Category: Stock Market

If you’re looking for some retail sector exposure in 2026, then it could be worth considering the ASX stocks named below.

That’s because Bell Potter has just named them as its top picks in the sector. Here’s what it is recommending to clients:

Adore Beauty Group Ltd (ASX: ABY)

The beauty retailer has caught the eye of Bell Potter due to its strong rollout and private label expansion, which is supporting margin improvements. Overall, it believes this leaves the ASX retail stock well-placed in the Australian beauty category. It said:

Key drivers for business growth are its continued store-rollout targeting a network of 25+ stores, along with its private label brands and high-margin retail media arm contributing to margin expansion and thus a strong earnings trajectory. We view ABY as well positioned to take advantage of the high performing beauty category within the Australian market.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $1.25 price target on its shares.

Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN)

This retail giant’s shares could be a buy according to Bell Potter despite rising strongly this year. It believes Harvey Norman’s shares are undervalued based on its positive growth outlook. The broker explains:

Despite the strong re-rate in the name, HVN trades at ~2.0x market capitalisation to freehold property value as Australia’s single largest owner in large format retail with a global portfolio surpassing $4.5b and collectively owning ~40% of their stores (franchised in Australia and company operated offshore). This sees our view that of the 1-year forward ~19x P/E multiple as justified considering the multiple catalysts near/mid-term.

Bell Potter currently has a buy rating and $8.30 price target on its shares.

Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI)

Finally, at just 18x estimated FY 2026 earnings, Bell Potter thinks that youth fashion retailer Universal Store could be an ASX retail stock to buy.

It believes the company is well-placed for growth given its store expansion plans and increasing private label penetration. The broker said:

At ~18x FY26e P/E (BPe), we see UNI trading at a discount to the ASX300 peer group and see the multiple justified by the distinctive growth traits supporting consistent outperformance in a challenging broader category, longer term opportunity with three brands, organic gross margin expansion via private label product penetration (currently ~55%) and management execution. We continue to see the youth customer prioritising on-trend streetwear and expect UNI to benefit with their leading position.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $10.50 price target on its shares.

The post Bell Potter names the best ASX retail stocks to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 50% in 2025, should you buy Harvey Norman shares before Christmas?
• Macquarie names its top ASX consumer staples and consumer discretionary stock picks
• Analysts name 3 ASX shares to buy this week
• 2 of the best ASX dividend shares to buy in December
• Where to invest $20,000 in ASX dividend shares

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

Investors wanting dividends are spoiled for choice with numerous Aussie passive income stocks.

But there are not many businesses that have paid dividends to investors for more than two decades.

Dividends are not guaranteed, of course, but when a business has a history of paying dividends, I think it’s likely that the company will try to continue paying cash flow to investors if it can.

I’m going to talk about three businesses that have long-term dividend records, and that I consider some of the most reliable payers on the ASX.

Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL)

Sonic Healthcare is a major pathology business with a presence in a number of countries, including Australia, the US, the UK, Germany, and Switzerland.

I believe the business has defensive earnings – healthcare is typically in demand throughout the year, regardless of economic conditions. On top of that, the business has expanded its geographic presence over the years, unlocking more earnings.

I’m not expecting the business to grow as fast in the future as it has in the past, but I think there is still organic growth potential with growing and ageing populations.

In terms of the dividend, it has grown its payout in most years over the last 30 years, with only a few years in the 2010s where the Aussie passive income stock maintained its dividend.

Sonic Healthcare currently has a dividend yield of approximately 4.7%, as of the time of writing, including franking credits.

APA Group (ASX: APA)

APA is one of the largest energy infrastructure businesses in Australia. It owns a massive gas pipeline network in the country, transporting half of the nation’s usage. APA also has solar farms, wind farms, electricity transmission assets, gas storage, gas processing, and gas power plant.

It funds its distribution from the cash flow generated by its portfolio of assets. As the asset base has grown through organic developments (such as new pipelines) and acquisitions, its cash flow has grown.

Impressively, the Aussie passive income stock has grown its distribution every year for the past 20 years, which is the second-best record on the ASX.

It expects to grow its annual distribution to 58 cents per security in FY26. That translates into a forward distribution yield of 6.3%.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

Soul Patts is an investment conglomerate that’s diversified across a variety of sectors.

Some of the sectors in which it has invested include resources, telecommunications, agriculture, water entitlements, swimming schools, healthcare, financial services, building products, industrial properties, and more.

The impressive Aussie passive income stock has built a highly diversified portfolio that generates a steady stream of defensive cash flow each year in the form of dividends, distributions, and interest. Soul Patts then uses a majority of that money to pay a larger dividend than last year, and then it reinvests what’s left into additional opportunities.

It has increased its ordinary annual dividend every year since 1998. The FY25 payout translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.1%, including franking credits.

The post 3 Aussie passive income stocks delivering decades upon decades of dividends appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 premier ASX shares for your retirement fund
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• 5 ASX 200 shares I’d buy with $10,000 this week
• Are APA shares a good buy for passive income?
• APA Group declares December 2025 half-year distribution

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The Magnificent Seven technology stocks have powered the S&P 500 through this bull market so far — that’s because investors like their solid, well-established businesses and their promise in the high-potential artificial intelligence (AI) market. Some are bigger AI players than others, but they all are participating to some degree in this technology. Investors are enthusiastic about AI because it may supercharge earnings and stock performance over time.

And, as mentioned, the stock performance already has started, with the Magnificent Seven stocks each advancing in the double- or triple-digits over the past three years. This is great, but it’s resulted in one thing that may be holding investors back from buying at least certain players right now: Stocks have become more expensive.

In fact, some analysts and investors have even worried about an AI bubble. Those concerns weighed on the S&P 500 in the early weeks of November, though tech companies’ earnings reports and comments on demand haven’t supported the idea of a bubble taking shape. Earnings have climbed, and companies have spoken of high demand for AI products and services.

Still, it’s clear many AI stocks are expensive these days. But the good news is bargains also exist — even among Magnificent Seven AI stocks. And two in particular may be offering investors a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity before the new year: They are the cheapest of the Magnificent Seven, but due to their potential in AI, this may not last for long. Let’s check out these stocks to buy now. 

1. Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), trading for 26x forward earnings estimates, is the cheapest Magnificent Seven stock today. This is a fantastic deal considering the company’s long history of earnings growth, which offers it the ability to invest in AI and reward shareholders with dividends.

You may know Meta mainly for its social media leadership — the company owns a number of apps, including Facebook and Instagram — and this platform has been its ticket to revenue growth. Advertisers come to Meta to reach us, and this has resulted in billion-dollar revenue and profit for the company.

Meta now aims to use AI to revolutionize advertising, automating ads across its platform and making them more successful. Meanwhile, the presence of AI on its apps may keep us on them longer. All of this may result in advertisers increasing their spending on ads here. And Meta’s investments in AI also could lead to the development of new products and services that may drive revenue down the road.

All of this makes Meta look like a steal at today’s valuation.

2. Alphabet

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is the second-cheapest of these seven tech titans, as it trades for 29x forward earnings estimates. Like Meta, Alphabet may not remain at this level for long as its AI investment powers revenue higher.

Alphabet uses AI across its Google Search business, and that should boost advertising revenue as it takes a route similar to Meta’s — improving the overall advertising experience and ad results. And Alphabet also is benefiting from AI through its Google Cloud business — here, it offers a wide range of AI products and services to customers, and these have been fueling revenue growth.

In the latest quarter, for example, Google Cloud revenue climbed 34% to more than $15 billion, and for the first time ever, Alphabet reached total quarterly revenue of more than $100 billion. As a leading cloud player, Google Cloud should be well-positioned to attract AI customers looking for capacity — demand already has been surging and hasn’t shown signs of letting up. In the quarter, Alphabet said demand for AI infrastructure and generative AI systems drove cloud revenue.

So, Alphabet, like Meta, is on track for more growth as this AI boom marches on — and that means getting in on these stocks at today’s levels may be a once-in-a-decade opportunity.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post These 2 magnificent seven AI stocks might be offering investors a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity before the New Year. appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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• Alphabet stock jumped 13.9% in November. What’s next?

Adria Cimino 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 Alphabet and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) shares closed 1.19% higher at 8,983.3 points on Friday.

The ASX All Ords is up 6% in the year to date (YTD).

The market peaked at 9,414.6 points in October and has since fallen 4.8%.

Let’s take a look at two ASX All Ords shares that the experts tip to rip in the new year.

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

The Nuix share price closed at $1.82, up 2.54% on Friday and down 70% in the YTD.

Nuix is an investigative analytics and intelligence software provider.

This ASX All Ords tech share has a market capitalisation of $594 million.

Moelis Australia has a buy rating on Nuix shares with a 12-month price target of $3.37.

This implies a potential upside of 85% in the new year.

Last week, Nuix revealed its acquisition of Linkurious, a French-based artificial intelligence graph data platform.

In a note, Moelis said Nuix “seems oversold”, commenting:

Nuix’s share price has retraced significantly as recent operating performance fell below market expectations.

On our estimates the current price undervalues the company.

The acquisition of Linkurious highlights that Nuix has strategic options to support its Neo-led growth strategy. 

We have made revisions based on conservative estimates of success upselling/bundling Linkurious.

Symal Group Ltd (ASX: SYL)

The Symal Group share price closed at $3.11, up 2.3% yesterday and up 83% in the YTD.

Symal Group is a diversified services provider operating in critical Australian industry segments like transport, defence, and ports.

This ASX All Ords share has a market cap of $727 million.

Morgans issued a note after Symal revealed two new acquisitions.

Symal announced a $28 million deal to acquire the assets of Queensland-based civil contracting and haulage businesses Timms Group and L&D Contracting via an upfront cash purchase.

The broker said the acquisitions largely reflect Symal’s intention to continue expanding both its geographic and sector diversification through organic growth and acquisitions.

Morgans said:

The further expansion into South East Queensland is seen as a positive, as the business expands its wider East Coast presence and looks to take advantage of South East Queensland infrastructure projects.

SYL’s mix of organic and acquisition-led growth, combined with a healthy balance sheet and an undemanding earnings multiple (vs peers), sees us reiterate our Buy recommendation …

The broker raised its target price to $3.75 due to higher anticipated earnings and a progressively lower peer multiple discount.

This implies a potential upside of 20% in 2026.

The post 2 ASX All Ords shares tipped to rip 20% to 85% in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Investors who are retired or on the verge of retiring have different needs from their ASX shares. Instead of prioritising maximum capital growth, these investors usually want to set up a safe and dependable stream of income – a retirement fund –  to help pay the bills that don’t stop once one has walked off the job for the last time.

Finding ASX shares that can act as a foundation in such a retirement fund is easier said than done. Today, let’s examine two ASX shares that I believe would make excellent candidates.

2 premier ASX shares that are perfect for a retirement fund

APA Group (ASX: APA)

First up, we have the gas pipeline owner APA Group. Although APA has operations ranging from power production to energy storage, its primary asset is the nationwide network of gas pipelines that the company owns and operates. These provide extraordinarily stable cash flows, which APA uses to increase its dividends like clockwork.

APA has raised its annual dividend every single year since 2004. At recent pricing, this premier ASX share was trading with a dividend yield of 6.24%. Investors should note, however, that these dividends don’t come with too much in the way of franking credits. Even so, this stock’s income dependability, as well as its massive upfront yield, lead me to regard APA Group as a prime candidate for any retirement fund.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Next up, we have a company with far more name recognition in Coles Group. Coles is the company behind the eponymous grocery chain that makes up a huge chunk of the Australian grocery and supermarket industry. It also owns the Liquorland bottle-shop chain.

I like Coles as a retirement fund investment due to its durable nature as a consumer staples stock and its strong track record of paying out large, fully-franked dividends.

On the former, Coles sells goods such as food and household essentials that we all need, rather than want, to purchase on an ongoing basis. As long as the company is one of the cheapest places to fulfil these needs, it should do well as a business. That’s regardless of whether the economy is booming or busting, or whether inflation is high or low.

On the latter, Coles has increased its annual dividend every year since its listing in late 2018. At recent pricing, investors could buy shares of this ASX share with a fully franked yield of 3.16%.

The post 2 premier ASX shares for your retirement fund appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Are APA shares a good buy for passive income?
• APA Group declares December 2025 half-year distribution
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• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Global spending in defence is increasing at a rapid rate and a number of ASX stocks stand to benefit.

But which ones should you be buying right now? Let’s take a look at what Bell Potter is saying about the industry and its recommendations.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter notes global defence strategy is at a structural junction, with demand for drones and counter drone solutions growing rapidly. It said:

Global defence strategy is undergoing a structural pivot, driven by the proliferation of low-cost, high-lethality unmanned systems in recent conflicts. This rise of asymmetric warfare has exposed the economic inefficiency of traditional air defence, creating an urgent mandate for “attritable” drones and cost-effective counter-measures. We view the twin themes of resilient drone connectivity and counter-drone solutions as key drivers of defence procurement for the coming cycle.

Which ASX defence stocks are buys?

The first ASX defence stock that the broker is recommending is Elsight Ltd (ASX: ELS).

However, with a price target of $2.00 and a share price of $2.65, investors may want to wait for a better entry point.

Commenting on the supplier of communication modules to drone manufacturers, the broker said:

CY25e marked a pivotal inflection point for ELS, with the company achieving profitability and delivering estimated revenue growth of 12x YoY (BPe). We enter CY26e viewing Halo as a market-leading enabler of BVLOS connectivity for unmanned systems. Accordingly, we forecast a 41% revenue CAGR over CY25-28e, driven by the rapid proliferation of unmanned systems across both defence and commercial verticals.

Another ASX defence stock that gets a big thumbs up from Bell Potter is space and defence company Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS).

The broker believes the massive $125 million contract award for a High Energy Laser Weapon earlier this year gives it a first-mover advantage in the market. It said:

Following the landmark A$125m award for the world’s first export of a 100kw High Energy Laser Weapon (HELW) in August 2025, EOS has secured a first-mover advantage in the high-value HELW counter-drone vertical. Looking ahead to 2026, we see upgrade potential to our revenue estimates, driven by increasing global capital allocation toward counterdrone capabilities. Specifically, we anticipate the advancement of HELW contracts (>1 unit) through the sales pipeline alongside continued awards for conventional and counter-drone RWS.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $8.10 price target on its shares. This is notably higher than its current share price of $5.01.

The post Bell Potter names the best ASX defence stocks to buy 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 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.

When share prices of great ASX shares fall, I view them as unmissable buying opportunities.

When a cyclical business like a miner or retailer falls, it can be difficult to know when it’s a good time to buy – I’d only want to invest when the share price seems to be at around the lowest point of an economic cycle. That should give investors a large margin of safety for good returns.

But, businesses that are consistently growing could be good buys today because it’s clear the forward price/earnings (P/E) ratio has declined to a more appealing number.

The two businesses I’ll highlight below are both trading at valuations that are far too cheap while delivering rapid underlying growth.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

REA Group is the owner of realestate.com.au, realcommercial.com.au, property.com.au, Mortgage Choice, PropTrack and other Australian-based property businesses. It also has investments in property-related businesses in India, the US and Canada.

As the chart below shows, the REA Group share price is down by almost 30% from August 2025.

I think this is a great opportunity to buy one of the best ASX shares that has built a very strong economic moat and a cash flow cow.

Its strong market position, with regular new features for property vendors, has allowed it to charge a sizeable amount to advertise a property on the portal.

The business has a clear advantage compared to its main rival. Realestate.com.au saw 147.9 million average monthly visits during the first quarter of FY26, 111.4 million more monthly visits on average than the nearest competitor.

That FY26 first quarter saw the business deliver 4% higher revenue, 5% higher operating profit (EBITDA) and 16% higher cash flow, despite there being an 8% decline in national buy listings.

With additional properties being built in Australia every year, REA Group’s total addressable market is increasing and I think this ASX share is an effective way to profit from the residential sector without having to own a property.

Using the projections on CMC Markets, the REA Group share price is valued at 38x FY26’s estimated earnings and less than 33x FY27’s estimated earnings.

Bailador Technology Investments Ltd (ASX: BTI)

Bailador describes itself as a growth capital fund that’s “focused on the information technology sector which is actively managed by an experienced team with demonstrated sector experience.”

The company provides exposure to a portfolio of IT companies with global addressable markets. These companies also have the ability to generate repeat revenue, have a proven business model with attractive unit economics, have international revenue generation potential and are founder-led.

Some of the areas that it looks to invest in are: software as a service (SaaS) and other subscription-based internet businesses, online marketplaces, software, e-commerce, high value data, online education and tech-enabled services.

Companies that it’s invested in include Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR), DASH, Updoc, Access Telehealth, Expedition Software, Rosterfy, PropHero and Hapana.

In FY25, Bailador’s companies delivered combined portfolio revenue of $592 million, with revenue growth of 47% over the prior 12 months. That’s an excellent revenue growth rate, in my view, and should help push the underlying value of these businesses higher as they continue to grow.

It’s trading at a large discount to its underlying value. Bailador said its pre-tax net tangible assets (NTA) – the portfolio value essentially – was $1.91 per share at November 2025. The Bailador share price is trading at a discount of close to 40%, at the time of writing, which is huge. The post-tax NTA discount is around 30%.

Considering the track record of Bailador and its underlying businesses, I think it’s trading far too cheaply.

The post These 2 great ASX shares are bargain buys! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares had a strong day on Friday, rising 1.23% to close at 8,697.3 points.

The strong rise capped off a sluggish week for the local bourse, which lifted 0.73% over the five trading days.

ASX shares were depressed earlier in the week after the Reserve Bank confirmed what we all expected — a hold call on interest rates.

Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve cut rates by 0.25% for the third time in four months to support a slowing economy.

Looking ahead to 2026, brokers are issuing notes on which ASX shares to buy for the new year.

Here are a few examples.

ASX shares to buy for 2026

IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)

The IGO share price closed at $7.12, up 2% on Friday and up 46.5% in the year to date (YTD).

Macquarie says IGO shares are a buy and the company is its key pick in the lithium segment.

Improving lithium prices prompted Macquarie to upgrade its assumptions for IGO’s earnings.

In a note last week, the broker said:

Incorporating updated commodity prices, FX and changes to our Kwinana costs assumptions drives 14-78% earnings uplift to FY26-FY28 while EPS are also increased by 1-6% for FY29 and FY30E.

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) 

Nufarm is a chemical and seed-technology company with customers all over the world.

The Nufarm share price closed at $2.20, down 0.9% yesterday and down 39% in 2025.

Morgans has a buy rating on this ASX agriculture share.

Following the company’s FY25 results, Morgans said:

While NUF’s FY25 result was weak, it was slightly above guidance.

Now that there is certainty on Seed Technologies future, industry operating conditions have improved and there is a clear pathway to deleveraging the balance sheet, we upgrade NUF to a Buy recommendation and A$3.20 price target.

Morgans has a 12-month price target of $3.20 on Nufarm shares.

Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC)

The Ramsay Health Care share price closed at $35.48, up 0.31% on Friday and up 4% in the YTD.

Jabin Hallihan from Family Financial Solutions says this ASX financial share is a buy.

On The Bull, Hallihan said strong fundamentals and margin recovery supported long-term growth for the private hospital operator.

Ramsay’s shares remain undervalued relative to our fair value estimate of $54, as we expect profitability to improve through higher indexation, digital efficiencies and easing wage pressures.

Capstone Copper Corp CDI (ASX: CSC)

The Capstone Copper share price closed at $14.93, up 3.7% yesterday and up 47% for the year.

Macquarie has a buy rating on the ASX copper share with a 12-month price target of $17.

In a note last week, the broker said Capstone is its preferred copper exposure.

The red metal’s price has lifted 38% in the YTD amid increasing demand due to the clean energy transition.

The broker said:

We increase CSC EPS 9%/18% in CY25/26e due to Cu price upgrades, remaining our preference in the Cu space due to its strong organic growth profile and attractive relative value.

The post Wondering which ASX shares to buy for 2026? Experts weigh in appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

There are a number of compelling ASX blue-chip shares that could be useful buys for retirees. Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) shares could be one of the best options, in my opinion.

There are plenty of reasons to like Coles as an investment. As a retiree, I’d want to have a high level of confidence that the dividend payments continue flowing year after year.

If dividend payments are key to funding someone’s life expenditure, then stability is essential!

Let me explain what makes it so appealing.

Good dividend yield

A good ASX dividend share should be competitive (or better) than a term deposit when it comes to the dividend yield.

A large dividend yield isn’t necessarily the only thing to look for, but it does mean the investment is unlocking a pleasing cash return each year.

In the 2025 financial year, Coles decided to pay annual dividend per share of 69 cents per share, an increase of 1.5% year-over-year.

At the current Coles share price, that represents a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.5%, including franking credits. That’s similar to the best rates offered by term deposits in Australia right now.

But, there’s another reason why Coles shares are an attractive pick for passive income for retirees.

Ongoing dividend growth

Coles is one of the few major ASX blue-chip shares that has increased its annual dividends each year since 2019. That’s one of the main advantages of owning shares over cash in the bank – the investment can deliver growth itself.

The business is predicted by analysts to continue this growth streak in the coming years.

Broker UBS projects that the business could deliver an annual dividend per share of 79 cents in the 2026 financial year and 93 cents per share in the 2027 financial year.

At the current Coles share price, this could mean the supermarket business delivers a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.1% in FY26 and 6% in FY27, including franking credits.

UBS predicts the supermarket business can continue growing its dividend in FY28, FY29 and FY30.

Why this is a good time to buy Coles shares

The Coles share price declined 8% since the end of August 2025, which is a sizeable decline for a business as defensive as Coles.

But, it’s not just a defensive play, in my view. It’s also growing at a reasonable pace.

In the first quarter of FY26, Coles overall sales (which includes the liquor sales) rose 3.9% to $10.96 billion, while supermarket sales rose 4.8% to $9.96 billion. In the supermarket division, sales rose 7% excluding tobacco.

Coles supermarkets are growing sales faster than rival Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), with e-commerce sales being a key highlight. Coles supermarket FY26 first quarter e-commerce sales soared by 27.9% to $1.3 billion. But, it’d be unwise to expect stronger growth every quarter forever.

Rising sales, combined with new advanced warehouses, could help the business deliver a higher operating profit (EBIT) margin in the coming years. UBS predicts Coles could achieve a 5.1% EBIT margin FY26, a 5.3% margin in FY27 and a 5.4% margin in FY28.

At this lower valuation, I think the Coles share price is an appealing buy for retirees for both possible passive income and capital growth.

The post Why Coles shares are a retiree’s dream 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 positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares are a popular option for Aussie investors.

You only need to look at its share registry to see that.

According to its annual report, Australia’s largest bank has over 800,000 shareholders.

And even if you don’t own CBA shares directly, there’s a high probability that you have exposure to the bank through your superannuation fund.

In light of this, it isn’t far-fetched to say that the performance of the CBA share price has a major impact on the wealth of the nation.

But has that impact been positive or negative in 2025? Let’s see what $5,000 invested in its shares at the start of the year would be worth now.

$5,000 invested in CBA shares

At the end of 2024, the CBA share price was fetching $153.25.

This means that with $5,000 (and an extra $57.25 for good measure), investors could have picked up a total of 33 shares.

Was this a good idea? Let’s find out.

Well, it certainly was a good idea for the first half of the year. In late June, CBA’s shares hit a record high of $192.00.

At that point, those shares would have had a market value of $6,336. This is almost $1,300 greater than the original investment.

But unfortunately, the second half of the year wasn’t anywhere near as positive after concerns over the bank’s valuation and modest growth outlook finally caught up with its shares.

On Friday, the company’s share price ended the week at $155.96. This is down almost 19% from its June high.

It is also only modestly ahead of the price that investors would have paid at the end of 2024, giving those 33 shares a market value of $5,146.68.

Don’t forget the dividends

Though, it is worth remembering that the bank has paid two fully franked dividends over the period. In March, CBA rewarded shareholders with a $2.25 per share interim dividend. It then followed this up with a fully franked $2.60 per share final dividend in September.

This means that those 33 CBA shares would have pulled in dividend income of $160.05 over the 12 months.

If we assume that those dividends were reinvested, an investor’s shareholding would now be worth a total of $5,306.73.

That’s a total return of 4.9% for investors or approximately $250.00. Not the best, but certainly not the worst in a volatile market.

The post $5,000 in CBA shares at the start of 2025 is now worth… 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 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.