Category: Stock Market

There was lots of coverage about the liquidation of Barbecues Galore in the media last week (I should know, I was asked about it, a lot!).

Without being on the inside, it feels like a pretty run-of-the-mill business failure – a single category retailer which, facing increased competition, higher costs and reduced discretionary spending, can’t keep the lights on.

I don’t mean that flippantly, or without care, of course. But it’s not unusual.

Far, far bigger, in my view, is this week’s decision by Lincraft.

The homewares and fabric retailer isn’t going broke. But it is shutting down every single physical store.

And becoming a pure-play online retailer.

That is… huge.

It is the first mainstream example in Australia of a retailer whose centre of gravity has tipped so considerably towards ecommerce, that it’s not just closing a few stores, but doing away with physical retail altogether.

Yes, that’s partly because physical retail has got tougher with rising costs and less discretionary spending.

But it’s partly because Australians are voting with our wallets: sure, we’re not making our own homewares and clothing as much, but that’s only a small contributor. The big one? We’re increasingly shopping online, and that’s shaking up traditional retailing.

As I wrote recently:

“Real estate? I wouldn’t want to invest in mid-tier retail real estate for quids. The big ‘destination’ centres will probably be okay. The local shopping centres will be fine for now, but bear watching if/when some individual stores become unprofitable as more shopping goes online. But the mid-tier stuff, that is neither a destination, nor local? That feels really risky to me.”

Essentially, while many customers will still want to walk into a physical store to look at, touch and try before they buy, that number is steadily decreasing.

But what’s not decreasing is the fixed costs of running a retail store; things like rent, electricity, a basic level of staffing, inventory, fittings and more.

Here’s where it hits, hard. And why the change will come sooner than many think.

When your revenues fall below a certain level – and that decline will be less than 10% for many individual stores – you can’t cover those fixed costs any more.

And so, even while your sales remain decently high, you go from making a reasonable profit to losing money.

If that’s temporary, you can probably carry some losses for a while.

But if it’s a permanent structural shift?

I don’t want to speak for (or potentially misrepresent) the good people at Lincraft, but I suspect that’s what they’re facing, at least in part.

And what other retailers will increasingly face.

In the article I wrote, featuring the quote above, I mentioned that at David Jones, “sales fell 8%, [but] the company’s online sales were up 10%.“

How long do you reckon DJs can absorb those store level declines before the stores themselves are loss-making?

Indeed, I have no inside information, but I’d bet a small amount of money that there are some medium and large retail chains nursing store-level losses at a decent minority of their stores already.

They should close those stores, but a combination of long-term rental agreements, and the need to look like they’re growing, probably means they’re happy to paper over the cracks.

And here’s the thing: even if that assumption is wrong, it’s the direction many, many retailers are heading, whether they admit it or not.

For how much longer will we need more than 1,100 Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) supermarkets? Around 200 Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN) stores, and the same number of JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) outlets? Will we need 300 K-Marts around the country?

David Jones and Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) surely can’t sustain even the 100-odd stores they have between them for more than another few years. (My bet? We’ll have fewer than 30 by the time they’re finished closing stores. Maybe half of that number.)

And if/when those groups are forced to close loss-making stores? They’ll be hoping their brands and online offerings are strong enough to convince current customers to shop online, instead.

Some of them will be right. But all of them?

Lincraft has had the foresight and courage to do the right thing, however much they’d prefer to have done otherwise. Other retailers closed down, altogether, because their online sales weren’t high enough to justify such a move.

Those are the two paths for other retailers to choose to walk… or the market will decide for them. Or, if they take too long, the administrators or liquidators.

If I was on the board of a retail company, I’d want to know what plans management had to turbo-charge online sales growth, and to minimise the length of retail tenancy agreements, to give the company maximum flexibility as consumer shopping habits continue to change.

Yes, some physical retailers will survive, or even thrive, if they can offer something truly unique that sufficient numbers of people want, and are prepared to pay for.

But remember those store economics: even if 75% or 80% of their customers want to shop in-store, that’s nowhere near enough to support the current cost base of many retailers. Perhaps 90% in most cases.

Which means the tipping point is much closer than many expect. And could well be exacerbated (and accelerated) if discretionary retail sales remain subdued.

Okay, that all sounds pretty pessimistic. And it is, if you’re a retailer with little online presence and momentum.

But it also presents opportunities, both for retailers and their shareholders.

When buggies were challenged by cars, the best buggy-makers added engines (no, not literally, but Studebaker was once the world’s largest maker of horse-drawn carriages).

Canadian ice hockey great Wayne Gretzky famously said “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

The impulse to circle the wagons is understandable, and actually makes sense when it comes to temporary or passing threats.

But when faced with a structural change, swimming with the tide beats swimming against it.

The company that isn’t actively embracing online retail, and prepared to jettison unprofitable store locations, is, to change metaphors, sailing into a very stiff headwind.

The one that reads the permanent change in conditions and sets the spinnaker, instead, will win the race.

That goes for investors, too.

Fool on!

The post We’ve just seen the future of retail. Many aren’t ready appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Diamond Infraco’s $5.10 offer for Atlas Arteria now unconditional
• Guess which ASX stock is rocketing 10% today?
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• Why AIC Mines, EOS, Flight Centre, and Nickel Industries shares are racing higher today

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

The Atlas Arteria Group (ASX: ALX) share price is firmly in focus as Diamond Infraco 1 Pty Ltd has declared its A$5.10 per security takeover offer for Atlas Arteria is now unconditional and best and final, following formal notification on 17 June 2026.

What did Atlas Arteria report?

• Diamond Infraco 1 Pty Ltd’s offer price of A$5.10 per security is best and final, and will not be increased (in the absence of a competing proposal).
• The offer is now unconditional, removing all previous conditions to acceptance.
• Bidder’s current voting power in Atlas Arteria stands at 38.42% as of 17 June 2026.
• Securityholders can accept the offer or sell on-market at A$5.10 per security, with settlement in T+2.
• The offer closes 7.00pm (Sydney time) on 25 June 2026 and will not be extended except if required by law.

What else do investors need to know?

The bidder has made a binding ‘truth-in-takeovers’ statement that it will not acquire Atlas Arteria securities at more than A$5.10 per security for at least 12 months after the offer closes, unless a competing proposal arises. Any distributions paid during this period would reduce the maximum price in subsequent acquisitions by Diamond Infraco 1 Pty Ltd.

Investors are being urged to act now, as there is no certainty Diamond Infraco 1 Pty Ltd will acquire further securities after the close, and any future acquisitions could be at lower prices. The offer window provides a liquidity option at a material premium to undisturbed prices (A$4.33 per security).

What’s next for Atlas Arteria?

Looking ahead, securityholders face a decision between accepting the current cash offer or retaining exposure to the company’s assets and strategies, including any future sale of Chicago Skyway. The bidder notes there is significant uncertainty over asset sales and the potential for security price weakness after the close of the offer, alongside ongoing company-specific risks.

The limited offer period closes soon on 25 June 2026. After this, the liquidity window at A$5.10 will close, and the path forward for Atlas Arteria will depend on the outcome of the bid and subsequent strategic moves.

Atlas Arteria share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Atlas Arteria 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 Diamond Infraco’s $5.10 offer for Atlas Arteria now unconditional 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.

Symal Group Ltd (ASX: SYL) shares are charging higher on Wednesday after the construction group announced its largest acquisition so far.

At the time of writing, the Symal share price is up 10.37% to $2.98.

The ASX industrial stock remains down 14% since the start of 2026. However, it has still climbed 74% over the past 12 months.

Today’s gain followed Symal’s agreement to acquire Queensland-based Shamrock Civil, which will give the company more exposure to work across Australia.

Let’s take a closer look at the deal.

Symal buys Shamrock Civil

According to the release, Symal will acquire 100% of Shamrock Civil under a conditional agreement with a $51 million upfront payment.

This includes $40.8 million in cash and $10.2 million worth of newly issued Symal shares.

The sellers may also receive performance-based earn-outs covering FY26 and FY27. These payments are capped at $28.4 million, taking the possible total price to $79.4 million.

Shamrock is a founder-led civil contractor with more than 30 years of operating history and a workforce of over 200 people.

The business generated average annual revenue of more than $220 million over the past 3 years. Take note that more than $100 million of that came from defence work each year.

As a result, Symal expects Shamrock to deliver around $16 million of underlying EBITDA in FY26.

Management also believes the acquisition will increase Symal’s earnings per share (EPS) during its first full year of ownership.

Defence pipeline drives interest

The acquisition gives Symal a larger defence presence, with over 70% of Shamrock’s work-in-hand and tendered pipeline linked to the sector.

Shamrock is already an approved Department of Defence contractor and has completed projects across Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia.

Furthermore, the business has long-standing relationships in gas and resources, including work connected to QGC, Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG).

Symal expects the acquisition to leave the company in a better position to compete for upcoming defence infrastructure work.

The announcement also pointed to around $900 million of civil packages linked to AUKUS, a $700 million upgrade at RAAF Base Townsville and a $1 billion facility at Hervey Range.

What comes next?

The deal still needs to meet several conditions, including approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Symal plans to fund the cash portion through its existing banking facilities, while Shamrock’s founders will stay on and keep running the business.

Should everything go to plan, Symal will gain stronger revenue and more defence work on its books.

The post Guess which ASX stock is rocketing 10% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 5% over the past 12 months, but these three ASX 200 mining stocks have left those gains far behind.

All three of the surging Aussie miners earn much (or all) of their revenue from lithium.

And their strong performance over the past year has been fuelled by an accompanying 140% increase in the lithium carbonate price.

So, which ASX 200 mining stocks would have at least tripled your money over the past year?

I’m glad you asked!

Three skyrocketing ASX 200 mining stocks

The first miner that’s made its investors very happy, and a lot wealthier, over the last year is Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR).

In early afternoon trade today, Liontown shares are up 4.4%, changing hands for $2.14 apiece. This puts the Liontown share price up an impressive 210.1% since this time last year.

Also shooting the lights out is Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN).

At time of writing, Mineral Resources shares are up 2.8% today, trading for $72.79 each. This sees the Mineral Resources share price up 207.4% in 12 months.

And leading the charge among the ASX 200 mining stocks is Pls Group Ltd (ASX: PLS), formerly Pilbara Minerals.

PLS shares are up 4.5% in intraday trading, swapping hands for $6.47 apiece.

One year ago, you could have bought PLS shares for just $1.35. At today’s price that would see you sitting on a gain of 379.3%.

That’s enough to turn a $5,000 investment into $23,963.

In one year!

Take that, benchmark index.

What’s been happening with the ASX lithium shares?

Atop the rising lithium price, the ASX 200 mining stocks have hardly been sitting idle.

At its half-year results, Liontown reported a 70% year-on-year increase in lithium production to 192,514 dry metric tonnes (dmt). Revenue for the six months to 31 December was up 107% to $207.5 million.

Mineral Resources also reported H1 FY 2026 growth. Supported by resurgent lithium demand and a strong performance from its Onslow Iron operations, the miner delivered its best half-year result on record.

Mineral Resources reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $1.2 billion for the half, with record revenue of $3.1 billion.

Not to be outdone, PLS reported a 47% year-on-year increase in first-half revenue to $624 million, spurred by higher sales volumes and higher realised prices.

PLS achieved a 241% increase in H1 underlying EBITDA to $253 million, with margins increasing to 41% from 17% in H1 FY 2025.

The post How these 3 ASX 200 mining stocks have more than tripled investors’ money in a year 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a decent gain. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.5% to 8,968 points.

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

AIC Mines Ltd (ASX: A1M)

The AIC Mines share price is up 8% to 74 cents. Investors have been buying this copper miner’s shares following the release of drilling results from the Jericho copper deposit in Northwest Queensland. Management advised that an eight-hole surface program of resource definition drilling at the Jolly shoot has returned high-grade copper, gold, and silver results. AIC Mines’ managing director, Aaron Colleran, said: “Jericho is proving to be a great orebody – exceeding all our expectations in terms of strike extent, continuity and now grade, particularly the gold grade. The December 2026 Quarter is set to be the most exciting Quarter in AIC Mines’ short history. I look forward to seeing this ore being fed into the new crusher.”

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

The EOS share price is up 2% to $8.90. This morning, this defence and space company announced that its recently acquired MARSS business has been selected as the C2 provider for the BAE Systems (LSE: BA.) Anti Threat System (BATS). It is a next-generation, counter-drone (CUAS) capability. Management believes this underscores MARSS’ position as one of very few companies with the ability to deliver advanced, AI-powered C2 platforms that accelerate decision-making from minutes to seconds across detection, classification, and defeat.

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

The Flight Centre share price is up 3% to $12.20. This travel agent’s shares are lifting off today after the announcement of a $200 million share buyback offset an earnings guidance downgrade driven by the Middle East conflict. Flight Centre’s managing director, Graham Turner, revealed that the board believes its shares are undervalued. He said: “Looking ahead, we have strong foundations and growth prospects in both the leisure and corporate sectors. This is reflected in the Board’s decision to launch a new up-to-$200m buy-back – which clearly signals that we see our shares as undervalued at current levels.”

Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC)

The Nickel Industries share price is up 3% to $1.01. This follows the release of an operational update from the nickel producer this morning. Management advised that adjusted EBITDA from operations in April and May was approximately US$80 million. It also notes that its RKEF operations unwound a substantial amount of working capital and expects to receive approximately US$70 million in distributions by early July.

The post Why AIC Mines, EOS, Flight Centre, and Nickel Industries shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Electro Optic Systems. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended BAE Systems. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group. 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) has recovered from a poor start and is pushing higher. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.5% to 8,962.9 points.

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

Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)

The Karoon Energy share price is down a further 11% to $1.46. This energy producer’s shares have been sold off this week following a disappointing update on the Who Dat joint venture. The operator of Who Dat, LLOG Exploration Company, has informed Karoon Energy that the reinstatement of production through the Who Dat E manifold will not occur in 2026 as planned. In light of this, calendar year 2026 total production guidance has been downgraded to the range of 7.2 MMboe to 8.2 MMboe. This compares to its previous guidance of 8.1 MMboe to 9.2 MMboe.

Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

The Novonix share price is down 23% to 18.5 cents. This follows news that the battery materials technology company is undertaking another capital raising. Novonix has received firm commitments from institutional and sophisticated investors for a $20.7 million placement at 16 cents per new share, representing a 33.3% discount. The company’s managing director and CEO, Mike O’Kronley, said: “This capital raise positions the Company to continue investing in the production capacity required to support forecast customer demand. Expanding our capacity is an important step in executing our growth strategy and reinforcing our ability to supply high-quality material to strategic customers as demand continues to increase.” Novonix will now seek to raise $3 million from retail shareholders at the same price.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

The Transurban share price is down 2% to $14.77. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Morgans this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded Transurban’s shares to a sell rating (from hold) with a reduced price target of $12.50 (from $13.19). It said: “We recommend clients use the share price strength to take profits in overweight positions. Downgrade from HOLD to SELL.”

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

The Woodside Energy share price is down 3% to $29.13. Investors have been selling this energy giant’s shares today after oil prices pulled back further overnight. Traders were selling down oil in response to reports that Iran would be allowed to start selling its oil immediately.

The post Why Karoon Energy, Novonix, Transurban, and Woodside shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) isn’t the first name on many investors’ dividend lists when looking for the next income investment. But as a financial stock often nicknamed the ASX’s ‘fifth bank’, it is probably not at the bottom either.

The ASX banks are, of course, well known as some of the most generous and consistent payers of franked dividend income on our stock market.

Let’s see if Macquarie’s income chops make it worthy of this moniker.

Macquarie shares: Are the dividends worthy of an ASX bank stock?

Let’s start at the top. At the time of writing, Macquarie Group shares are trading at $248.97 each, down about 0.04% for the day thus far. Incidentally, this came after the company hit a new all-time record high of $250.78 earlier this morning.

At the current share price, Macquarie is trading on a trailing dividend yield of 2.81%. That’s based on the two most recent dividends Macquarie has paid out. The first of those was the December interim dividend, worth $2.80 per share. The second, the final dividend of $4.20 per share that is due for distribution next month on 2 July. We will count it because Macquarie shares have already traded ex-dividend for the payment.

That 12-month total of $7 per share that Macquarie is set to deliver works out to be worth that 2.81% yield at the current price.

Macquarie’s dividends almost never come fully franked, and these payments are no different. Both are partially franked at 35%.

Macquarie’s payouts do tend to fluctuate from year to year. To illustrate, Macquarie paid a total of $6.90 per share in dividends in 2025, $6.45 in 2024, $7.05 in 2023, $6.50 in 2022, and $6.07 in 2021.

In some potentially good news, analysts are pencilling in a total payout of $7.40 in 2027.

So Macquarie is arguably a reliable income payer, albeit slightly less than steady.

Foolish Takeaway

The reality is that Macquarie’s nature as a diversified financial stock, not just a bank, combined with its international operations, has arguably always made it less attractive as a pure-play income investment than the other ASX banks. Indeed, Macquarie’s trailing yield today is well below all four of the major ASX banks. Even Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA).

The fact that Macquarie is at an all-time high today isn’t helping matters either. The higher a share price goes, the lower its dividend yield gets.

Macquarie shares, at least in my view, are a great buy for investors looking for growth and a bit of income on the side. As a centrepiece of an income-focused portfolio? Not so much.

The post Buying Macquarie shares? Here’s the dividend yield you’ll get today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Buying ASX shares and waiting for a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) interest rate cut?

You’re not alone!

As you’re likely aware, yesterday the RBA kept the official Aussie interest rate on hold at 4.35%. That’s right at its 2024 peak. And it matches the highest rate levels investors have had to contend with since 2011.

While that move was widely expected, ASX investors still breathed a noticeable sigh of relief, since the central bank has already hiked the cash rate three times this year to combat resurgent inflation.

Indeed, at 2:30pm AEST on Tuesday, directly before the RBA’s announcement, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was down 0.3%.

Following the central bank’s decision to hold rates at the current level for now, the ASX 200 jumped back into the green to finish the day up a slender 0.04%.

But while the pause was welcomed, ASX investors and mortgage holders alike are really waiting for those first cuts.

When might we see RBA interest rate easing?

Rather than flagging lower interest rates, RBA governor Michele Bullock left the door open to potential rate hikes over the coming months.

“Today’s decision does not rule out further tightening in monetary policy if that is what is required to bring inflation down,” Bullock said following yesterday’s announcement.

But Barrenjoey chief rates strategist Andrew Lilley believes further rate increases are looking less likely.

“The market is increasing its confidence that the RBA is done raising rates,” Lilley said (quoted by The Australian Financial Review). “Because the RBA’s language was seen as very non-committal, the markets only sees a 50% chance of any more rate hikes at all this year.”

Josh Gilbert, lead analyst for APAC at eToro, added:

The RBA has finally hit pause in 2026 after three consecutive rate hikes since February. The signal is clear: the central bank is taking the time to step back and assess, rather than keep its foot to the floor…

My view is that the chance of further tightening looks unlikely right now. With three hikes already in the books and the Middle East conflict seemingly winding down, most of the heavy lifting may already be done.

Ebury economist, Anthony Malouf, echoed this sentiment.

“We continue to expect the RBA to keep the cash rate at 4.35% for the remainder of 2026 and into early 2027 as the board looks to balance the risks of weaker growth and elevated inflation,” Malouf said.

So when might we see the RBA cut interest rates?

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) head of Australian economics Adam Boyton expects that the RBA interest rate likely won’t top the current 4.35% in this cycle, with rate cuts potentially coming in the second half of 2027.

According to Boyton:

Looking further ahead, with broader signs of an economic slowdown and interest rates restrictive, rate cuts are likely to be the next sequence of rate moves. We have pencilled these in for the second half of 2027 – August and November – with the RBA likely to proceed down that path cautiously.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) economists also expect the central bank to keep current cash rate settings into 2027.

CBA believes ASX investors might then see the first RBA interest rate cut in May 2027.

The post Buying ASX shares? Here’s when to expect the first RBA interest rate cuts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Buy, hold, sell: Accent, Karoon Energy, and Transurban shares
• Macquarie shares climb to fresh all-time high: Buy, sell or hold?
• BHP shares are at a record high, should I buy or sell?
• Why is this ASX stock crashing 20% today?

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.

The team at Morgans has been busy running the rule over a number of popular ASX shares this week.

Let’s see if the broker is bullish, bearish, or something in between on these names. Here’s what it is saying:

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

Morgans remains positive on this struggling footwear retailer and notes that it received an opportunistic takeover offer this week.

In response, the broker has retained its buy rating on Accent shares with an improved price target of 85 cents. This compares to its current share price of 76 cents. It commented:

Frasers Group has made an unconditional on-market cash takeover offer for AX1 at $0.65 per share, which represents no premium to the closing share price. We see this offer as opportunistic, given the weakness in the share price over the last 12 months (down 64%), and see scope for Frasers to revise its bid higher. We have made no changes to our forecasts, but have increased our target price to $0.85 (from $0.75) applying a lower discretionary discount. We retain our BUY recommendation.

Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)

This energy producer’s shares have been hammered this week following a disappointing update.

While the update was disappointing, Morgans has upgraded Karoon Energy’s shares to a hold rating with a $1.67 price target following the share price decline. This compares favourably to its current share price of $1.44. The broker said:

A good company in a difficult position, dealing with multiple operational issues, albeit enjoying a nice bump in earnings resulting from the Middle East conflict. Operator LLOG advised of ongoing operational issues leading to a 41% downgrade to Who Dat production in 2026, an 11% downgrade at group level. Down 20% in two sessions, KAR is trading close to our revised target price. As a result, we lift our Trim rating to HOLD with a A$1.67 target price.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Morgans was disappointed with this toll road operator’s recent traffic update, highlighting that traffic is below expectations.

It believes this leaves it positioned to fall short of consensus estimates. As a result, it has downgraded Transurban’s shares to a sell rating with a $12.50 price target. This is 15% lower than its current share price of $14.74. It commented:

TCL’s update indicated traffic is running below expectations. TCL also announced its exit from the Montreal market via divestment, crystallising an equity value loss. DCF-based 12-month target price reset to A$12.50/sh (-5% vs previously), with forecast downgrades (we are more bearish on EBITDA, Free Cash and DPS growth than consensus) partly offset by discount rate adjustments.

TCL’s recent share price strength (+9% since its February result and not far off all-time highs) is not reflective of the weaker traffic growth and higher interest rate environment that typically challenges TCL’s valuation. We recommend clients use the share price strength to take profits in overweight positions. Downgrade from HOLD to SELL.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Accent, Karoon Energy, and Transurban shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) shares have climbed higher into the green on Wednesday. At the time of writing, the shares are up around 0.2% higher and changing hands at $249.60.

At one point this morning, the share price reached an all-time record high of $250.54 a piece.

Macquaire’s shares are now around 23% higher for the year to date and 18% higher than this time last year.

Like many of the ASX bank stocks, Macquarie shares slumped through late February and March. But thanks to a strong recovery in early April, it is now the best-performing ASX 200 bank stock by far, and its share price is smashing previous record highs.

Are Macquarie shares a buy, sell, or hold after the latest rally?

Market Index data shows that brokers are mostly bullish on the bank stock’s outlook. The majority have a buy rating on the shares, but the $253.75 average target price now implies a small 2% potential upside. 

TradingView shows that some analysts are even more bullish. Again, the majority (nine out of 15) have a buy or strong buy rating on the shares. The average target price of $256.69 implies a potential 3% upside at the time of writing. But the maximum $290.17 target price implies the shares could jump another 16% over the next 12 months.

Morgan Stanley is one of the more bullish brokers. It has a buy rating and a $263 price target on Macquarie shares.

Why are Macquarie shares going from strength to strength?

Macquarie is the fifth-largest bank listed on the ASX by market capitalisation. But it’s more than just a bank. Macquarie also provides banking, financial, advisory, investment, and fund management services across 34 markets globally. 

That means it has exposure to a range of sectors and markets, including commodities trading, infrastructure deals, asset management, and capital markets. 

The bank also makes around two-thirds of its money internationally, which reduces the risk of being too focused on one region. It also means that, unlike many of its Australian peers, it isn’t reliant on lending margins.

Instead, its diversity means that it can remain stable, or even benefit, when markets are going through periods of volatility as we’ve endured throughout the first half of 2026. This makes it a very attractive investment option for exposure to financial shares, but without the concentration and risk of the local market.

What about its finances?

The investment bank posted its third-quarter trading update for FY26 in February this year, revealing that the business has experienced strong quarterly growth. 

Macquarie delivered more good news to investors last month when it posted a stronger-than-expected FY26 result and announced growth across all its operating groups.

The company posted a 30% year-on-year increase in NPAT to $4.85 billion. It noted that the second half of the financial year was particularly strong, with H2 NPAT coming in at $3.19 billion, up 93% from the first half.

Management also declared a 7.7% increase in its final partly-franked dividend to $4.20 per share.

There hasn’t been any price-sensitive news out of the company since its results announcement, so it’s likely that investors are still buying into the shares on the expectation of more growth ahead.

Macquarie’s latest results and share price performance certainly demonstrate why its valuation is sitting at an all-time high today.

The post Macquarie shares climb to fresh all-time high: Buy, sell or hold? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Why I’d buy and hold Macquarie shares for 10 years
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• 5 ASX shares for a winning retirement portfolio
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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 Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.