ASX dividend shares had a very good August, with the largest payout increases in years.

Reporting season also produced dozens of dividend cuts.

Three S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) names stood out, and one of them goes ex-dividend today.

The best ASX dividend shares grow the payment year after year.

All three of these companies have an outstanding record of doing just this.

1. BHP Group

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) produced the standout raise of the season.

The final dividend came to US$0.99 per share, or roughly A$1.38, an increase of about 51.5% on last year.

The full-year payment reached US$1.72 per share fully franked, up 56% and the highest in four years.

The shares go ex-dividend today, with payment following on 23 September.

BHP explained the return clearly in its results:

This brings total cash returns to shareholders announced for the year to US$8.7 bn, which is US$1.72 per share fully franked, the highest in four years.

FY26 revenue rose 15% to US$58.8 billion and underlying profit jumped 30% to US$13.2 billion.

Copper prices rose 18% across the year, iron ore gained 7% and metallurgical coal climbed 39%.

2. Woolworths Group

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) delivered a strong combination of growth and payout of these stocks.

The final dividend rose 15.6% to 52 cents per share.

Impressively, FY26 sales reached $71.54 billion with EBITDA up 6.7% and net profit after tax rising 15.4%.

The company’s shares closed August at $40.31 and are up 33.7% so far this calendar year.

However, at such valuation levels, there is reason for caution.

A supermarket growing profit at 15% is doing well, and a supermarket rerating 33.7% in eight months is doing something else entirely.

The dividend growth is strong, though the yield has compressed as the shares have run.

3. Coles Group

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) raised its final dividend 15% to 37 cents per share.

FY26 sales rose 2.8% to $45.58 billion, EBIT grew 9.9% and net profit after tax increased 13.7%.

Coles is the cheaper of the two supermarkets, but also the slower grower.

The company’s sales growth of 2.8% trails Woolworths, though its earnings growth was close enough for this not to be a major concern.

For income investors, the more modest rerating leaves a better starting yield.

Why these ASX dividend shares could continue to raise payouts

The common thread is pricing power rather than cost cutting.

BHP benefited from commodity prices moving in its favour across every major division.

Both supermarkets passed inflation through to shoppers while volumes held up.

None of the three relied on a balance sheet decision to fund the increase, which is what separates a sustainable raise from a one-off.

Foolish takeaway for ASX dividend shares

Of the three, Coles offers the best value and the least excitement.

Woolworths has the stronger momentum and the harder valuation to justify after a 33.7% run.

BHP has the largest raise and the most cyclical earnings behind it.

Investors chasing ASX dividend shares should focus on whether the underlying business can repeat the payment.

On that test, the supermarkets look more dependable and BHP looks more rewarding.

The post Top 3 ASX 200 shares that lifted their dividend this reporting season appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Own BHP, Woodside or Coles shares? Here’s what investors should know
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• BHP shares are falling – is it time to take profits?
• Here’s how Fortescue, Rio Tinto and BHP shares stacked up in August
• Why is the ASX 200 having its worst day in 3 months?

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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) shares are in the green again in early morning trade on Thursday.

At the time of writing, the shares are up around 1% and changing hands at $81.49 a piece.

Today’s uptick means the shares have rebounded around 33% from a seven-year low, recouping some of the losses shed earlier this year.

The stock is still around 27% lower for the year-to-date.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is roughly flat in early morning trade, but around 3% higher than 12 months ago.

What is driving the rebound of Xero shares?

ASX 200 tech share was smashed by a sector-wide sell-off of technology stocks in late-2025. The sector came under renewed pressure in 2026 as investors continue to reassess valuations and risk appetite.

The rotation away from tech shares sent Xero’s share price crashing to a multi-year low of $61.58 a piece in late-July.

But investor sentiment quickly turned a corner, likely for a couple of reasons.

There has been an investor rotation back into growth and technology stocks over the past couple of months.

At the same time, it looks like investors are now becoming more confident that the company can keep growing revenue and become more profitable.

Improved confidence comes off the back of Xero’s most recent FY26 results, which it posted in May. The company reported a strong increase in its FY26 revenue which it said was helped by subscriber growth and higher prices. 

Now the question is, can the share price keep climbing higher?

What do brokers tip next for the ASX tech stock?

It looks like the market experts are still pretty confident that we’ll see a significant upside ahead.

TradingView data shows the majority of brokers (five out of six) have a buy rating on Xero shares. And all forecasts imply a potential upside ahead. The average $112.17 target price implies around a 38% upside at the time of writing. But some think the shares could jump as high as 83% to $148.51 over the next 12 months.

What could drive the shares higher?

I think there is plenty of potential left for Xero shares.

The company has a sticky subscription revenue, which means its customers are likely to keep paying for its services and products over a long time. This means the company’s revenue is relatively predictable.

Xero is also still a relatively small market player within a huge global market. There are several growth opportunities ahead, including expansion in the UK and US, as well as payroll and workflow automation offerings. Xero is also actively expanding its presence and its product suite. 

And as I mentioned above, the company’s latest FY26 result shows the company is growing, too. It posted a 31% hike in operating revenue in mid-May, and its adjusted EBITDA was up 18%.

The post Xero shares jump 33% from a 7-year low: Buy, sell or hold? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Are these ASX tech stocks finally a buy again?
• Why I think Xero and WiseTech shares are strong buys
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Xero shares just jumped 8%. Is $100 next?
• 2 ASX fintech shares to buy for their huge US growth potential

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

Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) shares have finally returned to the ASX, and investors have not held back.

The Corporate Travel share price is down 80.40% to $3.15 in early Thursday trade after the company’s long suspension was lifted.

The stock last traded at $16.07 before it was suspended in August 2025, and a lot has gone wrong since then.

Investors are now showing exactly what they think of it.

Shares have traded as low as $2.81 this morning.

Why were Corporate Travel shares suspended?

The problems started in the company’s UK business, where some serious accounting issues were uncovered.

A KPMG review found revenue had been recognised incorrectly on large customer contracts completed between 2021 and 2023. That included around GBP 45.4 million sitting in a “Concluded Customer Contracts” account that should not have been recognised as revenue.

Corporate Travel later said it could restate as much as GBP 58.2 million across FY23 and FY24, with another GBP 19.4 million of adjustments flagged for FY25.

Since then, the company has spent much of the past year sorting through the mess, including refunding customers, restating its accounts and making changes to its financial controls.

There’s been some progress, with Corporate Travel saying this week that around 78% of customer refunds have either been agreed or are close to being finalised.

What did the FY26 result show?

Despite everything that has happened, there were some signs the underlying business moved in the right direction during FY26.

Revenue and other income rose 4% to $669.9 million, while underlying EBITDA jumped 36% to $113.6 million.

Corporate Travel also returned to profit, posting net profit after tax (NPAT) of $17.7 million. Keep in mind, that’s a big turnaround from the $348.5 million loss recorded a year earlier.

Activity also picked up, with transaction volumes rising 13% to 18.3 million and total transaction value (TTV) increasing 2% to $9.8 billion.

Europe was one of the better-performing regions. Revenue climbed 34% to $113.7 million, while underlying EBITDA improved to $24.7 million from a $1.2 million loss.

But the balance sheet is still one area investors are watching closely.

Corporate Travel ended FY26 with $106.9 million in cash and has since secured a $175 million funding package to help finish the remediation work and support the business.

What happens next?

Management said trading in the first month of FY27 was broadly in line with expectations, although the early numbers were mixed.

July transaction volumes rose to around 1.6 million from 1.5 million a year earlier, while revenue slipped to $53.3 million from $58.3 million.

Corporate Travel has also secured $178 million of new business on a TTV basis so far in FY27.

And there was also some good news from the Australian Government review, which found no signs of widespread or systemic overcharging.

Still, the company has a lot of work ahead of it after what has been a shocking period for shareholders.

The post Warning: Corporate Travel shares have crashed 80%. What on earth just happened? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Corporate Travel Management shares resume trading after FY26 report
• Corporate Travel Management swings to profit as earnings jump in FY26
• Corporate Travel Management reports FY25 and 1HY26 earnings
• Corporate Travel Management secures new funding and updates on FY25 and FY26 earnings
• Corporate Travel Management updates UK remediation progress and settlement terms

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