The Regis Healthcare Ltd (ASX: REG) share price is in focus today after the company announced the sale of two Far North Queensland aged care homes to Ozcare, unlocking a one-off pre-tax gain of approximately $25 million for its FY26 results.

What did Regis Healthcare report?

• Sale of Ayr and Home Hill aged care homes totalling 156 operational beds
• Expected pre-tax gain on sale of around $25 million in FY26
• Transaction completion targeted by 1 March 2026, subject to conditions
• Recent acquisitions of Ocean Mist (Surf Coast) and Drysdale Grove (Bellarine Peninsula) finalised on 1 December 2025

What else do investors need to know?

The divestment supports Regis’ strategy to optimise its national portfolio and recycle capital into high-demand, premium locations. Management intends to reinvest funds from the sale to strengthen its presence in areas where demand and growth opportunities are greatest.

Regis has also expanded in Victoria, having completed the acquisition of Ocean Mist and Drysdale Grove aged care homes. These recent acquisitions add capacity in established regions and support the company’s growth plans.

What did Regis Healthcare management say?

Regis CEO and Managing Director Dr Linda Mellors commented:

The divestment aligns with Regis’ strategy to optimise its national portfolio and recycle capital to support investment in high-demand, premium locations where we can deliver the greatest impact. We will work closely with Ozcare to ensure a smooth and respectful transition for residents, families, and staff, and to support continuity of care in Far North Queensland.

What’s next for Regis Healthcare?

Looking ahead, Regis plans to focus on investing in premium, high-growth regions where it can provide long-term benefits for residents and shareholders. The capital unlocked from this sale will be used to support ongoing expansion in areas of highest demand.

The company aims to maintain a leading position in residential aged care while pursuing further growth opportunities through selective acquisitions and portfolio optimisation.

Regis Healthcare share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Regis Healthcare shares have risen 18%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has climbed 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Regis Healthcare sells two QLD homes for $25 million gain 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.

There have been some big moves on the ASX boards on Thursday.

Two ASX stocks that are heading in very different directions are named below. Here’s what is driving their share prices today:

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

The Nuix share price is up 5% to $1.89. This follows the announcement of an agreement to acquire Linkurious, which is a graph-powered AI decision platform, for up to 20 million euros (~A$35.4 million).

The release notes that the Paris-founded business provides technology that allows customers to visually explore and investigate graph data, to detect patterns of interest and investigate alerts.

Management notes that the acquisition builds on Nuix’s innovation roadmap through the incorporation of powerful and intuitive graph technology and data visualisation.

Linkurious had Annualised Contract Value (ACV) of ~ 7 million euros (~A$12 million) at the end of June and recorded positive EBITDA and operating cash flow for the full year to 31 December 2024.

Nuix’s interim CEO, John Ruthven, said:

The acquisition of Linkurious is an exciting accelerator for our strategic vision to enable our customers with insights from complex data at unparallelled speed and scale. This injection of graph-native expertise, proven link analysis technology and quality customers will allow us to bring immediate value to our customers.

Step One Clothing Ltd (ASX: STP)

The Step One share price is crashing 31% to 33.5 cents. Investors have been selling the underwear retailer’s shares after it released a disappointing trading update.

Management advised that based on year-to-date trading, including estimates for December, it expects half year revenue to be in the range of $30 million and $33 million. This represents a decline of between 31% to 37% on the $48.1 million recorded in the prior corresponding period.

Things will be worse for its earnings, with management expecting its EBITDA to be a loss of between $9 million and $11 million. This compares to a profit of $11.3 million a year ago. Though, this half will include a $10 million provision for inventory obsolescence. It commented:

The recent sales results were materially below expectations, and our efforts to clear older and slower-moving inventory were not successful. As a result, the Company has raised a $10 million obsolescence provision against this legacy stock. This inventory is now fully provisioned, and no further material provisions are anticipated at this stage.

In light of the above, the ASX stock has withdrawn its FY 2026 EBITDA guidance and advised that no updated guidance will be issued at this stage. It will update the market once greater visibility over trading and inventory outcomes is available.

The post Why these popular ASX stocks are making big moves on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nuix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) healthcare share Regis Healthcare Ltd (ASX: REG) is marching higher today.

Shares in the residential aged care provider closed yesterday trading for $7.95. In morning trade on Thursday, shares are changing hands for $8.01 apiece, up 0.8%.

For some context, the ASX 300 is up 0.4% at this same time.

Here’s what’s catching investor interest today.

ASX 300 healthcare share lifts on divestment news

The Regis Healthcare share price is pushing higher after the company announced that it has entered into agreements with not for profit aged care and health services provider Ozcare to sell two residential aged care homes.

The two assets are located at Ayr and Home Hill, both in Far North Queensland. Together, the two aged care facilities have 156 operational beds.

The ASX 300 healthcare stock expects the sale to bring in a one-off pre-tax gain on sale of approximately $25 million. The company said this gain will be recognised in its FY 2026 financial results.

Regis Healthcare expects the transaction to be complete by 1 March, subject to customary conditions.

What did management say?

Commenting on the divestment that looks to be boosting the ASX 300 healthcare share today, Regis managing director and CEO Linda Mellors said, “The divestment aligns with Regis’ strategy to optimise its national portfolio and recycle capital to support investment in high-demand, premium locations where we can deliver the greatest impact.”

Mellors continued:

We will work closely with Ozcare to ensure a smooth and respectful transition for residents, families, and staff, and to support continuity of care in Far North Queensland.

Ozcare CEO Kevin Mercer added:

We are delighted to welcome Ayr and Home Hill into the Ozcare family. These homes have a strong reputation for delivering quality care and supporting their local communities, which aligns perfectly with our mission to provide compassionate, person-centred services.

This acquisition strengthens our presence in North Queensland and ensures continuity of care for residents, families, and staff. We look forward to building on the excellent foundations laid by Regis and continuing to enhance the wellbeing of those we serve.

What’s been happening with the ASX 300 healthcare share?

With today’s intraday increase factored in, Regis Health Care shares are up 33% in 2025.

The ASX 300 healthcare share hit an all-time closing high of $9.22 on 19 September.

Shares then crashed 26.3% the following trading day, 22 September.

That sell-off followed news that the Australian government’s residential aged care funding boost of 4.7% was less than Regis had expected, which comes amid increased staffing costs.

The post Guess which ASX 300 healthcare share is lifting off on $25 million news 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.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) shares are on the slide on Thursday.

In morning trade, the regional bank’s shares are down almost 1% to $10.01.

Why are Bendigo Bank shares falling?

Investors have been selling the bank’s shares this morning after responding negatively to a big announcement.

According to the release, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has agreed to acquire RACQ Bank’s retail lending assets and deposits.

The purchase price will be based on book value of the transferring book at completion, which comprised $2.7 billion of retail loans and $2.5 billion of retail deposits at the end of June.

The company notes that the asset and liability transfer is expected to be completed during the first half of 2027. It will be completed at book value and will be funded from cash reserves and will consume approximately 35bps of CET1 capital.

Why make this acquisition?

Management highlights that the acquisition of these retail lending assets and deposits from RACQ Bank, with over 90,000 customers, aligns with its strategy and is expected to contribute positively to its 2030 return on equity (ROE) target.

It highlights that RACQ Bank has a strong deposit franchise with retail deposits representing 92% of the lending portfolio, and a high proportion of lower-cost deposits. The assets are expected to generate net interest income of ~$50 million to $55 million.

Management believes that the simplification to one core banking system by the end of 2025 will enable efficient integration, minimising incremental costs, and leveraging existing migration and integration capabilities.

The estimated migration and transaction costs are ~$25 million to $30 million after tax, with the majority to be incurred prior to completion of the transaction. Whereas the estimated incremental cost to service the transferring book will be ~$12 million to $14 million before tax.

It also highlights that it increases geographic diversity, lifting Bendigo Bank’s Queensland exposure to 18% of its residential lending portfolio from 15%.

Commenting on the deal, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s CEO and managing director, Richard Fennell, said:

RACQ Bank’s strong deposit franchise and member focus complements Bendigo Bank’s own deposit franchise and longstanding focus on our customers and the community. This acquisition leverages our proven ability to efficiently integrate significant portfolios and is expected to drive improved shareholder returns through cost efficiencies and geographic diversification.

The post Bendigo Bank shares fall despite RACQ deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bendigo And Adelaide Bank. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares may not be the most popular holding by retirees, but I think they’re a great choice for a number of reasons.

For starters, the ASX telco share isn’t operating in an ultra-competitive sector like banking, nor is its profits linked to a volatile commodity price. I believe the outlook for good earnings growth is positive and the possibility of good dividends is even stronger.

Let’s take a look at what makes the business so appealing.

Appealing earnings profile

Retirees may be tricked into thinking that a high dividend yield is always an attractive thing. But, there’s sometimes a danger that the profit of a business could go backwards significantly, hurting both the share price and the payout potential.

Telstra went through a rough patch several years ago as the NBN took control of the cable infrastructure, substantially hurting the company’s profit margins on broadband customers.

However, now that the transition has finished, Telstra’s earnings look much more defensive, and there’s growth too. Households and businesses seem to place a high importance on having an internet connection, giving Telstra resilient earnings.

The company is regularly winning new subscribers and achieving a higher level of revenue from each of its customers, helping profit margins due to the operating leverage as it spreads the costs of its network across more users.

In FY25, underlying earnings per share (EPS) grew 3.2% and the cash EPS jumped 12%.

As the country becomes more connected with more devices, I expect Telstra’s earnings can noticeably rise in the coming years.

Large dividend yield

Receiving cash into the bank account with dividends is probably a key focus for retirees, and it’s one of the important ways that owners of Telstra shares are being rewarded.

Telstra grew its annual dividend per share in FY22, FY23, FY24, and FY25.

The 2025 financial year saw the company pay an annual dividend of 19 cents per share. That equates to a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.5%, including franking credits. That’s not the biggest yield on the ASX, but combine that with further growth in the coming years, and it’s a great starting point.

Predictions for more passive income growth

If the company is able to grow its profits, then the payouts could continue to rise as well.

Telstra’s earnings are projected to continue rising, and the dividend could become much larger.

The broker UBS is projecting Telstra could pay an annual dividend per share of 21 cents in FY26, which would be a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.1%.

UBS forecasts the annual dividend per share could rise in every subsequent year until it reaches 30 cents in FY30. That’d be a grossed-up dividend yield of 8.7%, including franking credits. I think it’s a very appealing choice for retirees.

The post Why Telstra shares are a retiree’s dream appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL) shares have returned from their trading halt on Thursday with a thud.

In morning trade, the lithium developer’s shares are down 33% to $4.11.

Why are Vulcan shares crashing?

Investors have been selling the company’s shares today after it completed a major capital raising.

According to the release, Vulcan has successfully completed its fully underwritten institutional placement and fully underwritten institutional entitlement offer.

The institutional offer raised 398 million euros (A$710 million) from the issue of ~178 million new shares at $4.00 per new share. This represents a sizeable 34.7% discount to its last close price.

The company notes that the institutional offer received strong support, with existing eligible institutional shareholders subscribing for approximately 23.2 million new shares. In addition, a number of new local and global institutions took part in the offer.

The proceeds from the offer will be applied to the Phase One Lionheart development.

Vulcan’s managing director and CEO, Cris Moreno, commented:

We would like to thank our existing shareholders for their continued support and welcome our new shareholders onto the register, including strategic investors. “The Placement will enable Vulcan to transition from development phase into execution phase with project execution of Project Lionheart due to commence in the coming days.

This is a lighthouse project for Europe, Lionheart is set to redefine lithium production, delivering Europe’s first fully domestic and sustainable lithium value chain. We look forward to providing further updates to our shareholders on the start of construction activities.

Finance package

Today’s institutional placement and entitlement offer complement the major finance package that Vulcan announced on Wednesday following the board’s positive final investment decision (FID) on the project.

It revealed a financing package, inclusive of its capital raising, worth approximately 2,200 million euros (A$3,929 million).

The bulk of this comes from a 1,185 million euros (A$2,116 million) senior debt funding package by a syndicate of 13 financial institutions. This comprises the European Investment Bank, five export credit agencies, and seven commercial banks.

There are also German government grants totalling 204 million euros (A$364 million) and a 133 million euros (A$238 million) investment from a consortium for a 15% equity interest in the Phase One Lionheart Project.

CEO Cris Moreno commented:

Securing this financing package and taking a positive FID is a significant achievement in the history of Vulcan Energy. It will allow the Company to transition from development phase into execution phase with the construction of the commercial scale supply chain for Lionheart.

A lighthouse project for Europe, Lionheart is set to redefine lithium production, delivering Europe’s first fully domestic and sustainable lithium value chain. It will also provide a clean and reliable source of renewable energy for local communities and industries in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley.

The post Why are Vulcan Energy shares crashing 33% 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 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 copper price hit new all-time highs on Wednesday, with trading on the London Metal Exchange seeing copper futures climb above $11,400 per tonne for the very first time.

Overall, the global benchmark copper price in London has now increased by more than 30% since the start of the year.

For context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up by about 5% across the same period.

And copper could also be an attractive investment in 2026, according to Jun Bei Liu, founder and lead portfolio manager at Sydney-based hedge fund Ten Cap.

Critical metal

Copper is one of the most important metals of the modern-day world.

It boasts mass industrial applications thanks to its ductility, malleability, resistance to corrosion, and its thermal and electrical conductivity.

Such properties make the metal a key ingredient in a wide array of applications, including construction, power grids, transportation, and consumer electronics.

And as the world electrifies, its strategic value is growing.

For example, electric vehicles use roughly four times more copper than traditional cars, and AI data centres rely heavily on the metal for power distribution and cooling.

Some of the world’s biggest mining companies have also been growing their exposure to the metal in recent years.

These include ASX 200 mining heavyweights BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO).

And some analysts are also predicting a bright future for the metal.

Expert viewpoint

As reported in the Australian Financial Review, Jun Bei Liu believes that the structural demand for copper makes the metal one of the market’s most compelling trades for next year.

In particular, she cited the global energy transition as a key catalyst:

It’s almost like copper is the tech of the resources [sector] – the exciting part…

The demand needed for the energy transition is increasingly interesting. And should there be any sell-off, you’ve certainly seen a lot of support for copper and copper equities.

Curiously, Liu noted that she favours mid-cap ASX 200 mining stocks with an exclusive focus on copper over the diversified mining giants.

Here, she pointed to Capstone Copper Corp CDI (ASX: CSC) and Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR), with the duo in the “sweet spot”, given their correlation to rising copper prices.

Two ASX 200 pure-play copper miners

Sandfire is a copper-focused mining stock with two producing assets.

In FY25, it churned out 94,000 tonnes of copper equivalent from its MATSA operations in Spain.

It added another 58,000 tonnes equivalent from its Motheo mine in Botswana.

Sandfire shares have jumped by 76% since the start of the year to $16.34 at Wednesday’s close.

Meanwhile, Capstone is a Canadian-based copper miner with several producing assets in the Americas.

In 2025, the company is targeting output of between 220,000 and 255,000 tonnes of copper.

Since early January, its share price has increased by 30% to $13.19 per share at yesterday’s close.

Rio Tinto or BHP shares?

Out of the two biggest ASX 200 mining stocks, Liu said she preferred Rio Tinto ahead of BHP shares.

Here, she believes that Rio Tinto offers a more attractive valuation and fewer strategic risks.

Since the start of the year, shares in Rio Tinto have lifted by 14% to reach $135.28 per share.

In comparison, BHP shares have risen by 7.5% during the same period to $42.96 apiece at the close of trading on Wednesday.

The post Rio Tinto or BHP shares? Expert says which stock to buy as copper price smashes record appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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