• 2 ASX fintech shares to buy for their huge US growth potential

    Statue of Liberty.

    Two ASX fintech shares stand out to me for their potentially enormous US growth opportunities. While both companies already have established businesses, their exposure to the world’s largest economy could provide another leg of growth.

    For investors seeking ASX shares with international ambitions, Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) and Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) are two names worth considering.

    Xero: first moves in US$29 billion market

    Xero is a cloud-based accounting software company that helps small and medium-sized businesses manage accounting, invoicing, payments, payroll and other financial tasks.

    Australia and New Zealand provided Xero with its foundation, while the UK has developed into another substantial market. The company finished FY26 with 4.92 million customers globally, an impressive customer base for a company that began in New Zealand less than two decades ago.

    Yet, Xero estimates its total addressable market at around 100 million small and medium-sized businesses worldwide.

    The US could therefore be crucial to the next phase of growth for these ASX fintech shares. Xero had approximately 424,000 US customers at the end of FY26, leaving plenty of room to expand in one of management’s three most important markets.

    The acquisition of US billing platform Melio has strengthened Xero’s US proposition by allowing businesses to manage outgoing payments directly through its platform. Management estimates the US small-business payments opportunity alone at US$29 billion.

    Xero’s combination of accounting, payments and payroll gives customers more reasons to stay within its ecosystem. Its JAX artificial intelligence platform could provide another growth engine by automating financial tasks and helping customers make better decisions using their existing data.

    There are risks, including intense US competition and the need to integrate Melio successfully.

    Zip: US is only source of customer growth

    Zip is a fintech company that provides buy now, pay later and digital payment services to consumers and merchants. It is also another ASX fintech share with a rapidly expanding US opportunity. The US is already its biggest source of growth, accounting for around two-thirds of revenue in FY26.

    Total revenue increased 24.7%, including 37.3% growth in the US in Australian dollar terms. In US dollar terms, US revenue climbed 44.3%, compared with just 4.6% revenue growth in ANZ.

    The US is also Zip’s only source of customer growth. US active customers increased 9.3% to 4.65 million, while ANZ active customers declined 8% to 1.88 million. For FY27, Zip expects US total transaction value growth of more than 30%.

    Importantly, Zip isn’t simply growing revenue. Operating leverage is helping profits grow substantially faster. Cash gross profit rose 26.2% to $642.3 million in FY26, while cash operating profit jumped 57.9% to $268.9 million.

    That combination of strong US growth and improving profitability makes Zip one of the ASX fintech shares I think investors should keep on their radar.

    The post 2 ASX fintech shares to buy for their huge US growth potential appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

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

  • Should I buy BHP shares before the end of August?

    A young man wearing a black and white striped t-shirt looks surprised.

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have had a strong rally throughout August.

    At the time of writing, the ASX mining stock is up around 12% over the past month, and is a huge 58% higher than 12 months ago.

    For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has increased by around 3% over the past month and is 2% higher than it was 12 months ago, at the time of writing.

    Can BHP shares keep climbing higher next month? Is it time to snap up the stock before the next rally or have the shares reached a ceiling?

    What happened to BHP shares in August?

    BHP started trending higher in early August as the market grew more bullish on copper prices.

    But the share price picked up pace after the miner reported its record FY26 earnings results on the 18th of August.

    The group posted a strong operational performance across all its key segments and an impressive 27% increase in its underlying EBITDA

    Investors were clearly thrilled with the update and many have rushed to snap up a stake in the mining company.

    Should I buy BHP shares before the end of the month?

    If broker analysis is anything to go by, it looks like the shares are now trading around, or even a little above, fair value.

    Market Index data shows the majority of brokers have a hold rating on BHP shares. But after the August rally, the average $61.78 target price now implies a potential 8% downside ahead, at the time of writing.

    TradingView data shows similar sentiment. The majority of analysts (14 out of 24) have a hold rating on BHP shares. Another six rate the mining stock as a strong buy, and four rate the shares as a sell/strong sell.

    Again, the average $62.68 target price now implies a potential 7% downside over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

    However, the range between the maximum and minimum target prices is huge. Some forecast the shares to fall around 35% to $35.14. Meanwhile, others are bullish that BHP shares could soar 36% higher to $91.71 over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

    The team at Morgans downgraded its outlook on BHP shares to a sell and reduced its 12-month target price to $55.30 after the company announced its FY26 results. The broker noted that while it was a solid result, the share price already factors in more upside.

    John Athanasiou from Red Leaf Securities has a hold rating on BHP shares following the FY26 results announcement last week. He said that the quality of BHP’s asset base, balance sheet and diversified portfolio leaves existing shareholders with little reason to sell. But after a solid run, he said investors may be better off waiting for a more attractive entry point.

    Morgan Stanley renewed its buy rating on BHP shares after the miner’s FY26 report and increased its 12-month price target to $67.50.

    The post Should I buy BHP shares before the end of August? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in BHP Group right now?

    Before you buy BHP Group 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 BHP Group 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 Samantha Menzies has positions in BHP Group. 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 BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • After a big jump this week, what are brokers saying about the Lovisa share price?

    Girl with make up and jewellery posing.

    Lovisa Ltd (ASX: LOV) shares jumped sharply earlier this week after the jewellery retailer announced a solid uplift in profit and revenue.

    But the shares remain about a third lower over the past 12 months, and the question remains: where to from here for the share price?

    I’ve had a look at two brokers’ reports issued following the release of Lovisa’s results, and the good news is that both rate the shares highly, with bullish share price targets from each.

    I’ll get to that shortly. Firstly, let’s look at the results in more depth.

    Strong uplift in profits

    Lovisa this week reported revenue of $938.8 million, up 17.6%, while net profit was up 10.7% to $95.6 million.

    The company also bolstered its final dividend by 22.2% to 33 cents per share, 50% franked.

    Chief Executive Officer John Cheston said:

    Lovisa has once again been able to deliver strong global sales and profit growth, with the highlights being continued growth in the Americas and Europe and another exceptional Gross Margin performance. I would like to share my appreciation to the global team for their hard work in delivering these outstanding results and continuing the global momentum of the business.

    The company’s gross profit was 18.4% higher in FY26, while gross margin was up 60 basis points to 82.6%, “representing a 270 basis point improvement on FY23 following multiple years of gross margin expansion”.

    In terms of the start of the current financial year, Lovisa said total sales for the first eight weeks were up 16.4% while comparable same-store sales were up 3%.

    The company added:

    We continue to focus on opportunities for expanding both our physical and digital store network, with structures in place to drive this growth in existing and new markets and formats, with a long new store runway supporting continued store rollout momentum. Our balance sheet remains strong with available cash and debt facilities supporting continued investment in growth.

    Lovisa shares looking cheap according to brokers

    Morgans said the results were strong, with net profit coming in ahead of consensus estimates.

    The broker added:

    Lovisa has ambitious expansion plans, with significant white space opportunity for continued network expansion. Ongoing investment will be needed to expand Lovisa’s multinational network, but the company has the capacity to fund this, and we expect strong returns. We have an accumulate rating and $31.00 target price.

    Morgan Stanley is even more bullish on the stock, with a $33.50 target price, compared to the price of $26.98 at the time of writing.

    They said they saw a compelling bull case for the stock based on expansion in the total addressable market, extended store roll-outs, and an increasingly diversified business.

    Lovisa is valued at $3.06 billion.

    The post After a big jump this week, what are brokers saying about the Lovisa share price? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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