Picking the right ASX shares to fit a portfolio can be a tricky business. I tend to think that the best stocks are the businesses that we can foresee being around in a hundred years’ time, and that have some kind of moat. This should ensure that investors continue to enjoy a decent return on their capital and grow wealth at a healthy clip. Today, let’s talk about two Australian dividend giants that I think fit this bill nicely.

2 Australian dividend giants that any ASX investor can buy

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

First up is Telstra, the telco we all know and may or may not love. Telstra has been the dominant telecommunications provider in Australia for as long as anyone can remember. Over the years, this dominance has shifted from telephony services to providing mobile and fixed-line internet, with Telstra almost universally acknowledged as possessing the best mobile network in the country. Given the importance of these connections to modern life, both in the personal and professional sense, Telstra’s dominance looks assured for the foreseeable future.

This essential nature offers investors inherent defensiveness as well. Demand for internet and mobile services tends to be resistant to the booms and busts of the economic cycle, as well as inflation. That protects Telstra’s earnings base, and thus, the company’s dividends.

Telstra has always been a dividend giant of the ASX, having funded fat payouts for decades. The telco has increased this dividend annually for the past four years, too. It doled out a total of 16 cents per share in 2021, but managed to pay a total of 19 cents per share in 2025. Today, Telstra offers a dividend yield of above 3.8%, which usually comes with full franking credits attached.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Coles has only been on the ASX in its own right for a few years, having been spun out of Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) back in 2018. Since then, however, Coles has built out an impressive dividend track record. It has increased its annual payouts every single year since its ASX listing.

2020 saw this dividend giant pay a total of 57.5 cents per share. That annual total rose to 69 cents per share this year.

Like Telstra, Coles offers investors defensiveness in spades. After all, this is a consumer staples company that sells food and household essentials. Those are goods that we all need to buy consistently, regardless of what the economy or inflation is doing. Coles also owns the Liquorland bottle shop chain, which supplements that defensiveness.

Today, Coles shares are trading on a fully franked dividend yield of just under 3.2%.

The post 2 Australian dividend giants that belong in any portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Wesfarmers shares offer one thing no other ASX 100 stock does – can it last?
• Up 24% in a year! The red-hot Telstra share price is smashing BHP, Westpac and Coles
• Here’s the dividend forecast out to 2030 for Coles shares
• 2 ASX blue-chip shares offering big dividend yields
• How to invest your first $1,000 in the share market the smart way

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. 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.

The small side of the market has been a great place to be this year.

Since the start of 2025, the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries index has risen by a sizeable 17%.

As a comparison, the widely followed All Ordinaries index is only up by 4.9% since the turn of the year.

With that in mind, if you are wanting to gain exposure to the small side of the market, then it could be worth hearing what Bell Potter is saying about the three small cap ASX shares listed below.

Here’s why it thinks they are among the best to buy for 2026:

Integral Diagnostics Ltd (ASX: IDX)

This diagnostic imaging company could be a top pick small cap investors according to Bell Potter.

It likes the company due to its merger with Capitol Health, which has boosted its network to 151 clinics. It also sees opportunities to continue its growth through greenfield and brownfield investments, as well as mergers and acquisitions (M&A). It said:

The merger between Integral Diagnostics and Capitol Health results in a diagnostic imaging (DI) company which operates 151 clinics throughout Australia. Its strongest presence will be within Victoria and Queensland (67 & 41 locations respectively) with minor penetration in the other States. The company offers a range of imaging modalities through its clinics with the largest contribution to revenue from CT (31%) followed by US (24%), MRI (13%) and X-Ray / Diagnostic Radiology (11%), and Nuclear Medicine PET (5%). The growth strategy has centred around a combination of greenfield & brownfield investments and M&A opportunities.

Kinatico Ltd (ASX: KYP)

Another small cap ASX share that Bell Potter is bullish on is know your people solutions provider Kinatico.

It sees opportunities for the company to grow strongly through leveraging its large customer base. The broker explains:

Kinatico is a leading provider of “know your people” solutions to organisations in Australia and New Zealand. The company operates two key businesses: its legacy CVCheck brand, which provides employment screening and verification services to over 10,000 repeat corporate customers and its new key focus, a SaaS-based business that delivers real-time workforce compliance management and monitoring. The core strategy is to leverage the large customer base of the legacy CVCheck business to provide a ready-made sales pipeline for its higher growth SaaS compliance solutions.

Praemium Ltd (ASX: PPS)

This investment platform provider is a third small cap ASX share that has been given the thumbs up from Bell Potter.

It has been pleased with the company’s performance in recent times and feels that the market is not appreciating this. The broker highlights that at 20x forward earnings, its shares are significantly cheaper than its larger rivals. It said:

While Praemium has demonstrated commercial momentum, strong growth capacity, and a leading technology offering, its valuation continues to lag key peers. This stock looks very attractive at a 12MF PE of ~20x, and we expect the market to catch on as the company executes on further market share gains and FUA growth.

The post 3 of the best Australian small cap shares to buy for 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Macquarie predicts this ASX All Ords healthcare stock to surge past $1 billion over the next 12 months
• 2 ASX small-cap shares to buy right now

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 Praemium. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Integral Diagnostics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

In the next S&P Dow Jones Indices rebalance on 22 December, six companies will ascend into the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Three are gold mining stocks: Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM), Pantoro Gold Ltd (ASX: PNR), and Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG).

Also entering the ASX 200 are Canadian uranium miner, Nexgen Energy (Canada) CDI (ASX: NXG), telco share Aussie Broadband Ltd (ASX: ABB), and nuclear technology developer, Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX).

Rebalances are important because they ensure our indices accurately rank Australia’s largest companies by market capitalisation.

Joining the benchmark index is a major win for these companies.

Not only does it give them a bit of prestige and greater standing in the minds of investors, but it also forces passive institutional investment.

You see, many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and managed funds track the performance of the ASX 200.

So at each rebalance, the fundies have to buy the stocks that join the ASX 200 and sell those that leave so their ETFs function correctly.

This often leads to extra trading activity around the ASX 200 rebalance date, which may affect a company’s share price.

So, how have these about-to-be ASX 200 shares performed in 2025, and should you buy any of them?

Let’s defer to the experts.

Expert ratings on newly-crowned ASX 200 shares

Ora Banda Mining shares

The Ora Banda Mining share price has risen 83% in 2025 to $1.21 at the time of writing.

Macquarie just upgraded its rating on Ora Banda shares from neutral to outperform with a 12-month price target of $1.50.

The broker said:

We still expect gold to trade at historically high levels in the near-term while also being held back by an upturn in global growth and a monetary policy easing cycle that falls short of market expectations.

MA Financial has a hold rating on this soon-to-be ASX 200 gold share with a $1.22 target.

Pantoro Gold shares

The Pantoro Gold share price has risen 194% to $4.56 in the year to date (YTD).

Tim McCormack from Canaccord Genuity has a buy rating on Pantoro Gold shares with a price target of $7.30.

Morgans maintained a trim rating on the soon-to-be ASX 200 share after its 1Q FY26 update.

The broker lowered its price target from $5.92 to $5.06, commenting:

PNR delivered a softer-than-expected operating result for 1Q, even relative to our already conservative expectations despite record gold prices.

A series of isolated operating issues and underground mine sequencing drove lower head-grade and thus lower ounce production and higher unit costs.

PNR has reiterated its FY26 guidance.

Resolute Mining shares

The Resolute Mining share price has risen 159% to $1.06 per share on Tuesday.

Macquarie gives Resolute Mining shares an outperform rating with a price target of $1.35.

The broker said:

Execution of the Syama expansion project remains key to our outlook for RSG in Mali.

Delivery of the Doropo feasibility study and positive progress towards development is also key longer term.

RSG continues to be exposed to geopolitical risk in Mali due to recent actions by the government.

Canaccord Genuity also has a buy rating on this soon-to-be ASX 200 gold share with a 12-month target of $2.

Nexgen Energy shares

The Nexgen Energy share price has risen 30% in 2025 to $14.03 today.

Shaw & Partners has a buy rating on this soon-to-be ASX 200 energy share with a price target of $17.70.

Petra Capital is also optimistic with a buy rating and a target of $17.14.

Bell Potter gives Nexgen shares a hold rating with a price target of $13.05.

Aussie Broadband shares

The Aussie Broadband share price has risen 43% in the YTD to $5.05 today.

Macquarie recently downgraded Aussie Broadband shares to a neutral rating with a price target of $5.10.

Jarden gives this soon-to-be ASX 200 telco share a buy rating with a target of $5.80.

Canaccord Genuity is also positive on Aussie Broadband shares. It has a buy rating and a target of $6.85.

Silex Systems shares

The Silex Systems share price has risen 66% in 2025 to $8.47 today.

My colleague, Leigh Gant, describes Silex Systems as “one of the most fascinating energy technology stories on the ASX“.

Canaccord Genuity has a buy rating with a target of $9.42 on this soon-to-be ASX 200 industrials share.

Shaw & Partners also has a buy rating with a 12-month price target of $11.20.

The post Broker ratings on 6 ASX shares about to join the ASX 200 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 7 ASX mining shares to buy for Christmas amid upgrades from Macquarie
• Should we be paying more attention to these two rocketing ASX small-cap mining stocks?
• 6 ASX shares including Ora Banda and Aussie Broadband ascend into ASX 200
• Why Firefly Metals, Pantoro Gold, Step One, and Vulcan Energy shares are sinking today
• Why Catapult, Collins Foods, Guzman Y Gomez, and Pantoro shares are falling today

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

This ASX tech stock has seldom been short of drama this year.

The share price of Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) was up more than 110% at one point this year, then sliding 23% over the past month before bouncing back at the start of this week with a 3% gain.

At the time of writing, the ASX tech stock changes hand at $4.61 apiece, a loss of 2.2%.

Growing pains

The sharp moves reflect both the promise and growing pains of a company still trying to turn global presence into consistent commercial momentum. However, behind the volatile ASX tech stock is a business that is quietly gaining traction.

This Melbourne-based ASX tech stock is best known for its wearable GPS performance trackers and analytics platforms used by elite teams worldwide. It has been steadily expanding its footprint across the US, Europe, and major leagues, like the NBA, Premier League, and top rugby competitions.

Global penetration

Catapult has reached a level of global market penetration that few Australian firms in the tech sector have achieved. The sports tech company snapped up Perch, a specialist business in strength-training technology, and recently took over Impect GmbH, a German analytics provider focused on elite soccer scouting and analysis.

The acquisitions align well with Catapult’s long-term vision of becoming the global platform of choice for professional sports teams. They strengthen the product portfolio of the ASX tech stock and deepen its data capabilities.

Robust contracts, fear of dilution

Beneath the share price turbulence, the fundamentals of the ASX tech stock remain robust. In its latest half-year results update Catapult reported annualised contract value of US$115.8 million, a 19% lift compared to the year before.

The average value per contract per team also continues to rise, and the company reports that customers now typically stay with Catapult for nearly 8 years.  

Despite healthy underlying metrics, the recent equity raising and acquisition have stoked fear of dilution and integration risk. Some investors remain cautious because the pay-off from such acquisitions, especially in software-heavy, high-growth companies, can take time to materialize.

The broader tech sell-off also dampened sentiment toward high-growth, speculative names like Catapult. This prompted some investors to cash their profits.

Bullish outlook

Analysts seem overwhelmingly bullish on the ASX tech stock. They forecast an average 12-month target of $6.96, which suggests a 51% upside at the current share price.

Bell Potter likes Catapult Sports because of its strong recurring revenue, the acquisitions of Perch and Impect, and the attractive valuation.

The broker highlighted:

Importantly, CAT is now consistently generating positive EBITDA and FCF, marking a clear shift in the maturity of the business and supporting greater operating leverage as subscription revenue scales. Following a recent share price pullback, the stock screens more attractively relative to its growth outlook, and we see scope for a re-rate as management sustains cash generation and continues to capitalise on the significant under penetration of wearables and analytics across elite sport.

The post Can this ASX tech stock rise again after last month’s 22% tumble? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Bell Potter names more of the best ASX 200 shares to buy in December
• These ASX 200 shares could rise 30% to 40% in 2026
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: Catapult, Step One, WiseTech Global shares
• Why Catapult, Collins Foods, Guzman Y Gomez, and Pantoro shares are falling today

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

The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is currently flat this afternoon, despite the mining giant unveiling a major new infrastructure agreement tied to its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations.

At the time of writing, the BHP share price is down 0.12% to $44.41. Meanwhile, the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has also slightly fallen into negative territory, down 0.20%.

Let’s take a look at what was announced.

A closer look at the agreement

According to the release, BHP entered into a binding deal with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an investment group owned by BlackRock. The latter is the world’s largest asset manager that handles more than $12.5 trillion in assets.

The partnership centres around BHP’s inland power network that supports its WAIO operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Under the arrangement, a new trust will be set up, with BHP owning and controlling 51% and GIP holding the remaining 49%.

GIP will contribute US$2 billion for its stake, while BHP will pay a tariff based on its use of WAIO’s inland power network over the next 25 years.

BHP will continue to run WAIO and maintain full control of the inland power infrastructure. Management noted that the deal does not affect any existing joint venture agreements or its commitments to the Western Australian government.

WAIO will keep operating as normal, with its long-term goal of increasing iron ore production to 305 million tonnes per year.

What will BHP do with the cash?

Management noted that the proceeds of the agreement will be evaluated and deployed according to BHP’s capital allocation framework. In essence, this will free up capital while still allowing BHP to continue running its operations.

Completion is expected before the end of FY26; however, it is subject to the usual regulatory approvals, such as the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

What BHP’s executives said

BHP CEO Mike Henry highlighted that the deal gives BHP access to capital while maintaining operational and strategic control. He said:

This arrangement enables BHP to access capital and maintain operational and strategic control of a critical part of WAIO’s infrastructure.

While BHP CFO Vandita Pant added that the move is a strong example of disciplined portfolio management, strengthening the balance sheet and supporting long-term shareholder value.

Brief summary on GIP

Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is one of the world’s largest infrastructure investors, with approximately US$189 billion in assets under management. Its investments span energy, transport, water, and digital infrastructure.

What this could mean for the BHP share price

Although the deal has no immediate impact on iron ore production, it does release capital, strengthen BHP’s growth pipeline, and reduce funding pressure during a period of rising project costs across the mining sector.

I think this is a smart move that gives BHP a bit more financial breathing room while still keeping control of how it runs and grows the business.

The post BHP signs US$2 billion deal: Here’s the key takeaway appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 recommended BlackRock. 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.

At 2:30pm AEDT, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was down 0.3%.

That, as you’re likely aware, is when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) revealed its final interest rate decision of the year.

In the two minutes following the RBA’s announcement, the ASX 200 leapt 0.3%. At the time of writing, 30 minutes post the announcement, the benchmark Aussie index has given back those gains to again be down 0.3% for the day.

Here’s what investors are mulling over.

ASX 200 jumps then falls as RBA keeps interest rates on hold

Virtually no analysts were forecasting a December interest rate cut from the RBA, with a few economists even cautioning of a potential rate hike.

Fortunately for mortgage holders and ASX 200 investors alike, that hike did not materialise, with the RBA today announcing it had decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 3.60%.

“While inflation has fallen substantially since its peak in 2022, it has picked up more recently,” the RBA said.

While the central bank stressed that significant uncertainty remains in its battle against recently resurgent inflation, the tone was less hawkish than many had expected.

According to the RBA:

The board’s judgement is that some of the recent increase in underlying inflation was due to temporary factors and there is uncertainty about how much signal to take from the monthly CPI data given it is a new data series. Nevertheless, the data do suggest some signs of a more broadly based pick-up in inflation, part of which may be persistent and will bear close monitoring.

As for ongoing inflationary pressures from the labour market, the RBA said, “Various indicators suggest that labour market conditions remain a little tight.”

Optimistic ASX 200 investors may have picked up on the ‘little tight’ here, with the RBA adding, “The unemployment rate has risen gradually over the past year and employment growth has slowed.”

But as mentioned, the board stressed that the outlook for inflation and interest rates heading into 2026 remains uncertain, in part due to rising wages.

“Wages growth, as measured by the Wage Price Index, has eased from its peak but broader measures of wages continue to show strong growth and growth in unit labour costs remains high.”

Summarising its unanimous decision to keep Australia’s official interest rate on hold at 3.60%, the board concluded:

The recent data suggest the risks to inflation have tilted to the upside, but it will take a little longer to assess the persistence of inflationary pressures. Private demand is recovering. Labour market conditions still appear a little tight but further modest easing is expected.

The board therefore judged that it was appropriate to remain cautious, updating its view of the outlook as the data evolve.

With today’s intraday dip factored in, the ASX 200 is up 4.9% in 2025.

The post ASX 200 turbulent following the RBA interest rate decision 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.

This S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) healthcare share has been one of the most dramatic movers on the market. In the past month, Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) shares have surged 20% to $2.73 at the time of writing.

Over the last 12 months, the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) share has gained a whopping 64%. By comparison, the ASX 200 Healthcare Index has lost more than 22% over the same period.

Is this it for Mesoblast, or is there more to come?

Commercial inflammatory treatment

After spending years in the doldrums, the share price of the regenerative-medicine company has roared back to life. The rally has been driven largely by renewed optimism surrounding Mesoblast’s lead therapy, remestemcel-L.

The company aims to commercialise a suite of therapies treating inflammatory and immune-based diseases, drawing on a platform that has taken years to develop.

The ASX 200 healthcare share price is climbing sharply as the company edges closer to long-awaited regulatory breakthroughs in the US. If it lands approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the coming months, it would unlock its first major commercial revenue stream.

FDA-approval crucial hurdle

This might be the milestone that fundamentally reshapes the company’s financial profile. Investors have been watching closely as the company resubmits clinical data to the FDA — the final hurdle that has tripped Mesoblast more than once in the past.

Each step forward in the regulatory process has pushed the ASX 200 healthcare share higher. Momentum traders have piled in, betting that this time the company may finally secure the approval it has been chasing for over a decade.

Burning serious capital

But the ASX healthcare share story is not without risk. Mesoblast’s business has always been a high-stakes, high-reward proposition, and that hasn’t changed.

The company has burned through significant capital over the years, repeatedly raising funds to support prolonged clinical trials and regulatory processes. Mesoblast’s history of FDA setbacks — including multiple requests for additional data — has also weighed on investor trust.

Commercialisation risk remains high. Even if the company secures approval, it must still build sustainable sales and compete with emerging cell-therapy rivals.

What do brokers think?

Despite the uncertainty and the risks, brokers seem to be optimistic about Mesoblast’s chances this time around. Many analysts see the ASX 200 healthcare share as a buy, with plenty of upside.

The average 12-month price target for the stock is $4.25, a possible gain of 56% at the time of writing.  

The team at Securities Vault is also positive and has named Mesoblast as a buy.

It highlights that the biotech company’s commercialisation strategy is progressing and its development pipeline is strong.

It noted:

The company holds a strong cash position of about $US145 million and offers flexibility via a $US50 million convertible note facility to fund the next growth phase. Company commercialisation is progressing and MSB has generated a pipeline of depth.

The post Is this soaring ASX 200 healthcare share just getting started? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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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 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.