Stock Pick

  • Up 300% in 6 months! This soaring ASX lithium stock just took a major step to production

    A green fully charged battery symbol surrounded by green charge lights representing the surging Vulcan share price today

    Lithium stocks have been on a tear over the past few months.

    For instance, take leading ASX 200 lithium miner Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS).

    Shares in the company have jumped by 181% since early June, climbing to $3.80 per share at Friday’s close.

    And during the same period, fellow ASX 200 mining heavyweight Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has seen its share price more-than-double.

    But a lesser-known lithium player has outperformed both mining behemoths.

    That company is Global Lithium Resources Ltd (ASX: GL1), an exploration business aiming to bring its wholly owned Manna lithium project to production.

    Global Lithium shares have surged by 300% over the past six months, reaching $0.60 apiece at the close of business on Friday.

    And this week, the group took a major step to realising its goals of becoming Australia’s newest lithium miner.

    Significant lithium project

    Manna lies about 100 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie in the globally renowned and infrastructure-rich Goldfields region of Western Australia.

    It boasts a mineral resource consisting of 51.6 million tonnes grading 1.0% lithium.

    And management believes Manna to be the third largest lithium resource in the Kalgoorlie lithium province.

    Earlier this year, Global Lithium notched up two key milestones in its efforts to move the project to production.

    In August, it sealed a Native Title Mining Agreement whilst also securing a mining lease from the Western Australian government.

    And just this week, the ASX lithium stock took another major step on its path to production.

    What happened?

    Over the past nine months, Global Lithium has been running a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) to gauge the merits of building a mine at Manna.

    And on Thursday, it unveiled the results.

    According to the company, the study confirmed Manna as a long-life and economically robust lithium asset.

    It forecast an initial mining operation spanning 14.3 years, with a payback period of 3.5 years.

    The study also envisaged a post-tax free cashflow of about $1.15 billion for the duration of the mine.

    Global Lithium managing director, Dr Dianmin Chen, commented:

    This DFS underscores the potential for Manna to both create shareholder value and contribute to the world’s lithium supply chain through its robust economics, significant long-life potential and Company’s commitment to invest in and develop projects in Western Australia.

    What next for this ASX lithium stock?

    Global Lithium will now focus on securing the funding required to build a mine.

    Here, the DFS projected capital costs to total nearly $440 million.

    It will also look to nail down remaining regulatory approvals ahead of a final investment decision planned for next year.

    The post Up 300% in 6 months! This soaring ASX lithium stock just took a major step to production appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Global Lithium Resources Limited right now?

    Before you buy Global Lithium Resources Limited 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 Global Lithium Resources Limited 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    Motley Fool contributor Bart Bogacz 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.

  • Forecast: Here’s what $10,000 invested in Wesfarmers shares could be worth next year

    A woman looks at a tablet device while in the aisles of a hardware style store amid stacked boxes on shelves representing Bunnings and the Wesfarmers share price

    The Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price has risen by more than 60% in the past five years, which is a solid result for shareholders. It’s worthwhile asking what could happen over the next 12 months for the ASX blue-chip share.

    The business has delivered excellent profitable growth at Kmart and Bunnings. Other businesses are also a slice of the Wesfarmers pie including Officeworks, Target, Priceline, InstantScripts, other healthcare businesses, Wesfarmers chemicals, energy and fertilisers (WesCEF), and an industrial and safety division.

    Share price gains are not guaranteed, so let’s take a look at whether experts believe the business can deliver capital growth for investors if they invested $10,000.

    Wesfarmers share price target

    A number of different experts have views on where they think the Wesfarmers share price will go in the coming months.

    A price target is where the analysts think the share price will be in 12 months from the time of the investment call.

    The broker UBS currently has a price target of $90 on the business, implying a possible rise of just over 10%, at the time of writing. That would turn $10,000 into around $11,000.

    According to CMC Markets, of six recent ratings on the business, the average analyst price target is $84.89, suggesting a possible rise of more than 4% in the next 12 months. That would add an extra $400 to a $10,000 investment, becoming $10,400.

    There are a few ratings that imply a pleasing rise. For example, one Wesfarmers share price target is $92.6, implying a possible rise of 14% from where it is at the time of writing. However, there are a couple of recent ratings that suggest the business could drop by just over 10% in the next year, from where it is today.

    What are experts seeing with the retail giant?

    UBS recently commented on the company after it delivered its AGM update. The broker commented on the divisions of the business, each of which has a part to play for the Wesfarmers share price:

    Consumer demand remains positive but cost of living pressures are a challenge for some consumers & businesses (weighing on demand & investment). WES divisions continue to invest in productivity initiatives to offset higher costs & maintain competitive prices. WES retail divisions well positioned given value credentials & broad ranges.

    …Bunnings enjoys growth options across category, channel & customer, with these capital light and hence expanding ROC [return on capital].

    Kmart expected to continue to benefit from rising customer numbers, transaction frequency & category participation. UBS [is] confident the Kmart value credentials and Anko product development capabilities can support sales in different consumer environments.

    Officeworks: As part of a reset, WES announced A$15-25m in one-off costs due to lower operating margins and costs associated with an operating model reset & ERP replacement programme. This is expected to drive cost savings to help Officeworks better execute its EDLP offering and increase focus on the technology category.

    WesCEF: Covalent Lithium refinery continues. As per FY25 results, Chemicals & Energy EBT to be impacted by higher natural gas costs and lower LPG content.

    Health: Priceline is delivering strong network sales growth due to improved retail execution, network expansion, price reductions and new ranges. Wholesale improving yet competitive.

    Ultimately, UBS is projecting a possible net profit of $2.79 billion from the company in FY26, with potential further profit growth in the coming years, which is a tailwind for the Wesfarmers share price in the longer-term.

    The post Forecast: Here’s what $10,000 invested in Wesfarmers shares could be worth next year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Wesfarmers Limited right now?

    Before you buy Wesfarmers Limited 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 Wesfarmers Limited 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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

  • How much would you pay for a single AI killer app?

    Gmail app on a smartphone screen
    The Gmail app waiting to be touched

    Dado Ruvic/REUTERS

    How much would you pay for a single AI killer app?

    Hedge fund honcho Sam Leffell has views. I got to know Sam while researching ChatGPT's predictive abilities. He uses that leading AI tool constantly for work and in his personal life.

    He also tried Google's Gemini earlier this year and became obsessed with a Gmail feature called Polish that uses AI to improve any email with at least 12 words in it. You just press Alt+H on Windows PCs, or Option+H on Macs, and Gemini swoops into action. (That's polish, the shining process, not Polish the language).

    Sam said this was the most useful Gemini feature. "Writing emails now takes a fraction of the time it used to," he said. "I still make picky edits, but it's a lot quicker and better."

    Here's the wrinkle: He turned off his Gemini paid subscription after a while because, anecdotally for him, it was not as good as ChatGPT. Then, the Polish feature from his Gmail suddenly disappeared. Unacceptable!

    "That surprised me," Sam said. "So now I'm paying Google a certain amount each month, just to have this button to polish all my emails. That's how valuable this is."

    The first paid tier of Gemini is $20 a month. That's a lot for one feature.

    Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • Here’s what Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said about the Netflix deal at a company town hall

    David Zaslav
    Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav addressed employees at a company town hall.

    Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

    • The Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal would be one of the biggest ever in the media industry.
    • WBD CEO David Zaslav told employees not to worry in a town hall on Friday afternoon.
    • "Netflix is an exceptional company" with "a great, sustainable future," Zaslav said.

    Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav presented an upbeat take on the company's new mega-merger with Netflix during a Friday all-hands with employees.

    "This is a big day for Warner Bros.," Zaslav said at a company global town hall, a recording of which was obtained by Business Insider.

    Netflix plans to buy the Warner Bros. studio and streaming assets in an industry-shaking $72 billion deal, the companies announced on Friday. WBD's TV networks like CNN and TNT will be part of a spinoff in mid-2026, as the media conglomerate had originally planned.

    WBD's town hall on Friday afternoon at 1:30 pm ET seemed designed to answer employees' questions and assuage any fears about the Netflix deal. Zaslav also sent a memo to staffers, several of whom told BI they were worried about their job security as the company undergoes another major deal. That's especially true because Netflix has its own top-tier tech that could render some of WBD's obsolete.

    "The intention is, they want to keep most people," Zaslav said of Netflix on the call.

    WBD CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, who will lead Discovery Global after it's spun off from the main company, said on the call that while the WBD as the world knows it will come to an end, he's excited for the future.

    "It's an emotional day, I think, for all of us," Wiedenfels said.

    What WBD execs said about the split, bidding war, and sale

    Early on the call, Zaslav acknowledged that WBD and its employees had gone through a slew of changes since he engineered a merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery in 2021.

    "In the end, we've gotten a lot more right than we've gotten wrong," Zaslav said.

    The WBD CEO reiterated that the company had planned to split itself before Paramount expressed its interest with an unsolicited offer. As a public company, Zaslav explained that it was executives' duties to get the best possible offer.

    "Our No. 1 focus is to drive shareholder value," Zaslav said.

    As Netflix, Paramount Skydance, and Comcast put forth offers, Zaslav said that the bidding war got noisy.

    "It was more public than we would have liked," Zaslav said of the bidding process.

    WBD employees should be flattered by the interest from Netflix and other companies, Zaslav said.

    "They wanted to figure out how to get into business with all of you," Zaslav said of WBD's suitors. He also said there may be more noise ahead, so "put your seatbelts on."

    In the end, WBD executives told employees that they took the best offer on the table.

    "Netflix is an exceptional company," Zaslav said. "I think it has a great, sustainable future."

    As Netflix incorporates HBO Max content, Zaslav said that "more people will be getting nourished" by HBO and Warner Bros. content.

    Netflix execs also explained their views on the deal

    After announcing its blockbuster deal on Friday, Netflix also moved to answer questions from Wall Street analysts, investors, employees, movie-theater owners, and government regulators.

    Here's what Greg Peters, the Netflix co-CEO, said about the deal on a call with analysts: "This acquisition will allow us to significantly expand our production capacity in the United States and keep investing in original content over the long term. That means more opportunities for creative talent; it means more jobs created across the entire entertainment industry."

    This story is developing and will be updated.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • OpenAI’s Code Red: Protect the loop, delay the loot

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attends a State Banquet at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain, on September 17, 2025, during the second State Visit of US President Donald Trump.
    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attends a State Banquet in Britain

    Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/via REUTERS

    OpenAI spread itself too thin, and CEO Sam Altman knows it.

    His "Code Red" to employees this week marks a reset: Focus on improving ChatGPT, and pause lower-priority initiatives. The most striking pause is advertising. Why delay such a lucrative opportunity at a moment when OpenAI's finances face intense scrutiny?

    Because in tech, nothing matters more than users.

    Google built its Search empire on this principle. Every query and click fed a feedback loop: user behavior informed ranking systems, which improved results, which attracted more users. Over time, that loop became an impenetrable moat. Competing with it has proven nearly impossible.

    ChatGPT occupies a similar position for AI assistants. Nearly a billion people now interact with it weekly, giving OpenAI an unmatched new window into human intent, curiosity, and decision-making. Each prompt and reply can be fed back into model training, evaluations, and reinforcement learning to strengthen what is arguably the world's most powerful AI feedback loop.

    Altman's Code Red aims to protect that advantage. If ChatGPT becomes more useful, people will use it more, which strengthens the loop, which improves the product again — a compounding cycle that could make ChatGPT as unassailable in AI answers as Google is in search.

    But that dominance is no longer assured. Google's Gemini 3 rollout has lured new users. If ChatGPT's quality slips or feels cluttered, defecting to Google becomes easier. Introducing ads now risks exactly that. Even mildly irritated users could view ads as one annoyance too many.

    For now, OpenAI is betting on new model releases to reaccelerate ChatGPT's growth. Ads can wait, but not forever. Generative AI is expensive to run, more so than Search or social networks. OpenAI has already committed to spending hundreds of billions of dollars on infrastructure to serve ChatGPT at a global scale. At some point, those bills will force the company to monetize more aggressively.

    If OpenAI manages to build even half of Google's Search ads business in an AI-native form, it could generate roughly $50 billion in annual profit. That's one way to fund its colossal ambitions.

    But that future depends on the strength of today's feedback loop. For now, the priority is clear: make ChatGPT undeniably better, pull more users in, and keep the flywheel spinning. Ads can come later. User growth can't wait.

    Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • 3 common mistakes customers make at a wine tasting, according to a server at a winery

    The writer, Katelyn Snodgrass, wears a white cardigan and smiles as she pours white wine into a glass.
    While working at a winery, I've seen guests make a few common mistakes.

    Everrgreen Photography

    • I've been a server at a winery for years, so I've seen guests make their fair share of mistakes.
    • For example, I often find that guests don't want to expand their horizons during a tasting.
    • Additionally, some customers don't realize they should tip the staff in a tasting room.

    As a server, I've always thought of wine tastings as opportunities to share my love for the beverage with others.

    But after working at a winery for over seven years, I've seen almost everything, from wannabe wine sommeliers to guests who think a tasting is an excuse to get drunk with a view.

    Here are some of the biggest mistakes customers make at tastings.

    Refusing to try certain wines

    A hand holding a bottle of red wine pouring into a wine glass, with the server's white cardigan and green shirt in the background.
    I encourage guests to try new wines at a tasting.

    Everrgreen Photography

    One of the most common mistakes I've noticed is that people assume they know exactly what a wine will taste like based on its name or varietal.

    I've had guests turn their noses up when I say "riesling" and immediately declare that they don't like sweet wines. In reality, not all rieslings are sweet — some are incredibly dry, with crisp acidity and minerality.

    That's why I encourage guests to taste wine like it's their first time trying it. You might think you know what you'll like, but sometimes the name of the wine doesn't tell the whole story.

    In my opinion, the best part of a wine tasting is discovering something unexpected that charms your taste buds.

    Acting unruly when in a large group

    A hand pouring wine into a glass as a hand holding a wine glass with a temporary "Bride Tribe" tattoo on the wrist and a person with a "Bride to Be" sash and a veil in the background.
    It's important to establish your expectations if you're part of a large party celebrating a special occasion.

    Katelin Kinney/Getty Images

    Managing the expectations of large groups who come in for bachelorette parties, birthdays, or other celebrations can be challenging.

    From what I've seen, the tasting-room staff have good reason to run and hide in the kitchen if someone walks in wearing a "bride" sash. Don't get me wrong — I love a good chance to day drink, but sometimes guests arrive expecting to do what they see in the movies.

    They envision wine tastings as an opportunity to slam rosé and run through the vines, but an intimate tasting room isn't the space for that. It's a refined experience, focusing on savoring the wine and enjoying the setting.

    I always recommend reserving a private tasting room for larger parties or calling ahead to establish proper expectations so everyone can enjoy the experience without stepping on any toes.

    Not tipping the staff after a tasting

    A wooden table with a small black clipboard with a receipt and cash and coins stacked on top.
    In my experience, many guests forget to tip their server at a winery.

    Kittibowornphatnon/Shutterstock

    Many guests forget or don't realize that tipping is customary in a winery's tasting room. The setting is a bit more relaxed than at a restaurant, so some people often don't associate the tasting room with tipping.

    However, the tasting-room staff work hard to make your experience enjoyable, and many of us rely on tips.

    Tipping might not be required, but it's a small gesture that goes a long way in acknowledging a server's effort to make each tasting special.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • With a boom and sparks, this $60 million Navy jet’s aircraft carrier landing unraveled in seconds

    An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the "Sunliners" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81, lands on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).
    An F/A-18 lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

    US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Logan McGuire

    • A critical system failed as a fighter jet was landing on an aircraft carrier earlier this year.
    • The $60 million F/A-18 fell off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman and into the Red Sea.
    • A new Navy investigation shows how the landing unraveled in a matter of moments.

    As the fighter jet landed on the aircraft carrier, a critical piece of the landing system blew apart, shot across the machinery room, slammed into equipment a sailor had been sitting at only moments earlier, and then hit the deck spinning “like the Tasmanian devil.”

    "Something bad just happened," a sailor in the room said as he raced to get help. The other sailor who narrowly avoided catastrophe suffered a minor injury and had their headset ripped off in the incident.

    One of the arresting gear cables — the tensioned wires that US Navy fighter jets hook onto during landings at sea — had broken as the crucial machinery that absorbs the landing plane's force came apart beneath the flight deck. The failure destabilized the F/A-18 Super Hornet that had just touched down.

    Asymmetric forces threw the aircraft off-center. With no chance of regaining flight, the aviators ejected as it shot off the deck and into the sea. It all unfolded in a matter of seconds.

    A new Navy investigation into the disastrous landing, reviewed by Business Insider prior to its release on Thursday, highlights how quickly routine carrier operations can go terribly wrong.

    The May 6 incident, which injured two naval aviators, marked the second Super Hornet loss in a matter of days — and the third overall for the carrier USS Harry S. Truman's Middle East deployment.

    The command investigation into the costly mishap details how one of the carrier's arresting cables failed to stop the fighter jet, which left a trail of sparks and flames as it flipped off the flight deck and into the Red Sea.

    An F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, lands on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.
    Aircraft carriers have multiple arresting cables on the flight deck.

    US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Logan McGuire

    Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the Navy's Carrier Strike Group 8, led by the Truman, said in the investigation that the loss of the $60 million fighter jet was "entirely preventable."

    A rough landing

    The Truman and its strike group spent months in the Red Sea leading Navy combat operations against the Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen that had been attacking important Middle East shipping lanes.

    Flight operations were running at a higher tempo, with the carrier launching and recovering aircraft dozens of times a day.

    For aircraft recoveries, Nimitz-class carriers like the Truman typically have four arresting cables tensioned across the flight deck to catch the tailhook of a landing plane and decelerate it instantly.

    On May 6, as the two-seater F/A-18F was landing that night, everything looked normal right up until the jet hooked the arresting cable.

    Arresting gear sailors heard what sounded like an explosion, parts were flying around the machinery space, and on deck, sparks were shooting out of the jet, followed by flames.

    It was dark, and the air boss overseeing the flight operations and landing signal officers, unaware that the cable had parted, thought the fighter's engine had ingested foreign object debris.

    The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) conducts carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean. Truman is underway, carrying out routine operations that support the Navy's commitment to readiness, innovation, and future fleet lethality.
    The carrier Truman suffered multiple mishaps during its Middle East deployment.

    US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mike Shen

    The aircraft was leaning left as it moved down the landing zone. "POWER!" the lead LSO called. "ROTATE, CLIMB!" The fighter jet was traveling too fast to stop, but not fast enough to take off. A back-up LSO realized the aircraft wasn't climbing and made the call.

    "EJECT, EJECT, EJECT!" the officer called out.

    The aircraft rolled and then knife-edged at 90 degrees. Moments later, it plunged into the Red Sea.

    The "man overboard" call went out a minute after the plane first touched the deck. Sailors on the flight deck didn't see any parachutes deploy after their cockpit ejection amid the disarray, but a few minutes later, they saw the two aviators illuminate their flashlights in the water around 100 yards away.

    Twenty minutes later, a rescue helicopter and swimmers arrived on scene to recover them. The aviators suffered minor injuries.

    The 'critical point of failure'

    The command investigation blamed the mishap on a mix of factors, including the ship's high operational tempo, understaffing, and errors by the arresting gear operator, who ensures the system is ready to counteract the landing aircraft's momentum.

    According to the investigation, "the primary contributor in the chain of events that led to the mishap" was inadequate maintenance on the sheave damper crosshead and clevis pin, components of the arresting gear system.

    Airman Richard Moothery communicates over a sound-powered telephone while standing watch inside an arresting gear sheave damper room aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
    The room where a carrier's arresting cables are operated.

    US Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis K. Mendoza

    The root cause, the investigation report said, was "the material failure of the clevis pin." The pin lacked a washer, a small part that helps keep the system in place. That maintenance oversight ended with a jet in the water and two aviators overboard.

    It's possible this mechanism had been loosening for some time before the mishap, the investigation said. A missing washer could allow the pin in the arresting gear to work loose and shear off, ultimately causing internal parts in the gear to come apart under and the arresting cable to break.

    Sailors across the board were poorly trained, the investigation determined, and a maintenance support sailor who was supposed to inspect the arresting cable and its mechanisms hadn't thoroughly done so.

    Vice Adm. John Gumbleton, acting head of Fleet Forces Command, wrote in a letter attached to the investigation that Truman's leadership across all levels "allowed the air department's aircraft launch and recovery equipment maintenance program standards to decline, ultimately leading to a critical point of failure."

    The May 6 incident was the fourth major mishap that the Truman and the rest of its strike group suffered during the monthslong Middle East combat deployment.

    In December, the cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down one of the Truman's F/A-18s. A few months later, in February, the carrier collided with a commercial vessel. And in April, just over a week before the arresting cable incident, a fighter jet and a tow tractor fell overboard as the carrier made a hard turn to evade incoming Houthi missile fire.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • 3 high-quality ASX ETFs to buy in December

    Young Female investor gazes out window at cityscape

    Whether you’re preparing for 2026 or looking to position yourself ahead of the next market cycle, a focus on quality stocks remains one of the most reliable long-term strategies.

    With that in mind, let’s take a look at three high-quality ASX exchange traded funds (ETFs) that analysts at Betashares have recommended to investors recently. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY)

    The Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF is designed to give investors exposure to some of the highest-quality companies in the world.

    It screens global stocks for strong earnings stability, high returns on equity, and low financial leverage. Companies that boast these characteristics tend to hold up well during periods of market stress.

    Inside this ASX ETF, you will find big names such as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML). These are businesses with long histories of consistent profitability, wide economic moats, and strong cash generation.

    What makes the fund particularly attractive in December is the market’s renewed focus on financial strength and earnings durability. When volatility strikes, quality tends to outperform, and this ASX ETF provides a simple way to gain exposure to it.

    Betashares Australian Quality ETF (ASX: AQLT)

    While the Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF looks globally, the Betashares Australian Quality ETF applies a similar quality-focused approach to the Australian share market.

    It selects local stocks based on return on equity, earnings stability, and low debt levels. This means the ASX ETF tends to favour companies with strong competitive advantages.

    Key holdings include Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), and ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD), which are all businesses known for dependable earnings and world-class management.

    One standout is CSL. It remains one of Australia’s strongest global healthcare businesses. Its plasma division, R&D pipeline, and expanding manufacturing footprint provide a long-term growth story that fits perfectly inside a quality-focused ETF.

    For investors wanting exposure to strong Australian companies without trying to handpick winners, this fund could be an excellent choice.

    BetaShares India Quality ETF (ASX: IIND)

    India is one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, and the BetaShares India Quality ETF gives investors targeted exposure to the highest-quality companies within that market.

    As with the others, the fund screens Indian stocks for strong profitability, low debt, and consistent earnings. This creates a portfolio of businesses positioned to benefit from India’s structural economic expansion.

    Holdings include Infosys (NYSE: INFY), Reliance Industries (NSEI: RELIANCE), and Tata Consultancy Services (NSEI: TCS). These companies are leaders in software services, telecommunications, and industrial growth, which are sectors that are expected to thrive as India’s middle class expands and digital adoption accelerates.

    With global investors increasingly recognising India’s long-term potential, the BetaShares India Quality ETF offers a straightforward way to participate in what could be one of the strongest economic stories of the next decade.

    The post 3 high-quality ASX ETFs to buy in December appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in BetaShares Australian Quality ETF right now?

    Before you buy BetaShares Australian Quality ETF 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 BetaShares Australian Quality ETF 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ASML, CSL, Microsoft, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Johnson & Johnson and has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ASML, CSL, Microsoft, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Prediction: This will be the world’s largest company by year-end 2026 (Hint: It’s not Nvidia)

    AI written in blue on a digital chip.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Key Points

    • Alphabet is the world’s most profitable tech company, but only the third-largest by market cap.
    • Its also the cheapest megacap tech stock on a trailing P/E basis.
    • The company’s vertically integrated AI stack gives it an advantage that should begin to draw more investor interest in the name.

    Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is currently the world’s largest company with a market cap nearing $4.4 trillion, followed by Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) at around $4.2 billion, as of this writing. However, I think Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) will take the top spot by the end of 2026.

    Alphabet is currently the world’s third-largest company with a market cap of around $3.9 trillion, just ahead of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) at $3.6 trillion. They are the only four companies with market caps above $3 trillion.

    Let’s dig into why Alphabet is poised to become the world’s largest company by the end of next year. 

    Alphabet is a market leader

    Alphabet is actually already the world’s most profitable tech company. Its trailing 12-month earnings of $124.5 billion and quarterly earnings of $35 billion are both tops among megacap tech names. From a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) basis, it’s also the cheapest of the group.

    Data by YCharts.

    However, stock prices are often about the future, and Alphabet has one of the brightest futures in big tech. What is so exciting about Alphabet is that it’s the company that developed the best artificial intelligence (AI) tech stack. The company has taken a vertically integrated approach, which gives it an advantage that should only grow wider in the future.

    Alphabet’s big edge is that it has developed both its own top-tier custom AI chips and a world-class foundational large language model (LLM). No other company has a tech stock in these areas that is as far along as Alphabet.

    In addition, it also has a top machine learning software platform in Vertex AI that helps create, train, and deploy custom AI models, usually based on its Gemini model, although it also supports third-party open-source models like Meta Platforms‘ Llama. It’s also a storage and data analytics leader with Colossus and BigQuery, and it even has its own fiber network to reduce latency. Its pending acquisition of cloud security leader Wiz will only add to its full-stack solution.

    The company’s biggest advantage, though, is its custom AI chips, called tensor processing units (TPUs), which entered development more than a decade ago, and they are now in their seventh generation. The chips were optimized for Google Cloud’s TensorFlow framework, and have been battle-tested running Alphabet’s internal workloads. Having its own custom AI ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) gives Alphabet a huge cost advantage both over rival cloud computing and AI model companies like OpenAI. It can just train models and run inference more cost-effectively both for itself and for customers.

    This all helps Alphabet achieve a better return on its capital expenditure (capex) than competitors, who depend on Nvidia’s more expensive graphics processing units (GPUs) to train their LLMs, creating a virtuous cycle. Lower costs and a better ROI (return on investment) lead to better products and solutions, which allow it to invest more into them, continuing to make them better.

    Meanwhile, by developing its own world-class AI model, Alphabet captures a larger portion of the revenue and can integrate it into other products like Google Search. Today, AI-powered features, such as AI Mode and AI Overviews, are helping drive queries and search revenue growth. At the same time, with its massive ad network, few companies are as capable as monetizing search and AI discovery.

    On top of that, Alphabet has other huge advantages. First and foremost is the huge distribution advantage the company has through its ownership of the Chrome browser and Android smartphone operating system, which both have over 70% market share. Throw in its revenue-sharing deal to be the default search engine on Apple devices, and Google is essentially the gateway to the internet for most people. It also has a data advantage, given its decades of search queries and YouTube video uploads.

    The road to becoming the world’s largest company

    Alphabet is already the world’s most profitable tech company, and as more investors start to recognize its position as the AI company to beat, the stock should have strong upside from here. Its valuation is reasonable, and it should be able to outpace its growth expectations next year.

    That should help propel it to become the world’s largest company by next year.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    The post Prediction: This will be the world’s largest company by year-end 2026 (Hint: It’s not Nvidia) appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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

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    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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    Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Cost of a comfortable retirement rises to record high: ASFA

    a man in a business suit has a stern look on his face as he leans forward and peers over his glasses.

    The cost of a comfortable retirement has hit a record high, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA).

    For homeowners aged 65 and over, a comfortable retirement now costs $76,505 per annum for couples and $54,240 for singles.

    ASFA says this represents a 3.5% increase for couples and 3.6% for singles over the past 12 months.

    By comparison, consumer inflation has lifted by 3.2%, indicating retirees have borne a greater increase in expenses than non-retirees.

    ASFA said:

    This underscores that retirees are experiencing stronger price pressures than the general population because they spend more of their budget on essential items that have risen the most.

    ASFA defines a comfortable lifestyle as enough money to cover the basics plus top level private health insurance, many exercise and leisure activities, occasional restaurant meals, a domestic holiday every year, and an international trip every seven years.

    ASFA created the Retirement Standard, which is Australia’s definitive retirement budgeting guide, in 2004.

    The Retirement Standard is updated every quarter for inflation.

    Last week, ASFA released its September quarter estimates of how much retirement costs in Australia.

    ASFA also publishes expense estimates for a modest lifestyle for both homeowners and renters.

    ASFA defines a modest retirement as having basic private health insurance, a cheaper car, basic internet and mobile phone, infrequent exercise and leisure activities, few restaurant meals, and one Australian holiday per year.

    According to the September quarter update, a modest retirement now costs $50,866 per year for couple homeowners.

    For single homeowners, a modest lifestyle now costs $35,199 per annum.

    For renters, a modest retirement now costs $67,125 annually for couples and $49,676 for singles.

    Retirement is more expensive for renters because their housing costs are higher.

    Why have retirement costs jumped to record levels?

    ASFA CEO Mary Delahunty said prices for essential items have risen faster than other categories, creating a greater impact for retirees.

    Retirees might be feeling the squeeze this Christmas because prices have risen fastest in the things they spend most on, like food, energy and health. Some older people may cut back on pricier gifts, travel and social occasions to stay on top of the basics.

    However, thanks to superannuation, most Australian retirees are living with additional income beyond the Age Pension each month, which makes them more financially resilient, including at financially stressful times of the year like Christmas.

    In the September quarter, the cost of eating out or ordering takeaway rose by 1.3%.

    Property rates rose 6.3% and electricity prices increased 9%.

    Domestic holidays and accommodation lifted 5.2% and audio, visual, and media services rose 9.3%.

    What about superannuation?

    The superannuation savings required to fund a comfortable retirement remained the same in the September quarter.

    Homeowner couples need $690,000 in super and singles need $595,000 by age 67 to fund a comfortable lifestyle.

    A modest retirement for homeowners requires just $100,000 in super for both couples and singles.

    Renters need $385,000 (couples) or $340,000 (singles) in superannuation savings to fund a modest lifestyle.

    As we reported in October, more Australian retirees are living mainly off their superannuation instead of the pension.

    In its Retirement and Retirement Intentions report, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said:

    Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, the proportion of retired people with superannuation as their main source of income has increased from 20% to 28%.

    Australians born on or after 1 January 1957 become eligible for the pension at age 67.

    The full pension, including both supplements, is $1,777 per fortnight (combined) for couples and $1,178.70 per fortnight for singles.

    There are 4.5 million retirees aged over 45 in Australia today.

    The post Cost of a comfortable retirement rises to record high: ASFA 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.