The Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) share price could be in focus today after the company announced it has refinanced and upsized its debt facility to US$400 million, boosting total liquidity to more than US$1.2 billion.

What did Perseus Mining report?

• Signed a new syndicated revolving corporate facility of US$400 million, replacing the previous US$300 million facility
• Accordion option of an additional US$100 million available
• As at 30 September 2025, net cash position was US$837 million
• Total available liquidity now exceeds US$1,237 million
• Facility tenure of three years, with an option to extend for another two years (1+1)
• Achieved a margin reduction of 125 basis points against the previous facility

What else do investors need to know?

Perseus Mining appointed Citi and Nedbank as mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners for the new facility, which adds two additional international banks to its lending group. The amended facility is now supported by a total of eight international banks, reflecting strong market confidence in the company.

Facility terms include more flexible covenant arrangements and competitive pricing, secured after the loan syndication was oversubscribed. The company says no minimum hedging requirements are attached.

With this financial cushion, Perseus Mining is well placed to pursue its stated five-year growth outlook, while maintaining a commitment to shareholder returns through dividends and potential buybacks.

What did Perseus Mining management say?

Perseus’s Chief Financial Officer, Lee-Anne de Bruin, said:

Perseus has received very strong support from a consortium of high-quality international lenders including two additional international banks joining the syndication. The process was more than 100% oversubscribed which is regarded as a major endorsement of the underlying quality of our assets and future cash flows.

With cash and undrawn debt capacity exceeding US$1.2 billion, Perseus is fully funded to deliver on our 5 Year Outlook and pursue future growth opportunities whilst maintaining our commitment to return funds to shareholders via ongoing dividends and share buy backs.

What’s next for Perseus Mining?

Looking ahead, Perseus Mining says its strengthened financial position will help underpin project development and expansion plans. The enhanced liquidity also provides flexibility to manage both expected and unexpected events.

The company reaffirmed its focus on growth across its portfolio and ensuring ongoing returns for shareholders, supported by the stability this funding arrangement brings.

Perseus Mining share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Perseus Mining shares have risen 119%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 7% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Perseus Mining upsizes debt facility, boosting liquidity for growth 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has followed Wall Street’s lead and is pushing higher. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.6% to 8,754.7 points.

Four ASX shares that are rising more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are storming higher:

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

The 4DMedical share price is up 6% to $3.79. This respiratory imaging technology company’s shares have been on fire again this month. The driver of this has been a commercial arrangement for the clinical use of its CT:VQ platform with United States-based Cleveland Clinic. CT:VQ is a CAT scan-based ventilation-perfusion software. 4DMedical’s founder and CEO, Andreas Fouras, said: “In just over three months since FDA clearance, we’ve established CT:VQ at three of America’s leading academic medical centres: Stanford, University of Miami, and Cleveland Clinic. This rapid adoption by elite institutions demonstrates the compelling clinical and operational advantages of CT:VQ over traditional nuclear VQ imaging.”

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

The Core Lithium share price is up 2.5% to 27.7 cents. This morning, this lithium miner announced the sale of non-core uranium assets. It has sold its 100% interests in the Napperby, Fitton, and Entia Uranium Projects for a cash consideration of $2.5 million to Elevate Uranium Ltd (ASX: EL8). The deal also includes $2.5 million in Elevate Uranium shares and a net smelter royalty of 1% on any metals or minerals produced from the Napperby project area. Core Lithium’s CEO, Paul Brown, said: “We’re pleased to enter into this transaction for our non-core uranium assets which sharpens our strategic focus as a lithium developer and advances our Finniss operation towards a restart.”

Fenix Resources Ltd (ASX: FEX)

The Fenix Resources share price is up 5.5% to 47.5 cents. This follows the release of the results of a scoping study into the opportunity to expand production, reduce costs, and extend mine life from the Weld Range Iron Ore Project. The study found that Fenix could lift production from the Weld Range from 6Mtpa in 2028 to 10Mtpa by 2031, with operations continuing through to 2042. It also believes it can reduce life of mine C1 cash costs to ~A$55.40 per wet metric tonne. This is 27% lower than the midpoint of its FY 2026 guidance range.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

The Goodman Group share price is up almost 9% to $31.77. This has been driven by news that the industrial property giant has signed an agreement with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to establish a A$14 billion European data centre partnership. The partnership’s portfolio will comprise four projects totalling 435 MW of primary power and 282 MW of IT load. This includes two centres in Paris (PAR01 and PAR02), one in Frankfurt (FRA02), and one in Amsterdam (AMS01).

The post Why 4DMedical, Core Lithium, Fenix, and Goodman shares are storming higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Goodman Group announces $14bn European data centre partnership with CPP Investments
• Is it too late to buy surging ASX lithium shares like Mineral Resources and Liontown?
• Could these ASX ETFs be set for a rebound in 2026?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Goodman Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goodman Group. 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.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are popular on the ASX amongst many investors. Some investors love the property exposure that a REIT can provide. Others enjoy those outsized dividend distributions that often offer some of the highest dividend cash flow available on the ASX.

I am not one of those investors, though. In fact, I have only ever owned one ASX REIT, and that was long ago and for a very brief time. I don’t see any scenario that will have me rethinking that position anytime soon.

So why don’t I find this popular asset class on the ASX appealing? Well, there are a couple of reasons I never buy ASX REITs.

ASX REITs don’t pay franking credits

Firstly, ASX REITs don’t typically attach franking credits to their dividend distributions, at least at a significant level. This is due to their unique structure. Most REITs are exempt from paying corporate tax. Whilst this has some upsides, such as allowing the trusts to pay out higher dividend distributions to their investors, it has the downside of not allowing those payments to come with franking credits attached. Remember, franking credits are generated when a company pays corporate tax on its profits.

This is not a delbreaker in itself. I am fine with an unfranked dividend if it is an above-average payout. But many investors might find this aspect of REIT investing unappealing.

The returns of ASX REITs are not good

I can deal with the unfranked dividends that REITs usually pay their investors. But what I really struggle with is the tendency of the typical ASX REIT to be a substandard investment.

REITs often employ leverage, or borrowed money, to construct their investment portfolios. That is understandable, given that REITs invest in real estate. However, this has the unfortunate consequence of tying the valuation of those REITs to interest rates. If you look at the long-term unit price of any REIT, it often rises and falls alongside movements in the cash rate. This dynamic seems to limit the ability of an ASX REIT to compound over time.

Take the price of popular ASX REIT and Westfield operator Scentre Group (ASX: SCG). Today, Scentre units are going for $4.21 each at the time of writing. That’s almost exactly the same price as you could have bought this REIT for ten years ago today.

It’s a similar story for many others, including Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW), HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN), Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR), and Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX).

Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP) has yet to even get close to its last record high, which was clocked way back in late 2007.

Of course, not all ASX REITs are tread-water investments. For example, Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) has been a notable performer in recent years. However, most ASX REITs tend to fall into this valuation stagnation, and it doesn’t give the sector a good name.

Foolish Takeaway

The tendency of most ASX REITs to stagnate and fail to deliver compounding returns for their investors has put me off owning investments in this sector. That’s not to say there isn’t money to be made here, or that investors can’t find the odd diamond. But those, at least in my experience, are few and far between.

The post I never buy ASX REITs. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why 4DMedical, Core Lithium, Fenix, and Goodman shares are storming higher today
• Why Aeris Resources, Capricorn Metals, Paradigm, and Silver Mines shares are sinking today
• My 5 top stocks to buy in 2026
• ASX 200 gold stock acquisition news sends junior ASX miner flying 43%
• Buy, hold, sell: DroneShield, Macquarie, and Wesfarmers shares

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 Goodman Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group and HomeCo Daily Needs REIT. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a decent gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.6% to 8,752.5 points.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are falling:

Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS)

The Aeris Resources share price is down 6% to 52 cents. This may have been driven by the copper miner’s recent capital raising. Last week, Aeris revealed that it received total applications in excess of $21.6 million for its $10 million share purchase plan. It decided to increase the offer and accept all valid applications. This means that approximately 48 million new shares were issued to shareholders this morning at 45 cents per new share. It looks like some investors have decided to cash in their new shares for a quick profit.

Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM)

The Capricorn Metals share price is down 3% to $14.35. This is despite the gold miner announcing an acquisition this morning. It has signed a binding agreement with Tempest Minerals Ltd (ASX: TEM) to acquire the prospective Yalgoo Project tenement package. It notes that the Yalgoo Project covers approximately 1,000 square kilometres of tenure located contiguous to Capricorn’s Golden Range and Fields Find tenure. It is considered highly prospective for gold mineralisation, featuring multiple settings conducive to hosting economic gold deposits.

Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: PAR)

The Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals share price is down 1.5% to 31.5 cents. Investors have been selling the late-stage drug development company’s shares despite it releasing an update on its Phase 3 PARA_OA_012 clinical trial in knee osteoarthritis. Paradigm revealed that it has achieved 25% of its recruitment milestone for the trial. However, some participants will not commence dosing until the new year due to temporary shutdowns. Nevertheless, management notes that “the interim analysis remains on track for mid-calendar year 2026, with primary endpoint analysis for the full cohort expected in Q4 CY2026.”

Silver Mines Ltd (ASX: SVL)

The Silver Mines share price is down 23% to 17.7 cents. This has been driven by the release of an update on its Bowdens Silver Project. Back in 2024, the NSW Court of Appeal voided the project’s approval and it appears to be struggling to have that overturned. Silver Mines’ managing director, Jo Battershill, said: “Since the Court Decision in August 2024, the Company has remained strongly focused on advancing the redetermination of the Bowdens Project Development Application. […] The result of this has been for the Company to agree to refreshing its ecological surveys and prepare an updated biodiversity assessment in accordance with the Biodiversity Conservation Act. While this approach extends the overall assessment timeframe, we believe it positions the Bowdens Project on a stronger footing for a successful and robust redetermination.”

The post Why Aeris Resources, Capricorn Metals, Paradigm, and Silver Mines shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Why Aeris Resources, Netwealth, Nova Minerals, and Paragon Care shares are dropping today
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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.

After a period of broader market weakness, I’m heading into 2026 focused on businesses that combine quality, structural tailwinds, and the potential to surprise on the upside. Short-term volatility hasn’t changed the longer-term outlook for these companies, and each offers a growth profile the market may be underestimating.

Here are 5 ASX-listed companies I’d be happy to own heading into the next phase of the cycle.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

CSL remains one of the highest-quality businesses on the ASX, even if its share price has tested investor patience at times. At the time of writing, CSL shares are trading around $176, down almost 40% over the past year and underperforming the broader healthcare sector.

The plasma giant has been working through margin pressure, higher collection costs, and a return to more normal operating conditions following the pandemic.

By 2026, CSL looks well-positioned to benefit from a more supportive operating environment. As collection efficiency improves and cost pressures begin to unwind, margins should follow. With its global footprint, strong intellectual property, and proven execution, even modest operational gains could translate into meaningful shareholder returns.

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

EOS has moved well beyond its earlier “promise” phase. The business now has a growing order book, a deep pipeline, and exposure to one of the most urgent areas of global defence spending: counter-drone systems.

Governments are no longer treating drone defence as a future capability. It is now a near-term priority, and budgets are being allocated with haste. If even a portion of EOS’ pipeline converts over the next 12 to 24 months, revenue visibility and earnings scale could look very different by 2026.

EOS shares have surged more than 500% this year, making it one of the standout performers on the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO).

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Xero remains a high-quality software business, even as growth has slowed from its early years. Subscriber numbers are no longer the main driver, with greater emphasis now on improving margins and cost control.

The upside case is more about execution than growth. By 2026, earnings are likely to matter more than subscriber numbers in how the market values the stock.

At the time of writing, Xero shares are trading around $115, down roughly 30% year to date and lagging global software peers.

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

While the share price has attracted attention, 4DMedical’s appeal extends beyond recent momentum. Its lung imaging software fills a clear clinical gap and is seeing increasing adoption, especially in the US.

The key for 2026 is revenue scaling. As contracts convert and installations increase, operating leverage could emerge quickly. This is still an early-stage growth story, but one where improving fundamentals are moving in the right direction.

With plenty of runway still ahead, 4DMedical shares are trading around $3.61, up more than 600% in 2025.

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

Accent Group offers a different angle to the other names on this list. It’s a consumer-facing business with strong brand partnerships, a growing digital footprint, and exposure to premium and athletic footwear trends.

While retail is never risk-free, Accent has shown it can manage inventory, protect margins, and adapt to changing consumer behaviour. If discretionary conditions stabilise, Accent could quietly outperform as earnings normalise.

Accent shares have fallen to around 95 cents, down roughly 60% this year and significantly underperforming the broader retail sector.

Foolish bottom line

These 5 ASX stocks cut across healthcare, defence, software, and consumer retail. While short-term moves may be uneven, heading into 2026, they offer a blend of quality, earnings potential, and upside that’s difficult to overlook. This is a group I’d be comfortable building exposure to over time.

The post My 5 top stocks to buy in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has positions in CSL and Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL, Electro Optic Systems, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group and CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stock Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) just delivered a welcome Christmas gift to shareholders of junior resource explorer Tempest Minerals Ltd (ASX: TEM).

Before market open this morning, Capricorn Metals announced that it has entered into a binding agreement with Tempest Minerals to acquire the prospective Yalgoo Project tenement package, located in Western Australia.

As some of that purchase will be funded through a new share issue from Capricorn Metals, shares in the ASX 200 gold stock are down 2.0% today, trading for $14.48 each.

But it’s a different story for the junior resource explorer selling Yalgoo.

Tempest Minerals shares closed yesterday trading for 7 cents and were fetching 10 cents apiece in earlier trade, up 42.9%. After some likely profit taking, at time of writing Tempest Minerals shares are changing hands for 9 cents each, up 28.6%.

Here’s what’s happening.

ASX 200 gold stock expanding its exploration tenements

Capricorn Metals said it considers the Yalgoo Project to be “highly prospective” for gold mineralisation.

The ASX 200 gold stock has identified several target zones for exploration within the project tenure, which it expects could host economic gold deposits.

On the cost front, Capricorn Metals will pay a total of $4.5 million for the project. Capricorn has already paid $100,000 cash and will pay another $400,000 cash on completion of the deal.

The remaining $4.0 million will be funded via the issue of Capricorn Metals shares. Those will be valued based on the five-day average over the five trading days prior to the completion date.

The Tempest share price looks to be catching some added tailwinds, as the junior ASX miner will retain ownership of the Iron Tenements. Capricorn will have exploration and development rights in respect of all minerals other than iron ore on the Iron Tenements.

Atop the $4.5 million, the ASX 200 gold stock also agreed to make a maximum of three contingent deferred payments of up to $1.5 million linked to exploration success and commercial development decisions.

“The acquisition of the Yalgoo Project continues the expansion of Capricorn’s Mt Gibson exploration footprint and adds highly prospective targets very close to the company’s recently acquired Golden Range and Fields Find projects,” Capricorn Metals CEO Mark Clark said.

Clark added:

This provides Capricorn with an outstanding exploration opportunity with a view to adding meaningful additional ore sources to MGGP and the region. We look forward to commencing active exploration on the project in 2026.

With today’s intraday dip factored in, shares in the ASX 200 gold stock remain up 130.6% year to date.

The post ASX 200 gold stock acquisition news sends junior ASX miner flying 43% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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.

With so many ASX shares out there to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy over others.

To narrow things down, let’s take a look at three popular shares and see if analysts think they are buys, holds, or sells this week, courtesy of The Bull. Here’s what they are saying about them:

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

Bell Potter’s Christopher Watt has labelled counter drone technology company DroneShield as a hold this week. Though, it is worth noting that Bell Potter itself has a buy rating on its shares.

Watt notes that there are governance concerns that could weigh on sentiment in the near term. He said:

The company provides artificial intelligence based platforms for protection against advanced threats, such as drones and autonomous systems. It recently secured another major international contract and boasts a growing sales pipeline in excess of $2.5 billion. However, while the business fundamentals are sound, investor sentiment has been clouded by governance concerns, including recent DRO share sales by directors and scrutiny over disclosure practices. These issues may create short term headwinds, but we believe the company remains structurally well positioned in the fast evolving counter drone and electronic warfare space.

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

The team at Shaw & Partners thinks that investment bank Macquarie could be a buy this week.

While it acknowledges that it is going through a softer profit phase, it likes the resilience of its earnings. It explains:

This diversified financial services group is actively advancing strategic plays. The company’s asset management division has lodged a $11.6 billion takeover bid for Qube Holdings, a provider of integrated import and export logistics, at $5.20 a share. MQG recently sold its United States and European public asset management business to Nomura, a financial services group. MQG has increased its interim dividend and extended its buy-back program. Despite a softer profit phase, core earnings remain resilient, reinforcing our buy recommendation.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Finally, Shaw & Partners rates this conglomerate as a hold. While there is a lot to like about the Bunnings and Kmart owner, it has concerns about cost pressures in its retail and industrial divisions. It said:

This industrial conglomerate has a strong portfolio of businesses. Several brands include hardware giant Bunnings Group, Kmart Group, Officeworks and Wesfarmers Health. Net profit after tax of $2.926 billion in fiscal year 2025 was up 14.4 per cent on the prior corresponding period. The company also declared a special dividend, reflecting strong capital management and profits. However, it cautioned investors on continuing cost pressures across its retail and industrial divisions. Given income strengths balanced by margin risks, we retain a hold recommendation.

The post Buy, hold, sell: DroneShield, Macquarie, and Wesfarmers shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

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

So you may be surprised to learn that Microsoft pays more dividends (in terms of total cash spent) than any other S&P 500 company — even more than Apple, JPMorgan Chase, and high-yield behemoths like ExxonMobil, Chevron, Johnson & Johnson, and Verizon Communications.

In fiscal 2025, which ended on June 30, Microsoft spent $18.42 billion on stock buybacks and $24.08 billion on dividends. In September, Microsoft announced a 10% dividend raise, marking its 16th consecutive annual increase.

Despite only yielding 0.7%, here’s why Microsoft is an excellent dividend-paying growth stock for long-term investors to buy now. 

Microsoft is an underrated dividend stock

One of the biggest mistakes dividend investors make is overly focusing on a stock’s forward dividend yield, which is the return you can expect to make from the stock’s annualized dividend, divided by its current stock price. Forward dividend yield is useful, but limited. It’s merely a snapshot of a dividend yield at a moment in time. It doesn’t accurately reflect a stock’s true passive income potential, which is more closely tied to the dividend growth rate.

The best dividend-paying growth stocks are companies that consistently growth their earnings, and in turn, can justify paying a higher dividend expense. And if investors are confident that earnings can continue rising, the stock price should go up over time. There’s even an elite group of companies known as Dividend Kings that have raised their payouts annually for over 50 consecutive years — like Coca-Cola.

Microsoft is the fourth most valuable company in the world and has produced monster gains for long-term investors. But it has also become a passive income powerhouse.

If you had bought Microsoft 10 years ago for around $56 per share, your yield on cost would be 6.5%. Yield on cost takes the annualized dividend and divides it by the price you paid for the stock, rather than its current price, which better represents the dividend income generated based on your initial investment.

The issue with forward dividend yield is that it punishes high-performing stocks and rewards underperforming stocks. Many of the highest-yielding companies in the S&P 500 are stocks that have gone down in price in recent years, rather than companies that are rapidly raising their dividends.

By comparison, Microsoft has increased its dividend by over 250% over the last decade, but the stock price has gone up even more, so the yield has dropped — overshadowing Microsoft’s commitment to its dividend.

What’s more, Microsoft also buys back a ton of stock — far more than it pays in stock-based compensation. Like dividends, stock buybacks are a lever companies can pull to return capital directly to shareholders. If buybacks are larger than stock-based compensation, the outstanding share count will fall. And with fewer shares to go around, earnings per share will rise faster than net income, making the stock a better value for long-term investors.

Microsoft’s spending is bold, but controlled

Microsoft is the most balanced Magnificent Seven stock to buy for 2026 because it rewards shareholders through a combination of organic growth, dividends, and buybacks. The company has a booming cloud computing business through Microsoft Azure; is a major player in artificial intelligence (AI) through OpenAI (which powers a lot of Microsoft’s AI tools); has a massive software, gaming, and personal computing presence; and owns a variety of platforms — from GitHub to LinkedIn.

But no single segment makes or breaks the investment thesis. Rather, Microsoft has numerous high-margin ways to deploy capital, which can reduce the temptation to bet too heavily on a single idea.

Big tech companies have been in the spotlight for their AI spending, with concerns that the payoff of that spending is uncertain or won’t be realized for several years. Microsoft is spending heavily on AI, but not to the point where it’s straining free cash flow (FCF).

FCF is a crucial metric for determining the amount of cash flowing in or out of the business. The formula is simply cash flow from operations minus capital expenditures (capex). As you can see in the chart, Microsoft’s capex has exploded higher in recent years, but so has its cash from operations. So it is still growing FCF.

Data by YCharts.

However, some companies, like Meta Platforms, are growing capex faster than cash flow from operations, which is leading to lower FCF. Meta still has a phenomenal balance sheet and high margins, but the aggressive spending adds more pressure for investments to pay off.

A foundational stock to buy now

Microsoft’s high dividend growth rate and commitment to returning capital to shareholders should allow it to maintain its position as the S&P 500 component with the largest dividend expense for years to come. Investors who buy the stock today will only get a 0.7% yield based on its current price, but they can expect the yield on cost to be much higher in the future as Microsoft raises its payout.

Microsoft’s growing dividend, reasonable valuation, and high-margin diversified business make it one of the most balanced stocks to buy and hold, even if there’s a stock market sell-off in 2026.

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

The post Meet the “Magnificent Seven” stock that pays more dividends than any other S&P 500 company. Here’s why it’s a buy before 2026. 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.

More reading

• Better (almost) $4 trillion AI stock to buy now: Microsoft or Alphabet
• 3 ASX ETFs that benefit from unavoidable megatrends
• Ranking the best “Magnificent Seven” stocks to buy for 2026. Here’s my No. 1 pick.
• How to invest your first $1,000 in the share market the smart way
• 3 ASX ETFs I’d buy right now to build wealth

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Chevron, JPMorgan Chase, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Johnson & Johnson and Verizon Communications 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, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.4% today, but ASX All Ords silver share Silver Mines Ltd (ASX: SVL) isn’t joining in the rally.

Silver Mines shares closed yesterday trading for 23 cents. In morning trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for 22.2 cents apiece, down 3.5%.

But don’t feel too bad for longer-term shareholders. Despite today’s slide, the ASX All Ords silver share remains up 177.5% this year.

Here’s what’s happening today.

ASX All Ords silver share slides on project update

This morning, Silver Mines released an update on its stalled Development Application for the Bowdens Silver Project, located in New South Wales.

In August 2024, the NSW Court of Appeal voided the project’s approval, upholding legal challenges based on environmental concerns and issues with the project’s permit and planning process.

The ASX All Ords silver share said it has since “been working tirelessly” to prepare and finalise all the required information for the redetermination of the Bowdens Project.

In engaging with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure planning approvals system, the miner said it has decided to refresh its ecological surveys and provide an updated biodiversity assessment for the project.

Silver Mines noted that the redetermination of the Bowdens Project Development Application remains subject to a changing regulatory landscape, much of which is beyond its own control, making it difficult to forecast a precise timeline.

What did management say?

Commenting on the project update that looks to be pressuring the ASX All Ords silver share today, Silver Mines managing director Jo Battershill said, “Since the court decision in August 2024, the company has remained strongly focused on advancing the redetermination of the Bowdens Project Development Application.”

Battershill noted, “The overwhelming objective has been to achieve the most appropriate and lowest-risk outcome through the redetermination process.”

He added:

The result of this has been for the company to agree to refreshing its ecological surveys and prepare an updated biodiversity assessment in accordance with the Biodiversity Conservation Act. While this approach extends the overall assessment timeframe, we believe it positions the Bowdens Project on a stronger footing for a successful and robust redetermination.

And Battershill assured investors that the company remains fully committed to developing this core asset.

He concluded:

The Bowdens Project remains a high-quality project of state and regional significance, and development of it remains our top priority. We remain confident in the underlying merits of the Bowdens Project and are fully committed to progressing it through the approvals process in a thorough and transparent manner.

The post Up 178% in a year, why is this ASX All Ords silver share sinking today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Gold has delivered a stunning performance in 2025.

The precious metal started the year trading at about US$2,600 per ounce.

Since then, the gold price has reached new records on more than 50 occasions, including a fresh all-time high on Monday.

Overall, bullion prices have now shot up by close to 70% since early January, climbing to more than US$4,440 per ounce at the time of writing.

This compares with a 6.77% gain for the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) across the same period.

Not only that, but several major investment banks believe the rally may still have further to run in 2026.

For example, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) has set a year-end 2026 gold price target of US$4,900 per ounce.

In addition, analysts at the American bank believe that further “significant upside” to this forecast is possible.

Similarly, analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) and Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) believe bullion could hit US$5,000 per ounce in 2026.

This bullish outlook has already proven a windfall for several ASX 200 mining stocks with gold production central to their operations.

Below, we present three such ASX 200 mining stocks that have been riding the gravy train in 2025 as the gold price exploded.

More specifically, the companies below have already seen their respective share prices more than double since the start of January.

Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM)

As the world’s biggest gold producer, Newmont needs little introduction.

The company operates a vast portfolio of gold mines scattered across Africa, Australia, Latin America, North America, and Papua New Guinea. 

This ASX 200 mining stock produced more than 3.3 million ounces of the precious yellow metal just in the first half of 2025.

So far this year, Newmont shares have rocketed by 161%.

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

Evolution Mining has delivered an even stronger performance.

The company is an established gold and copper producer with six mines across Australia and Canada.

Overall, it churned out 751,000 ounces of gold in FY25.

Shares in this ASX 200 mining stock have ballooned by 167% since early January.

Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD)

The standout performer in 2025, however, has been Genesis Minerals.

The company operates several gold mines in Western Australia’s Leonora District, which collectively produced more than 210,000 ounces of gold in FY25.

However, the group expects output of between 260,000 and 290,000 ounces in FY26.

Genesis shares have soared by 192% since the start of the year.

The post Gold has just smashed record highs and these 3 ASX 200 mining stocks are riding the wave appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Bell Potter names the best ASX gold stocks to buy in 2026
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. 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 positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase. 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.