As the earnings season continues, more companies are announcing their next dividends.

We'll help you keep track of ex-dividend dates with an article every Friday over the next two months.

Here are the ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend next week.

ASX shares with ex-dividend dates ahead

Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)

This ASX 200 financial share will pay an 80% franked dividend of 20 cents per share on 28 September.

IAG shares go ex-dividend on Monday, 24 August.

QBE Insurance Ltd (ASX: QBE)

QBE will pay a 30% franked dividend of 33 cents per share on 2 October.

The ex-dividend date is Monday, 24 August.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

This ASX 200 energy share will pay an unfranked dividend of 11.6 US cents per share on 23 September.

Santos shares go ex-dividend on Monday, 24 August.

Amotiv Ltd (ASX: AOV)

This ASX 200 retail stock will pay a 100% franked dividend of 23 cents per share on 15 September.

Amotiv shares go ex-dividend on Tuesday, 25 August.

Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR)

This ASX 200 materials share will pay a 100% franked dividend of 10.8 cents per share on 22 September.

The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, 25 August.

AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL)

This ASX 200 utilities stock will pay a 100% franked dividend of 26 cents per share on 24 September.

AGL shares go ex-dividend on Tuesday, 25 August.

Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF)

This ASX 200 financial stock will pay a fully-franked dividend of 17.5 cents per share on 17 September.

Challenger shares go ex-dividend on Tuesday, 25 August.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

This ASX 200 telco will pay a 90% franked dividend of 10.5 cents per share on 24 September.

The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, 26 August.

Lottery Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLC)

This ASX 200 consumer discretionary share will pay a 100% franked dividend of 8.5 cents per share on 24 September.

Lottery Corp shares go ex-dividend on Wednesday, 26 August.

JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH)

This ASX 200 retail share will pay a 100% franked dividend of $1.27 per share on 11 September.

JB Hi-Fi shares go ex-dividend on Thursday, 27 August.

SRG Global Ltd (ASX: SRG)

This ASX 200 industrial stock will pay a 100% franked dividend of 4 cents per share on 11 September.

The ex-dividend date is Thursday, 27 August.

Ebos Group Ltd (ASX: EBO)

This ASX 200 healthcare share will pay a 97% franked dividend of 63.7 NZD cents per share on 18 September.

Ebos shares go ex-dividend on Thursday, 27 August.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

This ASX 200 communications share will pay a fully-franked dividend of $1.73 per share on 11 September.

The ex-dividend date is Thursday, 27 August.

Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

This ASX 200 energy stock will pay a fully-franked dividend of 2 cents per share on 30 September.

The ex-dividend date is Friday, 28 August.

Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA)

This ASX 200 materials stock will pay an unfranked dividend of 4 cents per share on 6 October.

The ex-dividend date is Friday, 28 August.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

This ASX 200 tech stock will pay a 100% franked dividend of 14 cents per share on 28 September.

The ex-dividend date is Friday, 28 August.

The post 16 ASX 200 shares with ex-dividend dates next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Three that the broker has been looking at are listed below. Here's what it is saying about them:

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ)

Morgans was pleased enough with ANZ's trading update. However, it isn't a fan of its valuation and sees potential for negative returns even after dividends. As a result, it has put a trim rating and $33.53 price target on ANZ Bank's shares. It said:

Underlying earnings growth, delivery of cost decline and low bad debts were a feature of the trading update, with lifting momentum behind revenue growth. Forecast changes are immaterial. 12-month target price reset to $33.53/s. TRIM retained, with potential TSR at current prices of c.-9% (including 4.4% yield).

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

Although this financial technology company delivered a softer than expected half-year result, Morgans remains positive. This is due to the quality of its earnings improving and its modernisation story. 

This saw the broker retain its buy rating with a $9.65 price target. It said:

IRE's 1H26 result was softer than anticipated, with slower revenue momentum along with currency headwinds the main drivers. While Group revenue & underlying EBITDA fell short of MorgF by -2%/-4% respectively, earnings quality continued to improve as efficiency program cost improvements saw underlying EBITDA margins from continuing operations improve +330bps YoY. Revised FY26 guidance sees revenue & UPAT expectations lowered by ~4% at the midpoint, however Cash EBITDA guidance of A$119-124m (+19-24% YoY) was raised, supported by efficiency program delivery, more moderate Capex outlook, and a further A$6-9m of cost savings to be delivered over 2H26 (implying 2H26 Cash EBITDA of A$58-63m). 

We trim our underlying UPAT forecasts by -2 to -6%, which sees our price target reduce by ~7% to A$9.65. Although top line momentum has softened in the half, execution of IRE's broader efficiency / modernisation story in our view remains on track (albeit early days). We therefore retain our BUY rating.

JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH)

This retail giant delivered a result largely in line with expectations for FY 2026. The only disappointment was its trading update, which revealed a weaker than expected start to FY 2027.

In response, Morgans has retained its accumulate rating on JB Hi-Fi shares with a trimmed price target of $82.00. It explains:

JBH reported a broadly in-line FY26 result, with NPAT up ~3%. However, sales growth slowed in the 4Q, including turning negative in JB Hi-Fi Australia. The July trading update was below market expectations, with 3 out of 4 divisions reporting negative comparable sales growth, and tracking below 1H27 consensus. This was impacted by price increases, supplier stock shortages, weaker consumer backdrop and cycling a strong pcp. We expect some of these headwinds to ease as the year progresses, although the macro trading environment remains choppy. 

We have downgraded our NPAT forecasts by ~5% in FY27 and FY28, respectively. Our valuation lowers to $82.00 driven by earnings downgrades, offset by rolling forward our model. We maintain our ACCUMULATE rating.

The post Buy, hold, sell: ANZ Bank, Iress, and JB Hi-Fi shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The analyst team at Morgans certainly think so, with a buy recommendation on the shares and a share price target which has some serious upside.

We'll get to that shortly. First, let's look at what Iress announced.

Solid results but weaker than expected

The financial data company said on Monday that it had delivered a "solid" result, with improved earnings quality driven by disciplined execution.

Net profit came in at $32 million for the first half, up 85% on the same period in the previous year, while underlying net profit was up 18.4% to $38.8 million.

For the continuing business, revenue increased 2.5% on a constant currency basis to $250 million.

Iress declared a first-half dividend of 14 cents, up 27.3%.

The company's Managing Director Andrew Russell said of the result:

Execution has shifted from simplifying the business to investing in product evolution and sustainable growth. We are evolving our products, accelerating engineering capability and increasing delivery velocity through our partnership with Thoughtworks and the disciplined adoption of AI. While revenue growth is expected to remain measured in the near term, we are confident in our strategy and in delivering our FY26 Cash EBITDA margin exit run-rate target of 25%. Our focus is on building a higher quality software business with better products, stronger customer relationships and disciplined capital allocation to create sustainable long-term value.

For the full year, the company is expecting to grow underlying profit by 15% to 21%.

Shares in this ASX technology company looking cheap

The Morgans team said the result was softer than expected, "with slower revenue momentum along with currency headwinds the main drivers''.

The broker added:

IRE has executed on stabilising the business over recent years. Further efficiency plans are now underway; however, improving the customer proposition and new product initiatives are required to drive organic revenue growth. We view IRE's earnings base as more defendable and free cash flow as largely improving. Corporate appeal adds to the investment case.

Morgans said that Iress had delivered on annualised cost savings of $31.5 million ahead of schedule, and was targeting another $6 to $9 million in savings in the second half.

Morgans reduced its price target for Iress from $10.35 to $9.65. This is still 44.4% higher than the current share price of $6.68.

The broker expects Iress to pay a full-year dividend yield of 4% this year, rising to 4.7% by 2028.

Iress is valued at $1.31 billion.

The post After a steep fall on results, this ASX technology stock could be 40% undervalued appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did Iress Ltd report?

• Continuing business revenue up 2.5% (constant currency) to $250.0 million
• Continuing business Cash EBITDA up 47.1% to $61.1 million; margin expanded to 24.5%
• Statutory NPAT increased 85.0% to $32.0 million
• Underlying profit after tax (UPAT) up 18.4% to $38.8 million
• Fully franked interim dividend of 14.0 cents per share, up 27.3% from the prior period
• Business efficiency program delivered $31.5 million in annualised cost savings

What else do investors need to know?

Iress says its business efficiency program is running ahead of expectations, with significant annualised savings already delivered and more to come in the second half. The company's recurring revenue remains strong, accounting for 95% of group revenue, signifying robust client relationships and a resilient business model.

The company has shifted its strategic focus from simplification to product evolution, including a partnership with Thoughtworks and embedding AI in product and engineering. Iress' balance sheet is also in a healthy position, with leverage down to 0.5x, offering greater flexibility for investment and further capital management initiatives.

What did Iress Ltd management say?

Commenting on the result, Iress' CEO, Andrew Russell, said:

Execution has shifted from simplifying the business to investing in product evolution and sustainable growth. We are evolving our products, accelerating engineering capability and increasing delivery velocity through our partnership with Thoughtworks and the disciplined adoption of AI.

While revenue growth is expected to remain measured in the near term, we are confident in our strategy and in delivering our FY26 Cash EBITDA margin exit run-rate target of 25%. Our focus is on building a higher quality software business with better products, stronger customer relationships and disciplined capital allocation to create sustainable long-term value.

What's next for Iress Ltd?

Looking ahead, Iress plans to increase investment in product development in the second half, with a particular focus on evolving its AI capabilities and accelerating improvements to its Xplan software suite. Management's priorities remain on operational excellence, customer-led delivery, and supporting sustainable long-term growth.

Updated FY26 guidance now points to slightly softer revenue growth of 1–2%, but higher Cash EBITDA growth of 21–26% and UPAT up 15–21%, reflecting successful structural business improvements. The company is maintaining its target for a 25% Cash EBITDA margin exit run-rate.

Iress Limited share price snapshot

The Iress share price has been out of form over the past 12 months, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) by some distance with a decline of around 13%.

View Original Announcement

The post Iress half-year earnings: Higher profits, bigger dividend, AI push appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to fall again

The Australian share market looks set for a weak start to the week following a poor session on Wall Street on Friday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 33 points or 0.35% lower. In the United States, the Dow Jones fell 0.2%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.3%.

Oil prices rise

It could be a decent start to the week for ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) after oil prices rose on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was up 1.4% to US$82.40 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price was up 1.7% to US$88.52 a barrel. This follows reports that the US is threatening Iran with economic isolation.

Buy IPD Group shares

IPD Group Ltd (ASX: IPG) shares could be worth considering according to Bell Potter. In response to the electrical products distributor and services company's FY 2026 results, the broker has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $6.50 (from $6.20). Bell Potter said: "IPG is well positioned to continue delivering strong earnings growth from booming investment in the Data Centre construction, complementing robust revenue growth across the CMI and EX Engineering businesses. Conversion of advanced M&A opportunities represents upside to near-term consensus earnings expectations."

Gold price rises

It is likely to be a positive start to the week for ASX 200 gold shares including Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) after the gold price rose on Friday night. According to CNBC, the gold futures price was up 0.4% to US$4,437.3 an ounce. Easing interest rate bets in the United States gave the gold price a big boost last week.

ASX 200 results

A number of ASX 200 shares will be on watch on Monday when they release their results. Among the names to watch are infant formula company A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M), steel manufacturer BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX: BSL), fintech company Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE), retail giant JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH), and property developer Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC). 

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

This pessimistic session for the local markets came after a mixed night over on the American boards last night.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) couldn't quite hold water, dropping 0.04%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) made hay, though, rising a confident 0.54%.

Time now to return to the Australian markets, though, for a look at what was happening amongst the different ASX sectors this Thursday.

Winners and losers

As one would expect, there were more red sectors than green today.

Leading those red sectors were communications stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) was smashed, crashing down 2.3%.

Mining shares had a day to forget as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) tanking 0.71%.

Consumer discretionary stocks were on the nose too. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) took a 0.54% tumble this Thursday.

Gold stocks weren't providing any cover either, as evidenced by the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 0.47% dive.

Energy shares were left out in the cold. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) saw its value decline 0.35% today.

Industrial stocks fared similarly, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) sinking 0.26%.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were our last losers this Thursday. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) had slipped 0.15% by the end of the session.

With the red sectors out of the way now, let's turn to the green ones. Leading the pack were again utilities shares, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 2.78% surge.

Tech stocks were exempt from the selling too. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) jumped 0.85% this session.

Consumer staples shares were another safe haven, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) improving by 0.74%.

We could say the same for healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) banked a 0.17% advance this Thursday.

Finally, financial shares found themselves on the right side of the ledger, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.08% appreciation.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's index gold medallist was waste stock Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY). Cleanaway shares cleaned up this session, rocketing 15.19% higher to $2.73 a share.

This spike followed news that Cleanaway has been approached with a takeover offer of $3.13 a share.

Here's how the rest of the winners pulled up at the kerb: 

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

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

After some initial volatility at market open this morning, the ASX 200 spent most of the session deep in red territory. A late-afternoon rally couldn't quite save the markets, and the index ended up closing 0.0045% lower at 8,840.7 points.

This sulky session for the ASX comes despite a more confident day over on the American markets last night.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) did well, rising 0.29%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did even better, gaining 0.62%.

But let's return to the local markets now and check out how the different ASX sectors navigated today's lethargic trading conditions.

Winners and losers

Fitting with the market's small drop, we saw a fairly even split between winners and losers this Thursday.

Leading the latter were mining shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) was hit hard today, cratering 1.58%.

Energy stocks had another rough one as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) plunging 1.53%.

Continuing the commodities theme, gold shares came next. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) saw its value dive 0.82%.

Consumer staples stocks were on the nose too, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)'s 0.31% dip.

Utilities shares joined the losing team, too. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) slid down 0.21% this session.

That's it for the losers, though, so let's get to the green sectors. Leading the winners were communications stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) enjoying a 1.1% surge.

Consumer discretionary shares also ran hot. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) added 1.09% to its total this Thursday.

Financial shares proved popular as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) roared 0.88% higher.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) fared half as well, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)'s 0.44% bounce.

Healthcare stocks were right behind REITs. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) lifted 0.39% today.

Tech shares were in that ballpark as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) advancing 0.38%.

Finally, industrial stocks had a lucky finish, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ)'s 0.08% bump.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

This Thursday's index winner was financial stock AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP). AMP shares soared 9.83% higher today to close at $1.90 each.

This big jump followed a well-received earnings update from the company.

Here's how the other winners landed their planes: 

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

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

After opening sharply lower compared to yesterday's close, the ASX 200 remained in red territory all session and ended up closing down 1.13%. That leaves the index at 8,686.1 points.

This tough day on the local bourse for Australian investors came after a similarly bearish session on Wall Street last night.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in a foul mood, dropping 1.21%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't much better, falling 0.89%.

But let's return to ASX shares now and take a look at how today's tough trading conditions percolated down into the different ASX sectors today.

Winners and losers

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

US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire would remain in place pending a revised peace proposal from Iran.

ASX 200 shares are trading at 8,818.5 points, down 0.3%, at the time of writing.

Meanwhile on The Bull this week, two experts have run the ruler over three ASX 200 shares.

Let's check out their assessment.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

The Life360 share price is $22.31, up 2.9% today and down 53% over the past six months.

LIfe360 is an information technology company that provides a mobile tracking app for families.

Christopher Watt from Bell Potter has a buy rating on this ASX 200 technology share.

Watt explains:

The company offers a compelling growth story driven by its unique position at the intersection of safety, connectivity and subscription-based monetisation.

The integration of hardware and software ecosystems provide options for further monetisation, while operating leverage is beginning to emerge.

Given strong top line momentum, expanding margins and the recent sell-off in line with the broader technology sector, Life360 presents an attractive risk-reward profile, particularly at current levels.

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The Lynas Rare Earths share price is $18.84, down 4.4% today and up 54% in the year to date (YTD).

Lynas is an Australian miner that operates a mining and concentration plant in Western Australia and a processing plant in Malaysia.

Dylan Evans from Catapult Wealth has a hold rating on this ASX 200 rare earths share.

Evans said:

Lynas remains one of the few rare earths producers outside China, and the strategic value of its Australian location has only become more obvious in the shadow of the war in Iran.

The recent 10-year renewal of the company's Malaysian operating licence provides further certainty, particularly as the Malaysian Government has left uncertainty in the past.

Sustaining the company's demanding valuation is a challenge, with much of its future potential priced into the share price at recent levels, in our view.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

The Iress share price is $7.04, down 1.7% today and down 21% over the past six months.

Iress sells financial market and wealth management software across Australia, Asia, Canada, and the UK.

Evans has a sell rating on this ASX 200 tech share.

The analyst said:

The recurring subscription model has always been attractive, delivering reliable and consistent earnings over several decades.

However, other competitors are emerging and could challenge IRE's all-in-one model with a solution built from smaller offerings.

This may challenge IRE's long term market share.

Evans points out that the Iress share price has fallen from $9.68 in November to where it is today — a 27% drop.

The post Buy, hold, or sell? Life360, Iress, Lynas Rare Earths shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

ASX 200 to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rise again on Wednesday following a mixed night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 18 points or 0.2% higher. In the United States, the Dow Jones dropped 0.2%, but the S&P 500 rose 0.1% and the Nasdaq climbed 0.1%.

Buy Telix shares

The team at Bell Potter thinks investors should be buying Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) shares following its first-quarter sales update. In response to the update, the broker has retained its buy rating and $19.00 price target on Telix's shares. It said: "The company continues to make good progress on multiple pipeline products. Short term news flow includes acceptance by the FDA of the resubmitted NDA for Pixclara and the amendment to the IND for TLX591 (prostate cancer Tx). We maintain our Buy rating. FY26 EBITDA is increased by ~US$21m to US$55.3m."

Oil prices fall

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a subdued session after oil prices pulled back overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 1.7% to US$110.41 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 3.8% to US$105.27 a barrel. This was driven by optimism that a US-Iran peace deal could be on the way.

Gold price rises

ASX 200 gold shares including Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a good session on Wednesday after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 1.1% to US$4,734.4 an ounce. Traders have been buying gold in response to Donald Trump's comments on Iran.

Dividend payday

A number of ASX 200 shares will be rewarding their shareholders with their latest dividends on Wednesday. This includes financial technology company Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE), gold miners Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) and Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU), media giant News Corporation (ASX: NWS), and private health insurer NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF). The latter is paying a fully franked 13 cents per share interim dividend today.

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

That's because listed below are two ASX dividend shares that Morgans rates as buys. Here's what it is saying about them and what sort of dividend yields it is forecasting:

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

Morgans is bullish on this travel agent giant and sees it as an ASX dividend share to snap up this month. It has a buy rating and $18.05 price target on its shares. It thinks its shares are cheap based on its FY 2027 forecasts. It said:

FLT's 1H26 NBPT was up 4.1%, a beat on guidance for a flat result. The Corporate result was the highlight with NPBT was up 20%, while Leisure was better than feared down only 4%. The 3Q26 is off to a strong start and importantly Leisure is back in growth. FY26 guidance was reiterated. We have made minor upgrades to our forecasts. FLT's fundamentals remain attractive (FY27 PE of 10.6x) and we retain a Buy recommendation with a new A$18.05 price target.

As for income, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends of 47 cents per share in FY 2026 and then 54 cents per share in FY 2027. Based on its current share price of $11.40, this would mean dividend yields of 4.1% and 4.7%, respectively.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

Another ASX dividend share that Morgans is positive on is financial technology company Iress. The broker recently upgraded its shares to a buy rating with a $10.95 price target. It said:

IRE delivered a solid FY25 result with underlying EBITDA of A$136.2m, +4.7% ahead of our estimate, and the group's FY25 guidance range. Divisionally each segment delivered solid EBITDA growth half on half, with APAC Wealth up +24.5%, UK Wealth +46%, and GTMD +8.6%. FY26 Cash EBITDA guidance (underlying EBITDA less capex) was provided at A$116-126m (representing 15-26% growth YoY).

IRE flagged that capex for FY26 will remain in line with FY25, which implies further operating leverage is expected. We upgrade our underlying EBITDA forecasts by +5-6%, which sees our price target increase to $10.95 from $10.50. With over 50% implied TSR, we move to a BUY rating from ACCUMULATE.

With respect to income, the broker is forecasting dividends of 28 cents per share in FY 2026 and then 33 cents per share in FY 2027. Based on the current Iress share price of $6.90, this would mean dividend yields of 4.1% and 4.8%, respectively.

The post Morgans names 2 ASX dividend shares to buy now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 set for massive rebound

The Australian share market looks set for a very strong session on Tuesday following a solid start to the week in the US. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 200 points or 2.3% higher. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is up 0.5%, the S&P 500 is up 0.8%, and the Nasdaq is 1.4% higher.

Oil prices tumble

It could be a poor session for ASX 200 energy shares Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) after oil prices pulled back overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 5.25% to US$86.13 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 3.2% to US$89.71 a barrel. This was driven by comments from President Trump, suggesting that the US could take control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Buy Nickel Industries shares

Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC) shares could be in the buy zone according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating and $1.45 price target on the nickel producer's shares. It said: "While the conflict in the Middle East is resulting in an immediate market impact to key input costs and the duration is uncertain, we form the view that while margins may be impacted, NIC is insulated due to its diversified nickel product suite. There is also a potential offset from higher nickel prices to which NIC has strong leverage. We retain our Buy recommendation and leave our $1.45/sh Target Price unchanged."

Gold price slips

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) could have a subdued session on Tuesday after the gold price slipped overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 0.25% to US$5,146.5 an ounce. A stronger US dollar and higher rate expectations put pressure on the precious metal.

ASX 200 shares going ex-div

A number of ASX 200 shares are going ex-dividend today and could trade lower. This includes CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE), News Corporation (ASX: NWS), and Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN). With respect to the latter, the airline operator is paying shareholders a fully franked 19.8 cents per share interim dividend next month on 15 April.

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

For you to be entitled to a stock's next dividend, you must own it before its ex-dividend date.

Here are some of the ASX shares going ex-dividend next week.

ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week

The post 32 ASX shares about to go ex-dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But that isn't always the case.

For example, the two blue chip shares named below are currently being tipped to rise by almost 50% by analysts at Morgans.

Here's what they are recommending to clients this month:

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

The team at Morgans is positive on travel agent giant Flight Centre and believes it could be an ASX 200 blue chip share to buy now.

It has put a buy rating and $18.05 price target on its shares, which suggests that upside of almost 50% is possible between now and this time next year.

The broker was pleased with its half-year results, which were better than feared, and highlights the low multiples that Flight Centre's shares trade on. It said:

FLT's 1H26 NBPT was up 4.1%, a beat on guidance for a flat result. The Corporate result was the highlight with NPBT was up 20%, while Leisure was better than feared down only 4%. The 3Q26 is off to a strong start and importantly Leisure is back in growth.

FY26 guidance was reiterated. We have made minor upgrades to our forecasts. FLT's fundamentals remain attractive (FY27 PE of 10.6x) and we retain a Buy recommendation with a new A$18.05 price target.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

Morgans also thinks that this financial technology company could be an ASX 200 blue chip share to buy.

In response to its full-year results last month, the broker upgraded Iress' shares to a buy rating with a $10.95 price target.

This implies potential upside of almost 50% for investors over the next 12 months. It said:

IRE delivered a solid FY25 result with underlying EBITDA of A$136.2m, +4.7% ahead of our estimate, and the group's FY25 guidance range. Divisionally each segment delivered solid EBITDA growth half on half, with APAC Wealth up +24.5%, UK Wealth +46%, and GTMD +8.6%. FY26 Cash EBITDA guidance (underlying EBITDA less capex) was provided at A$116-126m (representing 15-26% growth YoY).

IRE flagged that capex for FY26 will remain in line with FY25, which implies further operating leverage is expected. We upgrade our underlying EBITDA forecasts by +5-6%, which sees our price target increase to $10.95 from $10.50. With over 50% implied TSR, we move to a BUY rating from ACCUMULATE.

The post 2 ASX 200 blue chip shares that could rise 50% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Three ASX shares that impressed enough to get an upgrade from Morgans are named below. Here's why the broker has become bullish on them:

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

This footwear retailer delivered a profit result that was down heavily over the prior corresponding period, but in line with expectations.

Outside this, the broker was pleased to see management decide to close down the Glue Store brand and believes it will be supportive of earnings growth in FY 2027.

In light of this and the low multiples its shares trade on, the broker has upgraded the stock to a buy rating with a $1.30 price target. It said:

AX1 reported 1H26 EBIT which was down 30% yoy to $56.5m, in line with the revised guidance range provided in November ($55-60m). The decline was driven by soft comp sales and significant operating de-leverage from lower gross margins. AX1 has made the unsurprising decision to cease operations of loss-making Glue store, which contributed $8.4m EBIT loss in 1H26. On an underlying basis, EBIT fell 10%. We see this providing incremental benefit on group earnings in FY27.

We have increased our EBIT by 1.5% in FY26 and by 11% in FY27. Our blended valuation lifts to $1.30 (from $1.10). We have upgraded to a BUY (from HOLD). We see significant earnings growth in FY27, driven by underlying FY26 run-rate (ex-Glue), this makes the stock look inexpensive at ~10x FY27 P/E and ~5.6% yield.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

Morgans notes that this financial technology company delivered a profit result ahead of expectations. In response, it has upgraded its forecasts, bumped its valuation higher, and lifted its recommendation.

The broker now rates Iress shares as a buy with a $10.95 price target. It explains:

IRE delivered a solid FY25 result with underlying EBITDA of A$136.2m, +4.7% ahead of our estimate, and the group's FY25 guidance range. Divisionally each segment delivered solid EBITDA growth half on half, with APAC Wealth up +24.5%, UK Wealth +46%, and GTMD +8.6%. FY26 Cash EBITDA guidance (underlying EBITDA less capex) was provided at A$116-126m (representing 15-26% growth YoY).

IRE flagged that capex for FY26 will remain in line with FY25, which implies further operating leverage is expected. We upgrade our underlying EBITDA forecasts by +5-6%, which sees our price target increase to $10.95 from $10.50. With over 50% implied TSR, we move to a BUY rating from ACCUMULATE.

Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

A third ASX share that has been upgraded by Morgans is hotel technology company Siteminder.

In response to its mixed half-year result and recent share price weakness, the broker has upgraded its shares to a buy rating with a $7.00 price target. It said:

SDR's 1H26 result was largely per expectations at the revenue line (A$131m, +23% on the pcp on a constant currency basis), however marginally below at EBITDA. Growth in transaction revenue and the mix shift towards the higher margin Smart Platform offering saw the group gross margin expand ~98bps to 67.8%. Key business metrics remain robust (e.g LTV/CAC of 6.7x, ARR and Rule of 40 growth).

We undertake a broad review of our assumptions in this update. Our price target is lowered to A$7.00 (from A$8.10) as a result. However, given the significant discount of the current share price versus our valuation we upgrade to a BUY recommendation.

The post Morgans just upgraded these ASX shares to buy ratings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This happy hump day for ASX investors comes after a decent morning up on the American markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a fantastic time of it, rising 0.76%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) did open better though, gaining a rosy 1.04%.

But let's get back to ASX shares now and check out how the various ASX sectors benefited from today's unbridled optimism.

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

The rally reflects investor enthusiasm for improving earnings momentum, a strengthened balance sheet, and renewed dividend confidence.

What did Iress report?

Iress reported statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $79.3 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, down 10% on the prior year. However, underlying profit after tax (UPAT) rose 16% to $73.9 million, beating guidance.

Headline adjusted EBITDA increased 2% to $136.2 million, ahead of the $128 million to $132 million guidance range. On a continuing business basis (i.e. excluding divested assets), revenue rose 6% to $504.3 million, while adjusted EBITDA climbed 15% to $132.6 million. Margins expanded to 26%, up 192 basis points.

Underlying earnings per share increased 16% to 39.6 cents.

The board declared a final dividend of 13 cents per share, 100% franked, bringing total FY25 dividends to 24 cents per share.

What else do investors need to know?

FY25 marked the completion of Iress' simplification strategy, exiting non-core businesses such as Superannuation and QuantHouse.

Proceeds from asset sales were used to reduce debt, with leverage falling to 0.5x at year-end, down from 1.0x a year earlier. Net debt reduced materially, providing flexibility to reinvest in product development and support capital returns.

Performance across the continuing business was robust:

• Global Trading & Market Data revenue rose 6%, with adjusted EBITDA up 8%
• APAC Wealth revenue grew 2%, with second-half momentum strengthening
• UK revenue increased 7%, driving a 50% lift in segment EBITDA

Operating discipline remained a key theme, with cost controls supporting margin expansion.

What did management say?

Group CEO Andrew Russell said FY25 reflected disciplined execution and sharper operational focus following the company's portfolio reset.

He highlighted progress on the accelerated business efficiency program, targeting around $30 million in annualised cost savings by the end of FY26, with approximately 60% already delivered.

What's next for Iress?

For FY26, Iress expects revenue of $520 million to $528 million and cash EBITDA of $116 million to $123 million, implying 15% to 23% growth. UPAT is forecast at $84 million to $90 million.

Importantly, management is targeting a FY26 cash EBITDA margin exit run-rate of more than 25%.

After a period of restructuring and divestments, investors appear to be backing Iress' leaner model and improving earnings trajectory.

The post Iress shares surge 12% as profit beats guidance and margins expand appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 1.84% to finish at 9,081.4 points on Friday.

As earnings season continued, strong results and higher oil prices pushed the ASX 200 to a new record of 9,118.3 points on Thursday.

That beat the previous record of 9,115.2 points set on 21 October.

Eight of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let's recap.

ASX tech shares led the market last week

Last week was a welcome bright spot for ASX 200 tech shares, which are in the midst of a prolonged rout.

And boy, is it ugly.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) has fallen by more than 40% over the past six months.

We took a deep dive into the issues plaguing the sector last week.

In a nutshell, there's fear in the market over artificial intelligence (AI).

Investors are worried about high tech stock valuations, extraordinary AI capex, and whether AI could white-ant SaaS companies.

Perhaps a rebound is now underway, given last week's 6.55% increase for the tech sector.

Let's take a look at what happened in the sector last week.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares lifted 10.51% to finish at $47.10 ahead of the company's earnings release on Wednesday.

The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price rose 5.51% to $77.54.

NextDC Limited (ASX: NXT) shares slipped 0.71% to $13.92.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares soared 22.71% to $24.74, with investors reassured by upgraded FY26 guidance at last week's AGM.

Shares in electronics solutions provider Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) lifted 1.37% to $34.69.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shares increased 8.27% to $23.84.

The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price tumbled 9.98% after the company reported an underlying net loss of $3.3 million for 1H FY26.

The Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) share price rose 7.32% to $10.41 ahead of its earning report on Thursday.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) shares rose 5.4% to $67.19.

The Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL) share price lifted 4.24% to $9.10 ahead of the IT solutions provider's earnings release on Monday.

Objective Corporation Ltd (ASX: OCL) shares increased 6.4% to $14.

The Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) share price edged 0.43% higher to $7.05 ahead of the financial technology company's report on Wednesday.

The Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) share price rose 5.72% to $3.51.

Hansen Technologies Ltd (ASX: HSN) soared 16.29% to $5.14 after the company reported a 389.1% lift in net profit for 1H FY26.

Hansen is one of a large group of ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend next week. The tech stock will pay a dividend of 5 cents per share.

Shares in hotel bookings management platform provider, Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) rose 4.62% to $3.62.

The Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) share price fell 0.2% to $4.90.

Shares in wealth management software company Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS) fell 7.45% to $1.93.

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:

The post ASX 200 tech shares lead market sectors with a 7% bounce back appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

A bear market is defined as a 20% (or more) fall from the most recent high point.

The ASX 200 tech stock index reached an all-time high of 3,060.7 points on 19 September.

Yesterday, the index closed at 2,317.6 points, down 743 points in just a little over two months.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) hit a record 9,115.2 points on 21 October and has slipped 6.3% since its peak.

The other market sectors have also fallen from their recent highs, set between August and October, but not as dramatically as technology.

Healthcare is also in a bear market, down 23.6%, but that decline has occurred over 10 months since the sector's peak on 31 January.

Take a look.

Why are technology and healthcare in a bear market?

ASX 200 tech and healthcare shares are in bear territory partly because each sector's largest company has been significantly derated.

In the tech sector, WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares have fallen 51% from their 52-week high of $134.26 on 5 December 2024.

Governance concerns have plagued the logistics software supplier this year, along with investors' disappointment with FY25 earnings.

In the healthcare sector, CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) shares are down 37% since their 52-week high of $290.32 per share on 8 January.

The global biotech has been hit by weaker global flu vaccine demand and is undergoing a major restructure, including 3,000 job cuts.

It's notable that ASX 200 healthcare shares have fallen 23.6% over 10 months, while tech shares have plummeted 24.3% in two months.

This may indicate that ASX 200 tech shares are facing other immediate tailwinds.

One of them is the concern that artificial intelligence (AI) is creating a market bubble.

We saw this play out last week, with markets experiencing high volatility ahead of a quarterly report from AI chip giant Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA).

This led to significant fluctuations in the ASX 200, with technology the worst-performing sector of the week, falling 4.07%.

Joe Koh and Elan Miller, portfolio managers of Blackwattle's Large Cap Quality Fund, said many clients are asking about an AI bubble.

Koh and Miller said uncertainty over further interest rate cuts was another factor weakening ASX 200 tech shares in recent weeks.

They commented:

Some of the weakness was company-specific (such as the ASIC investigation into Wisetech executives' share trading), but there was also increasing concern around the health of both US and Australian economies.

Higher interest rate expectations following the September inflation numbers also affected growth names in the IT sector, whose earnings and cash flows are further into the future and are therefore more impacted by higher discount rates.

Look outside the tech sector for AI gains: expert

Joe Davis, Vanguard's Global Chief Economist, expects a rotation out of tech shares as AI matures.

He suggests investors will need to look beyond the tech sector if AI does, indeed, transform the global economy, as markets expect.

Davis said:

In every technology cycle, the firms producing the new technology do initially outperform (sometimes by fantastic or even "irrational" levels); but as the technology spreads, it is non-tech companies that benefit.

That is what happened with manufacturers and service companies during the age of electricity.

Similarly, in the age of AI, health care or financial companies could hold the most transformational potential, implying a rotation in stock outperformance, with the best returns shifting from technology stocks to other sectors.

ASX 200 tech share prices in 2025

Here is how the biggest ASX 200 tech shares by market cap are faring in 2025 so far.

WiseTech shares are down 47% in the year to date.

The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price is down 28%.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares are down 0.1%.

Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares are down 9.3%.

The Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) share price is up 84%.

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) shares are up 85%.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) shares are up 87%.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) shares are up 21%.

The Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) share price is down 2.2%.

The Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) share price is up 5.9%

The post Bear market alert: ASX 200 tech shares down 24% since September peak appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here's why they are falling:

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN)

The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank share price is down 8% to $10.11. Investors have been selling the regional bank's shares following the results of an investigation by Deloitte into suspicious activity indicative of money laundering at one of its branches. The investigation, which was initiated by the bank, concluded that deficiencies existed regarding the bank's approach to the identification, mitigation and management of money laundering (ML) and terrorism financing (TF) risk. In response, its board stated: "The Board is very disappointed with the findings and is fully committed to ensuring that the Bank undertakes the necessary enhancements to its systems, processes and frameworks to ensure it is fully compliant with its obligations."

Bougainville Copper Ltd (ASX: BOC)

The Bougainville Copper share price is down 49% to 59.5 cents. This morning, this Papua New Guinea based copper developer released an update on its Panguna Project. It has been busy progressing a confidential strategic partnering process to investigate the potential involvement of an international mining partner in the future redevelopment of the Panguna Project. However, the company has just found out that the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited (LMEL). It understands that the MOU serves to establish a formal framework for collaboration on major development projects across Bougainville, including the Panguna Project.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

The Iress share price is down 5% to $9.17. This has been driven by news that the financial technology company has not received a formal takeover approach. In response to media speculation, the company said: "Iress continues to engage with multiple parties in order to ascertain whether there is a proposal which could be recommended by the Iress Board and will continue to update the market in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations."

IVE Group Ltd (ASX: IGL)

The IVE Group share price is down 5% to $2.84. Investors have been selling this marketing company's shares following the release of an update at its annual general meeting. Management advised that year to date revenue has been softer than expected across the retail and media sectors. As a result, underlying net profit after tax is now expected to be at the bottom end of its guidance range of $50 million to $54 million in FY 2026.

The post Why Bendigo Bank, Bougainville Copper, Iress, and IVE shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.