Beating the market consistently is not easy. Most professional fund managers fail. But it is possible. 

Over the next five years, I believe certain themes have the potential to deliver stronger growth than the broader Australian share market. 

But rather than trying to pick individual winners with exposure to these themes, I think it could be a smart choice to use targeted exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to gain diversified exposure to those areas.

Here are three ASX ETFs I think could beat the market over the next five years.

BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The NDQ ETF tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, which includes some of the world’s most recognised and fastest-growing companies.

The ETF provides access to global leaders in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital payments, biotechnology, and advanced consumer platforms. These businesses reinvest heavily in research and development and operate scalable business models that can expand margins over time.

While the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF can be volatile in the short term, I think the long-term earnings growth of its underlying shares gives it the potential to outperform the Australian market.

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

Cybersecurity is not just a trend. It is quickly becoming an ongoing necessity.

As digital systems become more interconnected and data volumes continue to expand, governments and corporations must invest in protecting their networks. What I like is that spending in this area tends to remain resilient, even when broader economic conditions soften.

The HACK ETF provides exposure to a global portfolio of cybersecurity specialists involved in cloud security, threat detection, and identity management. Over a five-year period, I believe this structural growth theme could outpace the broader market.

Vanguard FTSE Asia Ex-Japan Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAE)

The VAE ETF offers exposure to Asia outside Japan, including China, Taiwan, India, and South Korea.

Asian markets have underperformed developed markets for much of the past decade, but they remain home to a large share of the global population and manufacturing base. The region includes major semiconductor manufacturers, fast-growing consumer markets, and expanding financial systems.

If economic growth in Asia accelerates or investor sentiment improves, the Vanguard FTSE Asia Ex-Japan Shares Index ETF could deliver stronger returns than the broader Australian market over the next five years.

Foolish takeaway

Outperforming the share market requires exposure to businesses and regions that can grow faster than average.

While no ETF guarantees success, the NDQ ETF, the HACK ETF, and the VAE ETF provide diversified access to structural growth themes that I think could deliver stronger returns over the next five years.

For investors willing to accept some volatility in pursuit of higher growth, these ASX ETFs are worth considering.

The post The ASX ETFs I think could beat the Australian share market over the next 5 years 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 positions in and has recommended BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF and BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX 200 stock Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA) hit a new 12-month high on Thursday after the company announced a new share buyback following a “robust” half year result.

The question is, will the share price hold up or has it got a bit ahead of itself?

Let’s look at the results first. The bottle and packaging maker posted a first-half net profit of $58.9 million, up $58.7 million from what was effectively a breakeven position for the same period last year.

This was achieved on revenue of $1.12 billion, up 9.7%.

Orora Managing Director Brian Lowe said it was a “robust operating result for the first half of FY26, underpinned by disciplined execution”.

He added:

In line with our full year guidance, we achieved EBITDA growth across all businesses, reflecting the strength of our operating platform and the benefits of our recent investments and business optimisation actions. Market dynamics and trading conditions vary across Orora’s business segments. Favourable market dynamics in Cans, including the continued consumer preference shift to aluminium and growth in new beverage categories, has supported 11.2% volume growth. Despite softness in premium spirits and wine, disciplined execution supported performance across glass, with Saverglass volumes up 2.6% in the first half primarily driven by tequila and vodka categories.

Mr Rowe said the company was maturing from a high capital expenditure phase to one defined by more cash generation.

So, what do analysts think?

The team at Barrenjoey said the earnings were in line with expectations, and that key full-year guidance was reiterated.

But they believe there are headwinds ahead, noting:

Going forward, we believe performance in Saverglass will drive the share price given the division has the widest range of earnings outcomes and represents roughly half of Orora’s enterprise value. Fundamentally, we think it will be difficult for Saverglass to grow earnings at the rate consensus expects unless alcohol trends improve materially to support sales volume and pricing power. Cost management in Saverglass has been a key focus since the acquisition and will need to continue if our cautious view on alcohol consumption persists.

The Barrenjoey team has a price target of $2 on Orora shares, compared with the current share price of $2.17.

The team over at Macquarie were more positive on the stock, with an outperform rating and a $2.45 price target.

They said regrading the result that, “no bad news was good news”, and it was good to see Saverglass volumes growing.

They said there were more positives than negatives out of the half year report and the “worst appears to have passed for Saverglass and cost out initiatives increase leverage to recovery”.

The new buyback announced on Thursday will purchase up to 10% of the company’s stock on issue.

The post Are Orora shares a buy following their half-year results? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) posted a robust increase in profit this week, but the question is, with the stock having nearly doubled over the past year, where to from here?

Firstly, let’s look at the results.

Strong profit

Northern Star reported a net profit of $714 million for the first half, up 41% on the previous corresponding period, but negative free cash flow to the tune of $320 million.

This came about due to a “soft” performance in the second half, $275 million of tax payments, and growth project investment, the company said.

The company also announced a fully-franked dividend of 25 cents, in line with the previous first half.

Northern Star Managing Director Stuart Tonkin said regarding the result:

This first half result demonstrates the resilience and growing returns we are embedding in our business, which allowed the Board to declare a 25 cents per share interim dividend despite a soft operating performance. Our balance sheet remains in a net cash position notwithstanding the significant investments we are making to transform Northern Star into a lowest-half global cost producer. We look forward to safely commissioning the KCGM Mill Expansion on schedule in early FY27, positioning the business for a significant uplift in cash generation and return on capital employed. This enhanced cash flow outlook strengthens our ability to deliver attractive returns on investment, supports capital management, and allows us to continue to advance the Hemi Development Project in a disciplined manner.

What do the analysts think?

The analyst team at Barrenjoey have had a look at the Northern Star results and said they were in line with expectations.

They said management also flagged that a final investment decision for the Hemi project was likely to be pushed out to FY27 with first production in FY30.

The Barrenjoey team added:

Although this may drive some small downgrades to consensus forecasts, we think this is expected by investors and possibly welcomed as it implies a window for strong free cash flow generation from the new Superpit mill expansion before Hemi construction. Despite reiterating Superpit mill commissioning in the Sep-26 qtr, we maintain our Neutral rating, as we still see near-term execution risk.

The Barrenjoey team said Northern Star appeared inexpensive relative to its local and global peers, but there was a reasonable amount of execution risk in the near future.

They added:

FY26 is clearly a massive year of investment for Northern Star, with the focus on completing the Superpit mill expansion due for Sep-26 quarter. The successful delivery to time/budget is the key catalyst for Northern Star from which the share price performance should follow. The completion of this project is expected to provide a step-change in production and cashflow for Northern Star but is not without execution risk, particularly in the final stages of the build.

Barrenjoey has a neutral rating on the stock but a bullish price target of $36, which would be a 28.5% increase from Friday’s price of $28.

Northern Star was valued at $42.1 billion at the close of trade on Thursday.

The post Are Northern Star Resources shares a buy following their profit results? 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.

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) shares are storming higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) diversified financial services company closed yesterday trading for $1.28. In earlier trade today, shares were changing hands for $1.40 each, up 9.4%. At the time of writing, shares are trading for $1.37 apiece, up 6.9%.

That performance is noteworthy amid the broader market selling action today, with the ASX 200 down 1.2% at this same time at 8.931.8 points.

Here’s what looks to be driving AMP’s outperformance today.

AMP shares in oversold zone

With no fresh news out from the company, the ASX 200 financial stock appears to be benefiting from bargain-hunting investors today, after getting clobbered yesterday.

If you had an eye on the boards, you’ll have noticed that AMP shares closed down a precipitous 26.7% on Thursday, with shares down as much as 33.1% in intraday trading.

That big sell-down followed the release of AMP’s full calendar year 2025 results, with many of those results falling short of consensus expectations.

On the plus side, the wealth manager reported a 9% year-on-year increase in total assets under management (AUM) to $161.7 billion. And underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) was up 20.8% to $285 million.

However, statutory NPAT went the other way, slumping 11.3% to $133 million, which the company said reflected legacy legal settlements during the year.

And with the company forecasting tighter margins in its platforms business, even the boosted final dividend wasn’t enough to keep AMP shares from tumbling.

Management declared a partly franked final dividend of 2 cents per share, bringing the full-year payout to 4 cents per share. That’s up from the 3 cents per share AMP paid out in 2024.

At the current price, AMP stock trades on a partly franked dividend yield of 3%.

If you’re after that final AMP dividend (representing a 1.5% yield in itself), you’ll need to own shares at market close on 26 February. AMP trades ex-dividend on 27 February. You can then expect to receive that passive income payout on 2 April.

What did management say?

“2025 was an important year for AMP with resolution of legacy items and stabilisation of the portfolio,” outgoing CEO Alexis George said.

Looking to what’s ahead for AMP shares, George added:

This enabled renewed focus on winning in the segments we play, growing the wealth businesses, and building on the vision to be the place that customers come to plan for a dignified retirement

George will step down from her role as CEO on 30 March. She will be replaced by Blair Vernon, the current chief financial officer (CFO) of AMP.

The post Why are AMP shares lifting off in Friday’s sinking market? 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.

Shares in NIB Holdings Ltd (ASX: NHF) are slightly higher in mid-morning trade following a fresh announcement from the private health insurer.

At the time of writing, the NIB share price is up a modest 0.31% to $6.40. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 1.1% following losses on Wall Street overnight.

NIB has confirmed it has agreed to a transaction involving one of its business segments.

Here is what investors need to know.

Details of the agreed transaction

According to the ASX announcement, NIB has signed a binding agreement to sell the World Nomads international travel insurance brand.

The business will be sold to International Medical Group, a subsidiary of SiriusPoint Ltd, for $67.5 million.

The company expects net cash proceeds of around $70 million on completion.

The sale only includes the international World Nomads brand. It does not include NIB’s other travel insurance assets or its Australian and New Zealand travel insurance operations.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to complete during the 2026 financial year. NIB will provide transitional support to ensure a smooth handover.

Management said the decision reflects its focus on simplifying the group and concentrating capital on its core health insurance businesses.

How the core business is tracking

NIB is a private health insurer operating across Australia and New Zealand. It provides private health cover for residents, international students and workers, as well as travel and related insurance products.

The group reported underlying operating profit of $239.2 million in its most recent full year result, with revenue of $3.6 billion. The majority of earnings come from its Australian residents health insurance segment.

Over the past 12 months, NIB shares have traded between $5.82 and $8.26. At around $6.40, the stock remains below its recent peak.

NIB also pays dividends. Based on the current share price, the stock offers a dividend yield of roughly 4.5%, which is broadly in line with other ASX listed insurers.

What investors should focus on next

The sale of the international travel insurance business is relatively small compared with the size of NIB’s overall operations. However, it signals a clear strategy to focus on core health insurance and reduce complexity.

Investors will likely watch how the company deploys the sale proceeds. This could include reinvestment into higher return areas of the business or potential capital management initiatives.

NIB is due to release its half year results on 23 February, which may provide further detail on trading conditions and capital allocation plans.

The post Why Nib shares are edging higher after today’s update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) shares have plunged into the red on Friday morning.

At the time of writing, the hearing solutions company’s shares are down 17.5% to $202.60.

This has been driven by the release of a softer-than-expected half-year result and an update on its earnings guidance for FY 2026.

Cochlear shares tumble on results

For the six months ended 31 December, Cochlear reported sales revenue of $1.176 billion, up just 1% on the prior corresponding period and down 2% in constant currency.

While cochlear implant units increased 6% to 27,016, revenue growth lagged unit growth due to mix, particularly a higher proportion of lower-priced emerging market units.

Gross margin declined two percentage points to 73%, reflecting a higher mix of lower-margin emerging market sales. Operating expenses rose 1% as the company continued investing in R&D and long-term growth initiatives.

This led to Cochlear’s underlying net profit falling 9% to $195 million, while statutory net profit dropped 21% to $161.5 million.

Despite this, the company’s board held its interim dividend steady at $2.15 per share, representing a 72% payout of underlying earnings.

Nexa rollout slower than hoped

A key factor weighing on Cochlear shares today appears to be the slower-than-expected rollout of the new Cochlear Nucleus Nexa system.

Management said the product registration and contract renewal process for the new implant took longer than anticipated, particularly where price increases were sought. While approvals in Europe, Asia Pacific and the US were secured mid-year, availability expanded progressively across the first half.

By December, around 80% of units sold comprised the new Nexa system, and management pointed to gains in market share late in the half. However, the delay meant only low single-digit revenue growth in developed markets during the period.

This timing issue appears to have disrupted the earnings trajectory investors were anticipating.

Outlook

Cochlear has reaffirmed its full-year underlying net profit guidance range of $435 million to $460 million.

However, it now expects earnings to land at the lower end of that range due to the first-half contracting delays.

There is also currency risk. Guidance assumes AUD/USD of 66 cents and AUD/EUR of 56 cents. If the Australian dollar remains at current levels, underlying net profit could be reduced by approximately $30 million.

The post Cochlear shares sink 17% on results day appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Shares in shipbuilder Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) have fallen significantly in early trade after the company announced it had overstated its potential earnings for the year.

Late on Thursday the company issued a brief statement to the ASX saying that in preparation for publishing its half year accounts it had identified some discrepancies.

As the company said:

Austal Limited advises that in preparation of its half year accounts, the company identified that some incentives related to its T-ATS program were recognised by its US subsidiary, Austal USA, in line with percentage of completion. These incentives had already been recognised in Austal USA’s forecast at full value for the remaining part of the program. The US$17.1m (approx.) overstatement had been included in the Company’s FY2026 EBIT guidance. As a result, Austal is updating its EBIT guidance for FY2026 to approximately A$110m.

Guidance well down on previous outlook

Austal had previously been guiding to earnings of $135 million with that figure announced in October.

The company’s shares plunged 22.9% on the news on Friday morning to be changing hands for $4.86.

The shares are trading near the lower end of their range over the past 12 months, with the stock trading between $8.82 and $3.50 over the period.

The company has had some good news in recent months, with the company saying in mid-December it had been awarded a contract extension to build another two Evolved Cape Class patrol boats for the Australian Border Force.

As Austal said at the time:

This latest award, valued at over $135 million brings the total number of Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats contracted to Austal to 14 vessels, reinforcing the long-standing partnership between Austal, the Australian Border Force and the Royal Australian Navy in delivering critical maritime capability for Australia’s national security.

Austal chief executive officer Paddy Gregg said the vessels would strengthen maritime borter command’s operational reach.

He went on to say:

Over the past five years, the Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats have proven themselves as highly capable, reliable assets for Australia’s border protection missions,” Mr Gregg said. “With nine Evolved Capes already delivered and performing exceptionally with the Royal Australian Navy, and two more already under construction for the Australian Border Force, this new order further enhances Australia’s maritime surveillance and response capability across Northern Australia and our vast maritime domain.

Austal was valued at $2.66 billion at the close of trade on Thursday.

The post Why are Austal shares plunging more than 20% today? 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.

Shares in GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) climbed about 4% on Friday (at the time of writing) after the fund manager announced its full-year result, with investors appearing more focused on earnings resilience than on last year’s outflow concerns.

Why are shares edging higher?

The numbers themselves were solid. Revenue and net income both rose year on year, while operating margins expanded to 77%. Funds under management ended the year at US$163.9 billion, up 7.1%, despite US$3.9 billion in net outflows.

Net outflows are a result of when investors pull out more money out of the fund than the new money invested into the fund over a given period. For GQG, net outflows in 2025 were high at US$3.9 billion, but they were offset by strong investment performance.

GQG has spent much of the past year positioned away from the mega-cap technology and artificial intelligence rally that dominated global markets. Instead, its Global Equity strategy remains heavily tilted toward more traditional sectors. Its top holdings in that fund include Progressive, Coca-Cola, American Express, Cigna, Iberdrola, and Johnson & Johnson. These are all companies in traditional sectors which are better known for producing steady cash flows in.

That positioning hurt relative performance during the height of last year’s tech surge. However, it also leaves the portfolio looking markedly different from many benchmark-heavy global funds that are dominated by the big tech firms.

For investors, the question has been whether that stance represents stubborn underperformance or a disciplined approach of not chasing the hype of the moment and sticking to their investment style.

Perhaps the market is giving them some credit for the latter. The firm maintained a high operating margin and grew earnings even as performance fees fell and flows turned negative.

More than 98% of revenue remains asset-based, and the board declared a fourth-quarter dividend of 3.65 cents per share, reinforcing balance sheet strength and cash generation.

Despite today’s announcement, its been a difficult 12 months for GQG’s share price. GQG shares are down 29% over the last 12 months, and 43% below their all time high.

Whether today’s results mark the start of a broader re-rating however will depend less on last year’s numbers and more on whether GQG can stem the fund outflows and get investors excited about investing in their funds again.

The post GQG shares rise 4% as resilient earnings ease fund outflow concerns appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Kevin Gandiya has no positions 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 Gqg Partners. 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) uranium stock Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) is getting smashed today.

Bannerman Energy shares closed on Wednesday trading for $3.95. The stock entered a trading halt yesterday pending the release of an announcement regarding a strategic investment in its Etango Uranium Project, located in Namibia.

Following the release of that announcement this morning, Bannerman Energy shares are changing hands for $3.49 apiece, down 11.7%.

For some context, the ASX 300 is down 1.1% at this same time.

Here’s what’s happening.

ASX 300 uranium stock sinks on JV funding deal

Investors are favouring their sell buttons after the ASX 300 uranium stock reported executing a binding investment subscription and joint venture documentation with CNNC Overseas Limited (CNOL).

The agreement covers the funding, development and operation of Bannerman’s Etango Uranium Project. At completion CNOL will invest up to US$321.5 million in the project.

CNOL is a subsidiary of Chinese-listed China National Uranium Corporation and part of integrated global nuclear utility, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

Bannerman said the agreement is the preferred project funding solution for Etango, offering the highest forecast risk-weighted value outcome and enabling debt-free construction of the Etango mine. CNOL will also purchase 60% of the Etango uranium production at market-based pricing terms.

But the ASX 300 uranium stock could be facing pressure, with CNOL taking a 45% interest in Bannerman UK, a subsidiary, Bannerman Energy, which in turn owns 95% of the Etango Project.

Bannerman Energy will retain 52.25% underlying economic ownership of Etango, while CNOL will hold 42.75%, with Namibian social welfare organisation One Economy Foundation continuing to hold a 5% loan-carried shareholding.

Bannerman expects the transaction to complete in mid-2026.

What did management say?

Commenting on the JV Etango funding deal that’s pressuring the ASX 300 uranium stock today, Bannerman Energy executive chairman Brandon Munro said, “The execution of this documentation represents the culmination of the extensive Etango funding workstream we have undertaken over the past two years.”

He added:

We believe that this transaction delivers the optimised finance solution for the development of Etango and provides ideal support to our broader aspirations in the uranium business.

By enabling the debt-free construction of Etango, this solution maximises flexibility and dramatically derisks the construction and ramp-up phases of project execution. It also delivers us a Tier-1 cornerstone offtake partner on genuine and market terms, ensuring Bannerman remains strongly exposed to future uranium price upside potential.

As for the offtake agreement, Munro noted:

Importantly, the residual 40% of Etango offtake will be independently marketed by Bannerman, with strict confidentiality ring-fencing arrangements in place, and strengthened by the flexibility embedded in the cornerstone offtake with CNOL.

CNUC vice president Feng Li concluded:

We are confident that the synergy created between our technical capabilities, uranium demand profile, operational experience, and Bannerman’s expertise and insight in the industry will position Etango to evolve into the next successful uranium mine in Namibia.

With today’s intraday fall factored in, shares in the ASX 300 uranium stock remain up 19.9% over 12 months and up 98.8% since its April lows.

The post Why is this outperforming ASX 300 uranium stock crashing 12% on Friday? 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.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares are pushing higher on Friday morning.

At the time of writing, the banking giant’s shares are up 2.75% to a new record high of $42.13.

Westpac shares hit record high on quarterly update

Investors have been buying the bank’s shares after it delivered a solid first-quarter update that pointed to steady earnings growth, improved credit quality, and a strong capital position.

For the first quarter of FY 2026, revenue increased 1% over the quarterly average in the second half of FY 2025.

This reflects a 2% increase in net interest income, helped by balance sheet growth and a stronger Treasury performance, which offset a 4% decline in non-interest income due to lower markets revenue.

Customer activity remained solid. Lending grew by $22 billion during the quarter, including 7% growth in institutional lending and 3% growth in Australian housing (excluding RAMS) and business lending. Deposits increased by $12 billion, with household deposits up 3% and business transactional deposits up 4%.

Westpac’s net interest margin edged down just one basis point to 1.94%. Core margin declined slightly due to competitive pressure in home lending and the lower interest rate environment, but this was partly offset by a stronger Treasury and Markets contribution.

Operating expenses were stable compared to the second half average when excluding prior restructuring charges.

This ultimately led to Westpac reporting an unaudited statutory net profit of $1.9 billion, which is up 5% on the average quarterly profit in the second half of FY 2025. Net profit excluding notable items also came in at $1.9 billion and was up 6%.

The bank’s pre-provision profit rose 7%, which reflects a steady operating performance across the business.

Credit and capital

Westpac’s asset quality showed further signs of resilience. Impairment charges were low at six basis points of average loans, and stressed exposures declined to 1.17% of total committed exposure.

Westpac’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio was 12.3%, comfortably above its target operating level of 11.25%. While the ratio fell slightly due to the payment of the FY 2025 dividend, the bank remains well capitalised.

Outlook

Westpac’s CEO, Anthony Miller, spoke positively about the bank’s outlook. He said:

We are optimistic on the outlook for the economy and expect demand for both business and household credit to remain resilient. Our strong financial foundations provide us with the stability and capacity to support our people, customers, shareholders and the broader economy.

The post Westpac shares hit new record high on Q1 update 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.