The Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) share price has been one of the stronger performers over the last six months, rising by 44%. It’s a valid question to ask whether Pro Medicus can rise much further.

Pro Medicus describes itself as a leading healthcare informatics company. It provides a full range of medical imaging software and services to hospitals, imaging centres and healthcare groups worldwide.

It offers a leading suite of radiology information systems (RIS), picture archiving and communication system (PACS), artificial intelligence and e-health solutions.

Strong recovery

Pro Medicus suffered a huge decline last year and early this year as the market worried about what AI could mean for the company’s future. However, the market seems to be a bit more positive about the situation.

It helps that the business continues to report an impressive set of numbers with its financials.

In the FY26 result, revenue grew 22.9% to $261.7 million, underlying operating profit (EBIT) grew 24.4% to $196.1 million and underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) rose 24.1% to $144.7 million.

The company has a significant presence in the US, so changes in foreign exchange rates can impact what it reports in Australian dollars. FY26 changes in currency hurt the financials.

If currency rates hadn’t changed, revenue would have increased 28.4% to $273.5 million, underlying EBIT would have gone up 30.6% to $206 million and underlying NPAT would have risen 32.5% to $154.5 million.

The impressive profit growth allowed the company to hike its payout by 25.5% to 37 cents per Pro Medicus share.

The future looks promising considering the underlying EBIT margin rose again to 74.9% in FY26, up from 74% in FY25. It continues to win sizeable contracts at an impressive pace, which is helping drive revenue.

Its latest contract win was a seven-year A$25 million contract with Valley Health, which includes the relatively new cardiology imaging offering. In that announcement, Pro Medicus said its pipeline is strong and spans all market segments.

How much could the Pro Medicus share price rise in the next year?

According to CMC Invest, there have been 10 analyst ratings on the business within the last three months.

A price target tells us where an analyst thinks a share price could go in the next 12 months. The average price target of those 10 ratings is $220.14, according to CMC Invest, suggesting a possible rise of 21% over the next year.

The most optimistic price target is $240, suggesting a possible rise of 32%.

So, analysts are excited about the future of the business and it could still be one to watch.

The post How much could the Pro Medicus share price rise in the next year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Pro Medicus. 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.

There are not many ASX dividend stocks that I’d prefer to own rather than receive the cash flow of the Age Pension. WCM Quality Global Growth Fund (ASX: WCMQ) is one of the passive income choices I’d pick.

The exchange-traded fund (ETF) may not be as famous as names like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) or Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO). But, for various reasons, I think the WCMQ ETF offers investors more positives and potentially stronger long-term returns.

For me, there are three reasons to like the investment so much.

Excellent and diversified portfolio

WCM is a fund manager that’s based in Laguna Beach, California. That’s deliberately a long way from the culture of Wall Street in New York.

The investment strategy of the fund is to invest in a portfolio of high-quality shares from across the world.

There are two main factors that go into deciding whether the business is high-quality for this ASX dividend stock’s portfolio.

First, WCM wants to see that the business has an expanding economic moat (improving competitive advantages). For WCM, the direction of the moat is more important than the actual size of the moat.

One of the main ways that WCM judges whether a business is seeing a strengthening economic moat is with a rising return on invested capital (ROIC). This shows that the company’s economics are getting stronger.

Second, WCM analyses whether the business has a corporate culture that supports improvement of the economic moat.

The portfolio is truly global – it’s not massively focused on the US share market. Its portfolio is invested across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and elsewhere.

Its holdings regularly change, but its sector exposure typically focuses on IT, industrials and healthcare names. It also has positions in financials, consumer discretionary and others.

Great passive income

The WCMQ ETF offers investors a solid distribution yield, which is based on its net asset value (NAV).

The fund targets a distribution yield of 5%, which I’d say is a solid starting yield and I think the payments will rise over time thanks to WCMQ ETF’s pleasing investment track record.

A rising NAV over time should lead to growing payouts for investors.

Capital growth

In its July 2026 update, the ASX dividend stock revealed that its portfolio had returned an average of 15.2% per year since the ETF’s inception in August 2018.

With that level of return, the fund has been able to deliver both its pleasing dividend yield and the retained returns have helped grow the WCMQ ETF unit price over the long-term – it has approximately doubled in the last eight years.

Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance, of course, but I’m optimistic the fund can deliver pleasing returns, including capital growth. That’s why I think the ASX dividend stock is so appealing.

How to match the Age Pension with the ASX dividend stock

Currently the Age Pension is paying a maximum of approximately $1,200 per fortnight, though this will increase in the coming weeks. That translates into annualised income of $31,200.

The ETF expects to pay an annual distribution of 53.6 cents per security in FY27. That translates into needing 58,209 WCMQ ETF units to unlock the same level of cash payment. I’m also optimistic the ETF’s payout can grow at a faster pace than the Age Pension in the coming years. However, I’d also want to diversify my portfolio, rather than relying on one idea.

The post 58,209 shares of this high-yield ASX dividend stock pays an income equal to the Age Pension appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Wcm Quality Global Growth Fund. 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.

Serious money continues to flow into two of the ASX’s most popular Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) and Vanguard MSCI International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) now collectively manage rougly $40 billion in funds under management.

These two ASX ETFs form the backbone of countless long-term portfolios, offering broad exposure to Australia, global markets and the world’s largest economy.

But after gains and shifting global conditions, investors may be asking whether they still deserve a place in a modern portfolio.

Aussie classic

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF remains the core domestic building block for many investors, tracking the performance of the 300 ASX’s largest companies.

The popular Vanguard ETF has delivered around 5% in 2026 and 2% over the past 12 months, reflecting steady but modest growth compared to global markets.

Two of its largest holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), giving investors exposure to both financials and resources.

The strength of VAS lies in its diversification across Australia’s leading companies and its consistent dividend income stream. Many Australian shares pay dividends, and the VAS ETF passes those distributions on to its investors.

However, risks remain, particularly its heavy concentration in banks and resources, which can make returns heavily dependent on domestic economic conditions and commodity cycles.

True global reach

The Vanguard MSCI International Shares ETF provides broad global diversification outside Australia and has returned around 8% over the past year.

This Vanguard ETF invests across developed markets, reducing reliance on the Australian economy and offering exposure to a wide range of industries and geographies.

Two of its largest holdings are Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) and NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA), giving investors exposure to both established tech leaders and the high-growth semiconductor sector.

VGS is often viewed as a long-term portfolio stabiliser due to its global reach. However, it still carries risks associated with international market cycles, geopolitical uncertainty, and currency movements, all of which can affect returns for Australian investors.

Foolish takeaway

Despite decent recent performance across the two funds, these Vanguard ETFs continue to play distinct and complementary roles in long-term portfolios. VAS offers domestic stability and dividends and VGS delivers global diversification.

For many investors, the combination remains a powerful foundation for building wealth over time. With a single purchase, an investor can gain exposure to a broad portfolio of established Australian and international businesses, then keep investing and let those companies compound over time.

But understanding each ETF’s risks and exposures is essential in deciding whether they still deserve a place in your portfolio today.

The post Are these 2 top Vanguard ETFs still worth buying today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has positions in BHP Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Apple and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple, BHP Group, Nvidia, and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.