Category: Stock Market

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is trading in the green this morning after finishing 1.84% higher on Friday last week. 

The third week of the earnings season saw some sectors soar. ASX 200 tech shares rebounded while strong results and higher oil prices pushed the index to a record high on Thursday. 

New data from CommSec revealed the Australian shares that were most traded by its clients last week, and some major players have made the list.

CommSec’s 5 most-traded ASX shares last week

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) shares dominated investor attention last week after they crashed following the company’s half-year FY26 results announcement. 

At the close of the ASX on Thursday afternoon, Zip shares had dropped 33.87% to $1.865 a piece. The share price has continued tumbling this week too. At the time of writing the shares have fallen 41.13% since its results announcement less than one week ago.

The price crash ignited investor interest though. Zip shares were the most traded among Commsec clients last week, and by a significant margin too. The data shows 76% of activity was from buyers who were, mostly likely, taking advantage of the low trading price.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) were also among the favorite ASX shares last week. The stock was the second-most traded among Commsec clients, with 66% from buying activity. 

The biotech stock had a subdued week last week after it crashed 15% following its half-year results and shock CEO exit earlier this month. At the time of writing the shares are down 13.88% for the year-to-date.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares were the third most-traded among Commsec investors, although most of the activity (55%) was investors selling up their stake in the mining giant.

The miner’s share price jumped nearly 6% throughout the course of last week. The gains have continued through to this morning too. BHP shares are now up 20.43% for the year-to-date. This implies the selling activity is likely investors taking strong recent gains off the table.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares were the third most traded last week. Most activity (68%) was from buyers after the shares dropped another 2% throughout the week, even despite a broader tech sector uplift. WiseTech shares are now down 35.62% at the time of writing.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares were the fifth most-traded, but most of the activity (76%) was investors selling up their stock. This is most likely investors taking profits after the shares jumped 10% following the bank’s surprisingly strong half-year results announcement earlier this month.

What other ASX shares were investors interested in?

There was also a flurry of interest in buying Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS), Droneshield Ltd (ASX:DRO), Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) and Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) shares last week. 

There was also a lot of selling activity around Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares throughout the week. 

The post Zip, CSL and BHP among CommSec’s most-traded ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• ARB Corporation: Profit drops, but US growth accelerates
• Ingenia Communities affirms top-end guidance after first-half results
• Viva Energy Group FY25 earnings: Higher second-half profit and dividend declared
• Bell Potter says this ASX counter-drone stock could rise 25%

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 Appen, CSL, DroneShield, Electro Optic Systems, Telix Pharmaceuticals, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group, CSL, and Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares are out of form on Tuesday morning.

At the time of writing, the conglomerate’s shares are down over 2% to $80.69.

This compares unfavourably to the performance of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is currently up 0.2%.

Why are Wesfarmers shares underperforming?

The good news is that today’s decline has nothing to do with a broker downgrade or a disappointing update.

In fact, today’s decline could arguably be described as a positive for shareholders. That’s because it indicates that pay day is on its way.

This morning, Wesfarmers shares have traded ex-dividend. When this happens, it means the rights to an upcoming dividend are now locked in.

As a result, any investors that are buying the Bunnings and Kmart owner’s shares today would not be entitled to receive the payout when it is made. Instead, the dividend will be sent to the seller of the shares, even though they no longer feature in their portfolio.

And with a dividend representing cold hard cash, which forms part of a company’s valuation, a share price will tend to decline on the ex-dividend date to reflect this. After all, new investors don’t want to pay for something that they won’t receive.

The Wesfarmers dividend

Last week, Wesfarmers released its half-year results and revealed a 3.1% increase in revenue to $24.2 billion and a 9.3% lift in net profit after tax to $1.6 billion.

Management advised that this was driven by strong earnings growth from its major divisions, led by Bunnings, Kmart Group, and WesCEF.

The Bunnings business delivered higher sales across all categories and geographies, while Kmart Group benefited from strong demand for its popular Anko ranges.

Wesfarmers’ managing director, Rob Scott, said:

Wesfarmers’ increase in profit was supported by strong earnings contributions from our largest divisions – Bunnings, Kmart Group and WesCEF. During the half, Wesfarmers’ divisions benefited from productivity initiatives to navigate ongoing challenging market conditions.

Despite a modest improvement in consumer demand, higher costs continued to weigh on many households and businesses, and residential construction activity remained subdued. The divisions performed well, driving productivity to mitigate cost pressures and keep prices low for customers.

This ultimately allowed the Wesfarmers board to declare a fully franked interim dividend of $1.02 per share. This is up 7.4% on the prior corresponding period.

Eligible shareholders can now look forward to receiving this payout next month. Wesfarmers is scheduled to pay it in around five weeks on 31 March 2026.

The post Why are Wesfarmers shares tumbling today? 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 Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX dividend shares can provide retirees with a pleasing level of passive income that can’t be found elsewhere, often outperforming both commercial property and term deposits.

Share prices can be volatile during certain periods, but dividends can be much more consistent because it’s the board of directors who decide the level of the payout, assuming the company has the profit reserve to do so.

The great thing about companies is that they can pay a dividend and grow their profit over time, leading to larger dividends and hopefully share price growth.

The ASX dividend share I want to highlight that could appeal to retirees is Future Generation Global Ltd (ASX: FGG). It’s a listed investment company (LIC) with a number of pleasing attributes. LICs generate profit by making returns from an investment portfolio.

Big dividend yield and diversification

The business has been very consistent with its dividend growth for investors. It paid an annual dividend per share of 1 cent in FY18 and has increased its payout every year since.

In the recently-announced FY25 result, it grew its regular annual payout by 8% to 8 cents per share. Its regular dividend translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.1%, including franking credits. Additionally, it declared a special dividend per share of 3 cents with the FY25 result, boosting the passive income for investors.

That means the FY25 payout comes to a total grossed-up dividend yield of 9.8%. I’m expecting the regular dividend to rise again in FY26.

This LIC has generated investment returns through its portfolio, which is invested in a number of funds managed by different fund managers. The fact that it’s invested in 16 different funds gives it enormous diversification with exposure to more than 3,500 underlying shares across different sectors and markets.

Over the past seven years, the Future Generation Global portfolio has returned an average of 10.4% per year, which is enough for the ASX dividend share to pay a good dividend and still deliver growth in the value of the portfolio over time.

Admirable setup

A typical LIC charges management fees to investors, which is understandable, but it does mean investors are losing some of the returns to investment professionals.

Future Generation Global does not charge management fees (or performance fees). Instead, the LIC donates 1% of its net assets to youth mental health charities. That’s a very worthwhile cause and means millions of dollars can be donated each year.

Not only is it delivering good passive income for retirees, but you can feel great about it too.

Appealing discount

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) should trade at the underlying values of their portfolio, while LICs can sometimes trade at a discount or premium to their underlying value (usually measured by the net tangible assets (NTA)). At the end of January 2026, it had NTA of $1.693 per share.

At the time of writing, it’s trading at a 5.5% discount. I think it’s appealing to buy a business when it’s clearly trading at a discount to its underlying value.

The post Why this ASX dividend share is a retiree’s dream! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Future Generation Global. 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 Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price is pushing higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy stock closed yesterday trading for $27.10. In early morning trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for $27.36 apiece, up 1.0%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.3% at this same time.

This follows the release of Woodside’s full calendar year 2025 results.

Here are the highlights.

Woodside share price lifts on record production

The Woodside share price is marching higher today with the company achieving all-time high full year production of 198.8 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), topping 2025 production guidance.

Management credited the record result to strong production at its Sangomar project, located offshore Senegal, which produced at nameplate capacity for most of the year. Woodside’s operated Pluto LNG and NWS Project assets also were highlighted as high-end performers.

Pleasingly costs came down in 2025, declining 4% year on year to US$7.8 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe). Though realised prices declined even more, falling 5% from 2024 to US$60.2/boe.

Over the 12 months, the ASX 200 oil and gas stock raked in $12.98 billion in revenue, down 1% from 2024. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $9.28 billion were in line with 2024 earnings.

On the bottom line, Woodside’s net profit after tax (NPAT) of $2.72 billion was down 24% from 2024, while underlying NPAT of $2.65 billion declined by 8%.

But the Woodside share price looks to be getting some support after management declared a final fully franked dividend of US 59 cents per share. That’s up 11% from last year’s final payout (in US dollar terms).

Adding in the interim Woodside dividend, the company will have paid out a total of US$2.1 billion in passive income to shareholders for the 2025 calendar year.

If you want to bag that final Woodside dividend, you’ll need to own shares at market close on 4 March. Woodside trades ex-dividend on 5 March. You can then expect to see that passive income land in your bank account on 27 March.

On the major growth project front, Scarborough is 94% complete with first LNG cargo forecast late this year. Woodside’s Louisiana LNG project is now 22% complete.

What did management say?

Commenting on the results helping lift the Woodside share price today, acting CEO Liz Westcott said:

Sangomar produced at nameplate capacity of 100,000 barrels per day for most of 2025 at almost 99% reliability. This translated into $2.6 billion of EBITDA (Woodside share) generated since start-up, demonstrating the asset’s value.

Looking ahead, Westcott added:

Woodside’s objectives for 2026 are clear: ramp up Beaumont; deliver first LNG cargo from Scarborough; and continue progressing Louisiana LNG and Trion to schedule and budget.

The post Why is the Woodside share price outperforming today? 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 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.

Morgans has just updated its recommendations for a number of popular ASX shares, three of which are named below.

Is the broker bullish, bearish, or something in-between? Let’s find out.

Guzman Y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG)

Morgans notes that this quick service restaurant operator continues to perform strongly in the Australian market. But the same cannot be said for its US operations, which are a big disappointment given its bold global expansion ambitions.

However, Morgans remains positive and believes it can replicate its local success overseas. As a result, it has retained its buy rating with a reduced price target of $24.00. It said:

If it was just about Australia, GYG would be doing just fine right now. In its home market, it continues to outperform the broader QSR industry both in terms of comp sales and network expansion. Australian earnings were up strongly in 1H26, much as we had expected. But it’s not just about Australia. GYG came to market with a strategy for global expansion that was breathtakingly ambitious. The first big opportunity was the US. Unfortunately, the pace of network expansion in the US so far has been pedestrian and the restaurants it has opened have lost more money than expected. It was a further step-up in US losses that disappointed investors most today and caused group EBITDA to fall 7% short of our forecast.

We do believe global growth will click into gear at some point to complement a very healthy Australian business. We maintain a BUY rating, though our revised 12-month target sees the share price recovering to $24.00 rather than the $32.30 we had before. GYG has a bit to prove, but we can be certain it is going to give it all it’s got to ultimately realise its growth ambitions.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Morgans was pleased with Megaport’s performance during the first half, noting that its earnings were stronger than expected.

In response, the broker has retained its buy rating with a $15.50 price target. Commenting on the ASX 200 share, it said:

MP1’s 1H26 result was a beat relative to our and consensus EBITDA expectations. Revenue was inline, with gross profit higher and OPEX lower than expected. FY26 guidance is broadly inline with our expectations. However, the 1H/2H skew and composition are meaningfully different. This necessitates a huge increase in OPEX from 1H26 into 2H26 which leaves us thinking guidance looks conservative.

Cycling 2H26 OPEX into FY27 and beyond causes us to reduce our FY27 and FY28 EBITDA forecasts by ~20%, while concurrently lifting our revenue forecasts by ~6%. Our valuation declines to $15.50 and we retain our Buy recommendation.

Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM)

This gold miner impressed with its fourth-quarter update. However, due to its current valuation, the broker only rates Newmont shares as accumulate (between buy and hold) with a $187.00 price target. It said:

4Q25 earnings result was a material beat. Key positives: earnings well ahead of expectations and 2026 guidance in-line with expectations. Key negatives: no increase in per share dividend, elevated spend over next few years, limited clarity on when NEM intends to reach its 6Mozpa target. Move to an ACCUMULATE rating with a A$187ps Target Price.

The post Buy, hold, or sell? Guzman Y Gomez, Megaport, and Newmont shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Megaport. 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 ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB) share price is in focus after the company reported a 1.0% decline in sales to $358 million for the first half of FY2026, with profit before tax down 18.8% to $57.1 million.

What did ARB Corporation report?

• Sales revenue: $358.0 million, down 1.0% over 1H FY2025
• Reported profit before tax: $57.1 million, down 18.8%
• Underlying profit before tax (excl. non-operating items): down 16.3%
• Profit after tax: $42.2 million, down 17.2%
• Earnings per share: 50.6 cents, down 17.9%
• Interim dividend: 34 cents per share, fully franked

What else do investors need to know?

Sales to the Australian Aftermarket, which make up nearly 57% of ARB’s business, slipped 1.7% in a soft new vehicle market. However, export sales increased 8.8%, with standout growth of 26.1% into the US on the back of strategic partnerships and expanding product range.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) sales fell 38.2% after a build-up of inventory in the prior half and lower global new vehicle sales. Cash holdings at 31 December were $59.4 million, reflecting robust operating cash inflows but impacted by special dividend payments.

What’s next for ARB Corporation?

Management expects sales margins in the second half to be broadly in line with the last period, helped by hedging the company’s Thai baht exposure. While market conditions remain challenging in Australia due to tight new vehicle supply and ongoing skilled labour shortages, ARB’s order book remains healthy and investment in new stores and e-commerce continues.

Export growth is expected to continue, particularly in the US. OEM sales may recover modestly in the second half as inventory levels normalise. Overall, ARB expects 2H FY2026 financial performance to pick up compared to the first half, with a long-term focus on building scale in Australia and international markets.

ARB Corporation share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, ARB shares have declined 44%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 9% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post ARB Corporation: Profit drops, but US growth accelerates appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ARB Corporation. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ARB Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The Ingenia Communities Group (ASX: INA) share price is in focus as the company reaffirmed guidance at the top of its range and reported a first-half statutory profit of $97.4 million, up 11% year-on-year.

What did Ingenia Communities report?

• Revenue: $257.3 million (1H25: $256.9 million)
• EBIT: $85.0 million, down 1%
• Underlying profit: $62.1 million, underlying EPS 15.2c (down 10%)
• Statutory profit: $97.4 million, up 11%
• New homes settled: 248 in 1H26
• Half-year distribution: 4.8 cents per stapled security, payable 26 March 2026

What else do investors need to know?

Ingenia maintained a pronounced second-half skew, with accelerating development settlements expected to support results in the remainder of FY26. The business is targeting FY26 EBIT between $180.5 and $188.7 million, aiming for delivery at the top of this guidance range.

The Group invested $88 million during the half in development projects, new site acquisitions, and growth, including expanding its development pipeline through a new site in Townsville and progressing seven further sites in due diligence.

Both the residential (Living) and Holidays arms saw solid momentum. Lifestyle Rental EBIT rose 6% to $25.7 million, and Holidays EBIT improved 10% to $31.5 million, reflecting resilient demand, higher occupancy, and rate growth, despite higher costs in marketing and utilities.

What’s next for Ingenia Communities?

Management reaffirmed that the Group is on track to deliver FY26 results at the top of the guidance range, aided by a strong pipeline and increased activity expected in the second half. Two new communities, including the expanded Latitude One, should contribute to settlements and earnings in FY26.

Industry demand drivers—like an ageing population and the housing shortage—continue to support Ingenia’s outlook. The company currently has 440 deposits and contracts in place and is commencing new projects, setting up a strong runway for growth heading into FY27.

Ingenia Communities share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Ingenia Communities shares have declined 20%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 9% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Ingenia Communities affirms top-end guidance after first-half results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ARB Corporation: Profit drops, but US growth accelerates
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• Woodside Energy Group posts record 2025 production and maintains dividend
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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The financial power of compounding can lead to wonderful results for investors with ASX shares.

As Albert Einstein once supposedly said about compounding:

Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe. Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t pays it.

When I think about which S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares could grow the revenue and earnings the most over the next decade, the two below are ones that come to mind. That’s why I’m invested in them.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Temple & Webster is a leading homewares and furniture company. It sells hundreds of thousands of products, with a large majority of those shipped directly by suppliers, leading to the ASX share having a capital-light model and being able to offer a huge array of products.

In its FY26 half-year result, the company recorded $376 million of revenue, up 20% year-over-year. In the trading update for the second half to 9 February 2026, revenue was up another 20%.

I think that the trading update was particularly pleasing because it shows how the business is still growing at a strong pace. However, the company’s margins were a little weaker, particularly because it’s investing in starting up sales to New Zealand.

While investors may not like seeing margins fall in the shorter-term, I believe it’s the right call in the long-term. It’s very useful for the business to grow market share and this can provide operating leverage benefits.

In FY26, it still expects its delivered margin and contribution margin to rise. In the long-term, the operating profit (EBITDA) margin could reach more than 15%.

I’m also excited to see the company’s home improvement segment is growing at a rapid pace – in HY26, revenue grew 47% to $30 million. It’s quickly becoming a notable contributor to the overall financials and could become an important part of the business.

Additionally, its good balance sheet (of $160 million of cash) will allow the business to fund a pleasing share buyback during this uncertain period.

I think Temple & Webster has a very promising future and it’s a top ASX share to buy today after its decline. It’s rapidly soaring towards its medium-term goal of $1 billion of sales.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) software business recently pushed back against some AI-related negativity with a strong update at its annual general meeting (AGM).

The company has a goal of growing revenue from its existing client base each year by 15%, which means it doubles in size in five years. It’s managing to do that by selling more software modules to clients and investing around a quarter of its revenue into research and development R&D) in improving its software.

In the annual general meeting AGM update, the ASX share upgraded its guidance for both annual recurring revenue (ARR) and profit before tax (PBT). It said that ARR is now expected to grow by between 16% to 18% and PBT is projected to grow by between 18% to 20% in FY26.

While AI is certainly a legitimate worry, I think the update shows that businesses which could theoretically be affected can still very much succeed during this period. In-fact, TechnologyOne was even able to reveal promising progress on its own AI initiatives, including its AI showcase product launches.

If it continues growing revenue by more than 15% per year, it has a very promising future, with $1 billion by FY30 its current ARR goal.

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

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Technology One and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Technology One and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Technology One and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

City Chic Collective Ltd (ASX: CCX) has released its FY26 first-half results for the 6 months ended 28 December 2025 today.

In early morning trade, the City Chic share price is up 4.55% to 11.5 cents. Even with today’s gain, the stock remains down about 12% over the past month.

Let’s take a closer look at what the company reported.

Earnings rise as revenue holds steady

City Chic reported total revenue of $69.2 million for the half. This was down 0.4% compared with the prior corresponding period.

While sales were slightly lower, profitability improved. Underlying EBITDA came in at $6.5 million, up 86% on the prior period. The result reflects tighter cost control and improved gross margins.

Trading gross margin increased by 220 basis points to 62.2%. The company said this was supported by better product mix and more disciplined promotional activity.

Statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) remained a loss at $3.5 million. However, this was an improvement on the previous year.

Active customers across the group totalled about 503,000, broadly steady compared with the prior period.

ANZ grows while US sales fall

Performance differed across City Chic’s regions.

In Australia and New Zealand, revenue rose 7.4% compared with the prior period. The company pointed to stronger full price sales and disciplined trading through key promotional periods.

In the United States, revenue fell 31.7%. Management said this was due to a deliberate reduction in inventory in response to tariff related uncertainty and a focus on improving long-term profitability. Lower fresh inventory had the biggest impact on partner sales, which depend on new product launches.

Overall inventory was down almost 10% compared with June 2025 and more than 20% compared with the prior period.

Online sales were stable, while partner sales were weaker due to the inventory strategy.

Cash position improves

City Chic ended the half with net cash of $5.4 million. This was up 84% from June 2025.

During the period, the company repaid $5 million in borrowings. A $10 million debt facility remains in place and undrawn. The facility has been extended to 31 March 2028.

The board did not declare a dividend for the half. The company said it remains focused on restoring sustainable and profitable growth.

Early positive signs from the second-half

The company also provided an update on recent trading.

In the first 8 weeks of the second-half, ANZ revenue was up 9% compared with the prior period. Gross margin dollars in ANZ increased 17% over the same timeframe.

In the United States, new product has been ordered ahead of a planned fourth quarter relaunch. The company is also expanding its marketplace presence and adjusting its operating model to support long term profitability.

City Chic said it remains focused on disciplined cost management, inventory control and improving margins as it works to deliver sustainable earnings growth.

The post City Chic shares lift after first-half FY26 results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ARB Corporation: Profit drops, but US growth accelerates
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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.

Steadfast Group Ltd (ASX: SDF) shares are under pressure on Tuesday.

In morning trade, the ASX 200 stock is down 1.5% to $4.37.

Why is this ASX 200 stock falling?

Investors have been hitting the sell button today after the insurance broker network company revealed that its long-serving founder-CEO, Robert Kelly AM, is stepping down.

Mr Kelly co-founded Steadfast in 1996 and led the company’s listing on the ASX in August 2013.

It notes that under his stewardship, Steadfast has transformed into Australasia’s largest general insurance broker network and group of underwriting agencies and expanded internationally.

According to the release, the leadership transition plan agreed by the board and Mr Kelly follows succession planning discussions which have been underway for some time and are designed to enable a smooth change of leadership.

The ASX 200 stock’s chair, Ms Vicki Allen, revealed that its search process for a replacement is progressing. She also advised that the Board has confidence in the capability and experience of Steadfast’s executive leadership team. As a result, internal candidates are being considered alongside external candidates as part of a thorough process.

As things stand, the Steadfast board expects to announce the appointment of its new CEO by the release of its FY 2026 results in August.

What’s next?

Importantly, this won’t necessarily be the end of Robert Kelly AM’s involvement with Steadfast.

The release notes that he will remain on the board after his retirement and transition to a non-executive director role.

The ASX 200 stock advised that it feels continuity of industry relationships and an orderly transition is in the interests of all shareholders. Mr Kelly will seek election as a non-executive director at the next annual general meeting.

Commenting on his exit, Robert Kelly AM said:

It has been a privilege to play a leadership role in the creation of Steadfast. I am extremely proud of the achievements of the Company; its strong track record clearly demonstrates the strength of the business model and positions the business to deliver sustainable value to our shareholders for many years to come.

Ms Vicki Allen adds:

In initiating and agreeing this transition plan with the Board, Robert has demonstrated his strong commitment and service to Steadfast. Robert’s contribution cannot be understated. His leadership has enabled Steadfast to grow into Australasia’s largest general insurance broker network and group of underwriting agencies with a strong track record of growth.

This comes at an unfortunate time for the company, with Steadfast shares recently sinking amid concerns that its business model could be disrupted and ultimately made redundant by artificial intelligence models.

The post Guess which ASX 200 stock is dropping on founder-CEO exit news 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 Steadfast Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Steadfast Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.