The ASX shares most attractive to own are usually cheapest at the moment the market is least comfortable.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has slipped from an August peak of 9,282 points to around 8,901.

That is a fall of roughly 4% in a month.

Around 120 companies in the index were in the red on Wednesday, creating opportunities for investors looking to get in cheap.

Why the sell-off has created opportunities in ASX shares

The cause is relatively simple: Macquarie now expects the Reserve Bank to lift the cash rate by 25 basis points later this month.

The broker noted that trimmed mean inflation has spent 17 of the last 20 quarters above the target band.

The cash rate already sits at 4.35% after three increases this year.

Higher rates compress the multiple investors will pay for future earnings, although they may not automatically damage the earnings themselves.

With that in mind, here are three ASX shares that look a lot cheaper now that the broader market has sold off.

1. Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO)

Judo Capital closed Wednesday at 99.5 cents, down almost 40% over twelve months.

Shares crashed 46% in a single session in June after the bank flagged three problem exposures and cut guidance.

The result that followed was better than the recent share price moves suggest, although increases in credit delinquencies have been a drag for the company.

FY26 statutory net profit rose 29% to $111.1 million.

Profit before tax climbed 34% to $168.1 million.

Gross loans and advances grew 18% to $14.7 billion while deposits jumped 24% to $12.2 billion.

The net interest margin widened 20 basis points to 3.13%.

Chief executive Chris Bayliss did reference particular credit issues in his speech:

FY26 has been another year of genuine momentum for Judo. While the increase in specific provisions late in the year was disappointing, the underlying performance of the Bank has remained strong, with record revenue, continued operating leverage, strong deposit growth and lending at the top end of guidance.

FY27 guidance calls for profit before tax of $210 million to $220 million, whereas the average broker target of $1.51 implies roughly 50% upside.

2. South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

South32 is the odd one out here.

The company’s shares hit a fresh 52-week high of $5.32 on Wednesday and are up 103% over twelve months.

Not every holding bought during a sell-off has to be a bargain.

South32 earns US dollars from copper, zinc and silver, which is a completely different driver to the domestic rate cycle.

FY26 underlying earnings rose 55% to US$1.03 billion and underlying EBITDA grew 28% to US$2.46 billion. Meanwhile, total dividends lifted 55% to 9.3 US cents per share, fully franked.

Chief executive Matt Daley explained where the business is heading.

The sale of our aluminium value chain assets to Alcoa will simplify and strengthen our portfolio, positioning South32 as a leading base metals focused company with high-margin assets and a pipeline of compelling growth options in copper, zinc and silver.

3. Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

Life360 closed at $19.64 and are down 60.6% over twelve months.

On the positive side, second quarter revenue rose 38% to US$159.0 million and adjusted EBITDA increased 53% to US$31.1 million. Monthly active users passed 102.4 million and advertising revenue reached US$22 million.

The company holds US$467.7 million in cash and guides FY26 revenue to US$650 million to US$685 million.

The shares fell anyway, because investors had priced in a bigger guidance upgrade.

Foolish takeaway

A 4% pullback is not a crash.

But what this pullback has done is separate the multiple from the earnings across much of the market at once.

All three of these ASX shares grew earnings materially in FY26, and two have been sold down heavily regardless.

For ASX investors, this could be a unique buying opportunity.

The post Top 3 ASX shares I’d buy after the most recent sell-off appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• South32 shares reach fresh 52-week high: Can they keep climbing?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: Medibank Private, Ansell, South32 shares

Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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 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.

Knowing whether you have enough superannuation can be difficult.

Retirement could last for decades, living costs will change, and everyone’s idea of a comfortable lifestyle is different.

Still, there are some useful benchmarks that can give Australians an idea of what they may want to aim for.

What does a comfortable retirement cost?

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) publishes its Retirement Standard to estimate the spending required for different retirement lifestyles.

For Australians aged 65 to 84, ASFA currently estimates that a single person needs around $55,923 a year for a comfortable retirement. A couple needs approximately $78,566 annually.

That comfortable budget allows for things such as private health insurance, regular leisure activities, occasional restaurant meals, maintaining a reasonable car, home repairs, and some travel.

The figures are a lot lower for what ASFA describes as a modest retirement.

A single homeowner needs an estimated $36,434 annually, while a couple needs $52,473. Private renters face a higher hurdle, with estimated annual spending of $51,164 for a single person and $69,002 for a couple.

That difference shows why the amount of superannuation someone needs can vary so much depending on their circumstances.

So, how much superannuation is enough?

ASFA has helpfully provided its estimate for the superannuation balances required at age 67 to fund those lifestyles.

For a comfortable retirement, it estimates that a single person needs around $630,000, while a couple needs approximately $730,000 between them.

It is important to point out that this does not assume retirees will live entirely from investment income while preserving their original balance forever.

ASFA’s calculations assume retirees draw down their capital over retirement and receive a part Age Pension.

For a modest retirement, ASFA estimates required balances of $110,000 for a single homeowner and $120,000 for a couple.

Private renters need more. ASFA puts the required balance at around $340,000 for a single renter and $385,000 for a couple.

I would treat these as a starting point

I do not think there is one superannuation number that every Australian should aim for.

Someone who owns their home outright, has relatively low expenses, and qualifies for the Age Pension could need considerably less than someone paying rent or wanting to travel regularly.

Retirement age also makes a difference. The ASFA balance estimates are based on retiring at 67, so someone hoping to finish work much earlier may need to fund more years before or during retirement.

I would also want some room for unexpected expenses rather than planning around the minimum amount required to make the numbers work.

Foolish takeaway

ASFA’s latest benchmark suggests a single Australian needs around $630,000 in superannuation at age 67 for a comfortable retirement, while a couple needs around $730,000.

That gives investors something tangible to work towards, but I would not treat it as a universal target.

The amount I would want would ultimately depend on when I planned to retire, whether I owned my home, the lifestyle I wanted, and how much flexibility I wanted once regular employment income stopped.

The post How much superannuation do Australian retirees actually need? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Life360 shares are 60% below broker targets. Here’s why
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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 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.

EchoIQ Ltd (ASX: EIQ) shares crashed 48% on Wednesday morning and closed at 64 cents.

The medical technology company told the market that the United States Food and Drug Administration had issued a Not Substantially Equivalent determination for EchoSolv HF.

EchoSolv HF is its heart failure decision support software.

Company shares traded as low as 47 cents during the session.

More than 53 million changed hands, against a one-month average of under 2.9 million.

Why EIQ shares fell so hard

The company applied through the 510(k) pathway.

That route requires a company to show its device is substantially equivalent to one already on the market.

A Not Substantially Equivalent determination means the FDA did not accept that argument.

Morgans had made EIQ’s dependence on getting this approval explicit only a week earlier.

The broker retained a speculative buy rating and a $1.85 price target at the time.

The market is still waiting on an FDA decision for its Heart Failure (HF) application, which remains the key near-term catalyst and value inflection driver. Despite delays, we maintain a positive view on approval. Speculative Buy retained and A$1.85 p/s target price unchanged.

What the company has actually said

Echo IQ has not abandoned the application.

Upon receipt of the FDA’s determination, Echo IQ, together with its US regulatory and legal advisors, its study partners, and independent statistical experts, has commenced a detailed review of the regulatory matters raised. The Company believes there is a pathway forward for clearance under the 510(k) route and intends to engage with the FDA to further clarify the matters identified in the determination and assess all administrative and regulatory options available to Echo IQ.

Managing director Dustin Haines was measured about the setback.

Our immediate priority is to understand the matters raised in full and determine the most efficient pathway forward. We remain confident in the underlying technology, the clinical rationale for EchoSolv HF and the significant opportunity to improve the identification of patients at risk of heart failure.

Two things soften the blow.

The company holds more than $105 million in cash, so it is unlikely to run out of cash any time soon.

What’s more, the company possesses a separate EchoSolv AS platform that detects aortic stenosis.

This product is already FDA-cleared, and its commercialisation is unaffected.

What this does to the Pro Medicus deal

Here is the detail that matters most.

In June, Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) agreed to invest an initial $10 million through secured convertible notes.

It also took the right to subscribe for a further $10 million once EchoSolv HF was cleared.

As such, that second tranche is now tied to an approval that has just been refused.

However, the reseller arrangement still stands.

This agreement gives Echo IQ access to Pro Medicus customers across US health systems, and it applies to the cleared product.

Where EIQ shares go from here

Context is worth keeping in mind.

Even after halving, EIQ shares are up 124% over twelve months. They remain 392% higher for the calendar year.

Investors who bought over a year ago would still be very happy.

Foolish takeaway for EchoIQ shares

The pathway forward is a regulatory one.

EchoIQ as a company now operates somewhere between a cleared aortic stenosis business and a heart failure product with no approval date.

Before investigating further, I would want to see the company’s opinion of the FDA’s specific objections.

The post EchoIQ shares just crashed 48%. What happens now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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.