Tag: Stock pick

Having topped new all-time highs earlier this week, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have had a really strong run so far in 2026.

In fact, the Aussie mining giant has performed so well, that earlier this year it retook the biggest ASX stock crown from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA).

And that lead has kept on growing, spurred by this year’s 15% increase in global copper prices to US$14,283 per tonne, according to data from Bloomberg.

BHP currently commands a market cap of around $338.3 billion, or more than 29% higher than CBA’s market cap of $261.6 billion.

So, just how well has BHP been doing this year?

I’m glad you asked!

What a $5,000 investment in BHP shares on 2 January is worth today

On 2 January, you could have picked up shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant at an intraday low of $45.17 each.

So, with $5,000 you could have bought 110 BHP shares with enough change left over for a large pizza.

In early afternoon trade today, shares are changing hands for $66.81, just off Tuesday’s record closing high of $67.67 per share.

That means the 110 shares you bought on 2 January would be worth $7,349 today.

But wait.

There’s more.

Atop those capital gains, BHP also paid out a fully franked interim dividend of $1.039 a share on 26 March.

If we add that back into today’s share price, then the accumulated value of BHP stock bought and held since 2 January is now worth (a rounded) $67.85 a share.

Which brings the accumulated value of the 110 shares you bought for $5,000 to $7,463 today. Or a gain of more than 49%, smashing the 4% gains posted by the ASX 200 over this time.

And don’t forget that large pizza!

What about the upcoming BHP dividend?

BHP reported its full year FY 2026 results on 18 August.

And the ASX 200 miner pleased passive income investors with a 51.5% boost in its final dividend.

That was enabled by the company’s 15% year-on-year increase in revenue to US$58.8 billion. While underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 27% to US$32.9 billion.

And with underlying profits up 30% from FY 2025 to US$13.2 billion, management declared a fully franked final dividend of $1.392 per share.

But if you sold those BHP shares you bought on 2 January today, you wouldn’t receive that passive income payout.

To bank the final BHP dividend, you’ll need to own the stock at market close on 2 September. You can then expect to see that passive income hit your bank account on 23 September.

The post $5,000 invested in BHP shares on 2 January is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Should I buy BHP shares before the end of August?
• 37 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week
• South32, Woolworths, BHP shares reach 52-week high: Buy, sell or hold?
• 2 ASX 200 shares I’d buy and 2 I’d avoid amid a surging Aussie dollar
• Will CBA shares ever get back to the top of the ASX 200?

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

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) shares are having a big Friday session.

At the time of writing, the accounting software stock is up 8.36% to $88.56 after climbing as high as $89.54 earlier in the day.

It continues an impressive turnaround over the past month, with Xero shares now up around 35% during that period.

However, investors who have owned the stock since the start of the year are still playing catch-up, with the share price down around 22% in 2026.

So, could the shares be heading back towards $100?

Let’s take a closer look.

Why are Xero shares surging?

According to The Australian, Xero is having its best trading day in around 2 months and is now testing a key resistance level.

The newspaper noted that trading volume was running 69% above average earlier on Friday, while the stock had reached a 3-month high.

There could also be some short covering helping the rally along.

Almost 5% of Xero shares were reportedly sold short last week, which was a record high. When a heavily shorted stock starts moving higher, some short sellers may decide to buy back their shares and cut their losses, which can add more buying pressure.

The Australian said the next level to watch is the June high of $89.69. If Xero can break through that level and stay above its 200-day moving average, further short covering could potentially push the shares closer to $100.

A massive turnaround from July

The rebound in Xero shares looks even more impressive when you look back just over a month.

The stock closed at $61.58 on 24 July, meaning it has now climbed more than 40% from that level.

The recovery has come during another busy stretch of news from the company.

At Thursday’s annual meeting, chair David Thodey acknowledged the weak share price performance over the past year, but said the business itself continued to perform well.

He said weaker software valuations and investor concerns around the returns from the Melio acquisition had both weighed on the share price.

Management also pointed to a strong FY26 result, with operating revenue rising 31% to NZ$2.75 billion and adjusted EBITDA increasing 18% to NZ$757 million.

What should investors watch?

The next level to watch is around $89.69, which was the June high highlighted by The Australian.

If Xero can break through that level and hold above $90, it could give the rally another boost and force more short sellers to buy back their positions.

However, keep in mind that the stock has already covered a lot of ground in a very short period.

Thursday’s low of $81.50 is another level worth keeping an eye on if some of the recent momentum starts to fade.

The post Xero shares just jumped 8%. Is $100 next? 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 Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

As we approach the Friday closing bell, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up a slender 0.1% for the week, with these three ASX 200 stocks leaping ahead of those gains following strong earnings results.

Here’s what’s been piquing investor interest.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

At time of writing, Aussie uranium miner Paladin Energy shares are trading for $12.00 apiece. That sees this ASX 200 stock up 18.5% since last Friday’s close.

Paladin Energy released its FY 2026 results on Wednesday.

Following the successful ramp-up of Paladin’s Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM), the miner reported production of 4.82 million pounds of uranium (U₃O₈), which came in at the upper-end of guidance.

The company also achieved a 71% year on year increase in sales revenue to US$304 million. That was spurred by both higher sales of 4.35 million pounds of uranium and a 7% increase in the realised average price, which came out at US$70.0 per pound.

Paladin Energy reported a gross profit of US$52 million, up from a gross loss of US$26 m million in FY 2025.

The miner still ended the financial year with a net loss after tax of US$9.1 million, though that’s a big improvement from the US$77 million net loss reported in FY 2025.

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

The second ASX 200 stock shooting the lights out in this week’s fairly stagnant market is fashion jewellery retailer Lovisa.

Currently trading for $26.38, Lovisa shares are up 14.2% for the week.

Most of those gains were delivered on Wednesday as investors pored over Lovisa’s FY 2026 results release.

Highlights included a 17.6% year on year increase in revenue to $939 million. And earning before interest and tax (EBIT) were up 14.1% to $158 million.

On the bottom line, Lovisa achieved a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $95.6 million, up 10.7% from FY 2025.

The company delivered a full year dividend 86 cents per share, 50% franked. That up 11.7% from last year’s dividend payouts.

Which brings us to…

ASX 200 stock Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN)

At time of writing, shares in ASX 200 stock Ansell are up 15.8% from the week, changing hands for $40.40 apiece.

The ASX health and safety products company got a big boost on Monday after reporting its own FY 2026 earnings results.

Investors reacted positively to Ansell’s record sales of US$2.14 billion, up 6.8% from FY 2025. Earnings grew strongly too, with Ansell reporting adjusted EBIT US$322 million, up 14.1%.

And on the bottom line, the company reported a 15.8% year on year increase in adjusted NPAT to US$212 million.

Over the full year, Ansell paid 68.1 US cents per share in dividends, up 35.7% from the prior year’s passive income payouts.

The post 3 ASX 200 stocks, including Paladin Energy, storming higher on earnings results this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• After a big jump this week, what are brokers saying about the Lovisa share price?
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• 3 ASX mining shares Bell Potter rates a buy

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

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares are back in recovery mode on Friday.

At the time of writing, the WiseTech share price is up 5.13% to $41.58, helped by a strong night for US tech stocks.

Shareholders will probably welcome the rebound after what has been a rough couple of days.

WiseTech shares fell from $45.47 on Tuesday to $39.55 on Thursday, wiping around 13% off the stock in just two sessions following the company’s FY26 result.

It has been a pretty wild month overall. Even after that sell-off, the shares are still up around 30% over the past month. However, they remain down roughly 40% since the start of 2026.

So, with the share price bouncing again, could there be more upside ahead?

Here’s what the brokers think.

Brokers are still mostly bullish

Despite the recent volatility, brokers remain pretty positive on WiseTech shares.

According to TipRanks, 9 analysts currently rate the stock as a buy, while 2 have hold ratings.

The average 12-month price target is $57.77. Based on the current share price, that suggests the shares could climb around 39% from here.

Nonetheless, there is still a wide range of views on where the share price could end up. The highest target is $70, while the lowest sits at $40.

While most brokers remain bullish, there’s clearly some uncertainty over just how much upside WiseTech still has.

The latest broker calls

Several brokers have updated their views since Wednesday’s result.

Morgan Stanley kept its buy rating and $70 price target. Bell Potter also remains bullish, although it lowered its target from $71.75 to $65.

Citi went the other way, lifting its price target from $55.05 to $58.75. UBS cut its target from $65 to $56 but kept its buy recommendation.

Macquarie also nudged its target higher to $48.20 and retained its buy rating.

Not every broker is convinced, though. Jefferies downgraded WiseTech to hold and set a $45 target, while JPMorgan has a hold rating and $40 target.

Morgans also made a change today, trimming its price target by 6.7% to $62.50.

Even after the cut, Morgans still sees around 50% upside from where WiseTech shares trade today.

What should investors watch?

There are still a few things investors will want to keep an eye on from here.

Management is guiding for FY27 revenue of $1.48 billion to $1.54 billion and underlying EBITDA of $725 million to $780 million.

The company is also looking for more savings from e2open and greater use of AI across the business.

At the same time, the market will want to see WiseTech deliver on that guidance, especially with regulatory concerns still hanging over the company.

The shares have bounced strongly from their June low of $28.76, but recent sessions show how quickly sentiment can change.

The post WiseTech shares are bouncing back. Is it time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. 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 JPMorgan Chase, Jefferies Financial Group, Macquarie Group, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia 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.

S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) gold stock Titan Minerals Ltd (ASX: TTM) is marching higher today.

Shares in the South American-focused gold and copper miner closed trading yesterday for 66.5 cents. In morning trade on Friday, shares are changing hands for 67.5 cents each, up 1.5%.

This sees the Titan Minerals share price up 53.4% since this time last year.

For some context, the All Ordinaries Index is up 0.2% at this same time and also up 0.2% over 12 months.

And according to the analysts at Euroz Hartleys, Titan Minerals is well-placed to keep smashing the benchmark returns in the year ahead.

ASX All Ords gold stock tipped for 200% gains

On 20 August, Titan Minerals released an update on its 100% held Dynasty Gold Project, located in Ecuador.

The ASX All Ords gold stock has been completing a 10,000-metre resource definition drilling program at the Cerro Verde prospect, within Dynasty, aiming for a Mineral Resource update in early 2027.

Last week, Titan Minerals reported that its latest drilling had struck an “extensive new zone” of gold and silver mineralisation at Cerro Verde.

Among the top drill results, the miner reported an intercept of 33.5 metres at 6.6 grams of gold per tonne and 55.5 grams of silver per tonne (6.6 g/t Au, 55.5 g/t Ag).

“Our technical team are highly encouraged by these latest results, which have provided a breakthrough in our understanding of the major mineralisation pathways and controls at Dynasty,” Titan CEO Melanie Leighton said.

Euroz Hartleys was also impressed. The broker noted:

Importantly, the ~250gm AuEq intersection lies outside the current resource, suggesting potential for a meaningful addition to the existing resource base, which currently stands at 3.9Moz gold and 26Moz silver.

The discovery is particularly significant because it reveals a previously unrecognised northwest-trending structural corridor that may have been overlooked by earlier drilling, noting previous holes in this area were largely drilled parallel to these structures, hence mineralisation may have been missed.

Summarising their bullish outlook on the ASX All Ords gold stock, the analysts at Euroz Hartleys concluded:

TTM has identified multiple high-priority targets along this structural corridor and plans to commence follow-up drilling shortly to test extensions and repeat zones of mineralisation.

If further drilling confirms continuity of the shear-hosted system, the discovery could materially expand the Dynasty resource and strengthen the project’s long-term growth potential.

Euroz Hartleys maintained its speculative buy recommendation on Titan Minerals but lifted its price target to $2.02 a share (from $1.93).

This implies a potential upside of more than 199% from current levels.

The post Up 53%: Why this surging ASX All Ords gold stock just earned a major broker upgrade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Ouch: WAM Capital shares crash 15% as dividend cut in half
• Are Boss Energy shares a buy, hold or sell on new mining plans?

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.

The ASX is having a spirited end to the trading week so far this Friday. Earnings season has rolled on and is ending the week with a bang. One of the more interesting reports this session is from a popular ASX dividend share. Unlike most dividend payers this earnings season, this stock has just delivered a crushing 50% cut to its dividend. That popular ASX dividend share in question is none other than WAM Capital Ltd (ASX: WAM).

WAM Capital is a listed investment company (LIC) that has been on the ASX since 1999. Over this time, it has built up a reputation as a generous dividend payer. However, the company has struggled in recent years, with investors enduring a savage share price decline.

To illustrate, WAM Capital shares last topped out at about $2.50 a share back in 2017. Today, the company has opened sharply lower. WAM Capital shut up shop at $1.51 a share yesterday. But this morning, those same shares opened at $1.40 each before descending to $1.28 at the time of writing. That’s a one-day loss of 15.2%.

That puts this company’s losses over the past 12 months at 25.7%. Shareholders who have held on for the past five years are down a horrid 43.9%.

In other words, WAM Capital’s generous dividends have been the only thing saving investors’ returns. But now that looks set to change too.

WAM Capital shares plunge as dividend slashed 50%

As part of its latest earnings, released this morning, WAM Capital revealed that it can no longer afford to maintain the 7.75-cents-per-share dividend every six months. That’s the payout investors have been receiving on a biannual basis since FY 2020. Investors will receive a final dividend of 7.75 cents per share, partially franked to 60%, in October. But that will be the last of its kind, for at least a while.

In these earnings, WAM Capital has “announced an FY2027 full-year dividend target of 8.0 cents per share, comprising an interim dividend of 4.0 cents per share and a final dividend of 4.0 cents per share”.

This means that 2027’s payouts will be worth approximately half of the dividends that investors have become used to over the past six years or so. It is a calamitous and embarrassing moment for the company, whose investors will now enjoy the same record-low level of dividend income that they last received in 2009. As we’ve warned investors about, the dividends needed to be slashed because of the lack of profits to fund them. Here’s how WAM Capital justified it:

Since FY2020, the Board has maintained WAM Capital’s full year dividend at 15.5 cents per share. Over that period, the dividends paid by the Board exceeded the profits generated, drawing down the Company’s accumulated profits reserve. Maintaining the dividend at 15.5 cents per share is no longer sustainable with the profits reserve available.

WAM Capital has also told investors that they should not bank on getting 8 cents per share in dividends next year either, stating “the FY2027 dividend target is not a forecast or commitment of future dividends”. No wonder WAM Capital shares are copping a beating this Friday.

The post Ouch: WAM Capital shares crash 15% as dividend cut in half appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) recently released solid profit results and a new mining plan for its Honeymoon uranium operations in South Australia, but brokers are divided on the company’s future prospects.

Two of the brokers who released research reports on the company this week have buy recommendations on the stock, while one has a neutral rating.

I’ll get to the specifics of the share price targets they are forecasting shortly.

First, let’s have a look at what the company released.

A welcome return to profits

Boss recorded a net profit of $2.5 million for FY26, which was a $36.7 million improvement from the previous year.

Revenue doubled to $151.1 million, with the company paying an average realised price of US$74.4 per pound of uranium.

The company provided guidance for production of 1.25 to 1.3 million pounds of uranium in the current year, which the brokers said was below expectations.

The company said:

The production and cost profile reflects the mine-development uncertainty experienced since July 2025 and Boss’ disciplined decision to limit further investment in legacy wellfields, where the expected returns did not justify additional capital. This approach has preserved balance sheet strength while enabling continued investment in plant infrastructure and new value-accretive wellfields, to support the expected production ramp-up.

Boss also released a new feasibility study that envisages a wider-spaced well design for its in-situ leach mine and is forecast to keep the mine operating until at least FY34.

The company said its costs would decrease as a result, reflecting an increase in uranium concentration in the leach solution.

Brokers divided on the outlook for Boss Energy shares

The Canaccord Genuity team said they had factored in two further deposits, Jason’s and Gould’s Dam, into their valuation of the company, which they see providing options for mining from 2035.

They have reduced their price target on the company from $2.50 to $2, but that’s still well above the current price of $1.50.

Macquarie said the new mine design provided a credible pathway to production and the “wide spaced wellfield design appears likely to be quite effective in reducing costs given 50% less infrastructure and 28% higher … grades”.

The broker said the market may have focused too much on FY27 guidance in selling off the stock, and “Honeymoon value will be better demonstrated when fully ramped at 1.9Mlb/yr”.

Macquarie has a $1.80 price target on the company.

Meanwhile, UBS has a neutral rating on the stock and a price target of $1.50.

UBS said it was not factoring the other deposits into its valuation at this stage.

Boss Energy is valued at $753.5 million.

The post Are Boss Energy shares a buy, hold or sell on new mining plans? 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 positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia 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 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) share price is in focus after the company posted a 21% lift in revenue to $7.1 million for FY26, with adjusted net loss improving 7% to $32.9 million.

What did 4DMedical report?

• Revenue from ordinary activities up 21% to $7.1 million
• Adjusted net loss down 7% to $32.9 million
• Statutory net loss expanded to $203 million (from $30.1 million a year ago), driven by significant non-cash items
• Gross margins remained above 90%
• No dividend declared or paid
• Net tangible assets per share improved to $0.17 (from negative $0.02)

What else do investors need to know?

4DMedical’s underlying SaaS revenue climbed 23%, supported by strong growth from B2B hospital and radiology partners, third-party AI distributors, and global medical technology companies. The loss at the statutory level included a major non-cash impact—remeasurement of the Pro Medicus loan and associated derivative financial instrument—reflecting complex accounting treatment rather than core business cash outflows.

The company raised $233 million through share placements and finished the year with a robust $278 million in cash, positioning it well for ongoing investment and expansion. No dividends were declared for FY26.

What did 4DMedical management say?

Dr. Andreas Fouras, Managing Director and CEO, commented:

4DMedical has maintained strong momentum throughout FY26, improving our adjusted net loss result and strengthening our balance sheet so we can accelerate future growth initiatives.

What’s next for 4DMedical?

Looking ahead, 4DMedical recently completed the acquisition of contextflow GmbH, an Austrian lung cancer screening technology company. The group also led a strategic investment in RevealDx, securing exclusive distribution rights for RevealAI-lung across key markets, including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Management plans to continue scaling its commercial partnerships and integrating new technologies, while building a globally competitive medical imaging and AI platform.

4DMedical share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, 4DMedical shares have risen nearly 700%, far outpacing the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

View Original Announcement

The post 4DMedical share price rises as FY26 revenue climbs, losses moderate appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT), Air New Zealand Ltd (ASX: AIZ), and Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (ASX: VGN) shares are turning heads on Friday.

In morning trade today, two of the well-known ASX shares are outpacing the 0.2% gains posted by the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO), while one is trailing the benchmark.

Here’s what’s catching investor interest.

Virgin Australia shares rise on renewed dividend

Virgin Australia shares are up 1.1% at the time of writing, swapping hands for $2.84 apiece.

This follows the release of the ASX 300 airline’s full-year FY 2026 results.

Highlights included a 13.4% year-on-year increase in underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to $753 million.

And on the bottom line, Virgin Australia shares look to be getting support today from the airline’s 21.9% increase in underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) to $404 million.

The company also issued its first dividend since relisting on the ASX in June 2025. Management declared a fully-franked dividend of 7.6 cents per share.

Air New Zealand shares sink on net loss

Air New Zealand also released its FY 2026 results today.

But unlike Virgin Australia shares, Air New Zealand shares are down 0.8% following the release, trading for 32.3 cents each.

On the positive side of the ledger, the Kiwi airline reported a 3.9% year-on-year increase in revenue to NZ$7.0 billion.

However, operating cash flow of NZ$819 million was down 12.8% from FY 2025.

And the company posted a net loss after tax of NZ$242 million.

Much of the pressure has come from surging jet fuel costs amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Air New Zealand management noted, “The Middle East conflict increased fuel cost by an estimated $328 million compared to what we expected going into the second half, and by $205 million after hedging.”

Flight Centre shares lift amid board shakeup

Joining Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia shares in creating a buzz today, we find Flight Centre.

After reporting its FY 2026 results on Wednesday, today the ASX 200 travel stock announced some major leadership changes.

Flight Centre revealed that Gareth Turner will join the board as an independent non-executive director. Turner will succeed Rob Baker, a 13-year veteran of the company’s board.

Commenting on Turner’s appointment, Flight Centre chair Gary Smith said:

Gareth brings deep financial and commercial experience across the technology, telecommunications and travel and tourism sectors, along with a strong track record as a CFO.

The board looks forward to drawing on his expertise as our company continues to evolve and targets near-term and longer-term growth opportunities.

Flight Centre shares are up 0.6% at the time of writing, trading for $12.26 apiece.

The post Why is everyone talking about Flight Centre, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia shares on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (ASX: VGN) shares are in the green on Friday after the airline released its FY26 results.

At the time of writing, the Virgin share price is up 2.14% to $2.87.

There were plenty of numbers for investors to unpack, with earnings and revenue both moving higher during the year.

However, income investors may be paying particularly close attention to one part of the result.

Virgin Australia has declared its first dividend since returning to the ASX last year.

So, how much will shareholders receive?

Virgin Australia declares a fully-franked dividend

Virgin has declared a fully-franked dividend of 7.6 cents per share for FY26.

It’s a notable moment for shareholders, with this being the airline’s first dividend since returning to the ASX last year.

At the current share price of $2.87, the payment works out to a yield of almost 3% before franking credits.

The company said the dividend follows its capital allocation framework, which focuses on keeping the balance sheet strong and funding the business first.

Virgin Australia finished FY26 with net debt of $1.2 billion and leverage of 0.9 times underlying EBITDA, below its target range of 1 to 2 times.

It also had $1.84 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and term deposits at the end of June.

When will Virgin Australia pay its dividend?

Virgin shares are locked in to trade ex-dividend on 14 September.

The record date will follow on 15 September, with the dividend due to be paid one month later on 15 October.

And because it is fully franked, shareholders can also benefit from franking credits.

What did Virgin Australia report?

The airline delivered a stronger result in FY26, with underlying EBIT rising 13.4% to $753 million.

Underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) increased 21.9% to $404 million, while statutory NPAT rose 4.7% to $501 million.

Underlying revenue increased 8.1% to $6.28 billion, helped by strong customer demand and growth across both the airline and Velocity businesses.

Virgin Australia’s airline segment reported underlying EBIT of $616 million, up 15.2%, while Velocity EBIT increased 12.3% to $143 million.

Operating cash flow also came in at $1.3 billion for the year.

What’s next on the horizon?

Seeing dividends return is another positive for shareholders since Virgin Australia relisted.

Looking ahead, the company said demand and forward bookings remain strong, although first-half FY27 underlying EBIT is expected to be relatively flat.

Domestic capacity is expected to fall by around 3% during the half, while revenue per available seat kilometre is forecast to rise 6% to 8%.

If earnings keep moving in the right direction, shareholders could have more dividends to look forward to.

The post Virgin Australia shareholders are getting a dividend. Here’s how much 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 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.