Category: Stock Market

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are charging higher today.

In early morning trade on Monday, Santos shares are up 7.8%, changing hands for $7.29 each.

And Woodside shares are coming in a close second, up 7.7% at $30.50 apiece.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.5% at this same time.

Investors are bidding up the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy stocks today following the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran.

The attack, which killed Iran’s autocratic leader Ali Khamenei along with many of his top officials, has seen Iran respond with missile attacks of its own; not just on Israel, but on many of its Arab neighbours as well.

And, for the moment, the conflict sees the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow shipping route responsible for the transit of some 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies – shuttered.

At market close on Friday, Brent crude oil prices were up 3% on the prior day, trading for US$73 per barrel.

But investors piling into Santos and Woodside shares today could well see a much larger oil price spike when futures trading reopens later this morning in Australia (Sunday evening, US time).

Indeed, many analysts expect oil prices to leap another 10% to 15% as traders weigh the potential supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict.

Uncertainty reigns in global oil markets

As for what investors can expect from global energy prices next – and by connection Santos and Woodside shares – uncertainty is the name of the game for now.

“How this ends is extremely uncertain at this point,” Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh said (quoted by Bloomberg). “But in the meantime, oil markets will have to face their worst fears.”

Rob Thummel, a portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital, added, “It’s just a matter of what impact will Iran’s response have on the global oil supply, at least temporarily, and then maybe longer term.”

Medium-term uncertainty aside, Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at consultant Rystad Energy, does forecast a material increase in oil prices this week.

According to Leon:

Iran has retaliated in a far more aggressive and expansive manner than in prior exchanges. Unless de-escalation signals emerge swiftly, we expect a significant upward repricing of oil at the start of the week.

Should de-escalation not eventuate, and should the Strait of Hormuz remain closed to tanker traffic (hampering any efforts by OPEC to increase supplies), Wood Mackenzie expects we’ll see oil prices top US$100 per barrel.

Wood Mackenzie senior vice president Alan Gelder said (quoted by The Australian Financial Review), “The most recent comparison is during the early days of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, when the fear of loss of Russian supplies drove the oil price to over US$125.”

How have Santos and Woodside shares been tracking?

With today’s big intraday gains factored in, Santos shares are up 9.5% since this time last year.

And Woodside shares have gained 20.8% over this same period.

Neither figure includes the dividends paid out by the ASX 200 energy giants over the past 12 months.

The post Santos and Woodside shares surging higher on Monday as oil price in focus amid Iran strikes appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: CSL, TechnologyOne, and Woodside shares
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
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• 3 ASX dividend stocks I think every Aussie should own

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.

There are plenty of ASX shares out there for investors to choose from.

To narrow things down, let’s see what analysts are saying about three popular shares, courtesy of The Bull. Here’s what they are recommending:

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

The team at Fairmont Equities is bearish on this biotechnology company. It sees further downside risk for CSL shares and has named them as a sell. The equities firm thinks investors should wait until there is more confidence in its earnings growth outlook. It said:

This biotechnology giant was a market darling for a long time, but it’s now failing to command a premium as uncertainty surrounding the company’s US vaccine business is making it more difficult for investors to forecast future earnings. The recent departure of its chief executive also adds to the uncertainty.

From a technical perspective, the stock has topped out and is trending lower. In my view, this leaves further downside risk in the share price until investors feel more confident that CSL can lift earnings. The shares have fallen from $271.32 on August 18, 2025 to trade at $145.68 on February 26, 2026.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

Over at Morgans, its analysts are positive on this enterprise software provider and have named it as a buy this week.

The broker thinks it is one of the highest quality software companies and highlights its significant growth runway as a reason to buy. It explains:

TechnologyOne continues to stand out as one of Australia’s highest quality software businesses, driven by loyal customers, recurring revenue and consistent expanding margins. Its cloud transition remains a major value driver, improving profitability from customers across government, education and the corporate sector.

TNE’s reliable growth profile and strong balance sheet support its premium valuation, particularly given the company’s long history of meeting or exceeding expectations. Given ongoing demand for mission critical software amid a significant runway for cloud migrations, we see TNE as a high conviction, long duration compounder.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

Fairmont Equities is more positive on Woodside and has named the energy giant as a buy this week.

It was pleased with its performance in FY 2025 and believes increasing demand for oil and gas leaves it well-positioned in 2026. The equities firm said:

Expected increasing demand for oil and gas in 2026 leaves me bullish about the energy sector. The company posted record annual production of 198.8 million barrels of oil equivalent in full year 2025, exceeding the guidance range. Record production offset lower realised prices.

The company’s full year results met expectations, and the share price recently moved above a major resistance level. I expect the shares to trend higher and re-test previous peaks around $38 as calendar year 2026 unfolds. The shares have risen from $22.95 on January 8, 2026 to trade at $28.075 on February 26.

The post Buy, hold, sell: CSL, TechnologyOne, and Woodside shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Santos and Woodside shares surging higher on Monday as oil price in focus amid Iran strikes
• Follow Warren Buffett: 3 cheap ASX 200 shares worth a closer look
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• These ASX 200 shares sank 20% or more in February

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL, Technology One, and Woodside Energy Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL and Technology One. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL and Technology One. 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) blue-chip shares can deliver strong and resilient earnings thanks to their market position, margins, and brand power.

I’m not particularly attracted to ASX mining or bank shares, but there are other industry-leading businesses that could be compelling to own.

The two businesses below have a good growth outlook.

Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG)

Sigma is best known as the owner of a few different brands, including Chemist Warehouse, Amcal, and Discount Drug Stores. It also has significant wholesale operations.

The ASX 200 blue-chip share delivered a strong result in its FY26 half-year result. Revenue grew by 14.9% to $5.5 billion, normalised operating profit (EBIT) increased 18.7% to $582.9 million and normalised net profit after tax (NPAT) climbed 19.2% to $392 million. It’s pleasing to see the company’s profit margins are rising.

Sigma Healthcare’s performance was driven by Australian Chemist Warehouse-branded store sales increased 17.2%, with like-for-like sales growth of 15%. It continues to grow its core Chemist Warehouse earnings by expanding its Australian network – this grew by 13 locations to 550 stores during the period.

One area of the business that I’m particularly interested in is the international segment because of how much growth potential there is with other countries.

International retail network sales grew by 24.5% to $807 million, with like for like sales growth of 11.1%. It plans to open 12 new international stores in the second half and it expects this “growth profile” to continue. The Chemist Warehouse model is resonating in both New Zealand and Ireland, with 70 and 17 stores, respectively.

The trading update in the first seven weeks of the second half of FY26 was strong too for the ASX 200 blue-chip share – Australian Chemist Warehouse-branded store sales rose 16.6% and growth in the international retail network “continues”.

According to the earnings projection from UBS, the business is predicted to generate net profit of $711 million in FY26 and $846 million in FY27. That puts the Sigma Healthcare share price at 40x FY27’s estimated earnings.

Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN)

Qantas is Australia’s leading airline and it continues to deliver strong profits.

In the FY26 half-year result, the business delivered $1.46 billion of underlying profit before tax rose $71 million to $1.46 billion. Statutory net profit rose $2 million to $925 million.

The business also saw an increase of the on-time performance and customer satisfaction for both Qantas and Jetstar.

The ASX 200 blue-chip share also decided on $450 million of shareholder returns, with a $300 million base dividend and a share buyback of $150 million.

Impressively, the Qantas loyalty division continues to deliver strong results with underlying operating profit (EBIT) climbing 12% to $286 million.

Another positive is that the business continues to invest in renewing its fleet, with nine new aircraft being delivered. The new planes can give customers a better experience and help with costs.

Qantas expects strong travel demand to continue and that group domestic unit revenue is expected to increase by approximately 3% in the second half of FY26 compared to the previous year. Group international unit revenue is expected to increase by between 1% to 3%.

The broker UBS projects that the business could make net profit of $1.75 billion in FY26 and $1.93 billion in FY27. This would put the Qantas share price at less than 9x FY26’s estimated earnings.

The post 2 great ASX 200 blue-chip shares I’d buy right now 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 Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) share price is in focus today after the company provided an update on the ACCC’s examination of its proposed acquisition of EG Australia, highlighting that the ACCC has narrowed its competition concerns and a final decision is due by 5 June 2026.

What did Ampol report?

• The ACCC has released a Notice of Competition Concerns on Ampol’s proposed $1.1 billion acquisition of EG Australia.
• Initial concerns dropped from 115 site overlaps to 54 specific sites within 51 local areas.
• The ACCC is still reviewing an additional 20 local areas for potential competition concerns.
• Post-transaction, Ampol’s fuel retail market share by site would be 21% in Brisbane, 19% in Melbourne, 20% in Sydney, and 31% in Canberra.
• Ampol and EG have until 8 April 2026 to respond to the ACCC’s preliminary concerns.

What else do investors need to know?

The ACCC’s summary indicates progress in its review since January, trimming the number of sites under scrutiny, which may ease investor concerns about regulatory roadblocks. However, the regulator still sees possible competition issues in certain regions and continues to evaluate effects in key metropolitan markets, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra.

Ampol has already offered to divest 19 retail sites as part of its original remedy proposal and may propose further remedies. The ACCC will consider these as part of its final decision, which remains scheduled for early June.

What’s next for Ampol?

Looking ahead, Ampol’s ability to complete the EG Australia acquisition will depend on successfully addressing the ACCC’s outstanding concerns. If approved, the deal would expand Ampol’s network to over 1,100 sites and accelerate its strategy in low-cost fuel offerings and convenience retail. Management has voiced confidence in resolving the remaining issues, and investors will be watching closely as the regulatory process nears conclusion.

Ampol share price snapshot

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

View Original Announcement

The post Ampol updates investors as ACCC narrows focus on EG Australia deal 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.

It’s exciting when numerous experts rate an ASX share as a buy. It could be a compelling signal that a company could outperform the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in the medium-term.

The two business I’m going to highlight are both rated as buys by numerous analysts, with both of them having among the largest number of positive ratings on the ASX.

So, let’s dive into why analysts are so positive.

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL)

According to the Commsec collation of analyst ratings, there are currently 15 buys on the business.

Broker UBS describes this ASX share as a company that develops and manufactures slot machines globally which are sold and operated in more than 90 countries. The business has a large presence in the North American market, providing systems to around 300 casinos. Other core markets include Australia, Asia and Latin America.

Aristocrat Leisure gave an update at its annual general meeting (AGM). According to UBS, it was “modestly” negative to forecasts. But, Aristocrat is still expected to see a growing installed base, content launches and new lottery contracts through the year.

UBS didn’t think the update was as bad as how the Aristocrat Leisure share price has been treated – it’s down around 30% in the last six months.

The broker suggested that the Aristocrat Leisure share price has been caught up with the wider sell-off of technology and growth.

UBS thinks that the ASX share’s underlying net profit (NPATA) is expected to grow by 10% in constant currency terms. Gaming operation installs are expected to be between 4,000 to 5,000. The operations fee per day is expected to grow by 2% year-over-year.

Finally, UBS noted that the Product Madness direct-to-consumer mix is “tracking above 20% in early FY26 with further upside potential”.

The broker forecasts that Aristocrat Leisure is going to make net profit of $1.6 billion in FY26, putting it at 18x FY26’s estimated earnings.

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

Flight Centre is an ASX travel share that has both leisure and corporate travel segments. It has operations in markets like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, South Africa, the US, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, India and the UAE.

According to the Commsec collation of analyst ratings, there are currently 15 buys on the business.

UBS is one of the brokers that rates the business as a buy after seeing its FY26 half-year report.

The broker noted that Flight Centre’s profit before tax (PBT) was 5% better than what UBS and other market analysts were expecting, though it was in line with expectations after adjusting for a $4 million provision release.

UBS pointed out there were a number of positives within the result:

1) Asia losses in pcp are expected to deliver a small u/lying profit in FY26 (exc. provision recovery), reinforcing our view that only 1% growth ex Asia losses / Iglu contribution is required in 2H26 to hit UBSe / mid-point guidance.

2) Jan trading saw a strong turnaround in Leisure PBT (-4% 1H26 / +4% 7mths YTD) and sets the business up well for 2H26.

3) Corporate has a solid pipeline of potential business wins, delivered solid productivity improvements (h/count -6%, productivity / staff +13%) and has ongoing AI projects to extract further benefits.

The broker thinks the Flight Centre share price is trading very cheaply, valued at around 12x FY26’s estimated earnings. The business has seen a strong start to January for both leisure and corporate with both segments on track for year over year profit growth.

The post 2 ASX shares highly recommended to buy: Experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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 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.

The ASX 200 stock in this article could be dirt cheap at current levels.

That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, who are tipping this stock as a buy to investors with a high tolerance for risk.

Which ASX 200 stock?

The stock that Bell Potter believes could rocket higher is Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB).

It is a biotechnology company whose lead product is Ryoncil for the treatment of paediatric steroid refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGvHD), which was approved by the FDA in December 2024.

Additional products in development include Revascor, for the treatment of late stage heart failure, and remestemcel-L for chronic lower back pain.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter notes that the ASX 200 stock updated the market on its plans for the Revascor product when releasing its half-year results. It said:

MSB updated the market on plans for submission of the biological license application (BLA) for Revascor. The initial BLA will include treatment of Right Side Heart Failure associated with ischemic LVAD patients. The company has pivoted to a full application for this orphan indication rather than an accelerated approval. We view this as a cunning plan to a) capitalise on the earnings potential of Ryoncil and b) entice a partner for Revascor. A single approval will massively de-risk this asset for a partner, who could then pursue a label expansion in the much larger class II/III heart failure indication with a single Phase 3 confirmatory study.

It was also pleased with its guidance for FY 2026 and its expectation for its cash burn to reduce. The broker explains:

Guidance is for FY26 net revenue from Ryoncil sales of $110m-$120m implying 2H26 revenues of $61m – $71m. We expect the 2H26 run rate on opex (excluding non-cash items) will remain at ~$70m – $75m. Accordingly, it is reasonable to expect 2H26 EBITDA at close to breakeven.

The major driver for the 2H26 revenue guidance is the now mature reimbursement coverage for Ryoncil. MSB expects to achieve 20% market penetration in paediatric SR aGvHD by 4Q26 with a longer term goal of 40%. In the absence of any other effective treatment we believe this is a low bar. 1H26 cash burn $30.3m with closing cash $130m. Cash burn is expected to reduce by virtue of the expanding revenue base.

Shares tipped to double

According to the note, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating and $4.45 price target on Mesoblast’s shares.

Based on its current share price, this implies potential upside of approximately 100% over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its buy recommendation, Bell Potter concludes:

The launch of Ryoncil has been a stunning success. Next major catalysts include 3Q26 revenues (mid March), completion of enrolment for the chronic lower back pain trial by April and submission of the BLA for Revascor in the June quarter. FY26 NPAT amended to -$62m from -$24m. Valuation is unchanged at $4.45. Retain Buy (Speculative).

The post Why this ASX 200 stock is being tipped to rocket 100% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Mesoblast shares: Revenue surges on Ryoncil® US launch in H1 FY2026
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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) share price has risen by around 10% in the last six months. The ASX mining share also just reported its FY26 half-year result.

After seeing the numbers, it’s a good time to consider what could happen with the Fortescue share price, and whether the business is a buy or not.

Fortescue reported that revenue rose 10% to US$8.4 billion, underlying operating profit (EBITDA) grew 23% to US$4.5 billion, net profit rose 23% to US$1.91 billion, net operating cash flow increased 32% to US$3.2 billion and the dividend was hiked by 24% to 62 cents per share.

The ASX mining share benefited from a 7% rise in its sold price and production costs declined 3%.

Let’s see what experts think of the Fortescue share price.

Analysis and views of the FY26 half-year result

Broker UBS said that the interim dividend was stronger than the market was expecting with a “sector-leading” 65% dividend payout ratio.

Underlying EBITDA was around 5% stronger than expected thanks to a strengthening of the market to 53%, though earnings was a “slight miss” compared to market expectations reflecting higher depreciation and amortisation (D&A) on Fortescue’s growing asset base.

UBS also highlighted that the company’s roll out of batteries, solar and wind is accelerating. The cost of those installs is improving sequentially, with “strong relationships” with manufacturers. The broker said it’s “confident” in Fortescue’s approach to decarbonisation spending.

Taking diesel and gas costs of C1 production costs were estimated at US$2 to US$4 per tonne by 2030, which could be a positive for the Fortescue share price.

UBS thoughts on the outlook

The broker is forecasting that the iron ore price could be US$96 per tonne in the 2026 calendar year and US$90 per tonne in 2027 as large African iron ore project Simandou ramps up.

UBS also highlighted that CMRG (a large Chinese buyer of iron ore) negotiations “continue to pose a challenge for the sector” and may affect sales. But, Fortescue has to date “encountered less scrutiny than peers”.

Fortescue’s potential green energy projects are waiting for “more favourable return signals”. Additionally, UBS noted that Fortescue is giving itself optionality by looking at copper projects, including the recent Alta Copper acquisition.

Is the Fortescue share price a buy?

UBS is now forecasting that Fortescue could generate US$3.8 billion of net profit in FY26 and pay an annual dividend per share of A$1.22.

The broker has a price target of $20 on Fortescue, implying a mid-single-digit decline of the Fortescue share price, in percentage terms, over the next year. This appears to not be the best time to invest in Fortescue, even though it may provide a large dividend yield of 8.2%, including franking credits.

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

More reading

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• What’s next for the Fortescue share price?

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.

Now could be the time to buy Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) shares.

That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, who are feeling bullish about this uranium producer in March.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter notes that Boss Energy released its half-year results last week. While it wasn’t overly impressed by them, it saw enough to become more positive. It said:

BOE reported a rather lacklustre set of results, which at the headline continue to be impacted by the accounting treatment of inventory sales. Looking under the hood, operating cash flow was robust, and provided a better representation of the financials.

The broker also highlights that the company’s Honeymoon Project review is progressing. It believes that this review could be a catalyst to a major re-rating if successful. It adds:

The ongoing Honeymoon Project review is progressing, with the commencement of wide-spaced drill configurations underway targeting areas around wellfields B1-B5 with varying spacings up to 100m. Initial guidance was for residence time of roughly ~90 days, meaning that results could begin to filter through around the beginning of April. Should this prove to be a success, we suspect BOE will re-rate strongly. Whilst BOE remains the most shorted stock on the ASX, the short interest (16%) has pared back markedly ahead of the results.

Boss Energy shares upgraded

According to the note, the broker has upgraded Boss Energy shares to a buy rating (from hold) with an unchanged price target of $1.95. Based on its current share price of $1.64, this implies potential upside of 19% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its upgrade, Bell Potter revealed that it made the move on valuation grounds following recent share price weakness. It concludes:

We make no adjustments to our TP in this note, but take the opportunity to upgrade BOE to Buy (previously Hold), following deterioration in the price. We continue to see the market positioning for a negative outcome in the upcoming wide-spaced wellfield program, creating an asymmetric risk opportunity in our opinion.

Adding to this thesis, the continued increase in uranium prices (Spot US$88/lb or A$124/lb and Term US$89/lb A$125/lb), increases near-term margins and cashflow, further bolstering the balance sheet. EPS changes in this report are FY26 -36%, FY27 -1% FY28 nc.

The post Top broker upgrades Boss Energy shares to a buy rating 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.

Horizon Oil Ltd (ASX: HZN) has launched a takeover bid for its smaller counterpart Cue Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: CUE) at a slender 10% premium to its last trading price.

The larger oil and gas company also said in a statement to the ASX on Monday it had acquired a stake of 19.9% in Cue.

Offer in cash and scrip

Horizon Oil is offering 0.8 cents in cash and 0.5625 Horizon shares for each Cue share under the deal, which Horizon said came to an implied value of 14.3 cents for each Cue share.

Cue shares closed at 13 cents on Friday.

Horizon said in its statement to the ASX:

The offer consideration therefore represents a 10% premium to the closing price of Cue shares of $0.13 on the last practicable date, and a premium of approximately 16.3% to the 30-day VWAP (volume weighted average price) of Cue shares of $0.123 on ASX up to and including the last practicable date. If Horizon is successful in acquiring all of the Cue Shares on issue that Horizon does not have a relevant interest in, existing Cue Shareholders will (in aggregate) hold 16.31% of the combined group and existing Horizon Shareholders will (in aggregate) own 83.69% of the combined group.

Cue has so far made no statement regarding the offer.

Horizon said in its bidder’s statement it had acquired its 19.9% stake in Cue from Echelon Resources Ltd (ASX: ECH) at 11.5 cents per share.

Synergies make sense

Chairman Bruce Clement said the Horizon Oil takeover bid made sense for Cue shareholders.

The Horizon board believes that, if Horizon acquires 100% of the Cue shares on issue, potential synergies will be available to the combined group, including from the consolidation of overlapping joint venture interests and more efficient joint venture management. The combination of Horizon and Cue, if Horizon acquires 100% of Cue shares, may unlock up to $2 million of annualised synergies. Horizon expects that the majority of these cost synergies, if realised, would be progressively achieved over approximately 12-18 months following successful offer completion.

Mr Clement said the companies had a long-standing relationship having been joint venture partners in the Maari field for more than 20 years, “and more recently through Horison’s 2024 acquisition of a 25% interest in the Mereenie field in Australia, in which Cue holds a 7.5% interest”.

He added:

With common interests in assets and non-operators in those permits, common geographical focus and similar strategies, Horizon considers the proposal to be logical. If accepted by all eligible Cue shareholders, the offer would result in an effective merger of the two entities creating an ASX-listed oil and gas producer with nine producing assets across five countries in Southeast Asia and Australia.

Horizon was valued at $390.6 million at the close of trade on Friday while Cue was valued at $90.9 million.

The post Which junior oil and gas company has just fielded a takeover bid? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• What is Bell Potter saying about Coles shares?
• Why this growing ASX 200 stock could rise 60%+
• Lynas Rare Earths shares: Malaysia licence renewed for 10 years

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.

These 2 ASX shares have slumped hard in the past 6 months.

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) shares plunged 42% at the time of writing, while Zip Co. Ltd (ASX: ZIP) lost a whopping 55% in value over 6 months.

Let’s unpack what’s driving the sell-off and whether this is the moment for investors to pounce.

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)

On paper, this S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) wine heavyweight still has plenty going for it. Its portfolio of premium and luxury labels such as Penfolds, 19 Crimes, and Lindeman’s carries global clout.

When conditions normalise, brand strength and margin leverage could quickly revive earnings. For contrarian investors who believe in the long-term appeal of premium wine, this slump might look like an entry point to buy this ASX share.

But the risks are hard to ignore.

For the first time in more than a decade, shareholders won’t receive two dividends. The decision to suspend payouts rattled the market. Add in suspended guidance and soft demand across key regions, and it’s clear this isn’t just a small bump in the road.

Management says the focus now is execution, cash flow, and fast-tracking Project Ascent. This cost-cut program is targeting $100 million in annual savings over two to three years. The board is also guiding to a stronger second half in FY26.

The market isn’t fully convinced.

Some brokers have stuck with cautious hold ratings and price targets well below prior highs. Morgans, for one, retained its hold call for the ASX shares after digesting the 1H FY26 result. And it wasn’t exactly glowing in its assessment.

Still, Morgans nudged its 12-month price target up from $5.25 to $5.30 a share, implying potential upside of roughly 17% from current levels.

Zip Co. Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

Over the past few weeks, Zip shares have been one of the more volatile ASX shares. They have been swinging from sharp sell-offs after disappointing full-year results and negative sentiment to periodic rallies that give the market some hope.

The buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider delivered solid results. Earnings jumped, guidance edged higher, and momentum looked healthy. But the market focused on the fine print.

Margins slipped to 7.9% as the faster-growing, but lower-margin US business drove more volume. Net bad debts nudged up to 1.73% of TTV, still inside board targets, but enough to keep investors alert.

Management also signalled second-half cash EBITDA will match the first. Translation? Profit growth may pause before it re-accelerates.

The bigger issue is trust. The buy now, pay later sector still faces regulatory change, tougher competition, and the risk of rising credit losses if consumers pull back. Those risks haven’t faded. And for a stock that’s already endured heavy selling, every wobble gets magnified.

So, what’s next?

Most brokers still see upside. The key will be turning new offerings into sticky, sustainable revenue streams.

UBS is bullish on the ASX share, sticking with a buy rating and a $4.50 target, pointing to potential gains of around 136% over the next year.

The post 2 battered ASX shares that look too cheap to ignore appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Why Zip shares are bouncing back 5% today
• This ASX 200 premium stock crashes 58% – bargain or value trap?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 3 ASX All Ords shares at 52-week lows: Are they a buy?

Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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 Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.