Meanwhile, healthcare and technology have come under heavy pressure. 

However another sector perhaps undervalued and garnering less attention are ASX real estate shares. 

Four in particular that have dipped in 2026 include: 

• Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC) is down nearly 37%
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) is down 18% since mid February
• Dexus (ASX: DXS) is down 14% year to date
• Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) is down 10% year to date. 

Why have real estate shares dropped?

ASX real estate stocks have had a tough 2026, with the sector down significantly. 

The S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) is down roughly 17% year to date. 

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has fallen roughly 4% in the same span. 

This has been driven by concerns about Australia's interest rate direction, high borrowing costs, and overall investor uncertainty. 

These factors have all weighed heavily on sentiment in 2026.

Can these shares bounce back?

Amongst the four companies listed earlier, there is reason for some optimism in the long term according to analysis from brokers. 

In a weekly REIT report from Bell Potter, the broker had a buy recommendation on Centuria Industrial REIT. 

Centuria Industrial REIT is a real estate investment trust that owns around four billion dollars of industrial properties. These include manufacturing facilities, distribution warehouses, and data centres.

It closed trading yesterday at $2.96. 

However Bell Potter has a price target of $3.60, indicating a 21% upside from current levels. 

There is optimism around this real estate stock on the back of significant rental growth potential and tailwinds from a growing population. 

Upside may be more tempered for Lifestyle Communities, which recently received a hold recommendation from Bell Potter.

Dexus and Lendlease to rebound?

Dexus is a major Australian property investor, developer, and manager. It has a large, high-grade office portfolio and a smaller industrial portfolio in Australasia.

It may attract investors looking for strong dividend history, as it has a reputation as a reliable passive income option. 

To go along with a 5% yield, analysts forecasts via TradingView also anticipate capital growth, with 9 analysts having an average one year price target of $7.28. 

That's a healthy 22% higher than yesterday's closing price. 

Finally, Lendlease is an international property development and construction business. 

After falling significantly to start the year, it could be a value play. 

The average price target amongst 6 analysts sits at $5.33. 

This is 63% higher than yesterday's closing price of $3.26, which is likely to excite investors.

The post Is now the time to jump on these ASX real estate stocks? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here's why they are rising:

Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC)

The Lifestyle Communities share price is up 2% to $5.43. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Citi. According to the note, the broker has upgraded the retirement communities company's shares to a buy rating with a $5.60 price target. The broker notes that Hometown Australia recently bought a 9.8% stake in the company. It highlights that the $58.46 million deal was undertaken at a premium to the prevailing share price. Citi suspects that this could lead to increased M&A speculation.

Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT)

The Perpetual share price is up almost 2.5% to $16.61. Investors have been bidding the financial services company's shares higher after it announced the sale of its Wealth Management business to Bain Capital for an upfront consideration of $500 million. Perpetual's CEO and managing director, Bernard Reilly, said: "Following a thorough sale process, we believe we have achieved the right outcome for our shareholders, clients and people, and one that reflects Wealth Management's longstanding reputation as a premium provider of high net worth advisory, fiduciary, philanthropic and not-for-profit offerings in the Australian market." Perpetual expects to use sale proceeds to pay down debt and fund further growth in its core Asset Management and Corporate Trust businesses.

Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC)

The Reliance Worldwide share price is up 4.5% to $3.05. This morning, this plumbing parts company announced that it will undertake a further on-market share buy-back targeting $120 million. The company's chair, Russell Chenu, said: "RWC has continued to generate strong cash flows over the past two years despite subdued end markets. This has enabled us to substantially reduce net debt. Consequently, RWC's leverage ratio has fallen below the bottom end of our target range of 1.5 time to 2.5 times net debt to EBITDA. Undertaking this additional share buy-back will enable us to return excess capital to shareholders efficiently and is consistent with our previously articulated capital management strategy."

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

The Woodside Energy share price is up over 2% to $31.77. This has been driven by a rise in oil prices due to supply disruptions caused by war in the Middle East. It isn't just Woodside that is rising today. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy index is up almost 1% at the time of writing.

The post Why Lifestyle Communities, Perpetual, Reliance Worldwide, and Woodside shares are rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the Lifestyle Communities share price is up 16.56% to $5.28.

Despite today's sharp rally, the stock has still had a difficult year. Lifestyle Communities shares remain down 35% over the past 12 months after a period of heavy selling across the retirement housing sector.

So, what has sparked today's sudden move higher?

Major US investor takes stake

The rally appears to follow news that a US-linked investor has taken a sizeable position in the company.

According to The Australian, Hometown America, a Chicago-based operator of land lease communities, has acquired a 9.8% stake in Lifestyle Communities.

The investment was reportedly completed through the purchase of approximately 11.9 million shares for around $58.5 million.

The shares were bought off market from entities linked to fund manager HMC Capital.

Hometown America already manages more than 60 retirement housing communities across New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia through its Australian operations.

In a statement, the company described itself as a long-term investor in the land lease community sector and said the investment would complement its existing portfolio.

It also confirmed that it is not currently considering a takeover offer for Lifestyle Communities.

Analysts see potential M&A interest

Even without an immediate takeover proposal, the arrival of a strategic investor has drawn attention from analysts.

Some market observers believe the stake could revive speculation around potential mergers and acquisitions in the sector.

Citi analysts reportedly said the investment could help ensure M&A discussions involving Lifestyle Communities remain active. The company is still working through operational and regulatory challenges.

The firm also noted that the stake acquisition could lead to renewed engagement with the company from industry participants.

A tough year for Lifestyle Communities

Today's rally follows a difficult period for the company.

Lifestyle Communities has faced significant pressure over the past year after regulatory scrutiny and uncertainty around its business model weighed on investor sentiment.

In its recent half-year update, the company reported revenue of $106.4 million, down 8.2% compared with the prior corresponding period.

Net profit for the half fell 31% to $15.8 million, reflecting lower settlements and softer operating conditions.

The company also confirmed it would not pay an interim dividend, highlighting the cautious operating environment.

Where the company stands now

Even after today's rally, Lifestyle Communities shares remain well below the levels they traded earlier in 2025.

At the current share price of around $5.28, the company carries a market capitalisation of roughly $644 million.

The post This beaten-down ASX stock just exploded 16%. Here's why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The decline means the shares are now 6.20% lower year to date and 50.71% below where they traded one year ago.

What did Lifestyle Communities post in its H1 FY26 results?

Here's what the ASX REIT posted for the half-year ended 31st December 2025:

• Statutory profit after tax down 30% to $15.8 million
• Operating profit after tax down 29% to $16.1 million
• Net debt of $323.6 million
• Dividends remain on pause

What happened in H1 FY26?

Lifestyle Communities reported statutory profit after tax of $15.8 million for the first half of FY26, down significantly (30%) from $22.7 million in the first half of FY25. The decline reflects lower new home settlements (128 in H1 FY26 versus 137 in H1 FY25), impacted by lower sales rates in earlier periods, reduced DMF revenue following a notice of listing from the Court of Appeal – Supreme Court of Victoria, and a greater portion of interest costs expensed against the land bank. 

The company also posted operating profit after tax of $16.1 million for the first half of FY26, also down considerably from H1 FY25.

Lifestyle Communities recorded double-digit growth in net sales from new homes from the prior periods, up 168% from H1 FY25 and up 12% from H2 FY25. The team also delivered the strongest established net sales result in recent periods, up 40%. 

There was steady growth in rental income from operating communities, up 11.9%, driven by new home settlements and CPI-linked rental increases.

Positive operating cash flows reached $41.2 million for the six-month period, up from negative $12.9 million this time last year. The company said the improvement is due to a reduction in development expenditure, which reflects disciplined management of build rates, and completion of civil and infrastructure works at communities in progress. 

Meanwhile, its net debt balance was down from $460.5 million in June 2025 to $323.6 million as of December 2025.

Management decided it would continue to pause dividends and retain the capital within the business until the market improves.

What's the outlook for the ASX REIT for FY26?

Lifestyle Communities Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ruiz, said that while the Victorian property market showed some improvement during the period, it has shown recent signs of softening consumer sentiment.

He added, "In 2HFY26, shareholders can expect to see further de-leveraging of the balance sheet and full year positive operating cash flow. We will continue to be market led in our development and sales approach, noting that due to the lag between sales and settlements, lower prior period sales rates will temper future settlements."

The post Shares in this ASX REIT crash 15% on its half-year results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Each week, Broker Bell Potter releases commentary and analysis on this sector. 

The broker said REITs underperformed amongst a broadly overall flat week for the market last week. 

Per last weekly, the return of earnings growth for the sector, increased cap trans activity and potential for debt-funded accretive acquisitions improving we see a setting where notwithstanding there may be less Aus rate cuts, the sector growth profile still improves.

Here is the latest guidance from the broker including one buy, one hold and one sell. 

Buy

Bell Potter has an optimistic view on HealthCo Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX: HCW). 

This ASX REIT holds a $1.6 billion portfolio of 36 properties, including hospitals, aged care, childcare, life sciences and research facilities, as well as primary care and wellness assets.

The stock price has fallen approximately 31% so far this year; however, it seems Bell Potter anticipates a bounce-back. 

The broker has a buy recommendation and $1.00 price target on the stock. 

This indicates an impressive upside of 47%. 

Hold

In its latest report, Bell Potter has a hold recommendation on Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC). 

This ASX REIT is a developer and manager of communities for the over-50s, semi-retired, and retirees market in Victoria.

Its stock price has fallen more than 38% YTD; however, the broker appears to still have reservations. 

Its price target sits at $5.70, which is roughly 5% higher than yesterday's closing price of $5.42. 

Sell

Bell Potter has a sell recommendation on Centuria Office REIT (ASX: COF). 

This ASX REIT has a portfolio of office and commercial property assets throughout Australia.

Its stock price has been volatile this year, but it is overall up 2% in 2025. 

The broker has a price target of $1.10 on COF shares. 

This is more than 5% lower than yesterday's closing price. 

The post Which ASX REITs are a buy, hold and sell according to Bell Potter? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here's why they are rising:

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up 3% to $6.25. This follows the announcement of the launch of the counter drone technology company's latest artificial intelligence (AI) software release. DroneShield revealed breakthrough drone disruption techniques, expanded AI detection, and new interoperability features. It feels these highlight its continued expansion as the end-to-end counter-drone solutions provider. The company's CEO, Oleg Vornik, said: "This release reflects DroneShield's ongoing growth as the world's most trusted end-to-end counter-drone provider. In an era where drones are increasingly used to disrupt civil society and democracies, staying ahead of the threat is essential."

James Hardie Industries PLC (ASX: JHX)

The James Hardie share price is up 10% to $33.22. Investors have been buying the building materials company's shares following the release of its preliminary second quarter results. For the three months ended 30 September, James Hardie expects to report net sales of US$1.29 billion to US$1.30 billion and adjusted diluted earnings per share in the range of 26 US cents to 27 US cents. This was better than the market was expecting, with consensus estimates at US$1.19 billion for net sales 15 US cents for earnings per share. James Hardie's CEO, Aaron Erter, said: "Our Siding & Trim sales performance exceeded the expectations reflected in our modeling considerations. Siding & Trim second quarter organic net sales fell low single-digits vs. the prior year, and distributors and dealers reduced inventory less than we had anticipated."

Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC)

The Lifestyle Communities share price is up 5.5% to $5.64. This morning, this struggling retirement communities developer released a trading update which revealed that "positive progress" was made in the first quarter. The company's CEO, Henry Ruiz, said, "After a challenging start to the financial year following an unexpected VCAT finding, I am proud of the commitment our team have demonstrated toward our homeowners and future prospects, and this was reflected in the pleasing sales performance in Q1 of FY26."

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

The Mesoblast share price is up 11% to $2.97. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Bell Potter this morning. Its analysts have retained their buy rating on the biotechnology company's shares with an improved price target of $4.00. They said: "Next catalyst for MSB – September quarter revenue due to be published at the end of the month. We expect Ryoncil revenues of ~US$13m, however, the December quarter is now shaping up as the breakout period following announcement of the J-Code. We retain our Buy (Speculative) recommendation increasing the valuation to $4.00 (from $3.50). The quarterly cash flow is also expected to show a large reduction in cash burn as cash inflows from product sales of Ryoncil commence."

The post Why DroneShield, James Hardie, Lifestyle Communities, and Mesoblast shares are storming higher 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 post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

S&P Dow Jones Indices has announced its next quarterly rebalance, effective 22 September.

Tech share Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) will also depart, as will cancer biotech Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6).

You can find out which shares will enter the ASX 200 index on 22 September here.

What is an index rebalance?

Every three months, the S&P Dow Jones Indices team updates the composition of Australia's leading indices.

Rebalances ensure our indices accurately reflect the performance of the nation's largest companies by market capitalisation.

Indices provide a consistent way to measure the market's performance and monitor its momentum over any given period of time.

The ASX 200 is the benchmark index for the Australian share market.

What will happen to the stocks that drop out of the ASX 200?

Being part of the ASX 200 gives a company a bit of extra prestige.

Dropping out of the index indicates the company is not doing as well as before.

Leaving the ASX 200 can have tangible effects on a stock's price.

One reason is that many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and managed funds are designed to track the ASX 200.

This means fund managers must adjust their holdings at each rebalance, selling ASX shares that are dropped and buying those added.

This often leads to extra trading activity around the rebalance date, which may influence a stock's price.

Rebalances have greater significance than ever before due to the rising popularity of ASX ETFs.

Betashares data shows Australians invested a record $5.28 billion into ASX ETFs in July alone.

The ASX ETF industry now has a record $289.2 billion in funds under management.

With so much money invested in ETFs, the rebalances can directly affect the passive investment support for individual stocks.

Aussies love ETFs because they're diversified investments that are purchasable in a single trade for one brokerage fee.

Most ETFs follow an index, which means they are very cheap to run, resulting in low ongoing management fees for investors.

9 ASX shares about to leave the ASX 200

Here are the stocks that will be exiting the ASX 200 in the next rebalance.

The post 9 ASX shares including Nuix and PolyNovo dumped from ASX 200 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) continues to be the most shorted ASX share with short interest of 21.8%. This is down week on week. This uranium producer disappointed the market recently with guidance for FY 2026 that fell well short of expectations.
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) is another uranium producer that short sellers are targeting. It has short interest of 18.3%, which is down slightly week on week. There may be concerns over the ramp up of its Langer Heinrich Mine.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has seen its short interest remain rise to 15.5%. Short sellers don't appear to believe that lithium prices will be rising meaningfully in the near term.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 14.2% of its shares held short, which is up week on week again. Short sellers will have been disappointed to see this language testing and student placement company's shares rocket last week after it released its results.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has 12% of its shares held short, which is up week on week once again. Valuation concerns could be the reason why short sellers are targeting this medical device company's shares.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 11.8%, which is up week on week. This mining and mining services company has a precarious balance sheet and is exposed to weak commodity prices.
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) has seen its short interest remain flat at 11.5%. This retirement living company has been battling tough trading conditions. These have been caused by negative media coverage. It also lost a major court battle recently.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has short interest of 9.8%, which is flat week on week. This corporate travel specialist's shares have been suspended for a week after becoming "aware that a material correction will need to be made to certain aspects of the Company's previous financial statements."
• PWR Holdings Ltd (ASX: PWH) has entered the top ten with short interest of 9.5%. This motorsport products company's shares tumbled last week after disappointing with its full year results. Another transition year is expected in FY 2026, which also appears to have put pressure on its shares.
• Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) has seen its short interest rise to 9%. There may be doubts over this uranium enrichment technology company's pivotal TRL-6 demonstration later this year.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares 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.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) continues to be the most shorted ASX share after its short interest climbed to 22.8%. This uranium producer's shares have been under significant pressure since its guidance for FY 2026 fell materially short of expectations.
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) has seen its short interest rise again to 18.5%. Concerns over the ramp up of the uranium miner's Langer Heinrich Mine could be behind this.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has seen its short interest remain flat at 15.1%. While lithium prices have rebounded recently, short sellers seem to believe that this will be short-lived.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 14.1% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. Later this week, this language testing and student placement company is releasing its results and is expected to post a sharp decline in profits.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has 11.6% of its shares held short, which is up week on week again. Short sellers appear to believe that this medical device company's shares are overvalued at current levels. Its results are due to be released today.
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) has seen its short interest ease slightly to 11.5%. This retirement living company has been battling tough trading conditions caused by negative media coverage and lost a major court battle.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 11.5%, which is down week on week again. There are concerns over the state of the miner's balance sheet and its exposure to weak commodity prices.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has short interest of 9.8%, which is down week on week. This corporate travel specialist suspended its shares last week after becoming "aware that a material correction will need to be made to certain aspects of the Company's previous financial statements."
• Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) has seen its short interest tumble to 8.9%. This uranium enrichment technology company recently raised $130 million through a capital raising. Short sellers may have used this as an opportunity to buy shares to close positions.
• Cettire Ltd (ASX: CTT) has returned to the top ten with short interest of 8.7%. This online luxury products retailer has been hit hard by a downturn in the industry and import tax changes in the US. So much so, some short sellers appear to believe its business model is now broken.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) remains the most shorted ASX share with short interest of 19.8%. This is up week on week. Short sellers continue to load up on the uranium producer's shares after its guidance for FY 2026 fell materially short of expectations.
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) has seen its short interest rise again to 18.2%. This may be due to concerns over the ramp up of the uranium miner's Langer Heinrich Mine.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has seen its short interest rebound to 15.1%. Short sellers appear to believe that lithium prices are going to remain under pressure for some time to come.
• Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) has seen its short interest jump to 14.6%. This uranium enrichment technology company tumbled this month after raising $130 million. Short sellers appear to be betting on further declines.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 12.9% of its shares held short, which is up week on week again. This language testing and student placement company is battling very tough trading conditions due to student visa changes.
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) has seen its short interest remain flat at 11.7% for another week. This retirement living company's shares have been sold off again this year after it lost a major court battle.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 11.7%, which is down week on week again. This may be due to concerns over the state of its balance sheet and weak commodity prices.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has 11.6% of its shares held short, which is up week on week again. Valuation concerns and softer than forecast sales growth may be behind this.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has short interest of 10.3%, which is down sharply week on week. It is yet another lithium miner that short sellers are targeting.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has short interest of 9.9%, which is up week on week. Concerns that corporate travel demand could be softening due to tariff uncertainty appears to be behind this.

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

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has returned to the top spot after its short interest surged to 19.4%. Short sellers appear to believe that this uranium producer's shares are heading even lower. This is despite them crashing deep into the red last month after its guidance for FY 2026 fell materially short of expectations.
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) has seen its short interest rise to 17.5%. This appears to have been driven by concerns over the ramp up of the uranium miner's Langer Heinrich Mine project.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has seen its short interest ease to 15%. Weak lithium prices continue to weigh heavily on both sentiment and profitability.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has short interest of 13.1%, which is flat week on week. This lithium miner's shares are rocketing today after a very strong night of trade for lithium stocks on Wall Street on Friday due to the closure of a major mine.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 12.4% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. Tough trading conditions have hit the profits of this language testing and student placement company.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 12.3%, which is down week on week. Balance sheet concerns and weak commodity prices have been weighing on sentiment.
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) has seen its short interest remain flat at 11.7%. This retirement living company's shares have been under pressure this year after it lost a major court battle.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has 11.5% of its shares held short, which is up week on week again. This appears to have been driven by valuation concerns.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 11.7% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. Tough trading conditions have been weighing heavily on this language testing and student placement company's performance.
• Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) has seen its short interest remain flat at 11.5%. This uranium enrichment technology company's shares tumbled last week after it raised capital.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has short interest of 8.9%, which is down week on week. There are concerns that corporate travel demand could be softening due to tariff uncertainty.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) continues to be the most shorted ASX share with short interest of 17.2%. This is an increase week on week. Concerns over the ramp up of the uranium miner's Langer Heinrich Mine project could be behind this.
• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has seen its short interest rebound to 16.3%. This uranium miner's shares crashed deep into the red last month after its guidance for FY 2026 fell materially short of expectations. Short sellers don't appear to believe the declines are over.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has seen its short interest jump again to 16%. There are concerns that increased supply from Africa will hold down lithium prices for longer than expected.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has short interest of 13.1%, which is up week on week. It is another lithium miner that short sellers expect to struggle in the current environment.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 13%, which is up week on week. Balance sheet concerns and weak commodity prices appear to be behind this.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 11.7% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. Tough trading conditions have been weighing heavily on this language testing and student placement company's performance.
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) has seen its short interest ease to 11.7%. This retirement living company's shares have been sold off this year after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled against it.
• Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) has seen its short interest remain flat at 11.2%. Short sellers may believe that this uranium enrichment technology company's pivotal TRL-6 demonstration will be a flop.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has 11% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. Valuation concerns appear to be behind this short interest.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has short interest of 10.1%, which is flat week on week. There are concerns that trading conditions could be particularly tough due to trade tariff uncertainty.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

During the month, the benchmark index rose 2.35% to finish at 8,742.8 points.

Unfortunately, not all ASX 200 shares climbed with the market and some recorded disappointing declines.

Let's now take a look at the worst performers on the index during the month:

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE)

The Boss Energy share price was the worst performer on the ASX 200 index with a decline of over 62%. There were a couple of catalysts for this decline. One was news that the uranium producer's CEO has decided to step down. The other was the release of its fourth quarter update. Although Boss Energy performed positively during the three months, its guidance for the year ahead disappointed investors. Management advised that in FY 2026 its Honeymoon Project is targeting production of 1.6Mlbs U3O8 with a C1 cash cost of A$41 to A$45/lb (US$27-29/lb). Both fell well short of expectations.

Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC)

The Lifestyle Communities share price was a poor performer in July with a 37% decline. Investors were selling the retirement communities company's shares after it was directed to scrap certain exit fees following a ruling by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). The tribunal ruled that the company had been charging some residents significant exit fees, known as deferred management fees (DMF), without adequate disclosure.

Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP)

The Bapcor share price was out of form and sank 23% during the month. The catalyst for this was the release of a disappointing trading update from the auto parts retailer. Bapcor revealed that its second half performance was below expectations, particularly in May and June. As a result, its sales are expected to be down 1.4% to $1,944.3 million in FY 2025. And due to margin pressures, management is expecting to report a pro forma net profit after tax of just $81 million to $82 million. This will be down by 13.5% to 14.5% year on year.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

The Paladin Energy share price had a tough month and tumbled 23% in July. A good portion of this decline came after the release of Boss Energy's update. It seems that some investors are fearful that it could be the next uranium miner to disappoint. Especially given that there are still risks with the ramp up of the Langer Heinrich Mine.

The post These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in July appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) remains the most shorted ASX share despite its short interest easing to 16.4%. This appears to have been driven by concerns over the ramp up of the uranium miner's Langer Heinrich Mine project.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has seen its short interest jump to 14.5%. Short sellers appear to believe that increased supply from Africa will weigh on lithium prices and profitability in the industry for some time to come.
• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has seen its short interest ease to 14.1%. It is another uranium miner that short sellers have been targeting. Short sellers will be pleased to see its shares crash 40% today following the release of its quarterly update.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 13.5%, which is down week on week. Weak commodity prices and concerns over the state of the miner's balance sheet appear to be behind this.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 12.3% of its shares held short, which is up week on week again. This language testing and student placement company's shares have come under significant pressure this year due to tough trading conditions.
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) has seen its short interest rise to 11.9%. Short sellers have been increasing their positions after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled against the retirement living company.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has short interest of 11.7%, which is down week on week. It is another lithium miner that short sellers are betting heavily against.
• Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) has seen its short interest ease slightly to 11.2%. Short sellers appear to be betting against this uranium enrichment technology company's pivotal TRL-6 demonstration.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has 10.8% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. Short sellers may believe that this medical device company's shares don't deserve to trade at approximately 90x estimated FY 2026 earnings.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has short interest of 10.1%, which is up slightly week on week. Short sellers may believe that trade tariffs could negatively impact demand for corporate travel in the near term.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) continues to be the most shorted ASX share after its short interest rose to 16.9%. Short sellers seem to be betting against a successful ramp up of the uranium miner's Langer Heinrich Mine project.
• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has seen its short interest rebound week on week to 14.3%. It is another uranium miner that short sellers have been targeting.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 13.9%, which is up week on week. This appears to have been driven by a combination of weak commodity prices and concerns over the state of its balance sheet.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has seen its short interest rise to 13.8%. Increasing lithium supply from Africa is expected to hold down lithium prices for some time to come.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has short interest of 12.1%, which is down week on week. Liontown is another lithium miner that is struggling with low lithium prices.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 12.1% of its shares held short, which is up week on week again. Short sellers have been highly successful targeting this struggling language testing and student placement company's shares. They are down sharply this year due to extremely tough trading conditions.
• Lifestyle Communities Ltd (ASX: LIC) has seen its short interest rise to 11.6%. This month, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled against this retirement living company, leading to a huge share price decline.
• Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) has seen its short interest rise to 11.3%. Short sellers may be doubting that this uranium enrichment technology company will be successful with its pivotal TRL-6 demonstration.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has 11.1% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. This medical device company's growth has been below expectations this year.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has flat short interest of 9.9%. It is possible that short sellers believe that trade tariffs could negatively impact demand for corporate travel in the near term.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.