• Santos versus Woodside shares: Which ASX energy stock outperformed in August?

    An oil worker assesses productivity at an oil rig.

    Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares were in focus in August as both S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy stocks reported their half year results.

    Both companies also faced fluctuating oil and gas prices over the month.

    The Brent crude oil price started August at around US$90 per barrel, falling to US$79 per barrel by 4 August amid promising Middle East peace negotiations. But as those negotiations faltered, oil marched higher again to end August right about where it started, at around US$90 per barrel, according to data from Bloomberg.

    By market close on 31 August, one of the ASX 200 energy stocks had materially outperformed the 1.1% gains posted by the benchmark index over the month, while the other finished in the red.

    Here’s what’s been happening.

    Woodside shares slip in August

    Woodside shares were the underperformers in August, closing the month down 1.6% at $32.42 apiece.

    Woodside reported its half year results on 25 August.

    Over the six months, the company raked in US$7.45 billion in operating revenue, up 13% year-on-year.

    And on the bottom line, Woodside’s net profit after tax (NPAT) of US$1.67 billion was up 27%.

    Despite the profit boost, the fully franked interim dividend of 79.5 cents a share was down 2.8% from last year.

    That Woodside dividend is still up for grabs, by the way. But not for long. Woodside stock trades ex-dividend tomorrow, 3 September. So if you want to bank that passive income payout, you’ll need to own shares at market close today.

    Woodside shares closed down 1.4% on day of the half year results release.

    Santos shares outperform

    Santos shares outpaced Woodside shares and the ASX 200 in August, gaining 3.8% over the month to close on 31 August at $8.14 apiece.

    But Santos performance is actually better than this figure indicates.

    That’s because Santos stock traded ex-dividend on 24 August.

    So investors who held the stock on 21 August (a Friday) will be receiving that payout on 23 September.

    If we add that 16.3 cent per share unfranked dividend back into the 31 August closing price, then the accumulated value of Santos shares gained 5.9% over the month just past.

    Atop the dividend news, when Santos released its half year results on 19 August, the company reported a 2% year-on-year increase in sales revenue to US$2.62 billion.

    And sales volumes increased by 1.7% to 48 million barrels of oil equivalent (mboe).

    Investors also didn’t appear overly concerned about the 19% decline in Santos’ half-year statutory net profit after tax (NPAT), which declined to US$355 million.

    Instead, investors look to be focused on the company’s growth potential as its major projects come on line and near completion.

    The company provided full calendar year production guidance of 99 to 105 mboe.

    Santos shares closed up 2.5% on day of the half year results release.

    How have the ASX 200 energy stocks tracked in 2026?

    As of early morning trade today, Santos shares are up 37.1% year to date.

    Woodside shares have gained 42.1% so far in 2026.

    The post Santos versus Woodside shares: Which ASX energy stock outperformed in August? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Santos right now?

    Before you buy Santos shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Santos wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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    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 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.

  • Could this ASX tech company really rise 180%?

    Glowing AI text in the middle of a semiconductor chip.

    Hi-tech memory company Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) posted a huge jump in net profit recently to a record $15.3 million, and the analysts at Pitt Street Research believe the shares are now in line for a rerating.

    The profit was up 246% on FY25 and the company believes strong growth will continue due to the benefits of their ReRam technology.

    Fast, efficient memory to drive revenue

    Weebit Nano said in their recent profit report that AI, digitisation and “increasing intelligent electronics” were driving demand for faster, more efficient embedded memory.

    The company said:

    ReRAM is becoming the leading technology to succeed embedded flash in next‑generation semiconductor devices, combining the performance, scalability and manufacturability required for future applications. Weebit ReRAM delivers ultra‑low power consumption, fast access times, excellent endurance and long data retention, even at high temperatures and in harsh operating environments. It is highly scalable to advanced process nodes and supports emerging computing architectures, including AI applications. With qualified solutions available across multiple foundry platforms, Weebit ReRAM is well positioned for a broad range of automotive, industrial IoT, consumer and AI‑enabled devices.

    Weebit Nano Chief Executive Officer Coby Hanoch said the company expected revenue of at least $7.1 million in the first half of FY27, up from $5.6 million in the previous corresponding period.

    He added:

    Weebit Nano has a large addressable market. We are currently the leading independent supplier that can support multiple foundries and their customers, while competing ReRAM technologies developed by some foundries, are generally available only to customers manufacturing within these foundries. We enter FY27 in a materially improved financial position, having successfully raised $102 million (including a Share Placement Plan) to cement our ReRAM leadership in the embedded NVM market and accelerate development of a solution for the In‑Memory Compute (IMC) domain.

    Broker says this ASX tech stock is looking cheap

    Pitt Street Research said in a note to clients this week that Weebit Nano was building strong traction in the analogue semiconductor market, “which we see as its “lowest-hanging” commercial opportunity, with two of its largest customers already in the space”.

    The broker said analogue was just one of multiple large markets for the company.

    They added:

    The real inflection point, however, in Weebit Nano’s business model begins as royalty revenue starts to scale. Royalties carry very high incremental margins, meaning a greater share of each additional dollar of revenue should flow through to profitability. In our scenario analysis, we believe royalties could account for more than 30% of total revenue post-2030, as existing customers move into broader mass production.

    Pit Street Research has a price target on Weebit Nano shares of $10.20, compared to $3.46 currently. The company is valued at $899.2 million.

    The post Could this ASX tech company really rise 180%? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Weebit Nano right now?

    Before you buy Weebit Nano shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Weebit Nano wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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    Motley Fool contributor Cameron England 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.

  • Corporate Travel Management swings to profit as earnings jump in FY26

    Woman on a tablet waiting in for her flight in an airport and looking through a window.

    This week, Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) posted its FY26 results, revealing a 36% lift in underlying EBITDA to $113.6 million and $17.7 million net profit after tax for FY26.

    What did Corporate Travel Management report?

    • Revenue and other income up 4% to $669.9 million
    • Underlying EBITDA rose 36% to $113.6 million
    • Net profit after tax (NPAT) of $17.7 million (improved from an FY25 loss of $348.5 million)
    • Transaction volumes climbed 13% to 18.3 million
    • $669 million in new business wins and $1.5 billion re-tendered or renewed
    • Group liquidity supported by $106.9 million cash and new $175 million funding package

    What else do investors need to know?

    CTM made solid progress on resolving customer refund matters during the year, with around 78% of refunds now either agreed or close to being finalised. The business also continued to embed improvement initiatives in governance, risk management, and operational controls across its regions.

    Results showed notable improvement in both Australia/New Zealand and Europe. ANZ revenue grew 6%, with a 53% jump in underlying EBITDA, while Europe delivered a turnaround, helped by new special project work and better contract terms. The company also finished the year with substantial cash reserves and recently secured an extra $175 million funding package to support ongoing operations and remediation.

    The Whole of Australian Government Travel Arrangements audit found no evidence of widespread overcharging and highlighted robust program controls and a collaborative approach between CTM and government. The company also announced Stewart Harvey as its new CEO for UK/Europe, following an extensive recruitment process.

    What did Corporate Travel Management management say?

    Managing Director and CEO Ana Pedersen said:

    FY26 represents an important step forward for CTM. We delivered a significant improvement in earnings and continued to maintain strong levels of client retention across our global operations. The strength of our customer franchise was evident throughout the year, with $669 million of new business wins and $1.5 billion of re-tenders and renewals secured across the Group. This demonstrates the confidence customers continued to place in CTM throughout FY26 and provides clear evidence of the quality of CTM’s customer service and value proposition. We also made substantial progress on customer remediation, with approximately 78% of refunds agreed or close to finalisation, supported by the recently announced $175 million funding package. While our earnings remain below historical levels and there is still work to do, FY26 demonstrates meaningful progress in stabilising the business, strengthening our foundations and positioning CTM for growth.

    What’s next for Corporate Travel Management?

    The company says trading in the first month of FY27 is broadly in line with expectations, with transaction volumes and TTV reflecting usual seasonal factors and client mix. Year-to-date, CTM has secured $178 million in new business wins and renewed key contracts, including with the UK Ministry of Defence.

    The Board remains focused on finalising remediation activities, continuing to strengthen governance and control frameworks, and improving operating performance. Further insights and guidance are expected at the Annual General Meeting in November 2026.

    View Original Announcement

    The post Corporate Travel Management swings to profit as earnings jump in FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Corporate Travel Management right now?

    Before you buy Corporate Travel Management shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Corporate Travel Management wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 1 August 2026

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    Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.