September is here, and two ASX technology shares are high on my watchlist after recently reporting their FY26 results.

I think both still have substantial long-term opportunities ahead, although investors need to be comfortable with some uncertainty along the way.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

Zip has become a much stronger business than the company investors may remember from the buy now, pay later boom.

The company finished FY26 with 6.5 million active customers and 97,400 merchants globally. Total transaction volume increased 27% to $16.7 billion, while cash EBTDA jumped 58% to $268.9 million.

For me, the important development is that rapid growth is increasingly being accompanied by stronger profitability.

The US opportunity remains especially exciting to me. Zip has been expanding beyond occasional discretionary purchases into areas such as health, education, transport, groceries, and other everyday spending. Customers are also using the service more frequently, while partnerships with businesses such as Stripe can put Zip in front of many more merchants.

This creates the possibility of Zip becoming a much more regular part of how customers manage short-term cash flow.

Credit quality will always be important, and consumer lending brings risks if economic conditions weaken. But Zip’s FY26 net bad debts remained well controlled at 1.8% of transaction volume.

I think the combination of US growth, improving profitability, and deeper customer engagement makes Zip an interesting September buy.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

I would also buy WiseTech shares in September.

There is still uncertainty around the integration of e2open, its newer commercial model, leadership changes, and how quickly some of its growth initiatives will deliver.

But I find its position within global logistics difficult to ignore. WiseTech’s software is used by more than 20,000 logistics companies across 193 countries. This includes 47 of the world’s top 50 third-party logistics providers and 24 of the 25 largest global freight forwarders.

I think that is an extraordinary position in an industry where moving goods internationally requires companies to handle customs, compliance, transport, warehousing, documentation, and countless other processes.

CargoWise sits deep inside those operations.

WiseTech also ended FY26 with 61 large global freight forwarder rollouts, while several contracted customers still have substantial volumes waiting to go live. I think that gives the company a strong foundation for further growth.

The e2open integration could expand WiseTech’s reach across the wider supply chain, while AI offers opportunities to automate more of the work its customers currently perform manually.

There is plenty to prove, but I am willing to accept some uncertainty when the underlying competitive position is this strong.

Foolish takeaway

Both ASX shares require investors to look beyond the next quarter.

Zip is showing that its US expansion can produce strong growth alongside improving economics, while WiseTech remains deeply embedded in an industry where its software can become increasingly valuable.

For investors prepared to tolerate some bumps, I think September could be a good time to take a closer look at both.

The post Why I think Zip and WiseTech shares could be buys in September appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

A number of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares could come under pressure on Wednesday.

A group of 12 ASX-listed companies are trading ex-dividend today, which means their share prices will no longer include the value of their latest payout.

That alone is expected to have a decent impact on the broader market.

According to The Australian, the combined ex-dividend moves could shave around 31 points from the ASX 200.

With futures already pointing lower, that could make market open look a little heavier than usual.

Here’s the shares investors will want to keep an eye on.

The ex-dividend moves to watch today

There are a few larger payouts sitting near the top of today’s list.

Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) closed Tuesday at $19.64 and is trading ex-dividend for 63 cents per share. The payment is 60% franked and is due on 17 September.

Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) is not far behind. Its shares closed at $28.78 before going ex-dividend for a 59-cent fully-franked payout.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) and Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK) also have decent-sized dividends dropping off today.

Origin’s 30-cent fully-franked dividend comes off an $11.70 closing share price, while Seek’s 25-cent fully-franked payment comes off a $14.32 close.

Furthermore, Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) closed at $176.04 and is trading without its 25.95-cent unfranked dividend.

More ASX shares joining the list

There are also several smaller payouts coming off the board as well.

Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW) closed Tuesday at $6.55 and is trading ex-dividend for 16.3 cents per share. Steadfast Group Ltd (ASX: SDF) closed at $5.84 and is going ex-dividend for 12.75 cents.

Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) is also on the list. The shares closed at $4.81 on Tuesday, with a 10.9-cent dividend going ex today.

Among the miners, Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) is trading ex-dividend for 7 cents per share, and Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) is doing the same for 6 cents.

PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) is trading ex-dividend for 5 cents, with Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) rounding out the group with a 1.2-cent payout.

All of the 7 dividends are fully franked.

Why today’s moves could be misleading

Keep in mind, trading ex-dividend does not automatically mean a stock will fall on the day. There’s still plenty happening in the broader market that can push shares either way.

Nonetheless, the ASX 200 futures are expected to open at a fall of around 0.9%.

The post Why these ASX shares are worth watching closely today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Buy, hold, sell: Greatland Resources, PEXA Group, Origin shares

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 Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Most ASX shares are hurt by rising interest rates, which is why it’s important to look at the exceptions to this rule.

Australia’s 10-year government bond yield climbed to around 5.19% on Tuesday.

That is its highest level in 15 years.

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) now expects the Reserve Bank to lift the cash rate to 4.60% in November.

A handful of listed businesses would quietly welcome that outcome.

Why some ASX shares benefit from higher rates

The mechanism is simple and frequently overlooked.

Insurers and financial administrators hold enormous pools of other people’s money between the day it arrives and the day it is paid out.

That money lies in cash and short-dated bonds, earning whatever the prevailing rate happens to be.

When rates rise, the income on those balances rises with them, while almost none of the cost base moves in sympathy.

1. QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE)

QBE is the clearest example on the local market.

The company’s first-half result delivered adjusted net profit after tax of US$1,033 million, up 4%, with gross written premium rising 10% to US$15.1 billion.

The combined operating ratio held steady at 92.8% and return on equity reached 17.7%, comfortably above the company’s medium-term target of 15%.

Management specifically flagged that an improving outlook for interest rates is expected to support investment returns.

The shares closed Monday at $22.48, up 4.51% over twelve months, on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.08 and a 5.06% yield.

Franking is only 30%, which matters a great deal for Australian income investors.

The interim dividend rose 6% to 33 cents per share.

2. Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU)

Computershare earns margin income on the client balances it administers, which is the same mechanism.

FY26 revenue rose 4.6% to US$3,257.5 million and net profit after tax edged up 1.9% to US$618.7 million.

Employee Share Plans revenue grew 18%, Corporate Trust rose 9.6%, and Issuer Services added 7.7%.

The interesting part is in the outlook statement.

Management warned that margin income may be constrained by prevailing lower interest rates.

That guidance assumed rates were heading downward.

If bond yields at 15-year highs are telling us anything, the assumption now looks conservative.

The shares closed at $39.72 and have gained 18.54% so far this calendar year.

3. Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL)

Medibank is the most defensive of the three.

Health insurers hold reserves against future claims, and those reserves earn more as yields rise.

FY26 underlying net profit after tax rose 2.9% to $636.8 million on revenue of $9,115.2 million, up 5.9%.

The fully-franked dividend increased 6.7% to 19.2 cents per share.

Chief executive David Koczkar was direct about the environment his customers are living in:

We continued to deliver value for the 6 million people who trust us with their health and wellbeing, as household budgets remain under pressure. Despite this, people continue to prioritise their health.

The shares closed at $4.81, down 3.61% over the year, on a fully-franked yield of 3.87%.

The risks facing these ASX shares

None of the three is a risk-free bet on interest rates.

QBE is an insurer, and a bad catastrophe season would overwhelm any investment income benefit.

Computershare’s core revenue depends on corporate activity, which tends to slow when rates rise.

Medibank faces regulated premium increases and rising claims costs, and its FY27 guidance is only for margins broadly consistent with FY26.

In each case, higher rates help the investment line while pressuring the customer.

Foolish takeaway

The case for these three ASX shares is not that they escape higher rates.

It is that higher rates arrive on the revenue side of the income statement rather than the cost side.

QBE offers the most direct leverage and the highest yield.

Computershare has the most conservative guidance to beat.

Medibank is the steadiest and the slowest growing of the three.

If the Reserve Bank does move in November, these are the ASX shares I would look to own.

The post Top 3 ASX shares built for higher-for-longer rates appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Why now is the time to buy MediBank Private shares: Expert
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• 37 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week
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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 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.