The James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) share price has crashed 6% in early morning trade on Wednesday. 

At the time of writing, the shares are changing hands at $37 a piece.

Despite the tumble, the shares are still up around 20% year to date and 24% higher than a year ago.

The decline comes off the back of the company’s Investor Day presentation, which was posted to the ASX ahead of the market open this morning.

What did James Hardie announce?

The cement manufacturer said it is seeing consistent demand for its products and is executing well in the areas it can control.

As a result, management is able to reaffirm the company’s second quarter and FY27 sales and adjusted EBITDA guidance (excluding Europe), and raise its FY27 free cash flow guidance to more than US$600 million, up from US$500 million+ previously. This is despite a continued challenging macro backdrop.

The company also revealed that it is targeting annual organic growth of 4% to 7% above market, with compounding earnings. 

Elsewhere, James Hardie said that it is accelerating the integration with AZEK, achieving faster-than-expected cost synergy targets. It now expects to complete the US$125 million cost synergy target a full year ahead of schedule, while revenue synergies are progressing as planned.

James Hardie is also pressing ahead with the divestment of its European operations for about US$980 million. The proceeds of which are already earmarked to pay down debt and fund share buybacks.

The announcement looks good on paper, so why are investors selling up?

What is spooking investors today?

The James Hardie share price had rallied strongly through June to August, reaching a 52-week high of $44.12 early last month. So it’s likely that investor expectations were already incredibly high. 

Investors may also have been disappointed that management reaffirmed its FY27 sales and adjusted EBITDA guidance rather than increasing it. 

It’s also possible that there is still some uncertainty about how quickly cost and revenue synergies from the AZEK acquisition can translate into earnings and cash flow.

What’s ahead for the James Hardie share price?

I expect we might see analysts and brokers revise or reaffirm their outlook for James Hardie shares in the coming days, following this morning’s announcement.

But at the time of writing, sentiment looks mostly very positive.

Market Index data shows brokers are currently split between a buy and hold rating. But the $39.20 average target price implies around a 5% upside, at the time of writing.

Analysts on TradingView are much more bullish. Of 25 analysts, 19 have a buy/strong buy rating, and another 6 rate the stock as a hold. 

But they all agree there will be some element of upside ahead. At the time of writing, the average $47.59 target price implies a potential 28% upside ahead. Whereas some are even more confident and forecast the shares to climb 50% higher to $56.05 each.

The post Down 6% today: What’s going on with the James Hardie share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

JB Hi-Fi vs Harvey Norman shares: which dividend stock wins?

If you’re an Aussie investor eyeing retail stocks for dependable dividends, JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) and Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN) quickly spring to mind. Both are household names selling consumer electronics and home essentials—but they each go about it a little differently, and their financial profiles pack in some key differences too. Comparing JB Hi-Fi vs Harvey Norman shares can help you decide which might suit your portfolio if you’re especially focused on dividend yield and income reliability. Let’s dig in.

The case for JB Hi-Fi

JB Hi-Fi is a leading specialty retailer focused mainly on consumer electronics, electrical appliances and white goods across Australia and New Zealand. Trading via JB Hi-Fi, JB Hi-Fi Home, The Good Guys and e&s, the company operates stores in shopping centres and standalone sites, with a digital presence that’s growing fast.

Notably, JB Hi-Fi offers:

• A market cap of $7.35 billion, making it significantly larger than Harvey Norman.
• A dividend yield of 5.16%, fully franked at 100%, with a history of special dividends.
• An earnings per share (EPS) of $4.467, reflecting robust underlying profitability.

JB Hi-Fi’s payout record is impressive—not only has the yield stayed attractive, its dividends have been fully franked for years, regularly delivering both interim and final (plus the occasional special) payments.

The case for Harvey Norman

Harvey Norman is best known as the powerhouse franchisor behind over 270 Harvey Norman, Domayne and Joyce Mayne stores. Its footprint isn’t limited to Australia; it stretches into New Zealand, Asia, and Europe. Uniquely, Harvey Norman also owns a hefty portfolio of properties that house many of its franchises, underpinning its balance sheet with hard assets.

Here’s where Harvey Norman stands out:

• A higher dividend yield of 7.02%, also fully franked at 100%.
• A lower P/E ratio of 9.75—suggesting shares are cheaper on earnings.
• Earnings yield of 10.26%, outpacing JB Hi-Fi.

While Harvey Norman’s market capitalisation ($5.25 billion) is smaller than JB Hi-Fi’s, it more than makes up for it with higher yield and an extensive property portfolio, providing another layer of security for income-seeking investors.

Valuation comparison

Metric	JB Hi-Fi	Harvey Norman
Market Cap	$7.35 billion	$5.25 billion
P/E Ratio	14.62	9.75
Dividend Yield	5.16% (100% franked)	7.02% (100% franked)
Dividend Per Share	$3.37	$0.26
Earnings Per Share	$4.467	$0.424
Earnings Yield	6.84%	10.26%

Harvey Norman sports a much higher yield, a lower price-to-earnings ratio and greater earnings yield, but JB Hi-Fi’s earnings and dividends per share are higher, reflecting JB Hi-Fi’s higher share price and perhaps greater operational scale.

Recent share price performance

Looking at recent momentum (prices as of mid-September 2026), both stocks have had a rocky year.

JB Hi-Fi shares have fallen -28.6% year to date, currently trading at $67.19.

Harvey Norman fared even worse, down 38.4% year to date, with shares sitting at $4.21.

In the most recent trading days, both have shown mild recoveries, but the medium-term trend has been negative for both companies—not uncommon among big-box retail shares facing tough consumer spending environments.

Which is the better buy?

If I’m choosing purely on dividend yield, Harvey Norman is the standout at 7.02%—well above JB Hi-Fi’s 5.16%. Both stocks offer fully franked dividends, which is excellent for Aussie income seekers. Harvey Norman also boasts a lower P/E and higher earnings yield, and its property ownership adds some ballast if retail trading turns rough.

On the other hand, JB Hi-Fi has demonstrated remarkable earnings power per share, a proven record of both ordinary and special dividends, and simply dwarfs Harvey Norman on a per-share dividend basis, even if its headline yield is lower due to a high share price.

Both companies have had a rough run lately, but Harvey Norman’s share price has fallen more steeply—potentially making that big yield even more attractive, but also possibly reflecting some market concern.

If I had to place my chips, I’d lean toward Harvey Norman solely for the yield and value metrics, especially if I wanted maximum income right now. But for consistency, payout reliability, and a stronger track record of per-share earnings, my confidence would sway toward JB Hi-Fi over the long term. It’s very close—and I couldn’t fault an investor for favouring either, but for a high franked yield in today’s market, my pick would be Harvey Norman.

The post JB Hi-Fi vs Harvey Norman: Which dividend stock wins? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Why the ASX 200 just hit a 6-week low

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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman. 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 draft. 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.

Shares in Neurizon Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: NUZ) are down about 45% over the past 12 months, but according to the team at Morgans, there is potentially good upside in the stock.

Key hire a positive sign

Morgans has just released a new research report on the company and reiterated its bullish share price target on the company, which I’ll get to shortly.

The broker has revisited Neurizon because the company released three news announcements in quick succession earlier this month.

Arguably, the most impactful of these was the hiring of a new Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chris Bremer, who has more than 20 years’ leadership experience spanning drug development, portfolio strategy, commercialisation, and business development.

Neurizon said that during his career, Dr Bremer had been involved in more than US$1 billion worth of licensing transactions.

The company said:

He has extensive experience guiding pharmaceutical assets from early development through to product launch and lifecycle management, as well as evaluating and executing licensing and strategic partnership transactions. His appointment comes as Neurizon advances NUZ-001 through Regimen I of the registrational Phase 2/3 HEALEY ALS Platform Trial and enters the important period leading up to topline results, expected in late Q2 CY2027. His combination of scientific, medical, commercial and transactional experience is particularly relevant as the Company prepares for the potential regulatory, development and strategic pathways that may follow and seeks to create long term shareholder value.

Neurizon’s lead investigational therapy, NUZ-001, is being evaluated as a treatment for ALS in 250 participants.

The company said its priorities “include disciplined execution of the clinical program through to topline results, continued regulatory … readiness, further development of the scientific evidence supporting NUZ-001, and preparation for potential development, partnering and commercial pathways, subject to the outcomes of the study”.

Shares looking cheap according to Morgans

Morgans said they saw Dr Bremer’s hiring as a signal that the company was looking to find development partners.

They said:

The company is unlikely to recruit a US$1bn-plus licensing operator two quarters from a registrational readout unless the Board is building toward that outcome as the preferred path. Dr Bremer has worked both sides of the licensing fence, inbound and outbound, so his skillset should be useful in structuring the dataroom, shaping the partnering process and negotiating economics if the topline result is positive.

Morgans has a price target on Neurizon of 20 cents per share compared to the current share price of 7.5 cents.

Their totally unrisked valuation is $1.50 per share, while should the clinical trial be a failure, the valuation drops to 1 to 2 cents.

Neurizon is valued at $59.4 million.    

The post Could this ASX biotech really jump more than 150%? One broker thinks so appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Down 6% today: What’s going on with the James Hardie share price?
• JB Hi-Fi vs Harvey Norman: Which dividend stock wins?
• Why this ASX share is a retiree’s dream for FY27

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.