Author: openjargon

Building wealth does not have to mean chasing speculative stocks or trying to time the market perfectly. In my opinion, it is usually about consistency, discipline, and unleashing the power of compounding.

If your goal was to build a $40,000 ASX share portfolio over five years, here is how I would think about it.

Focus on quality ASX shares

If I were building this portfolio, I’d focus on high-quality blue chip ASX shares with strong balance sheets, exposure to structural growth markets, and long runways. I’d also aim for a mix of sectors to reduce concentration risk.

For example, that might mean combining a major bank like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) or a diversified conglomerate like Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) with a leading healthcare name like ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD) and a high-quality technology stock like Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO). You could also use a broad-based ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) as a core holding and then add a few individual shares around it.

The goal is not to guess which stock will double next year. The goal is to own businesses that can grow earnings steadily and reinvest capital effectively over time.

Make it automatic

One of the best ways to remove emotion from investing is to automate it.

Investing every month regardless of headlines forces you to buy during both good and bad markets. When prices fall, your money buys more shares. When prices rise, your portfolio benefits from appreciation.

This approach, often called dollar-cost averaging, can smooth out volatility and reduce the temptation to try to time the market.

Reinvest dividends

If you are targeting strong annual returns, dividends can play a meaningful role.

Reinvesting dividends rather than spending them increases your compounding power. Over five years, that difference can be material, especially if you are consistently adding new capital each month.

Growing a $40,000 ASX share portfolio

Let’s assume you can invest $525 per month and you stay invested for five years.

At $525 per month, if your portfolio compounds at around 9% per year, those regular investments could grow to roughly $40,000 by the end of year five. 

But it is important to be realistic.

A 9% annual return is broadly in line with the long-term historical average of the Australian share market. But it is not guaranteed. Markets can deliver higher returns in some periods and lower, or even negative, returns in others.

Depending on how the market performs over those five years, you could reach $40,000 sooner than expected. Or it could take longer. Short-term volatility is part of investing.

The key is staying invested and sticking to the plan, provided your investment thesis for each holding remains intact.

Foolish takeaway

To build a $40,000 ASX share portfolio in five years, I would focus on three things: consistent monthly investing, high-quality shares, and patience.

At $525 per month and an average 9% return, the maths can work in your favour. But more important than the exact numbers is the habit. If you can commit to investing regularly and thinking long term, the results can take care of themselves over time.

The post How to build a $40,000 ASX share portfolio in 5 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is Wesfarmers stock a post-earnings buy?
• How much could the CBA share price rise in the next year?
• Buy, hold, sell: Wesfarmers, Westpac, and Woolworths shares
• 4 reasons to buy Wesfarmers shares today
• 3 of the best Aussie stocks I would buy

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Commonwealth Bank Of Australia and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ResMed, Wesfarmers, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended ResMed and Xero. 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.

The team at Ord Minnett has provided fresh guidance on ASX 200 companies CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG). 

The investment services firm sees one as a clear buy, while the other, a hold. 

CSL shares endure a rough week

CSL shares have come under heavy scrutiny recently. 

Investors have been exiting their positions in the company following its half year earnings results.

As a result, CSL shares have now fallen 14% in 2026 and more than 40% over the last 12 months. 

A CEO exit and poor results have weighed heavily on sentiment. 

Ord Minnett said CSL’s first-half FY26 net profit fell short of market expectations, driven by weak revenue growth at its dominant Behring plasma products division that erased the benefits of better-than-expected revenue from its Seqirus vaccine and Vifor nephrology businesses. 

The soft result capped a horror couple of days for the beleaguered biotech – its shares slumped 4.6% after the result, taking its two-session slide since the bungled announcement of CEO Paul McKenzie’s exit to more than 9%.

The broker has maintained its hold recommendation on CSL shares. 

Post the result, we have cut our EPS estimates by 3.0%, 2.2% and 3.0% for FY26, FY27 and FY28, respectively, which, combined with currency effects, leading us to cut our target price to $198.00 from $217.00.  

Despite the apparent upside on offer, Ord Minnett said it will need more evidence of top-line growth and margin expansion before we can become more constructive on CSL.

CSL shares closed trading yesterday at $147.38. 

Plenty of upside for Macquarie shares

Meanwhile, Ord Minnett is more optimistic on Macquarie shares. 

The investment services firm has reiterated its buy recommendation and target price of $255.00 on Macquarie shares.

The company reported that net profit across three of its four divisions was substantially higher year-on-year in the December quarter, driven by strong performances in: 

• Macquarie Asset Management (including gains from divestments)
• Commodities and Global Markets (higher asset finance income)
• Macquarie Capital (asset realisations and private credit). 

Banking and Financial Services delivered only slight profit growth due to margin pressure, although its personal banking arm continued to gain market share, reaching about 7% of mortgages and 6% of household deposits. 

At current growth rates, Macquarie’s mortgage portfolio will reach $300 billion with three years, or circa 10% of outstanding home loans, which raises questions over capital levels. That growth rate would imply an additional $4 billion in regulatory capital at the common equity tier-one (CET1) level will be required.

Macquarie shares closed yesterday trading at $214.13. 

Based on the target from Ord Minnett, there is approximate upside of 19%. 

‍

The post Here’s Ord Minnett’s updated view on Macquarie and CSL shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• If I had to build a defensive ASX share portfolio today, I’d start here
• Forget CSL shares, this ASX biotech stock could triple in value
• Qube reports record half-year result and higher dividend
• Buy, hold, or sell? Goodman Group, Wesfarmers, Zip shares

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

Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING) shares have been making headlines over the past week after investors heavily sold the poultry producers shares following earnings results. 

Let’s quickly recap what happened. 

Share price tumbles on earnings results 

Inghams released interim FY26 results last Friday.

The company reported: 

• Revenue of $1.61 billion for the 26 weeks to 27 December 2025, broadly flat year-on-year.
• EBITDA fell 33.8% to $139.2 million.
• Net profit after tax (NPAT) declined 64.9% to $18.1 million.
• On an underlying pre-AASB 16 basis, EBITDA was $80.6 million, down 35% on the prior corresponding period.
• Underlying NPAT (pre-AASB 16) fell 60.4% to $21.3 million.

Inghams reduced its FY26 underlying EBITDA pre AASB 16 guidance to $180 to $200 million, down from $215 to $230 million previously.

Investors were seemingly left disappointed by these results, as Inghams shares crashed 13% on Friday. 

Some investors saw an opportunity to buy-low yesterday, as the share price recovered a little over 2%. 

Inghams shares are now close to a 5-year low, and fresh guidance out of Morgans indicates it could be an attractive entry point. 

Here’s what the broker had to say. 

Positive long term view 

In a note out of Morgans over the weekend, the broker said the 1H26 result was weak, but in line with guidance. 

It said as expected, gearing was above the Board’s target range and FY26 guidance was revised by 13-16%. 

Importantly, ING has now dealt with its excess inventory levels, core poultry volumes are back in growth, selling prices are higher than the pcp and normal production settings and improved network efficiency should result in a much stronger 2H26 vs 1H26.

The broker said the annualised benefit from these more normalised operating conditions should eventuate in FY27, resulting in a strong earnings recovery. 

After the severe share price weakness, we upgrade to a BUY rating.

What are other experts saying about Inghams shares?

Inghams shares closed trading yesterday at $2.16. 

It is down more than 14% year to date and roughly 37% over the last 12 months. 

While upside may be limited, analysts see the current price as undervalued. 

The average rating of 7 analysts via TradingView places a 1 year price target of $2.38 on Inghams shares. 

That indicates an upside of 10.38% from current levels. 

However, Inghams also just announced an interim dividend of 4 cents per share, which would translate to 3.75% yield over the year should it repeat. 

Including this yield in 12 month projections, this could push the total upside over 14%. 

The post Are Inghams shares a buy, hold or sell after last week’s crash? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Guzman Y Gomez, Inghams, Megaport, and Rio Tinto shares are tumbling today
• Inghams shares plunge 13% as earnings slump and FY26 guidance cut

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

Although it hasn’t gotten as much attention as some other developments on the financial markets over the last few weeks (tariffs and record highs are undoubtedly more captivating for ASX investors), the recent rise of the Aussie dollar has been nothing short of extraordinary.

As recently as early December, one Aussie dollar was buying around 65 US cents. Today, that same dollar can buy more than 71 US cents. That might not seem like much to write home about, but it represents a change of about 10% against the greenback in just a few weeks.

What’s even more notable is that the Aussie dollar is sitting at a level investors haven’t seen for more than 3 years. Yep, you’d have to go back to January 2023 to see the last time you could get 71 US cents for one Australian dollar. And back to mid-2022 for the last time it was more than a fleeting moment.

A change in the value of our national currency of this magnitude has huge ramifications for both our economy and ASX investors.

Should ASX investors worry?

On the economic front, a rising dollar makes exports more expensive for foreign buyers and makes imports cheaper for Australians, in basic terms. You may have already noticed this effect when filling up your car.

Since Australia is a net importer of fuel and many other everyday goods, a higher dollar can help reduce inflation. As such, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and anybody with a mortgage, by extension, will be happy to see a higher dollar.

The ASX shares that will be cheering on a higher dollar are those companies that import most or all of the goods they sell to their Australian customers. These include Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH), Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN), and Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD).

Conversely, a higher dollar adversely impacts any ASX share that exports what it produces. For ASX investors, that mostly applies to mining companies such as BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG), and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST).

It will also negatively impact ASX investors in companies such as CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) that report earnings in US dollars.

Similarly, it will negatively impact the value, in local terms, of any US dollar-denominated shares that ASX investors may own.

Foolish Takeaway

Movements in the Aussie dollar can have big implications for the economy and for ASX investors. However, they are a normal part of the healthy functioning of an economy.

As such, ASX investors may see some short-term pain from the Aussie dollar’s rise. But overall, it should make very little difference to the financial fortunes of long-term investors.

The post Should ASX investors worry about a rising Aussie dollar? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why I’d forget NAB shares and buy these top Aussie stocks
• Is Wesfarmers stock a post-earnings buy?
• Why I think these ASX 200 growth shares could beat the market
• Guess which ASX 300 share could rise ~100%
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares hit a record high yesterday. That kind of price action tells you one thing very clearly: the market is feeling confident.

And while I can understand why investors are drawn to banks, especially when they are performing well, I personally think NAB shares are now fully valued at these levels. Expectations are high, the sector is competitive, and after a strong run, I suspect a fair amount of good news is already reflected in the share price.

If I were putting fresh money to work today, I would be looking elsewhere. In particular, I would focus on a handful of high-quality Aussie blue chips that, in my view, offer stronger long-term upside from here.

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

If I want exposure to financial services, I would look at Macquarie.

Macquarie is not just a lender. It is a global asset manager, infrastructure investor, and advisory powerhouse with diversified earnings streams. I think that flexibility matters. It allows the group to benefit from market volatility, capital markets activity, and structural trends like the energy transition.

Unlike NAB, Macquarie is less tied to the Australian housing market. That gives it a different risk profile and, in my view, a more attractive growth runway over time. When I think about long-term compounding, Macquarie stands out as a business with genuine global scale and ambition.

Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG)

Sigma is no longer just a pharmaceutical wholesaler. With its merger with Chemist Warehouse, the investment case has fundamentally changed.

Instead of relying purely on wholesale margins, Sigma now has exposure to one of Australia’s most dominant pharmacy retail brands. Chemist Warehouse brings scale, brand power, and strong customer traffic, giving Sigma a much broader earnings base across both wholesale and retail.

I think that vertical integration is important. It strengthens bargaining power, improves supply chain efficiency, and gives the combined group greater influence across the pharmacy ecosystem. It also adds a growth layer that the old Sigma simply did not have.

For me, this makes Sigma a far more compelling long-term holding than it once was. It blends defensive healthcare demand with retail scale, which I believe gives it stronger earnings resilience and expansion potential than many investors may still appreciate.

Amcor plc (ASX: AMC)

Amcor has also reshaped its growth profile through its acquisition of Berry Global.

Packaging is already a defensive industry, but the addition of Berry Global expands Amcor’s global footprint, product range, and scale advantages. Greater scale in this sector matters. It can enhance pricing power, drive cost efficiencies, and deepen relationships with multinational customers.

To me, the enlarged Amcor looks even more like a global packaging heavyweight. It combines steady demand from food, beverage, healthcare, and consumer goods markets with increased operational leverage from integration benefits.

While NAB is trading at a record high and looks fully valued in my view, Amcor is well off its highs and offers global diversification, defensive revenue streams, and now even greater scale following the Berry deal. That balance appeals to me as a long-term compounding story.

Foolish Takeaway

NAB is a high-quality bank. I am not arguing otherwise. But at a record high, I think it now looks fully valued.

Rather than chase momentum, I would prefer to spread my capital across diversified leaders like Macquarie, Sigma Healthcare, and Amcor. In my view, they offer a better balance of growth, resilience, and long-term compounding potential from here.

The post Why I’d forget NAB shares and buy these top Aussie stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Qube reports record half-year result and higher dividend

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

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) was one of the most prominent blue-chip ASX 200 shares to report its latest earnings last week. It was a disappointment, if the market’s reaction is to be believed. As it stands at the time of writing, Wesfarmers’ stock remains down by just over 7% compared to where it closed last Wednesday, just before Wesfarmers released its half-year report.

As we covered at the time, there were a lot of green numbers in said report. For the six months to 31 December, the Bunnings, Kmart, and OfficeWorks owner revealed revenue growth of 3.1% to $24.21 billion. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were up 8.4% to $2.49 billion, while net profit after tax (NPAT) climbed 9.3% to $1.6 billion.

That enabled Wesfarmers to increase its interim dividend to $1.02 per share (fully franked, of course), a 7.4% increase over the interim dividend investors received last year.

So, given Wesfarmers’ solid numbers, as well as the negative stock price reaction for the market, many investors might be wondering whether now is a good time to buy into this ASX 200 blue-chip conglomerate.

Investors might have been surprised by the market’s reaction to these earnings, given their underlying resilience.

However, the cause of the sell-off we’ve seen over the last few days draws our attention to Wesfarmers’ valuation.

Is Wesfarmers stock cheap enough to buy yet?

Wesfarmers is unquestionably one of the highest-quality companies on the ASX. It has decades of history behind it as an ASX outperformer, with a long track record of delivering both capital growth and a rising dividend.

Further, its unique portfolio of assets, which range from the retailers mentioned above to pharmacies, chemical manufacturing, and mining, arguably makes Wesfarmers one of the most inherently diversified companies available to invest in on our market.

However, as the late, great Charlie Munger once said, “No matter how wonderful [a business] is, it’s not worth an infinite price”.

Sure, Wesfarmers has come off the boil, both over the past week, and since the stock hit a new record high of $95.18 a share back in mid-2025.

Even so, the company still trades on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 32.15. That’s pretty lofty for a company that is growing at single digits. For comparison, this earnings multiple makes Wesfarmers more expensive than Microsoft, Facebook-owner Meta Platforms, and Google-owner Alphabet right now.

I love Wesfarmers as a company. I already own shares, but would love to own far more than I currently do. Saying all that, I just don’t think the company is a good value at its current price, despite the recent sell-off. So I’ll be holding out for a better price for Wesfarmers stock. I might be waiting a while, but that’s the way it goes on the markets sometimes.

The post Is Wesfarmers stock a post-earnings buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• 2 more ASX 200 blue chip stocks that increased dividends this week

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Wesfarmers. 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) has historically delivered total returns of around 9% per year over the long term. That is a solid benchmark. But as an active investor, I am always looking for businesses that I believe can outperform that average.

Right now, I see three ASX 200 growth shares that, in my view, have the ingredients to beat the broader market over the next 12 months and potentially well beyond.

SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

I think SiteMinder is building serious momentum.

At its recent annual general meeting, management highlighted accelerating annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth of 27.2% on a constant currency organic basis in FY25. That is not only strong growth, but it is also an acceleration from the prior year. The business has also flipped to positive underlying EBITDA and free cash flow, which I see as an important inflection point.

What really excites me is the Smart Platform strategy. Management is repositioning SiteMinder as the “revenue flight deck” for hoteliers, integrating intelligence, pricing, and distribution into a single workflow. According to the presentation, the company currently monetises just 0.3% of the US$85 billion in gross booking value it facilitates, with potential to exceed 1.5% at full product adoption.

To me, that signals a long runway for revenue expansion, even within its existing customer base. If SiteMinder can continue compounding ARR at high-20% levels while improving profitability, I believe it has a genuine chance of outperforming the index.

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA)

Codan is another ASX 200 growth share that I think the market may still be underestimating.

The company delivered revenue of $393.5 million in the first half of FY26, up 29% on the prior corresponding period, with EBIT up 52% and NPAT up 55%. That is powerful operating leverage.

What stands out to me is the performance of its Metal Detection segment. Revenue in this division surged 46% to $168 million, with segment profit up 86%. Management specifically referenced strong gold detector demand in Africa and favourable gold price conditions as drivers of this growth.

With gold now trading above US$5,000 an ounce, I believe the incentive for both small-scale and recreational gold hunting remains elevated. Codan’s Minelab business is a global leader in handheld metal detection technology. If high gold prices persist, demand for detectors could remain strong.

At the same time, Codan’s Communications division continues to benefit from elevated defence spending and demand for unmanned systems technology. For me, this combination of gold exposure and defence communications creates a diversified growth profile that could continue surprising to the upside.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

Telix is a different type of growth opportunity, but one I think has the potential to outperform.

In FY25, Telix delivered revenue of US$803.8 million, up 56% year on year, achieving upgraded guidance. That level of top-line growth is rare among companies of this size.

Importantly, Telix’s Precision Medicine segment continues to scale, with segment revenue up 22% and adjusted segment EBITDA up 24% year on year. The company is also guiding to FY26 group revenue of US$950 million to US$970 million, which implies continued strong momentum.

What I like most is that Telix is reinvesting heavily in its therapeutic pipeline while maintaining commercial momentum. If even a portion of its late-stage assets deliver, I think earnings could step up meaningfully over time.

Foolish Takeaway

The ASX 200’s long-term 9% return is a useful benchmark. But I believe SiteMinder, Codan, and Telix each have business-specific catalysts and structural tailwinds that could enable them to outperform the average.

Of course, ASX 200 growth shares can be volatile, and short-term returns are never guaranteed. But based on their recent updates and current momentum, I think these three names have a genuine shot at beating the market over the year ahead.

The post Why I think these ASX 200 growth shares could beat the market appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) shares were out of form on Monday and ended the day in the red.

The ASX 300 stock fell 1.5% to 90.5 cents.

This means that the medical device company’s shares are now down approximately 50% since this time last year.

The good news is that Bell Potter believes this could have created a buying opportunity for investors.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter was a touch disappointed with the ASX 300 stock’s performance during the first half of FY 2026. It notes that its revenue and EBITDA were short of consensus expectations. The broker said:

PNV had pre released 1H26 product sales revenue of $68.2m ↑ 26% vs pcp. Total revenues $70.4m (including BARDA income $2.0m) 3% below our previous forecast of $72.6m. EBITDA $3.4m compared to consensus $6.9m (1H25 EBITDA $4.6m). Total revenues include sales of Novosorb MTX $6.2m (1H25 $2.1m).

The revenue growth rate in the US market decreased to 26% vs 30% in FY25. Products sales revenues for the half expanded by a $14m vs pcp, nevertheless the growth rate was modestly disappointing. In ex US markets revenues of $16.5m increased vs pcp but were only in line with 2H25. These markets tend to be more lumpy compared to the US, hence there remains ample scope for 2H26 growth.

Why is it bullish?

However, Bell Potter believes there are reasons to be positive. One of those reasons is that institutional investors could soon return after a major red flag was resolved. It said:

The stock has underperformed the ASX200 over LTM by ~20% despite 26% top line growth. A contributing factor has been Board governance which was a red flag to numerous institutions. We believe these matters are now resolved.

Overall, the broker sees deep value on offer with this ASX 300 stock at under $1.00. Bell Potter explains:

Looking forward, top line growth should continue at strong double digit pace, translating into meaningful earnings growth and ROE. Novosorb has a significant and sustainable cost of advantage over peers in the market for dermal substitute products. These attributes also dovetail nicely with cost focussed markets outside of the United States. On a two to three year outlook, we believe the stock is deep value under $1. The forecast implies strong earnings leverage from the sales growth which is easily justified by Novosorb being among the cheapest cost of goods on the market.

Big potential returns

According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating on Polynovo’s shares with a trimmed price target of $1.80.

Based on its current share price of 90.5 cents, this implies potential upside of approximately 100% over the next 12 months. It concludes:

We maintain our Buy rating. PT is lowered to $1.80 following downgrades to short terms earnings forecast. Stock remains attractive based on a two to three year outlook for EPS growth.

The post Guess which ASX 300 share could rise ~100% 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 positions in and has recommended PolyNovo. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended PolyNovo. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It was a sour, Garfield-esque start to the trading week for ASX investors this Monday. After ending a strong week last week on a rough note on Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) kept up that pessimism today. 

After a strong start at market open, the ASX 200 fell into negative territory mid-morning and never recovered, closing down a hefty 0.61%. That leaves the index at a flat 9,026 points.

This painful start to the trading week for the Australian markets comes after a far rosier end to the American trading week on Saturday morning (our time).

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in fine form, cruising 0.47% higher.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did one better, gaining 0.9%.

But let’s get back to this week and the local markets now, though, for a deeper dive into what was happening amongst the various ASX sectors this session.

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

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Newmont. 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.

There are a lot of ASX shares to choose from on the Australian share market.

To narrow things down, let’s take a look at three that analysts at Morgans have just given their verdict on.

Is it bullish or bearish? Here’s what the broker is saying:

DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT)

This data centre investment company’s shares could be dirt cheap according to Morgans. It notes that its shares are trading at a 50% discount to its net asset value (NAV).

It also highlights that this NAV estimate does not include the 88MW SYD1 expansion, which could add a further $1.50 per share to its NAV. In light of this, the broker has put a buy rating and $4.15 price target on its shares. It said:

DGT continues to trade at a c.50% discount to NAV of A$4.62/security, yet that NAV does not yet reflect the full value of the 88MW SYD1 expansion, which management estimates will deliver a further c.A$1.50/security of NAV uplift at a targeted 15% yield on cost. The core thesis rests on three pillars. First, SYD1 is a genuinely scarce asset, a Tier 1 CBD carrier hotel with secured power and full planning approval operating in a structurally undersupplied market with a 200MW+ qualified demand pipeline.

Second, the business has demonstrated operating momentum, yet cash earnings are yet to materialise. Third, Australian capital partnering at or above book value would be a significant valuation catalyst. Acknowledging the share price weakness, we continue to see the opportunity in DGT, retaining our Buy rating with a $4.15/sh price target.

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

Morgans isn’t as positive on this fund manager’s shares. In response to its half-year results, the broker has put a hold rating and $9.80 price target on its shares.

The broker feels that its shares are fully valued, especially given that the core business remains challenged. It said:

MFG’s 1H26 operating profit after tax (A$83m) was flat on the pcp, but appeared comfortably above (+20%) Factset consensus (A$68m). Overall, whilst this result showed MFG’s investment in Barrenjoey is shaping as a winner (with upside), there is still significant work to do turning around MFG’s core Investment management franchise.

Following a change of analyst, we update our numbers and price target with this note. Our PT is set at $9.80 (previously (A$10.74) and stock coverage is transferred to Richard Coles. We maintain a HOLD rating on MFG, with the stock trading at only a 5% discount to our Blended valuation. Growth in the core business is still challenged (with downside risk), however we acknowledge optionality from current and future strategic investments.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS)

This gold miner delivered a half-year result in line with expectations last week according to Morgans.

And while there were positives and negatives from the half, the broker remains positive and has retained its buy rating with a $5.75 price target. It 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, marking the transition to the next phase of higher-grade feed – we forecast Dalgaranga alone to contribute +A$700m per annum from FY28 onwards. We maintain our BUY rating, price target A$5.75ps (previously A$5.76).

The post Should you buy Digico, Magellan, and Ramelius shares? 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.