Category: Stock Market

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a strong gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 1% to 9,109.9 points.

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

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

The Domino’s share price is down 12% to $19.11. This follows the release of the pizza chain operator’s half-year results. Domino’s posted a 1.6% decline in network sales to $2.04 billion but a 1% lift in underlying EBIT to $101.5 million. One positive was that the Domino’s board decided to reward shareholders with a 25 cents per share interim dividend. This was up 16.3% on the prior corresponding period. Executive Chairman Jack Cowin said: “These results reflect deliberate decisions taken as part of our reset to strengthen the foundations of the business, prioritising an increase in franchise partner profitability.”

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

The Flight Centre share price is down 2.5% to $12.94. Investors have been selling the travel agent’s shares after it released its half-year results. Flight Centre reported a 6% increase in revenue to $1.41 billion and a 4% lift in underlying profit before tax to $125 million. Investors may be doubting that the company will be able to achieve its reaffirmed profit guidance based on its first-half performance.

Mader Group Ltd (ASX: MAD)

The Mader share price is down a further 5% to $8.06. This specialist technical services provider’s shares have come under pressure since the release of its half-year results this week. Mader revealed net profit after tax of $30.5 million. While this was an increase of 17% over the prior corresponding period, it was short of expectations due to weaker than expected margins. In addition, its board decided to not pay a dividend in order to reduce debt. It said: “The Group has accelerated its pathway to a net cash position by deferring the 1H FY26 interim dividend, bringing forward achievement of its net cash target and strengthening liquidity to support a more aggressive approach to organic and inorganic growth opportunities.”

Paragon Care Ltd (ASX: PGC)

The Paragon Care share price is down 11% to 18.2 cents. The catalyst for this decline has been the healthcare distributor’s half-year results release. Paragon Care reported a modest 2.9% increase in revenue and a 0.7% rise in underlying net profit to $13.3 million. In addition, the company has taken a full provision ($46.4 million) against its Infinity Pharmacy Group debt. It notes: “The Infinity Group of 92 Pharmacy stores had incurred significant debt to acquire new pharmacies, resulting in an inability to pay suppliers and creditors, which resulted in Receivers being appointed to 52 pharmacies, and Administrators appointed over the remainder of stores.”

The post Why Domino’s, Flight Centre, Mader, and Paragon Care shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Domino’s Pizza shares tumble 16% after reset-style results
• After a solid profit result, brokers say Flight Centre shares are looking cheap
• Bell Potter says this ASX All Ords stock is a top buy
• Domino’s Pizza Enterprises lifts dividend and franchise profitability in first-half reset
• Flight Centre Travel Group delivers record 1H earnings and dividend boost

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and Mader Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Mader Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and 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.

It’s been a momentous day for the Australian share market and ASX 200 shares this Wednesday. Yesterday afternoon, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed at 9,022.3 points. But investors evidently decided that wasn’t good enough. At market open this morning, investors pushed the index higher, into uncharted territory. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is sitting at 9,123.5 points, up a robust 1.12%, after hitting 9,130.3 points earlier this afternoon.

That’s a new all-time record high for the ASX 200.

Today’s gains put the ASX 200 up a healthy 10.5% over the past 12 months and 4.5% year to date in 2026 thus far. That’s a stunningly successful start to 2026. The index is also up an even more impressive 4.8% since 6 February.

But let’s talk about which ASX 200 shares are responsible for today’s latest high.

Of course, the ASX 200 comprises 200 individual stocks. So on one level, this is a group effort. However, some ASX 200 shares are more equal than others. Like most indices, the ASX 200 is weighted by market capitalisation. This means the largest shares have a greater impact on the index than the smaller ones.

Which ASX 200 shares are responsible for today’s record high?

As such, there are just a handful of ASX 200 shares that are mostly responsible for today’s new high. It might be tempting to single out the ASX 200’s largest single constituent, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA). Yes, CBA’s 0.7% gain would be pulling its weight for today’s fresh highs. And its near-20% rebound over the past month has certainly gotten the index to where it is today. But CBA is still not back at its all-time highs of over $190 a share.

Instead, it’s BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) that stands out as the biggest backer of the ASX200’s fresh high. BHP, the mining giant that is now the ASX 200’s second-largest holding, has blazed to a new record high of its own today. The Big Australian is presently up a massive 32.5% over 12 months, at $56.12, after hitting $56.36 earlier this morning.

We have also seen National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) clock new record highs of their own today. NAB and Westpac are currently the third- and fourth-largest stocks on the ASX 200, so their new highs would also be playing a major role in today’s proceedings.

All in all, today’s new milestone for the ASX 200 just reinforces how dominant bank shares and mining stocks remain in the broader ASX 200 Index. Not that too many investors will be minding right now.

The post Huge news: ASX 200 hits new record high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up a solid 1.1% today, with five mega-cap ASX 200 stocks leaping to new 52-week-plus highs.

Which ASX giants am I talking about?

Read on!

Five ASX 200 stocks notching new one-year-plus highs

In early afternoon trade on Wednesday, Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are up 1.4% at $28.13. That’s the highest Woodside share price since July 2024.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares are also on a tear, up 2.0% at the time of writing, changing hands for $55.83 apiece. That’s not just a new 52-week high for BHP shares, but if the mining giant can hold these gains to close, it will mark a new all-time high.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) joins the mega-cap ASX 200 stocks charting new high territory today. NAB shares are currently trading for $48.84 each, up 1.0%. As with BHP shares, this sees the NAB share price at a new all-time high.

BHP, NAB and Woodside are joined by Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) on this list today. Woolworths shares are up a whopping 11.2%, trading for $35.06 each. This puts the Woolworths share price at its highest level since August 2024.

And rounding off the list of ASX 200 giants hitting fresh high-water marks today, we have Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC). Shares in the big four bank are up 1.0% today, changing hands for $43.09 each. This sees Westpac shares joining BHP and NAB shares in fresh all-time high territory.

What’s sending these ASX giants to new highs?

All five of the ASX 200 stocks above have been catching investor interest following the recent release of their earnings results.

BHP shares gained 4.7% on 17 February after the miner reported its half-year results. The mining giant reported an 11% year-on-year increase in revenue to US$27.90 billion. Underlying attributable profit of US$6.20 billion was up 22%.

Woodside shares closed up 2.4% yesterday following the release of Woodside’s full-year 2025 results. The company pleased investors with record full-year production of 198.8 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), exceeding its 2025 production guidance. Amid lower realised prices, Woodside’s 2025 underlying net profit after tax (NAPT) of $2.65 billion was down 8% from the prior year.

And NAB shares closed up 4.0% on 18 February after the big four bank reported its first quarter results. NAB achieved a 12% year-on-year increase in underlying profit, which came to $3.1 billion for the quarter.

Westpac released its own first-quarter results on 13 February. The ASX 200 stock has since trended higher to today’s new all-time highs after reporting a 6% increase in net profit excluding notable items on its second half 2025 average. Westpac’s quarterly net profit came out to $1.9 billion.

Rounding off our list of ASX 200 stocks posting new highs, Woolworths shares are on fire today after the supermarket surprised to the upside with its half-year results release this morning. Woolworths reported half-year NPAT of $859 million, up 16.4% year on year.

The post 5 ASX 200 stocks including NAB, Woodside and BHP shares charging to new 52-week plus highs today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Huge news: ASX 200 hits new record high
• Up 15%: Everything you need to know about the new Woolworths dividend
• Why Accent, DroneShield, WiseTech Global, and Woolworths shares are racing higher
• Why is the Woolworths share price rocketing 10% on Wednesday?
• How to target earnings season winners with ASX ETFs

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 positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) share price is storming higher in lunchtime trade on Wednesday. At the time of writing, the beaten-down stock is 6.08% higher at $114.72 a piece.

The uptick is welcome news for investors after the stock faced multiple headwinds over the past year, sending its share price crashing. For the year-to-date, Pro Medicus shares are now down 48.47% and they’ve shed a huge 59.54% over the year.

But it looks like the medical imaging technology stock has finally caught a break.

Why are Pro Medicus shares climbing higher today?

There is no price-sensitive news out of the company today to explain the uplift. 

But over the past 48 hours, the company has announced in a note to the ASX that three of its directors have increased their existing stake by purchasing additional Pro Medicus shares.

It is unlikely to immediately influence the share price, but it does raise a green flag for other investors and, in turn, can boost confidence in the company’s share price outlook.

What sent Pro Medius shares crashing over the past 12 months?

Pro Medicus has suffered several headwinds over the past year. The sector-wide tech sell-off and fear of AI disruptions late last year (and in early 2026) prompted many investors to flee the sector. 

At the same time, the stock rallied nearly 250% between early 2024 and mid-2025, prompting concerns that the shares were overpriced. After significant gains, it’s common for investors to lock in the profits and sell up, therefore pushing the price lower.

So what’s ahead for the stock this year?

Pro Medicus is a medical imaging technology provider for hospitals, imaging centres, and healthcare groups. It is a leading supplier of radiology information systems, picture archiving and communication systems, and advanced visualisation solutions for medical practices and hospitals. The ASX 200 share has offices in Australia, Germany, and the US.

It has a wide range of clients on long-term contracts too, and is continually expanding its presence worldwide. Earlier this month, the business won a new 5-year A$10 million contract with University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Institute (DKFZ).

Earlier this month, it also posted its half-year results, which revealed strong financials and confirmed that it is gaining traction with long-term contracts, has strong earnings visibility, and a growing pipeline of major contract wins, all against a backdrop of radiologist shortages. 

Analysts are also incredibly bullish on Pro Medicus shares.

Out of 14 analysts, nine have a buy or strong buy rating on the stock. The average target price is $220.75, which implies a 92.71% upside at the time of writing. However, some think it could soar even higher to $300 a piece. That represents a potential 161.92% upside for Pro Medicus shares.

The post Charging 6% higher today: What is happening with the Pro Medicus share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

It’s been a wonderful day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and most ASX shares so far this Wednesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has surged 1.1% to 9,116 points after hitting a new intra-day high of 9,121.9 points. But let’s talk about what’s happening with Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares, perhaps thanks to the new Woolworths dividend.

The ASX 200 might be having a wonderful day, but it pales in comparison to what’s happening with the Woolworths share price. The ASX 200 supermarket giant is enjoying a day for the record books. Yesterday, Woolworths closed at $31.54 a share. But this morning, those same shares opened at $33 each and are currently up by a whopping 11.1% at $35.04 at the time of writing. That’s the largest single-day gain Woolworths has seen in a very long time.

The catalyst for this massive share price jump is clearly the company’s half-year earnings report released this morning.

As we covered earlier today, there wasn’t much to hate in this report. Over the six months to 31 December 2025, Woolworths reported sales of $37.14 billion, up 2.4% year on year. That included a pleasing 14.6% lift in the company’s eCommerce sales. Earnings before interest and tax shot up 14.4% to $1.66 billion, while net profit after tax rocketed 16.4% to $859 million.

So it’s not hard to see why Woolworths shares are leaping so enthusiastically higher this Wednesday.

But let’s talk about the Woolworths dividend.

What’s the new Woolworths dividend worth?

This morning, the supermarket operator revealed that its next dividend will be worth 45 cents per share. As is this company’s habit, that dividend will come with full franking credits attached.

This dividend matches the final dividend that investors bagged in September last year, but represents a 15.4% increase over the 39 cents per share interim dividend that Woolworths investors received in April.

Investors who don’t yet own Woolworths shares but might wish to receive this latest dividend have until the close of trade on Tuesday, 3 March, to have shares in their name. Anyone who buys Woolworths shares on or after the ex-dividend date of 4 March will leave the rights to this dividend behind with the seller.

Payday for this dividend will then roll around on 2 April.

Woolworths is running its dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) for this dividend too. Investors who wish to receive additional Woolworths shares in lieu of the traditional cash payment have until 5 pm on  March to elect to do so.

Woolworths shares are currently trading on a trailing dividend yield of 2.4%, but today’s announcement means we can assign a forward dividend yield of 2.57%.

The post Up 15%: Everything you need to know about the new Woolworths dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 ASX 200 stocks including NAB, Woodside and BHP shares charging to new 52-week plus highs today
• Why Accent, DroneShield, WiseTech Global, and Woolworths shares are racing higher
• Why is the Woolworths share price rocketing 10% on Wednesday?
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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on form and charging higher on Wednesday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 1.1% to 9,119.2 points.

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

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

The Accent share price is up 17.5% to 97.5 cents. This morning, this footwear retailer released its half-year results and reported a 2.4% increase in sales to $865.2 million and a net profit after tax of $28.1 million. Accent’s board elected to declare a 3.25 cents per share fully franked dividend for the half. The company also revealed that it has “successfully opened the first Sports Direct store and website with pleasing early trade.”

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up 11% to $3.36. This has been driven by the release of the counter-drone technology company’s full-year results. DroneShield posted a 276% increase in revenue to $216.5 million and a 367% jump in profit after tax to $3.5 million. The company’s independent non-executive chairman, Peter James, said: “FY 2026 already has $104 million in secured revenue of which $22 million has been recognised to date. Secured SaaS in FY 2026 is at $22 million, of which $2 million has been recognised to date, and SaaS expected to increase further as additional sales are secured.”

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech Global share price is up 9% to $46.96. Investors have been buying the logistics solutions technology company’s shares following the release of its half-year results. WiseTech Global posted a 76% increase in revenue to US$672 million and a 31% jump in EBITDA to US$252.1 million. The company’s CEO, Zubin Appoo, said: “This half, we executed with discipline and delivered results in line with our expectations, and we are confident in our outlook. We continue on our deliberate AI transformation journey. AI is strengthening our advantage, enabling significantly more automation and value for our customers, embedding our products more deeply into their daily operations, and unlocking levels of efficiency gains across WiseTech that were previously out of reach.”

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

The Woolworths Group share price is up 11% to $34.99. Investors have been buying the supermarket giant’s shares following the release of its half-year results. Woolworths reported a 3.4% increase in sales to $37.14 billion and a 16.4% jump in net profit after tax to $859 million. Woolworths CEO, Amanda Bardwell, commented: “Trading in Q3 to date has been strong in Australian Food; however, customers continue to be value-focused, shopping multiple retailers in a highly competitive environment.”

The post Why Accent, DroneShield, WiseTech Global, and Woolworths shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 ASX 200 stocks including NAB, Woodside and BHP shares charging to new 52-week plus highs today
• Up 15%: Everything you need to know about the new Woolworths dividend
• 2 Australian growth stocks supercharged to surge in 2026
• WiseTech shares jump 7% on its half-year results
• Why is the Woolworths share price rocketing 10% on Wednesday?

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

If you are looking for some gold exposure outside the status quo, then it could be worth looking at the ASX gold stock in this article.

That’s because the team at Bell Potter believes this gold developer’s shares could be cheap following a “landmark” moment.

Which ASX gold stock?

The stock that Bell Potter is bullish on is Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6).

It is a Perth-based exploration and development company led by non-executive chair Tim Goyder and managing director Luke McFadyen.

Last year, it agreed binding terms for the transformational acquisition of 100% of the Bullabulling Gold Project (BGP) from Norton Gold Fields. It has a mineral resource estimate of 4.5Moz at 1.0g/t Au.

But it may not stop there. Bell Potter highlights that the project sits within a 293km2 total tenement package of granted mining and exploration leases.

What was the landmark moment?

This week, the ASX gold stock announced that it has signed a $220 million strategic funding package with Canadian gold royalties and streaming giant Franco-Nevada Corp (NYSE: FNV) to accelerate and de-risk the development of the Bullabulling gold project.

This news went down well with Bell Potter. It commented:

In our view, the pricing of both tranches of the deal is at a material premium to market and represents a strong endorsement by one of the world’s most capable and successful gold investment companies. The equity component, priced at $0.45/sh, was at a 7% premium to MI6’s prior closing share price before the deal.

In assessing the royalty component, we have conservatively applied the 2.45% initial rate and 1.63% tail rate to the current 4.5Moz Resource. This equates to the effective purchase by FNV:CN of ~106koz for A$170m, or A$1,600/oz. This is a substantial (~8x) premium to the ~A$200/oz (Enterprise Value per Resource ounce) we estimate for ASX-listed gold exploration companies. The deal is, in fact, better than this for MI6 as a 1.0% royalty is already held by FNV:CN over some of the Bullabulling tenements, implying a higher EV/oz metric is actually being paid for the new royalty.

Big potential returns

According to the note, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating on the ASX gold stock with an improved price target of 90 cents (from 75 cents). Based on its last close price of 59.5 cents, this implies potential upside of just over 50% for investors.

Commenting on its recommendation, Bell Potter said:

Following this deal MI6 will have ~$250m cash. This should comfortably fund MI6 through the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and to Final Investment Decision (FID) in early CY27, plus a meaningful portion of project CAPEX. We view this deal as a capital efficient funding mechanism and do not believe these terms would be available to many gold development companies.

The post This ASX gold stock could rise 50% after ‘landmark’ moment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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.

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) shares were drifting lower on Wednesday after the company delivered a solid profit result, but brokers agree that the company’s shares are good buying at these levels.

The travel company said in a statement to the ASX that it had delivered an underlying profit before tax of $125 million, “above expectations”, on revenue of $1.411 billion, up 6%.

Flight Centre said the expectation had been for a “broadly flat” profit, and it had surpassed this “comfortably”.

The company’s total transaction value hit a record of $12.5 billion, up 7%, and the company had a record low cost margin of 9.6%, “reflecting disciplined cost management and productivity gains”.

Managing Director Graham Turner said it was a solid result.

Our results reflect our global model’s strength and our brands’ enduring value as we continue to evolve. Despite challenging conditions, demand remains resilient and we’re using our scale, people and technology to capture a growing market. “We are expanding into new sectors and creating additional revenue streams beyond traditional corporate travel management and leisure retailing. These initiatives are ensuring we are future-fit, deepening customer relationships and strengthening our market position.

AI to be a differentiator

The company also said it was investing in artificial intelligence and “deepening its competitive moat by leveraging its loyal customer base and proprietary data to build differentiated, AI-powered capabilities that competitors cannot replicate”.

The company added:

Supported by strong brand trust, exclusive product offerings and expert consultant capability, the company sees ongoing growth opportunities in complex, high-value travel segments as it scales an enterprise-wide AI strategy designed to lift productivity, enhance personalisation and strengthen long-term competitive advantage.  

Flight Centre declared a fully-franked interim dividend of 12 cents per share, up 9% on the previous corresponding period.

On the outlook, the company said it had started the year “solidly” and reaffirmed its previous guidance of $315 to $350 million in underlying profit before tax, which would be a 15% increase on FY25 if the midpoint were achieved.

Despite the upbeat outlook, Flight Centre shares were 1% lower at $13.15 in early trade.

Flight Centre shares looking cheap

The team at UBS said in a note to clients that the pre-tax profit results beat consensus expectations by 5% and “productivity improvements appear to be delivering in corporate”.

They also said there had been a large turnaround in the leisure division and the Asian business had swung to a profit.

UBS has a price target of $16.45 on Flight Centre shares.

Jarden is even more bullish on the company, with an $18.50 price target on Flight Centre shares.

The Jarden team said the risks were now “weighted to the upside” and noted that the company’s buyback was continuing, which would also bolster the share price.

RBC Capital Markets has a $16 price target on Flight Centre shares.

The RBC team said the corporate profitability looked “very strong”.

They added:

We already expected a strong focus on the corporate segment given industry disruption in this sector, but the standout profitability may draw even more attention.

The post After a solid profit result, brokers say Flight Centre shares are looking cheap appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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.

Owning Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares has meant big dividends over the last several years. The ASX mining share just announced its latest payout to shareholders with its HY26 results.

The company has benefited from a higher iron ore price, leading to higher profits and a larger payout.

Fortescue may be a volatile business, but shareholders are about to enjoy a significantly larger dividend than last year.

Fortescue dividend announced

The business determines the size of its dividend based on the dividend payout ratio, so changes in profitability play a vital role in the company’s dividend potential.

Fortescue reported a 23% rise in net profit, driven by a 7% increase in its iron ore sales price and a 3% reduction in production costs. This led to the earnings per share (EPS) increasing by 24% in Australian dollar terms to 95 cents per share.

The company maintained a dividend payout ratio of 65% in the first half of FY26, the same as in the first half of FY25. Its policy is to pay between 50% and 80% of the full-year underlying net profit as a dividend.

Fortescue hiked its interim dividend per share by 24% to 62 Australian cents. At the current Fortescue share price, this payment alone translates into a cash dividend yield of 3%, or 4.3% including the franking credits.

When will it be paid?

The business announced that the Fortescue dividend will be paid to shareholders on 30 March 2026.

But there’s another important date to be aware of. The ex-dividend date is the cutoff date by which investors need to own Fortescue shares to be entitled to this payout. Investors need to own shares by the end of trading on the previous trading date.

Fortescue’s ex-dividend date is Monday, 2 March 2026, so investors have until the end of trading on Friday, 27 February (this week) to invest and gain entitlement to the dividend.

Investors can choose to participate in the dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) if they would rather receive new Fortescue shares (with no brokerage costs) rather than receive cash.

If shareholders wish to participate in the DRP, the deadline is 5pm on 4 March 2026. That is essentially a week away, at the time of writing.

Time will tell whether the FY26 final dividend can match this, or even exceed it. It’s likely to depend on what happens with the iron ore price over the next few months, which is notoriously unpredictable and volatile.

The post Everything you need to know about the latest Fortescue dividend 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 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.

Australian stocks are climbing higher again today. At the time of writing on Wednesday lunchtime, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.96% for the day. This represents growth of 4.36% for the year-to-date.

The index has been driven by some strong Australian growth stocks over the past year. And I’ve identified two which are tipped to keep charging higher in 2026.

Droneshield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

Droneshield shares are up another 6.31% in Wednesday lunchtime trade, to $3.20 a piece. Today’s uptick means the stock is now up a whopping 302.52% for the year, too, making it the second-best annual performer on the ASX 200 index at the time of writing.

And analysts don’t think the share price hike will stop anytime soon. There is a strong buy consensus on Droneshield stock, with a $5 target price over the next 12 months. That implies a huge 56.25% potential upside for investors at the time of writing. 

The company’s latest share price lift comes off the back of the release of its full-year earnings results for 2025. It posted an impressive 276% revenue uplift for the 12 months to 31st December, and its EBITDA came in at $4.5 million, up from a loss of $8.6 million in 2024. 

DroneShield also said it is scaling up its production capacity from $500 million in 2025 to $2.4 billion by the end of 2026. This will be via new facilities in Australia, the United States, and Europe. The company also confirmed it has a $2.3 billion sales pipeline, representing a 92% increase in the last 12 months.

It looks like there is plenty of room for this surging defence stock to storm even higher in 2026.

Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG)

Close behind Droneshield, and the third-best-performing ASX 200 stock over the past 12 months, is Resolute Mining. The ASX mining stock only joined the ASX 200 index in November.

The gold producers’ shares have shot higher over the past year on the back of record-high gold prices and a significant increase in the company’s gold production figures. 

At the time of writing in Wednesday lunchtime trade, Resolute Mining shares are up 3.23% to $1.44 a piece. For the year, the shares are 294.52% higher.

Analysts are bullish on the stock going forward too. They have a consensus buy rating on the Australian growth stock with a maximum target price of $2.49. That implies the shares could jump another 72.6% in the next 12 months.

Earlier this month, the miner announced that it has been awarded a key mining permit for its Doropo Gold Project in Cote d’Ivoire. Management described the approval as a major step toward building Doropo into the company’s next core producing asset.

The post 2 Australian growth stocks supercharged to surge in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended DroneShield. 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.