While the ASX tech share suffering has gotten the most investor attention over the last several months because of AI worries, there are also non-tech opportunities that analysts have picked out as ideas.

Let's get into why these stocks could be compelling buys.

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

Broker UBS describes ALS as a leading analytical and testing services business with operations across mining, natural resources, environmental, food, pharmaceutical, industrial and inspection sectors. Other services include sampling and remote monitoring.

UBS has a buy rating on the business, with a price target of $26. That implies a possible rise of around 30% over the next year from where it is at the time of writing.

The broker noted that there are signs of an early-stage recovery in the (resources) exploration cycle. Geochemistry demand "continues to skew" to major miners, despite the increase in junior and intermediate miner capital raising activity, suggesting that it's still "early stages in the exploration cycle".

UBS also said that ALS appears to be recovering previous geochemistry price discounts as demand increases.

The broker noted that initial FY26 underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) guidance implies 20% year-over-year growth. UBS thinks the ASX growth share's guidance implies a relatively conservative view on the margins, with the group operating margin (EBIT) set to increase by 80 basis points (0.80%) in FY26.

UBS concluded:

We maintain our buy rating on ALS with the stock trading at a 1yr fwd EV/EBITDA of 14x, in line with where the stock has traded at during previous exploration upcycles, albeit the current gold price is c.2.5x higher. Our Buy thesis is underpinned by the view that the record gold price should drive a recovery in exploration activity, supporting c.10% pa EPS CAGR for ALS over the next three years.

The ASX growth share is valued at 28x FY26's estimated earnings, according to UBS' estimates.

ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB)

UBS is also optimistic about is ARB, which the broker describes as an Australian manufacturer and retailer of 4×4 and automotive aftermarket accessories globally, servicing the retail aftermarket, wholesale distribution in offshore markets and direct to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

UBS currently has a buy rating on ARB with a price target of $25.50. This implies a possible rise of close to 20% over the next year.

The broker noted that the ASX growth share has faced some headwinds in the operating environment, but called it a high-quality business and believes that the brand is not broken.  

UBS said that it's excited about the expansion opportunity in the US and noted that the ASX growth share has become significantly cheaper – it's down more than 40% in the last six months.

The broker pointed out that it's trading at a much cheaper price/earnings (P/E) ratio than it has done historically. Its three-year average of its forward earnings multiple has been 26.3x, according to UBS. It's currently trading at 20x FY26's estimated earnings and 18x FY27's estimated earnings.

UBS suggests that the company's EPS could grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11% over the next three years, including a steady increase of the profit before tax (PBT) margin to FY29 following the US tariff hit.

The post Experts rate these 2 ASX growth shares as buys this month! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's the view of analysts at Bell Potter, who believe this ASX 200 stock could offer good returns.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter has been looking at the testing services company's markets and was pleased with what it saw. It explains:

Major & Intermediate (M&I) CY26 exploration budgets: Our proxy for M&I exploration spend is indicating expansion of 24% in CY26. For context, we have not seen this level of growth since CY21-22. Majors have historically comprised 60-80% of total geochemistry samples processed through the cycle.

The broker also highlights that junior equity raisings are growing strongly, which bodes well for demand from that side of the market. It adds:

R6M Junior equity raising grew 131% YoY in Feb'26, the 17th consecutive month of positive YoY growth. We expect Juniors to increasingly deploy raised capital over CY26 into exploration activities. Juniors typically comprise 20-40% of total geochemistry samples processed through the cycle.

But it isn't just mining. Food testing services demand has been strong. It adds:

1) Food testing services performed strongly, with peers reporting mid-single to double-digit organic revenue growth driven by strong demand for contaminants and safety testing (particularly in Europe); and 2) Environment testing organic revenue growth was mixed (low to mid-single digit), with postponement of environmental testing programs reported in North America.

Should you buy this ASX 200 stock?

According to the note, Bell Potter has retained its buy rating on the ASX 200 stock with an improved price target of $28.00.

Based on its current share price of $25.59, this implies potential upside of 9.5% for investors over the next 12 months.

In addition, a 1.6% dividend yield is expected over the period, lifting the total potential return to approximately 11%.

Commenting on its buy recommendation, the broker said:

We maintain our Buy recommendation and upgrade our Target Price to $28.00/sh (previously $25.00/sh), reflecting the model changes mentioned above. ALQ enters CY26 with strengthening industry tailwinds. Major and Intermediate clients have guided to higher exploration spend in CY26, supported by significant FCF growth in an elevated precious and base metal price environment.

In addition, we are yet to see meaningful deployment of the record-breaking Junior equity raising trend observed over the past 12 months. These conditions are reminiscent of the prior up-cycle years of CY21-22 when Commodities delivered revenue growth of >30% p.a. As such, we view consensus expectations as conservative, implying Commodities delivering revenue growth of 14% in CY26.

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Over February, ASX All Ords shares lifted almost 2.9% amid impressive results from the banks and miners, in particular.

Today, scores of ASX All Ords shares are ending the reporting season at a 52-week high.

Let's check out a few of them.

Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC)

The Ramsay Healthcare share price lifted 3.6% to a 52-week high of $43.65 on Friday.

Yesterday, Ramsay Healthcare reported a 1H FY26 net profit after tax attributable to owners of $160.7 million.

That was a significant improvement on the $104.9 million loss recorded in 1H FY25.

The ASX All Ords healthcare share will pay a fully-franked interim dividend of 42.5 cents per share.

That's up 6.3% on 1H FY25.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

The largest ASX All Ords oil share rose 1.5% to $28.36 on Friday.

That's the highest Woodside share price since July 2024.

This week, Woodside reported record production of 198.8 MMboe in FY25, up 3% from FY24.

The net profit after tax (NPAT) was US$2,718 million, down 24%.

Woodside shares will pay a fully-franked final dividend of 59 US cents per share.

That's up 11% in US dollar terms on the final FY24 dividend.

Woodside shares have also risen on the back of fears of US military action in Iran, which has pushed up oil prices.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)

The NAB share price lifted 0.8% to a record high of $49.45 on Friday.

During the month, NAB reported cash earnings of $2.02 billion for 1Q FY26, up 15% on the average quarterly result in 2H FY25.

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

The Evolution Mining share price lifted 3.6% to a record high of $16.99 on Friday.

This earnings season, Evolution Mining reported a 110% surge in NPAT to $766.6 million for 1H FY26.

Evolution shares will pay a fully-franked dividend of 20 cents per share.

That's the highest dividend the ASX 200 gold miner has ever paid, and it's 186% higher than the 1H FY25 dividend.

The second-largest ASX All Ords gold share continues to benefit from safe-haven trading, which is driving up the gold price.

Check out some recent forecasts for the gold price in 2026.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)

The Regis Resources share price lifted 5.2% to a multi-year high of $9.74 on Friday.

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

The share price of this testing and inspection services provider rose 1.4% to a record $25.83.

Develop Global Ltd (ASX: DVP)

This ASX All Ords copper share lifted 3.2% to a multi-decade high of $5.85 today.

The post 7 ASX All Ords shares finish earnings season on a 52-week high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

ASX mining shares dominate the list of companies hitting these new price milestones today.

Arguably, the most significant price peak today is for BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares.

BHP reclaimed its place as the All Ords' largest share by market capitalisation from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) today.

CBA took the title from BHP in July 2024 during an unprecedented run that took it to a record $192 per share in June 2025.

The CBA share price is $150.35 on Tuesday, up 0.85%, while BHP shares are $49.66, up 2.54%, at the time of writing.

The BHP share price hit a two-year high of $50.08 this morning.

But today isn't all about BHP shares.

Plenty of other ASX All Ords shares have smashed new multi-year highs as well.

Here's a sample.

ASX All Ords shares reaching new price highs

As stated earlier, mining shares dominate the list of company highs today, so let's focus on them first.

Besides BHP, two other large-cap ASX diversified miners hit new 52-week share price highs.

The Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) share price rose 2.8% to a 52-week high of $64.05.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) shares hit a 52-week high of $4.54 per share, up 3.4%.

Among the ASX All Ords gold shares, Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) lifted 1.9% to a record high of $181.91.

The Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG) share price soared 10.3% to a 52-week peak of $1.50.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares surged 3.5% to a record $5.09.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) shares increased 2.8% to a multi-year high of $8.58.

Copper and gold miner Firefly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM) lifted 5.8% to a 52-week high of $2.20 per share.

Among ASX silver shares, Silver Mines Ltd (ASX: SVL) rose 12.5% to a 52-week high of 27 cents.

Canaccord Genuity sees more growth ahead for Sun Silver Ltd (ASX: SS1) shares, which rose 6.5% to a record $2.47 apiece today.

ASX All Ords lithium shares also hit new price peaks.

Shares in lithium and nickel producer IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) increased 2% to a two-year high of $9.50.

The Winsome Resources Ltd (ASX: WR1) share price lifted 11.7% to an 18-month high of 67 cents.

Hot Chili Ltd (ASX: HCH) shares soared 9.2% to a 52-week high of $1.89.

Among ASX All Ords copper shares, Capstone Copper Corp CDI (ASX: CSC) soared 8.8% to a record $16.27 per share.

The Develop Global Ltd (ASX: DVP) share price rose 5.8% to a four-year high of $5.67.

What about ASX All Ords shares from other sectors?

ASX All Ords retail stock Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK) ascended 1.9% to a record $26.08 per share.

Engineering services company Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) lifted 3.6% to a record $30.98.

Testing and inspection services provider ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ) rose 1.4% to a record $24.41.

The post ASX All Ords shares smashing 52-week highs today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Earlier in Friday's session, the ALS share price also hit a fresh all-time high of $23.91, marking another milestone in what has been an impressive run.

Over the past 12 months, ALS shares are now up around 53%, comfortably outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). With momentum clearly building, investors may be wondering whether the rally still has room to run.

Let's take a closer look.

Why ALS shares are back in the spotlight

ALS is a global testing, inspection, and certification business, operating across commodities, life sciences, energy, and industrial markets.

The company runs more than 370 sites across around 65 countries, giving it a diversified earnings base. That global footprint has helped smooth earnings across cycles and reduce reliance on any single market.

In its H1 FY26 results, ALS reported underlying EBIT growth of around 14.7%, driven by solid demand across its core divisions. Management also pointed to improving operating margins and continued cost discipline.

That result reinforced the market's view that ALS remains well positioned despite broader economic uncertainty.

A reliable dividend with growth on top

ALS also continues to reward shareholders with dividends.

The company paid an interim dividend of around 19.4 cents per share, carrying a franking credit of close to 30%. While ALS is not a high-yield stock, the dividend provides a steady income stream alongside capital growth.

What the ALS chart is saying

The relative strength index (RSI) is hovering around 65, which suggests bullish conditions, though the stock is not yet at extreme overbought levels.

The share price is also trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, confirming a strong medium and long-term uptrend.

In terms of volatility, ALS has a beta of around 1.09, meaning it tends to move broadly in line with the market.

Support and resistance levels to watch

Now that ALS has moved above its previous highs, the $23.90 level could act as short-term support.

Below that, the $22 to $22.50 zone is an important support area based on recent trading activity. Further down, longer-term support sits closer to $21.50 to $21.80.

On the upside, the next psychological resistance level sits around $25.00, which some analysts see as a potential medium-term target if momentum continues.

Foolish takeaway

ALS has delivered strong gains, but the recent rally is backed by solid earnings growth, global diversification, and improving margins.

While short-term pullbacks are always possible after hitting an all-time high, the broader trend remains positive.

For investors looking for a quality industrial stock with momentum and defensiveness, ALS is one worth keeping on your watchlist.

The post This ASX stock just hit an all-time high. Is there more upside ahead? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here, we look at the 10 best ASX 200 large-cap shares of 2025 for capital growth.

Large caps have a market capitalisation of $10 billion or more. All the stocks below fit this category.

Investors like large caps because they are typically older, well-established companies that pay reliable dividends every year.

Let's check out last year's best performers.

10 best ASX 200 large caps for share price growth

1. Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

The Evolution Mining share price rose by 164% to close the year at $12.68 apiece.

ASX gold shares had a fantastic year due to a 65% rally in the gold price on top of a 27% gain in 2024.

The gold price rose to a new record of US$4,533 per ounce in December.

Evolution Mining shares are $12.92 apiece on Thursday, down 0.6%.

2. Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM)

Newmont Corporation shares increased 152% to finish 2025 at $150.20 apiece.

The ASX gold share continues to streak higher, hitting a new 52-week peak of $162.45 yesterday.

The Newmont share price is $158.66 today, up 0.1%.

3. Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The Lynas Rare Earths share price rose by 93.5% to $12.44 on 31 December.

Today, the ASX 200 large-cap rare earths share is trading at $14.74, down 2.2%.

Lynas shares were the market's best performer yesterday amid improving sentiment about rare earths prices.

4. PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, PLS Group shares lifted 93% to close the year at $4.22.

The ASX 200 large-cap lithium share set a new 52-week high of $4.89 today.

5. Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The share price of the ASX 200's largest gold miner rose 73% to close the year at $26.73.

The ASX gold share has fallen in the first week of 2026 to $24.88 today.

An operational update released on 2 January prompted some investors to sell.

6. Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

Shares in this property fund manager ripped 71% higher to close out the year at $24.45.

The ASX 200 large-cap real estate investment trust (REIT) is steady at $24.07 today.

7. Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

This ASX 200 large-cap mining share had a turbulent year due to governance issues and other factors.

The Mineral Resources share price plunged to a 52-week low of $14.05 before commencing a recovery.

Mineral Resource shares managed a 59% gain over the year to close at $54.38 apiece on 31 December.

The Mineral Resources share price is $57.91 on Thursday, up 1.1%.

8. Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI)

Shares in the explosives manufacturer rose 46% to $24.28 in 2025.

Today, Orica shares are trading at $25.85 apiece, down 0.1%.

9. ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ) 

The ALS share price rose 46% to $22.04 last year.

ALS provides testing solutions to clients in a wide range of industries around the world.

Today, the ALS share price is $22.79, up 2%.

10. Bluescope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL) 

The Bluescope share price lifted 29% to finish the year at $24.07.

The steel maker is in the news this week after rejecting a takeover offer at $30 per share.

A consortium comprising SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH) and Steel Dynamics, Inc (NASDAQ: STLD) made the offer.

Today, Bluescope shares are $29.31, down 1.9%.

The post 10 best ASX 200 large-cap shares of 2025 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Share prices are changing all the time, giving investors the opportunity to buy at good value if they appear undervalued.

While analyst predictions aren't necessarily going to be precisely correct, I think it could be very worthwhile to look at which businesses are expected to deliver big returns and underrated earnings.

Let's take a look at two ASX shares that are highly rated today.

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

According to the collation of analyst ratings by Commsec, there are currently nine buy recommendations on this company, which is a substantial number.

UBS describes ALS as a leading analytical and testing services business with operations spanning the mining, natural resources, environmental, food, pharmaceutical, industrial and inspection sectors. It provides testing, sampling and remote monitoring to those sectors.

UBS is one of the brokers that rates the business as a buy, with a price target of $20.87.

The broker notes that the company's FY26 first half result was solid, with net profit 3% of what the market was expecting thanks to stronger performances from both the life sciences and commodities divisions.

Operating profit (EBIT) growth of 15% was driven by organic revenue growth of 7%. The commodities division achieved 12% organic revenue growth, while geochemistry revenue grew 14%.

Mineral sample volumes were up in the low double-digits, thanks to supportive commodity prices for gold and copper, as well as demand from onshoring and mineral security trends. Geochemistry demand continues to come from major miners.

UBS notes that ALS' guidance means the company expects organic revenue growth of between 6% to 8%, up from between 5% to 7%, with commodities growth upgraded to between 12% to 14%, up from 5% to 7%.

The broker suggests ALS' view on its profit margins is "conservative".

UBS is optimistic on this ASX share because of the view that the record gold price "should drive a recovery in exploration activity", supporting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10% for earnings per share (EPS) over the next three years.

GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG)

GQG is a funds management business that gives clients the option to invest in different strategies such as US shares, international (excluding US) shares, global shares and emerging market shares.

According to the Commsec collation of analyst opinions, there are currently seven buy ratings on the ASX share. UBS is one of the brokers that rates GQG shares as a buy.

After a period of fund underperformance because of the defensive setting of GQG portfolios due to high AI-related valuations, the month of November saw GQG outperform.

UBS said the fund manager delivered 360 basis points (3.60%) of "alpha validating GQG's defensive posture amid increasing scepticism around the AI buildout".

The broker noted that the business reached US$166.1 billion of funds under management (FUM) in November 2025, a rise of 1.5% month over month, with client FUM net flows contributing negative 1.5% and investment returns contributing 3%.

When the GQG share price was trading at $1.73, UBS noted it's trading at a price/earnings (P/E) ratio of less than 8 and the dividend yield was around 12%.

UBS said its team continues "to see value appeal as a market-hedge with the dividend underpinned by relatively resilient FUM trends."

The broker also believes that recent outflows have been "resilient", considering the depth of GQG's recent underperformance. But, in early December, UBS saw that there are indications the net flows for December 2025 could show signs of improvement, with trackable flows in positive territory in-line with the first half of 2025 monthly experience.

UBS has a price target of $2.10 on the business, which assumes the business will trade at a P/E ratio of 10.

The post 2 ASX shares highly recommended to buy: Experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The company this week reported a 13.3% increase in underlying revenue to $1.7 billion, while first-half net profit of $141.7 million was up 11.8%.

ALS chair Nigel Garrard said it was a solid result.

The group has delivered a strong first half result with organic revenue growth recorded across all business streams, resilient margins, and both underlying earnings and profit considerably up.

The company also boosted its interim dividend by about 3% to 19.4 cents per share.

Commodities sector strong

Managing director Malcom Deane said, despite "ongoing geopolitical and macro uncertainty", there was strength in the company's commodities division, while there was lower growth in the life sciences division.

Within commodities, the businesses delivered a strong performance, achieving 14.3% organic revenue growth supported by favourable market conditions. Growth was recorded across all regions. Within minerals, activity continues to be led by major and mid-tier miners, while improving funding conditions for junior explorers are contributing to higher quotation and early-stage project activity.

Mr Deane said the life sciences division's performance was slightly below expectations despite a strong showing from the food sector.

ALS said it was also continuing to assess a number of merger and acquisition opportunities.

The company upgraded its revenue guidance to 6% to 8% growth, up from 5% to 7%, and said it was well on track to meet its FY27 targets, including growing revenue to $3.3 billion and growing underlying EBIT to $600 million.

Share price upside

The team at Macquarie ran the ruler over the results and said investors who were seeking leverage to the strong gold price by buying ALS would have liked what they saw.

The broker has an outperform rating on ALS shares and said, despite the strong performance already, there was more upside to be had.

Stock has had a strong run and multiple not cheap, but should be supported by ALS's strong earnings per share growth profile which is above both market & global … peers. Calendar year 26 exploration budgets should trend positively and there's potential for the juniors to co-join the senior-driven exploration recovery.

Macquarie has a 12-month price target of $22.85 on the shares, compared with Tuesday's close of $21.12.

This price target was up from a previous target of $19.26. Bell Potter is even more bullish on the shares, with a price target of $25.   

The post Up 40% this year, Macquarie says this ASX 200 stock can still return double digits from here appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Three ASX shares that brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here's why their analysts are feeling bullish on them right now:

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts have retained their buy rating on this testing services company's shares with an improved price target of $25.30. The broker highlights that ALS has released a half year result which revealed earnings that were ahead of expectations. The good news is that Morgans believes it is onwards and upwards from here. It points out that the exploration cycle is set to accelerate given the unprecedented amount of capital raised over the last 4 to 5 months, which it expects to drive upgrades in the commodities business. Moreover, excess cash from commodities will be used for acquisitions, which could result in capital driven upgrades in life sciences. Morgans believes this will underpin earnings per share growth of 22% to 24% in both FY 2026 and FY 2027. The ALS share price is trading at $21.23 on Wednesday.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this sports technology company's shares with a reduced price target of $6.50. This follows the release of a strong result this week, which revealed earnings ahead of guidance and ahead of Bell Potter's expectations. It notes that this was driven by a higher margin than forecast. Looking ahead, the broker sees strong double-digit growth in the core business and believe this will be augmented by the cross-sell opportunity from the recent IMPECT acquisition, as well as potential expansion into other sports. And while it has trimmed its valuation, this reflects a change in multiples due to the recent de-rating of the tech sector. The Catapult share price is fetching $4.57 at the time of writing.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

Analysts at Morgan Stanley have upgraded this enterprise software provider's shares to an overweight rating with an improved price target of $36.50. This follows the release of the company's full year results. While the broker notes that there has been a slight slowdown in its growth outside the UK market, it remains highly profitable and is generating significant free cash flow. In light of this and its positive growth outlook and defensive earnings, the broker thinks that a very attractive entry point has been created for investors. The TechnologyOne share price is trading at $29.87 this afternoon.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Motley Fool's Laura Steward reported yesterday that the company announced a 13.3% lift in underlying revenue to $1.7 billion and 14.7% growth in underlying EBIT for the first half of FY26, powered by a strong Commodities division and ongoing gains in Life Sciences.

The company is one of the world's largest laboratory testing, inspection, certification, and verification businesses. It operates from around 350 sites across 65 countries.

The team at Bell Potter certainly liked what it saw, increasing the price target for this ASX 200 stock. 

Here's what the broker liked. 

Impressive financial result 

In yesterday's report, Bell Potter said Commodities and Life Sciences exceeded revenue forecasts.

The commodities performance was underpinned by strengthening sample volume growth at Geochem (low double-digit YoY growth at period-end); operating leverage was offset by weaker price flow-through from legacy contracts, which have largely ceased (EBIT margin was in line with BPe). 

The broker said the Life Sciences EBIT margin was 30bps higher than forecast as cost-out continued at Nuvisan and Legacy Life Sciences operations delivered margin expansion ahead of the 20-40bps FY26 target (+57bps YoY).

However, the 19.4cps interim dividend (30% franked) was 6% below expectation.

Upgraded outlook from Bell Potter

In the report, the broker also said the organic revenue growth target was upgraded to 6% to 8% (previously 5% to 7%; BPe now 7.5%).

Commodities organic revenue growth is expected to be within the range of 12% to 14% (previously 5% to 7%; BPe now 13.8%). Additionally, 2H EBIT margin improvement of 100-125bps is now estimated.

Life Sciences organic revenue growth is expected to fall within the range of 4% to 6% (downgraded from 5% to 7%; BPe 4.8%).

Overall, the company's guidance upgrade reflects improving underlying drivers across Commodities. 

We expect Commodities to deliver strong EBIT growth and margin expansion over the next 12 months as exploration market activity strengthens, and with profitability also improving at Life Sciences, we estimate ALQ could deliver an attractive 17.5% EPS CAGR over FY26-27.

The team at Bell Potter has a buy recommendation on this ASX 200 stock. 

It also upgraded its price target to $25 (previously $23.50). 

From yesterday's closing price of $20.87, this indicates an upside of 19.80%.

The post Bell Potter just upgraded its view on this ASX 200 stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did ALS report?

• Underlying revenue rose 13.3% to $1.66 billion
• Underlying EBIT increased 14.7% to $287.2 million; margin up 20 basis points to 17.3%
• Underlying NPAT up 17.2% to $178.4 million; statutory NPAT up 11.8%
• Free cash flow grew 10.8% to $303.9 million
• Interim dividend up 2.6% to 19.4 cents per share (30% partially franked)
• Net debt reduced by 16.8% to $1.15 billion post equity raise

What else do investors need to know?

The Commodities business drove growth, with Minerals margins holding strong at 31.3% despite some pricing headwinds. In Life Sciences, the Food segment performed well and Environmental services grew in key APAC and EMEA regions—even as the Americas lagged and regulatory shifts affected Pharmaceuticals in Mexico.

ALS highlighted continuing investment in laboratory expansion, with $67.7 million spent in the half, and maintains liquidity above $550 million. The balance sheet is in solid shape, and the company continues to pursue bolt-on acquisitions and innovation projects, while safety performance reached record lows for incident rates.

What did ALS management say?

CEO and Managing Director Malcolm Deane said:

Amid ongoing geopolitical and macro uncertainty, the Group had a strong first half driven by strength in Commodities contrasting lower growth conditions for Life Sciences… These results demonstrate ALS' ability to create value as a diversified global testing business. Our disciplined capital deployment following the May equity raise is progressing according to plan, accelerating key capacity expansion projects while maintaining balance sheet strength… ALS is well positioned to deliver another year of growth and continue building long-term shareholder value.

What's next for ALS?

ALS has lifted its FY26 organic revenue growth guidance to 6–8% (from 5–7%) and expects a steady improvement in margins. The Commodities division is tipped to post 12–14% organic revenue growth, while Life Sciences is expected to grow 4–6%.

Management reiterated its confidence in meeting FY27 targets: $3.3 billion revenue, $600 million underlying EBIT, and a minimum EBIT margin of 19%. Watch for ongoing lab expansions and additional acquisition activity into FY26 and beyond, as ALS aims to deliver strong shareholder returns while focusing on core capital discipline and reliable service.

ALS share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, ALS shares have risen 47%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post ALS reports higher revenue, profit, and dividend for H1 FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In fact, it has repeatedly hit all-time highs this year. 

It recently gained attention from a leading fund manager in the last couple of months thanks to its organic revenue growth.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials (ASX: XNJ) index is up roughly 12% in the same period. 

The company is one of the world's largest laboratory testing, inspection, certification, and verification businesses. It operates from around 350 sites across 65 countries.

Despite already rising significantly in 2025, fresh guidance from the team at Morgans suggests its growth is going to continue. 

Let's see what the broker had to say. 

Exploration poised to accelerate

According to the broker, the company is set to increase its exploration activity. 

Morgans said its proprietary raisings data indicates that geochemistry sample volumes will be trending up +20-30% in November which will be a key positive catalyst for the stock. 

It also forecasts FY26 Commodities revenue to grow +12% (from +10%) as price lags volume and downstream (metallurgy) lags upstream (geochemistry). 

This is despite a sharp rise in volumes.

In FY27, the broker forecasts +20% revenue growth in Commodities (from +12%). 

This sees our FY26 NPAT forecast largely unchanged (+1-2%) but our FY27-28 forecasts rise by +7-8%.

Updated price target 

Based on the updated forecast from Morgans, it has upgraded its target price from $20.00 to $24.60. 

Based on Monday's closing price of $21.63, this indicates an upside of 13.73%. 

It seems Morgans is more optimistic on this ASX industrials stock compared to valuations from other brokers. 

Bell Potter currently has an "underweight" rating and price target of $19.70, suggesting it is already trading close to or even above fair value. 

Elsewhere, TradingView has a 12 month price target of $19.74 and online brokerage platform Selfwealth rates this ASX industrials stock as "overvalued" by approximately 10%. 

The post Morgans upgraded this ASX industrials stock and tips 13% upside! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This follows an impressive night on Wall Street with all three major United States indexes closing at record highs.

The benchmark S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) rose 0.48% and reached another record closing value of 6,656.8 points.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) lifted 0.27% and also hit a new record close of 46,317.52 points.

The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) had the best night, rising 0.94% to a record close of 22,540.93 points.

A US$5 billion deal between Nvidia and Intel Corp excited the US market, with the tech stocks rising 3.5% and 23%, respectively.

Nvidia announced it will invest US$5 billion into Intel, and the two rival companies will form a new product partnership.

Intel will design custom computer processing units (CPUs) for the chip maker.

Last night's new records follow the US Federal Reserve cutting interest rates for the first time since December 2024.

While this signals concerns about the US economy, every rate cut introduces new liquidity into the market as people go 'risk on'.

Wall Street's lead has provided a tailwind for ASX 200 tech shares today, with the sector up 1% at the time of writing.

Among the ASX tech sector's largest players, Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) is rising fastest, up 3.6% to $52.10 currently.

The share price of the popular family location app provider reached a new all-time high of $52.40 in earlier trading.

But tech shares are not the best performers among the 11 ASX 200 market sectors today.

ASX 200 healthcare shares are topping the charts with a 2.25% gain for the sector on Friday.

The healthcare sector heavyweights are all rising strongly.

At the time of writing, the CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) share price is up 2.4% to $203.09.

Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) shares are up 2.4% to $3.02.

Sector darling Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) is up 6.8% to $319.18 per share.

9 ASX 200 shares setting new records today

Here are the ASX 200 shares that have hit 52-week highs, or in some cases multi-year highs, today.

The post Life360 and Neuren Pharmaceuticals among 9 ASX 200 shares hitting multi-year highs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In determining which sector did best last week, the measure of success was simply which one fell the least.

That was industrials, which slipped 0.53%. The industrials sector is considered a defensive play for investors.

The materials sector was the second-best performer, down 0.73%.

ASX 200 materials stocks were supported by the gold price surging to a new record high of US$3,593.20 per ounce during the week.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lost 1.14% of its value over the five trading days. It closed out the week at 8,871.2 points.

IG market analyst Tony Sycamore blamed surging bond yields for the ASX 200's decline.

Sycamore said (courtesy news.com.au):

The decline is primarily driven by surging bond yields and the return of the bond vigilantes, fuelled by concerns over large fiscal deficits, central banks cutting rates into persistent inflation and President Trump's dovish reshaping of the US Federal Reserve.

Better-than-expected Australian GDP growth in the June quarter likely also contributed to the sell-off, as it reduced the case for a rate cut.

Let's look at how the ASX 200 industrial sector's biggest companies performed last week.

Industrials led the ASX 200 sectors last week

The industrials sector's largest stock, Transurban Group Ltd (ASX: TCL), fell 1.58% to finish at $14.37 per share on Friday.

The Brambles Ltd (ASX: BXB) share price lifted 2.35% to close at $26.56.

Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) shares fell 1.86% to $37.46.

SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH) shares lost 2.18% to close at $49.41 on Friday.

ASX 200 airline share Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) rose 0.85% to $11.85.

Auckland International Airport Limited (ASX: AIA) shares lost 0.15% to $6.82.

The ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ) share price rose 1.18% to $18.81.

Worley Ltd (ASX: WOR) shares lost 0.2% to close at $14.66 on Friday.

Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB) shares tumbled 2.38% to $4.10.

The Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) share price fell 6.63% to close out the week at $10.42.

Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) shares declined 0.72% to $2.76 per share.

Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ) shares fell 1.85% to $3.18.

Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW) shares fell 3.73% to $6.96 apiece.

The Ventia Services Group Ltd (ASX: VNT) share price dropped 4.41% to $5.20.

The Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) share price lifted 5.28% to $8.18.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

Looking for investment inspiration?

Check out Macquarie's top ASX 200 share picks in each of the 11 market sectors post-earnings season.

The post Every ASX 200 sector closed in the red last week. Here's why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The stocks that WAM highlighted were from the portfolio of listed investment company (LIC) WAM Capital Ltd (ASX: WAM), which is focused on finding "the most compelling undervalued growth opportunities in the Australian market."

WAM Capital is one of the largest LICs on the ASX and it's very happy to look across the ASX share market for opportunities. Let's take at two of the ASX 200 shares that WAM highlighted.

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

WAM described ALS as a global leader in testing inspection, certification and verification services in the commodities and life sciences sectors.

The fund manager pointed out that the company delivered a robust FY26 first quarter update at a recent investor day, reaffirming its guidance of between 5% to 7% of organic revenue growth and profit margin expansion.

WAM noted that strengthening commodity markets and increased miner financing activity are "key tailwinds".

For the fund manager, a key takeaway from the event was the "strategic focus on higher-growth markets, while reinforcing its competitive edge in core segments where it holds dominant market share.

The investment team also pointed out that digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) were highlighted as medium-term drivers of an uplift of profit margins.

WAM then explained why it's bullish on the ASX 200 share:

ALS is well positioned to leverage a strong balance sheet and execute earnings-accretive acquisitions. We remain constructive on the outlook and see potential upside to consensus earnings, with valuation appearing undemanding at this stage of the cycle.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

WAM said that Hub24 operates a financials services and wealth technology platform delivering integrated investment, super and adviser portals.

Excitingly, the Hub24 share price rose 20% in July, as the below chart shows. The fund manager attributed that rise to strong financial performance and strategic developments, reflecting investor confidence in its growth prospects.

In the FY25 fourth quarter market update, Hub24 reported record annual platform net inflows of $19.8 billion, a 25% year-over-year increase. That growth was driven by net inflows of $5.3 billion in the fourth quarter, including $1.2 billion from EQT Holdings Ltd (ASX: EQT).

The inflows from EQT represent the final tranche of funds migrated as part of a strategic partnership between the two companies.

Excluding those migrations, net inflows for the quarter were a record $4.1 billion, up 33% year-over-year.

Additionally, the company's total funds under administration (FUA) reached $136.4 billion as of 30 June 2025, being a 30% increase from the previous year.

The post A leading fund manager says these 2 ASX 200 shares have exciting potential appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Information technology and financial sector shares are weighing down the bourse today.

On the other side of the coin, the materials sector is up strongly, rising 1.36% on Friday, led by the mining stocks.

Meanwhile, a group of ASX 200 shares reached multi-year high prices today.

Let's take a look.

Which ASX 200 shares just struck a multi-year high?

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

The largest ASX 200 consumer discretionary share lifted to a record $90.39 on Friday.

Macquarie has a neutral rating on Wesfarmers shares and a 12-month price target of $82.

JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH)

This ASX 200 retail share rose to a record $117.32 today.

Bell Potter has a buy rating on JB Hi-Fi with a share price target of $114.

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The Lynas share price ascended to a three-year high of $12.53.

Macquarie has an underperform rating with a price target of $9 on this ASX 200 rare earths share.

Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM)

This ASX 200 gold share lifted to a 3-year high of $107.13 today.

Ord Minnett has a buy rating and a $115 price target on Newmont shares.

Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI)

Stock in this explosives manufacturer rose to a five-year high of $21.74 today.

UBS has a buy rating on Orica with a 12-month share price target of $32. 

Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

This ASX 200 real estate investment trust (REIT) rose to a four-year high of $21.66 on Friday.

Charter Hall was the No. 1 property stock for price growth in FY25.

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

The ALS share price hit a record of $18.63 today.

Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE)

The Eagers Automotive share price rose to a record $20.72 on Friday.

Macquarie has an outperform rating on this ASX 200 auto share with a price target of $20.60.

Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN)

The Harvey Norman share price lifted to a four-year high of $6.05 today.

The 'retail sales surge' in June, along with rising property prices, are tailwinds for this consumer discretionary share.

Macquarie gives Harvey Norman shares an outperform rating with a price target of $5.90.

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP)

The AMP share price hit a five-year high of $1.84 today.

Macquarie has a neutral rating and a $1.70 target price on AMP shares. 

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA)

The Codan share price lifted to a record $23.67 on Friday.

Codan was one of the 5 best-performing ASX 200 tech shares of FY25.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Temple & Webster shares rose to a record $26.30.

Morgan Stanley gives this retail share an overweight rating and $28 price target.

Regis Healthcare Ltd (ASX: REG)

The ASX 200 healthcare share rose to a record $8.88 today.

Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG)

The Generation Development Group share price hit a record $6.61 today.

The ASX 200 small-cap share outperformed all of its rivals in the financials sector in FY25.

Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR)

Deterra Royalties shares lifted to a 15-month high of $4.38 on Friday.

The post 15 ASX 200 shares advancing to multi-year highs today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Little-known businesses can produce just as good returns as the most popular ASX growth shares, if those companies deliver on their potential.

The fund manager Wilson Asset Management recently outlined two exciting stocks that could be market-beaters from here. Let's take a look at which ASX 200 shares the investment team likes.

Resmed CDI (ASX: RMD)

The business aims to raise awareness and assist with sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory conditions. It helps people with cloud-connected CPAP devices and ventilators, as well as digital health technologies.

WAM noted that Resmed's recent FY25 fourth quarter result was slightly ahead of expectations, with foreign exchange tailwinds and product mix driving improvements in the gross profit margin.

The FY26 guidance for the gross profit margin of between 61% to 63% was also "well above" what the market was expecting, supported by ongoing cost optimisation and product mix improvements.

WAM pointed out that the ASX 200 stock had performed well going into the result and also did well coming out of it too, with some profit margin expansion already priced in.

On the concerns of weight loss drugs leading to patient leakage because of the potential for Ozempic (and others) to be a first-line therapy, WAM said "there is not evidence of meaningful impact yet".

WAM concluded:

If ResMed continues to deliver on its five-year plan, which includes high single-digit sales growth and operating leverage, its valuation is undemanding. ResMed continues to invest in sleep health, with wearables expected to be a tailwind over the coming years.

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

The other ASX 200 stock that WAM recently highlighted was ALS, a global leader in testing, inspection, certification, and verification services across a number of sectors, including commodities and life sciences.

WAM said the investment team attended ALS' recent investor day in Perth last week where the business delivered a "robust" update for the first quarter of FY26. In that update, the business reaffirmed its guidance for organic revenue growth of between 5% to 7%, as well as profit margin expansion.

The fund manager said this update was supported by strengthening commodity tailwinds and increased miner financing activity.

A key takeaway for WAM was ALS' strategic focus on higher-growth markets, while reinforcing its competitive edge in core segments where it holds a dominant market share. The fund manager also noted that digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) were highlighted as medium-term drivers of the profit margin increase.

WAM concluded the following about the ASX 200 share:            

With a strengthened balance sheet following a recent equity raise, ALS is well positioned to pursue earnings-accretive acquisitions. We remain constructive on the outlook and see potential upside to consensus earnings, with valuation appearing undemanding at this stage of the cycle.

The post 2 high-quality ASX 200 stocks this fund manager is bullish about appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to build on this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to fall

The Australian share market looks set to fall on Thursday despite a relatively positive night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 20 points or 0.2% lower this morning. In the United States, the Dow Jones was down a fraction, the S&P 500 was up 0.5%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.95%.

Oil prices jump

ASX 200 energy shares including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a good session after oil prices jumped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 2.8% to US$67.32 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 2.75% to US$68.95 a barrel. Traders were buying oil after Iran suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Buy Amplitude Energy shares

The Amplitude Energy Ltd (ASX: AEL) share price is undervalued according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating on the energy producer's shares with an improved price target of 27 cents. This implies potential upside of 29% for investors. It said: "AEMO data to the end of June 2025 points to net FY25 gas production from AEL's two key gas assets totalling 26PJ, which along with oil and condensate production (31 March 2025 year to date ~0.5PJe) should see the company reach the top end or even exceed guidance of 25.2-26.6PJe."

Gold price rises

It could be a decent session for ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) on Thursday after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.6% to US$3,369.2 an ounce. The gold price pushed higher after US economic data strengthened the case for interest rate cuts.

ALS shares go ex-dividend

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ) shares are due to go ex-dividend this morning and could trade lower. In May, the testing services company released its full year results and revealed a 1.4% decline in underlying net profit after tax to $312.1 million This led to the ALS board declaring a final dividend of 19.7 cents per share. Eligible shareholders will be receiving this payout later this month on 25 July.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.