Category: Stock Market

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is sinking lower in afternoon trade on Thursday. At the time of writing, the index is down 1.61% for the day. It’s now also 1.44% lower for the year to date.

While some ASX sectors have rallied in 2026 to date, as geopolitical uncertainty and demand for defence systems push energy shares and bank stocks higher, other areas of the index are falling behind.

The S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) is 2.6% lower for the day, at the time of writing, and has dropped 15.17% lower for the year to date as major real estate giants struggle to hold onto their value.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) shares have tumbled 14.99% in 2026, to $26.20 a piece.

Scentre Group (ASX: SCG) shares have fallen 17.38% to $3.50, at the time of writing.

Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP) shares have tumbled 19.22% to $4.65 a piece.

Why are ASX 200 real estate shares sinking this year?

Concerns about Australia’s interest rate direction, high borrowing costs, and overall investor uncertainty have weighed heavily on sentiment this year. 

There is broad weakness across the property sector, and the dent in confidence has flowed through to the latest earnings results.

Goodman posted a 1.5% decline in operating profit to $1.2 billion and an 8.3% decline in operating earnings per share (OEPS) to 58.5 cents for the six months ending 31st December. Analysts were expecting an upgrade to its FY26 guidance, but it was left unchanged. Investors were spooked, and the share price sank 7%.

Scentre Group posted a 4.9% rise in its funds from operations (FFO) last month and confirmed customer visitation had climbed. The 2025 results represent the company’s fifth consecutive year of earnings and distributions growth, and management is targeting another 4% FFO growth in 2026. But it wasn’t enough to convince investors, who were a little deflated from the announcement. 

Stockland also posted a strong first-half FY26 result with profit up 19% and FFO up 29.5%. The company said it expects development earnings and cash flow to be “materially weighted” to the second half of FY26 as more settlement receipts flow through. Again, it wasn’t enough to shift investors’ sentiment. The shares dipped near their 52-week low earlier this month after the company unveiled a new data centre joint venture. Investors are cautious about balancing this new venture with core operations amid a soft market.

What’s next for the three real estate majors?

Analysts are upbeat about the outlook for these ASX 200 real estate shares over the next 12 months.

For Goodman, 11 out of 13 analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on its shares, with a maximum target price of $41.50. That implies a 58.43% upside from the share price at the time of writing.

Most (seven out of 12) have a hold rating on Scentre Group shares, and another five have a strong buy rating. The experts think the stock could soar as high as 34.76% to $4.71 in the next year.

Analysts are bullish about the outlook for Stockland shares, too. Out of 10 analysts, seven have a buy or strong buy rating. The maximum $6.60 target price implies a potential 42.09% upside at the time of writing.

The post Goodman, Scentre Group, Stockland: Why are ASX 200 real estate stocks tumbling in 2026? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Buy, hold, sell: Whitehaven Coal, Goodman, and Xero shares
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

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

S&P/ASX 300 Metal & Mining Index (ASX: XMM) shares are 2.1% lower on Thursday but up 48% over the past 12 months.

Australia appears to be in a new mining boom, however, experts say this one will look very different to the last.

If you’re looking for investment inspiration, here are two ASX mining shares that brokers rate a buy today.

Torque Metals Ltd (ASX: TOR)

This ASX gold mining share is 48 cents apiece, down 4% today and up 433% over the past 12 months.

Torque Metals has been developing the Paris Gold Project in Western Australia’s goldfields region since acquiring it in 2021.

The Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is 2,518Kt at 3.1g/t gold for 250,000 ounces. 

This week, Torque announced that three former Spartan Resources executives will join its new management team.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) acquired Spartan Resources in July last year.

The incoming executives at Torque Metals are Simon Lawson, who will be the non-executive chair, Craig Jones, who will be the CEO and managing director, and David Coyne, who will serve as a non-executive director.

Morgans issued a new note on the ASX gold mining share today.

The broker maintained its speculative buy rating on Torque Metals with a 12-month share price target of 90 cents.

This implies a potential 100% capital gain over the next year.

Morgans said:

The Spartan Resources team has joined Torque Metals, positioning the company to drive the next phase of high-grade growth at the 250koz Paris Gold Camp.

This is the same group who discovered and grew the Never Never and Pepper deposits from 303koz to 2,372koz Au in less than two years, ultimately transacting to RMS for A$2.5bn.

Check out some 2026 gold price forecasts here.

Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC)

The Nickel Industries share price is 90 cents on Thursday, down 3% today but up 37% over the past year.

Nickel Industries owns a portfolio of nickel mines and processing plants in Indonesia.

This week, Bell Potter retained its buy rating on this ASX nickel mining share with a $1.45 target.

This suggests a possible 61% share price lift over the next year.

Bell Potter said:

While the conflict in the Middle East is resulting in an immediate market impact to key input costs and the duration is uncertain, Bell Potter’s view is that while margins may be impacted, NIC is insulated due to its diversified nickel product suite.

The post 2 ASX mining shares with 60% to 100% potential upside: experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Nickel Industries lifts 2026 quota, driving stronger outlook and margins

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

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV) shares have tumbled 8.74% to $20.405 in afternoon trade on Thursday. The drop means the consumer stock is now 29.58% lower over the month and 14.35% below where it was this time last year.

What has happened to the ASX 200 stock’s share price?

There hasn’t been any price-sensitive news out of Lovisa this recently to explain the share price tumble today. 

But the company is facing an overall dip in confidence following its half-year FY26 announcement last month. The announcement raised concerns about the company’s earnings and raised a red flag about its sales momentum.

Lovisa posted a revenue increase of 23.3% to $500.7 million, with comparable store sales up 2.2%. Its underlying net profit came in at $69.6 million, up 21.5%, while the net profit including one-offs was $58.4 million. Lovisa also raised its interim dividend to 53 cents, 50% franked, up from 50 cents.

The ASX 200 company’s profit result missed analysts’ expectations by a wide margin. Markets estimated that Lovisa would report a net profit of $68.1 million for the six-month period.

The share price has now crashed over 33% since the announcement.

Despite the share price drop this year, Lovisa shares have performed very strongly over the past five years. It’s possible that after a 12% hike between the beginning of January and mid-February this year, investors have decided it’s time to take their profits off the table.

Can the share price recover?

Analysts seem to think so.

After the heavy pull back, some brokers think that the company’s expansion plans and robust revenue growth implies we could see much more from the jewellery retailer this year.

Lovisa is steadily increasing its global footprint, pushing further into North American and European markets. At the same time it has managed to maintain strong momentum in established markets. Lovia’s store rollouts are central to its growth strategy, and management has now demonstrated that it is able to execute growth across various regions. 

While its latest results were a miss versus market expectations, it’s worth noting that the company has still been able to lift revenue during the first half of FY26, even despite broad retail sector weakness. 

TradingView data shows that analyst sentiment about the outlook for Lovisa shares is mixed, but they all appear to agree that the current trading price is below fair value.

Out of 16 analysts, seven have a buy or strong buy rating on the stock, and another eight have a hold rating. The average target price is $30.85 a piece, which implies a 50.22% upside at the time of writing.

But others are more bullish. The team at Morgans have a buy rating and $36.80 target price on the stock, which implies a 79.21% upside at the time of writing.

The broker said its result was ahead of its expectations, driven by store network growth and strong gross margins. The team see the pull back in share price as a buying opportunity at 23x FY27 price-to-earnings.

The post Why is this ASX 200 stock crashing 9% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• A once-in-a-decade chance to earn a supersized passive income from ASX shares?
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• Buy, hold, sell: Guzman Y Gomez, Lovisa, and Newmont shares
• How I’d invest $20,000 in the ASX share market right now
• 3 ASX shares down 25% or more that could roar back

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

The WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1) share price is under heavy pressure on Thursday.

At the time of writing, the WA1 share price is down 8.33% to $14.31. The stock has also had a difficult start to the year and is now down roughly 27% since January.

Despite the pullback, the company still commands a market capitalisation of around $1.07 billion. It also remains one of the more closely watched exploration stocks on the ASX.

Here’s what the company announced to the market today.

Half-year loss grows as spending ramps up

WA1 released its interim financial report for the 6 months to 31 December 2025.

The company reported a loss after income tax of $2.35 million for the period. This compares with a loss of $1.41 million in the prior corresponding period.

The increase in losses reflects ongoing spending across exploration, project development, and corporate costs as WA1 continues advancing its flagship niobium discovery.

Exploration spending remains a major focus for the business as it works to better define the scale and economics of its Luni project.

Although the company remains loss-making, this is normal for exploration companies at this stage of development.

Cash position strengthens significantly

One big positive in the report is the company’s strengthened balance sheet.

WA1 ended the half-year with $138.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. This is a substantial increase from $72.8 million at 30 June 2025.

The improved cash position was largely supported by a capital raise during the period. In August last year, the company completed a placement that raised approximately $100 million from investors.

This funding gives WA1 a sizeable financial runway to continue drilling, resource definition, and development studies across its key projects.

Progress continues at the Luni niobium project

WA1 is continuing to focus most of its efforts on the Luni niobium project in Western Australia.

The discovery has attracted attention and is widely seen as one of the most significant niobium finds in recent years.

During the half-year, WA1 continued drilling across the project to better understand the deposit’s size, grade, and overall potential. Much of the drilling targeted areas are believed to contain higher-grade material.

WA1 also released an updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the project, confirming the scale of the discovery.

The deposit currently contains 220 million tonnes of ore grading 1% niobium oxide, including a higher-grade portion of 53 million tonnes grading 2.2%.

The company has also been carrying out metallurgical test work. This process helps determine how the metal can be extracted from the ore and processed into products.

Early test results suggest the project could produce high purity niobium oxide and ferro niobium. These materials are commonly used to strengthen steel and produce special alloys.

What next for WA1?

WA1’s strong cash position means it is well funded to continue drilling and advancing studies at the Luni project.

However, after the stock surged in recent years, investors may now be reassessing expectations around development timelines and the project’s long-term economics.

That could help explain why the WA1 share price has pulled back in 2026.

The post This $1 billion ASX explorer just dropped 8%. Here’s what happened appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) superstars like Droneshield Ltd (ASX: DRO) and Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) have seen their share price rocket over the past year. Committed investors could now have 200-300 times the value of any stock bought 12 months ago.

The returns are impressive. But there are some much smaller, little-known ASX shares with 12-month returns that are significantly higher.

And they’re earning their investors an outrageous amount of money.

Sunrise Energy Metals Ltd (ASX: SRL)

Sunrise develops and applies ion-exchange technology for the extraction of valuable metals. It does this for the mining industry and for wastewater purification and recycling. 

Its water business segment focuses on water technologies to filter, separate, and purify polluted waters for drinking, agriculture, recreation, and industrial use. Meanwhile, its metals segment provides extraction techniques for a range of resources, including base and precious metals, as well as radioactive elements such as uranium. 

Last month, the company announced that its Syerston scandium deposit is currently the world’s largest and highest-grade source of mineable scandium.

At the time of writing, the company’s ASX share price is 10.57% higher for the year to date. But it’s an outstanding 3,516.67% higher than this time 12 months ago. 

The company has good growth prospects, too. Scandium, which is used in aerospace alloys, fuel cells, and advanced electronics, has a very limited global supply. If Sunrise is able to ramp up production at its Syerston site, it could well become a major global supplier. At present, the company is largely in its development stage.

African Gold Ltd (ASX: A1G)

African Gold is an exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing high-grade gold assets in West Africa. It focuses specifically on the Côte d’Ivoire and Mali. 

The miner is focused on drilling and growing its resources. It also undertakes technical studies at projects like the Didievi Gold Project.

At the time of writing, the company’s shares have jumped 39.39% for the year to date. They’re also up an extraordinary 1,433.33% over the past 12 months.

African Gold recently announced it has entered into a binding scheme implementation deed with Canadian-based gold miner, Montage Gold Corp (TSE: MAU). Under the agreement, Montage will acquire 100% of the shares in the ASX gold stock that it does not already hold. In exchange, African Gold shareholders will receive 0.0628 new Montage shares for every African Gold share held on the record date of the share scheme.

The company is firmly focused on growth with plans to expand and ramp up exploration at its existing projects.

Elsight Ltd (ASX: ELS)

Elsight develops and commercialises a secure, AI-powered connectivity platform for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and robotic systems, called Halo. 

Its technology enables uninterrupted, real-time command and control. It does this by aggregating multiple data links (using 5G, LTE, satellite, RF) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations for defence, public safety, and commercial sectors.

Unsurprisingly, amid a ramp up demand for defence systems amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, the ASX defence stock’s value has soared. For the year to date, Elsight shares are already up 69.01%, and they’re a huge 1,600% higher than this time last year.

Elsight recently announced that it has appointed 5 senior business development leaders across key global markets. These include new appointments in the United States, Europe, Israel, and Asia. Management said it is designed to expand the company’s go-to-market execution as demand for connectivity solutions in defence and unmanned systems programs grows.

The post 3 lesser-known ASX shares making investors an outrageous amount of money 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 DroneShield and is short shares of DroneShield. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. 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.

ASX gold share Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI) will enter the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) at the next rebalance on 23 March.

Rebalances occur every quarter to ensure market indices rank companies correctly in order of market capitalisation.

With Predictive Discovery shares up 137% over the past 12 months, it’s not surprising to see the miner ascend into the ASX 200.

Today, the Predictive Discovery share price is 78 cents, down 7.5%.

What’s the big deal about the ASX 200?

There are several benefits to getting into the ASX 200, the main one being the potential for additional passive investor demand from exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Many ETFs and managed funds track the performance of the ASX 200, so they have to adjust their holdings at every rebalance.

Like all ASX gold shares, Predictive Discovery has benefitted from the soaring gold price.

On Thursday, the gold price is US$5,164 per ounce, up 73% over the past 12 months and up 20% in the year to date (YTD).

Predictive Discovery is not yet a gold producer in its own right.

The ASX mineral explorer is currently developing the potential Tier-1 Bankan Gold Project in Guinea, West Africa.

Bankan has a mineral resource estimate of 5.5Moz.

Predictive Discovery completed the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) in June last year.

The study gave an ore reserve estimate of 2.95Moz.

It also estimated average production of about 250Koz per annum over a more than 12-year mine life.

The Guinea Government has approved the environmental Impact assessment, and the exploitation permit application is in the final stages.

Merger with Robex Resources

Meanwhile, Predictive Discovery is expecting to finalise its merger with Robex Resources CDI (ASX: RBR) this month.

The deal means Predictive will gain access to cash flow from Robex’s gold-producing mines, Kiniero in Guinea and Nampala in Mali.

At the BMO Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals Conference last month, Predictive Discovery gave a presentation explaining that the merger would result in three mines with a 9.5Moz resource estimate and targeted production of more than 400koz per annum by 2029.

Robex shareholders will receive 7.862 Predictive Discovery shares per Robex Resources share under the deal.

Should you buy this ASX gold share?

Ord Minnett recommends buying Predictive Discovery shares.

The broker upgraded the ASX gold share from a hold to a buy rating in the last week of January.

Ord Minnett also lifted its price target from 74 cents to $1.15 at the time.

On the CBA trading platform, three analysts are rating Predictive Discovery shares.

Two analysts give the ASX gold share a strong buy rating and the other gives it a moderate buy rating.

The post This ASX gold share is about to enter the ASX 200. Should you buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

I’m not building a retirement portfolio just yet. It’s still a little early for that. I still like to think about what I would do when the time eventually comes.

Retirement investing is very different from building a portfolio focused purely on growth. When that stage of life arrives, my priorities would shift towards reliability. I would want businesses that generate steady earnings, pay dependable dividends, and operate in industries that should still be relevant decades from now.

The aim wouldn’t be to chase the highest possible returns. Instead, it would be about creating a portfolio that can continue growing while also producing a dependable income stream later in life.

Here’s how I think I’d approach building that kind of portfolio when the time comes.

Begin with dependable income foundations

A retirement portfolio usually needs a strong core of companies that can produce reliable income.

For me, that often means looking at large, well-established Australian businesses that generate consistent cash flow and have a long history of paying dividends.

Companies such as Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), Transurban Group (ASX: TCL), and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) are good examples of the types of businesses I would want in that foundation.

Telstra benefits from its dominant position in Australia’s telecommunications market and generates strong recurring cash flow. Transurban operates toll roads that produce inflation-linked revenue streams over very long concession periods. Woolworths operates one of the most defensive retail businesses in the country through its supermarket network.

Individually, none of these businesses are likely to deliver explosive growth. But together they can help form a stable income base.

Add exposure to long-term growth

Even in a retirement portfolio, I think it’s important to include companies that can grow.

Growth helps protect purchasing power over time and can support dividend growth as well.

Healthcare is one area that I believe has strong long-term tailwinds. Businesses such as ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD) and Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) operate in specialised medical fields with global demand and strong competitive advantages.

These companies may not offer the highest dividend yields today, but their ability to grow earnings over many years can make them valuable long-term holdings.

Use ETFs for diversification

Even when selecting individual shares, I think diversification is incredibly important in a retirement portfolio.

One way to achieve that is through exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that provide broad market exposure.

For example, an ETF such as the Vanguard FTSE Asia Ex-Japan Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAE) offers exposure to a wide range of companies across growing Asian economies. Global ETFs can also help spread risk across industries and regions.

Including ETFs alongside individual ASX shares can help smooth portfolio performance and reduce the impact of any single company struggling.

Reinvest dividends along the way

In the early stages of building a retirement portfolio, I would reinvest every dividend.

This is where compounding can start to have a powerful effect. Reinvested dividends buy more shares, which in turn generate more dividends in the future.

Over many years, that cycle can dramatically increase the income a portfolio eventually produces.

Foolish takeaway

For me, building a retirement portfolio is about gradually assembling a collection of reliable businesses, growth companies, and diversified funds that can work together over decades.

With time, reinvested dividends, and the power of compounding, that portfolio can slowly evolve from a growth engine into a dependable source of retirement income.

The post How I’d start building an ASX retirement portfolio today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Cochlear, ResMed, and Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended ResMed, Telstra Group, Transurban Group, and Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) tech shares are 4.1% lower on Thursday as the tech wreck continues to plague local stocks.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) has fallen by more than 40% over the past six months.

Investors and traders worldwide are worried about high stock valuations and extraordinary AI artificial intelligence (AI) capex spending.

There is also fear that AI will undermine the service offerings of many tech companies, especially software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers.

That’s a big issue for Australia’s comparatively small tech sector given four of our six biggest companies by market capitalisation are SaaS providers.

We’ve seen some signs of stabilisation in the tech sector since mid-February, starting with a 7% rally in the week ending 22 February.

Since then, ASX tech shares have outperformed, falling 2.2% compared to a 5.1% drop in the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

It’s unclear whether a recovery is underway as yet, but if you’re thinking of buying the dip, now could be the time.

On The Bull this week, experts have identified three ASX tech shares that they reckon are firmly in the buy zone.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The Wisetech share price is 2.4% lower at $48.05 on Thursday, and down 43% over the past 12 months.

Wisetech is an SaaS company that develops and provides software solutions for the global logistics industry. 

Wisetech has been in the news after revealing it plans to cut 2,000 jobs over FY26 and FY27 as AI replaces human labour.

The company reported a 76% surge in revenue for 1H FY26, as management spoke of “a deep AI transformation” being underway.

John Athanasiou from Red Leaf Securities has a buy rating on Wisetech shares.

He comments:

First half revenue in fiscal year 2026 exceeded expectations.

Synergies from e2open were delivered 18 months early and customer retention remains about 99 per cent.

With dominant network effects across more than 190 countries, improving cost discipline and scalable growth opportunities, WiseTech offers a structurally de-risked path to margin expansion.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

The Xero share price is down 4.5% to $78.17 today, and down 50% over the past year.

Xero is also an SaaS business, providing accounting software solutions to small and medium businesses.

Athanasiou has a buy rating on this ASX tech share as well.

He says:

This accounting software provider has been sold off, but fundamentals remain strong.

Its capital light, subscription based model provides recurring revenue, pricing power and operating leverage.

Subscriber growth in Australia, New Zealand and the UK is resilient amid expanding margins through improving cost discipline.

The US market remains under-penetrated, offering options over the long term.

Artificial intelligence is likely to enhance Xero’s product suite, improving workflow automation and stickiness rather than disrupting revenue.

Last month, Xero conducted an investor briefing and released a presentation on how it intends to leverage AI opportunities.

Xero CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy said:

We are deeply focused on capturing the global AI and US accounting plus payments TAM.

Xero is well positioned to shepherd SMBs into the AI era and take advantage of this technology.

Athanasiou says Xero shares are trading below prior multiples, making the risk/reward proposition attractive for long term investors.

This is a profitable, global software platform with scale, and current weakness presents an accumulation opportunity for those looking beyond short term sentiment.

Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT) 

The Nextdc share price is 1.4% lower at $12.83, and up 1% over the past 12 months.

NextDC develops and operates data centres across Australia.

The company reported a 13% lift in total revenue to $231.8 million and a 9% increase in underlying EBITDA to $115.3 million for 1H FY26.

Nextdc revealed a net loss of $39.4 million, which was an 8% improvement on 1H FY25.

Elio D’Amato from EnviroInvest reckons this ASX tech share is a buy, commenting:

NXT sources renewable energy for its facilities and designs highly efficient cooling systems, reducing carbon intensity per megawatt.

Digital infrastructure is energy intensive, but efficient operators are poised  to benefit.

Structural demand and execution momentum, in our view, support further upside. 

The post 3 ASX tech shares to buy amid ongoing tech wreck appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX stocks to buy and 1 to sell
• 2 of the best ASX growth shares to buy now
• Where I’d invest $10,000 in ASX growth shares right now
• 3 of the best ASX 200 shares to buy and hold forever
• 5 ASX shares I’d buy with $5,000 today

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

Titan Minerals Ltd (ASX: TTM) announced new drilling results this week after a major drilling campaign last year, but the more interesting news might be that a mineral resource update at its Dynasty project is imminent.

The team at Canaccord Genuity follow the company and has a very bullish share price target on the stock, which we’ll get to later.

Firstly, to the drilling results announced this week.

Major drilling campaign delivering results

The company completed a 25,000m drilling campaign in 2025, and this week reported that the drilling had intersected “further wide zones of gold, silver and copper porphyry mineralisation” at the Kalimantan exploration target.

These results included intersections of 159.9m at 0.7 grams per tonne of gold equivalent, starting at just 2m from surface, and 138.4m at 0.8 grams per tonne of gold equivalent, starting at 3.6m from surface.

The company said there were extensive zones of porphyry and breccia-hosted mineralisation, which would be incorporated into the upcoming Dynasty mineral resource update.

The company said further:

The addition of wide zones of porphyry-hosted mineralisation has the potential to reduce strip ratios, increase the project scale, extend mine life and enhance overall economics. Mine studies are scheduled to commence upon delivery of the updated Mineral Resource in late Q1 2026.

Titan Chief Executive Melanie Leighton said regarding the results:

Time and time again, we see the scale and continuity of mineralisation being confirmed by our drilling. These latest results have continued to hit mineralisation as predicted by our modelling, and as identified by our surface mapping and geochemistry where we have designed drilling to test new extensional areas. Cerro Verde already has epithermal hosted resources of 1.9Moz gold and 12Moz silver, so incorporating bulk zones of porphyry and breccia hosted mineralisation is set to substantially grow and enhance resources. I’m pleased to advise that Entech Mining, are in the final stages of the Mineral Resource estimation and we look forward to delivering the Dynasty resource update very soon. Orelogy Mine Consulting are undertaking preparatory work, ready to commence mine studies upon delivery of the updated resource. There are many other exciting targets that remain to be tested at Dynasty, and we look forward to getting the drill rigs out to test the compelling porphyry copper targets and new gold targets that have been highlighted by technical workshops recently held in Ecuador.

Shares looking cheap

The team at Canaccord said they had updated their model, but had left their price target unchanged at $1.95, compared with 99.5 cents for Titan shares currently.

But they pointed out that the valuation is based on the “soon to be outdated” previous resource estimate.

The ASX gold company was valued at $291.8 million at the close of trade on Wednesday.

The post This gold stock is looking cheap ahead of a resource upgrade: broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• This ASX gold share is about to enter the ASX 200. Should you buy?
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• My 3 best ASX dividend-focused stocks to buy in March

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.

Dividend investors on the ASX have plenty of choice. The market is full of companies that return a meaningful portion of their profits to shareholders.

When I look for ASX dividend stocks, I tend to focus on businesses that combine reliable income with solid underlying operations. A dividend is great, but it is even better when it is supported by a strong business model and the potential for earnings to grow over time.

With that in mind, here are three dividend-focused ASX stocks I would be looking at this month.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

I think it is impossible to talk about dividend investing on the ASX without mentioning Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

The bank has built a reputation as the highest-quality lender in Australia thanks to its dominant deposit base, strong technology platform, and disciplined approach to lending.

CBA’s dividend yield may not look spectacular at first glance because the share price has rallied strongly over the past few years. However, it still provides a healthy income stream.

Consensus estimates currently point to a fully franked dividend of about $5.20 per share in FY2026. Based on the current CBA share price of $171.09, that implies a yield of a little over 3%, before taking franking credits into account.

For income investors, those franking credits make a meaningful difference. They can significantly boost the effective yield on an after-tax basis.

What I like most about CBA is the consistency. Banks will always face economic cycles, but CBA has shown time and again that it can generate strong profits and maintain dividends through changing conditions.

Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL)

Another ASX dividend stock that stands out to me is Sonic Healthcare.

Sonic operates one of the world’s largest medical diagnostics businesses, with laboratories and pathology services across Australia, Europe, and the United States.

Healthcare demand tends to be relatively stable, which helps make Sonic’s earnings more predictable than many other industries. That stability can translate into reliable dividends over time.

Consensus forecasts currently suggest Sonic could pay partially franked dividends of around $1.10 per share this financial year. With its shares trading at about $21.28, that equates to a dividend yield of just over 5%.

In my view, the combination of defensive healthcare demand and a solid dividend yield makes Sonic an appealing option for income-focused investors.

Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN)

The third ASX dividend stock on my list is Harvey Norman.

Retail businesses can sometimes produce strong dividends when they are run conservatively and generate healthy cash flow. I think Harvey Norman is a good example of that.

The company’s unique franchise model allows it to earn income from both retail operations and property ownership. That property exposure has historically provided a strong asset backing for the business.

Consensus estimates predict Harvey Norman will pay around 31 cents per share in fully franked dividends this year. With the share price currently around $5.24, that represents a dividend yield of roughly 6%.

For investors seeking higher income, that yield could be particularly appealing.

Foolish takeaway

Dividend investing isn’t just about chasing the highest yield. In my experience, the best income stocks are usually backed by strong businesses that can keep generating cash flow year after year.

Commonwealth Bank, Sonic Healthcare, and Harvey Norman each offer a combination of income potential and established business models. For that reason, they are three ASX stocks I think are worth considering.

The post My 3 best ASX dividend-focused stocks to buy in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Just 3 ASX ETFs could build a lazy Australian millionaire portfolio
• Here’s what experts think will happen with the RBA interest rate this month
• What I’d do as a beginner with $50,000 to invest in ASX shares
• Sell alert! Why this expert is calling time on Harvey Norman shares
• 3 Australian shares to buy if the ASX pulls back 10%

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Commonwealth Bank Of 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 positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.