After what felt like an endless slide, CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares are finally giving investors something to smile about.

The biotech giant has surged almost 85% from its multi-year low of $90 in June. But the rebound hit a speed bump last week, with the CSL share price falling 5% to $167.10. Even so, it remains 21% higher over the past month, although it’s still down 21% over 12 months.

So, after such a dramatic turnaround, where could CSL shares head next?

Why have CSL shares rallied?

To understand the recovery, it helps to remember just how beaten down CSL shares had become.

At $90, its shares were trading at levels not seen in more than a decade. Even during the COVID-19 market crash, investors didn’t push CSL anywhere near that low.

The market appeared to be pricing in a very bleak future. Then came CSL’s FY26 result and a reset that investors seemed willing to embrace.

On the surface, the numbers looked disastrous. CSL reported a US$2.6 billion net loss, dragged down by US$7.1 billion of pre-tax impairments and US$799 million in restructuring costs. Much of this was non-cash, with significant impairments tied to CSL Vifor’s intangibles and under-utilised assets.

But investors looked beyond the headline loss.

Underlying NPATA fell just 2% to US$3.1 billion, while revenue slipped 1% to US$15.8 billion, beating expectations.

More importantly, the result gave the market a cleaner starting point and a clearer path forward.

Why FY27 could make or break the recovery

The bull case now rests heavily on FY27. CSL expects underlying NPAT to grow about 5%, ahead of consensus expectations for roughly 2% growth.

Behring is expected to deliver mid-single-digit growth, with immunoglobulin sales forecast to rise at a mid-to-high single-digit rate.

Vifor remains the major headache, however, with revenue expected to plunge around 25% as iron generics enter the market. Vifor itself was the source of most of the impairments, and it is now shrinking by a quarter a year.

The bulls argue Behring is large enough to absorb that. Consensus forecasts put earnings per CSL share at approximately $9.00 in FY27, $9.50 in FY28 and $10.10 in FY29.

At $167.10, CSL trades at roughly 19 times forecast FY27 earnings. That’s hardly bargain territory, but it could look reasonable if the earnings recovery plays out.

Are CSL shares heading higher?

Several major brokers remain bullish on CSL shares despite the recent rally.

UBS has a buy rating and $181 price target, implying around 8% upside. Morgan Stanley is overweight with a $182 target, while Morgans has a buy rating and $187.71 target, representing roughly 12% potential upside.

So, while CSL shares have bounced sharply, the broker view suggests there may still be some upside, provided the anticipated earnings recovery materialises.

However, the team at Macquarie is considerably more cautious, with a neutral rating and target of just over $133.

For investors, the key question may no longer be whether CSL can recover, but whether its improving outlook can justify the much higher share price.

The post CSL shares just fell 5% after a strong rally. Is the recovery losing steam? 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 positions in and has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

For a long time, property has been Australians’ go-to way to build wealth.

But with house prices getting further out of reach, more people are turning to the stock market.

And new CommSec data gives us a pretty good idea of how Australians are investing across different generations.

The figures cover more than 2 million customers, and there are some pretty big differences depending on age.

I think they’re worth looking at, particularly if you’ve ever wondered whether your own portfolio is ahead or behind.

So, how do you compare?

How much does each generation have invested?

According to CommSec, Gen Z investors have an average portfolio of around $20,000.

That might not sound like much, but many of these investors are only just getting started.

Millennials are quite a bit further ahead, with an average portfolio of around $66,000.

Then we get to Gen X.

The average Gen X investor has around $233,000 in the market, while Baby Boomers are sitting on an average portfolio of roughly $541,000.

But I don’t think investors should look at those numbers and get worried if they’re behind.

Everyone is in a different position.

Some people might have more money tied up in property or superannuation, while others may have only started investing recently.

Still, I think these figures are a pretty good reminder of what can happen when you keep investing for a long time.

Where should you be?

I don’t believe there’s one magic number to look at here.

If you’re in your 20s, I think getting started matters more than worrying about whether you have $10,000 or $30,000 invested.

In your 30s and 40s, regularly adding to your portfolio can really start to make a difference.

And once you reach your 50s and 60s, the amount you have invested can become much bigger after decades of contributions and compounding.

Keep in mind, the average Baby Boomer portfolio of $541,000 wasn’t built overnight.

That balance likely took many, many years to reach.

And that’s probably the biggest lesson here.

What’s the best way to invest?

The share market doesn’t need to be as complicated as many investors make it.

You don’t need to find the next stock that doubles in six months or try to perfectly time every move in the market.

For most investors, building a diversified mix of quality ASX shares, international shares or low-cost ETF’s is a good place to start.

The key is being consistent.

For example, investing $500 each week works out to $26,000 a year.

Do that for 10 years, and you’ve put $260,000 into the market before even including any investment returns or dividends.

Of course, not everyone can invest $500 a week.

But whatever the amount is, I think the important thing is to keep adding to your portfolio and give your investments time to grow.

The post Australians are investing earlier than ever. How does your portfolio stack up? 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 you’re hoping to grab the final Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) dividend, and you don’t own the stock yet, then time is running short.

As you’re likely aware, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) airline suspended its twice-yearly passive income payments in 2020. That came as the global travel bans initiated during the COVID pandemic saw the company’s revenues dry up and profits turn to losses.

But as the pandemic faded into history and global travel resumed, so too did the Qantas dividend in April 2025.

As for the upcoming passive income payout…

What’s happening with the final Qantas dividend?

Qantas reported its full year FY 2026 results on 27 August.

Impacted in part by soaring jet fuel costs following the onset of the Iran war, the airline reported a 13.8% year-on-year decline in underlying profit before tax to $2.06 billion.

With profits slipping, management declared a fully franked final Qantas dividend of 19.8 cents per share.

While that’s down 25% from last year’s final dividend payout, the Qantas share price has also slumped 23.7% in 12 months, recently trading for $8.96.

So, the fully franked 2.2% instant yield you’ll be getting from the upcoming final dividend will be broadly in line with what investors received last year. And adding in the benefits of those franking credits, this equates to a grossed-up yield of 3.2%.

Not bad.

Now, if you want to bank that final Qantas dividend, you’ll need to own shares at market close today. Qantas trades ex-dividend tomorrow, 15 September. You can then expect to receive that passive income payout on 14 October.

How has the Iran war impacted the Qantas shares?

Qantas shares have caught headwinds from the Middle East conflict on two fronts.

First, the Iran war has negatively impacted the demand for international business and tourist travel.

Second, the virtual closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz oil shipping route has sent jet fuel costs soaring.

Commenting on the impact of the Iran war, which was partly responsible for the lower final Qantas dividend, CEO Vanessa Hudson said:

The final four months of the year saw business and consumer confidence fall as the conflict and economic headwinds created uncertainty, and some large corporates and government responded by managing their costs more tightly, reducing demand for travel.

In response to the surge in fuel prices, we quickly adjusted fares and capacity, and redeployed aircraft to give customers more options to fly to Europe. These actions, along with other mitigations, limited the net impact on earnings to $420 million, despite a $610 million increase in our fuel bill.

The post Looking to bank the final Qantas dividend? You’d better hurry! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How many Qantas shares do I need to buy for $5,000 of passive income in FY27?
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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.