• How many Westpac shares do I need to buy for $8,000 of passive income?

    A bland looking man in a brown suit opens his jacket to reveal a red and gold superhero dollar symbol on his chest.

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares may be one of the more popular options for dividends on the ASX.

    ASX bank shares can provide investors with a pleasing dividend yield because of a combination of factors.

    Banks typically have a relatively low price/earnings ratio (P/E) ratio, meaning a low earnings multiple.

    Secondly, banks like Westpac usually have a generous dividend payout ratio. The ASX bank share is paying out a majority of its net profit each year to shareholders.

    Let’s look at what Westpac is predicted to pay, which will then inform us how many Westpac shares it would take to unlock $8,000 of passive income.

    Dividend projection for the ASX bank share

    The ASX bank share’s 2026 financial year is nearly over, so it could be interesting to see what’s predicted for the FY26 annual payout.

    But this article will focus on the FY27 annual payout, as investors have already received half of the FY26 payout as an interim dividend.

    According to the projection on Commsec, the ASX bank share is predicted to pay an annual dividend per Westpac share of $1.54 in FY26. That translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.3%, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

    Time will tell what the board of directors actually do with the Westpac dividend, which will be influenced by the profit that the ASX bank share reports.

    Pleasingly for shareholders, the business is predicted to deliver a slightly larger payout in the 2027 financial year, with a year-over-year increase of 0.6% to $1.55 per share. At the time of writing, that translates into a dividend yield of 4.4% excluding franking credits and slightly above 6.3% including franking credits.

    $8,000 of passive income from Westpac shares

    It will certainly take a sizeable investment to bring that passive income goal to life.

    $8,000 would certainly be a lot of passive income from just one stock, but it is possible – it would just require enough of the ASX bank share.

    If we assume the ASX bank share does indeed pay an annual dividend per share of $1.55 in FY27, that would require 5,162 Westpac shares if we just focus on the dividend cash.

    But, if we also include the franking credits as part of the overall grossed-up dividend income, that would mean investors would only require 3,613 Westpac shares to make $8,000 of annual passive income in FY27.

    Is this the right time to invest in the ASX bank share?

    It doesn’t seem to be, according to expert analysts. According to Commsec, there are currently nine sell ratings, six hold ratings and just one buy rating on the business.

    Therefore, I think it would be a good idea for investors to look at other ASX opportunities.

    The post How many Westpac shares do I need to buy for $8,000 of passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Westpac Banking Corporation right now?

    Before you buy Westpac Banking Corporation shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Westpac Banking Corporation wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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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 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.

  • 2 ASX shares tipped to grow 40% or more in the next 12 months

    Green arrow going up on stock market chart, symbolising a rising share price.

    Share prices are always changing, giving investors the ability to choose ASX share opportunities at cheap valuations.

    ASX reporting season recently finished. This gave analysts the chance to update their views on businesses, including share price targets.

    I’m going to talk about two businesses that analysts suggest could deliver returns of at least 40% or more in the next 12 months.

    Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ)

    This ASX share describes itself as an Australian data centre, cloud, cybersecurity and telecom operator for government and mid-to-large business customers. It aims to provide the best customer services in Australia.

    According to CMC Markets, there have been five ratings on the business within the last three months, with four of those being a buy. The average price target is $83.24, suggesting a possible rise of 50% over the next year.

    One of the company’s core attractions is that how 95% of its revenue has come from contracted monthly recurring revenue.

    The ASX share is heavily investing to unlock future earnings – in FY26 its capital expenditure was $230.5 million, including $186.2 for IC3 SuperWest). In the coming years, its earnings should grow as a result of these investments.

    Despite the investing, its underlying operating profit (EBITDA) grew by 2% to $115.9 million during FY26. The EBITDA is expected to rise again, though modestly, in FY27 with IC3 SuperWest phase 1 revenue starting in the second half of FY27.

    Mader Group Ltd (ASX: MAD)

    The other ASX share I’ll highlight is Mader. It describes itself as a global leader in the provision of specialist technical services across multiple industries.

    Its labour market platform allows it to connect a global network of over 520 customers to a skilled in-house workforce of approximately 4,500 personnel on flexible, fit for purpose and cost-effective terms.

    According to CMC Invest, there has been three analyst ratings on the business within the last three months, with all of those ratings being a buy. The average price target of those three ratings is $8.86, suggesting a possible rise of 42% over the next 12 months.

    FY26 was a solid year of growth for the business, with 15% revenue growth to $1 billion and net profit after tax (NPAT) growth of 15% to $65.4 million. Plus, its balance sheet‘s net debt improved by $44 million, resulting in a net cash position of $35.7 million.

    In FY27, the business expects to grow by at least 13% to $1.13 billion, with net profit of at least $72.5 million (that’s 11% growth).

    Double-digit growth is a strong level of expansion given the current economic climate.

    The post 2 ASX shares tipped to grow 40% or more in the next 12 months appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Macquarie Technology Group right now?

    Before you buy Macquarie Technology Group shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Macquarie Technology Group wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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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 positions in and has recommended Mader Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Mader Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

    Man analysing data on his laptop.

    On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished the week in a subdued fashion. The benchmark index fell 0.15% to 9,005.9 points.

    Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to edge lower

    The Australian share market looks set for a soft start to the week following a poor session on Wall Street on Friday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 1 point lower. In the United States, the Dow Jones was down 0.5%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.4%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.3%.

    Oil prices rise

    It could be a positive start to the week for ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) after oil prices rose on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was up 0.2% to US$91.48 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price was up 0.8% to US$96.28 a barrel. Oil prices charged higher last week amid an escalation in US-Iran tensions.

    Buy Seek shares

    Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK) shares could be in the buy zone according to Gray Perry Wealth Advisers. This morning, according to The Bull, its team has named job listings giant Seek as a buy this week. It said: “Despite softer job-ad volumes, fiscal year 2026 net revenue rose 10 per cent and EBITDA increased 15 per cent, demonstrating pricing power and operational resilience. We’re forecasting earnings to grow about 9.5 per cent annually in the next two years. An improving return on equity and a healthy dividend further support the investment case.” 

    Gold price tumbles

    It could be a poor start to the week for ASX 200 gold shares Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) after the gold price tumbled on Friday night. According to CNBC, the gold futures price was down 1.4% to US$4,476.6 an ounce. Traders were selling gold after strong US jobs data boosted rate hike bets.

    ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend

    Another group of ASX 200 shares are going ex-dividend this morning and could trade lower. Among them are healthcare technology company Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME), gold miners Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX: ALK) and Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU), investment platform provider Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB), and retail conglomerate Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL). The latter will be paying shareholders a fully franked 33 cents per share final dividend on 29 September.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Alkane Resources right now?

    Before you buy Alkane Resources shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Alkane Resources wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Pro Medicus and Woodside Energy Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Hub24 and Super Retail Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Super Retail Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24 and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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