Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares are climbing higher again on Tuesday.
At the time of writing, the ASX energy shares are up around 1% and changing hands for $33.82 a piece.
Today's increase means the shares are now up around 43% for the year to date and 26% higher than 12 months ago.
The update comes as Woodside posted its first-half FY26 results this morning.
The company reported a 13% increase in operating revenue, a 27% increase in NPAT, a 7% increase in underlying NPAT, and a huge increase in free cash flow to US$352 million.
The strong result saw management declare a fully-franked interim dividend of 57 US cents per share.
Woodside also reaffirmed its full-year FY26 production and capital expenditure guidance. The company expects to complete key projects, including Scarborough, Trion, and Louisiana LNG, in line with previously announced timelines.
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Woodside shares have rocketed higher in 2026
The oil and gas giant's shares have enjoyed an incredible rally through 2026 so far.
A key driver has been major oil supply concerns and volatility around conflict in the Middle East.
The US and Iran have shown new signs of reaching a potential agreement. But each time it looks like conflict is calming down, it quickly returns. The region is highly volatile, and the movement of oil from the area will continue to be uncertain until a resolution is reached.
Shipping disruptions and production cuts pushed crude oil prices to a multi-year high of around US$113 per barrel in April, according to Trading Economics data. While the price of oil softened in June and early July, it is now trading back up at around US$85 per barrel.
What do the experts tip for the shares over the next 12 months?
It looks like brokers now think the oil major's shares are trading around fair value. In fact, some are tipping a downside over the next 12 months.
Market Index data shows the majority of brokers have a hold rating on Woodside shares. But the $28.52 average target price now implies a potential 17% downside ahead, at the time of writing.
TradingView data is a little more positive. Out of 16 analysts, eight have a buy/strong buy rating, seven have a hold rating, and 1 rates the stock as a sell.
The average $32.31 target price implies a potential 5% downside, at the time of writing.
But the difference between the maximum and minimum target price is significant. Some forecast the shares to climb about 29% to $43.47 over the next 12 months. But others think Woodside shares have the potential to fall up to 26% to $25.01, at the time of writing.
