Investing in the US Magnificent 7 stocks is an obvious way to gain exposure to the global artificial intelligence (AI) megatrend.

To recap, the Mag 7 shares are Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA), Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Alphabet Inc Class C (NASDAQ: GOOG),  Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META), and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA).

Betashares investment strategist, Hugh Lam, says the Mag 7 stocks have delivered exceptional returns for investors since AI became a dominant market theme following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.

Since then, the S&P 500 Index (SP: INX) has gained 70% in value, with the Mag 7 responsible for more than half that, Lam said.

However, there are other options for investors who think the Mag 7 stocks are now overvalued.

Let’s find out more.

AI investment goes beyond the Mag 7 stocks

In an article, Lam said AI was here to stay, and there were many companies besides the Mag 7 set to benefit.

Lam commented:

From its potential to enable long-term productivity gains to becoming a geopolitical bargaining chip among the world’s economic powerhouses, the market’s fervour for AI looks here to stay.

However, the investment opportunity set is now broader than the Mag 7, with many other firms likely to thrive as AI technologies proliferate and data centre capacity grows.

Lam points out that the Mag 7 are critical in the AI infrastructure build-out, whilst other companies are using AI to enhance their services.

Examples include Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: PLTR), a US-based AI and defence software company specialising in data analytics for government and defence industry customers.

The Palantir share price has rocketed 115% in 2025 amid its software systems being adopted in US military operations and businesses such as Walmart Inc (NYSE: WMT) and Airbus SE (ETR: AIR).

Cybersecurity and robotics

Lam said the benefits of AI are now being seen in adjacent sectors to information technology, such as cybersecurity and robotics.

The investment strategist said:

… AI is reshaping the cybersecurity industry, particularly as geopolitical tensions continue to simmer and national self-sufficiency needs rise.

Against this backdrop, governments, businesses and individuals are all becoming more proactive in protecting their data.

Global cybersecurity spending is expected to see sustained growth of double-digit rates, reaching US$377 billion by 2028, according to the International Data Corporation.

This amount is not only large but also highly defensible in nature, with Chief Information Officers surveyed by Morgan Stanley viewing security as the category least likely to get cut in an economic downturn.

Lam says robotics has become a key theme in 2025, describing it as Nvidia’s next biggest market for potential growth.

While still in its infancy, Betashares sees robotics becoming a bigger and more recognised investment exposure over time as developed market economies seek automation as a critical solution to counter structural macro issues including labour shortages and falling population growth rates.

The post How to invest in AI outside the Magnificent 7 stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is Palantir’s deal with Nvidia a game changer?
• Palantir stock vs. Alphabet stock: Wall Street says to buy only one
• Does Michael Burry of “The Big Short” fame know something Wall Street doesn’t? He just made a billion-dollar bet against 2 companies driving the AI boom.
• Which US shares are most popular with Aussie investors, and why?

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 positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, Tesla, and Walmart. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) share Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) has been under a lot of strain in 2025.

Australia’s leading plumbing and bathroom supplier has seen its share price tumble from $25.92 per share at the end of November last year to $12.12 at the time of writing.

This equates to a 52% drop in the last 12 months. By comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has climbed by 1.7% in the same period.

Expanding US network

Founded in Australia and now also operating across New Zealand and the US, Reece serves both trade and retail customers. The network of the popular ASX 200 share continues to expand. In the last quarter, it added 18 branches in the US and 14 in Australia and New Zealand.

Reece’s scale gives it a competitive advantage, and over the years, it has built strong margins due to high-frequency trade customers and a broad product range.

Weak housing conditions

However, cracks are appearing. The housing markets are weak in both the US, and Australia and New Zealand, and margins are under pressure from elevated labour costs and inflation.

Reece also faces increasing competition, especially on its home turf with players like Tradelink and JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH), which has entered the market of home fittings.

Better-than-expected sales

The ASX 200 share was one of the big winners on Monday, gaining 12.6%. The share price lifted on Friday’s quarterly update, which was better than expected. After the Tuesday lunch hour, the Reece share price recorded a 2% loss, settling at $12.12.

Reece reported 8% revenue growth to $2.41 billion for 1Q FY26, while EBITDA fell 8% to $222 million. Management warned that soft demand could persist, making short-term earnings recovery uncertain.

Peter Wilson, Chair and CEO, said:

Costs remain elevated driven by network growth, ongoing investment in core capabilities and the impact of labour cost inflation in competitive markets, especially the US. We are still expecting a period of soft activity in both regions.

Long and bumpy recovery

Analysts are broadly cautious and warn that recovery could be long and bumpy.

Morgans rates the ASX 200 share as a hold. The broker applauds the stronger sales in 1Q FY26 but sees ongoing margin pressures from higher costs and tough market conditions in ANZ and the US.

As a result, it has only upgraded Reece shares to a hold rating with a slightly increased price target of $11.25, up from $11.10.

Morgans noted in its recent research:

With a 12-month forecast TSR of 5%, we upgrade our rating to HOLD (from TRIM). While we continue to view REH as a fundamentally strong business with a good culture and a long track record of growth, the operating environment remains challenging, particularly in the US where competitive pressures persist. Trading on 24.2x FY26F PE with a 1.6% yield, we see the stock as fully valued and prefer to wait for signs of market improvement before reassessing our view.

The post Can this ASX 200 share bounce back after crashing 52% this year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: James Hardie, Reece, and TechnologyOne shares
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Reece 1Q FY26: Revenue growth, profit margin pressures, and a $365m buyback
• Macquarie names 16 potential ASX takeover targets

Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) shares are storming higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) uranium stock closed yesterday trading for $7.45. In early afternoon trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for $7.76 apiece, up 4.2%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.2% at this same time.

As you may know, Paladin Energy shares have been smoking hot since the stock plumbed a four-year closing low of $3.98 on 22 April.

That means ASX investors who channelled their inner Warren Buffett to be greedy when others were fearful and bought shares on 22 April will now be sitting on gains of 95%.

But according to Ord Minnett’s Tony Paterno, those rapid gains may have come faster than they were fundamentally due (courtesy of The Bull).

Should you buy Paladin Energy shares today?

“This uranium producer owns 75% of the Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia,” said Paterno, who has a sell recommendation on Paladin Energy shares. “It also owns uranium exploration and development assets in Australia and Canada.”

Paterno noted the all-time high uranium production Paladin Energy reported for Q1 FY 2026.

“The company delivered record production in the September quarter, but sales volumes fell on the previous quarter and prior corresponding period,” he said.

But with shares having raced higher since April, he recommends taking profits now.

“Despite a decent result, PDN’s share price recently doubled in the past six months and has outpaced its fundamentals,” Paterno concluded.

What’s been sending the ASX 200 uranium stock leaping higher?

Paladin Energy shares closed down 0.4% on 13 November following the release of the company’s first-quarter results.

For the September quarter, Paladin reported revenue of US$35.97 million, down 18% year on year. However, the uranium miner’s net loss after tax declined to US$9.93 million from US$10.40 million.

And the company’s gross quarterly profit of US$7.89 million almost doubled from the prior corresponding period.

Atop its own operational performance, Paladin Energy shares have joined the broader rally among uranium stocks over the past half year.

This has been driven by a rapid increase in planned nuclear power generation, spearheaded this year by the United States.

As we reported last Thursday, the US Department of Energy announced that it will loan US$1 billion to Constellation Energy to help fund the restart of the Three Mile Island nuclear power facility. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) has contracted the facility to provide the surging power demands for its expanding AI data centres.

Last week, Paladin Energy shares also enjoyed a big boost following news that the US plans to purchase up to 10 new large-scale nuclear reactors.

The post Should you buy Paladin Energy shares following record uranium production? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Analysts name 3 ASX shares to sell now
• Should you buy Mesoblast, Paladin Energy, and Xero shares?
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Why are ASX uranium stocks like Paladin Energy going gangbusters on Thursday?
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 Constellation Energy and Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Investing overseas can feel intimidating for many Australians. Different markets, currency swings, foreign tax rules. It can all seem like a lot to take on.

But the reality is far simpler. Thanks to a wide range of international exchange traded funds (ETFs) listed right here at home, you can build a global portfolio without ever leaving the ASX.

You don’t need a US trading account, nor will need to convert currency. And you don’t need to learn the ins and outs of every overseas market.

Let’s see exactly how to invest globally using nothing more than your standard Australian brokerage account.

Access the US market

If you want exposure to the world’s biggest and most influential stocks, the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) is the simplest place to start.

It gives you instant ownership of 500 of America’s largest listed businesses, including Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN).

The United States has historically been one of the strongest-performing share markets over long periods.

By owning this ASX ETF, you are effectively tying your wealth to the innovation engine of the world, without having to pick individual stocks or deal with offshore administration.

Capture Asia’s tech boom

Beyond the US, some of the fastest growth globally is happening in Asia. The region is experiencing massive digital adoption, rising incomes, and an expanding middle class.

For exposure to the companies riding these tailwinds, the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA) comes immediately to mind.

This ASX ETF includes leading tech giants such as Tencent Holdings (SEHK: 700), Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA), PDD Holdings (NASDAQ: PDD) and Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU). These dominate online commerce, social media, gaming, and artificial intelligence across the region.

While Asian tech stocks can be more volatile than those in the US, their long-term growth potential is enormous. This fund offers broad, diversified exposure to this opportunity through a single ASX trade.

Round out with global exposure

To complete your international portfolio, you can add exposure to major developed markets outside the US using the new BetaShares Global Shares ex-US ETF (ASX: EXUS).

This ASX ETF holds more than 900 large and mid-cap stocks across Europe, Japan, Canada, the UK and other developed economies.

Its top holdings include ASML (NASDAQ: ASML), AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN), Roche (SWX: ROG), Nestlé (SWX: NESN) and SAP (ETR: SAP). These are high-quality companies that provide stability and sector diversification beyond tech-heavy US markets.

Foolish takeaway

You don’t need foreign trading accounts or complex tax setups to build a truly global portfolio.

With these ASX ETFs, you can invest across the world’s most dynamic markets in just a few clicks.

International diversification has never been easier for long-term wealth building.

The post How to invest and build wealth globally without leaving the ASX appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• $10,000 invested in IVV ETF a year ago is now worth…
• What $5,000 invested in ASX ETFs today could become in 10, 15, and 20 years
• 5 excellent ASX ETFs to buy in December
• The best ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 20 years
• My plan of attack for the next share market crash

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Betashares Capital – Asia Technology Tigers Etf. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ASML, Amazon, Baidu, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tencent, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Alibaba Group, AstraZeneca Plc, Nestlé, Roche Holding AG, and SAP and has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ASML, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), along with Nvidia, has sealed what appears to be a landmark agreement with Anthropic. The three tech giants will become each other’s customers in a major partnership.

Under the terms of the deal, Anthropic will purchase $30 billion worth of Azure’s computing capacity from Microsoft. Anthropic will scale its Claude AI model on Azure, running it on Nvidia architecture powered by Grace CPUs and Blackwell and Vera Rubin GPUs.

This is obviously huge for Microsoft. But it’s not Microsoft’s most important artificial intelligence (AI) deal.

The deal with Anthropic

This new agreement, combined with the fact that Claude is now available on the three largest platforms, will give the chatbot a competitive advantage. It should also increase Claude’s popularity, particularly thanks to a move that will bring Claude for Business to Microsoft Foundry.

In terms of dealmaking, investors should remember that Microsoft has grown to a $3.5 trillion market cap behemoth, and it has been a publicly traded company since 1986. Even with that long history, this is one of its largest deals. Nonetheless, it pales in comparison to Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI.

The relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft dates back to 2019, predating the 2021 founding of Anthropic. But time is not the only factor. Microsoft and OpenAI announced an updated agreement on Oct. 28. At that time, the public learned that Microsoft’s position in privately held OpenAI is valued at around $135 billion. That represents a 27% stake based on OpenAI’s valuation from recent fundraising rounds.

Additionally, OpenAI is under contract with Microsoft to purchase $250 billion worth of Azure services through 2032. That’s significantly more than the $30 billion deal Microsoft just inked with Anthropic.

Improving Microsoft’s AI position

The recent evolution of Microsoft’s agreement with OpenAI likely also paved the way for its Anthropic deal. Under its terms. OpenAI and Microsoft are each free to “independently continue advancing innovation and growth.” In other words, Microsoft can partner with whichever players in the AI space it wants to.

Moreover, now Microsoft will provide the computational horsepower to both Anthropic’s Claude AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, making Azure the critical cloud ecosystem for a significant portion of the AI environment.

OpenAI’s latest agreement with Microsoft explicitly spells out where the companies can work separately and together on artificial general intelligence (AGI). Analysts often refer to AGI as “human-level intelligence AI,” meaning that, in theory, such systems could match or surpass human capabilities in cognitive tasks. Depending on where AGI advances, Microsoft is now more strongly positioned to capitalize on those innovations.

These deals position Microsoft to benefit from more technological innovations driven by two of the most advanced AI models. It also provides it with the flexibility to work more with Anthropic should its offerings stand out over time.

Ultimately, the OpenAI partnership remains Microsoft’s most important AI agreement, but this Anthropic deal cements  Microsoft’s position as a more critical AI company.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Anthropic will spend $30 billion on Azure. Could this be Microsoft’s most important AI deal yet? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

More reading

• The best ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 20 years
• Why are ASX uranium stocks like Paladin Energy going gangbusters on Thursday?
• The smartest AI stock to buy with $1,000 right now
• Nvidia and Microsoft land a multibillion-dollar Anthropic partnership. Which stock benefits most?
• US stocks will underperform over next decade: Goldman Sachs

Will Healy 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 Microsoft and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Microsoft and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The silver price stood at US$51.17 per ounce on Tuesday, up 9% over the past month and up a staggering 77% in the year to date.

That’s faster growth than gold, the world’s commodity darling right now, which has risen 58% in the year to date.

To be fair, gold has risen a lot more over the past three years.

Gold began an extraordinary run in early 2023, while silver didn’t come out of the gates for another 12 months.

The silver price has risen from about US$22 per ounce in February 2024 to a record high of above US$54 per ounce last month.

Silver is used in defence and clean energy technologies, such as batteries and solar panels.

It’s also used in many modern consumer electronics and medical equipment due to its anti-bacterial qualities.

Analysts at Trading Economics said:

Silver has been testing all-time highs since October, but uncertainty over US monetary policy and widespread profit-taking has weighed on prices.

Silver added to US critical minerals list this month

The US Geological Survey (USGS) added silver to the nation’s critical minerals list this month.

This will likely provide more support for the silver price amid greater industrial use in the US and tight global supply and demand.

The Silver Institute says 2025 has been “a dramatic year for the silver market”.

The Institute stated that the silver price reached a record amid an unprecedented liquidity squeeze, which led to record silver lease rates, record volumes of physical silver being stored in Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) vaults due to US tariff concerns, and silver’s new designation as a critical mineral.

These developments coincide with elevated macroeconomic and geopolitical risks, including US trade policy, prompting investors to lift allocations to precious metals for portfolio diversification.

The Institute added:

Silver’s exceptional price performance and its favorable supply-demand backdrop have further reinforced investor confidence.

Billionaire metals investor Eric Sprott told Kitco News in March that the silver price could go to US$250-US$500 per ounce over the next decade.

Expert says buy this ASX silver share

On The Bull this week, Mark Gardner from MPC Markets gave a buy rating to ASX silver share, Broken Hill Mines Ltd (ASX: BHM).

The ASX small-cap stock is 84 cents per share, up 7% on Tuesday and up 79% in the year to date.

Gardner said Broken Hill Mines is one of the few listed companies providing investors with growing exposure to silver production.

The company is moving into a major growth phase, backed by strong drilling results at the Pinnacles mine and a fresh $38.5 million capital raise at $1 a share to support development.

With higher silver prices, expanding resources and near term production upside, we believe the market is undervaluing BHM at recent levels.

More about Broken Hill Mines

Broken Hill Mines was previously known as Coolabah Metals.

The company has consolidated two of the three mining companies that control all silver, lead, and zinc operations in Broken Hill.

Broken Hill Mines owns two historical operations — the Rasp Mine and the Pinnacles Mine, and is further developing both.

The company says Rasp, which is centrally located in Broken Hill, is the world’s largest silver, lead, and zinc deposit.

Rasp has a Mineral Resource Estimate of 10.1Mt at 9.4% ZnEq (5.7% Zn, 3.2% Pb and 49g/t Ag).

The mine is currently operational and producing approximately 30,000 tonnes of silver-lead-zinc ore per month.

The on-site concentrator can process up to 750,000 dry metric tonnes of silver-lead-zinc ore per annum.

It produces a lead-silver concentrate and a zinc concentrate.

About 15km south-west of Broken Hill, Pinnacles is less developed than Rasp.

The company says the mine has one of the highest grade and shallowest deposits in Broken Hill.

Broken Hill Mines put Pinnacles into care and maintenance in 2020 due to the pandemic.

However, the company has continued drilling to expand the known resource base.

Pinnacles currently has a Mineral Resource Estimate of 6.0Mt at 10.9% ZnEq (4.7% Zn, 3.3% Pb & 132g/t Ag).

The exploration target is 6.0Mt to 15Mt @ 2-4% Zn, 3-6% Pb, and 40-125g/t Ag.

The post ASX mining share offers ‘growing exposure to silver’ amid 77% rise in silver price this year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Should you buy Paladin Energy shares following record uranium production?
• How to invest and build wealth globally without leaving the ASX
• Anthropic will spend $30 billion on Azure. Could this be Microsoft’s most important AI deal yet?
• Leading analysts name 3 ASX 200 titans to buy today
• Why Bendigo Bank, Bougainville Copper, Iress, and IVE shares are falling today

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 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.

With 2026 fast approaching, we look at three S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) titans leading analysts expect to outperform in the months ahead.

One of the promising companies operates in the global defence space, while the other two are in the healthcare sector.

So, if you’re looking to add one or more ASX 200 stocks to your investment portfolio to help start the new year off on the right foot, read on!

ASX 200 stock with ongoing growth prospects

The first company that could be set for a year of outperformance is DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO).

“The company provides artificial intelligence-based platforms for protection against advanced threats, such as drones and autonomous systems,” said MPC Markets’ Mark Gardner (courtesy of The Bull).

Gardner, who has a buy rating on this ASX 200 titan, noted the meteoric rise of DroneShield shares over the first nine months of the year, and the painful crash over the past month.

He said:

The shares had enjoyed a strong run, rising from 76 cents on January 3 to close at $6.60 on October 9, driven by new deals with foreign governments and growth forecasts. The shares fell to $2.25 on November 13 and were trading at $2.095 on November 19.

Explaining the rapid fall, Gardner said, “Investors sold their shares after disclosures to the ASX revealed DRO directors had been selling their holdings.”

But Gardner noted the fundamentals and valuation look solid. He concluded:

The company generated strong revenue in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 and has a strong contract pipeline across government and military sectors. The shares are trading at a reasonable price for a company with growth prospects.

Despite the big recent fall, DroneShield shares are up 147% over 12 months.

Sigma Health Care shares off to a strong FY 2026 start

The second ASX 200 titan you may wish to add to your portfolio today is Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG).

That’s according to Ord Minnett’s Tony Paterno, who has a buy recommendation on Sigma Healthcare.

“The healthcare giant reported normalised earnings before interest and tax of $834.5 million in fiscal year 2025, up 41.4% on the prior corresponding period,” Paterno said.

“Beyond the strong earnings, SIG’s result was underpinned by operating cashflow of $599 million, better than expected net debt of $752 million and a positive outlook,” he added.

Paterno concluded:

SIG has started strongly in fiscal year 2026, with Chemist Warehouse posting double-digit network sales growth and an upgraded synergies target. Furthermore, we continue to expect upside via the international rollout and private label strategies.

Sigma Health Care shares are up 12% in a year.

Which brings us to…

ASX 200 titan with ‘growth momentum’

Securities Vault’s Nathan Lodge this week recommends buying clinical-stage biotechnology company Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB).

“Mesoblast develops allogenic cellular medicines for treating severe and life-threatening inflammatory conditions,” he said. “This regeneration therapy company offers growth momentum.”

According to Lodge:

Mesoblast’s lead product Ryoncil achieved meaningful revenue growth and now benefits from favourable reimbursement codes in the United States.

The company holds a strong cash position of about $US145 million and offers flexibility via a US$50 million convertible note facility to fund the next growth phase. Company commercialisation is progressing and MSB has generated a pipeline of depth.

The Mesoblast share price is up 41% over 12 months.

The post Leading analysts name 3 ASX 200 titans to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why are DroneShield shares flying 16% higher on Tuesday?
• Mesoblast shares push higher on strong sales update
• Top 10 most-traded ASX shares last week
• Should you buy Mesoblast, Paladin Energy, and Xero shares?
• Why DroneShield shares could rise a massive 200%

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 DroneShield. 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.

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a small decline. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.1% to 8,517 points.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are falling:

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN)

The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank share price is down 8% to $10.11. Investors have been selling the regional bank’s shares following the results of an investigation by Deloitte into suspicious activity indicative of money laundering at one of its branches. The investigation, which was initiated by the bank, concluded that deficiencies existed regarding the bank’s approach to the identification, mitigation and management of money laundering (ML) and terrorism financing (TF) risk. In response, its board stated: “The Board is very disappointed with the findings and is fully committed to ensuring that the Bank undertakes the necessary enhancements to its systems, processes and frameworks to ensure it is fully compliant with its obligations.”

Bougainville Copper Ltd (ASX: BOC)

The Bougainville Copper share price is down 49% to 59.5 cents. This morning, this Papua New Guinea based copper developer released an update on its Panguna Project. It has been busy progressing a confidential strategic partnering process to investigate the potential involvement of an international mining partner in the future redevelopment of the Panguna Project. However, the company has just found out that the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited (LMEL). It understands that the MOU serves to establish a formal framework for collaboration on major development projects across Bougainville, including the Panguna Project.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

The Iress share price is down 5% to $9.17. This has been driven by news that the financial technology company has not received a formal takeover approach. In response to media speculation, the company said: “Iress continues to engage with multiple parties in order to ascertain whether there is a proposal which could be recommended by the Iress Board and will continue to update the market in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations.”

IVE Group Ltd (ASX: IGL)

The IVE Group share price is down 5% to $2.84. Investors have been selling this marketing company’s shares following the release of an update at its annual general meeting. Management advised that year to date revenue has been softer than expected across the retail and media sectors. As a result, underlying net profit after tax is now expected to be at the bottom end of its guidance range of $50 million to $54 million in FY 2026.

The post Why Bendigo Bank, Bougainville Copper, Iress, and IVE shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Bendigo Bank shares are crashing today on ‘very disappointing’ deficiencies
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Moody’s upgrades Bendigo and Adelaide Bank credit rating: what investors need to know
• Where to from here for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank shares?
• Why Bendigo Bank, CBA, Coronado, and Life360 shares are dropping today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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 positions in and has recommended Bendigo And Adelaide Bank. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Judo Capital Holdings Limited (ASX: JDO) shares are trading in the green on Tuesday morning. At the time of writing, the shares are 1.17% higher, trading at $1.47 each. Over the month, the ASX bank stock’s shares are 16.65% lower. They’re now 25.36% below where they were this time last year.

Judo Capital Holdings is the parent company of Judo Bank. The bank specialises in lending to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). It also provides loans, lines of credit, and other tailored financial products. As of November 2025, Judo Capital Holdings has a market cap of A$1.63 billion ,which makes it a lot smaller than the big four banks. Over the past year, the Judo share price has been on a rollercoaster ride. Here’s why.

What happened to the ASX bank stock this year?

In late April, Judo Bank’s share price crashed 19% after releasing its third-quarter update. The ASX bank stock revealed it has seen a slowdown in performance. This led investors to hit the sell button.

The bank’s share price gradually increased after it announced a strong outlook and improved profit expectations for its FY25 results. The share price spiked again in October when the FY25 result was finally announced, showing robust lending growth and profit ahead, along with an optimistic  FY26 forecast. The Judo share price has tumbled again since.

So, why could it be the best buy for 2026?

While the ASX bank stocks’ share price has suffered a significant decline throughout 2025, Judo Bank has had a strong start to FY26 and looks set to continue strengthening.

At its annual general meeting (AGM) last week, the bank said lending momentum had remained strong over the first quarter of FY26. The company stated that it was confident it would achieve FY26 guidance of $180-$190 million and meet its net interest margin guidance of 3% to 3.1%. Managing director Chris Bayliss said the bank has a “clear and simple strategy” to be Australia’s most trusted SME business bank. 

What do the analysts think?

Analysts and investors were pleased with the latest AGM update. Analyst consensus appears to be that the bank’s shares are significantly undervalued and that there is likely to be a substantial upside ahead.

Macquarie has an outperform rating and $1.90 price target on Judo Bank shares. This implies a 29.52% upside over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

UBS is more bullish on the stock. It also has a buy rating on Judo shares but a higher $2.20 price target. This implies a potential 49.7% upside ahead for investors. The broker is pleased with the bank’s latest AGM announcement and suggested that Judo’s position as a high-growth ASX stock within the SME lending sector offers a potential scarcity premium in the Australian banking industry.

E&P Capital’s Oliver Coulon also thinks the shares have a way to run. He recently said that the company’s stock price has been “very weak” since it announced its full-year results in August and has a valuation on the company of $2.31 per share. This implied a potential 57.1% upside for investors, at the time of writing.  

The post Why this ASX bank stock could be the best buy in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Brokers rate these 3 top ASX shares as buys in November
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• What’s Macquarie’s current outlook on the big 4 banks?

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.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is a fascinating business. The electric-vehicle and energy company is pushing into autonomous ride-sharing and humanoid robots while still ramping its core electric vehicle and energy storage operations.

I admire what Tesla is building and expect the company to be extremely successful over time. But valuation is a critical part of investing — and at today’s price, the stock already bakes significant growth for years to come, leaving very little margin of safety if the company’s growth plans take longer than expected or if expanding into these new business lines costs more than anticipated.

With this backdrop in mind, I’d buy into the story — but only at the right price.

Growth is recovering

After a sluggish first half of 2025, Tesla returned to double-digit revenue growth in Q3. Total revenue for the period reached $28.1 billion, a 12% increase year over year, driven by record vehicle deliveries and strong demand for large-scale energy storage projects. Automotive revenue rose 6% year over year to about $21.2 billion, while the energy generation and storage segment grew revenue 44% to roughly $3.4 billion as deployments reached 12.5 gigawatt-hours.

The company delivered more than 497,000 vehicles in the quarter.

Profitability, however, told a different story. Third-quarter operating income fell 40% year over year to $1.6 billion, and operating margin dropped to 5.8% from 10.8% a year earlier. Operating expenses increased by 50% to approximately $3.4 billion, as the company invested heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure and new product development.

Valuation and my buy price

As of this writing, the stock has a price-to-earnings ratio of about 270 and trades at about 14 times sales. Those are demanding multiples for a company that still earns most of its revenue from selling vehicles. And even if investors expect Tesla to look more like a high-margin software and services platform over time, today’s valuation already prices this in.

In the meantime, Tesla’s business remains capital-intensive. But management hopes high-margin businesses — self-driving software sales and an autonomous ride-sharing network — can help the company transform into a technology company with tech company-like margins. Then there’s Tesla’s plans for humanoid robots, but it’s unclear what kind of margins it can achieve in such an unprecedented business.

The problem? Each of Tesla’s growth initiatives will require significant sums of capital to scale. In addition, there’s timing risk. These growth initiatives carry technical and regulatory risk that could delay commercialization.

Investors can already see the strain. Operating expenses in the third quarter rose much faster than revenue. That kind of spending is understandable for a company that believes it has an opportunity of unusual size. But does the stock’s valuation leave enough room for the risks associated with building out these new product initiatives?

At a price that values Tesla well over 250 times current earnings and about 170 times forward earnings, even modest setbacks in autonomy timelines or vehicle demand could create sharp swings in the stock.

That is why my own discipline points to a lower entry point. I believe that at around $220 per share, the stock would still carry a valuation that reflects Tesla’s position in electric vehicles and its growth opportunities in higher-margin businesses.

Of course, this doesn’t mean investors should sell shares they already own. Extreme volatility is part of owning a stock with so much future potential baked in. So it’s normal for shares to trade in a wide band. In addition, given Tesla’s long history of incredible growth, the company could very well exceed even my most optimistic expectations.

Still, I’m happy to admire the business from the sidelines and keep my buy price near $220, for now. This, of course, is a moving target that may very well move up over time as I get new information about Tesla’s ever-expanding business.

While there’s no guarantee shares actually fall to this price, I’ll be ready if they do. In the meantime, I’ll take new capital elsewhere. 

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post I would buy Tesla stock at this price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

More reading

• Ranking the best “Magnificent Seven” stocks to buy for 2026. Here’s my No. 7 pick.
• The best ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 20 years
• How does Tesla make money?
• US stocks will underperform over next decade: Goldman Sachs
• 5 top ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 5 years+

Daniel Sparks and/or his clients have positions in Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Tesla. 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.