It has been an interesting morning for Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) shareholders.

The shipbuilder entered a brief trading pause on Wednesday, which immediately had investors wondering what was coming.

And we didn’t have to wait long.

Austal shares are now up 6.44% to $4.63 after the company released an update on the future of its US business.

Let’s dive right in.

A new offer has landed

According to the release, Austal has received a non-binding proposal from Wildcat Infrastructure to buy Austal USA.

Wildcat has valued the business at between US$1.25 billion and US$1.35 billion on a cash-free, debt-free basis.

The proposal is subject to 4 weeks of due diligence, while Wildcat says it wants to keep the Austal brand and run the US business as a standalone platform.

Austal said its board and advisers will now consider the proposal.

And Wildcat isn’t the only one interested.

South Korea’s Hanwha, which already owns 19.9% of Austal, has offered between US$1.05 billion and US$1.2 billion for the US operations.

So, Wildcat has come in above Hanwha’s range at both ends.

The Australian puts the new proposal at roughly $1.73 billion to $1.87 billion.

Keep in mind, that’s a pretty big number when Austal’s entire market value is currently around $1.95 billion.

Why the US business is attracting interest

Austal’s latest results help explain why buyers are taking a closer look at the US operations.

Group revenue rose 11% to $2.03 billion in FY26, but the company still posted a $53.6 million net loss.

The US division was the main drag, recording an EBIT loss of $202.8 million after provisions linked to several loss-making contracts.

The Australasian business had a much better year.

Revenue climbed 49% to $650.7 million, while EBIT jumped 137% to a record $85.3 million.

So, if Austal does sell the US business, it could leave the group with a large amount of cash and a much stronger Australasian operation.

What happens next?

There is still plenty to play out from here.

Wildcat’s offer is non-binding and it still needs to complete due diligence, while Hanwha may decide to come back with a higher offer of its own.

But having another buyer interested puts Austal in a stronger position as it weighs up what to do with the US business.

Even after today’s rise, Austal shares are still down around 31% in 2026 and roughly 44% over the past year.

That makes the next few weeks worth watching.

The post Austal shares surge 6% as another bidder enters the race 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.

If I could get my time machine to work, would I be better off buying $10,000 worth of Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) or National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares on 8 September 2023?

Now both S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stocks have outperformed the 24.4% gains posted by the ASX 200 over the last three years.

And, once we add back in there twice annual dividend payouts, they’ve also both beaten the 37.9% gains delivered by the S&P/ASX 200 Gross Total Return Index (ASX: XJT), which includes all cash dividends reinvested on the ex-dividend date.

But which of these big four Aussie banks has led the charge?

Investing $10,000 into NAB shares

Three years ago, I could have picked up NAB shares for $28.65.

Meaning my $10,000 would have gotten me 349 shares in the big four Aussie bank.

As we head into the Wednesday lunch hour today, those same shares are changing hands for $38.21, up 33.4% in three years.

So, what about those dividends?

Well, if I owned the ASX 200 bank stock for the last three years I would have received six fully-franked dividend payments, totalling $5.08 a share.

If we add that back into today’s share price, then the accumulated value of the NAB shares I bought for $28.65 three years ago is now worth $43.29. And the 349 shares I bought for $10,000 are worth an accumulated $15,108.

Not bad.

But what about Westpac?

Buying Westpac shares in September 2023

On 8 September 2023, Westpac shares closed the day trading for $21.17. So, for $10,000, I could have bought 472 Westpac shares.

At time of writing, shares in the ASX 200 bank stock are swapping hands for $34.23 each, up 61.7% in three years.

Now let’s add that passive income back in.

If I owned Westpac shares for the last three years, I would have received the last six fully-franked dividend payments, totalling $4.68 a share.

Adding that back into the current share price, the accumulated value of the Westpac shares I bought three years ago is now worth $38.91. And the 472 shares I bought for $10,000 are worth an accumulated $18,366.

So, while both ASX 200 bank stocks have handily outperformed the benchmark indexes over the last three years, Westpac shares have gained significantly more than NAB shares.

Now, if I can only get that time machine working!

The post $10,000 invested in Westpac and NAB shares 3 years ago is now worth… 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.

A number of ASX growth shares have fallen sharply over the past year.

I think some of those falls have created good opportunities for investors willing to take a longer-term view.

These are two I would be happy to buy today, with recent broker price targets suggesting potential upside of around 18% to 77%.

ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD)

ResMed shares are trading around $30.55 today, down almost 28% on a 12-month basis.

I continue to like the long-term opportunity in sleep apnoea and respiratory care.

The company sells devices, masks, and software to help diagnose and treat sleep-related breathing conditions. Despite ResMed’s size today, diagnosis and treatment rates remain relatively low globally, which leaves the business with plenty of room to keep growing.

ResMed has also recently agreed to sell its MatrixCare software business for US$400 million in cash.

Ord Minnett believes the sale makes sense because MatrixCare was complementary to the wider business rather than central to ResMed’s focus on sleep apnoea and respiratory care.

The proceeds are expected to be returned to shareholders through an accelerated share buyback.

The broker has trimmed its earnings forecasts slightly following the sale, although the lower number of shares following the buyback should provide some offset.

Ord Minnett has a buy recommendation and a $36.20 price target. From today’s share price, that points to potential upside of around 18%.

I think that would be a strong return from a business that still has a large global market ahead of it.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

WiseTech shares are currently trading around $35.24 after a very difficult period for investors.

Despite that weakness, I still like the long-term position of its CargoWise logistics software.

CargoWise is used by major freight forwarders and logistics companies around the world. Once software becomes deeply embedded in the day-to-day running of these businesses, switching to another platform can be expensive and disruptive.

WiseTech’s FY26 result was broadly in line with Morgans’ expectations, although CargoWise revenue growth of 11% was softer than the broker had hoped.

One positive was the progress WiseTech made on costs. The company delivered approximately US$115 million of annualised run-rate savings during FY26, which should help margins as the business moves through FY27.

Management expects revenue growth to be weighted towards the second half of the year as new initiatives begin contributing. Its underlying EBITDA guidance also points to margins returning towards 49% to 51%.

Morgans remains positive, retaining its buy rating and setting a $62.50 price target. From today’s price, that suggests potential upside of approximately 77%.

Foolish takeaway

I would buy both of these ASX growth shares at current prices.

ResMed still has a long runway in sleep apnoea and respiratory care, while WiseTech could offer much greater upside if the business delivers on its plans and investor confidence starts to recover.

Neither investment is without risk, but I think the potential long-term rewards make both worth a closer look.

The post 2 ASX growth shares tipped to return 20% to 77% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Top 3 ASX 200 shares to buy in September
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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 ResMed and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended ResMed and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.