Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares have tumbled further into the red in Tuesday’s trade.

At the time of writing, the shares are down by around another 1% and changing hands at $153 each. 

The latest decrease means the banking giant has now shed around 12% since it posted its FY26 results in mid-August. The shares are also now down around 5% year to date and 9% lower than 12 months ago.

Why are CBA shares still falling?

It’s been a tough month for ASX bank shares across the board as investor confidence continues to take a beating.

Growing concerns about higher-than-expected inflation, the prospect of further interest rate hikes, and fears of a rising cost of living have led many investors to shy away from ASX shares recently.

And all this came against a backdrop of falling mortgage demand, a weakening housing market, and tight competition squeezing margins.

The bank’s FY26 results, which it posted in mid-August, didn’t help spark investor confidence.

CBA posted a 7% increase in cash NPAT and an 8% increase in statutory NPAT. Operating income also increased by 6.2%. The bank announced a $2.70-per-share fully franked final dividend and a fully franked full-year dividend of $5.05, up 20 cents.

On a positive note, CBA said it is the first time it has reported growth at or above system in each of its five core domestic product categories: home lending, business lending, consumer finance, household deposits, and business deposits.

But going forward, CBA flagged a cautious outlook, with softer household spending and slower economic growth. This raised concerns about the bank’s earnings strength and its already-high valuation amid a weakening market.

Now the question is, are CBA shares approaching the bottom? Or is there more downside ahead?

Are the shares a buy, sell or hold now?

CBA shares have finally made their long-awaited correction, but I don’t think the end is in sight yet.

Market Index data shows all brokers still have a strong sell rating on the shares. The $125.20 average target price implies the shares could fall another 19% over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

On TradingView data, the majority (14 out of 16) have a sell/strong sell rating on CBA. The average $127.86 target price implies a potential 16% downside, and the minimum $90 suggests the shares could fall another 41%, at the time of writing.

Shaw and Partners has named the Big Four bank as an ASX share to sell this week. The broker highlights that CBA shares continue to trade at a significant premium to peers despite its subdued earnings growth outlook and warns that there is limited scope for further earnings-driven upside.

Medallion Financial Group’s Stuart Bromley also has a sell recommendation on CBA shares. He agrees that the bank’s valuation is strengthened and that better valuation opportunities exist elsewhere. 

The post Down 12%: Are CBA shares a buy, sell or hold now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) and New Hope Corp Ltd (ASX: NHC) shares don’t have much in common.

After all, one is an S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) buy now, pay later (BNPL) stock while the other is an ASX 200 coal stock.

One thing they do have in common is their strong outperformance today.

In morning trade on Tuesday, the ASX 200 is down 0.5%.

New Hope shares, on the other hand, are up 2.9%, changing hands for $6.46 each. And Zip shares are soaring 4.3%, trading for $2.19 apiece.

Zip shares look to be getting a boost today after the company announced that, in line with its 20 August announcement, Zip commenced the on-market share buyback of up to $50 million worth of its shares on Monday.

As for New Hope, the coal miner released its FY 2026 results this morning.

New Hope reported a full year net profit after tax (NPAT) of $161 million. And management declared a fully franked final dividend of 30 cents per share, up from last year’s final passive income payout of 15 cents per share.

That’s this week’s price action.

Now, if you’d invested $10,000 in both ASX 200 stocks three years ago, here’s what you’d have today.

(As for our benchmark, the ASX 200 has gained 19.5% since 15 September 2023.)

New Hope share gains driven by dividends

Three years ago, New Hope shares were trading for $6.22 apiece.

So, for $10,000 you could have bought 1,607 shares in the ASX 200 coal miner.

At today’s $6.46, you could sell those same shares for $10,381.

While that’s not much of a capital gain over three years, we haven’t factored in the New Hope dividends yet.

We can’t count the 30 cent per share final dividend declared today, as you’d need to own the stock at market close this Friday to be eligible for that passive income payout.

But if you’d owned the coal miner for the past three years you would have received the past six fully franked dividend totalling $1.13 a share.

If we add that back in to today’s share price, then the accumulated value of the New Hope shares you bought for $10,000 three years ago is now worth $7.59 each.

And those 1,607 shares are worth an accumulated $12,197.

Zip shares strong rebound from post pandemic beating

Unlike New Hope shares, Zip shares were beaten down badly by 15 September 2023, trading for just 32 cents each.

For $10,000, then, you could have picked up 31,250 shares in the ASX 200 BNPL stock.

Now, Zip doesn’t pay any dividends.

But at today’s $2.19 share price, those 31,250 shares are worth a cool $68,438.

How about in 2026?

It’s a vastly different story in 2026.

Year to date Zip shares remain down 34% while New Hope shares have surged 61% and paid an interim dividend.

The post $10,000 invested in Zip and New Hope shares 3 years ago is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• New Hope shares near 52-week high. Here’s what stood out in the result
• New Hope reveals major 2026 coal resource increases
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Energy shares rose while the ASX 200 slumped last week. Here’s why
• Zip shares crash another 11% this week: What is going on?

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.

Woolworths vs Coles shares: Which supermarket player deserves a place in your portfolio?

Both Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) and Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) have become household names for Aussies when it comes to grocery shopping. If you’re considering these supermarket heavyweights for the dividend income they’re known for, you might be weighing up Woolworths vs Coles shares. Let’s unpack how these rivals stack up on yield, value, and recent performance.

The case for Woolworths Group

Woolworths Group stands as one of Australia’s largest retail companies, with a strong presence in the supermarket sector across Australia and New Zealand. The company also owns the Big W discount department store chain and several supermarket brands in New Zealand. Woolworths is known for its defensive qualities, as consumers continue to spend on essentials like food and toiletries even during economic downturns.

Looking at the numbers, Woolworths commands a massive market cap of $47.34 billion, making it the larger of the two by some margin. Its shares sport a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 41.62 and an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.925. For income seekers, Woolworths is fully franked and has a current dividend yield of 2.52%. The group has shown robust YTD (year-to-date) returns of 34.34%.

On dividends, Woolworths has a reliable habit, paying fully franked dividends for decades. Its latest final dividend was $0.52 per share, paid in September 2026, and there was also a $0.45 interim earlier in the year.

The case for Coles Group

Coles Group is another major force in Aussie retail, providing groceries, household goods, liquor, and more — in-store and online. The business was previously part of Wesfarmers, but became its own ASX-listed company again in 2018. Coles operates over 900 supermarkets and also has Coles Express and Coles Liquor, though it sold off its fuel and convenience division to focus on core retailing.

Coles comes in with a $31.48 billion market cap, making it smaller than Woolworths but still a market leader by any measure. It trades at a lower P/E of 28.61 and offers a dividend yield of 3.36%, notably higher than Woolworths. Like its rival, Coles dividends are fully franked, and its current EPS is $0.812. The year-to-date return stands at 11.99%.

Dividend consistency is strong, with regular half-yearly payments. The latest final dividend was $0.37 per share (paid September 2026), with a $0.41 interim earlier in the year, all fully franked.

Valuation comparison

Here’s how some key stats line up side by side:

Metric	Woolworths	Coles
Market Cap	$47.34b	$31.48b
P/E Ratio	41.62	28.61
Dividend Yield	2.52%	3.36%
Earnings per Share	$0.925	$0.812
YTD Return	34.34%	11.99%
Franking	100%	100%

Woolworths is the much larger company, with stronger recent share price appreciation, but Coles stands out for its lower valuation and bigger dividend yield.

Recent share price performance

Please note: these prices reflect the close on 14 September 2026, not live data.

– Woolworths closed at $38.75, having rallied strongly throughout 2026. Its YTD return is an impressive 34.34%.
– Coles closed at $23.44, with a 2026 YTD return of 11.99%.

Over recent weeks, both shares have experienced typical market ups and downs, but Woolworths has shown more significant price momentum than Coles.

Which is the better buy?

If I had to pick between Woolworths and Coles right now, my nod goes to Coles. Here’s why: the dividend yield is meaningfully higher at 3.36% compared to Woolworths’s 2.52%, so if I’m chasing income, Coles is immediately more appealing — and both offer fully franked dividends, making income even sweeter for Aussie shareholders.

Coles also trades on a much lower P/E, hinting that Woolworths’s current valuation is pretty stretched, especially after that bumper 34% YTD gain. While Woolworths’s share price run is impressive, it leaves less room for error and less compelling value. Coles looks relatively steady and offers more bang for buck on the dividend front, which matters most to yield-focused investors.

Woolworths still boasts market leadership and a reputation for resilience, but today, I reckon Coles is the supermarket share with the greater value and income edge.

The post Woolworths vs Coles: Which supermarket giant is the better ASX buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buy, hold, sell: Echo IQ, James Hardie, Woolworths shares
• Worried about a recession? These ASX shares would be just fine
• Experts name CBA and these big-name ASX 200 shares as sells this week
• How to build a superannuation portfolio generating $50,000 a year
• Where to invest $5,000 into ASX dividend shares

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 draft. 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.