Tag: Stock pick

Shares in Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS) are down 1.7% today (at the time of writing) following the release of the company’s first-half results, but that modest pullback comes after a 31% surge earlier this week, triggered by the company’s surprise upgrade to FY26 guidance.

In that context, today’s move looks less like disappointment and more like consolidation after a sharp re-rating.

What did Bravura report?

For the half year ended 31 December 2025, Bravura announced a result that broadly validated the optimism in Monday’s guidance upgrade.

Key highlights included:

• Underlying revenue from customers of $140.0m, up 9.8% year on year
• Underlying Cash EBITDA of $34.2m, up $14.2m versus 1H25, equating to a 24.4% margin
• Underlying NPAT of $25.9m, more than double the prior period
• Cash balance of $64.5m, with no debt

All figures exclude the impact of the FY25 license agreement with Fidelity International.

Revenue growth was driven by pricing improvements and increased professional services activity across its existing client base. Meanwhile, operating costs were well controlled, allowing more of that revenue growth to flow through to profit.

Recurring revenue, which includes maintenance, support, and hosting income, remained a significant contributor to the business. This provides a level of stability that investors have been looking for after a more volatile period in prior years.

Bravura also declared an interim dividend of 5.77 cents per share and a special dividend of 4.46 cents per share, bringing total dividends for the half to 10.23 cents per share. The ordinary dividend represents 100% of underlying NPAT for the period.

Importantly, management reaffirmed the recently upgraded FY26 guidance. The midpoint of that guidance implies stronger profitability in the second half compared to the first, suggesting confidence in continued momentum.

Foolish bottom line

After a 31% rally earlier in the week, the market may have already priced in much of the good news, and today’s decline appears modest given the scale of the prior move.

The key takeaway is that Bravura’s improved guidance is now backed by solid first-half numbers. Revenue is growing, margins are expanding, cash generation is strong, and the balance sheet remains debt-free.

The next test will be delivery in the second half. If management can meet its upgraded targets, this week’s re-rating may prove justified.

The post Bravura shares ease after first-half result, but remain up 30% this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Bravura, CAR Group, Pepper Money, and Web Travel shares are storming higher
• Bravura shares soar 23% on guidance upgrade

Motley Fool contributor Kevin Gandiya has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bravura Solutions. 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.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares are up 0.76% in early morning trade on Wednesday. At the time of writing, the shares are trading at $50.64 each.

That puts the shares 10.66% higher for the year to date and 16.22% above where they were this time last year.

The iron ore mining giant’s shares have rocketed higher this year, following its first-half production update last month. It revealed that its iron ore production had risen 2%, to 134 million tonnes, over the first half of FY26, thanks to record shipments at its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operation.

I don’t think it would take much for the miner’s share price to push higher this year, especially if the Australian dollar continues to strengthen this year or the resources and commodities boom accelerates.

But there is another ASX mining stock which I think could outpace BHP gains over the next 12 months.

The ASX 200 share that could beat BHP

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) shares are also trading higher on Wednesday morning. At the time of writing, the metals miner’s shares are 0.33% higher at $4.60 a piece. For the year to date, the shares have stormed an impressive 29.72% higher, and they’re now up a huge 34.26% for the year. The gains are significantly higher than those from BHP.

South32 has benefited from a perfect storm of strong central bank buying, falling US interest rates, and dwindling expectations for the US dollar. These have all driven investors to safe-haven commodities like gold, silver, and copper. 

The company mines and produces commodities, including bauxite, aluminium, copper, silver, lead, zinc, nickel, manganese, and metallurgical coal, so it has been well-positioned to absorb the uptick in demand across several minerals and metals.

South32’s exposure to the commodities and precious metals, which are enjoying strong demand, could help the miner deliver faster earnings growth than BHP’s iron-ore-heavy portfolio.

Its diversity across a range of markets could also support stronger price growth. It could also help protect the share price from supply-and-demand fluctuations across different markets. 

It’s not just the miner’s diversity that could help it outpace BHP this year. South32 has also been enjoying strong operational momentum over the past six months. Last month, the miner announced that it had exceeded expectations for first-half production. Alumina production was up 3% in the first half. Meanwhile, aluminium production was up 2%, zinc up 13%, and manganese up 58%. Overall, the company’s results were ahead of consensus. 

If this momentum continues, alongside a continued uptick of commodity demand and prices, I think South32 could grow at a faster pace than BHP in 2026. And I think its shares could well follow suit.

What do analysts expect from the two stocks this year?

BHP shares are forecast to increase up to 10.43% over the next 12 months, to $56.01. South32 shares are tipped to rise up to 13.03% from the current share price, to $5.21 a piece.

The post Here’s an ASX 200 share that I think could beat BHP in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Forget BHP shares! Buy these ASX dividend shares instead for passive income
• Should you buy BHP, CSL, and DroneShield shares? Here’s my take
• Will BHP shares soar past $55 this year?
• Argo Investments reports record profit and dividend
• With global valuations stretched here are 3 great income ASX ETFs

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

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) shares are surging on Tuesday morning.

At the time of writing, the energy giant’s shares are up 8% to $9.58.

This follows the release of a solid first-half result and an update to its full-year earnings guidance.

AGL shares surge on results day

For the six months ended 31 December 2025, AGL reported flat underlying EBITDA of $1.09 billion and a 6% decline in underlying net profit after tax of $353 million.

At first glance, those numbers look unexciting. But the market response suggests investors were focused more on what comes next than what has already happened.

Guidance narrowed

The biggest positive from today’s release was the narrowing of its FY 2026 guidance.

AGL now expects full-year underlying EBITDA of $2.02 billion to $2.18 billion. This compares to its previous range of $1.92 billion to $2.22 billion.

The company’s underlying net profit guidance was also tightened to $580 million to $680 million, from a much wider range of $500 million to $700 million.

Management advised that the narrowing of FY 2026 guidance reflects strong first half performance driven by consumer margins, lower than previously indicated operating costs due to disciplined cost management, and lower than previously indicated depreciation due to greater water price certainty on the future rehabilitation of Loy Yang.

Dividend increase

Despite its profit decline during the first half, the AGL board elected to increase its interim dividend.

The company declared a fully franked interim dividend of 24 cents per share, which is up 4.3% from 23 cents per share a year earlier.

This will be paid to eligible shareholders next month on 26 March 2026.

What happened during the half?

Management said its first-half performance was driven by improved customer margins, helped by growth in AGL’s customer base and a return to more sustainable pricing conditions.

AGL’s managing director and CEO, Damien Nicks, said:

The strength of our first half result was delivered by our excellent operational performance. In Customer Markets we saw an improvement in customer margins, driven by growth in our customer base and a return to more sustainable margins.

The improved availability and flexibility of our generation asset portfolio, including the continued strong performance of our batteries, helped mitigate a period of low price volatility in the NEM, which was driven by milder weather, and lower transmission constraints.

The post Why AGL shares are jumping 8% on results day appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Aussie Broadband shares are soaring 13% today
• AGL Energy posts 1H26 profit and narrows FY26 earnings guidance
• 3 beaten-down ASX 200 shares to pick up in February
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• Top Australian shares to buy right now with $2,000

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.

Shares in James Hardie Industries Plc (ASX: JHX) have jumped more than 10% in early trade after the company’s third-quarter profit exceeded expectations.

The building products maker said in a statement to the ASX that its net sales rose 30% to US$1.2 billion, while operating income was US$176 million.

The net sales figure was, however, inflated by the contribution of AZEK, which James Hardie bought mid-last year.

Better than expected earnings

RBC Capital Markets said in a note to their clients that the company handily beat expectations on adjusted EBITDA, which came in at US$330 million, posting results 6.6% ahead of consensus.

They added that the company’s guidance for earnings for the fourth quarter was unchanged, “although updates on synergy capture were solid”, referring to the savings James Hardie expects to capture following the AZEK takeover.

James Hardie Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Erter, said it was a solid result.

In the third-quarter, we achieved or exceeded each of our financial commitments despite a mixed macro backdrop. We are taking actions to address the current market environment, including optimizing our manufacturing footprint and better aligning our cost structure with the slower, but stabilizing, pace of demand. These actions will improve near-term profitability and better position the Company to profitably grow when conditions improve.

Adjusted net sales in the siding and trim division were down 2%, stripping out the contribution from AZEK; however, Mr Erter said the EBITDA margin improved significantly, driven by pricing and cost reduction measures.

Mr Erter added:

Our confidence in the combination of James Hardie and AZEK continues to be strong as customers respond to our differentiated products, leading brands, focus on innovation and investment across the value chain. We continue to make progress on the integration and have surpassed our FY26 cost synergy goal. Our progress to date reaffirms our confidence in hitting our US$125 million cost synergy target. On the commercial front, our early wins with dealers, contractors and homebuilders will drive meaningful revenue synergies in FY27 and beyond, demonstrating our potential to accelerate material conversion across exteriors and outdoor living.

Outlook upgraded

In terms of the outlook, the company’s chief financial officer Ryan Lada said in the siding and trim market “conditions remain challenged, consistent with our prior expectations”.

Mr Lada said they expected the broader exteriors market to remain “mixed” in the near term, while in the deck, rail and accessories division growth in the mid-single digits had carried through from the third quarter into the early fourth quarter.

The company upgraded its full year adjusted EBITDA guidance from US$1.2-US$1.25 billion to US$1.23-US$1.26 billion, and also upgraded the net sales outlook for both the siding and trim, and deck rail and accessories divisions.

James Hardie shares traded as high as $37.60 in early trade before settling back to be 12.2% higher at $37.34.

The post James Hardie shares rocket higher after earnings beat expectations appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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.

Well, the first earnings season of 2026 is well and truly underway today with the release of the latest financials from the ASX 200 bank stock and blue-chip share, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA). CBA’s earnings, and dividend announcements by extension, are always one of the most-watched events of any ASX earnings season. This is due to CBA’s status as one of the largest (the largest until recently) S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares and, being Australia’s largest bank, a litmus test of the broader health of our economy.

This morning, Commonwealth Bank did indeed drop its latest numbers, covering the six months to 31 December 2025. And they have delighted investors, judging by what CBA shares are up to right now.

As we went through this morning, it was a rather pleasant earnings report for investors to dive into. The bank reported a statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $5.41 billion, up 5% over the same period in 2024. Cash net profits rose by an even better 6% to $5.45 billion, while the bank claimed a return on equity (ROE) metric of 13.8%, up 10 basis points.

So it’s perhaps no surprise that we are seeing CBA shares jump a healthy 6.77% at the time of writing to $169.49 a share – a three-month high.

But let’s talk about what CBA had to say about its next dividend.

CBA shares jump as record interim dividend revealed

The good news continues on this front, with CBA today unveiling a new interim dividend of $2.35 per share. This interim dividend, which will naturally come with full franking credits attached, represents a 4.44% increase over the interim dividend of $2.25 per share that investors enjoyed last year. It is also the largest interim dividend the bank has ever paid out.

Together with the final dividend of $2.60 per share from September, it takes CBA’s 12-month dividend total to an all-time high of $4.95 per share.

This latest dividend represents a payout ratio of 74% of CBA’s normalised net profits, right in the middle of the bank’s 70% to 80% payout target.

It is set to arrive in eligible shareholders’ bank accounts late next month on 30 March. However, if investors don’t yet own CBA shares but wish to receive this payment, they will need to own shares by the end of trade on 17 February. That’s before the bank trades ex-dividend on 18 February.

CBA is running its dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) for this payout too. So if any shareholders wish to receive additional CBA shares rather than the traditional cash payment, they can opt to do so by 20 February.

At the current CBA share price, this ASX 200 bank stock is trading on a trailing dividend yield of 2.86%. Factoring in this new dividend, though, we can give CBA a forward dividend yield of 2.92%.

The post Here’s everything you need to know about the new CBA dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Earnings preview: How do experts rate these blue-chip ASX stocks reporting this week?

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares are having yet another day to forget on Wednesday.

In morning trade, the biotechnology giant’s shares are down 12% to a multi-year low of $150.16.

Investors have been selling the company’s shares after Australia’s bluest blue-chip became a shambles by announcing the sudden exit of its CEO the night before its half-year results.

CSL shares crash on results and CEO exit

Let’s start with the CEO exit. As we covered here yesterday, CSL shocked the market by announcing that Dr Paul McKenzie was retiring after a disastrous three years in the role.

The company advised that effective today, highly experienced former CSL senior executive and non-executive director Gordon Naylor has been appointed interim CEO and managing director.

CSL’s chair, Dr Brian McNamee AO, said:

Paul and the Board have determined that now is the right time for new leadership to continue to drive CSL’s strategic transformation and performance.

Results

Putting further pressure on CSL shares was the release of half-year results that were disappointing.

The company posted underlying NPATA of US$1.9 billion, which was down 7% on the prior corresponding period. This profit decline reflects a number of factors such as government policy changes and one-off charges. CSL’s chief financial officer, Ken Lim, said:

We are clearly not satisfied with our performance and have implemented a number of initiatives to drive stronger growth going forward. Our first-half results were also adversely impacted by a number of factors including government policy changes, one-off restructuring costs and impairments. In the second half we have an ambitious growth plan, driven by immunoglobulin (Ig), albumin and our newly launched products.

What were the drivers of the result?

The company’s key CSL Behring business had a disappointing half. It reported a 7% decline in revenue to US$5.5 billion. This reflects a 6% decline in immunoglobulins revenue due partly to Medicare Part D reforms.

The CSL Seqirus business posted total revenue of US$1.6 billion, down 2% on the prior corresponding period. This was driven by non-recurring avian influenza outbreak revenue in FY 2025.

Finally, the CSL Vifor business posted a 12% increase in total revenue to US$1.2 billion. This was driven by growth in nephrology, partially offset by a decline in iron due to competition from generic products.

Outlook

One positive is that management has reaffirmed its guidance for the full year. It continues to target approximately 2% to 3% revenue growth and 4% to 7% NPATA growth at constant currency. This excludes one-off restructuring costs and impairments. It stated:

The Company has an ambitious growth plan for the second half and maintains its guidance for the 2026 financial year of approximately 2-3% growth in revenue and 4-7% growth in NPATA, excluding one-off restructuring costs and impairments, at constant currency. For CSL Behring, second-half growth is expected to be driven by Ig, albumin and newly launched products.

In addition, the company will be buying back more CSL shares. It advised that its share buy-back has been expanded from US$500 million to US$750 million, reflecting its strong balance sheet and cash flow.

The post CSL shares crash 12% on half-year results and shock CEO exit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here’s everything you need to know about CSL’s upcoming dividend
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• CSL prepares for half-year results as CEO transition comes into focus

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

Shares in Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) are trading higher on Tuesday morning after the company announced a change at the top.

At the time of writing, the Domino’s share price is up 2.91% to $23.

The announcement comes just weeks before the pizza chain is due to report its half-year results on 25 February 2026.

A new leader for the next phase

In an ASX release today, Domino’s confirmed it has appointed Andrew Gregory as its incoming Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.

Gregory brings more than 30 years of experience in the quick-service restaurant sector. Most recently, he held senior leadership roles at McDonald’s, including Senior Vice President for global franchising, development and delivery in the United States.

Domino’s said Gregory will commence in the role no later than 5 August 2026, once he has completed his current employment obligations. A transition period will take place in the meantime to ensure a smooth handover.

Executive Chairman Jack Cowin said the appointment followed a comprehensive global search and reflects the board’s focus on long-term leadership stability. He added that Gregory’s background in franchising and operations makes him well placed to lead the business through its next phase of improvement and growth.

Company profile and recent performance

Domino’s Australia is the largest franchisee of the Domino’s brand outside the United States. It is headquartered in Brisbane and operates across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and several European markets.

The group earns revenue from company-owned stores, franchise operations, and supply chain services. Over the years, Domino’s has built one of the largest food service networks listed on the ASX.

Despite its scale, the company has faced challenges in recent years. Store closures, cost pressures, and softer consumer demand in some regions have weighed on earnings and investor sentiment.

Share price context

Domino’s shares have been volatile over the past year. After falling sharply earlier in FY26, the stock has recovered from its lows but remains well below levels seen earlier in the decade.

The recent rebound suggests some investors are becoming more constructive, although confidence remains sensitive to earnings updates and management execution.

What investors are watching next

Attention now turns to Domino’s half-year results, due on 25 February 2026.

Investors will be looking closely at sales trends, margins, and any commentary around trading conditions in key markets. Guidance for the second half of the year is also likely to be a major focus.

While the CEO appointment has been welcomed by the market, the upcoming earnings result will be a more important test of whether the business is stabilising.

The post Domino’s shares catch investors’ attention today. Here’s what was announced appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX shares benefiting from growth trends can be smart buys if their earnings are being driven by an undeniable tailwind. The growth theme that I’m going to highlight in this article is cybersecurity.

The world is becoming increasingly digital as the years go by, with almost every sector seeing changes. Think about work, learning, communication, education, shopping, banking, filing tax returns, and more – many of these areas have changed significantly.

The more these activities occur online, the more important it is to protect users and core systems from cybercrime. Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing sector that can help tackle this problem.

Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that global spending on cybersecurity over the five-year period of 2021 to 2025 will be a cumulative total of US$1.75 trillion, representing year-over-year growth of 15%. I’d imagine almost every ASX share would love to say its industry is growing at 15% per year.

Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

This is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that aims to give investors access to the world’s leading cybersecurity companies. That includes both global cybersecurity giants as well as emerging players from different countries.

There are currently 32 businesses in the portfolio, which include names like Cisco Systems, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, and Okta. These companies are from a variety of countries, including the US, India, France, Israel, and Canada.

We don’t necessarily need to pick which of these businesses will be the biggest winners – it’s a diversified bet on the sector.

The HACK ETF has done well for investors over the long term – since August 2016, it has delivered an average annual return of 15.9%, which is a fantastic level of performance. But, past performance is not a guarantee of future returns, of course.

While management fees shouldn’t necessarily have a significant impact on net returns, it’s useful to know that management costs are an annual 0.67%.

Qoria Ltd (ASX: QOR)

Wilson Asset Management recently provided its monthly update about the listed investment company (LIC) WAM Microcap Ltd (ASX: WMI), which included ASX share Qoria.

WAM described Qoria as a business that develops cloud-based cybersecurity and child protection software for schools and families worldwide.

The fund manager noted that the Qoria share price fell in January as the market focused on profitability and diminishing cash reserves, despite promising growth metrics, such as annual recurring revenue (ARR) surpassing US$100 million and continued growth.

But the Qoria share price has since bounced back sharply after the ASX share received a takeover offer from Aura, which has agreed to acquire the ASX share at 72 cents per share.

But, gaining investment access to Qoria will not be disappearing from the ASX – Aura will give Qoria shareholders 1 Aura CHESS depositary interest (CDI) for every 17.2 ordinary Qoria shares they own. Qoria’s shares represent, in aggregate, 35% of Aura.

The ASX share has a promising future of revenue growth, whether it’s as a separate entity or part of a merged business.

The post 2 exciting ASX shares to buy to take advantage of this huge theme rising at 15% per year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Wam Microcap. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF, Cisco Systems, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, and Okta. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CrowdStrike and Okta. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have been a very effective ASX dividend share to invest for passive income at certain times over the last few years. When the ASX mining share declines in value, it can boost the potential future dividend yield.

The business is exposed to a number of different commodities including iron ore, copper and coal. The BHP share price has risen by more than 20% in the past six months, which has been a headwind for a high dividend yield.

However, I’m not sure this is the best time to invest because of how strongly the ASX mining share has performed in recent times. Instead, I think the following ASX dividend shares could be a better buy.

L1 Long Short Fund Ltd (ASX: LSF)

This is a listed investment company (LIC). Its purpose is to invest in a mixture of ASX and global shares. It can utilise short selling as part of its strategy.

It likes to look at areas of the share market with a lower price/earnings (P/E) ratio for opportunities. It thinks “low P/E stocks will strongly outperform high P/E stocks (in general) over the coming 1-2 years”.

Since the strategy’s inception, materials (mining) has been the best-performing sector for the portfolio. So, over time, the LIC has been an effective way to make investment returns from the mining sector with diversified exposure, not just by owning BHP shares.

Since the LIC’s beginning in April 2018, its overall portfolio has returned an average of 15.1% per year. This has helped the ASX dividend share deliver investors a growing dividend since it started paying one in 2021.

It has started paying a quarterly dividend, giving investors more regular cash flow. The annualised dividend of 14 cents per share translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.6%, including franking credits.

The business is rapidly building its profit reserve, which can help fund even larger payouts.

APA Group (ASX: APA)

BHP is increasingly putting its focus on copper, and that’s useful for the diversification of its earnings. But, it’s still quite reliant on its iron ore earnings to deliver good passive income for investors. This means it needs China to continue buying vast quantities of the commodity (and paying a good price for it).

APA’s earnings are much more consistent – it owns a vast portfolio of energy assets, including a massive national network of gas pipelines. It reportedly transports half of the country’s usage.

The business also owns solar farms, wind farms, large batteries and electricity transmission assets connecting different states’ energy grids. As APA continues to invest in its growing portfolio of various energy assets, it is building its cash flow potential to fund larger payouts.

Pleasingly, a significant majority of APA’s revenue is linked to inflation, so the business has benefited from the period of higher inflation.

On the distribution side of things, the business has grown its annual payout every year since 2004 and it’s expecting to grow the passive income again in FY26 to 58 cents per security. At the time of writing, that translates into a forward distribution yield of 6.6%.

The post Forget BHP shares! Buy these ASX dividend shares instead for passive income appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 defensive ASX dividend shares that analysts are tipping as top buys
• Should you buy BHP, CSL, and DroneShield shares? Here’s my take
• Will BHP shares soar past $55 this year?
• Argo Investments reports record profit and dividend
• Is this the right time to invest in ASX defensive shares?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in L1 Long Short Fund. 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 Apa 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.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) has confirmed its next dividend, giving income investors clarity on what to expect over the coming months. The update comes alongside a sharp market reaction, with the CSL share price down 9.32% to $155.42 following the release of its latest results.

The decline has pushed CSL shares to a new multi-year low, not seen since January 2018.

While CSL is not known as a high-yield stock, its dividend remains an important part of overall shareholder returns. The company has long prioritised reinvesting for growth while keeping dividends ticking along in the background, even during periods of share price volatility.

Here are the key details and what they mean for investors.

CSL’s latest dividend at a glance

CSL has declared an interim dividend of US$1.30 per share following the release of its HY26 results.

Here are the important dates to note:

• Ex-dividend date: 10 March 2026
• Record date: 11 March 2026
• Payment date: 9 April 2026

To receive the dividend, investors must own CSL shares before the ex-dividend date.

Is the dividend franked?

This is where CSL differs from many large ASX companies.

CSL’s dividend is 100% unfranked. That means there are no franking credits attached for Australian investors. This reflects the fact that most of CSL’s earnings are generated offshore, particularly in the US and Europe.

The dividend is declared in US dollars, which also introduces a currency element for Australian shareholders. The final amount received in Australian dollars will depend on the exchange rate set closer to the payment date.

What does this mean for the dividend yield?

At current share prices, including today’s sharp pullback, CSL’s dividend yield remains relatively modest compared to banks and supermarkets.

This reflects the company’s ongoing focus on reinvesting in growth, research, and manufacturing capacity, rather than directing a larger share of profits toward income.

A quick look at the financial backdrop

CSL reported HY26 NPATA of US$1.9 billion, with management noting that its transformation program is progressing well. While the result triggered a sell-off in the share price, cash flow remains strong.

That financial strength supports ongoing dividends, an expanded share buyback program, and the company’s maintained full-year guidance, which points to a stronger second half.

What investors should take away

CSL’s dividend is well covered by cash flow, but is unlikely to appeal to investors chasing high income.

The company’s global leadership in plasma therapies, vaccines, and biologics keeps the focus on long-term earnings growth, with dividends playing a supporting role.

The post Here’s everything you need to know about CSL’s upcoming dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• CSL names Gordon Naylor interim CEO as Dr Paul McKenzie retires

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.