Category: Stock Market

It has been a tough period for Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares.

Since hitting a record high of $192.00 in June, the banking giant’s shares have lost 20% of their value.

Unfortunately for shareholders, analysts believe that this could just be the start of even greater declines.

But just how low could CBA shares go in 2026? Let’s take a look at what brokers are predicting for Australia’s largest bank.

Where are CBA shares heading?

Firstly, it is worth highlighting that brokers have been calling CBA shares overvalued and predicting sharp declines for years.

Despite this, the bank’s shares have managed to outperform the market and even some popular ASX growth shares with strong returns.

But it is also worth remembering that trading conditions in the banking sector aren’t as easy as they were several years ago and growth is getting hard to come by. This makes it hard to justify the premium valuations that the banks are trading on.

It is partly for this reason that analysts at UBS have put a sell rating and $125.00 price target on CBA’s shares. This implies potential downside of approximately 18% from current levels.

While that decline would be disappointing, it certainly is not the worst-case scenario.

For example, the team at Macquarie has put an underperform rating and $106.00 price target on its shares. This suggests that there is potential downside of approximately 31% over the next 12 months. It commented:

While CBA remains the leading banking franchise, with cracks appearing in its deposit ‘moat’, and further downside risk to consensus, we believe valuation of ~26x FY26E P/E and ~3.5x P/B remains detached from fundamentals. Maintain Underperform.

But that’s not even the furthest that analysts think CBA shares could fall in 2026. The most bearish broker at present is Morgans, which has a sell rating and $96.07 price target on them. Based on its current share price, this implies potential downside of over 37% for investors between now and this time next year. Morgans recently said:

We remain SELL rated on CBA, recommending clients aggressively reduce overweight positions given the risk of poor future investment returns arising from the even-now overvalued share price and low-to-mid single digit EPS/DPS growth outlook.

Overall, the broker community appears convinced that next year could be a bad one for the big four bank’s shares and that investors should be taking profit before it is too late.

The post How low could CBA shares go in 2026? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the CBA share price valuation is ‘disconnected from fundamentals’
• Commonwealth Bank’s top tier status has begun to unwind, so which bank is looking good according to Wilsons Advisory?
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• These were the 10 most-traded Australian shares last week
• Forget CBA shares! Buy these ASX dividend shares instead for passive income

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

If you want to build serious long-term wealth, one of the smartest strategies is to buy a handful of high-quality ASX ETFs and simply hold them for decades.

A 20-year investing horizon gives compounding the freedom to work its magic, smoothing out the bumps and capturing the long-run performance of global markets.

The good news for Australian investors is that the ASX offers world-class ETFs that provide instant diversification across many of the most innovative stocks and strongest economies on the planet.

If you’re looking to set up a portfolio you won’t need to tinker with for a very long time, the following three ASX ETFs are hard to beat.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

When it comes to long-term wealth creation, it is hard to look beyond the US market.

The iShares S&P 500 ETF tracks the S&P 500 index, giving investors a slice of America’s 500 largest stocks. These are the businesses driving innovation in technology, healthcare, consumer spending, and industrials.

This includes giants such as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT). These companies have shaped global consumer behaviour, created new industries, and consistently reinvested into product development and growth. For a 20-year investment horizon, it is arguably a must-have building block.

Betashares India Quality ETF (ASX: IIND)

India is increasingly being viewed as one of the world’s most exciting long-term economic growth stories. With a young population, a rapidly expanding middle class, modernising infrastructure, and booming digital adoption, the country is expected to be one of the fastest-growing major economies for decades.

The Betashares India Quality ETF focuses specifically on high-quality Indian companies with strong fundamentals. Its portfolio includes leading names such as Infosys (NYSE: INFY), Tata Consultancy Services (NSEI: TCS), and HDFC Bank (NSEI: HDFCBANK). These are businesses benefitting from both domestic expansion and the global outsourcing boom.

India is still early in its economic development cycle compared to Western markets, meaning its long-term runway could be significantly larger. For Australian investors wanting emerging-market growth without taking on excessive risk, this fund offers a blend of quality, diversification, and future upside. It was recently named as one to consider buying by analysts at Betashares.

Betashares Global Shares Ex-US ETF (ASX: EXUS)

If you have your US exposure sorted, then it could be worth looking at the new Betashares Global Shares Ex-US ETF.

This ASX ETF gives investors exposure to more than 900 large and mid-cap stocks across 22 developed markets outside the US and Australia.

Its top holdings include ASML (NASDAQ: ASML), Roche (SWX: ROG), AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN), Nestlé (SWX: NESN), and SAP (ETR: SAP). These are global leaders in semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and enterprise software.

This fund balances a long-term portfolio by reducing concentration in American technology stocks and increasing exposure to financials, industrials, healthcare, and consumer defensives. It was also recently named as one to consider buying by the fund manager.

The post The best ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 20 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ASML, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Walmart, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended AstraZeneca Plc, HDFC Bank, Nestlé, and Roche Holding AG and has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ASML, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, 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.

Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) shares were among the best performers on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) this past week.

Shares in the ASX 200 global pathology provider closed up 0.6% on Friday, trading for $22.98 apiece. This put the share price up 7.8% in a week that saw the benchmark Aussie index close down 2.5%.

Longer-term, Sonic Healthcare shares remain down 16.6% over 12 months, trailing the 1.1% one-year gains delivered by the ASX 200.

Though that’s not including the $1.07 a share in partly franked dividends the healthcare stock has paid out over this time. At Friday’s closing price, Sonic Healthcare stock trades on a partly franked trailing dividend yield of 4.7%.

Which brings us back to our headline question.

Following on this past week’s gains, what target does Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) have on the stock?

What’s the outlook for Sonic Healthcare shares?

Much of the ASX 200 healthcare stock’s outperformance this past week came on the heels of the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, where management also provided an FY 2026 trading update through to October.

Sonic Healthcare shares closed up 6.3% on the day, with the company reaffirming that it’s on track to meet its FY 2026 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) guidance. Management is forecasting full-year EBITDA will come in between $1.87 billion and $1.95 billion (on a constant currency basis).

If Sonic Healthcare achieves the higher end of that range, that would represent a 12.7% EBITDA increase from FY 2025.

Taking a closer look at Sonic’s FY 2026 guidance, Macquarie noted:

SHL expects a 2H26 weighting to their EBITDA at ~54-55%, which is “consistent with historical weighting due to seasonality”. We expect pathology margin dilution in FY26E vs FY25 due to SHL’s recent margin-dilutive acquisitions (LADR, Swiss businesses, UK contract).

The broker added:

SHL expects the US Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) to be deferred or cancelled, with guidance excluding the potential ~A$15m impact of fee reductions in US from January 2026 (in line with previous guidance commentary).

Following Thursday’s update, Macquarie maintained a neutral rating on Sonic Healthcare shares.

Still, the broker has a 12-month price target of $25.20 a share for the ASX 200 healthcare stock. That represents a potential upside of almost 10% from Friday’s closing price. And it doesn’t include those two upcoming dividends.

Macquarie concluded:

While acknowledging potential synergy benefits from recent acquisitions, we note margin headwinds and elevated leverage in the near term. Further, risks remain around PAMA, Fair Work decision and full impacts from fee cuts.

The post How much upside does Macquarie predict for Sonic Healthcare shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Many passive income articles start with the same formula: work out the yield you need, divide your income target by that number, and you are done.

But building a real $50,000 annual income stream from the share market isn’t a neat spreadsheet exercise, it is a journey.

It rarely happens in a straight line, and the smartest investors don’t aim for income first. They build their portfolio up before they take from it.

Here’s a more practical and realistic approach to creating a $50,000-a-year passive income stream from ASX shares.

Forget income at the beginning

It may sound counterintuitive, but the biggest mistake income investors make is chasing high dividend yields too early. High-yield portfolios often grow slowly, and that slows down the overall process.

If you want $50,000 a year in the future, you first need a large, fast-growing portfolio now. That might mean investing heavily in a blend of blue-chip compounders and broad-market ETFs. Think of businesses like TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE), NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT), ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD), and global ETFs like the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) and the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS).

These shares won’t throw off big income today, but they will grow your capital far faster than traditional high-yield stocks.

Importantly, the bigger your compounding base, the less you need to rely on chasing ultra-high yields later.

Let’s imagine you build your portfolio to around $700,000 to $1 million, the income problem becomes dramatically easier.

At a 5% dividend yield, which is achievable through a diversified mix of dividend shares such as banks, infrastructure, supermarkets, REITs, and LICs, a $1 million portfolio generates $50,000 a year.

Starting at zero, with a 10% average annual return, it would take approximately 23 years to grow a portfolio to $1 million if you could invest $1,000 a month into ASX shares.

You could get there sooner if you can afford to put more into the share market each month, or deliver even greater returns.

Passive income

Once your portfolio is large enough, you can begin shifting toward dependable dividend payers.

This is where high-quality income shares come in. Companies like Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Transurban Group (ASX: TCL), APA Group (ASX: APA), Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), and Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) typically offer stable, predictable payouts.

You might also incorporate dividend-focused ETFs such as Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: VHY) or income LICs.

At this stage, reinvesting dividends is no longer essential. income becomes the goal. But the portfolio you built from years of growth means you don’t need unrealistic yields or risky stocks to hit your $50,000 target.

Foolish takeaway

Making $50,000 a year in passive income from ASX shares isn’t about finding the highest-yielding stock or building the perfect dividend portfolio straight away. It is a multi-stage strategy.

You grow the capital first, you build the income second, and then you sit back and watch the money roll in year after year.

The post How to make $50,000 of passive income a year from ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Nextdc, ResMed, Technology One, and Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, ResMed, Technology One, and Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, ResMed, Telstra Group, Transurban Group, and Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Technology One, Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield 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.

Investing for the long term (such as a decade) makes a lot of sense for wealth building, thanks to the power of compounding and the strong financial performance of good ASX shares.

Some of the best companies on the ASX (and globally) have delivered significant returns thanks to their ability to grow their revenue at a strong pace and typically deliver rising profit margins.

Investors typically value a business based on its profitability. So, if it’s able to deliver exceptional profit growth in the coming years, it could deliver really exciting returns for investors.

I’m going to talk about two ASX share investments I believe could be top performers over the next decade.

Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA)

This ASX share is one of the most promising S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares, in my view. It’s a Singaporean telecommunications business with significant growth potential.

I like businesses that are growing quickly and have the potential to become significantly larger. Tuas recently reported its FY25 result, which revealed 29% revenue growth to $151.3 million, with mobile subscribers jumping by around 200,000 to 1.25 million.

Pleasingly, the company continues to demonstrate increasing profitability as it grows. Operating profit (EBITDA) grew by 38% in FY25, with the EBITDA margin rising to FY25, up from 42% in FY24. I’m expecting the company’s profit margins to continue climbing as it adds more subscribers.

Tuas points to sustained growth, with market-leading inclusions at each price point. It also expanded its sales channels to include Changi Airport terminals and 7-Eleven stores. The ASX share also has a small but growing broadband division, which could grow into something meaningful in the coming years.

The business said it continues to invest capital expenditure to support subscriber growth and expand 5G coverage.

Finally, the ASX share’s acquisition of a Singaporean competitor, M1, also adds significant profitability to the business.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be just as good a growth option as an individual business.

The MOAT ETF is one of my favourite ideas because of the types of businesses it invests in.

It focuses on quality US companies that Morningstar believes possess sustainable competitive advantages or have wide economic moats.

An economic moat is the sort of advantage(s) that a company has to fight off competitors. That could be brand power, network effects, cost advantages, intellectual property, licenses and so on.

A ‘wide’ economic moat means the analysts think the business is more likely than not to generate excess profits for at least the next 20 years.

The other element of the investment strategy is to target companies trading at attractive prices relative to Morningstar’s estimate of the fair value of the business.

This results in the entire portfolio consisting of high-quality businesses that are trading at a good value and may be undervalued. I’m calling this an ASX share because it’s about investing in shares, and we can buy it on the ASX.

I like how the portfolio is diversified across various sectors such as healthcare, industrials, IT and consumer staples.

Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns, but having said that, it has delivered an average return per year of 16.6% over the last five years.

The post 2 ASX shares to buy and hold for the next decade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Tuas. 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. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

One of the beauties of investing in Australian stocks on the share market is that, at least most of the time, investors are buying ownership stakes in companies that they know and trust.

Think of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) or Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN). These aren’t just stock ticker codes; they are businesses we’ve known and occasionally visited all our lives.

But not all great investments are household names. One of my favourite Australian stocks is one that most people haven’t even heard of.

However, it does invest in the likes of CBA, Woolworths and Telstra itself. Let me explain.

The Australian stock goes by the name of Plato Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: PL8). Plato is a listed investment company (LIC), which essentially means it is a company that invests in other companies. 

In Plato’s case, it does so by owning an underlying portfolio of ASX shares, which are owned and managed on behalf of Plato’s shareholders. As the name implies, Plato constructs this portfolio with the aim of maximising dividend income for shareholders. You can see this in action with the company’s holdings.

These currently include the likes of Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), and Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS). That’s amongst many others, including most of the names we touched on above.

Not only does this dividend stock utilise its holdings to pay out a relatively high dividend, with full franking credits attached, but it does so on a monthly basis. Yes, this is one of the ASX’s rare monthly dividend payers.

What makes Plato a top Australian stock?

I was lucky enough to pick up shares of this Australian stock when it was trading with a dividend yield of close to 6%. Today, recent share price appreciation has reduced this yield to a still-respectable 4.65% or so.

However, I don’t invest in Australian stocks solely for the purpose of generating income. Overall returns matter more to me than a high upfront dividend yield. But Plato shines in this arena as well. The company’s portfolio returns have been 10.7% per annum since its inception in 2017 (as of 31 October), outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s 10.5%. 

As such, I regard Plato as a top income investment on the ASX, and put it forward as quite possibly the best Australian stock you’ve never heard of. 

The post The best Australian stock you’ve never heard of appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Plato Income Maximiser. 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 Harvey Norman, Macquarie Group, Telstra Group, and 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.

Turning 60 is a major milestone. It is the point where many Australians begin shifting their mindset from wealth accumulation to preparing for life after work. With the age pension starting at 67, this is a crucial period to assess whether your super is on track and what your retirement might look like.

Because superannuation balances aren’t typically discussed among friends or family, it is hard to know whether you are doing better or worse than the national average. Fortunately, recent data gives us some clarity.

What is the average superannuation balance at age 60?

There isn’t an exact figure published for Australians at precisely age 60, so the best way to estimate it is by looking at the nearest age groups.

According to Rest Super data, women aged 55–59 hold an average balance of $228,259, while those aged 60–64 average $300,717. Using the midpoint between the two, a reasonable estimate for a 60-year-old woman is approximately $260,000 in super.

Men aged 55–59 have an average balance of $301,922, rising to $380,737 between 60–64. This puts the estimated average for a 60-year-old man at around $340,000.

These figures offer a helpful snapshot of how Australians are tracking as they approach retirement.

What could these balances grow to by retirement?

Someone aged 60 still has several years before reaching retirement age, giving their superannuation time to grow.

Using Rest Super’s superannuation calculator and assuming an annual salary of $70,000, it estimates that a typical 60-year-old woman with a balance of $260,000 today could reach roughly $355,000 by retirement. Whereas a man with $340,000 at 60 is projected to reach about $447,000.

These projections assume contributions continue and investment markets behave broadly in line with long-term averages.

Is this enough for a comfortable retirement?

To understand whether these amounts are adequate, it’s helpful to compare them with the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) benchmarks.

ASFA estimates that a single retiree needs about $595,000 for a comfortable retirement, while couples require around $690,000 combined.

It defines a comfortable lifestyle as follows:

The comfortable retirement standard allows retirees to maintain a good standard of living in their post work years. It accounts for daily essentials, such as groceries, transport and home repairs, as well as private health insurance, a range of exercise and leisure activities and the occasional restaurant meal. Importantly it enables retirees to remain connected to family and friends virtually – through technology, and in person with an annual domestic trip and an international trip once every seven years.

Using this benchmark, many single Australians at age 60 may find they are tracking below the target for a comfortable retirement. However, the average couple is on track.

In addition, ASFA’s modest retirement standard requires $340,000 for singles and $385,000 for couples, and it is described as follows:

The modest retirement standard budgets for a retirement lifestyle that is slightly above the Age Pension and allows retirees to afford basic health insurance and infrequent exercise, leisure and social activities with family and friends.

The age pension also helps fill gaps for retirees with lower balances.

What if your balance isn’t where you’d hoped?

A lower-than-expected balance at 60 doesn’t mean your options have run out. Many Australians boost their super in the final years of work.

Downsizer contributions allow eligible homeowners to add up to $300,000 from the sale of their home into super. Personal concessional contributions can also lift your balance, while still providing potential tax benefits. Even reviewing your super fund’s fees or investment performance can have a meaningful impact over the final stretch to retirement.

Small steps taken now can make a material difference by the time you exit the workforce.

Foolish takeaway

Understanding the average super balance at 60 is a useful starting point, but it is only one part of the retirement equation. What matters most is knowing your own balance, understanding how it compares to your goals, and taking proactive steps to close any gap.

The post Here’s the average Australian superannuation balance at 60 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.

The ASX bank share Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) has seen a lot of volatility over the past few years, as the chart below shows. It’s now time to ask whether the bank can continue growing earnings in the coming years.

The bank recently reported its FY25 result. Broker UBS notes that the bank generated $3.6 billion of net profit in the second half of FY25 and this was in line with what market analysts were expecting. That net profit represented an increase of 9% half over half.

UBS also noted that the bank reported the core net interest margin (NIM) improved 2 basis points half over year, driven by a reduction in trading securities. It also revealed that gross loans and advances (GLAs) improved by around 3% half over half, which was largely supported by business lending.

The broker also noted that excluding the $272 million restructuring charge, costs increased by 6% half over half due to UNITE investment spending and higher staff costs.

On the positive side of things, its loan quality was a pleasing surprise for UBS. Its solid capital position should mean the business can sustain dividends despite the cost headwinds, according to the broker.

After seeing those developments, UBS decided to increase its cash net profit forecast by 0.7% for FY26, but reduce profit expectations for FY27 by 2.7% and for FY28 by 1.5%, with higher loan growth expectations and flat lending profitability to underpin volume expansion. Operating expenses forecasts were also increased.

Let’s take a look at what net profit UBS is expecting owners of Westpac shares to see in the coming years.

FY26

UBS expects the bank to deliver ongoing profitable growth, helping the bottom line climb in the 2026 financial year.

The broker predicts that the ASX bank share could achieve $7.1 billion of net profit in FY26.

UBS said:

Westpac will need to continue balancing cost and revenue/lending growth, in the context of their substantial multiyear technology transformation and simplification program.

Underlying franchise momentum in 3 of the 4 divisions was very strong (+7.0% HoH) while the mkt remains sceptical on the consumer division (32% of group profits). Our analysis shows RoTE upside from the strategic pivot to business & institutional banking.

FY27

The broker’s earnings forecast suggests the bank’s bottom line could improve by another $200 million

In FY27, UBS projects that Westpac’s net profit could reach $7.3 billion.

FY28

UBS currently believes that the 2028 financial year could see a significant increase of profitability for the bank of more than $550 million.

The ASX bank share’s earnings could rise to around $7.9 billion in FY28.

FY29

The bank could see another sizeable increase in profitability in the 2029 financial year.

UBS projects that the bank could achieve a net profit of $8.5 billion in FY29.

FY30

The final year of this series of projections could be the best year of all for the owners of Westpac shares.

UBS predicts that the business could generate net profit of $9.2 billion in FY30, representing a potential increase of around $700 million year over year.

Overall, UBS is suggesting the Westpac net profit could rise by 29% between FY26 to FY30.

The post Here’s the earnings forecast out to 2030 for Westpac shares 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.

Most people assume you need a large sum of money to get started in the share market, but that simply isn’t true.

The real power comes from saving small amounts consistently and letting compounding quietly amplify those contributions over time.

With enough discipline and patience, even a modest weekly investment in ASX shares can grow into a life-changing nest egg.

Start with an amount you barely notice

The first step is surprisingly simple. Choose a weekly amount you can save without thinking too hard about it. For some it might be $20 a week, for others $50 or more. What matters most is that the amount is small enough that you can save it consistently, week after week, without feeling deprived or tempted to skip.

These seemingly insignificant contributions become the foundation of your long-term wealth.

Put your weekly savings into ASX shares

Once those weekly savings start accumulating, the key is putting that money to work in ASX shares rather than letting it sit in a low-interest account.

Growth-focused assets, such as ETFs, blue chip shares, and high-quality ASX growth stocks, have historically delivered far stronger long-term returns than cash.

You won’t see results immediately, and investing always involves ups and downs (just look at the market this month), but the long-term trajectory of markets has consistently been upward. Even small investments can meaningfully compound when they’re earning returns year after year.

Let compounding do the hard work

This is where the real magic happens. If you invested $50 a week at an average long-term return of 10% per annum, which is achievable but not guaranteed, you could end up with a significant portfolio.

$50 a week, or approximately $220 a month, would turn into $44,000 after 10 years, $88,000 after 15 years, $160,000 after 20 years, and then almost $275,000 after 25 years.

Increase that weekly amount and the results become even more impressive. With $100 a week earning the same return, a portfolio could grow to $900,000 after 30 years. Time and consistency are the two greatest accelerators of long-term wealth.

Foolish takeaway

You don’t need a high income or a large starting amount to build meaningful wealth. You need small weekly contributions, a long-term mindset, and the discipline to stick with the plan.

Compounding rewards those who are patient, consistent, and willing to let time do the heavy lifting.

With a simple weekly saving habit and a sensible investment strategy, life-changing wealth is more achievable than most people realise.

The post How to turn small weekly savings into life-changing wealth with ASX shares 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.

A Vanguard survey shows one in three Australian Millennials and one in four Gen Xers expect to enter retirement with a mortgage.

That’s if they can ever afford to buy a home in the first place.

Vanguard’s 2025 ‘How Australia Retires’ report encompassed a survey of 1,800 people aged 18 years and above.

The survey found 36% of Millennials, born between 1981 and 1995, think they will still be paying off their home loan in retirement.

The survey also found that 27% of Gen Xers, born between 1966 and 1980, expect to still be paying off their mortgage in retirement.

A surprising number of baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1965, also expect to retire with a mortgage.

The survey found just under one in four baby boomers expect to still have a home loan in retirement.

The comparison is very unfavourable to the status quo.

Among the 4.5 million retirees in Australia today, only 8% still have a mortgage.

Home ownership ‘vital’ in retirement

Vanguard said home ownership plays a vital role in Australia’s retirement system.

In fact, some experts argue that home ownership should be recognised as the ‘fourth pillar’ supporting people in retirement, alongside superannuation, the age pension, and private savings and investments.

Vanguard said working-age Australians anticipate “a very different housing reality in retirement”.

Working-age Australians are significantly more likely to expect to carry mortgage debt into retirement compared to current retirees.

While the vast majority of Australians continue to value home ownership, the rate of ownership has steadily declined over recent decades.

In 2021, just over half (54.6%) of Millennials aged 25–39 were homeowners (either with a mortgage or owning outright), compared with 62.1% of Generation X at the same age in 2006, and nearly two-thirds (65.8%) of Baby Boomers in 1991.

For many younger Australians, home ownership feels increasingly out of reach.

What do people do if they still have a mortgage at retirement?

Vanguard reported that 47% of survey respondents expected to continue paying off their home loans during retirement.

One in four said they would consider using their superannuation to pay off their mortgage in full.

And 20% said they would consider selling their mortgaged home to repay the debt and buy another property.

Hamish Landreth, Director of Financial Services at Prosperity Advisers Group, said paying off a home loan was an increasingly common consideration for new retirees, as it is generally recommended not to retire with personal debt.

While a person’s superannuation savings may provide enough to pay off their home, this strategy is not always appropriate, he said.

Landreth told The Fool:

… there can be reasons to not withdraw superannuation to reduce borrowings, especially when the superannuation investments are consistently earning more than borrowing costs or where there are taxation benefits for maintaining the borrowings.

The Vanguard survey found most Australians intend to keep their family home in retirement rather than downsize to a smaller property. 

The post Will you still be paying off a home loan in retirement? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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