PLS Group (ASX: PLS), formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, is in focus today as the company delivered a 49% jump in quarterly revenue to $373 million and reported a strong cash balance of $954 million.

What did PLS Group report?

• Revenue rose 49% on the prior quarter to $373 million
• Sales volumes increased 8% to 232,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate
• Average realised sales price surged 57% to US$1,161/tonne (SC5.2 basis, CIF China)
• Cash operating margin from operations was $166 million, up from $8 million
• Cash balance grew 12% over the quarter to $954 million as at 31 December 2025
• Unit operating cost (FOB) increased 8% to $585 per tonne

What else do investors need to know?

PLS Group continues to optimise operations at its Pilgangoora mine, delivering in line with its production plan despite recent lithium market volatility. The company completed construction of its mid-stream demonstration plant and is reviewing timelines for key growth projects including the Pilgangoora P2000 expansion and the Colina Project in Brazil.

Its lithium hydroxide joint venture facility in South Korea remains idled, with spodumene redirected to other customers while the market stabilises. The board is set to decide on a potential restart of the Ngungaju processing plant in the March quarter.

What’s next for PLS Group?

Looking ahead, PLS Group is keeping its growth options open while remaining disciplined on costs and capital allocation. The company expects to update investors on the feasibility study for its next production expansion and on the timing for restarting the Ngungaju plant in the coming months.

With a strong financial position and steady operational delivery, PLS Group is well placed to benefit as long-term demand for lithium recovers, driven by energy storage and electric vehicle adoption.

PLS Group share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, PLS Group shares have risen 97%, strongly outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post PLS Group books 49% revenue leap and strong cash flow in December quarter earnings 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.

Yesterday, ASX small-cap stock Black Pearl Group Ltd (ASX: BPG) shot 13% higher. 

This exciting AI stock is now up almost 20% year to date. 

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 2.29% in that same period.

This rapid growth is hard to ignore, even for a small-cap stock. 

What’s more intriguing, is the bullish long-term outlook from Bell Potter. 

Introducing Black Pearl Group

Blackpearl Group is a data technology platform that develops and operates a lead prospecting and marketing product suite via its proprietary Pearl Engine platform and augmented large language model developed by BPG in 2022. 

The company transforms anonymous, unstructured web visits and data layers into identifiable prospects to significantly increase efficacy for SME ad/marketing spend by targeting prospects with a high intent to buy. 

It was initially listed on the ASX last November. 

Since then, its stock price has been hovering between $0.80 – $1.00. 

Yesterday, it shot more than 13% higher. 

New analysis from Bell Potter indicates this could be just the beginning of a strong year for the ASX small-cap stock. 

The broker is expecting plenty of growth this year. 

Strong ASX debut quarter

In yesterday’s report, Bell Potter was impressed with growth in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR).

Bell Potter said ARR significantly outperformed expectations, rising $4.3m (+114% YoY, +22% QoQ) to $23.7m, well ahead of Bell Potter’s $20.3m forecast, despite 3Q typically being seasonally softer.

The broker said outperformance was driven by penetration into higher value customers and Data-as-a-Service contracts. 

ARR has been pulled forward by ~two quarters, reaching levels Bell Potter had previously forecast for 1Q27.

This drives improved EPS loss forecasts of 2.3% (FY26), 15.4% (FY27) and 21.8% (FY28).

Essentially, Bell Potter sees the company’s debut quarter as a strong validation of its multi-venture model.

Price target upgrade from Bell Potter

Based on this guidance, Bell Potter has retained its speculative buy recommendation. 

It also increased its price target to $1.91 (previously $1.45). 

From yesterday’s closing price, this indicates an upside of 94.90%. 

Our valuation increases to $1.91/sh following the ~2qtr pull forward of ARR within our expected $50m horizon and re-weighting of our Bull/Base/Bear case scenarios. BPG is growing and executing quickly during a land-grab phase of AI implementation into sales and marketing technology stacks, primarily into the large US SME market.

The post The high flying ASX small-cap AI stock you need to pay attention to! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) shares have had a choppy run over the past year.

Despite some strong operational progress, the biotechnology company’s shares finished Thursday’s session at $2.58, well below their recent highs.

So, has the market become too cautious on the Mesoblast story, or is there more going on beneath the surface?

Let’s take a look at what Bell Potter is saying following the company’s latest update.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter believes Mesoblast continues to make meaningful progress, particularly as it moves deeper into the commercial phase with its lead product, Ryoncil.

Commenting on its second quarter update, the broker highlighted the strength of revenues relative to expectations and the early signs of commercial momentum. It said:

Ryoncil gross revenues for the December quarter had previously been reported at $35m (+60% vs 1Q26). Net revenues were $30m reflecting an increase in the gross to net discount to 14.3% vs 12.8% in 1Q26. The increase in GTN discount is a reflection of the sales mix between medicare and private patients. Our model continues to assume a 13% GTN discount long term. Consensus for Dec qtr revenues was $27.6m, hence the result was an 8% beat.

Bell Potter also pointed to encouraging real-world data emerging since Ryoncil’s launch, which it believes adds further confidence to the long-term commercial outlook. It adds:

Of the first 25 patients treated with Ryoncil in the ‘real-world’ clinical setting post launch, 21 (84%) were alive at day 28. The data is highly consistent with data from the clinical trial setting. […] The outcomes highlight the need for clinicians to avoid delays in making Ryoncil available to patients, i.e. it should be made available as early as possible where patients fail to respond to steroid treatment.

The broker believes this real-world performance should help drive broader adoption, particularly given that reimbursement coverage is now close to universal.

Debt reset

Bell Potter also sees the company’s new debt facility as a key positive, both from a balance sheet and earnings transparency perspective. The broker explains:

The new loan package vastly simplifies the balance sheet and earnings transparency by virtue of the simple 8% charge, paid quarterly – interest only for five years. […] This new facility will considerably lower the cost of finance which we estimate has an all in cost of ~18%. The full year annualised saving on interest charges alone is estimated at ~$14m of which the part year impact on FY26 is estimated at $6m–$7m.

Importantly, Bell Potter believes improving sales trends and stabilising operating costs should see Mesoblast move closer to cash flow breakeven very soon. It adds:

Based on the trends for sales and operating expenses, we continue to believe MSB should be generating material positive cash from operations from the June quarter of CY2026, minimising the need for additional debt.

Should you buy Mesoblast shares?

In response to the update, Bell Potter has retained its speculative buy rating on Mesoblast shares with an improved price target of $4.45 (from $4.00).

Based on the current Mesoblast share price of $2.58, this implies potential upside of over 70% for investors over the next 12 months.

The post Could Mesoblast shares hit $4.45 in 2026? 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.

CAR Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) and REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA) shares are trading at historically low levels. Some of this underperformance has been attributed to fears of long-term threat posed by AI-driven competition. 

So much discourse surrounding the AI boom has been focussed on identifying stocks set to benefit from technological innovation and integration. 

However there is also the possibility that some businesses’ core products are challenged by AI tools. 

This fear may be contributing to why CAR Group Shares and REA Group shares are both trading close to 52 week lows.

On one hand, investors may say these stocks look increasingly attractive from a valuation perspective. 

However there are serious questions about the threat of AI, along with other concerns that have influenced this underperformance. 

A new report from Canaccord Genuity/Wilsons Advisory has shed light on what may be influencing investor sentiment.

The report also identified key areas of focus that could influence investor decisions during and after February’s reporting season.

AI and competitive risks 

Greg Burke, Equity Strategist said these two ASX 200 stocks will be of particular interest this reporting season following a period of material underperformance, driven by several ongoing investor debates that are likely to dominate earnings calls.

Mr Burke said investors are questioning the potential long-term threat posed by AI-driven competition. 

Management teams are likely to address these concerns directly, while also highlighting the material revenue and cost opportunities associated with internal AI adoption, and reiterating the strength of their respective data moats and product offerings.

For REA Group, the report said the key debate regarding competition centres on the extent to which Domain, now owned by CoStar, and Google (which is reportedly exploring a real estate platform), could threaten REA’s leading market position and, over time, erode pricing power and margins.

Interest rates and cyclical concerns 

The report also noted that the growing prospect of further RBA rate hikes presents a potential headwind for automotive and real estate listings domestically. 

This increases the importance of yield and depth growth to support revenue and earnings over the near term. 

We expect both REA and CAR to deliver strong outcomes on this front in FY26.

The report also said softness in the US RV market has been a key focus for Car Group investors.

We expect CAR to point to further signs of improvement in the US RV market, consistent with broadly supportive US macro conditions, including the prospect of multiple interest rate cuts by the Fed this year.

Are either of these stocks a buy?

Some of these questions may be answered by management in February’s upcoming reporting season. 

REA Group said it will announce its results for the half-year ended 31 December 2025 on Friday, 6 February 2026.

Meanwhile, CAR Group will announce its results for the half year ended 31 December 2025 on Monday 9 February 2026.

Mr Burke said with sector debates weighing on sentiment, REA and CAR look increasingly attractive from a valuation perspective. 

They trade on forward P/Es of 25x and 36x, which is ~20% below their five-year averages, while offering above-market, mid-teens EPS growth over the medium term. With these discounts, both stocks appear well positioned for relief rallies if their management teams can ease investor concerns or deliver upgrades to consensus.

The post Is AI a real threat to CAR Group and REA Group shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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 recommended CAR Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Turning $100,000 into $1 million over the next decade is not easy, and it is certainly not guaranteed.

To even have a chance, investors usually need to back businesses with long runways, scalable models, and management teams focused on building much larger companies over time. These are typically ASX stocks that reinvest heavily today in the hope of much bigger rewards tomorrow.

With that in mind, here are two ASX stocks that I believe have the ambition, strategy, and opportunity to aim for that kind of outcome by 2035.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The first stock that could deliver exceptional long-term returns is Megaport.

Megaport operates at the heart of cloud computing, networking, and enterprise IT infrastructure. Its platform allows businesses to instantly connect data centres, cloud providers, and increasingly compute resources, without the rigidity of traditional telecom contracts.

The company has a significant addressable market to grow into over the next decade. Global enterprise spending on cloud services, hybrid IT environments, and AI workloads continues to grow, and all of it depends on fast, flexible, and secure connectivity.

Multi-cloud adoption, regional data requirements, and AI-driven workloads all make traditional networking harder to manage. Megaport’s software-defined approach is designed for exactly that environment.

The move into high-performance compute via the Latitude acquisition further broadens this ASX stock’s opportunity. It positions Megaport closer to where networking and compute converge, potentially expanding its role from a connectivity layer into a more central piece of digital infrastructure.

If Megaport succeeds in embedding itself deeper into global enterprise architecture, its long-term addressable market could be far larger than what its current revenue base implies.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Another stock that could potentially turn $100,000 into $1 million by 2035 is online furniture and homewares retailer Temple & Webster.

At its annual general meeting last year, management spoke about the size of the opportunity still ahead. It estimates its total addressable market to be around $37 billion, made up of a $19 billion furniture and homewares market and a further ~$18 billion home improvement market.

Importantly, the ASX stock believes both markets remain underpenetrated online. Furniture and homewares online penetration sits at roughly 20%, while home improvement is even earlier in its transition, with online penetration estimated at just 5% to 10%. By comparison, overseas markets such as the US and UK have already reached penetration rates closer to 30% to 35%.

Despite its strong brand recognition, Temple & Webster is still only a small participant in this market today. Management notes that its share of the Australian furniture and homewares market recently reached a record 2.7%, highlighting just how much runway remains if it can continue to take share over time.

If Temple & Webster continues executing and gradually deepens its penetration of a multi-billion-dollar market, the scale of the business by 2035 could be meaningfully larger than it is today.

The post 2 stocks that could turn $100,000 into $1 million by 2035 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Megaport and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Megaport and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) shares have been on a strong run over the last 12 months. 

The ASX energy stock climbed almost 3% higher yesterday alongside the release of its quarterly report.

That takes its growth to 21% in 2026 alone and more than 55% in the last 12 months. 

The company is Australia’s largest independent coal producer and the leading coal producer in North West New South Wales.

Yesterday, the company reported managed ROM coal production of 11.0 million tonnes for the December quarter. 

This was up 21% on the prior period, and equity sales of 7.0 million tonnes, rose 18% quarter-on-quarter.

But it isn’t all good news for Whitehaven Coal shares. 

A new report from Bell Potter suggests the stock may have peaked, with the broker changing its recommendation to a sell. 

Here’s what the broker had to say. 

Met coal prices to ease

While Bell Potter did acknowledge the strong quarter, the broker notes that Whitehaven Coal’s production and sales are tracking in the upper half of FY26 guidance, although the midpoints imply a softer performance in the second half. 

It said near-term output from Queensland is expected to be disrupted by heavy rainfall and Cyclone Koji. Additionally, metallurgical coal prices are likely to ease from current elevated levels as weather conditions normalise and supply chains in the Bowen Basin recover. 

Thermal coal prices at Newcastle remain weak, and a higher share of Narrabri sales in the mix is expected to drag New South Wales realised prices below the gC NEWC benchmark, as already seen in 2Q FY26. 

As a result, Bell Potter has revised EPS forecasts down by 12% for FY26 and 2% for FY27, with no change beyond that.

Sell recommendation for Whitehaven Coal shares

Whitehaven Coal shares closed trading yesterday at $9.46 after a strong gain. 

The broker sees this as too high, and has adjusted its recommendation to a sell (previously hold). 

Bell Potter has a price target of $8.40. 

This indicates a downside of 11.21%. 

We move to a Sell recommendation with strong recent share price performance. In the medium term, WHC are positioned to capitalise when coal markets sustainably improve with a diversified portfolio of assets in Queensland and New South Wales and strong organic growth optionality. 

We have a positive long term met coal outlook, driven by constrained supply and increased demand from steel producers reliant on seaborne met coal (i.e. India).

The post Why it’s time to sell Whitehaven Coal shares – Expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

Vitrafy Life Sciences Ltd (ASX: VFY) is an ASX healthcare stock that was heavily sold off yesterday. 

It is an Australian innovator in cryopreservation solutions. 

It develops a range of proprietary smart cryopreservation hardware devices along with Lifechain – an integrated, cloud-based software platform, to provide a complete, vertically integrated cryopreservation solution to retain the quality of cryopreserved biomaterials. 

This ASX healthcare stock lost more than 5% in yesterday’s trading after the company released its quarterly activities report.

However a new report from broker Bell Potter suggests it could be an undervalued ASX healthcare stock with plenty of upside. 

2Q26 Result

In yesterday’s report, the company released financial information. 

It reported improved operating cash flow in 2Q26 with a net outflow of approximately $2.9m.

This was down from roughly $3.7m in 1Q26.

Cash costs increased 47% YoY to $5.0m.

The improvement in cash flows reflected the receipt of $1.8m in grant funding as part of a $4.8m Industry Growth Program grant to commercialise cryopreservation technology.

The $10m the Company had on term deposit rolled over during the quarter.

Across the balance of FY26, average quarterly cash costs are expected to increase around 10-15% in the current half, coinciding with the Company’s investment in the ramp up of key regulatory testing work for medical device registration, expansion of the commercial team in the US and investment in an initial fleet of devices to meet anticipated demand.

Investors largely rotated out of the stock based on this report, as this ASX healthcare stock fell 5.66% on Thursday.

Opportunity knocks for this ASX healthcare stock

After yesterday’s stock price fall, new analysis from Bell Potter indicates the stock could be significantly undervalued.

The broker said the strategic collaboration with global animal reproduction leader IMV Technologies (over 500m inseminations annually) opens a potential $100m+ managed services opportunity at full penetration across IMV’s ~1,200 collection centres. 

The 12-month co-development agreement is expected to deliver ~$0.93m in revenue through CY26 and positions VFY for a longer-term partnership while accelerating animal market progress and allowing greater focus on the North American human health market.

The maiden commercial agreement with IMV appears quite prospective and marks the beginning of commercial visibility into VFY’s future.

The broker has a speculative buy rating on this ASX healthcare stock. 

It also upgraded its price target to $2.28 (previously $2.10). 

From yesterday’s closing price, this indicates an upside of 30.29%. 

The post This broker just upgraded this ASX healthcare stock and is predicting 30% upside appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

If I were forced to buy one ASX stock and then ignore the share price for the next decade, I would be looking for dominance, pricing power, and a business model that quietly compounds regardless of the economic backdrop.

For me, that stock is REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA).

Market dominance that competitors simply can’t match

REA’s strength starts with its overwhelming position in Australian property listings, and the gap to competitors is not narrowing.

In the first quarter of FY26, realestate.com.au averaged 12.6 million monthly users, with 6.7 million of them using the platform exclusively. Average monthly visits reached 147.9 million, which is more than 111 million visits per month ahead of its nearest competitor. Buyer enquiries grew 19% year-on-year, while seller leads jumped 35%.

Those numbers matter because they reinforce the flywheel that keeps agents, developers, and advertisers locked into the platform. More buyers attract more sellers. More sellers attract more agents. And that scale makes it very difficult for rivals to compete on value, even if they discount heavily.

Pricing power

One of the most impressive aspects of this ASX stock’s performance in FY26 is that it continued to grow revenue and earnings despite lower listing volumes.

Group revenue rose 4% year-on-year to $429 million, while EBITDA increased 5% to $254 million. Free cash flow jumped 16% to $86 million.

In Australia, residential Buy revenue growth was driven by a 13% increase in yield, even though national listings were down 8%. That yield growth came from higher pricing on premium products, increased take-up of add-on features, and deeper penetration across listings.

This is exactly what you want to see from a dominant marketplace. When volumes fluctuate, pricing and product depth do the heavy lifting.

A business that keeps widening its moat

REA is not standing still. During the quarter, it completed the acquisition of iGUIDE, an AI-enabled property imaging and floor plan platform, which strengthens its offering to agents and vendors. It continues to invest heavily in data, audience tools, and premium advertising products that lift returns for customers and reinforce its value proposition.

Importantly, REA still only has around 10% penetration of its broader addressable market in areas like financial services, data, and adjacent property services. That gives the ASX stock multiple long-term growth levers beyond simple listing volumes.

Why this is a true buy and forget ASX stock

REA is not cheap in a traditional sense, and it probably never will be. But that’s because it combines rare attributes: structural dominance, strong cash generation, and the ability to grow earnings without relying on constant market expansion.

Over a 10-year horizon, I care far more about whether a company can maintain relevance, pricing power, and customer dependence than whether it looks optically cheap today.

On those measures, REA stands out. It’s the kind of business I’d be comfortable owning through housing cycles, interest rate changes, and market volatility, without feeling the need to check the share price every week.

If the goal is long-term compounding rather than short-term trading, this is about as close as the ASX gets to a set-and-forget stock. And with its share price down 32% from its high, there might have never been a better time to invest.

The post The incredible ASX stock I’d hold for 10 years without watching the share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares have had their fair share of ups and downs over the past couple of years. Far more than most ASX 200 blue chip stocks, as it happens.

After riding out the ‘Masters’ hardware store debacle in 2015, Woolworths shares managed to re-establish a reputation for defensive earnings and stable dividends in subsequent years. The period between mid-2016 and mid-2021 was one of the best in the company’s long history. It saw Woolworths’ shares rise from about $17 each to the (still-reigning) record high of $42.47 that we saw in August of 2021.

But sadly, it was not to last. Since those 2021 peaks, it’s been mostly a one-way street for Woolworths, and that way was not up-and-to-the-right.

A series of unfortunate events began unfolding for the company. Its Big W and New Zealand divisions continued to weigh on the company’s financials, which were not assisted by a slow erosion of its market share at the benefit of arch-rival Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). Former CEO Bradford Banducci’s exit in 2024 was also not received well by the markets. Nor were the company’s two earnings reports, for that matter.

This all came out in October last year, when Woolworths shares hit a six-year low of $25.51.

But we are not here to talk about Woolworths’ 2020s rough patch. So let’s get to the dividends.

What kind of dividend income are Woolworths shares paying out?

Like the company’s share price itself, the dividends from Woolworths have been through some swings and roundabouts of their own in recent years. Unlike Coles, which has made a point of delivering slow and steady annual increases, Woolworths’ payouts went from an annual total of $1.08 per share in 2021 to 92 cents in 2022. Then back to $1.04 in 2023 and again in 2024.

2025 saw this absence of a trend continue. The company funded an April interim dividend worth 39 cents per share, followed by September’s final dividend worth 45 cents per share. That annual total of 84 cents per share was the lowest paycheque investors have banked since 2017.

At yesterday’s closing share price of $30.59, that 84 cents gives Woolworths shares a trailing dividend yield of 2.75%.

In some potentially good news for investors, though, this dividend dip might be short-lived. Last week, my Fool colleague Grace looked at analyst predictions that Woolworths could spend the next few years hiking its dividends, with a potential payout of $1.35 per share by FY2028 pencilled in.

If accurate, that would give Woolworths shares a forward FY2028 yield of well over 4% today…But we’ll have to wait and see what the company’s next set of earnings brings to its dividend investors.

The post Buying Woolworths shares? Here’s the dividend yield you’ll get 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 positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

When I think about holding an investment for 10 years or longer, I’m not trying to predict next quarter’s returns. I’m looking for exposure to lasting competitive advantages, structural growth trends, and portfolios that can adapt as the world changes.

That’s why, if I were building a long-term exchange-traded fund (ETF) allocation today, these three VanEck funds would be near the top of my list.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat AUD ETF (ASX: MOAT)

When I think about holding an ETF for a decade or more, I keep coming back to the concept of a moat. It’s an idea most closely associated with Warren Buffett, who has long argued that the best investments are businesses with durable competitive advantages, bought at sensible prices.

That’s essentially what the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat AUD ETF aims to do.

The ETF invests in US companies that are judged to possess sustainable economic moats, such as strong brands, high switching costs, or network effects. Crucially, it also incorporates a valuation discipline, tilting the portfolio toward fair valued stocks.

For a long-term investor, that combination of quality and price discipline is powerful. It’s not about chasing whatever is popular at the time. It’s about owning businesses that are built to last and giving them time to compound.

VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

The VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF is the long-term growth play in this group, and I think the numbers back that up.

According to Statista, global gaming revenue is projected to reach US$564 billion in 2026 and grow at a compound annual rate of 6.8% through to 2030, taking the market to more than US$730 billion. The number of gamers worldwide is expected to climb to just over 3 billion users by the end of the decade, which tells me this is not a saturated market, even at its current scale.

What I like about the ESPO ETF is that it gives exposure to the companies building the infrastructure, platforms, and content that sit at the centre of this growth.

This VanEck ETF won’t move in a straight line, and I wouldn’t expect it to. But over a 10-year horizon, the combination of a growing user base, rising engagement, and expanding monetisation makes interactive entertainment a theme I’m comfortable backing for the long run.

VanEck Global Clean Energy ETF (ASX: CLNE)

Clean energy is a theme that has already had moments of hype, disappointment, and volatility. That’s exactly why I think it makes sense to view it through a long-term lens.

Regardless of short-term policy shifts or commodity cycles, the direction of travel is clear. Energy systems are gradually transitioning toward cleaner, more sustainable sources. That transition will require enormous investment across generation, storage, grid infrastructure, and supporting technologies.

The VanEck Global Clean Energy ETF provides diversified exposure to stocks involved across the global clean energy value chain. Some will succeed more than others, but owning the theme through an ETF reduces single-company risk and allows time for the winners to emerge.

For me, the CLNE ETF is a way to participate in a multi-decade transformation without needing to perfectly time the cycle.

Foolish takeaway

Holding an ETF for a decade or more requires confidence in the underlying idea, not just recent performance.

The MOAT ETF gives me durable competitive advantages and valuation discipline. The ESPO ETF gives me exposure to long-term digital entertainment growth. The CLNE ETF gives me a stake in the global energy transition.

Together, they reflect how I like to invest for the long run: a mix of quality, growth, and structural change, with enough diversification to stay invested through whatever the market throws up along the way.

The post Why I would buy and hold these VanEck ETFs for a decade or more appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 recommended VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.