Tag: Stock pick

By all measures, November was a horrid month for the major ASX bank stocks. Let’s take a look at what happened to National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares last month.

November saw the NAB share price sink from $43.62 down to $40.10, a fall worth 8.07%. The ASX’s largest bank, CBA, fared even worse. CBA shares dropped from $171.64 at the start of last month to $152.51 each by the end of last week. That’s a plunge worth 11.15%.

Commonwealth Bank had the added distinction of hitting a three-month high of $178.57 during early November, too, meaning that its shares fell more than 15% from that peak by the end of the month.

Sure, it’s not like it was a great November for the broader markets. The month just gone saw the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) take a hit. But it only dropped 3%, meaning that the two ASX banks significantly underperformed.

NAB does have something of a get-out-of-jail-free card, though. It traded ex-dividend for its final dividend of 2025 on 11 November, with investors set to receive a fully-franked 85 cents per share payout on 12 December next week. Given that this dividend is worth a yield of just over 2% at current prices, we can cut NAB a bit of slack there.

But even so, both banks have been major underperformers in recent weeks. So is the pain over for NAB and CBA shares? Or are these banks set for a rough December, and perhaps 2026, too?

Are there choppy waters ahead for NAB and CBA shares?

Well, as with all shares, making short-term predictions is folly. For years, CBA famously defied accusations from many expert investors of being overvalued. For all I, nor anyone else, knows, anything could happen with either CBA or NAB this month and in 2026.

But I won’t be buying either share.

It’s important to remember that neither NAB nor CBA are actually growing very fast right now. CBA reported a 4% rise in cash net profit after tax to $10.25 billion for its 2025 financial year back in August. Last month, NAB revealed flat cash earnings for its FY 2025, alongside a 2.9% slide in statutory net profits to $6.76 billion.

Yet both stocks trade at what could be considered a premium (CBA especially so). Commonwealth Bank shares are still on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 25, while NAB is sitting at 18.

In contrast, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM), the American bank regarded as one of the best in the world, is currently on an earnings multiple of 15.46.

What’s worse, some experts are even predicting that NAB might be forced to cut its cherished dividend in the near future.

So I wouldn’t be surprised to see NAB and CBA shares drift lower over the coming year. There’s simply not enough growth in their futures to justify a rising share price. At least in my view. The market could disagree with me and send them higher, of course. But I’m happy to watch that, if it happens, from the sidelines.

The post Down 8% and 11% in November – Is this the start of a long slide for NAB and CBA shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buying NAB shares? Here’s how the bank aims to cement its market leading business
• Westpac versus CBA shares: Which bank is a better buy for 2026?
• Analysts rate CBA and these popular ASX shares as sells
• 5 most-traded Australian shares last week
• ANZ shares are lagging the other big banks: Here’s why

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended JPMorgan Chase. 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.

Lotus Resources Ltd (ASX: LOT) shares are having a strong session on Thursday.

In morning trade, the ASX uranium stock is up 9% to 17.5 cents.

Why is this ASX uranium stock jumping?

The catalyst for today’s strong gain has been the release of a production update for the Kayelekera Mine in Malawi.

According to the release, in November, the processing plant achieved pleasing throughput and recovery levels.

As a result, management advised that steady state operational production level remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.

One slight disappointment is that the initial ramp-up of processing in November and December has been impacted by sulphuric acid availability and supply chain challenges.

Management notes that the sulphuric acid supply issues have arisen due to production challenges in Zambia, which was the primary source of supply. The company has actively increased the number of suppliers contracted for the supply of sulphuric acid and additional supplies are now being sourced out of South Africa.

In addition, the ASX uranium stock’s acid plant rebuild project will address these acid supply constraints. The acid plant rebuild remains on schedule, with commissioning expected to commence in early 2026. It will allow the production of sulphuric acid from sulphur, which is more reliably supplied.

The company has used the shutdown time to address routine plant commissioning items, undertake plant optimisation initiatives, and regular maintenance, which is supporting pleasing throughput and recovery levels.

It also advised that product qualification is progressing with its first shipment of product now expected to occur late in the first quarter of 2026 and full qualification with at least one converter expected early in 2026.

The ASX uranium stock remains in a strong position financially. It had a strong balance sheet at the end of November, with $73.9 million in cash.

Production confidence

Commenting on the company’s progress at the Kayelekera Mine, Lotus’ managing director, Greg Bittar, said:

Production for the planned operating time in November has been very pleasing and provides us with the confidence that nameplate throughput levels and other key production parameters can be achieved. We also continue to work with the converters and look forward to our first converter account being opened which we expect in early 2026. This then allows the final preparations for despatch of inventory from site.

The post Guess which ASX uranium stock is jumping on big news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why are ASX uranium stocks like Paladin Energy going gangbusters on Thursday?

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 FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM) took a tumble on Thursday after the company said it had completed a $139 million capital raise to progress its flagship Canadian copper and gold project.

The company’s shares hit a record high of $1.98 on Monday before the company’s shares went into a trading halt on Tuesday.

The shares have tripled over the past year from levels as low as 66.5 cents, but took a step down on Thursday to be changing hands for $1.79, down 7.9%.

This was after the company announced it had raised $143 million from an institutional capital raise at $1.70 per share.

Existing shareholders in the company will also be able to take up new shares to the value of $5 million at the $1.70 offer price.

Funds to drive growth

FireFly stated in a release to the ASX that the money will be used to expand and upgrade the mineral resource at its Green Bay copper and gold project in Newfoundland, Canada, in preparation for a final investment decision.

FireFly managing director Steve Parsons said the company could now forge ahead with its growth plans.

This highly successful raising means we can embark on a no-holds-barred drilling campaign aimed at creating further shareholder value in a very timely manner. We will increase the drilling fleet to nine rigs as part of an aggressive onslaught targeting extensions to known mineralisation and new regional prospects. We are also progressing towards a final investment decision by derisking the Green Bay copper-gold project by embarking on upscaled mining studies which are expected to be completed in the first half of CY26. “The name of the game at Green Bay is clearly drive value through the drill bit and derisk a large-scale copper-gold project. So that’s exactly what we are going to do.

The Green Bay project is made up of multiple assets, with the flagship being the Ming underground mine.

It also includes regional exploration assets, access to a port, and a processing facility.

The Ming mine, according to the FireFly website, was originally mined from 1972 to 1982, before restarting in 2012. It was then mined through to 2023 before being mothballed once again.

As the company explained:

The Ming Mine consists of a fully operational decline accessible to 950m below surface, and an existing 650m deep shaft. This functional infrastructure provides a significant platform for FireFly to rapidly increase the Mineral Resource for minimal capital outlay and set the Company up for future mining operations.

FireFly was valued at $1.32 billion at the close of trade on Monday, before the capital raise was announced.

The post Why are FireFly Metals shares pulling back from near-record levels today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 157% since April, why Macquarie expects this ASX 300 mining stock to surge another 31%
• Up 85% or more! These 3 hidden ASX mining stocks are soaring as the copper price ignites

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.

The silver price hit a new all-time high this week, breaking above US$58 per ounce for the first time in history.

The metal has now surged by 102% this year, leaving the broader market in its wake.

As a comparison, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has risen by about 5% during the same period.

Not only that, but silver’s record-breaking rally has even eclipsed gold’s impressive run in 2025.

All up, the gold price has lifted by about 60% since the start of the year.

However, investors looking for silver exposure on the ASX face a more limited set of options than they do with gold.

The silver difference

The rocketing gold price has seen some of the leading ASX 200 gold stocks storm higher during the year.

For example, shares in the world’s largest gold miner, Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM), have lifted by about 124% since early January to $137.22 each at the time of writing.

Fellow ASX mining stock Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) has fared even better, with its share price jumping by 147% in the same timeframe to $11.97 per share.

Unlike gold, however, there are no dedicated silver mining stocks within the ASX 200.

That said, one practical avenue for exposure to the metal is through the Global X Physical Silver Structured (ASX: ETPMAG) exchange-traded fund (ETF).

This ETF is designed to generate returns that mirror the silver price in Australian dollars, minus fees. 

And shares in ETPMAG have jumped by about 87% since the start of the year, reaching $81.54 at the time of writing.

On the other hand, the ASX hosts numerous exploration companies advancing their respective silver projects and capitalising on the booming silver price.

Below we present four ASX mining stocks riding the silver boom in 2025.

Andean Silver Ltd (ASX: ASL)

Andean Silver is working to move its Cerro Bayo silver and gold project in Chile towards production.

So far, the company has defined a resource containing 47 million ounces of silver and 800,000 ounces of gold.

Its current activities are focused on growing the existing resource base through extension and exploration drilling.

Andean shares have surged by 149% since the start of the year, reaching $2.09 per share at the time of writing.

Unico Silver Ltd (ASX: USL)

Unico Silver is advancing two silver and gold projects in Argentina: Cerro Leon and Joaquin.

To date, the company has defined a resource containing 232 million ounces of silver equivalent for the two projects combined.

It aspires to lift this number beyond 300 million ounces through an ongoing exploration drilling campaign.

Unico shares have skyrocketed by 230% just this year, climbing to $0.66 per share at the time of writing.

Silver Mines Ltd (ASX: SVL)

Silver Mines is progressing its Bowden silver project in New South Wales closer to production.

The project already holds a resource containing 164 million ounces of silver.

An optimisation study completed late last year envisaged a 16.5 year mine life at Bowden, producing some 4.25 million ounces of silver per annum over the first ten years.

Management believes the mineralised system to be open at depth, with the project hosting considerable exploration upside potential.

Silver Mines shares have jumped by 169% since the start of the year to $0.22 per share at the time of writing.

Sun Silver Limited (ASX: SS1)

Sun Silver is advancing its Maverick Springs silver and gold project in Nevada.

Management believes Maverick Springs to be the largest undeveloped primary silver project on the ASX, with a resource containing 296 million ounces of silver.

Shares in Sun Silver haven ballooned by 109% so far this year, climbing to $1.34 each at the time of writing.

The post Up 109% or more! These 4 ASX mining stocks are booming as the silver price hits all-time high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

If there’s one megatrend that looks set to dominate the next couple of decades, it is artificial intelligence (AI).

From data centres and semiconductors to cybersecurity and advanced robotics, AI is reshaping the global economy.

The good news is that there are a number of exchange traded funds (ETFs) out there that give investors exposure to these markets.

Let’s see why three listed below could be top options for investors looking to make investments that they don’t have to touch for the next 10 to 20 years.

Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

Asia is fast becoming the production line for the AI boom. Betashares notes that a huge share of global AI infrastructure depends on Asian technology leaders, especially within the semiconductor supply chain.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE: TSM) and South Korean memory giants SK Hynix (KRX: 000660) and Samsung Electronics supply critical components such as accelerator chips and high-bandwidth memory, with TSMC alone recently reporting a 30% surge in quarterly sales driven by AI demand.

The Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF offers simple exposure to these companies. Its portfolio is also packed with industry heavyweights, including Tencent Holdings (SEHK: 700), Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA), PDD Holdings (NASDAQ: PDD), and Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), which all have their own exposure to AI.

For long-term investors, this ASX ETFs provides a powerful way to tap into the AI boom.

Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

As AI technology grows more capable, so too do the threats. This means that cybersecurity is now one of the most resilient and fastest-growing industries within the digital economy.

Betashares notes that spending on security software is “least likely to be cut” even in downturns, and global cybersecurity spending is expected to hit US$377 billion by 2028.

The Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF gives investors exposure to global leaders such as CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ: CRWD), Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), and Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT). These are companies developing AI-powered security tools capable of detecting and neutralising threats at machine speed.

Over a 20-year horizon, cybersecurity could be about as close as it gets to a non-negotiable global necessity.

Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX: RBTZ)

The Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF is another ASX ETF to consider for the long term.

It provides exposure to companies leading the AI and robotics shift, including ABB Ltd (SWX: ABBN), Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA), and FANUC Corp (TYO: 6954). These businesses supply the automation tools, industrial robots, sensors, and AI-enhanced systems that will increasingly power factories, warehouses, transport networks, and healthcare facilities.

Betashares recently recommended the fund to investors.

The post 3 exciting ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 20 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Betashares Capital – Asia Technology Tigers Etf. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Abb, BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Tencent. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Alibaba Group, Fanuc, and Palo Alto Networks. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CrowdStrike and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

If you have a spare $10,000 and aren’t sure where to invest it, here are the ASX shares I’m currently watching.

CSL (ASX: CSL)

After suffering a brutal sell-off in late August and again in late October when the company downgraded its FY26 revenue and profit growth guidance, I think the worst is now over for CSL shares.

Since the latest price plunge, CSL shares have climbed just over 6.5%. The share price is 0.08% higher at $182.45 at the time of writing this morning, and I’m optimistic that this signals that investor sentiment is now turning more positive. It could mean we’re going to see green shoots of recovery for the ASX biotech company’s shares.

CSL shares were the fifth most-traded by CommSec clients last week, over half of which was buying activity. If investor interest begins to pick up, it could mean that the share price does too. 

Data shows the majority of analysts have a buy rating on the shares with a target price as high as $278.05. That implies a potential 52.44% upside at the time of writing.

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

For exposure to the booming defence market, I’d look no further than EOS shares. The Australian company, which develops and produces advanced electro-optic technologies and is focused on the defence space, is well placed to benefit from demand arising from ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. 

At the time of writing, the shares are up 2.24% at $4.56 each. Analysts are very bullish about the shares too, and all hold a strong buy rating. The maximum target price is $11.18, implying that the stock could surge by a substantial 143% over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

In the tech space, I have my money on WiseTech shares in 2026. Despite a market sell-off of tech shares in late November, the company has previously demonstrated resilience and growth through economic cycles. It’s also well-positioned to benefit from increased interest trends like automation and cloud computing.

I think this current low price presents a fantastic buying opportunity for investors. 

At the time of writing, the shares are 4.35% higher at $75.74 a piece. The data shows that analysts are also bullish on the ASX tech company’s shares. Out of 18 analysts, 14 have a buy or strong buy rating, with a maximum target price of $177.31. That implies the shares could storm 134.19% higher.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

When it comes to building passive income, Woolworths is high on my list. The company offers reliable dividend payments supported by defensive earnings, strong cash flow, and a dominant position in the Australian retail market.

The shares are trading 0.37% lower at the time of writing on Thursday morning at $29.31. Over the year, the shares are still down 2.23% thanks to a sharp sell-off after the company posted a disappointing FY25 result. Although the supermarket giant’s first-quarter sales update in late October provided some relief to investors. 

The supermarket giant is well-placed to recover over FY26, and I think there is a good opportunity to buy the shares ahead of its resurgence. Data shows that analyst sentiment is also turning. Out of 17 investors, 7 have a buy or strong buy rating on the shares with a maximum price target of $33. This implies a potential 12.51% upside for investors over the next 12 months, at the time of writing.

Bell Potter, which is one of the brokers with a buy rating on the stock, expects the company to pay fully franked dividends of 91 cents per share in FY26 and then 100 cents per share in FY27. 

The post 4 ASX shares I’d buy today with $10,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 cheap Australian shares under $50 to buy this December
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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 positions in and has recommended CSL, Electro Optic Systems, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global and Woolworths Group. 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.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares are edging lower today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stock closed yesterday trading for $40.42. In morning trade on Thursday, shares are changing hands for $40.26 apiece, down 0.2%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.2% at this same time.

That’s today’s price action for you.

Now, here’s how NAB is working to strengthen its business lending arm.

NAB shares aim to hold their business lending edge

Amid fierce ongoing competition in Australia’s mortgage lending, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) have both been working to boost their business lending, which tends to offer higher profit margins.

If they’re successful, that could put NAB shares under pressure as the bank has traditionally been the leader in business lending.

In response, NAB announced this morning that it is targeting growth in the medium and large business segments. The bank said it is expanding a specialist team of bankers to originate deals and “support a seamless customer experience”.

The new group will bring together expert business bankers from across NAB’s business & private banking and corporate & institutional banking teams.

The team will focus on new opportunities in the growing medium and large business segments for the bank. A support team will also help to fast-track customer approvals, simplify onboarding, and bring whole-of-bank solutions to NAB’s customers.

The overall idea it to reduce the complexity for customers and bankers, which NAB said can often accompany larger transactions.

What did management say?

Commenting on the new specialist team that’s intended to support NAB shares over time, corporate & institutional banking executive Cathryn Carver said, “There is no area more important to us and our customers than business banking, our heartland.”

Carter continued:

While competition has intensified in recent years, we’ve made it very clear that we’re focussed on extending our market leadership.

We’re taking the best business banking capability from across NAB and creating a team that will be the cornerstone of what being the most customer-centric company in Australia and New Zealand looks like.

NAB business & private banking executive Andrew Auerbach said, “One in three agribusinesses and one in four SME businesses bank with NAB.”

Auerbach added:

With this expansion, we believe we can help meet the ambitions of even more medium and large businesses in Australia. By combining specialist sector expertise, deep local relationships and the full breadth of NAB’s balance sheet, we’re delivering faster, more coordinated support to our customers.

With today’s intraday moves factored in, NAB shares are up 8.2% in 2025.

The post Buying NAB shares? Here’s how the bank aims to cement its market leading business appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Forget Westpac shares and buy these ASX dividend stocks
• Westpac versus CBA shares: Which bank is a better buy for 2026?
• Analysts rate CBA and these popular ASX shares as sells
• 5 most-traded Australian shares last week
• ANZ shares are lagging the other big banks: Here’s why

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 Argenica Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: AGN) are trading more than 20% higher after the company released positive clinical trial results.

Argenica, in its own words, is “a biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics to reduce brain tissue death after stroke”.

No adverse interactions a positive

The company said in a statement to the ASX on Thursday that it was pleased to report the results of a study of its lead drug candidate ARG-007 and its interaction with clot dissolving agent tenecteplase (TNK).

As the company said:

The purpose of this study was to determine whether ARG-007 interferes with the clot dissolving activity of TNK, a genetically modified version of alteplase and a recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, recently approved by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

The company said blood clots from four donors were assessed as part of the trial, which found that ARG-007 did not inhibit the clot dissolving effect of TNK.

The company said further:

This finding is particularly important because demonstrating a lack of inhibition of the activity of clot dissolving drugs is a key FDA requirement when developing a neuroprotective therapy intended to be used alongside standard-of-care thrombolytics like TNK. Confirming that ARG 007 does not interfere with TNK’s mechanism of action significantly de-risks the program, supports the overall safety profile of the drug, and represents a critical step toward resolving the FDA’s questions and advancing the investigational new drug application.

Building on previous results

Argenica said this new study complemented a previous study which also showed no adverse interactions with another drug called alteplase.

The company said it would now move ahead with necessary submissions to the FDA.

With the TNK drug–drug interaction study now successfully completed, Argenica will incorporate these results into its formal response to the US FDA, addressing one of the key requirements outlined in the FDA’s clinical hold letter1. The two remaining FDA-requested assays have already commenced, and the Company anticipates data from these studies to be available in Q1 CY26. To further strengthen the IND package, Argenica is generating additional data on the maximum tolerated dose of ARG-007 in rats to help inform the clinical safety margin for dosing in humans, as well as collating safety data from the recently completed Phase 2 clinical trial to ensure the FDA has all the relevant data required to lift the clinical hold.

Argenica shares were trading 20.4% higher at 26.5 cents on the news on Thursday. The company was valued at $28.3 million at the close of trade on Wednesday.  

The post Which junior biotech’s shares are flying on positive trial news? 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.

The Fletcher Building Ltd (ASX: FBU) share price is 1.8% lower at the time of writing on Thursday morning, at $3 a piece. There have been many peaks and troughs over the past 12 months, but the share price is currently sitting 15.19% higher than this time last year. 

The dual-listed New Zealand-based building and materials company’s shares are also 0.29% lower on the NZE this morning, at NZ$3.45 per share. 

The company reported ongoing declines in trading volumes for the first quarter of FY26 and expects challenging conditions to continue for the remainder of the period. While the results were weak, Fletcher Building said it has launched a new cost-out and efficiency programme, targeting around NZ$100 million in annualised savings.

But the team at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) has an underperform rating on this ASX 200 stock. And they expect there could be a significant share price fall in the near future. 

Heavy downside ahead for Fletcher Building

In a note to investors this morning, Macquarie confirmed its underperform rating on Fletcher Building shares. However, the broker raised the company’s target price to NZ$1.73, up from NZ$1.59 previously.

Despite the increase, using the NZ$3.45 share price at the time of writing, that still implies potential for a huge 49.9% downside over the next 12 months.

“We raise our TP by 9% to $1.73, from $1.59, on lower RfR rollforward (4.3% or -20bps)… Maintain Underperform given predominantly negative catalysts. Prior FBU research,” the broker said in its note.

Strong headwinds in the pipeline for the ASX 200 stock

Macquarie analysts pointed out in the note that NZ residential consents have strengthened over the past three months, up 11% compared to the prior period. 

“This runs against our view that house consenting levels are running ~30% above sustainable levels,” the broker said.

Macquarie also said that moves by local governments to shift local road and water infrastructure costs back to residential land developers (away from rate payers and taxpayer-funded transfers) may be pulling forward consenting activity. 

“In Auckland, development contributions lifted 88% from $24k to $45/k per consented house on avge in greenfield areas. This additional impost falls on resource consents (and related BCs) lodged after 1-Jul-2025. We note that according to the gov’t (INZ), Auckland developers have historically paid two-thirds of new infrastructure via DCs.”

The broker doesn’t think this pull-forward of activity will be confined to Auckland either, given the new 2026 legislation will be NZ-wide from 2027.

“Moreover, legislation to cap council rate increases and council shifts to reflect the government’s National Policy Statement on increased intensification (e.g., ACC’s PC120) reinforce the objective of moving more infra cost to developers, while at the same time encouraging earlier rather than later development,” the broker said.

“Some may point to conventional monetary policy impact on demand, but with increasing unsold inventory levels (11-yr high noted by FBU) and low population growth, we do not share this view.” 

The post This ASX 200 stock could plummet 50% next year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) share price is in focus after addressing speculation of a potential data breach, confirming no client or patient data was accessed and no financial loss occurred.

What did Pro Medicus report?

• Investigated unauthorised access of a single company email inbox in July 2025
• No client systems or patient data were accessed
• No Pro Medicus products, systems, or databases were affected
• No operational impact or financial loss resulted from the incident
• Potential exposure of personal data for approximately 100 current and former employees
• All impacted individuals have been notified

What else do investors need to know?

The company confirmed the cybersecurity incident was isolated to a single mailbox and was quickly contained with the help of external experts. There is no evidence that any commercially sensitive or material information was accessed during the breach.

Pro Medicus has informed all applicable government authorities as required by law, and all directly affected employees were promptly notified about the possible personal data exposure.

What’s next for Pro Medicus?

Pro Medicus states that its systems and client information remain secure. The company continues to review its cybersecurity practices and is committed to protecting data in line with industry best practice.

There is no expectation of financial or operational impact, with Pro Medicus focusing on its ongoing delivery of medical imaging software solutions and services worldwide.

Pro Medicus share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Pro Medicus shares have declined 3%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Pro Medicus responds to data breach speculation: no client or patient data accessed 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 recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pro Medicus. 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.