Category: Stock Market

Technology company Audinate Ltd (ASX: AD8) shares are trading not far off their 12-month low after the company reported its first-half result this week, raising the question, is it time to buy the dip?

The company’s shares have been on the slide for much of the year, having fallen from a high of $10.44 at this time last year.

Brokers Macquarie, UBS and Morgan Stanley have had a look at the company’s results this week and have come up with a range of scenarios for where they think the shares will go over the next year.

Revenue growth booked

But first to the results. On Monday, Audinate reported revenue of US$21.2 million, up from US$18.9 million for the same period last year.

The company said its gross margin increased from 82.6% from 82.2% reflecting a shift to higher-margin software solutions, but underlying EBITDA was negative to the tune of $2.3 million.

The company said 516 original equipment manufacturers were now using its Dante software suite, and it had also launched its Iris technology which it said, “extends Dante into intelligent camera control and cloud-enabled video production workflows, creating a new recurring-revenue stream and strengthening Audinate’s position across video and AV control applications”.

The company’s Chief Cxecutive Officer Aidan Williams said it was a solid result.

Audinate delivered a strong first half, returning to revenue growth while maintaining our industry-leading gross margins. We have strengthened our market position with continued design-win momentum, new product introductions and the successful launch of Iris, which extends Dante further into video and cloud-enabled video production workflows.

Analysts diverge on value

UBS, in a note sent to clients this week, said the company was trading at very low multiples and “we would argue that very little is being priced in at current levels”.  

UBS has a price target on the shares of $6.10, reduced from $7.10, but still well above the current level of $3.57.

Morgan Stanely has a price target of $5 on Audinate shares and said the first half result showed an overall recovery in growth.

Meanwhile the analysts at Macquarie were less hopeful about the outlook for the share price, with a target price of just $3.20 and a neutral rating on the stock.

The Macquarie team said investor expectations were now rebased following the share price falls and “we think the cyclical downgrade cycle is over in the underlying … business, with this result muted by Iris costs.”

Audinate was valued at $278.3 million at the close of trade on Monday.

The post Are Audinate shares a buy, sell or hold after this week’s results? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

If you’ve got $10,000 ready to invest, spreading it across a few high-quality ASX shares can be a sensible way to balance growth and resilience.

But which ones could be buys this month? Let’s take a look at three established companies with strong track records and clear long-term drivers that could help position a portfolio for sustainable returns. They are as follows:

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

The first ASX share to consider is Macquarie Group. It is far more than a traditional bank. It combines asset management, infrastructure investing, commodities trading, and advisory services under one roof. That diversification has allowed it to navigate multiple market cycles over the decades.

One of Macquarie’s strengths is its ability to identify and back long-duration trends such as renewable energy, infrastructure, and private credit. Whereas its global asset management arm continues to grow funds under management, generating recurring fee income.

Although earnings can fluctuate with market conditions, Macquarie’s entrepreneurial culture and global reach have historically supported strong long-term shareholder returns.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Another ASX share worth considering is Wesfarmers. It operates a collection of well-known businesses, including Bunnings, Kmart, and Officeworks. What makes it attractive is not just the strength of these brands, but the company’s disciplined approach to capital allocation.

Management has a long history of recycling capital out of underperforming divisions and investing in higher-return opportunities. That strategic flexibility has helped the group evolve over time rather than standing still.

Wesfarmers’ exposure to consumer spending, industrials, home improvement, and essential retail categories provides earnings diversity within a single shareholding.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

A final ASX share to consider is Xero. It provides cloud-based accounting software to small and medium-sized businesses across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and beyond. Its subscription model generates recurring revenue, while its ecosystem of integrations strengthens customer stickiness.

Although its share price has been volatile amid broader tech sector weakness, the structural shift from legacy accounting systems to cloud platforms remains intact. Over time, growth in subscriber numbers and expansion of additional services could support earnings momentum.

In addition, it has a market opportunity estimated to be 100 million small businesses globally. This gives it a very long runway for growth over the next decade and beyond.

For investors comfortable with some short-term swings, Xero offers exposure to global software growth with a proven platform.

The post Where to invest $10,000 in ASX shares right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX recap: 5 most traded shares last week
• 8 ASX All Ords shares just upgraded to strong buy status
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• Are Wesfarmers shares a good buy for passive income?
• Qube Holdings board backs $11.7bn Macquarie takeover at 27.8% premium

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group, Wesfarmers, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group 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.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) shares are enjoying a welcome day of strong outperformance.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) health imaging company closed yesterday trading $116.97. In early afternoon trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for $123.45 apiece, up 5.5%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.4% at this same time.

Despite that welcome reprieve, Pro Medicus shares remain down a painful 44.5% in 2026.

And Fairmont Equities’ Michael Gable is concerned that the ASX 200 healthcare stock could come under further selling pressure if investor sentiment doesn’t turn around (courtesy of The Bull).

Time to exit Pro Medicus shares?

“This medical technology business is one we have successfully traded on several occasions during the past few years,” said Gable. “However, since mid-2025, we have stayed away from expensive technology companies, such as PME, due to negative market sentiment.”

As for Pro Medicus H1 FY 2026 results, he noted:

On February 12, 2026, the company announced revenue from ordinary activities of $124.8 million in the first half of 2026, an increase of 28.4%. Underlying net profit of $67.3 million was up 29.7%.

However, the share price was severely punished following the result.

Indeed, Pro Medicus shares closed down a sharp 23.9% on the day the company reported those strong results.

“Perhaps, the result fell short of market expectations,” Gable said.

Explaining his sell recommendation on the ASX 200 stock, he concluded, “The shares have fallen from $330.48 on July 17, 2025 to trade at $132.86 on February 12, 2026. The shares may fall further if sentiment doesn’t improve.”

Why did the ASX 200 health imaging company tumble on its results?

Like Gable, I was scratching my head when Pro Medicus shares plunged 23.9% last Thursday after the company posted record half year profits.

The six-month period also saw Pro Medicus ink more than $280 million in new contracts, and management increased the fully franked interim dividend by 28% to 32 cents per share.

Atop the high market expectations that Gable pointed to, I believe investors are also jittery regarding the potential for rapidly evolving artificial intelligence technologies to impact the company’s future earnings.

Asked about the threat that AI might pose to the outlook for Pro Medicus shares last week, CEO Sam Hupert said, “You are correct in that there has been an unprecedented amount of hype around the disruption AI will have on the software industry and to some degree healthcare.”

Hupert noted, “There are concerns at the huge level of capital expenditure committed to develop AI and build data centres to run it.”

But he believes Pro Medicus actually stands to benefit.

“Ours is a capital-light, software-only model. If anything, we will be the beneficiaries of the infrastructure funded by others,” Hupert said.

The post Sell alert! Why this expert is calling time on Pro Medicus shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a solid gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.4% to 8,972.1 points.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are falling:

Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC)

The Reliance Worldwide share price is down 8% to $3.54. This morning, this plumbing parts company released its half-year results and reported a 4.6% decline in revenue to US$645.4 million and a 34.9% decline in reported net profit after tax to US$43.7 million. Reliance revealed that it was impacted by increased US tariffs and weaker demand in the US and UK. Net sales in the Americas dropped by 7.2% and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) sales rose by 2.4%.

Santana Minerals Ltd (ASX: SMI)

The Santana Minerals share price is down 12% to 86.5 cents. This has been driven by news that the gold developer has received firm commitments from institutional and sophisticated investors to raise $130 million. These funds are being raised via a placement of approximately 144.4 million shares at 90 cents per new share. Commenting on the news, Santana Minerals’ executive director and CEO, Damian Spring, said: “This is a strong show of support for Santana and its proposed development of the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project. This placement essentially fills the equity component of funding for the development with discussions on the remaining debt funding advancing well.”

Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM)

The Sims share price is down 5% to $20.26. This follows the release of the scrap metal company’s half-year results. Sims reported a disappointing loss of $29.9 million for the half. This includes unrealised losses on derivative contracts as at the reporting date, together with a further sizeable, expected credit loss on the residual receivable from Unimetals in the UK. Despite this, the company still increased its interim dividend by 40% to 14 cents per share.

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)

The Treasury Wine share price is down a further 5% to $4.72. Investors have been selling this wine giant’s shares this week in response to the release of its half-year results. It was a tough half for Treasury Wine, with profit falling materially from the prior corresponding period. This led to the Penfolds owner suspending its dividend. The company’s CEO, Sam Fischer, said: “Today’s results come at a time when we are already making meaningful progress with the decisive actions required to return TWE to a path of sustainable, profitable growth. Our focus is firmly on the future to strengthen execution and ensure we build a stronger, more resilient business for the long term.”

The post Why Reliance, Santana Minerals, Sims, and Treasury Wine shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The Contact Energy Ltd (ASX: CEN) share price is in focus today after the company completed a NZ$450 million share placement, a key part of its NZ$525 million equity raise to support ongoing growth and investment.

What did Contact Energy report?

• Successfully completed a fully underwritten NZ$450 million institutional placement
• Equity raise totals up to NZ$525 million, including a proposed NZ$75 million non-underwritten retail offer
• Strong support from existing shareholders and demand from new international institutional investors
• Settlement for the placement expected on 20 February 2026 (NZX) and 19 February 2026 (ASX)
• All new shares to rank equally with existing ordinary shares

What else do investors need to know?

Contact Energy will open its retail offer to eligible shareholders on 19 February 2026, aiming to raise up to NZ$75 million, with the ability to accept additional subscriptions at its discretion. The retail offer closes on 6 March 2026, giving existing investors a chance to participate on similar terms to the institutional placement.

The company has emphasised fairness by ensuring all eligible institutional shareholders who applied for at least their pro-rata allocation received that amount. New shares issued will begin trading on both the NZX and ASX from 20 February 2026 (placement) and 13 March 2026 (retail offer).

What’s next for Contact Energy?

Funds raised through this placement and retail offer will support Contact Energy’s growth plans and strengthen its balance sheet as it continues to invest in New Zealand’s renewable energy future. The company says it is focused on treating shareholders fairly while providing opportunities for both existing and new investors to participate in its long-term strategy.

Contact aims to deliver value for its shareholders by advancing planned projects and initiatives aligned with its sustainability goals, keeping the energy business competitive in the changing market landscape.

Contact Energy share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Contact Energy hare have declined 3%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Contact Energy completes NZ$450m share placement for growth plans 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.

Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX: HCW) shares have jumped 5.97% higher in Tuesday lunchtime trade. At the time of writing, the shares are changing hands at 71 cents a piece. The latest spike follows the company’s half-year results for FY26, which it posted ahead of the market open this morning.

The uptick means the shares are now 1.39% lower year to date and 33.02% below where they traded this time last year.

Why HealthCo Healthcare’s shares are storming higher on results day

Here’s what the commercial health and wellness real estate assets manager posted for the half-year ended 31st December 2025:

• Revenue from ordinary activities up 6% to $30.5 million
• Revenue, including income from the share of losses/profits of equity accounted investees was down 51% to $14.7 million
• Loss from ordinary activities after tax was up 75% to $26.9 million

What happened in H1 FY26?

HealthCo Healthcare reported a 6% increase in revenue to $30.5 million. This was up from $28.7 million in the prior corresponding period (pcp).

Its revenue, including income from the share of losses/profits of equity accounted investees, dropped 51% to $14.7 million for the period. This was from $30.1 million in the prior corresponding period (pcp).

The loss from ordinary activities after tax attributable to owners of HealthCo and Wellness REIT was 75% higher at $26.9 million. This was $15.4 million in the pcp.

As expected, no interim distributions were declared during the financial half year to preserve balance sheet liquidity.

HealthCo Healthcare also noted that $77 million of its asset sales settled in H1 FY26. It also achieved a cash and undrawn debit of $155 million, and its gearing was 28.5%, which was below its 30% to 40% target range.

The update revealed that all 11 hospitals owned by HealthCo Healthcare and the Unlisted Healthcare Fund (Landlords) have paid 100% of all rent due. This is up to and including February 2026.

The Landlords have executable agreements with alternative operators on a state-by-state basis for all 11 hospitals. These agreements include new long-term lease tenure, unchanged rent and rental incentives. These will ensure sustainable commercial arrangements between the Landlords and the alternative operators. These incentives would indicatively result in a 10% to 15% near-term reduction in asset valuations.

“During the half, our priority has been to progress a long-term solution for the Healthscope hospital portfolio that ensures the continuity of essential healthcare services and maximises value for our investors. We are encouraged by the agreements reached with alternative operators and the strong operational performance of the broader portfolio. HCW’s fundamentals remain resilient, and we are focused on delivering a clear resolution that positions the platform for renewed growth and disciplined capital deployment,” HealthCo Healthcare Managing Director, real estate, Sid Sharma said.

HealthCo Healthcare Fund Manager, Christian Soberg, added:

We have maintained a strong balance sheet to ensure we are well-placed to support transition arrangements and capture future opportunities. We are making progress toward resolving the Healthscope situation with a path to restoring normalised distribution settings for our unitholders.

What’s the outlook for HealthCo Healthcare for FY26?

The company said that its key priority is to “resolve the Healthscope situation”. Healthscope is currently in receivership following a collapse under private equity ownership by Brookfield. The collapse was driven by high debt and poor financial performance. Healthscope leased four hospitals directly owned by the HealthCo Healthcare REIT and another seven owned by an associated entity.

The company said it expects to recommence distributions and issue guidance once this has been resolved. 

The post HealthCo Healthcare shares spike 6% following H1 FY26 results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Reliance, Santana Minerals, Sims, and Treasury Wine shares are falling today
• Contact Energy completes NZ$450m share placement for growth plans
• Seeking exposure to promising global stocks? Here are 2 quality ASX ETFs (and 1 LIC) to buy today
• Here’s everything you need to know about the latest BHP dividend
• Why BHP, JB Hi-Fi, Judo Capital, and PEXA shares are storming higher 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 Brookfield and Brookfield Corporation. 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 ETFs, or exchange traded funds, provide investors with the means to gain exposure to a broad basket of stocks.

They can be particularly useful if you’re looking to add global stocks to your portfolio. Rather than having to research and buy a dozen (or so) international stocks, you can get that diversity, and more, from an ETF with a single investment.

Below we look at two ASX ETFs and one listed investment company (LIC) that hold a number of promising and potentially undervalued global stocks (courtesy of The Bull).

If you’re unfamiliar with LICS, they’re similar to ETFs in many ways, but they are closed-end funds. Meaning they issue a fixed number of shares on the ASX that investors can buy. ETFs are open-end funds which buy and sell shares depending on market demand.

With that said…

Two buy-rated ASX ETFs for global stock investors

First up we have the Betashares Global Shares Ex US ETF (ASX: EXUS).

As the name implies, the fund invests in global stocks outside the United States.

“The US accounts for more than 70% of global market size. Some investors are seeking further diversification and less concentration risk,” said DP Wealth Advisory’ Andrew Wielandt, who has a buy rating on the ASX ETF.

According to Wielandt:

At end of January 2026, main holdings in this ETF included ASML, Roche and HSBC. Geographically, exposure at the end of January 2026 included Japan, the United Kingdom and Canada. While the ETF was only listed on the ASX in November 2025, the index it follows has shown returns of more 12 per cent per annum over the past five years.

Which brings us to the second ASX ETF focused on global stocks outside of Australia, the BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF – Currency Hedged (ASX: FUEL).

FUEL holds some of largest global energy companies, excluding companies listed in Australia, hedged into Australian dollars.

“I have been bullish on commodities for the past two years. The uptrend in precious metals was followed by base metals,” said Fairmont Equities’ Michael Gable. “Now, I believe the energy sector is poised for a bull run in response to increasing demand.”

Explaining his buy rating on FUEL, Gable concluded:

This exchange traded fund captures the biggest global oil and gas companies. Not only are many investors still underweight in the energy sector, but this ETF is now breaking out of a multi-year trading range. This means the ETF is most likely at the start of a major uptrend, which should last throughout 2026, in my view.

Don’t forget this internationally focused ASX LIC

Moving from ASX ETFs to an ASX LIC, we find the L1 Global Long Short Fund Ltd (ASX: GLS). As a long-short fund, GLS has the potential to gain from both rising and falling stocks.

“GLS targets high quality undervalued companies across developed markets,” DP Wealth Advisory’s Wielandt said. “The fund is managed by co-chief investment officers Raphael Lamm and Mark Landau.”

Commenting on his buy rating on the ASX LIC, Wielandt explained:

Both chief investment officers have established a top track record in operating long and short strategies, taking advantage of market rises and falls, depending on how their portfolio is positioned.

With consistent exposure across Asia, North America and Europe, the L1 Capital team has driven risk-adjusted returns that aren’t held hostage to following the MSCI global benchmark. We expect the fund’s solid performance from June 2025 to continue.

The post Seeking exposure to promising global stocks? Here are 2 quality ASX ETFs (and 1 LIC) to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Owners of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares can rejoice because the latest dividend payment was just announced in its FY26 half-year result and it was a big increase of the passive income payout.

As a commodity business, BHP’s profit is significantly influenced by what happens with resource prices. A higher resource price can largely add straight onto the bottom line because it’s getting much more revenue for the same level of production.

BHP revealed that its sold copper price rose 32%, helping the copper underlying operating profit (EBITDA) soar 59% to US$8 billion. Copper made up just over half of the company’s earnings.

Overall revenue grew 11% to US$27.9 billion, underlying EBITDA rose 25% to US$15.5 billion and attributable profit jumped 28% to US$5.6 billion.

BHP dividend announced

BHP’s board of directors decided to declare a fully franked dividend of US 73 cents per share. That represented a year-over-year increase of close to 50%.

The ASX mining share said that this represented a dividend payout ratio of 60% of profit.

BHP said this extends its track record of strong returns while balancing investment in growth. It noted that after this dividend is paid, it will have paid more than US$110 billion to shareholders since the introduction of the capital allocation framework in 2016.

Important dates

The ex-dividend date tells investors the cut-off date to be entitled to the upcoming dividend. Investors need to own BHP shares before this date to ensure they receive the dividend.

BHP said that the ex-dividend date for ASX investors is 5 March 2026, which is just over two weeks away. That means investors need to own BHP shares before the end of trading on 4 March 2026 to be entitled to the interim dividend.

The BHP dividend will be paid on 26 March 2026, with the dividend re-investment plan (DRP) allocation date being 13 April 2026. Investors who want to take part in the DRP need to do so before 5pm on 9 March 2026.

How could the BHP dividend payments progress?

The ASX mining share‘s shorter-term success will be heavily influenced by what happens with resource prices.

BHP revealed what it’s seeing and expecting with demand, which will be important for the resource prices:

CY26 copper demand is expected to remain strong off its current high base. Seaborne iron ore demand is expected to stabilise at a high level in CY26, while seaborne metallurgical coal demand could recover modestly driven by India and developing economies.

Indian commodity demand continues to grow strongly, driven by broad-based sectoral growth and underpinned by the ongoing capacity additions in the steel and metals value chain (e.g. blast furnaces in steel, smelting and refining in copper).

Over the long term, population growth, urbanisation, rising living standards, and the infrastructure required for digitisation and decarbonisation are all expected to drive demand for steel and copper. Growing global population and rising incomes will shift dietary patterns and the need to improve soil productivity, underpinning long-term potash demand.

In other words, the outlook seems positive for ongoing good profitability and BHP’s dividend payouts.

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

More reading

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• BHP Group posts 28% profit jump and higher dividend in half-year earnings
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. 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) is on form again and pushing higher. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.3% to 8,966.4 points.

Four ASX shares that are rising more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are storming higher:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The BHP Group share price is up 7% to $53.92. Investors have been buying this mining giant’s shares following the release of its half-year results. The Big Australian reported an 11% increase in revenue to US$27.9 billion and a 25% lift in underlying EBITDA to US$15.46 billion. A key driver of this growth was its copper operation, which delivered record EBITDA of US$8 billion. This meant that copper contributed the majority of earnings for the first time in its history. Looking ahead, management has increased its FY 2026 group copper guidance to the range of 1.9 Mt to 2.0 Mt.

JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH)

The JB Hi-Fi share price is up a further 8% to $89.32. Investors have been buying the retail giant’s shares this week after it released its half-year results. JB Hi-Fi reported a 7.3% increase in total sales to $6.1 billion and a 7.1% lift in net profit after tax to $305.8 million. Commenting on the results, JB Hi-Fi’s CEO, Nick Wells, said: “We are pleased to report record sales and strong earnings for HY26, as we built on the momentum of the previous year. In a retail environment where customers are seeking value, our brands continue to resonate strongly and our teams continue to execute to a high standard.”

Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO)

The Judo Capital share price is up 4% to $1.92. The catalyst for this has been the release of the lender’s half-year results this morning. Judo Capital reported a 46% increase in statutory net profit after tax to $59.9 million and a 53% jump in profit before tax to $86.5 million. The company’s CEO, Chris Bayliss, said: “Today’s result demonstrates that Judo continues to successfully execute against its clear and simple strategy. We are on track to achieving our existing FY26 guidance for significant profit growth and realising the operating leverage inherent in our business model.”

PEXA Group Ltd (ASX: PXA)

The PEXA Group share price is up 5.5% to $14.63. This follows news that the property settlement technology company has decided to exit its majority-owned Digital Solutions businesses following a strategic review. In addition, the company has upgraded its FY 2026 EBITDA margin guidance to 34% to 37% (from 32% to 35%).

The post Why BHP, JB Hi-Fi, Judo Capital, and PEXA shares are storming higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s everything you need to know about the latest BHP dividend
• ASX recap: 5 most traded shares last week
• Is JB Hi-Fi a buy, sell or hold following its half-year result?
• Why the Pexa share price is on the rise today
• BHP shares jump 8% on strong half-year result and big dividend increase

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

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed 0.5% higher at the end of last week, and the upward momentum has continued this week too. At the time of writing on Tuesday morning, the index is another 0.47% higher for the day, and now 2.89% higher for the year-to-date.

Earnings season has taken its toll on some sectors of the market, while defensive stocks continued to outperform.

New data from CommSec reveals the Australian shares that were most traded by its clients last week, and the results might be surprising.

5 most traded ASX shares

Droneshield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares have been a firm favourite among its clients for several weeks now. But last week sentiment shifted and CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares became the star of the show. 

The biotech company’s shares crashed nearly 17% over the course of the week after the company released a soft half-year result and announced a shock CEO exit.

Analysts have been positive on CSL shares for some time, with many tipping an extraordinary comeback this year. And it looks like, after a brutal sell-off, many investors saw a buying opportunity. The stock was the most traded among the bank’s clients last week, and 79% of activity was buying.

The share price has failed to rebound just yet, with an increase just under 1% this week so far.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares were the second most-traded, but most of the activity (78%) was investors selling up their stock. This is most likely investors taking profits after the shares jumped 10% following the bank’s surprisingly strong half-year results announcement. 

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares were the third most traded, with most activity (80%) being from buyers after the shares dropped over 13% throughout the week amid a broad pullback in the tech sector.

While Droneshield shares weren’t a priority last week, they were still on investors’ minds. The shares came in fourth place, mostly down to buying activity. 

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) shares were the fifth most traded ASX share among Commsec’s clients last week. The shares are significantly lower than their all-time high in January thanks to a few headwinds, but analysts are still bullish about their outlook this year.

What other ASX shares were investors interested in?

CommSec clients were also interested in buying AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP), Pro Medics Ltd (ASX: PME) and Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) shares last week.

There was also a lot of selling activity around ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares throughout the week.

The post ASX recap: 5 most traded shares last week 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 CSL, DroneShield, Electro Optic Systems, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group, CSL, and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.