Category: Stock Market

Southern Cross Electrical Engineer Ltd (ASX: SXE) shares have been strong performers over the past 12 months.

During this time, the ASX stock has risen approximately 140%.

The good news is that the team at Bell Potter believes there are more gains to come from the specialised electrical provider’s shares.

What is the broker saying about this ASX stock?

Bell Potter notes that Southern Cross Electrical Engineering has announced a number of major contract wins along with a trading update and equity raising.

The former includes contracts with NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO). It said:

Three major contracts were awarded across the Data Centre and Resources sectors valued at over $150.0m. These include: 1) a Limited Letter of Authorisation by Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd to immediately commence initial electrical and communications works on the first stage of NEXTDC’s S4 Data Centre in Horsley Park, NSW; 2) a contract by a major data centre operator to supply LV switchroom skids for a facility in Western Sydney; and 3) a Master Construction Agreement for Electrical, Instrumentation and Controls works from Rio Tinto.

The broker was also pleased to see the company upgrade its earnings guidance for FY 2026. It adds:

Strong contract delivery in 2H FY26-to-date has prompted the company to upgrade FY26 EBITDA guidance from >$72.0m to >$75.0m (BPe $72.5m; VA $72.5m). In addition, SXE has issued initial FY27 EBITDA guidance of >$100.0m (BPe $79.1m; VA $80.4m), representing a 33% uplift on the upgraded FY26 EBITDA estimate driven by the contract awards mentioned above and expected near-term award opportunities in the data centre sector and other industries.

Valuation boosted

According to the note, Bell Potter has responded to the update by retaining its buy rating on the ASX stock with an improved price target of $5.40 (from $3.70).

Based on its current share price of $4.02, this implies potential upside of almost 35% for investors over the next 12 months.

In addition, a fully franked 2.1% dividend yield is expected over the period.

Commenting on its investment thesis, Bell Potter said:

Our Target Price lifts to $5.40/sh (up from $3.70/sh), given a more optimistic mediumterm revenue growth outlook, underpinned by rising investment momentum in the Data Centre and BESS construction markets. Our upgraded Target Price implies a NTM PE of 27.9x (41% premium to the peer group). This premium is justified given the company’s strong prospects of delivering acquisition accretion in the near-term.

The post Bell Potter says this ASX stock could rise 35% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why Bell Potter is bullish on Rio Tinto shares amid a commodities ‘supercycle’
• Atlas Arteria urges shareholders to reject IFM’s $5.10 takeover bid
• Qube shareholders vote on $5.20 takeover offer
• How high does UBS think News Corp shares will go?
• HomeCo Daily Needs REIT posts $92m valuation gain, reaffirms guidance

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nextdc. 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 Southern Cross Electrical Engineering. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Media companies have been under significant pressure in recent years as advertising dollars increasingly flow to online competitors.

News Corporation (ASX: NWS) is quite different from traditional media companies, however.

While it does have a division of what you’d consider traditional media, which publishes newspapers and online news, it also holds a 61.4% stake in digital real estate company REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA), and has divisions that focus on business intelligence in Dow Jones, and oil market data in Dow Jones Energy.

The analyst team at UBS has run the ruler over the company’s various divisions, and is predicting solid share price gains over the next 12 months – I’ll get to that shortly.

Firstly, let’s have a look at what they’re saying about the company.

Business data the key to growth

The UBS team said in their research note to clients this week that despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and AI uncertainty, “News Corp has continued to prove resilient, with the share price down 2% over the last 6 months despite REA down 17%”.

UBS said Dow Jones continued to be a key growth engine, delivering about 14% EBITDA on a compound basis over 2022-25.

The analysts said they see “meaningful headroom” for Dow Jones to grow and support double-digit EBITDA growth for News over the next three years.

As they said:

Across News Corp’s earnings segments, Dow Jones has been the fastest-growing contributor to Group EBITDA between FY21-25, with its share increasing from 21% to 36%. While segment-level EBITDA drivers are difficult to break out, growth in DJ revenue has been primarily driven by DJ Risk (avg 15% yoy over FY23-25) followed by Energy (avg +13%yoy), reflecting ongoing demand for corporate risk data and commodities pricing insights amidst global geopolitical uncertainty and AI tailwind.

The Dow Jones Risk division provides proprietary anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) data, which UBS said is used by financial institutions, corporates, and government agencies worldwide.

They added:

Demand for both AML/KYC and sanctions data has accelerated in recent years, driven by heightened geopolitical risk, expanding regulatory complexity and broader adoption of AI-enabled compliance workflows, which are increasing the need for trusted, structured data sets.

UBS is predicting Dow Jones will increase its market share in this field from 9% to 12% by FY29.

On the energy front, UBS said Dow Jones Energy was likely to benefit from the ongoing oil supply chain disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict.

News Corp shares looking cheap

UBS has lowered its price target for News Corp shares from $58 to $56, which is still 34.2% higher than the current price of $41.74.

The company is valued at $23.04 billion.

The post How high does UBS think News Corp shares will go? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why Bell Potter is bullish on Rio Tinto shares amid a commodities ‘supercycle’
• Atlas Arteria urges shareholders to reject IFM’s $5.10 takeover bid
• Qube shareholders vote on $5.20 takeover offer
• Bell Potter says this ASX stock could rise 35%
• HomeCo Daily Needs REIT posts $92m valuation gain, reaffirms guidance

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.

The HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN) share price is in focus after the real estate investment trust reported a $92 million preliminary unaudited valuation gain for the June 2026 quarter, up 1.8% on the prior period, and reaffirmed key earnings guidance.

What did HomeCo Daily Needs REIT report?

• Preliminary unaudited valuation gain of $92 million (+1.8%) for the quarter ending 30 June 2026
• Portfolio value lifted to $5,187 million from $5,095 million at 31 December 2025
• Gearing maintained at midpoint of 30–40% target range
• Quarterly distribution of 2.15 cents per unit declared
• FY26 distribution per unit (DPU) guidance of 8.6 cents reaffirmed
• FY26 funds from operations (FFO) guidance of 9.0 cents per unit reaffirmed

What else do investors need to know?

All 46 properties in the HomeCo Daily Needs REIT portfolio were valued, with 19 independently assessed and the remainder by internal valuation. Capital expenditure for the quarter totalled $48 million, contributing to the portfolio’s net valuation increase of $44 million when factoring in capex.

The trust continues to benefit from exposure to leading national retailers, high occupancy above 99%, and strong rent collection. Hedge coverage was extended to 60% of drawn debt through to June 2027, supporting funding certainty.

What did HomeCo Daily Needs REIT management say?

HomeCo Daily Needs REIT Fund Manager Paul Doherty said:

HDN has recorded positive net revaluation gains for the fifth consecutive period. The positive valuation gain has been driven by net operating income growth and accretive tenant led developments.

Investor demand for daily needs retail property remains strong with investors attracted to the secure investment fundamentals underpinned by the non-discretionary focus of the income and high-quality tenant covenants. The portfolio continues to benefit from its exposure to leading national retailers, Australia’s fastest growing metropolitan areas and our disciplined approach to capital deployment. As a result, HDN has consistently delivered industry leading operational performance with high occupancy and rent collection of >99%, complemented by our developments delivering incremental net operating income and valuation gains.

Gearing remains at the midpoint of our target range and during the period hedge coverage was extended to 60 per cent through to June 2027. We reaffirm our FY26 guidance of 9.0 cents FFO per unit and 8.6 cents per unit in distributions.

What’s next for HomeCo Daily Needs REIT?

Guidance for FY26 remains unchanged, with management optimistic about ongoing operating performance and capital management. HomeCo Daily Needs REIT is focused on further growing its daily needs retail footprint, continuing tenant-led developments, and maintaining its disciplined investment strategy.

The Distribution Reinvestment Plan is activated for the June 2026 quarter with no discount, offering unitholders the flexibility to reinvest distributions.

HomeCo Daily Needs REIT share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, HomeCo Daily Needs REIT shares have remained flat, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post HomeCo Daily Needs REIT posts $92m valuation gain, reaffirms guidance appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Atlas Arteria urges shareholders to reject IFM’s $5.10 takeover bid
• Qube shareholders vote on $5.20 takeover offer
• Centuria Industrial REIT unveils data centre strategy
• Centuria Capital Group unveils AI-powered growth at Investor Day
• Contact Energy’s May 2026 report shows higher sales and lower costs

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 recommended HomeCo Daily Needs REIT. 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.

Defensive ASX shares have attracted plenty of attention from investors in recent years.

But after strong share price moves across parts of the market, are the big names in this article still buys?

Here’s what brokers are saying.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

The first ASX share to look at is Coles. The supermarket giant remains one of the more defensive businesses on the ASX. Australians continue buying groceries through all parts of the economic cycle, which gives Coles a level of earnings resilience that many discretionary retailers do not have.

UBS is positive on the company and currently has a buy rating and $25.50 price target on its shares. Based on the current Coles share price of $23.51, that implies potential upside of approximately 8.5%.

UBS is also forecasting dividends per share of 77 cents in FY 2026 and 89 cents in FY 2027. This represents dividend yields of approximately 3.3% and 3.8%, respectively.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Another defensive ASX share that is popular with investors is Telstra.

The telco giant has a large mobile network, strong brand, and exposure to essential communications services. That can make it attractive to income-focused investors.

However, the share price already appears to reflect a fair amount of good news.

Macquarie currently has a neutral (hold) rating and $5.57 price target on Telstra shares. Based on the current share price of $5.10, the price target suggests potential upside of approximately 9.2%.

As for income, Macquarie expects dividends per share of 21 cents in FY 2026 and 21.5 cents in FY 2027. That implies forward yields of approximately 4.1% and 4.2%, respectively.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

A third ASX share that has defensive qualities is Wesfarmers.

It owns some of Australia’s strongest retail businesses, including Bunnings and Kmart. These brands have scale, loyal customers, and strong market positions.

But quality can come at a price. Macquarie has a neutral rating and $85.00 price target on Wesfarmers shares. This compares with the current Wesfarmers share price of $86.23.

With respect to income, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 192 cents in FY 2026 and 224 cents in FY 2027. Based on the current share price, this represents forward yields of approximately 2.2% and 2.6%.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

A final defensive ASX share that is popular with investors is Woolworths.

Like Coles, Woolworths benefits from defensive supermarket demand. It also has scale, a major store network, and a large digital business. But Bell Potter is not calling it a buy at current levels.

The broker has a hold rating and $35.50 price target on Woolworths shares. This compares with the current share price of $38.23.

Bell Potter expects dividends per share of 91 cents in FY 2026 and 94 cents in FY 2027. This represents forward dividend yields of approximately 2.4% and 2.5%.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Coles, Telstra, Wesfarmers, and Woolworths shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Aussie Broadband, Coles, EOS, and Santos shares are falling on Monday
• Could Elon Musk’s SpaceX take a bite out of Telstra shares?

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

The Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) share price is in focus as the company holds its Investor Day, where company is expected to discuss its data centre strategy and pipeline highlights, including new development opportunities and expansion plans across multiple Australian sites.

What did Centuria Industrial REIT report?

• Presented a detailed data centre strategy targeting real estate returns with no direct operating risk.
• Highlighted current operational assets, including Telstra-leased data centre in Clayton (VIC), Thomastown (VIC), Toowoomba (QLD), and Malaga (WA).
• Outlined multiple future data centre developments backed by significant urban infill landholdings.
• Confirmed strong long-term leases with major tenants such as Telstra, Fujitsu, and Centuria DC.
• Emphasised a focus on securing power allocations and planning approvals for data centre conversions.

What else do investors need to know?

Centuria Industrial REIT (CIP) continues to grow its position as Australia’s largest domestic pure play industrial REIT, with data centre real estate now a critical part of its growth plan. The company is leveraging its large portfolio of urban land parcels to unlock value through conversion and development of data centre properties, taking advantage of strong demand, particularly for facilities suited to AI and hyperscale computing.

New power studies and planning applications have been advanced at key sites, such as Clayton and Thomastown, both targeting ready-for-service dates from 2029. CIP is also exploring various funding options, including possible joint ventures, land sales, and capital partnerships—demonstrating flexibility in realising future value.

What’s next for Centuria Industrial REIT?

Looking ahead, CIP is focused on progressing data centre development across its portfolio, particularly by unlocking additional power capacity and securing planning approvals. Recent acquisitions and site expansions, like Toowoomba’s facility and the future conversion options at Clayton and Thomastown, position Centuria to meet the rising demand from hyperscale and AI workloads.

Management has reiterated openness to partnering with other capital providers and data centre operators, and flagged the potential for further value creation from possible asset demergers or joint ventures.

Centuria Industrial REIT share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Centuria Industrial REIT shares have declined 4%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Centuria Industrial REIT unveils data centre strategy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Atlas Arteria urges shareholders to reject IFM’s $5.10 takeover bid
• Qube shareholders vote on $5.20 takeover offer
• HomeCo Daily Needs REIT posts $92m valuation gain, reaffirms guidance
• Buy, hold, sell: Coles, Telstra, Wesfarmers, and Woolworths shares
• Centuria Capital Group unveils AI-powered growth at Investor Day

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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. 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.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have been an excellent investment over the last 30 years for Aussies. One of the best aspects of owning the ASX bank share has been the dividend payments.

Dividends aren’t guaranteed of course, but when a business generates resilient net profit, then it can deliver reliable (and hopefully growing) dividends.

CBA may be the most reliable of the big four ASX bank shares, but it’s good to consider what the dividend may look like. Let’s look at analyst estimates for the next couple of financial years.

FY26

We’re close to the end of the 2026 financial year, though we’ve only seen the FY26 interim dividend from CBA at this stage.

The ASX bank share will announce the dividend for the second half of FY26 with its annual result in August.

The independent forecast on Commsec suggests that the bank’s annual dividend per CBA share could be $5.15 in FY26. At the time of writing, that translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.5% for FY26, including franking credits.

The latest update from the bank was its FY26 third-quarter update. What happens with its financial performance is essential because profit funds the dividend payments, so investors should consider the business’ performance if they’re hoping for compelling dividend growth.

It reported a quarterly cash profit of around $2.7 billion. While this represented a year-over-year increase of 4%, it was a 1% reduction compared to the quarterly average of the first half of FY26. A mixed bag. Profit generation is key for the CBA share price.

CBA noted that underlying expenses increased 1% largely because of higher cloud computing volumes, software licensing and investment in AI capabilities.

However, on the income side, operating income was flat in the quarter, with a stable net interest margin (NIM). The ASX bank share noted 12.5% ($21.6 billion) business lending growth, 9.1% ($38.3 billion) household deposit growth and 7.1% ($41.2 billion) home lending growth.

But, CBA also faced a $316 million loan impairment expense for the quarter, with higher collective provisions reflecting heightened geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty. Commonwealth Bank did try to reassure investors by stating its underlying portfolio credit quality remains sound.

FY27

CBA will also have to deal with the potential flow-on effects from changes to the Australian taxation system in FY27 (and onwards). The adjustment to negative gearing and capital gains tax could impact demand for loans.

I’m not sure how Australian property prices will go over the longer-term, but it’s possible there could be some headwinds in the shorter-term, which could show up in CBA’s financials.

Hopefully, for CBA’s sake, owner occupiers can make up the demand for established homes and investor capital refocuses on (building) new properties rather than reducing overall.

I’m optimistic that CBA’s earnings can remain resilient while continuing its good business loan growth.

The current projection on Commsec suggests the business can pay an annual dividend per CBA share of $5.45 in FY27, a solid increase of 5.8%. That translates into a forward grossed-up dividend yield of 4.9%, including franking credits.

With a forward yield of less than 5%, there could be other ASX shares that offer better dividend income.

The post Here’s the dividend forecast out to 2027 for CBA shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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.

The Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) share price is in focus today as the ASX-listed investment manager showcased its rapidly growing $21.8 billion assets under management and leading-edge AI data centre capabilities at its Investor Day.

What did Centuria Capital Group report?

• Assets under management (AUM) reached $21.8 billion as at 31 December 2025
• Over 150 unlisted funds and loan SPVs under management, with 15,500 unlisted investors
• Expanded vertically integrated operations with more than 500 staff
• Launched Australia’s first sovereign AI Factory (AI-F1) in partnership with ResetData
• Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) data centre pipeline targeting over 200MW of capacity by 2030
• Market cap stands at $1.8 billion, with recent NPAT of $113 million and a 4.9% dividend yield

What else do investors need to know?

Centuria is deepening its footprint in the digital infrastructure space, establishing a fully integrated platform that spans real estate, development, and operations. Its partnership with ResetData makes it one of only three NVIDIA Cloud Partners in Australia, strengthening its competitive edge in the rapidly growing AI compute sector.

The company highlighted its strategy to deliver scalable AI factories and data centre capacity through both existing assets and new developments. Centuria’s vertically integrated approach allows the group to pivot quickly and meet demand from enterprise and government clients, while drawing on a strong network of institutional and banking partners.

What’s next for Centuria Capital Group?

Centuria aims to ramp up deployment of AI-enabled data centre capacity nationwide, targeting more than 200MW across its property pipeline by 2030. The group is pursuing further customer partnerships and exploring options like equity partnerships, partial sell-downs, and potential IPOs for its digital platforms.

Management is confident that strong customer interest, combined with power and infrastructure availability, positions Centuria well to capture ongoing growth in sovereign and enterprise AI demand.

Centuria Capital Group share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Centuria Capital Group shares have risen 27%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Centuria Capital Group unveils AI-powered growth at Investor Day 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 positions in and has recommended Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia. 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 Contact Energy Ltd (ASX: CEN) share price is in focus after the company’s May 2026 operating report revealed higher mass market electricity and gas sales volumes, alongside lower generation costs compared to the same time last year.

What did Contact Energy report?

• Mass market electricity and gas sales rose to 461GWh (up from 365GWh in May 2025)
• Customer netback increased to $148.13/MWh (May 2025: $145.13/MWh)
• Contracted wholesale electricity sales reached 1,027GWh (May 2025: 768GWh)
• Electricity generated or acquired for the month totalled 1,034GWh (May 2025: 842GWh)
• Unit generation cost dropped to $37.11/MWh (May 2025: $49.26/MWh)
• Otahuhu ASX futures settlement price as of 11 June 2026 was $111.85/MWh (down from $144/MWh at 30 April 2026)

What else do investors need to know?

Contact Energy highlighted favourable storage conditions, with South Island controlled hydro storage at 120% of mean and North Island at 149% of mean as of 11 June 2026. Clutha scheme storage was also above average, aiding operational flexibility.

The company’s renewable development pipeline continues to progress, with major projects such as the Kōwhai Park Solar and Te Mihi Stage 2 geothermal under construction with expected online dates between late 2026 and 2028. Contracted gas volume for the next 12 months stands at 8.2PJ.

New Zealand electricity demand in May 2026 was 1.5% higher than in May 2025, indicating steady market conditions despite a warmer average temperature for the month.

What’s next for Contact Energy?

Contact Energy will focus on advancing its renewable projects to support future growth and align with decarbonisation goals. The Kōwhai Park Solar remains on track for completion by Q3 2026, followed by further expansion in geothermal, battery, and solar assets through 2028.

With controlled hydro storage levels remaining strong and wholesale electricity prices easing off recent highs, Contact Energy appears well-positioned to manage both rising demand and cost pressures in the near term.

Contact Energy share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Contact Energy shares have declined 8%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Contact Energy’s May 2026 report shows higher sales and lower costs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Centuria Capital Group unveils AI-powered growth at Investor Day
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Qube Holdings scheme update: Dividend and key dates revealed
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Abacus Storage King announces June 2026 distribution

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 mining sector has been a great place to invest over the past 12 months.

The good news is that Bell Potter doesn’t believe it is too late to add exposure to the sector.

This is especially the case given its belief that we are still in the early innings of a sustained supercycle.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter highlights that several megatrends are colliding and supporting structurally higher prices. It said:

Several megatrends are now colliding with a resource base that has been starved of investment for a decade. We believe new and higher price floors are being established across a basket of commodities. We see this as the early innings of a sustained supercycle. A supercycle is a structural rather than cyclical shift in demand that plays out over many years, globally and broadly at once. The 2000s cycle was built on China’s industrialisation and urbanisation, and was intensive in bulk, fuel-type commodities: iron ore, coal and oil.

The cycle now forming is intensive in the materials behind electrification and compute power: copper, aluminium, uranium, lithium, nickel, and rare earths. Three structural forces are driving it together: the AI capital expenditure boom, global electrification, and deglobalisation. At the same time, supply across several of these commodities is structurally constrained, copper most of all. That constraint is the mechanism that turns strong demand into durable price floors rather than a short-lived cyclical spike.

How can you play the supercycle?

According to the note, Bell Potter has named four ASX exchange traded funds (ETFs) that it believes would be great options for investors looking for exposure to the mining supercycle.

The first two are the Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM) and the Global X Uranium AUD ETF (ASX: ATOM) for uranium exposure. Bell Potter highlights that uranium gives investors “direct exposure to the power constraint on AI and clean energy, with its own tight supply story.”

If you are looking for copper exposure, it has named Global X Copper Miners AUD ETF (ASX: WIRE) as one to buy. The broker notes that copper is “the cleanest beneficiary of both the AI / grid build-out and electrification, against a constrained supply outlook.” For this reason, copper is its top commodity pick right now.

And with Bell Potter expecting the gold price to remain strong, it is tipping the VanEck Gold Miners AUD ETF (ASX: GDX) as a buy. It believes the “de-dollarisation and central bank buying are long term structural thematics that will support the gold price.”

The broker concludes:

Spot prices have already moved, with copper setting fresh records in early 2026. The miners, however, should be supported by a higher-for-longer price environment that consensus is not yet pricing. Sell-side estimates still assume reversion towards lower long-run price decks, so sustained elevated prices are reflected neither in forward earnings nor in current share prices. There will no doubt be volatility in commodity and share prices over the medium term, but we would take any weakness as a buying opportunity into this long term thematic.

The post 4 ASX ETFs to buy for the mining supercycle appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX ETFs positioned to outperform in today’s uncertain geopolitical climate
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price has been steadily falling over the last several weeks, as the below chart shows. Sometimes, large declines can be buying opportunities, while other times it’s a reflection of a fair price.  

A lot has happened in the last few months. The Middle East conflict, inflation, higher interest rates and an Australian federal budget.

For me, it’s no wonder there has been volatility this year for the Westpac share price. At this stage, the ASX bank share has dropped 17% since April 2026.

Let’s take a look at whether experts think whether the ASX bank share is attractive or not after falling quite a lot in the past couple of months.

Expert views on the Westpac share price

According to CMC Invest, there have been nine ratings on the ASX bank share within the last three months. Of those nine ratings, three were holds, and six were sells.

So, while the investment professionals weren’t all negative, the average view definitely leans negatively.

Of those nine ratings, the price target from those ratings is $34.22. A price target is where the analyst thinks the share price will be in 12 months from the time of the investment call.  

Therefore, investors are suggesting the Westpac share price could fall slightly in the year ahead.

The most optimistic price target is $40.39, implying a possible rise of 14%, while the most negative price target is $30.29. That suggests a potential further decline of 14% from where it is at the time of writing.

So, despite the fall, analysts aren’t expecting much from the ASX bank share.

Why the negative outlook on the ASX bank share?

There are a few elements that investors should keep in mind.

For starters, Westpac is one of the most heavily-exposed ASX banks to home loans, whereas National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) and ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) have higher exposure to business banking.

The change to capital gains tax (CGT) and negative gearing may have a negative impact on residential property loan demand. According to reporting by the Australian Financial Review, Westpac housing investor loan applications have declined 20% over the last three weeks.

Additionally, the fallout of the Middle East conflict has led to banks increasing their loan provisions, hurting short-term profitability.

In the FY26 half-year result, the bank reported a statutory net profit of $3.4 billion, which was down 3% year-over-year and down 5% compared to the second half of FY25.

Its cash net profit was $3.5 billion, representing a 1% decline year-over-year and half over half.

How much is a business worth if its net profit is going backwards? A lower price/earnings (P/E) ratio is justified, in my view.

The main positive for me was the fact that Westpac grew its loan book and deposits by 7%. If its loan book can continue growing by solid single-digits, this should be a good tailwind for earnings and the Westpac share price in the long-term.

For me, it seems like there are other ASX shares that have more potential.

The post Is the Westpac share price a buy in June? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Buying ASX 200 bank stocks like Westpac and CBA shares? Here’s why these funds are betting against you
• Here’s what Westpac says the RBA will do with interest rates next week
• Why the RBA’s decision next week could be the most important event for ASX shares in 2026
• Sell alert! Why this expert is calling time on NAB and Westpac shares

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 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.