The AUB Group Ltd (ASX: AUB) share price is in a trading halt today after the insurance broker announced a major acquisition and capital raising.

The trading halt was requested ahead of a detailed update to the market. AUB shares last closed at $31.91 on Friday.

Let’s take a closer look at what AUB announced and why trading has been paused.

A major move into the UK

According to the release, AUB has agreed to acquire 95.9% of UK insurance broker Prestige for $432 million (roughly GBP (Great British Pound) 219 million).

Prestige operates across several areas of the UK insurance market, including retail insurance broking, specialist underwriting businesses, and insurance technology.

In FY25, Prestige generated GBP 310 million in gross written premium and GBP 17.5 million in EBITDA. That puts the purchase price at 12.9 times EBITDA, excluding expected synergies.

AUB said the acquisition strengthens its position in the UK retail insurance market. It also gives the group a larger platform to make additional small acquisitions over time.

Once the deal is completed, AUB expects its UK retail business to handle more than GBP 720 million in gross written premium. That would increase the share of earnings coming from offshore markets.

The deal also marks AUB’s first move into the UK MGA space. Management described this area as an attractive growth opportunity.

What this means for earnings

AUB expects the deal to deliver more than $10 million in annual cost savings by FY27.

These savings are expected to come from combining operations, shared services, and changes to leadership structures.

There may also be revenue benefits. AUB sees opportunities to cross-sell products across its existing UK businesses and Prestige’s specialist operations.

In the near term, the company said the acquisition and recent smaller deals should be earnings neutral before synergies. After synergies, AUB expects the transaction to be low to mid-single-digit earnings accretive in FY25.

How the deal is being funded

To fund the acquisition, AUB has launched a fully underwritten $400 million institutional placement at $29.40 per share. That price represents a 7.9% discount to Friday’s close.

The placement will result in the issue of about 13.6 million new shares, increasing AUB’s total share count by around 11.7%.

Retail investors will also be offered a share purchase plan of up to $40 million, with a maximum investment of $30,000 per shareholder.

In addition, AUB has secured a new $200 million debt facility, bringing total funding for the transaction to $600 million.

After the deal, AUB expects its debt levels to remain manageable, with more than $300 million in available cash and unused debt facilities.

What happens next?

AUB expects the trading halt to be lifted tomorrow, once the institutional placement is completed.

Settlement of the new shares is scheduled for Friday, with normal trading expected to resume shortly after.

The post Big UK deal, big capital raise. Why this ASX stock is in a trading halt appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares are marching higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant closed on Friday trading for $148.72. At the time of writing, shares are changing hands for $152.22 apiece, up 2.4%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 1.1% at this same time.

As you may be aware, Rio Tinto shares took a sizeable hit earlier this month, sinking 6.3% on 9 January.

That retrace followed on Rio’s confirmation that it was engaged in preliminary negotiations with Glencore (LSE: GLEN) on a possible merger.

We’ll look at the implications of any such merger below.

But first…

What did Rio and Glencore announce?

On 9 January, Rio Tinto shares sank after the two global mining giants confirmed that they were considering combining their businesses, possibly via an all share merger, into one jumbo-sized miner.

Management stressed that no firm offers have yet been made in the early-stage discussions, with any potential terms remaining undecided.

Should it proceed, Rio Tinto could acquire Glencore via a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement.

And ASX investors won’t have to wait long to find out if this is a serious proposal.

Under UK Takeover Code rules, the ASX 200 mining stock has until 5 February to make a formal announcement on its Glencore intentions.

Rio Tinto shares in ‘high stakes gamble’

Having run her slide rule over the potential acquisition, Sharesies head of capital markets, Jacki Neumann, labelled the $260 billion merger a “high-stakes gamble on the energy transition”.

Part of the appeal for Rio Tinto is Glencore’s strong copper assets. The copper price has been setting new record highs and is currently just off those highs, trading for US$13,199 per tonne. That sees the red metal up 47% over the past 12 months.

“The merger would represent a fundamental strategic shift for Rio Tinto,” Neumann said.

She added:

By integrating Glencore’s copper portfolio, Rio would significantly reduce its exposure to the cyclical volatility of the iron ore market. The pivot would allow Rio to capitalise on projected demand growth from the energy transition and AI infrastructure, moving beyond its legacy focus on industrial bulk commodities.

However, Rio Tinto shares could face some modest headwinds from ESG investors over Glencore’s coal mines.

“A return to coal would test the market’s appetite for responsible stewardship over simple divestiture,” Neumann said.

According to Neumann:

By treating Glencore’s coal as a high-margin funding engine, Rio can self-finance its capital-intensive copper and lithium ambitions. We may see immediate churn from strict ESG funds, but the market is waking up to the ‘bridge theory’, the reality that maintaining legacy cash flows are often necessary to build the renewable infrastructure of the future.

And Neuman noted that Rio Tinto CEO Simon Trott will have his work cut out for him convincing investors that a merger with Glencore aligns with his “sharper and simpler” promise.

“CEO Simon Trott is walking a tightrope between simple and massive,” she said.

Neumann concluded:

While a $260 billion merger seems to contradict his promise of a leaner Rio, he’s gambling that buying existing, world-class copper mines is actually ‘simpler’ than the years of red tape and risk involved in developing them from scratch.

If he can successfully spin off the coal, he’ll have pulled off the ultimate shortcut to becoming a future-facing monolith.

With today’s intraday gains factored in, Rio Tinto shares are up 29.4% over 12 months, not including dividends.

The post Why the $260 billion Glencore merger is a ‘high-stakes gamble’ for Rio Tinto shares 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.

One of the biggest pieces of news on global investing markets that you might have missed over the long weekend is the latest record high for gold. Investors have been pushing the precious metal to countless new record highs over the past few months. But the weekend’s latest all-time high, fuelled by frenzied gold buying, is a huge milestone.

That’s because gold, for the first time in recorded history, hit US$5,000 per ounce over the weekend. That’s $7,236 in our local dollar.

At the time of writing, gold has pushed even higher, crossing US$5,100 in the past 24 hours.

This extraordinary new high means that gold is now up a whopping 82% or so over the past 12 months alone. Yep, this time last year, the yellow metal was going for just US$2,803 an ounce. Perhaps even more startling has been gold’s climb over just the past few weeks. Since New Year’s Eve, the precious metal has climbed from US$4,293 an ounce, giving it a 2026 year-to-date gain of close to 19%. And we haven’t even hit February yet.

Considering all of this, many investors might be wondering whether it is too late to hop onto this bandwagon by buying gold.

Is it too late to buy gold in 2026?

Well, that’s the US$5,000 question. To be clear, no one knows. Gold is a fickle commodity that is subject to the same influences of fear and greed that make the stock market so volatile. For all I know, gold could end 2026 at US$3,000 an ounce or at US$8,000.

Saying that, we can still partake in some educated guesswork.

To start, let’s look at what is driving gold higher. Gold is a rather unique asset in that it commands faith as a safe-haven asset. Due to its finite supply, its historical use as a currency, and its ability to resist corrosion and degradation, humans have been storing their wealth using gold bullion for thousands of years.

Investors tend to appreciate this safe-haven status during times of heightened geopolitical or economic uncertainty. There doesn’t happen to be any shortage of either at this early stage of 2026. There are several geopolitical hotspots keeping world leaders up at night right now. These range from the Taiwan Straight and Greenland to Gaza and the battlefields of Ukraine.

Further, there are sharp questions about the future of the United States as the centre of the global economy. From imposing arbitrary tariffs to questioning the US’ role in NATO, the Trump Administration’s economic and foreign policies have certainly ruffled a few feathers. There are now real questions being asked about the US dollar’s safe haven status and its role as the world’s reserve currency. This could have huge implications for the ever-increasing US national debt if these doubts fester.

Central banks around the world are already piling out of US Treasury bonds and buying into gold. Most notably, China.

Putting all of this together, we have the perfect recipe for higher gold prices.

Foolish Takeaway

All of the factors that have arguably pushed gold to its latest record high remain in place in early 2026, and indeed seem to be accelerating. As such, I would be surprised if gold didn’t continue to mint fresh record highs over the rest of 2026. I could be wrong, of course. But until we see these underlying global tensions ease up considerably, it seems prudent to expect gold demand to exceed supply.

The post New record high! Is it too late to buy gold in 2026? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

In afternoon trade on Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a decent gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 1% to 8,951.7 points.

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

Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR)

The Dateline Resources share price is up 7.5% to 45.2 cents. Investors have been buying this gold and rare earths explorer’s shares following the release of a drilling update. Dateline Resources revealed that elevated chargeability zones have been identified in preliminary induced polarisation (IP) results at both shallow and deeper levels. Commenting on the news, the company’s managing director, Stephen Baghdadi, said: “The data supports the theory of a large mineral system with deep structural and sulphide-hosted features that may reflect mineralizing plumbing beyond near-surface ore zones.”

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

The EOS share price is up 1.5% to $10.51. This follows the release of the defence and space company’s quarterly update. EOS reported cash receipts from customers totalling $77.3 million for the three months. This represents an increase of $60.8 million compared to the third quarter of 2025. This increase primarily reflects milestone completions achieved on customer contracts during the quarter. The company advised that its order contract backlog currently stands at $459 million. This is an increase of $323 million on the position at the start of 2025.

Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)

The Karoon Energy share price is up 3.5% to $1.69. This has been driven by the release of the energy producer’s fourth quarter update. Karoon Energy reported quarterly sales volumes of 2.65 MMboe. This is up 5% on the third quarter and 12% during the prior corresponding period. However, due to softer realised oil prices, its sales revenue came in at US$156.1 million, compared to US$164.1 million in the third quarter. Karoon Energy’s CEO and managing director, Ms Carri Lockhart, said:
“During the fourth quarter of 2025, the Baúna FPSO achieved its best quarterly efficiency rate (98.8%) since the asset was acquired in 2020. As a result, Baúna production for the full year was at the upper end of our guidance range.”

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price is up 4% to $188.64. Investors have been buying this health imaging technology company’s shares following the release of a bullish broker note out of Macquarie. According to the note, the broker has upgraded Pro Medicus’ shares to an outperform rating with a $291.30 price target.

The post Why Dateline, EOS, Karoon Energy, and Pro Medicus shares are charging higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Shares in Elsight Ltd (ASX: ELS) are edging higher on Tuesday after the company released its quarterly report for the three months ending 31 December 2025.

At the time of writing, the Elsight share price is up 1.78% to $4.58, extending what has already been a stellar run. The stock is now up almost 50% this year, as momentum continues to build around its defence and connectivity platform.

Let’s unpack the latest numbers from the report.

Record revenue caps a breakout year

According to the release, Elsight delivered its fourth consecutive quarter of record revenue, reporting quarterly revenue of US$9.3 million for the December quarter.

That took full-year FY25 revenue to US$22.8 million, representing an 11-fold increase year-over-year. The company said the result was driven by expanding deliveries, strong order conversion, and growing demand across defence and commercial markets.

Elsight also reported software-like gross margins of around 77%, highlighting the scalability of its platform as volumes increase.

Management said the business remains focused on top-line growth while accelerating investment in sales, marketing, and customer engagement to support multi-year expansion.

Order backlog provides clear visibility

One of the most encouraging takeaways from the update was Elsight’s growing order backlog.

During the quarter, the company confirmed an order backlog of US$22 million, providing strong revenue visibility into 2026. That includes a US$21.2 million contract secured in December, covering deliveries for the first four months of the calendar year.

After the quarter end, Elsight also announced its first commercial purchase order for CY26, securing a US$460,000 order from a US public safety customer. Management said this highlights accelerating commercial adoption alongside regulatory progress in the US.

Cash flow swings into positive territory

Elsight also delivered a major financial milestone, reporting positive operating cash flow of US$8.2 million for the quarter.

Cash receipts for FY25 reached US$32.8 million, while cash at bank stood at US$59.4 million at 31 December.

The company noted that recurring revenue from software licences, cloud services, and subscriptions reached US$2.6 million in FY25, up 253% year-over-year and now accounting for 12% of total revenue.

US defence exposure continues to expand

Elsight continues to deepen its presence in the US defence market.

During the quarter, the company was selected by the US Defence Innovation Unit to advance to Phase 3 of Project GI, with fielding expected to conclude in the first half of 2026. Management also confirmed progress toward production readiness and procurement cycles.

At the same time, Elsight expanded its US footprint with senior sales and business development hires, while strengthening engagement across Europe and the Middle East.

Foolish takeaway

After a 46% run in a year, expectations are rising. But this update shows Elsight is scaling revenue, generating cash, and improving visibility.

For investors, the focus now shifts to whether Elsight can sustain this momentum as it scales into 2026.

The post Up 50% in 2026. This ASX tech stock just delivered another record quarter appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price has drifted lower in the last several weeks. This could be a good opportunity to invest in the ASX telco share at a lower price. But, where could it go from here?

The business has been on a positive trajectory in the last few years as it has grown its mobile earnings.

Rising earnings are a key tailwind for sending the Telstra share price higher. Let’s take a look at where experts think the business is headed from here.

Analyst views on the Telstra share price

A price target is where analysts think the share price will be in 12 months from the time of the investment call.

The company’s profit has been heading higher, and this has led analysts to think the business can deliver capital growth over the year ahead.

According to a CMC Markets collation of analyst opinions on the ASX telco share, the average price target is $5.04. That suggests a possible rise of 4% from where it is at the time of writing.

That’s just the average price target; there are analysts who are both more negative and more optimistic than that price target.

The most optimistic (recent) price target is $5.46, which suggests a double-digit return of approximately 13% in the next 12 months.

Even the most pessimistic price target suggests the business won’t go down over the next 12 months (just a flat capital return)

Is the ASX telco share a buy?

Of the six ratings on the Telstra share price, there are three buy ratings and three hold ratings.

I think investors should look at both the valuation and the dividend yield when deciding whether to buy the business or not – there’s more to the returns than just the potential passive income.

Using the earnings projection that’s currently on CMC Markets, the forecast is that the business could generate earnings per share (EPS) of 20.1 cents. That means the Telstra share price is currently trading at 24x FY26’s estimated earnings.

Excitingly, for income-focused investors, the Telstra dividend per share is projected to rise 20 cents, up from 19 cents per share in the 2025 financial year.

At the current Telstra share price, that means it could deliver a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.9%, including franking credits. Excluding those franking credits, it’d be a cash yield of 4.1% if the projection becomes true.

I think the Telstra share price is one to watch over the next few years, out of the large ASX blue-chip shares.

The post How much could the Telstra share price rise in the next year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Junior oil and gas player 3D Energi Ltd (ASX: TDO) has had a run of good news of late, but that positive run looks to have ground to an abrupt halt with the news it’s fallen short on paying its joint venture costs.

Back in November, we reported that the company’s shares were hitting a new 12-month high after a drilling campaign it was involved in had struck gas off the Victorian coast.

3D shares traded as high as 18.5 cents on the news, and it was just the start for the company, which announced a second gas discovery from the drilling campaign in late December.

The company updated the market on that find in early January, with Executive Chair Noel Newell saying they were “incredibly excited” by it.

But all of this work has come at a cost, and it’s a cost the small company appears to be finding a struggle to pay for.

Joint venture payments in arrears

3D Energi holds a 20% stake in the exploration program, while ConocoPhillips serves as the operator with a 51% stake, and Korea National Oil Company owns the remaining 29%.

The small Australian company told the ASX in a statement on Tuesday that it had asked for its shares to be suspended from trading while it figures out the impact on its default over joint venture payments.

The company said:

Joint Venture cash calls for the drilling program are higher than originally forecast and a balance of approximately US$2.5 million remains outstanding by the company which it does not currently have. A default notice has been issued by the joint venture operator to the company with a remedy period to 6th February. Additional forecast company drilling program expenditure subject to cash calls due on 6th February is currently estimated at approximately US$5.3 million, which if not paid by that date may well become the subject of an additional default notice and remedy period.

3D said it was implementing a suspension of trade in its shares while it “addresses its funding position” and the implications of payment default on the level of its ongoing interest in the drilling program.

It said further:

The Joint Operating Agreement for the joint venture contains industry standard mechanisms to address default payment matters, including notice, cure and cost reconciliation processes and potential dilution or buy-out of a party’s participating interest.

3D shares last traded at 8 cents, valuing the company at $41.9 million.

The post After a run of good news, why has this oil and gas junior been suspended from trade? 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 recommended ConocoPhillips. 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 Metrics Master Income Trust (ASX: MXT) share price is in focus today after the fund announced an estimated monthly distribution of 1.36 cents per unit for January 2026.

What did Metrics Master Income Trust report?

• Distribution per unit: AUD 0.0136 (1.36 cents) for January 2026
• Ex-date: 30 January 2026
• Record date: 2 February 2026
• Payment date: 9 February 2026
• Distribution is 100% unfranked
• Distribution reinvestment plan (DRP) available with no discount

What else do investors need to know?

The January 2026 distribution is in line with Metrics Master Income Trust’s regular monthly payments. This consistency may appeal to income-seeking investors in search of steady distributions. The announced distribution remains unfranked, so investors do not receive any franking credits on payments.

The trust’s Distribution Reinvestment Plan (DRP) remains available for unitholders who prefer to reinvest their distributions rather than take cash. Participation is optional and comes with no discount. The last date to elect for the DRP for this period is 6 February 2026.

What’s next for Metrics Master Income Trust?

Metrics Master Income Trust will confirm the final distribution amount on 5 February 2026, but the current estimate gives investors a clear idea of expected income. The trust continues to target predictable monthly distributions, aiming to deliver stable returns throughout changing market conditions.

Investors can expect further monthly updates. With the DRP open, some may choose to compound their investment, depending on personal financial goals.

Metrics Master Income Trust share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Metrics Master Income Trust shares have declined 2%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 7% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Metrics Master Income Trust announces January 2026 distribution 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.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shares are having a poor start to the week.

At the time of writing, the location technology company’s shares are down 10% to $30.33.

Why are Life360 shares sinking?

This decline appears to have been driven by profit taking from some investors following a very strong gain on Friday in response to a trading update.

For example, despite today’s sizeable pullback, Life360 shares remain up approximately 14% since this time last week.

Is this a buying opportunity?

The team at Bell Potter is likely to see this pullback as an opportunity for investors.

That’s because the broker remains very positive on the company following its update, which outperformed expectations. In response, it said:

Life360 provided a Q4 and 2025 update which was ahead of both the guidance and our forecasts: Year end MAU of 95.8m (vs BPe 93.5m) comprising 50.6m in the US (vs BPe 49.5m) and 45.3m international (vs BPe 44.0m); Year end paying circles of 2.83m (vs BPe 2.80m) comprising 2.00m in the US (vs BPe 1.97m) and 0.83m international (vs BPe 0.81m); 2025 revenue expected to be b/w US$486-489m (vs guidance US$474-485m and BPe US$480m); and 2025 adjusted EBITDA expected to be b/w US$87-92m (vs guidance US$84-88m and BPe US$86m).

The company also provided one outlook statement for 2026 which was MAU growth of 20% which implies absolute growth of c.19m users to around 115m at year end.

Time to buy

According to the note, Bell Potter has reaffirmed its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $45.00.

Based on its current share price, this implies potential upside of 48% for investors over the next 12 months.

The broker explained that its price target reduction reflects lower tech valuations and a higher weighted average cost of capital. It explains:

We have reduced the multiples we apply in the EV/Revenue and EV/EBITDA valuations from 12x and 62.5x to 10x and 52.5x given the pull back in tech valuations over recent months. We have also increased the WACC we apply in the DCF from 8.3% to 8.5% which has been driven by an increase in the risk-free rate from 4.25% to 4.5%. The net result is a 14% decrease in our price target to $45.00 which is >15% premium to the share price so we maintain the BUY recommendation.

The next potential catalyst for the stock is the release of the 2025 result in early March where we expect strong 2026 guidance to be provided with, for instance, revenue growth expected to be >30% and adjusted EBITDA growth >40%.

The post Down 10% today: Should you buy Life360 shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. 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) shares are up 1.12% to 8,959.5 points on Tuesday.

Materials is leading the 11 market sectors, up 1.73%, as ASX 200 mining shares continue their strong run.

On The Bull this week, experts revealed their views on three high-profile ASX 200 stocks.

Let’s take a look.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The BHP share price is $49.96, up 3.15% after reaching a two-year high of $50.05 in earlier trading.

Remo Greco from Sanlam Private Wealth has a buy rating on the ASX 200 iron ore giant.

Greco says:

The resources upgrade cycle continues to unfold as global growth conditions strengthen into 2026.

Expected US interest rate cuts should stimulate global growth and put downward pressure on the US dollar.

Commodity markets are already tight in terms of adequate supply, and this is already pushing mining stocks higher.

This is a global theme.

BHP fits the bill as global investors are drawn to earnings upgrades driving share price gains.

Also, investors are exposed to a currency gain if the Australian dollar strengthens during 2026.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price is $183.98, up 1.69% on Tuesday.

Pro Medicus stock has plummeted after reaching a record $336 per share in July last year.

Stuart Bromley from Medallion Financial Group has a hold rating on this ASX 200 healthcare share.

Bromley explains:

The company retains best-in-class imaging software that should generate high margins and structural growth from a steady flow of new contract wins amid bigger and longer contract renewals with existing customers.

The significant share price retreat leaves PME as a hold, but also presents an opportunity to enter a top class business at an attractive price. 

Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR)

The Myer share price is steady at 49 cents on Tuesday.

Myer was among the worst-performing ASX stocks of 2025, losing six-tenths of its value to finish at 48 cents per share on 31 December.

Bromley has a sell rating on this ASX 200 consumer retail share.

He explains:

The department store giant delivered disappointing results in full year 2025, in our view.

Sales were weaker than expected. Earnings before interest and tax of $140.3 million, excluding significant items, were down 13.8 per cent on the prior corresponding period. MYR didn’t declare a final dividend.

Ongoing cost challenges and pressures on discretionary spending have continued to weigh on investor sentiment.

We see risk/reward skewed towards further downside rather than a stabilised rebound in the current cycle.

The post BHP, Pro Medicus, Myer shares: Buy, hold, or sell? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in BHP Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group, Myer, and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.