Category: Stock Market

The Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) share price is seesawing again on Wednesday, currently down 0.61% to $4.88.

At this level, the shipbuilder is sitting at a 9-month low. The stock has also tumbled nearly 40% in just one month following its latest half-year results and guidance downgrade.

After doubling in 2025 and hitting a record high above $8 in January, investor confidence has deteriorated quickly. The key question now is whether the recent sell-off marks a bottom, or if further downside lies ahead.

What did Austal report?

For the 6 months ended 31 December 2025, Austal delivered solid top-line growth.

Revenue rose 34.4% to $1.1 billion. Earnings before interest and tax increased 41.3% to $60.3 million, with EBIT margins improving to 5.4%. Net profit after tax (NPAT) climbed 21% to $30.5 million.

Despite the strong growth, two issues weighed heavily on investor sentiment.

First, the company reduced its FY26 EBIT guidance to around $110 million, down from prior guidance of $135 million. Second, net cash fell to $241.4 million following significant capital expenditure to expand US manufacturing facilities.

While management highlighted a record $17.7 billion order book and stronger Australasian operations, the earnings downgrade ultimately overshadowed those positives.

Why the heavy selling?

The guidance reset came after Austal identified discrepancies related to incentives in its US T-ATS program. An estimated $11.7 million overstatement had been included in prior guidance.

In addition, US operations continue to face cost pressures and legacy contract issues. Although revenue in the US segment rose, EBIT declined year over year.

The change in guidance sparked heavy selling, with the shares dropping from $8 in January to the $4 range within a few weeks.

What are brokers saying?

Broker reactions have been mixed.

Bell Potter maintained a ‘hold’ rating and cut its price target to $6.30. Macquarie trimmed its target to around $7.55. Citi reportedly downgraded the stock to ‘sell’ following the result.

Even after those downgrades, most broker targets remain above the current $4.88 share price, suggesting potential upside if the company delivers on its plans.

Is this the bottom?

At current levels, Austal trades on materially lower expectations than just a month ago. The company still has a record order book, long-dated defence contracts, and exposure to higher global defence spending.

However, execution risk remains significant, particularly in the US business as it transitions to new shipbuilding programs and expands capacity.

If management delivers on its revised $110 million EBIT guidance and restores confidence in the reliability of its earnings, the recent sell-off may prove overdone.

Whether this is the bottom will likely depend less on defence tailwinds and more on Austal’s ability to meet its targets.

The post Austal shares down almost 40% in a month. Is this the bottom? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why ARB, Austal, Mader, and Steadfast shares are dropping today
• Should you scoop up Austal shares after yesterday’s 11% crash?
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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 3 ASX 200 shares storming 22% to 29% higher this week

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.

Property technology company Pexa Group Ltd (ASX: PXA) recently upgraded its full-year profit outlook and announced it was selling an entire business division, news that sent its shares higher at the time.

But it’s what is in the wings that is interesting to the team at Macqaurie, which says new changes to how real estate agents and conveyancers have to treat buyers and sellers will be a tailwind for the company.

More on that later. First, we’ll look at what Pexa recently announced.

Restructure underway

The company said in mid-February that it had decided to sell its majority-owned Digital Solutions business, which would drive about $26 million in net impairments, with the sale expected to be finalised by mid-year.

This decision followed a strategic review of the business.

Pexa Managing Director Russell Cohen said regarding the sale:

Our decision to exit the Digital Solutions businesses reflects our disciplined focus on our core capabilities to drive long-term, profitable growth for our shareholders. While quality assets with strong management teams, the strategic review confirmed that PEXA was not the best long-term natural owner of these businesses. With the strategic review now complete, management is fully focused on accelerating our growth strategy and unlocking value from existing operations and future opportunities.

Pexa said it expected to report significant items of $7 to $8 million in its first-half results, excluding the $26 million previously mentioned, with the costs largely related to redundancies from a cost optimisation program and restructuring.

The cost-out program was expected to save more than $10 million per year.

Pexa also downgraded its full-year revenue outlook to $395 to $415 million, down from $405 to $430 million, but upgraded its core earnings forecast by $10 million to $15 to $25 million.

Pexa shares looking cheap

The Macquarie team recently had a look at Pexa and said changes to how property transactions need to be handled would be good for the business.

They said in a research note to clients that conveyancers and real estate agents would soon have to comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws, requiring checks on buyers and sellers in property transactions.

They added:

This includes registering with AUSTRAC, completing initial and ongoing client due diligence, and reporting both suspicious transactions promptly and all transactions annually to AUSTRAC.

Macquarie said Pexa had launched a software solution, Pexa Clear, in January, putting it ahead of the game ahead of the new regulations coming into force from July 1.

The Macquarie team estimated the new business would generate about $90 million in revenue for Pexa, and they have a 12-month price target of $19.15 on Pexa shares.

This compares with $14.33 now and would constitute a 33.6% gain if achieved.

Pexa will report its first-half results on Friday, February 27. The company was valued at $2.53 billion at the close of trade on Tuesday.

The post Why money laundering law changes will be a boon for this property tech company 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 positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group and PEXA Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group and PEXA Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) are trading 16% lower at $18.15 during Wednesday afternoon trade. This brings the loss for Domino’s Pizza shares over 12 months to 42%.

Investors weren’t too impressed with the reset-style results for the first half of 2026 that Domino’s Pizza released this morning.

Back to profitability

Domino’s Pizza swung back to profit and delivered modest growth in underlying earnings. It signals that Domino’s turnaround strategy is gaining traction. Underlying EBIT reached $101.5 million in the 6 months ending 31 December 2025, up 1.0% on 1H25.

Network sales and same-store sales remained soft, but franchise profitability improved by 4.5% to $103,000. This was due to management pulling back on heavy discounting and focusing on sustainable margins over pure volume.

Largest Domino’s franchisee outside US

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises is the largest Domino’s franchisee outside the United States. It runs a sprawling network across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and parts of Europe.

The group generates revenue from company-owned stores, franchise royalties, and supply chain operations. A vertically integrated model that has helped Domino’s Pizza build one of the ASX’s biggest fast-food networks.

But scale hasn’t shielded it from pressure. Store closures, rising costs, and softer consumer demand in key markets have squeezed earnings and dented investor confidence in Domino’s Pizza shares in recent years.

Clear step forward

This wasn’t a knockout result. But the board of the pizza-giant said it’s a clear step forward. After a tough stretch, Domino’s priority is profitability, franchise strength, and balance sheet repair. Something that long-term investors needed to see.

Executive Chairman Jack Cowin commented:

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.

We reduced reliance on discounting during the half. Volumes moderated, as expected, but unit economics improved. That was a conscious trade-off to build a stronger system.

Mixed regional performances

Performance across regions was mixed. Europe showed pockets of improvement, while trading in Australia and Japan remained challenging. But the key takeaway wasn’t regional volatility; it was improved profitability and tighter execution.

Encouragingly, Domino’s generated solid cash flow, reduced debt, and rewarded shareholders with an interim dividend of 25.0 cents per share (unfranked), up 16.3%.

What’s next for Domino’s Pizza shares?

Management has reaffirmed full-year guidance and is zeroing in on what matters: lifting franchise partner profitability, generating strong free cash flow, and cutting group leverage.

As the foundations strengthen, Domino’s plans to invest selectively. It will back sustainable same-store sales growth and disciplined network expansion, not reckless rollout.

The post Domino’s Pizza shares tumble 16% after reset-style results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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
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• 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
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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.

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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.