One of the beauties of investing in Australian stocks on the share market is that, at least most of the time, investors are buying ownership stakes in companies that they know and trust.

Think of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) or Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN). These aren’t just stock ticker codes; they are businesses we’ve known and occasionally visited all our lives.

But not all great investments are household names. One of my favourite Australian stocks is one that most people haven’t even heard of.

However, it does invest in the likes of CBA, Woolworths and Telstra itself. Let me explain.

The Australian stock goes by the name of Plato Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: PL8). Plato is a listed investment company (LIC), which essentially means it is a company that invests in other companies. 

In Plato’s case, it does so by owning an underlying portfolio of ASX shares, which are owned and managed on behalf of Plato’s shareholders. As the name implies, Plato constructs this portfolio with the aim of maximising dividend income for shareholders. You can see this in action with the company’s holdings.

These currently include the likes of Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), and Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS). That’s amongst many others, including most of the names we touched on above.

Not only does this dividend stock utilise its holdings to pay out a relatively high dividend, with full franking credits attached, but it does so on a monthly basis. Yes, this is one of the ASX’s rare monthly dividend payers.

What makes Plato a top Australian stock?

I was lucky enough to pick up shares of this Australian stock when it was trading with a dividend yield of close to 6%. Today, recent share price appreciation has reduced this yield to a still-respectable 4.65% or so.

However, I don’t invest in Australian stocks solely for the purpose of generating income. Overall returns matter more to me than a high upfront dividend yield. But Plato shines in this arena as well. The company’s portfolio returns have been 10.7% per annum since its inception in 2017 (as of 31 October), outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s 10.5%. 

As such, I regard Plato as a top income investment on the ASX, and put it forward as quite possibly the best Australian stock you’ve never heard of. 

The post The best Australian stock you’ve never heard of appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Plato Income Maximiser. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman, Macquarie Group, Telstra Group, and Woolworths Group. 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.

Turning 60 is a major milestone. It is the point where many Australians begin shifting their mindset from wealth accumulation to preparing for life after work. With the age pension starting at 67, this is a crucial period to assess whether your super is on track and what your retirement might look like.

Because superannuation balances aren’t typically discussed among friends or family, it is hard to know whether you are doing better or worse than the national average. Fortunately, recent data gives us some clarity.

What is the average superannuation balance at age 60?

There isn’t an exact figure published for Australians at precisely age 60, so the best way to estimate it is by looking at the nearest age groups.

According to Rest Super data, women aged 55–59 hold an average balance of $228,259, while those aged 60–64 average $300,717. Using the midpoint between the two, a reasonable estimate for a 60-year-old woman is approximately $260,000 in super.

Men aged 55–59 have an average balance of $301,922, rising to $380,737 between 60–64. This puts the estimated average for a 60-year-old man at around $340,000.

These figures offer a helpful snapshot of how Australians are tracking as they approach retirement.

What could these balances grow to by retirement?

Someone aged 60 still has several years before reaching retirement age, giving their superannuation time to grow.

Using Rest Super’s superannuation calculator and assuming an annual salary of $70,000, it estimates that a typical 60-year-old woman with a balance of $260,000 today could reach roughly $355,000 by retirement. Whereas a man with $340,000 at 60 is projected to reach about $447,000.

These projections assume contributions continue and investment markets behave broadly in line with long-term averages.

Is this enough for a comfortable retirement?

To understand whether these amounts are adequate, it’s helpful to compare them with the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) benchmarks.

ASFA estimates that a single retiree needs about $595,000 for a comfortable retirement, while couples require around $690,000 combined.

It defines a comfortable lifestyle as follows:

The comfortable retirement standard allows retirees to maintain a good standard of living in their post work years. It accounts for daily essentials, such as groceries, transport and home repairs, as well as private health insurance, a range of exercise and leisure activities and the occasional restaurant meal. Importantly it enables retirees to remain connected to family and friends virtually – through technology, and in person with an annual domestic trip and an international trip once every seven years.

Using this benchmark, many single Australians at age 60 may find they are tracking below the target for a comfortable retirement. However, the average couple is on track.

In addition, ASFA’s modest retirement standard requires $340,000 for singles and $385,000 for couples, and it is described as follows:

The modest retirement standard budgets for a retirement lifestyle that is slightly above the Age Pension and allows retirees to afford basic health insurance and infrequent exercise, leisure and social activities with family and friends.

The age pension also helps fill gaps for retirees with lower balances.

What if your balance isn’t where you’d hoped?

A lower-than-expected balance at 60 doesn’t mean your options have run out. Many Australians boost their super in the final years of work.

Downsizer contributions allow eligible homeowners to add up to $300,000 from the sale of their home into super. Personal concessional contributions can also lift your balance, while still providing potential tax benefits. Even reviewing your super fund’s fees or investment performance can have a meaningful impact over the final stretch to retirement.

Small steps taken now can make a material difference by the time you exit the workforce.

Foolish takeaway

Understanding the average super balance at 60 is a useful starting point, but it is only one part of the retirement equation. What matters most is knowing your own balance, understanding how it compares to your goals, and taking proactive steps to close any gap.

The post Here’s the average Australian superannuation balance at 60 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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 ASX bank share Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) has seen a lot of volatility over the past few years, as the chart below shows. It’s now time to ask whether the bank can continue growing earnings in the coming years.

The bank recently reported its FY25 result. Broker UBS notes that the bank generated $3.6 billion of net profit in the second half of FY25 and this was in line with what market analysts were expecting. That net profit represented an increase of 9% half over half.

UBS also noted that the bank reported the core net interest margin (NIM) improved 2 basis points half over year, driven by a reduction in trading securities. It also revealed that gross loans and advances (GLAs) improved by around 3% half over half, which was largely supported by business lending.

The broker also noted that excluding the $272 million restructuring charge, costs increased by 6% half over half due to UNITE investment spending and higher staff costs.

On the positive side of things, its loan quality was a pleasing surprise for UBS. Its solid capital position should mean the business can sustain dividends despite the cost headwinds, according to the broker.

After seeing those developments, UBS decided to increase its cash net profit forecast by 0.7% for FY26, but reduce profit expectations for FY27 by 2.7% and for FY28 by 1.5%, with higher loan growth expectations and flat lending profitability to underpin volume expansion. Operating expenses forecasts were also increased.

Let’s take a look at what net profit UBS is expecting owners of Westpac shares to see in the coming years.

FY26

UBS expects the bank to deliver ongoing profitable growth, helping the bottom line climb in the 2026 financial year.

The broker predicts that the ASX bank share could achieve $7.1 billion of net profit in FY26.

UBS said:

Westpac will need to continue balancing cost and revenue/lending growth, in the context of their substantial multiyear technology transformation and simplification program.

Underlying franchise momentum in 3 of the 4 divisions was very strong (+7.0% HoH) while the mkt remains sceptical on the consumer division (32% of group profits). Our analysis shows RoTE upside from the strategic pivot to business & institutional banking.

FY27

The broker’s earnings forecast suggests the bank’s bottom line could improve by another $200 million

In FY27, UBS projects that Westpac’s net profit could reach $7.3 billion.

FY28

UBS currently believes that the 2028 financial year could see a significant increase of profitability for the bank of more than $550 million.

The ASX bank share’s earnings could rise to around $7.9 billion in FY28.

FY29

The bank could see another sizeable increase in profitability in the 2029 financial year.

UBS projects that the bank could achieve a net profit of $8.5 billion in FY29.

FY30

The final year of this series of projections could be the best year of all for the owners of Westpac shares.

UBS predicts that the business could generate net profit of $9.2 billion in FY30, representing a potential increase of around $700 million year over year.

Overall, UBS is suggesting the Westpac net profit could rise by 29% between FY26 to FY30.

The post Here’s the earnings forecast out to 2030 for Westpac shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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.

Most people assume you need a large sum of money to get started in the share market, but that simply isn’t true.

The real power comes from saving small amounts consistently and letting compounding quietly amplify those contributions over time.

With enough discipline and patience, even a modest weekly investment in ASX shares can grow into a life-changing nest egg.

Start with an amount you barely notice

The first step is surprisingly simple. Choose a weekly amount you can save without thinking too hard about it. For some it might be $20 a week, for others $50 or more. What matters most is that the amount is small enough that you can save it consistently, week after week, without feeling deprived or tempted to skip.

These seemingly insignificant contributions become the foundation of your long-term wealth.

Put your weekly savings into ASX shares

Once those weekly savings start accumulating, the key is putting that money to work in ASX shares rather than letting it sit in a low-interest account.

Growth-focused assets, such as ETFs, blue chip shares, and high-quality ASX growth stocks, have historically delivered far stronger long-term returns than cash.

You won’t see results immediately, and investing always involves ups and downs (just look at the market this month), but the long-term trajectory of markets has consistently been upward. Even small investments can meaningfully compound when they’re earning returns year after year.

Let compounding do the hard work

This is where the real magic happens. If you invested $50 a week at an average long-term return of 10% per annum, which is achievable but not guaranteed, you could end up with a significant portfolio.

$50 a week, or approximately $220 a month, would turn into $44,000 after 10 years, $88,000 after 15 years, $160,000 after 20 years, and then almost $275,000 after 25 years.

Increase that weekly amount and the results become even more impressive. With $100 a week earning the same return, a portfolio could grow to $900,000 after 30 years. Time and consistency are the two greatest accelerators of long-term wealth.

Foolish takeaway

You don’t need a high income or a large starting amount to build meaningful wealth. You need small weekly contributions, a long-term mindset, and the discipline to stick with the plan.

Compounding rewards those who are patient, consistent, and willing to let time do the heavy lifting.

With a simple weekly saving habit and a sensible investment strategy, life-changing wealth is more achievable than most people realise.

The post How to turn small weekly savings into life-changing wealth with ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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.

A Vanguard survey shows one in three Australian Millennials and one in four Gen Xers expect to enter retirement with a mortgage.

That’s if they can ever afford to buy a home in the first place.

Vanguard’s 2025 ‘How Australia Retires’ report encompassed a survey of 1,800 people aged 18 years and above.

The survey found 36% of Millennials, born between 1981 and 1995, think they will still be paying off their home loan in retirement.

The survey also found that 27% of Gen Xers, born between 1966 and 1980, expect to still be paying off their mortgage in retirement.

A surprising number of baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1965, also expect to retire with a mortgage.

The survey found just under one in four baby boomers expect to still have a home loan in retirement.

The comparison is very unfavourable to the status quo.

Among the 4.5 million retirees in Australia today, only 8% still have a mortgage.

Home ownership ‘vital’ in retirement

Vanguard said home ownership plays a vital role in Australia’s retirement system.

In fact, some experts argue that home ownership should be recognised as the ‘fourth pillar’ supporting people in retirement, alongside superannuation, the age pension, and private savings and investments.

Vanguard said working-age Australians anticipate “a very different housing reality in retirement”.

Working-age Australians are significantly more likely to expect to carry mortgage debt into retirement compared to current retirees.

While the vast majority of Australians continue to value home ownership, the rate of ownership has steadily declined over recent decades.

In 2021, just over half (54.6%) of Millennials aged 25–39 were homeowners (either with a mortgage or owning outright), compared with 62.1% of Generation X at the same age in 2006, and nearly two-thirds (65.8%) of Baby Boomers in 1991.

For many younger Australians, home ownership feels increasingly out of reach.

What do people do if they still have a mortgage at retirement?

Vanguard reported that 47% of survey respondents expected to continue paying off their home loans during retirement.

One in four said they would consider using their superannuation to pay off their mortgage in full.

And 20% said they would consider selling their mortgaged home to repay the debt and buy another property.

Hamish Landreth, Director of Financial Services at Prosperity Advisers Group, said paying off a home loan was an increasingly common consideration for new retirees, as it is generally recommended not to retire with personal debt.

While a person’s superannuation savings may provide enough to pay off their home, this strategy is not always appropriate, he said.

Landreth told The Fool:

… there can be reasons to not withdraw superannuation to reduce borrowings, especially when the superannuation investments are consistently earning more than borrowing costs or where there are taxation benefits for maintaining the borrowings.

The Vanguard survey found most Australians intend to keep their family home in retirement rather than downsize to a smaller property. 

The post Will you still be paying off a home loan in retirement? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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 most important data release of the entire fourth quarter occurred on Friday, Nov. 14, and there’s a good chance you might have missed it.

No later than 45 calendar days following the end of a quarter, institutional investors with at least $100 million in assets under management are required to file Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This filing provides a snapshot for investors that spills the beans on which stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and select option contracts Wall Street’s savviest money managers bought and sold in the latest quarter (in this instance, the September-ended quarter).

Although there’s a laundry list of successful billionaire investors to monitor, none garners attention quite like Berkshire Hathaway‘s (BRK.A0.41%)(BRK.B0.57%) billionaire boss, Warren Buffett. The “Oracle of Omaha” has nearly doubled the annualized return of the S&P 500 since 1965, including dividends paid!

Berkshire Hathaway’s latest 13F wasn’t short on surprises. Berkshire’s No. 1 holding, Apple (AAPL+0.42%), was meaningfully pared down, while another member of the “Magnificent Seven” was introduced as a borderline core holding.

Nearly three-quarters of Berkshire’s stake in Apple has been axed in two years

Let me preface the following discussion with two critical points. First, Warren Buffett is an unwavering optimist who would never bet against America or the U.S. stock market. He’s a long-term investor at heart.

However, the second must-know point is that he’s an ardent value investor. If the Oracle of Omaha doesn’t believe he’s getting a good deal, no number of competitive advantages can keep Buffett from potentially being a seller of a public company.

With the above being said, Berkshire’s billionaire boss has been a persistent seller of Apple stock since Sept. 30, 2023, with this position being cut in six of the last eight quarters. Including the 41,787,236 shares disposed of during the third quarter, a total of 677,347,618 shares were sold over the two-year period, representing a 74% reduction.

It’s certainly plausible that profit-taking is the primary reason for this selling activity. During Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in 2024, Buffett opined that a higher (expected) peak marginal corporate income tax rate was coming, and that locking in some of Berkshire’s unrealized investment gains at an advantageous rate would be wise. No investment holding has bulked up Berkshire’s unrealized profits quite like Apple.

The concern for investors is that there may be more to this story than meets the eye.

For example, despite having a generally loyal customer base and a valuable brand, Apple’s growth engine has been relatively stagnant for years. Although subscription services revenue continues to be the one bright spot, sales of physical devices, including the popular iPhone, have been somewhat flat for nearly four years. In other words, Apple is no longer the growth story it once was.

To add fuel to the fire, Apple’s valuation has been expanding to eyebrow-raising levels amid this lack of meaningful sales growth. While the company’s market-leading share repurchase program has undoubtedly helped boost its earnings per share (EPS) over time, Apple is valued at a trailing-12-month (TTM) price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of nearly 37, which is a 22% premium to its average TTM P/E ratio over the trailing-five-year period.

While Warren Buffett has been known to bend some of his unwritten investing rules, he doesn’t budge when it comes to value. Apple is no longer the screaming bargain it once was.

The Oracle of Omaha has taken a greater-than $4 billion stake in a truly magnificent company

At the other end of the spectrum, Berkshire Hathaway’s soon-to-be-retiring billionaire CEO oversaw purchases in seven securities during the third quarter. None of these buys made more waves on Wall Street than the 17,846,142 shares purchased of Magnificent Seven member Alphabet (GOOGL+3.02%)(GOOG+2.82%). Buffett’s company specifically purchased the Class A (GOOGL) voting shares, with the value of this position handily surpassing $4.3 billion by the end of September.

Most of Berkshire Hathaway’s purchasing activity over the last three years has involved establishing positions ranging from $10 million to as much as $1.7 billion. In just three months, Buffett’s company built a stake exceeding $4 billion in Google parent Alphabet, making this stock, which has gained more than 11,000% since its initial public offering (IPO), a borderline core holding (1.6% of Berkshire’s invested assets).

The first important box Alphabet checks off for Berkshire’s billionaire chief is its sustainable moat. Google has accounted for between 89% and 93% of global internet search share since 2015, according to data compiled by GlobalStats. Not even the emergence of large language models (LLMs) has threatened Google’s near-monopoly status for internet search, which is fantastic news for the company’s ad-pricing power.

To build on the previous point, Warren Buffett tends to be a big fan of cyclical businesses. He’s aware of the nonlinear nature of economic cycles — periods of economic growth last substantially longer than recessions — and positions Berkshire’s investment portfolio to take advantage of these long-winded growth opportunities. Ad-driven businesses, such as Google and Alphabet’s streaming service YouTube, benefit from disproportionately long periods of economic expansion.

Alphabet is also a key player in the cloud infrastructure service space. Google Cloud accounted for an estimated 13% of global cloud infrastructure service share for the third quarter, according to Synergy Research Group. Sales for Google Cloud jumped 25% in the September-ended quarter from the prior-year period, with an annual revenue run rate that now surpasses $60 billion. The incorporation of generative artificial intelligence and LLMs into Google Cloud for clients can further accelerate this segment’s growth rate.

Continuing down the list, Alphabet’s balance sheet is something to marvel at. The company closed out the quarter with $98.5 billion in combined cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, and has generated $112.3 billion in cash from its operating activities through the first nine months of 2025. This abundance of capital enables Alphabet to make aggressive investments in high-growth initiatives, as well as repurchase its stock and distribute a dividend to its shareholders. Warren Buffett has always been a fan of hearty capital-return programs.

The cherry on top is that Alphabet’s valuation makes sense. Although its TTM P/E ratio of 27 might not appear inexpensive on the surface, Alphabet’s projected annual sales growth rate of 13% to 14% per year suggests it offers more long-term upside than Apple.

The post Billionaire Warren Buffett sold 74% of Berkshire’s stake in Apple and has piled more than $4 billion into a “Magnificent” stock that’s up over 11,000% since its IPO appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Sean Williams has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.