It has been another busy week for many of Australia's top brokers. This has led to the release of a number of broker notes.
Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here's why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone right now:
Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG)
According to a note out of Ord Minnett, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $20.00 price target on this iron ore giant's shares. This follows news that the Iron Bridge project's ramp up has been delayed. Ord Minnett notes that this means that it won't reach nameplate capacity of 22mtpa until 2028. While this is disappointing, the broker remains positive on Fortescue and sees value in its shares at current levels. It has previously recommended the miner's shares as a buy in response to its view that there will be a seasonable lift in iron ore prices and increased construction and steel demand in China's spring. The Fortescue share price is trading at $15.56 this afternoon.
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)
A note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have upgraded this rare earths producer's shares to an overweight rating with an improved price target of $10.00. The broker believes that the robotics market will lead to strong demand for critical minerals in the future. And with supply currently unlikely to be able to meet this demand, Morgan Stanley sees potential for supply deficits down the line. In light of this, the broker has upgraded its rare earths estimates and boosted its valuation for Lynas accordingly. The Lynas share price is fetching $8.09 at the time of writing.
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)
Analysts at Goldman Sachs have retained their buy rating on this conglomerate's shares with an improved price target of $87.30. According to the note, the broker was pleased with Wesfarmers' strategy day event this week. It highlights that management illustrated an organic-growth oriented plan with balanced portfolio priorities. For Bunnings, in addition to space productivity, the company will further scale marketplace and retail media, which Goldman believes should be margin accretive. Whereas for Kmart, management has outlined its revised long-term aspiration to double its sales to ~$20 billion. Overall, the broker views the strategic plan positively and believes it supports a high quality growth path for Wesfarmers. The Wesfarmers share price is trading at $82.00 on Friday.
