Category: Stock Market

The CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) share price has been under pressure for most of the past two years, and investors are now asking a big question: Is this one of those rare moments when a top-tier blue chip becomes a genuine long-term bargain?

At yesterday’s market close, CSL shares finished the day trading near $180, a level not seen in almost 7 years. And if it’s any consolidation, this is far below where many analysts believe the company’s share price should be.

What pushed CSL shares this low?

CSL’s tough run began with softer profit guidance, rising operating costs and a slower-than-expected recovery in its plasma collections business. Combined with currency impacts and several earnings updates that fell short of expectations, investor sentiment gradually began to fade.

The company also rolled out a $500 million cost-cutting plan, which some investors saw as a sign that costs had gone too high. All of this has contributed to CSL moving from a market favourite to what many now see as one of the more oversold large caps on the ASX.

So, has the market gone too far?

Despite the share price slump, the underlying business is far from broken. Plasma collections have been improving, Seqirus (CSL’s vaccines business) continues to perform well, and CSL Vifor is finally starting to settle after a challenging integration period.

Several analysts recently highlighted CSL as one of the highest-quality ASX 200 companies now trading at a multi-year discount. Some even described it as massively oversold, noting that the company’s long-term growth drivers remain solid.

Recent broker targets reflect that view as well, with valuations sitting between $260 and $310, which is well above today’s share price.

CSL still expects steady revenue growth over the medium term, improving margins as plasma collections return to normal, and continued strong demand for its immunoglobulin and vaccine products. With the company’s long history of growth, solid balance sheet and global reach, the current share price is getting harder for many investors to look past.

What could shift investor sentiment?

A few things could help shift sentiment, including stronger FY26 guidance, better plasma collection volumes, steady progress with CSL Vifor, and clearer signs of growth in its key treatment areas. If CSL can deliver on these areas, it may be enough to help the share price move higher.

Foolish takeaway

For long-term investors, moments like this don’t come around often. CSL is still one of Australia’s most successful companies, with decades of growth behind it and a solid runway ahead.

Only time will tell whether the current CSL share price proves to be a generational buying level. But with the company’s long record of growth and early signs of momentum returning, CSL is starting to look like one of the more attractive opportunities on the ASX.

The post Is the CSL share price a generational bargain at $180? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. 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 are up 4.85% in the year to date.

Of the 500 companies making up the ASX All Ords index, 326 shares have recorded capital growth this year.

Among the 174 companies that have lost value are the following three ASX stocks.

Despite significant share price falls this year, experts say current investors should continue to hold them.

Here’s why.

3 ASX shares down 20% to 40% in 2025

Analysts have revealed hold ratings on these three ASX stocks despite substantial price falls in the year to date (YTD).

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

Wisetech is the largest ASX tech share with a market capitalisation of $25 billion.

The Wisetech share price closed at $74.01, up 0.18% yesterday and down 40.3% in the YTD.

On The Bull this week, Ben Faulkner from Sanlam Private Wealth explained their hold rating on Wisetech shares.

Faulkner said:

WiseTech is a global leader in logistics software. It offers market dominance, high margins and long term growth potential.

The recent acquisition of e2open offers upside. Recent corporate matters and board changes have discounted the stock to a level where it offers compelling long term value, in our view.

WiseTech’s flagship platform CargoWise is used by 24 of the top 25 largest freight forwarders and 46 of the top 50 logistics providers worldwide.

Tech shares endured a rough month in November amid fears that the artificial intelligence revolution may be creating a market bubble.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN)

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is an ASX bank share with a market cap of $6 billion.

The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank share price closed at $10.37 on Tuesday, down 0.48% for the day and down 20.6% in 2025.

Jabin Hallihan from Family Financial Solutions notes that the ASX share is trading below their $11 price target.

Hallihan explained his hold rating:

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is one of Australia’s largest regional banks. Recently, an independent report highlighted weaknesses in the bank’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing controls. The shares plunged on the news.

The bank is committed to undertaking the necessary enhancements to systems, frameworks and processes to ensure full compliance with its obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act 2006.

We suggest holding the stock, but investors should monitor regulatory developments and the bank’s remediation plan.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Goodman Group is the largest ASX property share with a market cap of $60 billion.

The Goodman Group share price closed at $29.28, down 1.28% yesterday and down 18.7% in the YTD.

On The Bull last week, Stuart Bromley from Medallion Financial Group explained his hold rating on Goodman Group shares.

Goodman Group continues to position itself as a global leader in industrial property, supported by high quality tenants, such as Amazon, Samsung, Telstra, Coles and Australia Post.

Its portfolio remains robust, with strong occupancy amid long lease terms and a conservative balance sheet relative to peers.

With most new development geared towards data centres and artificial intelligence-driven infrastructure, Goodman is well placed to benefit from long term structural growth.

We view Goodman as a high quality, long term firm that we’re happy to hold.

The post 3 ASX shares down 20% to 40% in 2025: Why analysts say you should hold on appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Stocks to target for a tech rebound in 2026
• Buy, hold, sell: Catapult, Step One, WiseTech Global shares
• Here are the 3 Australian stocks I’d tell a new investor to buy asap
• The smart way to make a $25,000 passive income from ASX shares

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 Goodman Group and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bendigo And Adelaide Bank and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The team at Global X have launched nine ASX ETFs since September 2024. 

While most are thematic funds, targeting a specific sector, there are also broad index tracking funds as well. 

The positive side of thematic investing is being able to gain exposure to a specific theme or niche that you have strong conviction in. 

Many of these funds have already brought solid returns. 

Let’s look at how much an initial investment of $10,000 at each fund’s inception would be worth today. 

Global X Defence Tech ETF (ASX: DTEC)

This ASX ETF was launched in October last year. 

“Launched” might be the perfect way to describe this fund’s performance. 

Since inception (just over a year) it has risen 71.43%. 

At the time of writing, it is made up of 37 holdings. The underlying portfolio gives investors exposure to companies at the forefront of defence innovation. 

This includes AI, drones, and cybersecurity – all crucial components in today’s modern defence landscape.

As global security concerns shift towards more technology-driven solutions, DTEC captures the sectors driving the future of defence.

Its largest exposure is to companies engaged in: 

• Aerospace & Defense (77.55%)
• Software (9.79%)
• Professional Services (7.35%)

Based on this ASX ETFs performance, an initial investment of $10,000 in October last year would now be worth approximately $17,143. 

Global X Ai Infrastructure ETF (ASX: AINF)

Another thematic fund from Global X that has soared since opening in late April/early May is the Global X AI Infrastructure fund. 

According to the provider, the objective of this ETF is to track the performance of companies involved in supporting the data centre infrastructure requirements arising from Artificial Intelligence operations. 

This includes companies involved in the supply of electric utilities and infrastructure, energy management and optimisation, data centre equipment manufacturing, thermal management, and production and refinement of Copper and Uranium used to power and operate the AI infrastructure.

It is made up of 30 total holdings, with 46% of its total exposure being to US based companies. 

Since its inception, it has risen an impressive 41.21%. 

A $10,000 investment when the fund first became available on the ASX would today be worth approximately $14,121.

Global X S&P World Ex Australia Garp Etf (ASX: GARP)

This fund has now been on the stock market since September last year. 

In that time, it has risen 28.41%. 

The fund tracks the performance of the S&P World Ex-Australia GARP Index.

The GARP acronym stands for Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP).

Essentially, that means targeting companies with strong earnings growth, solid financial strength, and trading at reasonable valuations.

While the previous two funds mentioned are much more tightly focussed, this fund has 250 underlying holdings from across a variety of sectors. 

Essentially, it offers much better diversification than the previous two funds mentioned. 

A $10,000 investment at the opening of this fund would now be worth $12,841. 

The post Guess how much $10,000 in these ASX ETFs at inception would be worth today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the CSL share price a generational bargain at $180?
• 3 ASX shares down 20% to 40% in 2025: Why analysts say you should hold on
• 2 compelling ASX 200 shares this fund manager rates as buys
• Own ANZ shares? Here are the dividend dates for 2026
• Macquarie names its top ASX consumer staples and consumer discretionary stock picks

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

One of the most appealing things about the ASX share market is that share prices are always changing, giving investors the opportunity to buy growing, high-quality businesses. Volatile share prices can offer a buy-the-dip opportunity for certain S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares.

There are 200 different businesses in the ASX 200, so there is an enormous opportunity to find something that has been mispriced. When aiming for attractive returns, investors should always consider the price.That doesn’t necessarily mean finding the lowest price/earnings (P/E) ratio, of course.

Let’s take a look at two ASX 200 shares that the fund manager L1 likes.

Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA)

Viva Energy describes itself as a leading convenience retailer, commercial services and energy infrastructure business. It operates a retail convenience and fuel network of around 900 locations across Australia. The ASX 200 share supplies fuels and lubricants to a network of almost 1,500 service stations.

The company also owns and operates the Geelong refinery in Victoria, as well as operating businesses across bulk fuels, aviation, bitumen, marine, chemicals, polymers and lubricants.

L1 notes that the Viva Energy share price rose 16% in November as global refining margins continued to rise due to Russian trade sanctions and refinery closures, following relatively weak margins in the previous 12 months.

The fund manager believes that if current conditions persist, the earnings upside for the refining business would be “substantial”, offsetting acquisition integration and market challenges in its convenience business.

L1 said that while the performance of the convenience business has been “disappointing”, it should start to benefit in the 2025 second half from material acquisition synergies, as well as new and converted stores. Both of these benefits should help contribute to further earnings growth in 2026.

Light & Wonder Inc (ASX: LNW)

Another ASX 200 share that L1 highlighted is Light & Wonder, a cross-platform international gaming business that has a sizeable presence in the North American market. Light & Wonder also offers digital game content. It’s a sizeable player in the gambling market.

The fund manager noted that the Light & Wonder share price soared 40% in November after reporting a strong set of third-quarter numbers, while also re-iterating its full-year earnings guidance.

The Light & Wonder share price also benefited from the completion of the NASDAQ delisting and shift to a sole priming listing on the ASX, which saw the end of significant forced selling by US passive share investors.

L1 believes that the ASX 200 share is “well placed to deliver solid earnings growth over the medium-term, driven by its strong land-based game performance.”

The post 2 compelling ASX 200 shares this fund manager rates as buys 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 positions in and has recommended Light & Wonder Inc. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Light & Wonder Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares have outperformed their ‘big four’ peers in 2025.

The value of ANZ stock has risen faster than the other major ASX 200 bank shares by a long shot.

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares are up 23% in the year-to-date (YTD) and reached a new record of $38.93 last month.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares have ascended 17% and reached a record $41 apiece in November.

The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price has risen 10% in 2025 and reached an all-time high of $45.25 last month.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have risen by just 0.2% in 2025 after reaching a record $192 in June.

What about dividends?

ANZ shares paid a full-year FY25 dividend of 166 cents per share (cps).

The consensus estimate among analysts on CommSec is for ANZ to pay a full-year FY26 dividend of 168 cents per share.

This equates to a forward dividend yield of about 4.77%.

That’s not the sort of yield we are used to with the bank stocks, however, it is higher than the average ASX 200 dividend these days.

So, when will you find out how much ANZ will pay in dividends for sure?

The bank has released its corporate calendar for 2026.

Here are the dividend dates to diarise.

ANZ dividend dates in 2026

ANZ will release its 1H FY26 results and announce its interim dividend on 7 May.

The ex-dividend date for the interim ANZ dividend will be 18 May.

The record date will be 19 May.

If you’d like ANZ to use your dividends to buy more shares on your behalf, you can enrol in the dividend reinvestment plan (DRP).

New DRP elections must be lodged by 20 May.

ANZ will pay the dividend on 1 July. (Nice way to start the new financial year!)

The ASX 200 bank will announce its FY26 full-year results and final dividend on 9 November.

The ex-dividend date for the final ANZ dividend will be 12 November.

The record date will be 13 November.

New DRP elections must be lodged by 16 November.

The annual general meeting will take place on 17 December.

ANZ shares will pay the dividend on 18 December.

Expert ratings on ANZ shares

Macquarie has a neutral rating on ANZ shares with a 12-month price target of $35.

Morgans has a trim rating with a price target of $33.09.

The broker recapped ANZ’s 2H FY25 report released in November:

Earnings were materially below market expectations, albeit consensus may not have fully adjusted for the significant items.

However, 12 month target price lifts 29 cps to $33.09/sh due to CET1 capital outperformance in 2H25.

We recommend clients TRIM into share price strength, with the share price and implied valuation multiples trading at or around all-time highs.

The post Own ANZ shares? Here are the dividend dates for 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Up 22% in a year! The red-hot ANZ share price is smashing CBA, Westpac and NAB shares
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• ANZ shares are lagging the other big banks: Here’s why
• Here is how Morgans rates the big four ASX 200 bank shares
• Buy this ASX bank share instead of the ‘big four’: expert

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.

The team at Macquarie just released its latest High Frequency Consumer Data report and consumer stock picks. 

This included stock picks from both consumer discretionary and staples sectors. 

Its High Frequency Consumer Data series provides a sample of consumer spending habits on a weekly basis. The sample is weighted towards Sydney and Melbourne and may not be representative of overall spending in Australia. 

Black Friday data 

The most recent report released on Monday, included data from the black fortnight period. 

Macquarie said the Black Friday promotional period has driven year-over-year sales growth across key retail categories of Online (+18%) and Pharmacy (+13%) and Furniture (+8%) categories, with promo activity driving spend. However, Electronics (-1%) sales declined.

The report said recent commentary from the media and industry participants suggest trading has been strong in the household goods category. However, feedback TV sales have been flagged as softer.

The good, the bad and the ugly 

Macquarie noted that pharmacy retailing has continued its strong momentum into October and November 2025, growing at low-double-digit rates and remaining consistent with recent trends, which is supportive for Sigma Healthcare (ASX: SIG). 

Furniture retailers such as Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN) and Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK) are also seeing mid-single-digit growth. This is a positive outcome given the softer outlook for RBA policy and the resulting drag on new housing creation. 

On-premise alcohol sales have strengthened as well,rising about 3% year-on-year. This was potentially helped by the first Ashes test in late November.

Macquarie said this is a small positive for Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV)

On the less favourable side, off-premise alcohol sales are still soft compared with last year, though the rate of decline has eased somewhat, which remains an important factor for Endeavour Group. 

There are also signs of weaker consumer spending on electronics, although Macquarie is waiting for more detailed data before turning more cautious. 

Meanwhile, online retail growth has accelerated, but this expansion is dilutive to the domestic retail system and adds pressure to traditional store-based retailers.

Stock picks 

Overall, Macquarie remains positive on Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). It said it expects continued market-share gains and benefits from supply-chain investments to drive earnings.

We remain positive on COL driven by market share gains and scaling supply chain investments driving earnings growth (MRE EBIT +14% y-y in FY26E).

In the discretionary sector, JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) is Macquarie’s key pick. This is after its recent share price pull-back.

Among small and mid-caps, Nick Scali Ltd (ASX: NCK) is highlighted as the top household-retail pick. Ultimately, this is thanks to market-share growth in a gradually improving furniture category. 

Finally, in apparel, Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI) is favoured, supported by strong sales in Universal Store/Perfect Stranger and rising private-label penetration, which is helping lift gross margins.

The post Macquarie names its top ASX consumer staples and consumer discretionary stock picks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Bell Potter names more of the best ASX 200 shares to buy in December
• Up 24% in a year! The red-hot Telstra share price is smashing BHP, Westpac and Coles

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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 Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nick Scali and Universal Store. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Building generational wealth takes more than luck; it requires ownership of assets that grow over time.

For most investors, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are one of the simplest ways to achieve that.

They provide broad diversification, exposure to world-class companies, and the ability to let long-term compounding do the heavy lifting.

If the goal is to build wealth that could one day benefit children or grandchildren, you want ETFs backed by sustainable business models, strong global tailwinds, and decades-long growth runways.

Three ASX ETFs that stand out as exceptional long-term building blocks for anyone thinking beyond their own lifetime are named below:

Betashares Global Cash Flow Kings ETF (ASX: CFLO)

If you want to build wealth that lasts, investing in companies with strong, predictable cash flows is a good place to start. The Betashares Global Cash Flow Kings ETF targets exactly that.

Rather than focusing on hype or short-term market momentum, this fund leans into profitability, operational discipline, and financial resilience. It includes stocks like Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR), Visa (NYSE: V), and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL).

Cash flow is the engine of compounding. Companies that consistently generate it can reinvest in growth, buy back shares, acquire competitors, or raise dividends. Over decades, that creates an enormous wealth-building effect, making this fund a potentially powerful foundation for generational portfolios. It was recently recommended by analysts at Betashares.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

If you could only choose one ETF to pass down to the next generation, the iShares S&P 500 ETF would be hard to beat. It tracks the S&P 500 index, giving investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest and most influential companies.

This includes household names like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT).

The US economy has been a compounding machine for more than a century, driven by innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological leadership. This ASX ETF captures that long-term engine without requiring investors to pick winners or time markets.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF provides investors with access to stocks with fair valuations and lasting competitive advantages that protect their profits from rivals. These moats might include strong brands, high switching costs, patents, dominant market share, or cost advantages.

Its portfolio currently holds world class businesses such as Nike (NYSE: NKE), Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE), and Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS).

Because wide-moat businesses tend to generate above-average returns on capital, they often compound value at a faster rate over long periods. For investors thinking in decades rather than years, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF could be a great pick.

The post 3 ASX ETFs perfect for building generational wealth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nike, VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Adobe, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Nike, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, Visa, Walmart, Walt Disney, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft, long January 2028 $330 calls on Adobe, short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft, and short January 2028 $340 calls on Adobe. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Adobe, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Nike, Nvidia, VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF, Visa, Walt Disney, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX stocks are one of the best ways to grow wealth significantly over the long-term. They’re simple to own and can be big beneficiaries from the financial power of compounding.

I’d advocate for almost every Australian who can manage it to regularly invest in the (ASX) stock market because of how much that can make a difference after 20, 30 or 40 years.

Someone who is in their 30s may be approaching the best earnings phase of their life, so it’s a good time to think about putting some money towards investing to help grow wealth faster.

If someone can regularly invest more money into their portfolio, they could reach $1 million or even more in the coming decades. Let’s have a look at how much it could grow.

Wealth potential of investing $1,500 monthly into ASX stocks

While investing $1,500 per month may be a stretch for some households, it may be achievable for others. Savings are built by spending less than we earn. So, creating savings comes down to spending less, earning more or a combination of both.

If a 30 year old wanted to start investing $1,500 per month, they may have 35 years or so before reaching retirement age. That’s a long time for compounding to help growth.

Over the long-term, the (ASX) stock market has returned an average of 10% per year, so that’s the rate of return I’ll use for my calculations. Returns could be stronger or weaker than that over the long-term.

If someone invested $1,500 per month for 30 years and it returned an average of 10% per year, then that could turn into $2.96 million after three decades. That’d be an amazing result, in my opinion.

The 30-year-old may decide to continue investing until they’re 70, giving an extra five years of compounding, which could make a big difference to the final result. Continuing to invest $1,500 per month and compounding at 10% per year could enable the nest egg to grow into $4.88 million.

But, someone else may decide they want to retire earlier than 65. Investing $1,500 per month and compounding for 25 years at 10% per year could become $1.77 million, which is still an excellent portfolio value.

What to invest in?

There are a number of compelling exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – some of which do invest in ASX stocks- that can provide investors with pleasing diversification and good returns.

Investors can invest in some of the best global businesses with certain ASX-listed ETFs such as Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS), VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL), Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY) and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT).

I don’t know what the future returns of the above ETFs will be, but I’m optimistic they will be positive for wealth-building over the long-term. I’d also happily add strong ASX growth shares to my portfolio to help boost overall returns alongside the ETFs.

The post If a 30-year-old invests $1,500 a month in ASX stocks, here’s what they could have by retirement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 ASX ETFs perfect for building generational wealth
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• The ultimate ASX ETF portfolio for beginners in 2026
• Could this undervalued ASX stock be your ticket to millionaire status?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and VanEck Msci International Quality ETF. 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 VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) shares have been volatile over the last year. 

The ASX 200 healthcare stock has fluctuated between lows of $1.52 per share and highs of $3.35. 

In the last month, it is up 23%. 

These massive swings can make it difficult for investors to pinpoint fair value. 

The company works in clinical-stage biotechnology. It develops and commercialises allogeneic cellular medicines to treat complex diseases resistant to conventional standards of care.

This includes recently FDA approved product RYONCIL. It is the first FDA-approved donor-derived cell therapy that doctors can use immediately to treat children and teens who develop a severe, steroid-resistant complication after a transplant.

Yesterday, The Motley Fool’s Marc Van Dinther covered the company may be close to more regulatory breakthroughs in the US. 

Broker Bell Potter has also weighed in with updated guidance on Mesoblast shares, saying this progress towards commercial launch and monetisation is a key value driver.

Here’s what the broker had to say. 

2025 a banner year 

The broker said 2025 has already been a banner year for Mesoblast. This began with the late December 2024 FDA approval for Ryoncil, quickly followed by a highly successful commercial launch.

This was facilitated by universal medicare coverage from 1 July 2025 and capped off by a product specific J code from 1 October – practically guaranteeing reimbursement for any hospital seeking reimbursement for on label use. 

Not surprisingly this virtual guarantee on reimbursement has driven exponential growth in December quarter sales.

Mesoblast is guiding to gross revenues of at least US$30m (vs $21.9m for 1Q FY26), a near 50% increase.

Long term outlook from Bell Potter

Bell Potter also highlighted the long term exclusivity that Mesoblast has. 

Ryoncil has 7 years exclusivity from launch in paediatric GvHD and 12 years before any biosimilar (using an MSC) may emerge. The exclusivity period should extend beyond 2037 based on the remaining life of composition of matter and method of use patents.

The broker said based on the growth evident at this point, the market is witness to the birth of the new standard of care for the treatment of inflammation and cytokine release syndrome associated with the graft vs host disease.

Speculative buy for Mesoblast shares

The team at Bell Potter has reiterated its speculative buy recommendation on Mesoblast shares. 

It also has a $4.00 price target on the healthcare stock. 

This indicates an upside of almost 42% from yesterday’s closing price of $2.82. 

Elsewhere, TradingView has a 12 month target price of $4.25 (more than 50% upside). 

Online brokerage platform Selfwealth lists Mesoblast shares as undervalued by 26%. 

The post How much further upside is there for Mesoblast shares after soaring 23% in a month? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

One of the hardest hit S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares over the past year has been James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) After such a heavy fall, it’s definitely worth looking into whether the James Hardie share price should be viewed as an opportunity.

One of the fund managers that is invested in the construction materials business is L1.

L1 noted that while the James Hardie share price declined by 6% in November 2025, the business did see a rally of around 20% from the lows in early November, as shown in the chart below.

The decline of the James Hardie share price occurred following the announcement of an unexpected deletion, as the business saw its CDIs being deleted from the MSCI Australia Indices.

The surprise removal led to more than 10% of its shares on issue needing to be sold by passive share investors.

L1 decided to take advantage of that sell-off in early November to increase its shareholding near the lows of around $26 per share. The fund manager attributed that recovery during the month to an update in its full-year earnings guidance with its second-quarter earnings update. L1 also said the James Hardie share price recovered following the completion of the index transition in late November, ending the month at a value of around $30 per share.

In that quarterly update, James Hardie revealed that net sales rose by 34% to $1.29 billion, adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 25% to $329.5 million, operating net profit sank 84% to $24 million and statutory net profit declined 167% to a loss of $55.8 million.

The net sales growth was primarily due to the US acquisition called AZEK. Organic net sales declined by 1%.

Is the current James Hardie share price a buy right now?

The fund manager noted that the outlook in the US remains uncertain, with consumers exercising caution and ‘housing starts’ remaining subdued.

The fund manager believes that the impacts are “transitory” and should improve over the next 12 to 18 months, with interest rates expected to decline. Consumer confidence is also projected to improve from here.

L1 believes that James Hardie, together with the recently acquired US business Azek, remains a “secular market share gainer in attractive industry verticals within the building products industry.”

The fund manager suggests that it continues to see further upside from the current James Hardie share price.

The post After falling 47% in a year, is the James Hardie share price a buy? 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.