Retirement doesn’t have to mean stopping work overnight.

For Australians aged 60 and over, a Transition to Retirement (TTR) strategy could provide a way to cut back hours while using superannuation to help bridge the income gap.

How does a TTR strategy work?

The basic idea is to replace some employment income with payments from your superannuation.

You could reduce your working hours and salary, then draw an income from a TTR pension to make up some of the difference. At the same time, you may be able to salary sacrifice part of your remaining salary into super.

Concessional contributions, including salary-sacrifice contributions, are generally taxed at 15% within super, which can be below your marginal tax rate.

Done carefully, this can create a useful reshuffle of your cash flow: less work, some income from super and continued contributions to your retirement savings.

Here’s what it could look like

Imagine you’re 60 and earn $100,000 a year. You decide to move to a four-day working week, cutting your salary to $80,000. You then draw $20,000 from a TTR pension to help replace the income you’ve given up.

At the same time, you salary sacrifice $15,000 of your wages into superannuation.

The result is a potentially more flexible path towards retirement. You’re working less, drawing some income from super and continuing to put money into your retirement account.

For someone keen to ease into retirement rather than make an abrupt switch, that could be appealing.

But there are catches

TTR isn’t a magic solution, and the rules matter.

Employer Super Guarantee contributions and salary-sacrifice contributions generally count towards your annual concessional contributions cap. Exceeding the cap can result in additional tax.

TTR pensions also have minimum and maximum withdrawal rules, so you can’t simply withdraw whatever amount you want.

Perhaps most importantly, every dollar withdrawn from superannuation is a dollar that is no longer invested in the fund. Drawing too much too early could reduce the amount available to compound for your later retirement years.

Foolish takeaway

A TTR strategy can offer an appealing middle ground between full-time employment and full retirement.

For eligible Australians, combining superannuation withdrawals with salary sacrifice may help reduce working hours, manage taxable income and continue building retirement savings.

However, the most suitable approach depends on your income, super balance, age, contributions and retirement goals. The relevant rules can also be complex, so speaking with a licensed financial adviser or tax professional before making changes may be worthwhile.

For some Australians, though, the concept is compelling: work less, replace some lost income with super and keep building your retirement nest egg.

The post Turning 60? You could be leaving superannuation money on the table appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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.

ASX biotech stock PYC Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: PYC) has enjoyed a stellar run over the last 12 months. 

In that span, its share price has risen over 87%, including 37% in 2026. 

A new report from the team at Bell Potter suggests this growth is likely to continue thanks to several tailwinds. 

Company overview 

PYC is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multiple drug candidates for rare inherited diseases. 

The company has its HQ, lab facilities, and majority of staff based in Perth, WA, as well as personnel based in the US for clinical, regulatory, and manufacturing functions. 

The company develops novel drug candidates using its internal technology platform, consisting of targeted RNA therapies called antisense oligonucleotides and proprietary drug delivery technology referred to as cell penetrating peptides.

The team at Bell Potter believes its strong growth profile could lead to further growth in the next 12 months. 

Making progress

Bell Potter remains positive on this ASX stock. 

It has a speculative buy rating and increased price target of $3.00 (previously $2.30) on the company. 

Much of the optimism centres around its PYC-003 experimental drug candidate being developed to treat autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). 

The genetic condition that causes cysts to grow in the kidneys. 

Early safety results are encouraging, with only 10% of 50 single-dose subjects reporting treatment-related side effects, none serious, and no concerning kidney, liver, magnesium or potassium changes.

The big test now is whether PYC-003 actually works. 

Efficacy data from single-dose studies are expected in the next 1–2 months, while the more important 6-12 month repeat-dose results are expected in 2H 2027 and 1H 2028. 

With around 120,000 US Type 1 ADPKD patients, Bell Potter sees a potential US$12bn+ market, while PYC’s ~$670m cash balance provides strong funding. 

In short, the safety story looks good, but clinical efficacy will determine whether the big potential becomes reality.

Strong upside 

If this ASX stock was to reach Bell Potter’s target, it would be a further 30% increase from current levels. 

The next 12 months are likely pivotal for the biotech company. 

PYC is fast approaching a crucial window for this asset with upcoming efficacy data from single-dose studies in the next ~1-2 months and, more importantly, data from repeat-dose studies after 6-12 months of treatment expected in 2H CY27 and 1H CY28. It is these latter readouts which will be highly instructive for demonstrating whether PYC’s compelling preclinical data package translates into improved clinical outcomes in patients. The company has a war chest of ~$670m cash as at 30-June-2026 for which it can freely prosecute its clinical development objectives across multiple assets well into the 2030s.

The post This exciting ASX biotech stock is up 37% year to date and tipped to keep rising appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares kicked off the new week the way they’ve kicked off quite a few recent sessions: in the red.

The ASX mining stock slipped another 0.5% on Monday to $60.59, extending a pullback that’s now stripped more than 13% off the all-time high of $68.77 set back on 26 August.

13% down in a few weeks is the kind of move that gets value hunters circling. But before anyone gets too excited about a ‘discount’, it’s worth asking whether BHP was ever actually cheap to begin with — and whether this dip is an opportunity or just gravity reasserting itself.

Keep the run in perspective

Even after the recent slide, BHP is still up roughly 33% so far in 2026, and a blistering 49% over the past 12 months. A 13% pullback off the top looks dramatic in isolation, but stack it against those gains, and it starts to look less like a crash and more like a breather after a sprint.

And the business hasn’t been standing still. FY26 revenue climbed 15% to US$58.8 billion, while underlying EBITDA jumped 27% to US$32.9 billion. Net debt shrank to a lean US$8.7 billion. The full-year dividend rose to 172 US cents per share.

This isn’t a company limping into a correction. It’s one that’s arguably earned its re-rating.

The copper story is the real headline

Buried in those numbers is arguably the most important structural shift at BHP in years. Copper, not iron ore, is now the earnings engine. Copper delivered US$18.2 billion of underlying EBITDA – up 48% – and made up 54% of group earnings. That’s the first time copper out-earned iron ore across a full year.

Production held around 2 million tonnes for a second straight year, and management is chasing roughly 40% growth by FY35 via projects spanning Australia, Chile and Argentina.

If the world’s electrification and grid-buildout thesis plays out anywhere near as expected, that positioning matters.

So, is BHP actually cheap?

Not really, and that’s the uncomfortable part. BHP shares have essentially run up to meet the market’s own expectations. TradingView consensus puts the average 12-month price target at $61.02 across 21 analysts.

That’s basically where BHP shares sit today. Ratings are split: five strong buys, 13 holds and three sell/strong sells.

There’s also a wide range of views. Morgan Stanley has a $68 target, while Freedom Capital Markets is at $66. Jefferies and Bank of America are both sitting at $65.

At the other end, Bernstein has a $44 target.

Foolish takeaway

This isn’t a screaming bargain sitting there for the taking. Valuations are full, and brokers are largely clustered around the current price. But a fortress balance sheet, growing copper exposure, and a dividend that keeps climbing are hard to ignore.

History suggests that owning world-class assets at a fair price beats trying to nail the final 10% of a rally — or the first 10% of a dip.

For patient, long-term holders, BHP shares still look more like a stock to hold through the noise than one to bail on because of a bad fortnight.

The post BHP shares keep falling. Is now the time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has positions in BHP Group. 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 BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.