tuesday.

BHP revealed a 28% profit increase to US$5.64 billion and a 46% lift in the interim dividend to 73 US cents per share, fully franked.

Should you consider buying BHP shares at current price levels?

On The Bull last week, Michael Gable from Fairmont Equities gave BHP shares a hold rating.

Gable commented:

Despite recent volatility, I expect commodity prices to continue heading higher during 2026. I believe investors who are still underweight in the resources sector will start to rotate into the miners.

Global diversified miner BHP Group, which recently was the biggest company on the ASX by market capitalisation, is likely to be the top choice of most investors looking for a blue chip company paying a healthy dividend amid the prospect of capital growth. 

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS)

The Ramelius Resources share price lifted 5.7% to an all-time high of $5.16 on Tuesday.

Ramelius Resources reported its 1H FY26 results last Friday.

The gold miner reported a 13% increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) to $347.7 million.

However, net profit after tax (NPAT) fell 6% to $160 million.

The ASX 200 gold share will pay a fully-franked interim dividend of 3 cents per share.

Should you buy Ramelius Resources shares?

Morgans says yes, retaining its buy rating on the ASX 200 gold share with a 12-month price target of $5.75.

The broker said:

1H26 result was solid with no material surprises, FY26 continues to focus on the integration of Dalgaranga (acquired via ASX SPR) into the RMS asset portfolio.

Key positive: Introduction of new capital management framework and the spartan deal; A$84.9m (net) tax losses remain.

Key negative: Operating cash flow (-3% pcp), free cash flow (-15% pcp) and cash/bullion on hand (-14% pcp) reflect the anticipated grade decline across the RMS Magnet Hub assets.

This was well flagged and should begin to reverse as Dalgaranga ore is introduced into the Magnet operations and ramps through the system …

Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure Ltd (ASX: DBI)

The Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure share price rose 9.4% to a record $5.58 this morning.

Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure released its full-year FY25 results today.

The company reported a 5.2% increase in EBITDA to $294.3 million and a 64% dive in statutory NPAT to $29.2 million.

The NPAT fall was attributed to a $90 million increase in net finance costs due to the one-off early repayment of 2020 USPP notes.

The ASX 200 industrial share will pay a quarterly distribution of 6.75 cents per share.

On The Bull this week, Jonathan Tacadena from MPC Markets rated Dalrymple Bay shares a hold, prior to the results release.

Tacadena said:

DBI operates the world’s largest metallurgical coal export facility near Mackay in Queensland.

Recent debt re-financing of $1.07 billion has reduced borrowing costs from 3.26 per cent to 1.56 per cent.

In our view, it was a shrewd play.

These meaningful savings should underpin solid dividend growth of around 6 per cent annually, with potential for more.

The post Buy, hold, or sell? 3 ASX 200 shares at record highs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

Imaging services provider Integral Diagnostics Ltd (ASX: IDX) has delivered a profit result that is making the analysts sit up and take notice.

The company, which operates healthcare imaging centres across Australia and New Zealand, said in a statement to the ASX on Tuesday morning that it had grown its first-half revenue by 55.6% to $393.5 million, while operating EBITDA was up 75.6% to $81.1 million.

Net profit came in at $9 million compared with a $400,000 loss for the same period the previous year.

Managing Director Dr Ian Kadish said of the result:

The group delivered a strong first half result with solid revenue growth at improved margins. This resulted in enhanced returns to shareholders with operating diluted earnings per share up 66% and a fully franked interim dividend of 3.3 cents per share, up 32.0%. Consistent with previous expectations, the merger with Capitol Health is providing IDX with enhanced operational scale and a broader network, a stronger platform for clinical outcomes and growth, and the opportunity to drive further margin improvement over time as evidenced by the strong results for the first half. The integration of Capitol Health has proceeded to plan, with $14.0 million-plus of annual synergies realised, significantly exceeding initial expectations of at least $10. million.

Shares looking cheap

Analysts at Jarden and RBC Capital Markets have had a look at the results, and like what they see.

The Jarden team said it was a “very strong” result with underlying net profit beating consensus estimates by 13%.

They said the recent sell-off of the company’s shares had been on fears of rising labour costs, “which has a been a theme across healthcare service companies”, but at Integral Diagnostics labour costs were actually lower as a proportion of revenue, “reflecting workforce synergies, as well as increased use of tele-radiology”.

They said the company was also off to a good start in the second half with 7.8% revenue growth for January.

Jarden has a price target of $3.35 on Integral Diagnostics shares compared with $2.41 currently, up 0.63% for the day.

RBC Capital Markets has a price target of $3.50 on the shares and also said it was a positive result for the company.

They added:

While reported net profit after tax was a miss due to higher than expected transaction, restructuring and integration costs, we expect the market will like the 1H26 EBITDA margin of 20.6% which came ahead of guidance of 20%, as well as management retaining FY26 guidance for an EBITDA margin of about 21%. The stock has been weak leading into this result, therefore we expect the stock could experience a relief rally today on the earnings achieved in 1H26 and trading in Jan 26.

Integral Diagnostics will pay a 3.3-cent dividend on April 2 to shareholders on the books on March 5. The dividend is 32% than that paid for the same period last year.

The company was valued at $898.8 million at the close of trade on Monday.

The post Analysts agree, this healthcare company’s shares are looking cheap 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 recommended Integral Diagnostics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The ASX dividend stock Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF) is a top pick because of the passive income yield and the attractive value on offer.

The farmland real estate investment trust (REIT) just reported its FY26 half-year result. The income and earnings were not a surprise, but the ongoing growth of the net asset value (NAV) was a pleasing positive.

As a reminder, the business owns a portfolio of farmland across Australia that includes cattle, almonds, vineyards, macadamias and cropping.

Strong rental earnings

The business has a diverse portfolio of assets and a strong group blue-chip tenants, giving Rural Funds resilient rental income each year. Around 84% of forecast income for FY26 comes from corporate and institutional tenants.

It has rental growth built into its contracts which are linked to either inflation, or the contract(s) has fixed annual increases. It can also develop farms to unlock more rental income, either by adding infrastructure or changing it to a better form of crop.

For the first six months of FY26, the business reported that net property income increased 6.8% to $48.6 million, primarily due to additional rental income earned on macadamias developments.

Pleasingly, its rental income is locked in for the long-term because it has a long weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of around 13 years, which is one of the longest in the ASX REIT sector.

Great value ASX dividend stock

Rural Funds regularly tells investors what its portfolio is worth with the adjusted NAV figure  â€“ it’s adjusted to include the market value of the water entitlements it owns. The NAV includes all assets and liabilities, including the property portfolio, loans, cash and so on.

In the first half of FY26, it reported that its adjusted NAV grew by 0.6% to $3.10. This means that, at the time of writing, it’s trading at a discount of more than 30%, which is very attractive to me.

There are not many asset-heavy businesses on the ASX trading at a discount of 30% to their underlying value. That makes it a bargain buy, in my opinion.

Strong passive income yield

The ASX dividend stock is expecting to pay a very pleasing distribution during FY26, equating to a very attractive yield.

The Rural Funds unit price has risen 4% during February (at the time of writing), but the business still offers a very good yield.

Its distribution guidance of 11.73 cents per unit translates into a potential passive income yield of 5.5%, which is better than what term deposits are offering. I’m expecting the distribution to increase in the coming years as rental earnings increase.

The post Why I’d buy this top ASX dividend stock for a 5.5% passive income yield appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stocks, including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares, are shooting the lights out today.

In morning trade on Tuesday, Northern Star shares are up 4.4% to $30.57 each. Evolution Mining shares are close behind, up 4% today at $16.20 apiece.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.2% at this same time while the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) – which also contains some smaller gold miners outside of the ASX 200 – is up 2.5%.

Here’s how these other top ASX 200 gold stocks are performing on Tuesday:

• Newmont Corp (ASX: NEM) shares are up 0.7%
• Ramelius Resources Ltd(ASX: RMS) shares are up 3.7%
• Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) shares are up 0.8%
• Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) shares are up 1.3%
• Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) shares are up 1.2%
• Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) shares are up 2.6%
• Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) shares are up 2.7%
• Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) shares are up 1.3%

Here’s what’s catching ASX investor interest today.

Why are ASX 200 gold stocks smashing the benchmark today?

Investors are piling into Aussie gold miners like Evolution Mining and Northern Star shares today amid renewed concerns over US President Donald Trump’s global tariff plans.

With the US Supreme Court striking down Trump’s earlier nation-by-nation tariffs as exceeding his authority, Trump now aims to level a potential 15% tariff on every nation for up to 150 days.

That’s played into gold’s haven status, with the yellow metal jumping early this morning to US$5,248 per ounce. At the time of writing, gold is fetching US$5,481 per ounce. This sees the gold price up 12.5% from the recent lows on 2 February and up a blistering 80% since this time last year.

And, as you’d expect, with higher gold prices, ASX 200 gold stocks tend to deliver juicier profits, which is driving investor interest in Aussie miners today.

What the experts are saying about the gold price

Commenting on the resurgent gold price that’s sending Northern Star and Evolution Mining shares soaring today, Bloomberg markets strategist Mark Cranfield said:

Gold’s strength amid a lower positioning from hedge funds shows that there’s further position upside. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission data shows that the net-long position for gold futures have fallen to the lowest level in nearly a year.

Vasu Menon, strategist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp, also has a bullish medium-term outlook for the gold price. But he cautioned about short-term volatility, which could also see some price swings in ASX 200 gold stocks.

According to Menon:

There are enough structural factors in favour of gold in the medium term. In the short term, however, expect gold prices to be volatile after the sharp gains in recent months given still-unfolding developments with US trade policy, and the situation in Iran.

The post Why are ASX 200 gold stocks like Evolution Mining and Northern Star shares going gangbusters on Tuesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Shares in Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings (ASX: NEC) are up 4% at the time of writing after the media group announced its second consecutive half of EBITDA growth, driven by strong subscription momentum at its streaming platform Stan and resilient performance from its metro mastheads including the Australian Financial Review.

Despite revenue softness in broadcast television, investors appeared encouraged by profit growth, margin expansion and improving balance sheet strength following the sale of Domain.

What did Nine report?

On a continuing business basis, Nine reported revenue of $1.06 billion for the six months to 31 December 2025, down 5% on the prior corresponding period.

However, Group EBITDA before specific items rose 6% to $192 million, with the EBITDA margin expanding from 16% to 18%. Net profit after tax (before specific items) increased 30% to $95 million, while statutory net profit rose 42% to $81 million.

Earnings per share lifted 30% to 6.0 cents. The board declared an interim dividend of 4.5 cents per share, unfranked.

Nine ended the half in a net cash position of $158 million following the Domain disposal, a significant shift from prior leverage.

What else do investors need to know?

The standout performer was Stan.

Stan revenue increased 15% to $282.7 million, underpinned by strong subscriber growth and a 6% lift in average revenue per user (ARPU). Paying subscribers are now around 2.4 million. Importantly, average Stan Sport subscribers rose 40% year-on-year, driven primarily by the addition of the English Premier League and FA Cup rights.

Stan EBITDA rose 24% to $36.6 million, even as sport-related costs increased due to the new Premier League contract.

In contrast, Total Television revenue fell 14% against a strong Olympic comparison and a soft advertising market. However, disciplined cost management meant Total TV EBITDA was broadly flat at $99 million, with margins improving.

Publishing delivered stable EBITDA of $73.7 million. Digital subscription revenue grew 17%, with total subscribers exceeding 516,000 and ARPU up 14%, more than offsetting print declines.

Across the group, around $43 million of cost efficiencies were delivered during the half, with approximately $32 million ongoing.

What did management say?

CEO Matt Stanton said the result reflected strong audience reach, growing subscription revenue and disciplined cost management despite macro uncertainty.

He highlighted strategic progress including the announced acquisition of outdoor media business QMS and the sale of Nine Radio, positioning Nine toward higher-growth digital assets.

What’s next for Nine?

Nine expects Total TV revenue in the third quarter to be broadly flat against a strong prior-year comparator. Strong EBITDA growth is expected to continue at Stan, with subscription growth anticipated to more than offset higher sport costs.

With digital and subscription businesses now driving a growing share of earnings, investors appear to be backing Nine’s strategic pivot toward streaming, publishing and outdoor growth platforms.

The post Nine shares jump 4% as Stan and Premier League power profit growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Kevin Gandiya has no positions 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 Nine Entertainment. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) have piled on the gains to hit a new record high after the company comfortably beat expectations with its earnings result.

The company, which provides mining and engineering services, posted record revenue of $1.53 billion for the first half of the year, up 45.6% on the previous corresponding period, while EBITDA was up $116.2 million, also 45.6% higher.

Expectations surpassed

RBC Capital Markets, which has an outperform rating on Monadelphous, said the earnings result was a 15% beat to consensus estimates, and the result quality was “strong”.

Monadelphous said in its statement to the ASX on Tuesday that the business performed strongly across the board.

As it said:

The company experienced strong operating conditions across all sectors, with activity levels supported by the record level of work secured during the previous financial year. The Engineering Construction division delivered revenue of $677.8 million1 for the six months, an increase of around 67 per cent on the prior corresponding period, supported by service expansion and growing capability in end-to-end delivery. Zenviron, the Company’s renewable energy business, also experienced increased activity from larger wind and battery energy storage projects. The Maintenance and Industrial Services division reported half year revenue of $852 million, up 32.1 per cent, driven by an increase in energy sector activity, together with sustained strong demand from iron ore customers.

The company said it finished the half-year with a cash balance of $322 million after strong cash flow from operations of $171.1 million for the half.

The company said its order book also remained strong with $1.4 billion in new work secured since the start of the financial year.

Management confident

Monadelphous Managing Director Zoran Bebic said the expectation was that full-year revenue would be about 30% up on the previous year.

He added:

Long-term demand in the resources and energy sectors is expected to continue, supported by an improved global economic growth outlook. Continued investment in new and existing operations in Western Australia’s iron ore sector is driving demand for both maintenance and construction services, with the energy sector to offer substantial prospects. The outlook for energy transition metals is strengthening, and Australia’s Net Zero emissions objective continues to drive long-term investment in energy generation, storage and transmission infrastructure. Leveraging its broad services capability, Monadelphous is well positioned to capitalise on the growing pipeline of opportunities.

RBC said the revenue guidance was up from previous expectations of 20% to 25% growth.

Monadelphous declared an interim dividend of 49 cents per share, fully franked, compared with 33 cents for the same period last year.

Monadelphous shares were trading 15.7% higher in early trade at a record high of $35.43.

The post Monadelphous shares surge to a new record as profits trounce expectations appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Monadelphous Group posts record half-year result as new contracts boom
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• ASX All Ords shares smashing 52-week highs 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.