It was a pleasant end to the trading week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Friday. Investors shook off the negativity that we saw yesterday right off the bat this morning, pushing the market higher at open.

The ASX 200 stayed in green territory all session, steadily climbing to close with a 0.6% gain. That leaves the index at 9,092.3 points as we head into the weekend.

This happy day for Australian investors followed an upbeat Thursday session for US markets overnight.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) enjoyed a modest 0.1% gain.

Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) ran much hotter, rising 1.57%.

But let’s get back to the local markets now for an examination of how the various ASX sectors fared amid today’s pleasant trading conditions.

Winners and losers

There were only a couple of sectors that weren’t invited to today’s ASX party.

The most conspicuous absentee was real estate investment trusts (REITs). The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) was left out in the cold, slumping 0.78%.

The other unlucky corner of the market was utilities shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) slipping 0.09%.

Let’s get to the winners now, though. Leading said winners this Friday were tech shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was on fire, shooting 2.31% higher.

Mining stocks were in high demand too, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)’s 0.98% surge.

Gold shares were also popular. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) roared 0.9% higher this session.

Financial stocks had a day to remember as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) soaring 0.75%.

Energy shares didn’t miss out. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) enjoyed a 0.66% jump this Friday.

We could say something similar for consumer discretionary stocks, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ)’s 0.44% leap.

Its consumer staples counterpart was a little less enthusiastic. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) still managed a 0.3% improvement, though.

Communications stocks were our next corner of the market, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) advancing 0.25%.

Healthcare shares were decent performers, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) put on 0.08% today.

Finally, industrial shares only just got over the line, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)’s 0.04% bump.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Gold stock Pantoro Gold Ltd (ASX: PNR) was our chart-topper this Friday.

Pantoro shares rocketed up 5.88% to close at $2.88 each today. That was despite no news or announcements from the company today.

Here’s the rest of today’s best:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Pantoro Gold Ltd (ASX: PNR)	$2.88	5.88%
Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL)	$2.71	5.04%
Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)	$85.64	4.78%
Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR)	$1.20	4.37%
Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG)	$1.44	4.36%
IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX)	$3.05	4.10%
PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)	$5.36	4.08%
IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)	$8.58	3.50%
TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)	$32.74	3.48%
Alcoa Corporation (ASX: AAI)	$71.00	3.06%

Enjoy the weekend!

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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.

With earnings season in full swing on the ASX this week, we heard from two titans of the ASX, and two companies that almost all of us visit at least once a week. Yep, both Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) have just dropped their results. Coles stock reported on Tuesday, while Woolies shares followed up on Wednesday.

The market reacted positively to both companies’ numbers. By the time trading had wrapped up on Tuesday, the Coles share price had jumped 4.9%. Woolworths shares had gained 3.42% by the close of trading on Wednesday.

Both reports were arguably positive, with plenty of green numbers. You can read more about Coles’ FY2026 here, or about Woolies’ year here, if you’re curious.

But today, I want to focus exclusively on the final dividends that both companies declared, and assess which was the more pleasing announcement.

Coles stock or Woolies shares: Which had the better final dividend?

Let’s go through Woolworths shares’ new dividend first. Woolies revealed that its final dividend for 2026 will come in at 52 cents per share. Like all dividends from this ASX 200 stock, it will come with full franking credits attached. This final dividend represents a 15.56% increase over the equivalent payouts that shareholders enjoyed in 2025, worth 45 cents per share.

It takes Woolworths’ full-year payouts for 2026 to 97 cents per share. That’s up 15.48% from the 84 cents that shareholders bagged in 2025.

Meanwhile, owners of Coles stock are set to receive a final dividend of 37 cents per share for 2026. It will come fully franked. 37 cents per share is up 15.6% on the 32 cents investors bagged this time last year. It pushed Coles’ full-year payouts up to 78 cents per share, which was up 13% from the 74 cents the company paid out over 2025.

So on the surface, it appears these two ASX stocks have delivered markedly similar dividend results this August. And they have. However, I still think there’s a clear winner here.

Coles has given its income investors far more certainty over the past few years than Woolworths. 2026 marks the seventh year in a row that Coles has raised its annual dividends. In stark contrast, Woolies’ recent dividends have been far more yo-yo-like. To illustrate, the company doled out $1.04 per share over 2023, $1.44 per share in 2024, and then 84 cents per share in 2025.

Finally, Coles stock is sitting on a trailing dividend yield of 3.3% right now, while Woolworths shares are trading on a 2.46% yield. Enough said.

The post Coles stock vs Woolworths shares: Who had the better dividend this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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.

The Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6) share price is in focus after the company announced the granting of an expanded Mining Lease at its Bullabulling Gold Project and the acquisition of additional regional tenements, expanding its total project area to 1,527km².

What did Minerals 260 report?

• The expanded Mining Lease now covers the full mining and processing area defined in its Pre-Feasibility Study.
• Minerals 260 entered a binding agreement to acquire 367km² of additional tenure from Kalgoorlie Mining Associates Pty Ltd.
• Total project area now stands at 1,527km², up significantly from the original 130km² acquired in April 2025.
• The Bullabulling Gold Project hosts a gold resource of 190Mt at 1.0g/t Au for 6.2Moz (JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate as of July 2026).
• Board’s Final Investment Decision is on track for Q1 CY2027, with project approvals progressing as planned.

What else do investors need to know?

The newly granted Mining Lease, along with the acquisition of strategic nearby tenements, gives Minerals 260 Limited control over the largest and most prospective land package along the Bullabulling fault. This move broadens its exploration potential and underpins the scale of the Bullabulling Gold Project.

The acquisition deal consists of $250,000 in cash and $1,000,000 in Minerals 260 shares, based on a 20-day volume-weighted average price to 26 August 2026. The transaction is expected to complete within two business days, subject to standard conditions.

Pre-feasibility plans and approvals continue on schedule, supporting the path towards a Board-level investment decision next year and targeted first production in 2028.

What did Minerals 260 management say?

Minerals 260 Managing Director, Luke McFadyen, said:

The granting of the expanded Mining Lease for Bullabulling is a significant step for the Project and reflects the continued de-risking activities the Company is focussed on to achieve our first production target in 2028. The newly acquired tenure enables Minerals 260 to add further potential targets to its ongoing regional exploration program, which is a focus for the Company to drive longer term value for shareholders.

What’s next for Minerals 260?

Looking ahead, Minerals 260 plans to integrate the newly acquired tenements into its regional exploration activities to identify additional gold targets. The company maintains its focus on advancing project permits and technical studies, with key milestones including a final board decision in early 2027 and ambitions for first gold production in 2028.

Management remains optimistic that a larger, unified landholding will enhance long-term value and flexibility as development proceeds.

Minerals 260 share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Minerals 260 shares have risen nearly 600%, far outpacing the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

View Original Announcement

The post Minerals 260 expands Bullabulling project with new lease and tenement acquisition appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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 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.