The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is heading lower again on Tuesday as investors start September on the back foot.

At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.31% to 9,048 points after falling as low as 9,023 points earlier in the session. That briefly put the ASX 200 at its lowest level in around 2 weeks.

The weakness is fairly broad, with 105 of the top 200 shares falling, 84 rising, and 11 unchanged at the latest count.

So, what is behind today’s move?

Bond yields and rates are back in focus

Wall Street gave the ASX 200 a weak lead overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) falling 0.7%, the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) dropping 0.33%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) slipping 0.12%.

Higher oil prices and rising bond yields didn’t help.

Brent crude moved back above US$90 a barrel as fighting between the US and Iran picked up again, adding to concerns that higher energy prices could keep inflation elevated.

Bond yields are also moving higher. Australia’s 10-year government bond yield has climbed to around 5.19%, its highest level in 15 years, while the US 10-year Treasury yield is above 4.75%.

Interest rates are also back in the conversation again.

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) now expects the RBA to lift the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.60% in November, citing persistent inflation and resilient household spending.

That follows a stronger-than-expected July inflation report, while the latest ANZ-Roy Morgan survey showed consumer confidence falling 2.6 points to 74.9 last week.

Ex-dividend moves are adding to the decline

Part of today’s fall also comes down to several large ASX 200 shares trading ex-dividend.

That means investors buying the shares today won’t receive the latest dividend, which can see the share price fall by roughly the value of the payout.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares are down 3.89% to $76.35, Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares have dropped 2.70% to $39.22, while Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares are 2.03% lower at $17.34.

Resources are limiting the damage

It isn’t all red across the market, with higher commodity prices helping several large resource shares.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are up 1.85% to $33.02, and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares have gained 2.21% to $8.32 as oil prices rise.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares are also 0.59% higher at $66.62, while Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares have added 0.50% to $175.68.

That support has helped keep the ASX 200 above 9,000 points, after it briefly moved closer to that level earlier in the session.

The post The ASX 200 is falling again. What’s behind the sell-off? 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 positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) shares are 0.3% lower at 9,240.3 points on Tuesday.

With earnings season now over, brokers have updated their ratings and 12-month price targets on hundreds of ASX shares.

Top broker Morgans reckon these three ASX shares are going to rip over the next year.

Here’s why.

Airtasker Ltd (ASX: ART)

The Airtasker share price is 22 cents, down 2.3% today and down 46% over 12 months.

Morgans kept its buy call on this ASX communications share after reviewing Airtasker’s FY26 report.

The broker has a 12-month price target of 47 cents, suggesting a potential near-120% upside ahead.

Morgans said:

Airtasker’s (ART) FY26 result was broadly in line with our expectations.

Group revenue grew ~10% on pcp to A$57.8m (marketplaces revenue ex-OneFlare +15.5% to A$52m), and its earlier stage offshore marketplaces (UK/US) showed accelerating momentum and strong topline growth (+55%/150% respectively).

ART also announced media deals with OML and Nova, extending the brand investment runway (media inventory to deploy from FY27 now ~A$24m).

betr Entertainment Ltd (ASX: BBT)

The betr Entertainment share price is steady at 20 cents on Tuesday, and down 33% over 12 months.

Morgans reiterated its buy rating on this ASX retail share after the company’s FY26 results.

The broker has a target price of 36 cents, implying a potential 80% upside over the next year.

Morgans said:

BETR Entertainment (BBT) finished the year strongly, with normalised EBITDA of $6.1m in the second half against guidance of $5m to $8m, a $19.3m swing on the first half.

Full year normalised EBITDA of -$7.1m was a touch below our -$6.2m, with a gross profit beat offset by a higher cost of doing business.

Encouragingly, current trading remains healthy. Through the first eight weeks of FY27, turnover is up more than 20%, new customers have almost doubled, CPA is down 31% and promotional cost is down 9%, all excluding the FIFA World Cup.

The company announced the launch of its new first to market ‘Wildcards’ same game multi (SGM) feature that will launch during the Wildcard AFL round this weekend.

Mach7 Technologies Ltd (ASX: M7T)

The Mach7 Technologies share price is steady at 28 cents today, and down 10% over 12 months.

Morgans reaffirmed its buy rating on the ASX healthcare share after reviewing Mach7’s FY26 report.

The broker raised its 12-month price target from 44 cents to 48 cents.

This suggests a potential 70% upside ahead.

Morgans said:

The market should be broadly comfortable with the result given recent trading updates, but new contract delivery remains the key requirement before investors are likely to begin marking the stock materially higher.

Revenue and OPEX landed broadly in line with guidance, while the NPAT miss was driven by a A$1.9m restructuring charge and a weaker tax benefit rather than deterioration in the core subscription business.

Moderate increase in target price due to model roll-forward, lower share count, and leaner-than-expected cost base.

Upside potential to target presents an opportunity but needs new contract momentum to spark renewed interest.

The post 3 ASX shares tipped by broker to rise 70% to 120% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 4 ASX All Ords shares with 40% to 90% upside post-results: experts

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 Mach7 Technologies. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker. 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.

Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares have fallen to a new 52-week low on Tuesday.

At the time of writing, the Fortescue share price is down 2.37% to $17.28 after briefly touching $17.10 earlier this morning.

There’s a pretty simple explanation behind much of today’s fall. Fortescue is trading ex-dividend for its 46-cent fully franked final dividend, which is due to be paid later this month.

Still, today’s move continues what has been a difficult year for shareholders.

Fortescue shares are now down around 21% since the start of 2026 and have fallen roughly 6.7% over the past month.

So, with the shares back at their lowest level in a year, is this starting to look like a buying opportunity?

A rough few months

Fortescue shares were trading above $22 in late May before beginning their latest slide.

The stock has struggled to regain momentum since then and entered September close to the bottom of its 52-week range.

Today’s ex-dividend move needs to be kept in context. The shares closed at $17.70 yesterday and investors buying from today will no longer receive the 46-cent final dividend.

Looking beyond today’s price swing, Fortescue recently reported FY26 underlying EBITDA of US$8.6 billion, up 9%, and underlying net profit rose 9% to US$3.5 billion.

Free cash flow increased 25% to US$3.2 billion, while iron ore shipments reached a record 201.3 million tonnes.

What do brokers think?

Despite the weaker share price, brokers remain fairly cautious.

According to TipRanks, the average 12-month price target across 11 analysts is $17.95. That’s only around 4% above the current Fortescue share price.

There are currently 2 ‘buy’ ratings, 6 ‘holds’ and 3 ‘sells’.

Morgan Stanley is one of the more bearish brokers. It reiterated its ‘sell’ rating on Tuesday with a $15.45 price target, implying downside of around 11% from current levels.

At the other end, Macquarie has a ‘buy’ rating and $20 target, while Ord Minnett is also positive with a $19.50 target.

Is it time to buy Fortescue shares?

The falling share price has certainly made Fortescue look cheaper than it did a few months ago.

The company paid $1.08 per share in fully franked dividends across FY26. Based on the current share price, that represents a trailing dividend yield of around 6.3%.

But brokers don’t see a huge amount of upside on average, and the shares have remained in a clear downtrend since May.

That leaves investors with a mixed picture. The shares are cheaper and the dividend yield looks decent, but brokers are hardly rushing to call the stock a bargain.

A lot will depend on whether Fortescue can keep producing strong cash flow from here.

The post Fortescue shares just hit a 52-week low. Is it time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Don’t panic if these 9 ASX 200 shares fall today
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Chasing dividends? 11 ASX shares in top-paying sectors going ex-dividend this week
• ASX 200 mining shares outperform in final week of earnings season
• If I invest $15,000 in Fortescue shares, how much passive income will I receive in 2027?

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.