Category: Stock Market

Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) shares are sliding on Tuesday after management stepped back in front of the market with a fresh trading update.

The airline had already been trying to stabilise after a rough few months, with the stock still down about 14% in 2026 following today’s decline.

In morning trade, the Qantas share price is down a modest 0.33% to $8.98.

That puts the stock closer to the early April lows, though it still remains well below the February peak above $11.

The move comes after investors were given a clearer view of how the airline expects current global disruptions to flow through the second half.

Higher fuel costs are being offset elsewhere

The key issue in today’s release was the jump in jet fuel costs.

Qantas said fuel prices have more than doubled since its half-year result in February, with the combined fuel and refining margin impact expected to add roughly $200 million to second-half FY26 costs.

Even so, the market seems comfortable with the way management has framed the offset.

The airline noted that about 90% of second-half fuel exposure is already hedged, while fare increases, route changes, and capacity adjustments are already being used to recover part of the pressure.

Demand trends also appear to still be working in its favour.

International travel into Europe remains firm, which has allowed aircraft to be shifted toward stronger-yielding routes, including Paris and Rome.

That helps explain why the group was comfortable leaving its international revenue guidance unchanged despite the cost pressure.

Capital discipline may also be helping sentiment

Another part of the update that likely supported the share price was the balance sheet.

Management said FY26 capital expenditure is now expected to come in at or below $4.1 billion, which is the bottom end of previous guidance. Net debt is also still expected to remain within its target range by year end.

The previously announced 19.8 cents per share fully-franked interim dividend is still due to be paid this week. However, the planned $150 million on-market share buyback has not yet started.

Foolish Takeaway

Today’s small loss reflects growing comfort that the profit impact is being contained rather than concern over the latest update.

Fuel is still the main short-term issue, but hedging, ticket price increases, solid travel demand, and tighter spending should help support second-half earnings.

With the shares still below their February highs, the latest update may improve investor confidence if conditions stay stable.

The post Qantas shares dip after fresh market update puts FY26 in focus 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.

A new report from the Betashares team has revealed ASX ETF trends during the turbulent month of March. 

Investors poured into oil focussed equities during the month of March. 

Meanwhile, bear focussed ASX ETFs also outperformed. 

“Bear-focused” ETFs are designed to profit when markets fall (or to hedge against downturns).

March overview

The Betashares Australian ETF review revealed that in a month dominated by the outbreak of conflict in Iran, the Australian ETF industry recorded very strong net inflows of $5.6 billion. 

Despite this, market movements pushed funds under management down by $13.8 billion to $329.4 billion.

According to Tom Wickenden, Investment Strategist, the short-term threat from the Iran war is the oil price spike’s impact on growth and inflation. 

But the longer-term implications may matter most for investors, long after any resolution. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine accelerated defence spending and European energy diversification. The Iran conflict is now doing the same for global energy self sufficiency, while fracturing the US security umbrella and embedding geopolitics as a structural driver of asset prices rather than an episodic risk to be faded.

Mr Wickenden explained that as a response, investor flows have picked up in select hedges: 

• Energy producers
• Uranium
• Defence
• Critical minerals
• Agricultural commodities.

March also saw a second-rate hike from the RBA in 2026.

For Australian equities this reinforces three key trends: the rotation toward income and value factors, pressure on rate sensitive sectors, and the same commodity shock that has complicated the RBA’s path is generating meaningful earnings improvements for Australian energy and material companies.

Best performing ASX ETFs in March

According to Betashares, March’s top performers were dominated by defensive and counter-cyclical exposures. 

This came as a sharp rally in crude oil lifted commodity focused funds while equity bear funds surged on the back of significant market volatility and risk-off sentiment. 

The best performing ASX ETFs in March were: 

• BetaShares Crude Oil Index ETF – Currency Hedged (Synthetic) (ASX: OOO) rose 55.9%
• BetaShares Australian Equities Strong Bear Hedge Fund (ASX: BBOZ) rose 19.33%
• Betashares Ethereum ETF (ASX: QETH) rose 13.33%
• Betashares US Equities Strong Bear Currency Hedged Complex ETF (ASX: BBUS) rose 12.3%
• Global X Ultra Short Nasdaq 100 Hedge Fund (ASX: SNAS) rose 11.94%.

The Betashares Crude Oil Index ETF led the way in March. 

The fund aims to track the performance of an index (before fees and expenses) that provides exposure to crude oil futures, hedged for currency movements in the AUD/USD exchange rate.

It benefited as oil prices surged following the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

The post What were the best performing Betashares ASX ETFs in March? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is this ASX ETF up nearly 50% in a month?
• Which ASX ETFs have Aussies traded most since the Iran war began?
• ASX ETFs holding up amidst global volatility 
• Will ASX oil stocks protect your portfolio from a market crash in 2026?
• 3 reasons this commodities ASX ETF could be an ideal buy in the current environment

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.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares are edging higher on Tuesday after the banking giant released an update before market open.

In morning trade, the Westpac share price is up 0.31% to $42.72, leaving it up about 10% in 2026 and still sitting just below its late-February record high of $43.32.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is 1.1% higher to 9,021 points.

This leaves the stock trading close to peak levels as the broader ASX recovers from renewed pressure and geopolitical uncertainty over the last few days.

It also reinforces how strongly the market has been backing the major banks this year as investors continue favouring earnings resilience, capital strength, and dependable dividends.

Half-year result will include a profit hit

According to the release, Westpac outlined several items expected to affect its first-half FY26 result.

The headline number is a $75 million reduction to reported net profit after tax (NPAT) linked to transaction costs from the sale of its RAMS mortgage portfolio.

That transaction remains on track to complete in the second half of 2026 and includes a consortium comprising Pepper Money Ltd (ASX: PPM), KKR, and PIMCO.

Beyond that one-off cost, the underlying business update looked relatively steady.

Management said lending and deposit growth for the half came in at 4% and 3%, respectively. Core net interest margin, excluding the timing effect of rate rises, was stable across 2026.

The bank also reported a 2% decline in expenses from productivity initiatives, while capital metrics improved, including a stronger CET1 ratio.

Geopolitical risks are starting to flow through

The more interesting part of the update may be what it says about the operating backdrop.

Westpac said recent geopolitical uncertainty and higher market volatility supported the treasury and markets’ net interest margin. Foreign currency translation from a weaker New Zealand dollar also flowed into the result.

It also lifted credit provisioning assumptions, with the ratio of collective provisions to credit risk-weighted assets increasing to 1.29%.

Foolish Takeaway

With the shares already near record highs, Tuesday’s small gain does look like investors are not overly concerned about the $75 million RAMS-related hit.

The bigger takeaway is that core banking momentum still looks healthy, with loan growth, deposit growth, stable margins, and lower costs helping offset a tougher macro backdrop.

From my perspective, despite the profit hit, Westpac still looks like a solid long-term investment. The shares remain close to all-time highs, and the underlying business continues to perform steadily.

The post Why Westpac shares are holding near record highs after a $75 million hit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Westpac Banking Corporation: Items impacting first-half 2026 results
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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 positions in and has recommended KKR. 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.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) shares could be dirt cheap right now.

That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, who are urging investors to buy the health imaging technology company’s shares while they are down.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter was pleased with news that Northwestern Medicine has renewed with the ASX 200 tech stock for a further five years on improved terms. It said:

Northwestern Medicine has signed a 5 year extension with PME for the Visage Viewer at increased rates and with an increased minimum deal value. Northwestern is one of the largest healthcare providers in the state of Illinois and a leading academic medical centre and remains a highly valuable client. Contract value is upgraded from $22m to $37m over five years.

PME continues to win new business in the United States, last week announcing the signing of a five year $23m deal with University of Maryland Medical System covering Visage 7 Viewer and Visage Workflow – but again no archive (Maryland already has an off premises archive). We understand the incumbent was Carestream (a company owned by Phillips).

Outside this, Bell Potter has trimmed its revenue forecast slightly to reflect a delay in revenues from the major Trinity Health contract and a weaker US dollar. It adds:

FY26 revenue forecast is reduced by a further 3.4% to $261m owing to amendments in the commencement date for exam revenues on major new contract implementations at Trinity Health and U. Colorado. The weaker US$ is also expected to have a material impact on revenues in the current period.

Longer term, the outlook remains strong with PME FY27 exam revenues expected to benefit from full period benefit of implementations in the current half including the two largest cohorts of the Trinity Health contract plus the Big Bang implementation at U. Colorado covering radiology and cardiology.

Time to buy this ASX 200 tech stock?

According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating on the ASX 200 tech stock with a slightly reduced price target of $226.00 (from $240.00).

Based on its current share price of $132.38, this implies potential upside of 70% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its buy recommendation, Bell Potter said:

PME continues to win new work and retains 100% of its existing client base. The stock is trading 60% below it all time high – not all attributable to the re-rating of its software revenues stream i.e. the law of large numbers is catching up, hence harder now for the company to maintain +30% EPS growth. Retain buy, PT amended to $226 following earnings amendments.

The post This dirt cheap ASX 200 tech stock could rise 70% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Still down 40%, are Pro Medicus shares primed to break out?
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• Why are Pro Medicus shares outperforming the market on Monday?

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

The Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) share price is in focus today after the company provided a market update flagging sharply higher jet fuel costs and a shift in capacity, while maintaining a strong balance sheet.

What did Qantas Airways report?

• Jet fuel costs for 2H26 are now estimated at $3.1–3.3 billion, more than double previous expectations.
• Group International RASK (unit revenue) growth for 2H26 is forecast at 4–6%, double prior guidance.
• Group Domestic RASK growth for 2H26 expected at approximately 5%.
• FY26 capital expenditure to be at or below $4.1 billion, the bottom end of guidance.
• Net debt now expected at or above the midpoint, but within Qantas’ target range by 30 June 2026.
• The $300 million interim dividend (19.8 cents per share) will be paid on 15 April 2026; $150 million buyback remains on hold.

What else do investors need to know?

Qantas has implemented a range of measures to mitigate rising fuel costs and the impact of Middle East conflict, including network changes, reduced domestic capacity in the current quarter, and fare increases. The company remains exposed to fluctuating jet refining margins, despite hedging most of its crude oil needs for the half-year.

Demand for international travel, especially to Europe, remains robust. Qantas is redeploying resources from the US and domestic operations to offer additional flights to Paris and Rome. Affected domestic customers are being offered alternative flights or refunds after a 5 percentage point reduction in 4Q26 capacity.

What’s next for Qantas Airways?

Qantas will keep monitoring external conditions and holds flexibility to adjust its response to volatile fuel prices. The company says it is working closely with government and fuel suppliers to ensure fuel availability, while continuing to manage capacity and pricing in response to evolving demand.

The group will provide a formal update on its FY27 outlook once there is more certainty on geopolitical and economic developments impacting its operations.

Qantas Airways share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Qantas shares have risen 6%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 15% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Qantas Airways flags higher fuel costs and capacity changes in FY26 update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Cleanaway Waste Management trims FY26 outlook on fuel challenges
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• 3 quality ASX shares I’d buy while everyone else is nervous
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Insignia Financial shareholders consider $4.80 per share CC Capital takeover

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

The S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) stock Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) is one of the most exciting Australian businesses to buy, in my eyes.

It has suffered a huge decline in recent times, dropping by around 70% over the past six months, as the chart below shows.

I can see why some of the decline has occurred for the online furniture and homewares retailer – revenue growth has somewhat slowed, margins have decreased and it’s pursuing growth in New Zealand.

There are three key reasons why I’d invest in the business – let’s look at those.

Great tailwinds

One of the key reasons to like the business is because it is exposed to a strong, supportive tailwind.

Over time, the business is benefiting from ongoing online shopping adoption by households. All the business needs to do is maintain its market share of online shopping to see very pleasing growth for the foreseeable future.

Temple & Webster notes that online penetration for furniture and homewares in Australia and New Zealand trails global peers. In Australia, it’s around 20%, compared to 29% in the UK and 35% in the US.

The ASX 300 stock suggested that Australia and New Zealand lag the UK and US by between five to seven years.

So, online penetration could rise from 20% in Australia right now to 30% over the next several years, which bodes well for Temple & Webster.

Temple & Webster also has a small but growing home improvement segment, where online penetration is only in the region of 5% to 10%.

Strong revenue growth

It’s important to recognise that while the market has severely punished the ASX 300 stock, it continues to grow at a very good pace.

The most recent numbers were the trading update that was released with the FY26 half-year result.

Revenue for the period 1 January 2026 to 9 February 2026 was up 20% year-over-year, driven by both an acceleration of new customers and continued growth of repeat customers.

It also said its focus for the second half is to grow revenue and take market share as fast as it can, while delivering on its stated margin objectives with an operating profit (EBITDA) margin of between 3% to 5%.

The business is aiming for a medium-term goal of at least $1 billion in annual revenue, which will bring scale benefits on its own.

I think the company is on track to reach its $1 billion goal thanks to two growth initiatives.

Firstly, it recently launched in New Zealand, expanding the company’s total addressable market by 10%, and it has enabled the majority of its catalogue for New Zealand customers.

Secondly, home improvement revenue is soaring – in HY26 it grew by 47% to $30 million, with private label penetration increasing to 25% (up from 18% in the first half of FY25). While it’s only a small part of total revenue, that growth rate could help home improvement become an important slice of the pie in the coming years.

The ASX 300 stock could achieve compelling profit margins

In the short-term, the business is sacrificing some margin to continue to deliver growth.

But, in the longer-term, I think its profit margins will increase and the market is underestimating this.

Increasing in size alone will help some margins, particularly as fixed costs become a smaller percentage of revenue. In the long-term, fixed costs are expected by the business to be less than 6% of revenue (it was 10.6% in FY25).

Marketing costs are also expected to reduce to less than 11% of revenue in the long-term, down from 16.3% in FY25.

Ultimately, the business is aiming for an EBITDA margin of more than 15%, up from 3.1% in FY25.

According to the projection on CMC Invest, the business is projected to generate 22.8 cents of earnings per share (EPS) in FY28, which puts the Temple & Webster share price (at the time of writing) at 31x FY28’s estimated earnings.

The post This could be the best ASX 300 stock buy today! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX materials stocks have shown resilience this year amidst broader market softness. 

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials (ASX: XMJ) index has climbed over 10% in 2026. 

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up just over 2% year to date, and one such ASX materials stock that has climbed this year is Imdex Ltd (ASX: IMD). 

It is an Australian mining equipment and technology company operating globally.

Its technology includes drilling optimisation products, cloud-connected rock knowledge sensors and data and analytics. These aim to improve the process of identifying and extracting mineral resources.

The Imdex share price has moved largely in line with the broader sector this year, rising 10.7%.

Yesterday the team at Bell Potter issued updated guidance on this ASX materials stock, indicating the rise could continue. 

Here’s what the broker had to say. 

Exploration market outlook remains robust

Bell Potter noted that spending on exploration by major and intermediate mining companies is expected to rise by about 24% in 2026. 

This is a strong increase, similar to the growth seen in 2021–2022. Importantly, these larger companies usually make up around 80–85% of Imdex’s revenue. 

In 2021 and 2022, their exploration spending grew by 26% and 29%. Subsequently, this helped drive revenue growth of 31% and 21% in those years.

According to Bell Potter, based on this pattern, the current forecast of 21% revenue growth for 2026 looks conservative. 

Imdex is also better positioned now because it offers more products and services after expanding its technology over the past three years.

IMD’s greater share of wallet in this cycle, following the integration of several hardware and digital products acquired and internally developed over the past 3 years, positions the company well in an expanding market.

Buy rating unchanged for this ASX materials stock

Based on this guidance, the team at Bell Potter have reiterated a buy recommendation for Imdex shares. 

Furthermore, the broker has a $4.60 price target, which indicates a 20% upside from yesterday’s closing price of $3.83. 

Additionally, Bell Potter said is is encouraged by the significant expansion in CY26 gold and copper major and intermediate exploration budgets, suggesting robust uptake of IMD drilling products, tools and software in the short-term. 

Together, with greater junior exploration activity, as a record wave of recently raised equity is deployed, IMD is well positioned to deliver strong revenue growth and operating leverage over the next twelve months. Notwithstanding these tailwinds, we express caution regarding first and second order impacts from the Iran war.

The post This ASX materials stock could rise 20% according to this broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

I’ve got my eyes on a couple of ASX-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that I expect to be major positions in my portfolio in the long-term.

There are certain ASX dividend shares and ASX growth shares I’ve invested in that I’m very optimistic about.

But, there are a few ASX ETFs that I believe can help fill some investment exposure gaps that some Aussie portfolios, including mine, may have when aiming for (or during) retirement.

So, let’s dive in.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX:  MOAT)

It’d be understandable for investors to have a lot of exposure to ASX shares and perhaps to an ASX ETF that gives significant allocation to large US shares, such as with the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS).

But, there are plenty of other high-quality businesses in the US – the home of numerous compelling companies – that are worth owning.

The MOAT ETF typically has around 50 holdings (it currently has 57). They’re all US-listed businesses, though the underlying earnings are more diversified.

There are some great businesses below the tech giant group in size which have very powerful economic moats, which are also called competitive advantages. An economic moat is what helps a business generate revenue/profit and fend off rivals, with examples such as intellectual property, cost advantages and plenty of others.

The MOAT ETF wants to find businesses that have economic moats that are expected to endure for at least 20 years, which means those businesses have a very attractive, long-term future. In turn, this makes the ASX ETF itself a great option to own for the long-term.

Additionally, the ASX ETF only invests in these great businesses when the price is attractive.

In the ten years to March 2026, it had returned an average of 14.7% per year. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns, but that level of return is powerful to help build towards a great nest egg.

WCM Quality Global Growth Fund (ASX: WCMQ)

The WCMQ ETF is another option that I think plenty of Australians would benefit from owning.

It invests in a portfolio of global shares that have a couple of key features that California-based fund manager WCM believes can help deliver investment (out) performance.

First, the fund wants to find businesses that have strengthening economic moats. It’s the ‘direction’ of the moat that’s more important to the WCM investment team than the size of that moat. A business with improving competitive advantages can become increasingly profitable.

The second element of the investment strategy is to invest in businesses that have a corporate culture that fosters an improvement of the competitive advantages.

The WCMQ ETF has retuned an average of 15.1% per year since inception in August 2018, which is a great level of return, though that’s not guaranteed to continue in the next several years.

One of the advantages of this fund is that it aims to pay a distribution yield of at least 5%, so it’s able to give investors good passive income. I think some investors may be missing an international shares option that pays a good dividend yield.

The post I’m planning to buy loads of these ASX ETFs for my retirement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How to turn $20,000 into $100,000 with ASX ETFs
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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and Wcm Quality Global Growth Fund. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF, Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) share price is in focus today after the company updated investors about its FY26 earnings outlook, revealing an expected $20 million hit to EBIT due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and elevated fuel costs.

What did Cleanaway Waste Management report?

• Estimated FY26 EBIT now forecast between $460 million and $480 million (previously $480 million to $500 million)
• Approximately $20 million adverse EBIT impact from higher fuel, supplier and logistics costs, and lower Middle East activity
• Contractual cost pass-through mechanisms helping recover a substantial portion of higher fuel costs
• No reported fuel supply issues across operations despite market volatility
• Cleanaway’s pricing structures allow staged cost recovery, with most contracts adjusting by 1 July 2026

What else do investors need to know?

Cleanaway has a long-term strategic partnership in place with a major fuel supplier, ensuring steady access to competitively priced fuel throughout this period of disruption. Cost pass-through mechanisms, such as customer contracts with fuel levies and indexed repricing, support the company in offsetting input cost volatility.

While higher fuel costs are being felt, Cleanaway says most of this impact is timing-related rather than long-term margin pressure. Recovery of elevated fuel costs should occur as contracts are repriced and fuel markets stabilise, though there may be further uncertainty in Middle East project activity.

What’s next for Cleanaway Waste Management?

Looking ahead, Cleanaway will keep monitoring fuel markets and trading conditions, particularly any further impacts from the Middle East conflict. Management expects most contracts to reflect fuel price increases by the start of FY27, which should help recover the bulk of the current cost challenges.

The business intends to maintain its focus on operational efficiency, using levers like fleet optimisation and procurement actions to help navigate volatility. Strategic relationships and contractual protections are expected to support resilient long-term performance.

Cleanaway Waste Management share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Cleanaway Waste Management share price has declined 10%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 15% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Cleanaway Waste Management trims FY26 outlook on fuel challenges appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• 3 quality ASX shares I’d buy while everyone else is nervous
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Insignia Financial shareholders consider $4.80 per share CC Capital takeover
• 2 ASX 200 blue-chip shares worth owning in April 2026

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

The Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC) share price is in focus after the banking giant provided an update on items impacting its first-half 2026 results.

What did Westpac Banking Corporation report?

• Lending grew by 4% and deposit growth reached 3% during the half.
• Core net interest margin (NIM), excluding timing impact of rate rises, held steady in the second quarter of FY26.
• Ongoing productivity initiatives reduced expenses by 2%.
• Asset quality strengthened, and the CET1 capital ratio improved in 2Q26.
• Credit impairment charge was 10 basis points of average gross loans.
• Reported net profit after tax was reduced by $75 million due to transaction costs on the RAMS mortgage portfolio sale.

What else do investors need to know?

Westpac is navigating global uncertainty, with recent geopolitical tensions and energy market disruptions adding pressure. The bank noted that higher inflation and interest rates are expected to lead to a tougher environment for some customers.

Foreign currency movements—especially the 6% decline in the average New Zealand dollar exchange rate—had an impact on both revenue and costs. Westpac also increased provisions by adding a portfolio overlay for energy-intensive sectors, reflecting its cautious approach.

The sale of the RAMS mortgage portfolio is progressing, with completion expected in the second half of 2026. This transaction saw RAMS moved from the Consumer segment to Group Businesses in Westpac’s financial reporting.

What’s next for Westpac Banking Corporation?

Looking ahead, Westpac plans to focus on supporting customers during a period of ongoing economic and geopolitical change. The bank is also continuing to execute its productivity and efficiency drive while progressing its strategic portfolio reshaping, including the RAMS sale.

Westpac expects the challenging environment to persist but remains committed to maintaining strong asset quality and disciplined capital management through the upcoming half.

Westpac Banking Corporation share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Westpac shares have risen 40%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 15% over the same period.

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The post Westpac Banking Corporation: Items impacting first-half 2026 results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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