The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is trading close to flat on Monday.

At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.03% to 9,089 points after closing Friday at 9,092.3 points.

The ASX 200 climbed as high as 9,122 points earlier in the session before dropping to 9,055 points.

It also remains around 2% below the record high reached earlier this month.

So, what is keeping the ASX 200 close to flat today?

The banks are having a strong day

The ‘big four’ banks are doing plenty of the work keeping the ASX 200 around the flat line.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares are up 2.22% to $160.74, while Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares have climbed 2.63% to $34.79.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares are 2.17% higher at $39.12, and ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares have gained 2.31% to $37.58.

However, with the banks carrying such large weightings in the index, those gains are helping offset weakness across a number of other sectors.

At the latest check, 101 stocks were lower, 91 were higher, and 8 were unchanged.

Gold miners are getting hit

The other side of the market looks very different, with gold and mining shares among the biggest losers.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) shares are down 5.27% to $23.48, while Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) shares have fallen 5.90% to $14.75.

Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) shares are also down 4.99% to $16.37, and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have dropped 2.30% to $65.75.

Gold tanked late last week after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh warned that price pressures remained a concern and interest rates may need to rise again.

Warsh said inflation still needs to return to the Fed’s 2% target, which sent bond yields higher and lifted expectations for another rate hike.

More pressure from overseas

The lead from overseas is not helping much either.

US futures are pointing lower ahead of Monday’s session, with S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) futures down around 0.5% and Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) futures around 0.7% lower.

Oil prices have also moved higher after US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about another escalation in the region.

Brent crude futures are trading around US$89 a barrel.

That is helping energy shares hold up better.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares are up 1.05% to $8.21, and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are 0.93% higher at $32.57.

The post Why the ASX 200 is struggling today despite a bank share rally 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 recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX mining/materials, utilities, and energy shares paid the biggest dividend yields of the 11 market sectors in FY26.

As we previously reported, utilities shares paid a 5.98% dividend yield, energy paid 5.14%, and materials paid 4.63%.

Those yields were well above the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) average dividend yield for FY26 of 4.23%.

Energy and mining shares paid higher dividends in FY26 due to elevated earnings from stronger commodity prices.

Now remember, the dividends paid in the FY26 period mainly reflected final dividends for FY25 and interim dividends for FY26.

Over the next two months, the final dividends for FY26 are being paid following the end of the August reporting season today.

And we’re seeing the same trend play out.

That is, big ASX resources shares are paying generous dividends again due to those strong commodity prices.

Take ASX 200 iron ore and copper miner, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), for example.

BHP declared a final dividend for FY26 of US 99 cents, which is equivalent to A$1.40 on today’s exchange rate.

That’s 65% higher than the final BHP dividend for FY25 of 91.9 AU cents.

That’s a major lift in income for BHP shares investors.

In order to receive a dividend, you must own the ASX share before its ex-dividend date.

If you want to snatch the next BHP dividend, you need to buy BHP shares before they go ex-dividend this Thursday.

BHP is among 11 big names in the high-paying utilities, mining, and energy sectors scheduled to go ex-dividend this week.

If you’re chasing dividend income, here are the dates you need to know.

ASX shares going ex-dividend this week

ASX share	Ex-Div Date	Dividend	Payday
Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG)	1 September	46 cents	29 September
Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)	2 September	30 cents	2 October
Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)	2 September	6 cents	15 September
Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)	2 September	7 cents	18 September
Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY)	2 September	14.1 cents	30 September
PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)	2 September	5 cents	24 September
Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM)	2 September	26 cents	28 September
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)	3 September	$1.40	23 September
Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)	3 September	79.5 cents	25 September
Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD)	4 September	$1.85	30 September
Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA)	4 September	7.7 cents	30 September

View more ASX shares going ex-dividend this week.

The post Chasing dividends? 11 ASX shares in top-paying sectors going ex-dividend this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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.

Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) shares are heading north on Monday after the defence shipbuilder released its FY26 results.

At the time of writing, the Austal share price is up 3.42% to $4.24.

That is despite the company reporting a statutory net loss of $53.6 million, compared with an $89.7 million profit a year earlier.

So, why are investors buying up the shares?

Revenue tops $2 billion

Austal reported FY26 revenue of $2.03 billion, up 11% from $1.82 billion last year.

However, earnings were hit hard by problems within its US business.

Group EBIT swung from a $113.4 million profit in FY25 to a $125.2 million loss, largely due to provisions linked to several loss-making US contracts.

Operating cash flow also dropped to $62.5 million from $406.3 million, while net cash finished the year at $186.3 million.

The company did not declare a dividend as it continues investing heavily in new production capacity.

Australasia is doing the heavy lifting

Austal’s Australasian business delivered revenue of $650.7 million, up 49% from the previous year.

EBIT climbed 137% to a record $85.3 million, with the EBIT margin increasing to 13.1%.

That growth was helped by higher shipbuilding activity and the ramp-up of major Australian defence programs.

Austal’s Australasian defence order book has also jumped to around $5.6 billion, compared with just $700 million a year earlier.

That includes work under the strategic shipbuilding agreement, along with the landing craft medium and landing craft heavy programs.

Austal Chief Executive Paddy Gregg said the existing and expected contract pipeline gives the company a path to potentially double Australasian revenue over the next 5 years.

A huge order book could be supporting the shares

Another number that stands out is Austal’s overall order book.

The company finished FY26 with around $16.5 billion of work, including options, across its Australian and US operations.

Its US order backlog alone is around $10.9 billion, while Austal continues expanding its submarine module manufacturing capacity.

Management is also targeting around $500 million of support and sustainment revenue in FY27.

The company said it expects to return to profitability in FY27 as it works through the issues affecting its US contracts.

What happens next?

Investors will also be watching the proposed sale of Austal USA.

South Korea’s Hanwha Defence has submitted an indicative offer valuing the US business at between US$1.05 billion and US$1.2 billion.

Hanwha has been granted due diligence, although there’s no guarantee a deal will go ahead.

Nonetheless, a sale at that level would leave Austal with a much stronger balance sheet.

The post Austal shares jump despite a $54 million loss. Here’s why investors are buying appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 3 ASX 200 stocks leaping higher in this week’s slumping market on big news
• Are Austal shares a buy, hold or sell after soaring 17% yesterday?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Austal posts FY26 loss, receives offer for US business

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.