Some ASX shares have been hit particularly hard over the past year.

Two on my radar are trading more than 50% below their 52-week highs despite the long-term opportunities remaining strong.

Here is why I would buy them.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

Catapult shares are down more than 60% from their 52-week high.

That is a huge fall, but I still like where the sports technology company is heading.

Catapult works with professional sporting teams around the world, providing technology for areas such as athlete monitoring, video analysis, scouting, and performance management.

What I like is how much more valuable the platform can become as clubs use more of those products together.

A professional team may initially use Catapult to track player workloads, but the relationship can expand into video, tactical analysis, recruitment, or strength and conditioning. That creates opportunities to earn more from existing customers while continuing to add new teams.

I also think professional sport has plenty of room to become more technology-driven.

Teams spend enormous amounts on players and coaching staff. Software that helps them prepare better, make stronger decisions, or reduce the chance of players missing games can therefore have real value.

Catapult still needs to keep converting its growth into stronger profits, and the share price could remain volatile. But after a decline of more than 60%, I think it now offers an attractive risk-reward profile.

Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH)

Cochlear shares are around 54% below their 52-week high.

The company has faced a difficult period, but I do not think the need for its products has changed.

Cochlear develops implantable hearing solutions for people with severe hearing loss.

One of the reasons I remain positive is that many people who could potentially benefit from a cochlear implant never receive one.

Low referral and treatment rates leave Cochlear with a substantial opportunity to reach more patients over time.

The company is also continuing to improve its products. Its Nucleus Nexa platform gives recipients more personalised hearing technology, while longer-term developments such as drug-eluting electrodes and potentially totally implantable devices could make cochlear implants even more capable.

That does not mean the recovery will be immediate. Cochlear still needs to rebuild investor confidence and demonstrate that earnings can improve after a weaker period.

But with the shares trading at less than half their 52-week high, I think investors are being offered a much more reasonable entry point into a global healthcare leader.

Foolish takeaway

A falling share price is only interesting to me when I still believe in the business behind it.

That is the case with Catapult and Cochlear.

Both have disappointed investors recently, but I think their underlying markets still offer plenty of room for growth. At prices more than 50% below their recent highs, I would be comfortable buying both with a long-term view.

The post 2 ASX shares down over 50% that I would buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 13 ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week
• 3 ASX shares I think could return 10%+
• Cochlear share price rebounds 53% from 10-year low: Can it keep climbing?
• Cochlear vs Pro Medicus: Which beaten-down ASX healthcare share is the better buy today?
• 2 ASX shares I’d buy before they return to their 52-week highs

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 Catapult Sports and Cochlear. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Catapult Sports. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

At age 60, you’ve reached preservation age, meaning you can retire and start drawing down on your superannuation. It also means you’re just seven years away from potentially receiving the Centrelink Age Pension.

The Age Pension is a fortnightly sum designed to help older Australians finance their lifestyle in retirement.

The only thing is. Not everyone is eligible. The amount you can get depends heavily on your income and the assets that you own. 

The income test assesses all of your income, pooled from all sources. That includes anything from superannuation contributions and investment income to part-time wages, bonuses, passive income, and commission payments. 

And the rules are constantly changing, as do the thresholds and maximum potential payments.

And overlooking or misunderstanding your limits means you could see yourself earn less, or nothing at all, when the time comes.

Here are six things every Australian at age 60 needs to know about the Age Pension income test before they retire.

1. Eligibility is strict

To be eligible for the Age Pension, you need to meet basic requirements ahead of the income or asset test. 

That is, you need to be 67 years old (or older). You also need to be an Australian resident who has lived in Australia for at least 10 years, with at least five of those years in a continuous period.

2. The maximum potential payment is about to change

From the 20th of September, the maximum fortnightly Age Pension payment will go up to $1,237.70 for individuals. Couples will soon get up to $933 per person per fortnight, or $1,866 combined.

These figures include the maximum basic rate, the maximum pension supplement, and the energy supplement.

3. Income limits for the maximum rate will stay the same

The income limits won’t change next week. To receive the full Age Pension, single Australians can earn up to $226 per fortnight. Meanwhile, couples can earn up to $396 per fortnight.

Individuals can earn up to an extra $24.60 per fortnight for each dependent child without reducing their pension. Couples living together and both getting a pension can each earn an extra $12.30 per fortnight for each dependent child.

4. Age Pension deeming rules apply, and they’re also about to change

To calculate how much income you receive from your assets, Centrelink uses what it calls a “deeming rule”. 

Deeming assumes your financial assets earn a fixed, set rate of income, regardless of what they actually earn. This assumed income is then added to any other income to determine your final Age Pension rate.

And these rates are about to go up, too.

As of the 20th of September, the lower deeming rate increases from 1.25% to 1.75%, while the upper rate increases from 3.25% to 3.75%.

For single Australians, the first $66,800 of financial assets will soon be deemed at a rate of 1.75%. Over that threshold, the assets will be deemed at the new 3.75% rate.

For couples, the lower 1.75% rate applies to the first $110,600 of combined financial assets, with the higher 3.75% rate applied to anything above.

5. Don’t panic, a part payment is still possible

If you’re over these levels, it’s still possible to earn some level of Age Pension payment before the payment reduces to zero. And thankfully, these are also about to get a boost next week.

Single Australians can earn up to $2,701.40 per fortnight, and couples (living together) can earn up to $4,128 per fortnight combined and still qualify for at least a part-Age Pension. 

If you earn over the income limit and below these cut-off points, your income is assessed on a sliding scale. For a single person, your Age Pension will reduce by 40 cents for each dollar over $226, and for couples, it will reduce by 20 cents for each dollar over $396.

6. Centrelink uses what is called “the lower rule of two”

Centrelink assesses you under both an income and an asset test and then applies whichever gives you the lowest rate of payment.

The post 6 things Aussies at age 60 need to know about the Age Pension income test before they retire appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Wall Street just shrugged off the Fed rate hike. Could the ASX 200 be next?
• Here’s the dividend forecast out to 2029 for Coles shares
• Check out the ASX’s newest drone company
• Starting with $20,000, how to build a portfolio generating $5,000 a year in passive income
• Atlas Arteria declares 20c H1 2026 distribution

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.

Wall Street didn’t exactly love the US interest rate hike on Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time in more than 3 years.

Initially, US shares headed lower as investors took in what the Fed had to say.

But that didn’t last long.

By Thursday, buyers were back.

The S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) climbed 1.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) jumped 1.7% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) added 0.6%.

That led the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their strongest sessions in around 6 weeks.

And Aussie investors could get a bit of that rebound, too, today.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) futures are pointing around 0.6% higher this morning after a rough few weeks.

Rates could still go higher

The thing is, the Fed hasn’t exactly gone soft.

Its benchmark rate now sits between 3.75% and 4%, and chair Kevin Warsh said getting inflation back towards 2% remains the priority.

So, there could be another hike coming as well.

The Fed’s latest projections showed 16 of 18 policymakers expect rates to rise at least once more this year.

Normally, that would make life a little harder for growth stocks, especially the big tech companies that helped drive Thursday’s rally.

So why were investors buying again?

Well, it seems that Wall Street is becoming a little more comfortable with higher rates, provided the US economy keeps holding up.

Oil is helping calm things down

Oil is starting to take a little pressure off as well.

Brent crude has fallen for a second straight session to currently US$104.14 a barrel, while WTI is at US$101.14.

Yes, that’s still expensive, but it is well off the levels we saw earlier in the week.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly trying to restore around half the capacity of its damaged East-West Pipeline within days. It’s expecting to be back at full operations within 6 weeks.

In addition, China has privately asked Iran to help rein in Yemen’s Houthis after Saudi Arabia sought Beijing’s support.

This seems to have eased some fears that the supply situation in the Middle East could get worse.

What does this mean for the ASX?

All of this gives the ASX 200 a better backdrop heading into today’s session.

Wall Street finished higher, oil has pulled back, and the US 10-year Treasury yield has dropped below 5%.

That should take a bit of pressure off our stock market for now.

The post Wall Street just shrugged off the Fed rate hike. Could the ASX 200 be next? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• ASX shares investors are still buying despite volatility: survey
• ASX 200 rebounds from recent lows. Is this just another false start?
• The Fed just hiked rates for the first time in 3 years. What does it mean for ASX investors?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

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.