This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The Magnificent Seven grouping of stocks has been one of the biggest stories on Wall Street. Coined by Bank of America analyst Michael Hartnett in 2023, this collection represents seven high-performing tech companies that are among the most influential in the U.S. The name was derived from a 1960 Western film of the same name.

Collectively, these companies comprise 34% of the S&P 500, a remarkable percentage. Just let that sink in for a moment — out of 500 stocks, these seven account for a full one-third of the market capitalization of the index.

That’s why the Magnificent Seven stocks are watched so closely — they have an outsize impact on the market, and they have been responsible for a lot of the market’s success. Over the course of a decade, from 2015 to 2024, these companies experienced a gain of nearly 700%.

This is the first part of a seven-article series ranking the best Magnificent Seven stocks to buy for 2026, in reverse order. All of these companies are excellent stocks to buy, but in ranking them, only one can be in the ignominious seventh spot.

As I’m looking at what to expect in the coming year, the smartphone giant Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is my seventh-rated Magnificent Seven stock to buy.

About Apple stock

Apple is a famed tech company that’s best known for its revolutionary smartphone, the iPhone. Apple’s iPhone provided internet access, phone service, texting, music, and access to Apple’s App Store via a touchscreen interface — something completely groundbreaking when the first models rolled out.

Apple’s iPhone was unique compared to phones offered by Nokia, BlackBerry, and Motorola, and it changed the game for Apple stock. Shares jumped 133% in 2007, the year that the iPhone came out.

Today, Apple still generates most of its revenue from iPhone sales, but it also manufactures personal computers, wearable devices, and tablets, and has a lucrative Services division that includes Apple Music, its streaming services, a payment network, and the App Store. For fiscal 2025, Apple had $416.1 billion in revenue, with half of that coming from iPhone sales.

Source: Apple

Investors surely would want to see brisker iPhone sales, but Apple’s flagship product has been hampered in China — sales in greater China fell 3.8% in 2025, as Apple has seen greater competition from Chinese-based companies that are now offering smartphones with 5G technology.

Fortunately, however, Apple is getting a huge boost from its lucrative Services segment, which has a higher profit margin than divisions that rely on hardware development and manufacturing.

Source: Apple.

What to expect from Apple in 2026

Apple has a market cap of around $4 trillion, making it at this writing the second-biggest company in the world by that measure. And the stock is up 8% this year.

The company is involved in artificial intelligence (AI), although its efforts are not as noticeable as some others in the Magnificent Seven. It’s developing advanced M-series chips designed to run large AI models on its MacBooks, iPads, and Apple Vision Pro.

The company’s strategy involves running AI programs on local devices rather than in cloud environments to maintain user privacy, although it does have a system — Private Cloud Compute — where data is processed in the cloud on secure Apple silicon servers but not stored or shared by Apple.

The company is selling its iPhone 17, a new Apple Watch lineup, and the third-generation version of its AirPods, and is coming off a quarter where its earnings per share jumped 13% on a year-over-year basis.

The company is ending 2025 in a great place — remember, this is not a bad company. It just has the bad luck of being at the bottom of the rankings of my Magnificent Seven stocks to buy for 2026. It’s not monetizing AI like some of its peers, unfortunately.

But it’s still a strong buy in my books. You really can’t go wrong with any of the Magnificent Seven stocks. 

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Ranking the best “Magnificent Seven” stocks to buy for 2026. Here’s my no. 7 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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• The ASX ETFs that have stood the test of time
• Could Warren Buffett’s favorite stock double your money in 5 years?
• 1 Magnificent 7 stock to buy in 2026 (and 1 to avoid)
• If you’d invested $1,000 in Apple 10 years ago, here’s how much you’d have today
• How to invest your first $1,000 in the share market the smart way

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Patrick Sanders 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 Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple and BlackBerry. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

If Santa offered to leave just one exchange traded fund (ETF) under the tree this Christmas, I wouldn’t ask for the hottest momentum play.

I would want something built to last. Something that is designed to quietly compound through booms, busts, bubbles, and bear markets. That ETF would be the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT).

What is the MOAT ETF?

The idea behind the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF is refreshingly simple, and it borrows heavily from the same philosophy Warren Buffett has used for decades.

Rather than chasing whatever is popular, the ETF focuses on stocks with wide economic moats. These are sustainable competitive advantages that make it hard for rivals to steal market share or erode profits.

These advantages can take many forms. They might be powerful brands, high switching costs, network effects, cost leadership, or regulatory barriers. What matters is that they allow a business to earn strong returns for long periods, even when the economic backdrop is challenging.

What stocks does MOAT own?

The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF’s portfolio is made up of US-listed stocks that are deemed to have sustainable competitive advantages and are trading at reasonable valuations.

Its holdings change periodically, but today it includes businesses such as Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT), Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO), Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK), Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), Nike (NYSE: NKE), and Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE).

This mix is important. While technology is well represented, the fund is not a tech-only ETF. Healthcare, industrials, financials, and consumer brands all play a role. This diversification helps reduce the risk of relying on a single sector to drive returns.

Adobe is a good example of the type of company the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF targets. Its creative and document software is deeply embedded in workflows around the world. Customers don’t switch away easily, pricing power is strong, and recurring revenues are highly predictable. That is exactly the kind of competitive edge the ETF is designed to capture.

Strong performance

Much like Warren Buffett has achieved with his similar investment philosophy, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has been a market beater over the past decade.

During this time, the ETF has delivered total returns of more than 15% per annum, comfortably exceeding historical share market average returns.

Why this would be my Christmas pick

If Santa brought me the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF this Christmas, I wouldn’t unwrap it and start trading. I would tuck it away, reinvest distributions, and let time do the work.

It certainly isn’t flashy, but it doesn’t need to be. An ETF built around competitive advantages and sensible valuations is the kind of gift that keeps paying off long after the Christmas decorations come down.

The post If Santa brought me one ETF this Christmas, it’d be this one appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nike and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Adobe, Amgen, Applied Materials, Merck, Nike, Salesforce, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and United Parcel Service. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2028 $330 calls on Adobe and short January 2028 $340 calls on Adobe. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Adobe, Nike, Salesforce, and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Christmas wish lists this year might include Labubus, PS5s, Dyson hairdryers, or something indulgent. But for long-term investors, the most exciting gifts don’t fit under the tree. They sit quietly in a portfolio and compound away for years.

If Santa were taking stock tips this year, these are five ASX shares I would happily unwrap and hold well beyond the festive season.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

CSL is one of Australia’s highest quality companies. The biotech has a leadership position in plasma therapies, vaccines, and rare disease treatments. And while its share price has had a tough run recently due to temporary headwinds, the long-term demand drivers haven’t gone anywhere. Ageing populations, rising healthcare spending, and CSL’s deep research pipeline give it the hallmarks of an ASX share you can hold through multiple market cycles.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

Pro Medicus is a perfect example of a high-quality ASX share compounder. Its Visage imaging platform is increasingly becoming the gold standard for major healthcare companies, particularly in the United States. It boasts strong pricing power, ultra-high margins, and a capital-light model. And though it may never look cheap on traditional metrics, its shares are trading well below recent highs. This could be a great buying opportunity for investors.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

Another ASX share I would want to find under the Christmas tree is REA Group. It owns one of Australia’s most powerful digital platforms, Realestate.com.au. This platform has become synonymous with property listings, giving the company enormous pricing power and recurring revenue. Even when housing markets cool, REA continues to monetise listings, data, and adjacent services. This could make it a great buy and hold pick.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

TechnologyOne has an exceptional long-term record of growth. Its enterprise software is mission-critical for government, education, and large organisations, which translates into sticky customers and highly predictable revenue. The shift to cloud-based subscriptions has further strengthened its earnings quality. And with the company expanding overseas, it looks well-placed to deliver on its goal of doubling in size every five years.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

Finally, WiseTech is building critical infrastructure for global trade, just in digital form. Its CargoWise platform is used by freight forwarders and logistics providers around the world, embedding the company deep into customer operations. Short-term controversies have weighed heavily on its shares, but the long-term thesis remains intact. Global trade isn’t getting simpler, and software that makes it more efficient is likely to be indispensable for decades.

The post 5 amazing ASX 200 shares I want Santa to bring me for Christmas appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Sometimes I’m not sure what I’m going to invest in each month because it depends on what looks like good value at the time. However, there are a couple of ASX-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that I know I want to buy more of next year.

As Australians, it’s easy for us to have a home bias and just invest in companies listed on the ASX. But, the ASX only accounts for 2% of the global share market.

We’d be missing out if we didn’t look at opportunities listed elsewhere. It’d be like trying to find the best students at a large school and only considering one class.

I’m looking forward to buying more of the two ASX ETFs below in 2026, for both the potential returns and the diversification.

VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL)

Gaining exposure to thousands of businesses isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I think just owning the best ones could help long-term returns.

From what I’ve seen, the best companies tend to keep winning over time and also generate above-average margins.

The QUAL ETF owns a portfolio of 300 of the highest-quality businesses from around the world. Pleasingly, its holdings come from various markets and industries, ensuring it is properly diversified.

But, the most important thing about the ASX ETF’s holdings is how the businesses all rank highly on quality characteristics. Those three elements are a high return on equity (ROE), earnings stability and low financial leverage.

In other words, these companies make a lot of profit based on how much shareholder money is within the business, earnings typically don’t go backwards (meaning usually rising) and they haven’t used a lot of debt to achieve the high ROE.

We’re talking about names like Meta Platforms, Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Costco and Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing.

Impressively, the QUAL ETF has returned an average of 15.5% per year over the past five years. I’m not expecting the next five years to be as good, but its strategy could lead to ongoing good returns over the long-term.  

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

I like the QUAL ETF as a high-quality fund, though there is a sizeable allocation to the big US tech stocks – there are plenty of other great businesses that are worth having a significant allocation to as well.

The MOAT ETF has a very different holdings list in terms of its biggest exposures such as Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Merck & Co and West Pharmaceutical Services.

How did the ASX ETF end up with those positions? It currently has a total of 53 holdings which are all thought of as good value and very competitively advantaged businesses.

Morningstar analysts think an economic moat can come from a few different places: cost advantages, intangible assets (eg patents, brands and regulatory licenses), switching costs, network effects and efficient scale.

Morningstar explains how it analyses a business to decide if it has a wide economic moat:

For a company to earn a wide economic moat, excess normalized returns must, with near certainty, be positive 10 years from now. In addition, excess normalized returns must, more likely than not, be positive 20 years from now.

That process decides which businesses the analysts monitor, but the fund only invests if target companies are “trading at attractive prices relative to Morningstar’s estimate of fair value.” Great businesses at good value is a strong combination.

Over the prior five years, the MOAT ETF has returned an average of 14.8%. Time will tell how it performs from here, but I’m optimistic the good returns can continue.  

The post I plan to invest $1,000s into these 2 ASX ETFs in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and VanEck Msci International Quality ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Apple, Applied Materials, Costco Wholesale, Merck, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Netflix. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Hong Kong Exchanges And Clearing and has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Christmas and New Year are often a time for reflection and small promises we quietly make about the year ahead.

For many Australians, one of those promises is to finally start investing.

The good news is that you don’t need a large lump sum of money to get the ball rolling. That’s because consistency can turn small sums into serious wealth with a combination of consistency and discipline.

Let’s imagine an investor starts this Christmas by putting $100 a week into quality Australian shares and keeps going for the next decade.

There is no trading, no trying to outsmart the market, and no dramatic moves. Just steady investing in well-established Australian businesses, with any dividends reinvested along the way to maximise compounding.

Small investments in Australian shares

Investing $100 a week might not feel life-changing at first. It is roughly the cost of a few takeaway coffees, a streaming subscription, and a modest night out. But over time, those weekly contributions add up.

Over one year, that’s $5,200 invested. Over ten years, it becomes $52,000 in total contributions.

What matters next is what time and compounding do with that money.

What happens over 10 years?

If we assume a 10% total annual return, which is broadly in line with long-term share market averages when including dividends, the outcome may surprise you.

With regular weekly investments of $100 and a 10% return, the portfolio would grow to approximately $87,000 after 10 years.

That means around $35,000 of the final balance comes from growth, not from extra savings. In other words, the market is doing a significant portion of the heavy lifting.

And importantly, this result doesn’t require perfect timing or picking speculative stocks. It simply assumes exposure to quality Australian shares like ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD) and Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) over a full market cycle, with patience and discipline.

Why consistency wins

The beauty of investing weekly is that it removes emotion from the process. You automatically buy more Australian shares when prices are lower and fewer when prices are higher. This is called dollar cost averaging and smooths out volatility and reduces the pressure to get it right.

Reinvesting dividends rather than spending them also helps accelerate growth, even if it doesn’t feel exciting in the moment. Those reinvested distributions quietly buy more shares, which then generate more growth of their own.

Starting this Christmas

Starting this Christmas isn’t about chasing quick wins. It is about putting a simple habit in place and letting time do the rest.

Ten years from now, that $100 a week could become a portfolio worth around $87,000, built steadily in the background while life carried on as normal.

And perhaps more importantly, it creates momentum. Once the habit is established, increasing contributions or extending the time horizon can lead to far bigger outcomes.

For example, carry on with the strategy for a further 10 years and your portfolio would be worth $315,000, all else equal.

Sometimes, the most powerful financial decisions are the quiet ones made without much fanfare. Starting small this Christmas could be one of them.

The post What $100 invested in Australian shares each week starting this Christmas could become appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The tech sector has been well and truly out of form in 2025. While this is disappointing, every cloud has a silver lining.

This silver lining on this occasion is that it means there are some very attractive investment opportunities out there for investors.

Three ASX 200 tech stocks that could be bargain buys for 2026 according to analysts are named below. Here’s what they are recommending:

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

Life360 is building a global platform around family safety, location sharing, and digital peace of mind. What started as a simple app has evolved into a subscription-based ecosystem with strong user engagement and growing monetisation. As families increasingly rely on connected devices and real-time information, Life360’s addressable market continues to expand.

As of its last update, the ASX 200 tech stock reported monthly active users of 91.6 million. Yet it still has a very long growth runway ahead of it.

Bell Potter is bullish and has a buy rating and $52.50 price target on its shares. This suggests that upside of almost 60% is possible from its current share price of $33.22.

NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

NextDC is quietly building the backbone of Australia’s digital economy. Its data centres support cloud computing, enterprise IT, and artificial intelligence workloads. As data usage explodes, demand for secure, high-quality infrastructure should grow alongside it.

The company is investing heavily today to capture tomorrow’s demand, which is exactly the kind of long-term thinking I look for in an investment. This includes the recent agreement with ChatGPT owner OpenAI to build the largest data centre in the southern hemisphere.

UBS is positive on the company’s outlook. It recently put a buy rating and $21.85 price target on its shares. Based on its current share price of $12.97, this implies potential upside of approximately 70% for investors.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Xero is a classic example of a company benefiting from a massive global runway. With an estimated total addressable market of 100 million small to medium sized businesses worldwide and only a fraction currently using cloud accounting software, the opportunity ahead remains enormous.

Xero’s subscription model, strong brand, and growing ecosystem of integrations give it powerful competitive advantages. Short-term market sentiment may swing, but the long-term thesis for this ASX 200 tech stock looks compelling.

Macquarie continues to believe that Xero is a top ASX tech stock to buy now. A recent note reveals that its analysts have an outperform rating and $230.30 price target on its shares. Based on its current share price of $112.78, this suggests that they could more than double in value between now and this time next year.

The post 3 incredible ASX 200 tech stocks for smart investors in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360, Nextdc, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360, Macquarie Group, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360, Macquarie Group, and Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today 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 positions in and has recommended HMC Capital and Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended HMC Capital. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) share price is in focus after news that the company’s S4 Sydney Data Centre development in Horsley Park has been given State Significant Development approval by the NSW Department of Planning. This milestone supports NEXTDC’s ongoing expansion in the critical data centre sector.

What did NEXTDC report?

• Development application for the S4 Sydney Data Centre at Horsley Park approved
• State Significant Development (SSD) approval reference SSD-63741210 granted by NSW Department of Planning
• S4 will join NEXTDC’s growing network of Uptime Institute-certified Tier IV facilities
• Supports strategic growth in metro Sydney and accommodates rising digital infrastructure demand

What else do investors need to know?

The S4 Sydney Data Centre is expected to bolster NEXTDC’s position as a leading provider of data centre services not just in Australia, but across Asia. The company is known for its focus on sustainability, efficiency, and operational excellence, including a commitment to renewable energy and NABERS 5-star energy efficiency ratings.

This new facility is part of NEXTDC’s broader plan to expand infrastructure for the digital economy. The S4 centre will help serve the increasing needs of cloud providers, enterprise customers, and government agencies wanting secure, scalable, and energy-efficient infrastructure.

What’s next for NEXTDC?

With government approval in place, NEXTDC can progress to the next stages of design, construction, and eventual commissioning of the S4 Sydney Data Centre. The company aims to solidify its market presence further by supporting substantial digital growth in New South Wales while maintaining its sustainability initiatives.

Investors can watch for future updates as construction commences, including milestones on build progress and new customer signings at S4, alongside continued expansion and innovation across NEXTDC’s facility network.

NEXTDC share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, NextDC shares have declined 16%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 7% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post NEXTDC receives approval for new S4 Sydney Data Centre 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 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.

One ASX small cap is firmly back on investors’ radars today after releasing another market update just days after a blockbuster announcement.

At the time of writing, shares in Rocketboots Ltd (ASX: ROC) are trading at 34.5 cents, up 30.19%. This comes as investors digest news of a newly completed capital raise tied directly to its global expansion plans.

The update follows last week’s contract win, and suggests the market is now shifting its attention to what comes next.

Funding the next phase of growth

This morning, the company announced it has received firm commitments to raise $7 million via a placement priced at 25 cents per share.

The raise was supported by a mix of new and existing sophisticated investors, including several institutions entering the register for the first time.

While capital raisings can sometimes weigh on sentiment, the share price response suggests investors see this one as a positive step.

How the funds will be used

The funds will support international expansion and provide working capital as the company scales to service current and future customer contracts.

The additional capital will also be used to scale the platform and support the rollout of the recently announced global contract, while backing other enterprise customers already deep in the sales funnel.

Why investors are still paying attention

The placement comes just days after the company revealed a multi-year global deal expected to deliver around $9.1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), more than 10 times its existing ARR base.

Even after landing that contract, management has indicated it represents less than 10% of the company’s advanced sales pipeline.

With fresh capital in place, investors appear increasingly comfortable that the company can support multiple large customers simultaneously.

This also reduces balance sheet risk and gives the company flexibility to pursue additional opportunities.

The bigger picture

The company operates in AI-driven retail loss prevention. Rising shrinkage and labour pressure are pushing retailers to adopt scalable solutions as self-checkout expands. These trends provide a supportive backdrop for the business and continue to drive interest from especially large, global customers.

Together, the recent contract win and capital raise suggest the company is entering a new phase of growth.

Foolish Takeaway

For investors comfortable with small-cap risk, this update reinforces the momentum building behind the business. The combination of a major contract win and fresh funding improves visibility around the company’s near-term execution. After today’s move, this remains a stock I’ll be watching closely from here.

The post This ASX small-cap star just jumped 30% today. Here’s why 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 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. 

There are a lot of ASX shares to choose from on the Australian share market.

To narrow things down, let’s look at what analysts are saying about a few popular options, courtesy of The Bull. Here’s what you need to know:

Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL)

Shaw and Partners isn’t recommending investors buy health insurance giant Medicare just yet.

In response to its acquisition of Better Medical, the broker has put a hold rating on Medibank’s shares. It said:

MPL is a private health insurer. Medibank Private has entered into an agreement to acquire Better Medical, for about $159 million, highlighting its pivot into health services. The acquisition brings a network of 61 GP and medical clinics to MPL from Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. The company has  also strengthened governance and leadership after appointing new non-executive directors.

MPL generated group revenue from external customers of $8.604 billion in fiscal year 2025, an increase of 5.2 per cent on the prior corresponding period. Underlying net profit after tax of $618.7 million was up 8.5 per cent. The fully franked dividend of 18 cents in fiscal year 2025 was up 8.4 per cent.

PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Over at Bell Potter, its analysts think that this lithium miner’s strong gains means that its shares are overvalued at current levels.

Especially given the risk of lithium prices staying lower for longer. It has put a sell rating on its shares. Commenting on PLS Group, which was previously known as Pilbara Minerals, the broker said:

Formerly Pilbara Minerals, this lithium miner’s operational performance remains sound. Despite a strong balance sheet and long term tailwinds from electric vehicles and energy storage, lithium supplies exceed demand in the short term and overshadow any catalysts. The recent share price rally has run stronger than most share market experts expected, with the stock still pricing in a cyclical rebound. Downside risk remains if lithium prices stay lower for longer.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

One ASX share that Bell Potter is recommending as a buy is supermarket giant Woolworths.

It is feeling positive about the company after its recent update showed signs of stabilisation. It said:

After a challenging period marked by margin pressure and earnings downgrades, Woolworths is showing early signs of stabilisation. Recent trading updates indicate improving momentum in core divisions, particularly Australian Food and B2B (Business-to-Business), suggesting the worst may be behind WOW. Given the supermarket giant generates solid cash flow, WOW stands out among consumer staples. As market sentiment improves, so too should investor confidence in the group’s earnings outlook.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Medibank, PLS, and Woolworths shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Woolworths Group. 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.