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

Like the internet was 30 years ago, artificial intelligence (AI) is the next major technological shift that will reshape the economy. That also makes it a generational opportunity for investors to accrue wealth by buying and patiently holding the right growth stocks. Research from Morgan Stanley projects that AI could deliver operating efficiencies worth as much as $40 trillion to the global economy over the long term. 

Investors don’t need to gamble on unproven companies and excessively risky stocks for the chance to profit from this trend. Simply sticking with leading tech stocks could help you achieve market-beating returns. After all, it’s the world’s largest and most profitable companies that are doing much of the work involved in enabling the wider adoption of AI. To position your portfolio to profit from this opportunity, I suggest adding shares of these two tech titans that will likely still be leading their respective industries 20 years from now. 

Nvidia

For those seeking to profit from the AI trend over the past few years, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been one of the best stocks to own, and the company’s innovation and financial fortitude should keep it in the driver’s seat. Its high-end graphics processing units (GPUs) are used by all the leading cloud infrastructure providers, and those data center GPUs are sold out for the foreseeable future.

Nvidia’s data center revenue surged by 66% year over year last quarter to $51 billion. This high-growth trajectory reflects a long-term transition from traditional computing that relies more on central processing units (CPUs) to accelerated computing that demands massive quantities of parallel processors such as GPUs.

The good news for investors buying Nvidia stock today is that this transition will unfold over many years. Capital spending on AI infrastructure is expected to grow from $600 billion in 2026 to at least $3 trillion by 2030. This massive buildout portends significant growth for Nvidia.

Nvidia will have to continue innovating to maintain its lead over other semiconductor companies that are designing chips to handle AI workloads. However, in recent years, it has accelerated its pace of innovation, moving to a cadence of introducing new and better GPU architectures annually. That continually pushes its chips’ performance to new levels, and will make it difficult for competitors to keep up. It is already preparing to launch its Vera Rubin chips in 2026 — those will deliver significant performance improvements over its current Blackwell generation.

Facilitating Nvidia’s steady innovation is its financial fortitude. It’s one of the most profitable companies in the world, with net profits of $99 billion over the last four reported quarters on $187 billion in revenue.

In a world where AI is increasingly driving everything, Nvidia looks likely to remain a solid investment for the next 20 years. It is investing in solutions that will underpin the future economy, such as robots, autonomous vehicles, and AI agents. Analysts expect the company to experience 37% annualized earnings growth over the next few years, pointing to substantial returns ahead for shareholders.

Alphabet

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) delivered market-beating returns for investors over the last decade, driven by strong growth in advertising through Google Search and YouTube. The stock climbed 700%, but the next decade could see more returns as demand for AI and cloud computing takes off.

The stock rocketed to new highs in 2025 as investors started to recognize Google as a leader in AI, but that was likely just the beginning. Google Gemini is one of the most capable AI models, and it’s being layered into all of Alphabet’s services, including enterprise tools in Google Cloud. Revenue from its cloud segment increased 34% year over year in the third quarter.

Alphabet just surpassed $100 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, as AI features are driving Google Search usage higher. The Gemini app has over 650 million monthly active users, making it the second-most-used AI model behind ChatGPT.

The company is benefiting from profitable revenue streams across its diverse business lines, including online advertising, subscription services (e.g., YouTube TV and Google One), and cloud services. This will support the hiring of top AI engineers and an expanding base of data centers that will help it maintain its leadership in AI.

The company was on course to spend more than $91 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, and plans a significant increase from that in 2026. It can cover those outlays through its operating cash flow, which totaled $151 billion over the last four reported quarters. These investments are strengthening its competitive position, paving the way for compounding returns for investors over the long term.

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

The post 2 AI stocks to buy in January and hold for 20 years 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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John Ballard has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in Coronado Global Resources Ltd (ASX: CRN) have fallen sharply after a fatality at the company’s Mammoth underground mine in Queensland.

The coal company issued a statement to the ASX on Monday, stating that an incident occurred at the mine, located approximately 10km north of the town of Blackwater, at about 3 pm on Friday, January 2.

On Saturday, there was confirmation that a worker had been fatally injured, the company said.

It went on to say:

Coronado is deeply saddened by this tragic event and extends its deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the worker. The company is providing all support to the contracted coal mine operator, Mammoth Underground Mine Management Pty Ltd, which is currently working with the relevant authorities at site to understand the cause of the incident. The operations at Mammoth Underground Mine remain suspended.

The company said it had idled operations at its open-cut operations for 24 hours, but had now recommenced operations at these mines.

Media reports indicate that emergency services rushed to the Mammoth mine on Friday, safely recovering two workers, while one initially remained missing.

Inquiry to be launched

Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Tony Perett, said there would be an investigation into the incident.

Coronado in October announced a strong set of results, stating at the time that its saleable production for the first quarter had increased 21% over the previous quarter to 4.5 million tonnes, marking the best result since 2021.

Managing Director Douglas Thompson said at the time that the company had “another strong quarter” and was experiencing good momentum.

He added:

Our performance is expected to continue to improve into the fourth quarter, with our expansion projects scheduled to hit planned run rates by the end of year and the continuation of benefits from our cost reduction programs. The Buchanan expansion project and Mammoth are forecasted to generate an additional circa three million tonnes (annualised) of saleable production. These projects are also expected to result in lower unit cost and drive significantly improved earnings and cash generation.

The company said it was the second quarter in a row where the company’s unit production costs had come in below guidance, with the month of September “well below guidance at $80 per tonne”.

Coronado shares fell 13.2% on Monday morning to be changing hands for 31.2 cents.

The company was valued at $603.5 million at the close of trade on Friday.

The post Coronado shares plummet after mine fatality in Queensland appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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 odds of an increase in official interest rates next month appear to be shortening, with a recent survey of economists showing seven of the 38 experts polled predicting a rate rise at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s meeting in February.

The Australian Financial Review, in its regular quarterly survey, polled the 38 economists, and said experts including those at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) expected rates to rise next month.

The AFR also quoted former RBA official Jonathan Kearns as saying that inflation pressures would make the RBA board “uncomfortable”, with Mr Kearns, now Chief Economist at Challenger, also expecting a rate increase next month.

Price pressures persisting

CBA economists issued a statement in December saying they expected a 25 basis point rise in official interest rates in February, but they expected rates to then stay on hold for the rest of the year.

CBA head of Australian Economics, Belinda Allen, said:

The economy has picked up more momentum than expected, and that strength is keeping inflation from easing. A small rate increase in February would guide inflation back toward the RBA’s target range of 2-3 per cent.

The CBA team said inflation had been falling slower than expected, and its persistence lent weight to the argument that price pressures were widespread, and not being driven by only a few items.

House prices to feel the pressure

AMP chief economist Shane Oliver is not expecting a rate rise next month, but agrees the risk is to the upside.

He said in a statement late last week:

Our view is that interest rates will be on hold this year as the recent pickup in inflation reverses somewhat and unemployment rises a bit heading off the need for rates hikes but inflation fears and improving growth prevent rate cuts. However, given the recent run of data showing rising inflation, still low unemployment and strengthening private sector economic growth, we are not particularly confident, and the risks are skewed to the upside on rates.

Dr Oliver said commentary around possible rate increases would “continue to act as a dampener on buyer demand” in the housing market, which would limit the upside in property prices.

The official interest rate is currently 3.6% after three 25-basis-point cuts in February, May, and August.

The AFR survey also found that 17 of the 38 economists surveyed expected rates to rise twice over the next 18 months.

The post When could interest rates rise next? It may be sooner than you think appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why did CSL shares crash 39% in 2025?

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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.

It is fair to say that CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares had a brutal 2025.

Over the course of the 12 months, the biotherapeutics giant’s shares crashed 39% to end the period at $172.65.

For a company long regarded as one of the ASX’s highest-quality blue chips, that kind of pullback naturally left investors asking what went wrong.

The short answer is that several headwinds hit at the same time, exposing just how sensitive even elite businesses can be when growth expectations start to unravel. Here’s a breakdown of the key factors behind CSL’s sharp sell-off.

Growth expectations reset lower

One of the biggest drivers of CSL’s share price decline was a downgrade to its growth outlook. After years of delivering strong and consistent earnings growth, the company was forced to rein in expectations for the years ahead.

Management cut revenue growth guidance for FY 2026 and trimmed profit growth forecasts, signalling that the next phase of CSL’s journey would be slower and more uneven than investors had grown accustomed to. For a stock that had long traded on a premium valuation, that reset hit sentiment hard.

Pressure in the CSL Behring division

CSL’s plasma business, CSL Behring, has historically been the engine room of the group. In 2025, however, it ran into problems on multiple fronts.

Demand for albumin in China weakened after government cost-containment measures reduced usage, directly impacting sales. At the same time, margin recovery in the plasma business has taken longer than the market expected and weighed on profitability.

This combination undermined confidence that CSL Behring could quickly return to the high-growth, high-margin profile investors had priced in.

Seqirus complications and vaccine uncertainty

CSL’s vaccines business, Seqirus, also played a role in the sell-off. Vaccination rates in the United States declined more sharply than anticipated, and management flagged expectations for further weakness.

That uncertainty led CSL to defer the proposed demerger of Seqirus, which had previously been viewed as a potential value-unlocking event. Instead of providing clarity, the vaccines division became another source of near-term earnings risk, further unsettling investors.

External factors added fuel to the fire

Beyond company-specific issues, CSL also faced broader challenges. Heightened volatility in global healthcare markets, changing US trade and tariff dynamics, and a more cautious outlook for global growth all weighed on sentiment.

Even though favourable currency movements provided some earnings support, they weren’t enough to offset the cumulative impact of slower growth, operational complexity, and increased uncertainty.

What’s next?

The good news is that many analysts believe that CSL shares are starting 2026 in bargain territory.

For example, Morgan Stanley has an overweight rating and $256.00 price target and Morgans has a buy rating and $249.51 price target. These prices targets imply potential upside of 45%+ over the next 12 months.

The post Why did CSL shares crash 39% in 2025? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

When building passive income from shares, I’m not chasing the highest dividend yields or the most aggressive payout forecasts. What I really want are reliable dividends, backed by businesses with long-term cash flows and a clear reason to remain relevant for decades.

That’s why two ASX heavyweights stand out to me right now: Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW).

They operate in very different sectors, but they share the qualities I look for when buying shares for long-term income.

Telstra shares

Telstra plays an important role in Australia’s digital economy. Mobile connectivity, internet access, and data services are no longer discretionary; they’re essential for households, businesses, and government.

What makes Telstra attractive from an income perspective is the predictability of demand. People might delay big purchases during tough times, but they don’t cancel their mobile plans or disconnect their internet. That creates a stable revenue base that supports dividends.

Telstra is also benefiting from a multi-year investment cycle in digital infrastructure. Data usage on its mobile network has more than tripled over the past five years, and there’s no realistic future where demand for connectivity slows. As networks become more sophisticated, Telstra is shifting from simply selling bandwidth to selling higher-value services, such as prioritised connectivity, security, and enterprise solutions.

For income investors, that matters. Stable demand, combined with disciplined investment, increases the likelihood that dividends will remain sustainable, even if growth is modest. Telstra may not be exciting, but for passive income, I think boring can be beautiful.

Woolworths shares

If Telstra benefits from digital necessity, Woolworths benefits from something even more basic: people need to eat.

Supermarkets are among the most defensive businesses in the economy. Regardless of economic conditions, consumers still buy groceries every week. That makes Woolworths’ revenue far less sensitive to economic cycles than most retailers.

Woolworths also operates on an enormous scale, serving around 24 million customers each week. Its supply chain strength, buying power, and brand trust enable it to navigate inflationary pressures and cost challenges more effectively than smaller competitors.

From an income perspective, this reliability is crucial. Woolworths isn’t immune to short-term issues, as the past year has shown, but its underlying business model has proven durable over decades. That durability supports consistent dividend payments over time, even when growth is subdued. I believe this will remain the case over the next few decades.

Why these two work well together for income

What I like about pairing Telstra and Woolworths for passive income is how different their drivers are, yet how similar their outcomes can be.

Telstra is tied to data, connectivity, and digital infrastructure. Woolworths is tied to food, staples, and everyday consumption. Both sit at the centre of essential spending categories. Both generate steady cash flows. And both have business models that are unlikely to be disrupted overnight.

Neither share is about chasing rapid dividend growth. Instead, they’re about dependability. The kind that allows investors to sleep at night while collecting income.

The post Why I think Telstra and Woolworths shares are buys for passive income appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 and Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are pushing higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy stock closed on Friday trading for $23.66. In late morning trade on Monday, shares are swapping hands for $23.86, up 0.9%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.1% at this same time.

Today’s outperformance in Woodside shares comes as investors mull over the potential impact on global oil supplies following the United States’ shock intervention in Venezuela.

Woodside shares in focus as Venezuelan oil embargoed

As you’re likely aware, this weekend saw US special forces swoop into Venezuela to seize the nation’s president, Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple is now in detention inside the US.

While the move looks to have shocked most of the world, tensions between the two countries have been building for many months. US President Donald Trump has been engaged in a lengthy and building feud with Maduro, who is accused of corruption and supporting narco-terrorism.

As for Woodside shares, they’re in the green today despite the Brent crude oil price declining by 0.5% over the weekend to US$60.45 per barrel.

That may be because Venezuela’s recent oil production only represents around 1% of total global output. However, analysts note that proven oil reserves in the South American country may be among the world’s largest.

And Trump confirmed over the weekend that an oil embargo on Venezuela was being fully enforced.

Trump also indicated that the military action would open the door for US energy companies to return to the nation. Although Woodside shares are increasingly linked to US projects, analysts say Chevron Corp (NYSE: CVX) could be the biggest beneficiary here, with the US oil giant already active in Venezuela.

What else is impacting ASX energy shares on Monday?

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners (OPEC+) also looks to be offering some tailwinds for ASX energy stocks, including Woodside shares.

The cartel reported that it will again hold back on any further supply increases in the first quarter of 2026.

Atop new uncertainties unleashed by the US intervention in Venezuela, OPEC+ is eyeing a forecast supply surplus in the first months of the year.

Commenting on OPEC’s decision to delay supply increases, Jorge Leon, an analyst at consultant Rystad Energy, said (quoted by Bloomberg):

In an environment this fragile, OPEC+ is choosing caution, preserving flexibility rather than introducing new uncertainty into an already volatile market. The political transition in Venezuela adds another major layer of uncertainty.

The post Woodside shares outperforming today amid US intervention in oil rich Venezuela 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 positions in and has recommended Chevron. 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 originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Is Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) finally slowing down? The artificial intelligence (AI) giant ended 2025 on a high note, up 39%. However, it’s down about 7% from its highs at the end of October, when it became the first company to hit a $5 trillion market cap.

Can it get back there? And does it still offer value for investors from this level? Let’s see where it could be a year from now. 

New products, rising competition

Nvidia plays a central role in AI development. Its product line, including its various graphics processing units (GPU) and CUDA software, are relied upon by its many high-profile clients like Amazon and Microsoft.

AI is a fast-moving and rapidly changing industry, and Nvidia continues to roll out innovative technology and new products to provide the necessary power for its clients to process data. Data centers are one of its biggest growth drivers today, and it keeps bringing out new graphics processing units (GPU) with more processing power to handle greater data loads. It’s also rolling out many vertically integrated solutions that keep clients within its ecosystem. That protects it to some degree from the onslaught of new competition in the space. As a high-growth industry, there’s no shortage of companies trying to develop more sophisticated AI technology.

That brings us to where Nvidia could be in a year. Considering its dominance and innovation, I don’t envision it slowing down and losing ground just yet. So while new competition could eventually put a dent in its growth, it may take a while to make a big impact. At the same time, it looks like the market is already pricing in these worries into the stock’s cost. As long as the AI market continues to grow, Nvidia is likely to follow suit, albeit at a slower pace than in the past. 

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

The post Where will Nvidia stock be in 1 year? 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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Jennifer Saibil 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 Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. 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 Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Fenix Resources Ltd (ASX: FEX) has announced a strong cash build on the back of record quarterly iron ore production, sending its shares sharply higher on Monday.

The iron ore junior said in a statement to the ASX on Monday that it now had $79 million in cash at bank, representing a $21 million cash build over the December quarter.

This was built on the back of record production, as the company said:

Record quarterly iron ore shipments have resulted in a strong cash build demonstrating the company’s successful ramp up in production, consistent operational execution, and the strength of a fully integrated and scalable pit to port model.

The company also reconfirmed its FY26 guidance at total iron ore sales of 4.2 to 4.8 million tonnes, with that guidance last upgraded on December 11.

Delivering on the plan

Fenix said it had shipped 21 cargoes of iron ore, and the 1.24 million tonnes of ore shipped was a milestone for the company, being the first quarter of production at greater than one million tonnes.

At that rate, the company’s annualised production would be 4.9 million tonnes of iron ore.

Fenix said the strong results reflected optimised mining across its midwest iron ore operations, efficient haulage through the company’s wholly-owned Newhaul logistics subsidiary, and streamlined port operations at the Geraldton port.

While Fenix is targeting slightly less than 5 million tonnes of exports from its three mines this year, the company said in its ASX release that it has “an identified pathway to long term production of 10 million tonnes per annum”.

As the company said:

Fenix’s diversified midwest iron ore, road, rail, and asset base provides an excellent foundation for future growth. Assets include the Iron Ridge Iron Ore Mine, the Shine Iron Ore Mine, the Weld Range Iron Ore Project (including the Beebyn-W11 Iron Ore Mine), the Newhaul Road Logistics haulage business which owns and operates a state-of-the-art road haulage fleet, two rail sidings at Ruvidini and Perenjori, as well as the Newhaul Port Logistics business which owns and operates three on-wharf bulk storage sheds at Geraldton Port.

The company has a three-year production plan which envisages 15 million tonnes of production across the financial years out to FY28.

Fenix shares were 9.3% higher in early trade at 52.5 cents. The shares have more than doubled from lows of 25.5 cents over the past years and are not far off their highs of 55.5 cents.

The company was valued at $357.6 million at the close of trade on Friday.

The post This ASX iron ore producer, trading near record highs, just announced a record result appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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.

If you have space in your portfolio for some new additions, then read on.

That’s because listed below are two ASX 200 stocks that could be strong buys according to analysts at Bell Potter.

Here’s what the broker is saying about them:

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

The first ASX 200 stock that could be a strong buy in 2026 is Catapult Sports.

It is a sports technology company that specialises in wearable tracking solutions and analytics for athlete tracking.

Bell Potter believes the company is well-positioned for a period of very strong growth. This is thanks to its leadership position in a market that is expected to double from 2025 to 2030. The broker said:

Catapult Sports is a leading global provider of elite athlete wearing tracking solutions and analytics for athlete tracking. The key target market of Catapult is elite sporting teams and organisations and the acquisition of SBG also now gives the company a presence in motorsports. The pro sports technology market is currently valued at US$36bn in 2025 and is forecast to double to US$72bn by 2030. We view CAT as a market leader entering a stronger phase of cash generation and operating leverage, with an underpenetrated global customer base and expanding analytics suite providing a long runway for subscription growth and valuation upside.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $6.50 price target on its shares. This implies potential upside of over 50% for investors over the next 12 months.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

Another ASX 200 stock that gets the seal of approval from Bell Potter is WiseTech Global. It is a leading provider of software solutions to the logistics industry.

After a difficult time in 2025 due to leadership controversies and product launch delays, the broker appears positive on the company’s outlook. Especially given its market leadership and ultra low churn rates. It said:

WiseTech is a leading global provider of software solutions to the logistics industry, with its market-leading CargoWise One platform used by many of the world’s largest logistics providers. The company’s quality is underpinned by a highly predictable business model, with around 95% of its revenue being recurring and a customer churn rate of less than 1%. This provides clear and consistent cash flow, enabling a distinct path to deleverage, with management confident in reducing ND/EBITDA from ~3x in FY26 to 1.7x in FY27.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $100.00 price target on WiseTech Global’s shares. This suggests that upside of 45% is possible from current levels.

The post Why these ASX 200 stocks could be strong buys in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Shares in Australian Agricultural Company Ltd (ASX: AAC) have opened lower after the company said heavy rain and flooding in north-western Queensland would have a material effect on its earnings.

Queensland was battered by storms in late December, with record rainfall in the state’s north leading to flooding across wide areas of the state.

Several flood and major flood warnings remain in effect across the state, issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, with the Diamantina and Flinders rivers subject to major flood warnings.

Material impact on the way

Australian Agricultural Company, or AACo as the company refers to itself, said in a statement to the ASX on Monday morning that three of its 27 properties – Carrum, Dalgonally, and Canobie – had been affected by flooding.

The company went on to say:

AACo has a herd of approximately 456,000 head of cattle. The three AACo Gulf properties impacted by the flooding are carrying a total of approximately 55,000 head of cattle (significantly lower head count than 2019 flood event in the same region). Any comparisons between the 2019 event and the current event should be approached with caution, due to current cattle valuations, operating practices, property and livestock conditions, weather and rainfall variations and seasonality. At this early stage, as conditions are evolving and remain challenging, a credible assessment of the impact on livestock and infrastructure is currently unable to be undertaken – noting there is still the possibility of further wet season impacts.

The company went on to say that the impact of the flooding on its earnings for the March 2026 financial year was yet to be determined, but was “likely to be material”.

It said further:

Management is currently assessing and managing the situation and an update will be provided as appropriate, when further assessments of the impacted properties are available.

The company said that, in keeping with industry practice and because of the large cost involved, it was not insured for the impact of flooding on its herd and infrastructure.  

It said:

Whilst the impact of the situation is continuing to be determined, the company’s balance sheet and financial position remain strong.

Good conditions elsewhere

On the upside, the company said it was experiencing favourable rainfall in southwestern Queensland and the Northern Territory, where the majority of its cattle were located, and “the company remains able to fulfil supply obligations to its key markets in line with its strategy”.

AACo shares were 3.5% down in early trade on Monday at $1.40.

The company in November announced it had almost doubled its first-half operating profit to $39.8 million, compared to $20.2 million in the previous corresponding period.

The company was valued at $874 million at the close of trade on Friday.

The post Queensland floods to have a ‘material’ impact on this ASX agricultural stock’s earnings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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.