Energy prices and supply chain networks impact almost all corners of the global economy.

So it wasn't surprising to see a broad market sell-off over the first three weeks of March as multiple industries assessed the damage.

The sell-off now leaves room for investors to buy the dip.

A two-week ceasefire is underway amid hopes of a long-term deal between the US and Iran soon.

Brokers have reviewed their ratings after many shares fell, and they see good opportunities across a number of industries.

Here are some of the ASX All Ords shares elevated to strong buy consensus ratings after last month's turmoil.

6 ASX All Ords shares newly upgraded to strong buy ratings

These ASX shares have just been upgraded to strong buy consensus ratings among analysts on the CommSec platform.

A consensus rating represents the average rating among analysts.

Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN)

The Kingsgate Consolidated share price fell 38% in March alongside a big fall in the gold price.

In April so far, the ASX All Ords gold share is up 19% to $5.22 at yesterday's close.

MA Financial is among the brokers that have upgraded Kingsgate shares.

The broker also lifted its 12-month share price target from $6.85 to $6.95.

Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI)

The Pinnacle Investment Management share price fell 10% in March.

This month, the ASX All Ords financial shares is up 4% to $14.63.

Canaccord Genuity is buy-rated on Pinnacle shares with a $24.53 target.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip share price fell 19% in March.

This month, the ASX All Ords financial share is up 19% to $1.84.

Blackwattle holds Zip shares in its Small Cap Quality Fund.

Portfolio managers Robert Hawkesford and Daniel Broeren describe Zip as 'one of the most compelling value opportunities on the ASX'.

WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1)

The WA1 Resources share price fell 20% in March.

This month, the ASX All Ords copper share is up 9% to $15.19.

Canaccord Genuity is buy-rated on WA1 Resources shares with a $32 target.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ)

The Macquarie Technology share price fell 12% in March.

In April so far, the ASX All Ords tech share is up 12% to $66.60.

Canaccord Genuity is also buy-rated on this stock with a $95 target.

Santana Minerals Ltd (ASX: SMI)

The Santana Minerals share price fell 27% in March.

This month, the ASX All Ords gold share is up 2% to 68 cents.

Shaw & Partners has a buy rating and a $2.15 target on Santana Minerals shares.

Further reading

Check out 7 ASX 200 shares just upgraded to strong buy ratings, too.

The post 6 ASX All Ords shares elevated to strong buy status after March sell-off appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

So what did the company announce this week?

Major government investment

Macquarie Technology said that it had secured a $200 million hybrid investment from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation, which it said was "established by the Australian Government to support nationally significant technological innovation, digital infrastructure, defence and national security''.

The investment would be in the form of unsecured and non-convertible securities, and would be issued in two tranches, on or before June 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027.

The company said regarding the investment:

The proceeds of the issue will be used by the company and its subsidiaries for the development of sovereign secure digital infrastructure and cyber security services with strategic product development initiatives focused on its Cloud Services and Government business segment supporting accelerated use of sovereign cloud services and AI by Australian government agencies, the Department of Defence, defence industry, critical infrastructure sectors, and Australian businesses. This investment by NRFC as a long-term, strategic partner, provides an efficient, non-dilutive form of capital that significantly enhances the group's balance sheet flexibility and an initial financing initiative to obtaining incremental funding to support strategic growth initiatives.  

Shares looking cheap

The team at Cannaccord Genuity said it sounded like the investment, which would sit on the balance sheet as non-dilutive equity, would be used for future capital investments into sovereign cloud infrastructure and the use of AI by government agencies.

They said the investment was "a strong endorsement of Macquarie Technology Group's business generally and the quality of its Cloud Services & Government (CS&G) offering more particularly, in our view''.

Canaccord has estimated that, calculated at the end of December last year, the instrument would reduce Macquarie Technology's gearing position from 27% net debt to equity to 20%.

They added:

We read this announcement as a positive for MAQ because (1) attracting an investor like NRF, whose due diligence we believe to be very extensive, is a significant endorsement of MAQ's business generally and CS&G's capabilities in particular, and (2) the funds are to be deployed to grow areas of the business outside the Data Centre segment, and specifically CS&G. We noted in our update following the 1H FY26 results that the CS&G segment has been in a growth lull for some time and that the business as a whole seemed to perform much better when CS&G was growing at a solid rate. In addition, we view the use of this instrument leaves a wide array of funding options available for MAQ's future growth requirements in other areas.

Canaccord has a price target of $95 on Macquarie Technology Group shares compared with just $65.21 currently.

The company was valued at $1.73 billion at Wednesday's close.

The post This All Ords technology stock could shoot the lights out: broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares rising more than most today are listed below. Here's why they are pushing higher:

Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BRE)

The Brazilian Rare Earths share price is up 7% to $5.53. This morning, this rare earths developer announced new exploration results at the Sulista Project in Brazil. The company revealed that its latest exploration campaign has delivered excellent results across multiple targets, materially expanding the Sulista mineralised footprint and reinforcing Sulista East as the anchor deposit within a rapidly growing district-scale rare earth development opportunity. Brazilian Rare Earths' CEO and managing director, Bernardo da Veiga, commented: "Together, these results strengthen the basis for our near-term scoping study and support our hub-and-spoke development strategy across the Rocha da Rocha Province."

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The Lynas Rare Earths share price is up over 12% to $19.95. After the market close on Tuesday, this rare earths giant announced a revised long-term supply agreement with JARE, extending to 2038 and establishing a firm offtake for 5,000 tonnes of NdPr per year at a US$110/kg price floor. Lynas' CEO and managing director, Amanda Lacaze, said: "We are delighted that the revised 12-year availability and supply agreement with JARE will support both Japanese industry and the continued growth and development of Lynas. This new agreement will ensure continued reliable supply of rare earth products that are strategically important to Japanese industry and its global market, and at the same time, the implementation of fair market pricing will reduce price volatility for Lynas and enable continued growth and investment in our operations."

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ)

The Macquarie Technology share price is up 5% to $65.95. This morning, Macquarie Technology revealed that it has secured a $200 million hybrid investment from the government-backed National Reconstruction Fund Corporation. It notes that this funding will support the company's development of sovereign cyber security and cloud services for critical industries and government.

Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM)

The Ora Banda Mining share price is up 18% to $1.38. This has been driven by the release of an update on the miner's Round Dam gold deposit in Western Australia. Management revealed that its new mineral resource is 25.6Mt at 1.6g/t for 1.330 million ounces. This is up materially from 125,000 ounces previously. Ora Banda's managing director, Luke Creagh, said: "We are incredibly excited by the potential of Round Dam to become a substantial mining operation, as the company continues to advance its study work into the construction of a standalone ~3mtpa processing facility at Davyhurst."

The post Why Brazilian Rare Earths, Lynas, Macquarie Technology, and Ora Banda shares are pushing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did Macquarie Technology Group report?

• Secured $200 million hybrid investment from National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC)
• Funds to be issued in two series of $100 million each, before June 2026 and March 2027
• Hybrid Securities are perpetual, subordinated, unsecured, and callable
• Distributions fixed at 6.00% p.a. (effective ~8.57%) until first call date, then floating rate
• Funds targeted to expand sovereign digital infrastructure and cyber security services

What else do investors need to know?

Macquarie Technology Group will use the proceeds to accelerate the rollout of secure cloud and cyber security solutions, with a focus on servicing Australian government agencies, defence, and businesses handling critical infrastructure.

The NRFC's strategic, non-dilutive investment adds flexibility to Macquarie's balance sheet without issuing new shares. This partnership with a major government investor underscores confidence in Macquarie's key role in Australia's digital and national security infrastructure.

What did Macquarie Technology Group management say?

Chief Executive David Tudehope said:

We are delighted to partner with NRFC and secure this investment, which provides long-term capital to support our growth initiatives while providing additional financial flexibility and diversification of our funding sources.

This new source of capital enables us to expand our role as a provider of secure digital infrastructure and cyber security, delivering significant benefit to the Australian economy over time.

What's next for Macquarie Technology Group?

Macquarie plans to draw down the first $100 million by June 2026 and the second by March 2027, using these funds to scale up its Cloud Services and Government (CS&G) business. The extra capital is expected to boost product innovation in sovereign cloud and AI, catering to sensitive sectors like defence and critical infrastructure.

The Group's management highlighted that the capital structure remains robust, with no new equity dilution. Macquarie aims to further strengthen its leadership in secure, sovereign digital infrastructure and cyber security solutions across Australia.

Macquarie Technology Group share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Macquarie Technology Group shares have declined 8%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 10% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Macquarie Technology Group secures $200m NRFC investment for digital infrastructure 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.

In a research note to clients this week, RBC said the Australian market had been caught up in the "AI euphoria risk trade, with the market seeing materially lower barriers to entry and disintermediation risks potentially impacting sales/margins over the medium long/term''

This had led to sharp down-ratings for some technology stocks over recent months, with some share prices halving over the past half year, RBC said.

They added:

We believe certain names have higher moats and are better protected, however marrying up an attractive entry point is difficult in the midst of negative macro tech sentiment and the tide running out fast.

The companies singled out as having a decent moat were Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME), Technology One Ltd (ASX: TNE), REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA), and Wisetech Ltd (ASX: WTC).

On the risk front, some companies were facing increasing earnings risks from the higher Australian dollar, including Pro Medicus, Hansen Technologies Ltd (ASX: HSN), and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1).

Good value stocks abound

While RBC has flagged plenty of risks in the sector, they also have outperform ratings and solid price targets on eight stocks.

For Technology One, RBC says their UK growth narrative is continuing, and the company "has demonstrated the best AI capabilities we've seen to date amongst our coverage with its new PLUS Ai platform being released in market this year with monetisation into 2027''.

RBC has a price target of $32 on Technology One shares compared with $25.62 currently.

For Wisetech, they have a price target of $100 against $59.01 currently, saying the take-up of the company's new commercial model "should see positive tailwinds in 2H26".

RBC has a price target of $155 for Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) shares, compared with $94.37 currently, saying the demand environment was "healthy" and that there could be a catalyst for a rerating in February, when the company demonstrates its Melio product offering.

On the data centre front, RBC says NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) is benefiting from the AI and cloud computing boom, adding that "hyperscalers continue to materially increase their capex on data centre-related investments, evidence of a healthy demand environment''.

RBC has a price target of $20 on NextDC shares compared with $13.21 currently.

And on much the same theme relating to data centre demand, it has a price target of $90 on Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) compared with $69.60 currently.

For Hansen Technologies, RBC has a price target of $6.25, while on the speculative side, they have a price target for Megaport of $18 compared with $11.81 currently.

And last but not least, for Fineos Corporation Holdings Plc (ASX: FCL), RBC has a price target of $3 versus $2.30 currently.

The post Eight stocks to buy in the bruised tech sector according to RBC appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here are 3 ASX AI stocks which are tipped to soar even higher in 2026.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) 

Megaport provides network-as-a-service (NaaS) connectivity that helps power AI applications that need fast data speeds. It lets businesses quickly and securely link up to cloud services, data centres and other digital infrastructure, without the need for physical hardware.

It's this strong link to cloud computing which puts Megaport in a good spot for long-term growth. As more companies lean into AI and keep scaling up their digital operations, demand for flexible, high-speed connectivity should only keep growing.

Megaport expanded its network presence in the first half of FY25 and launched new products to boost its offering. More recently, Megaport completed an institutional placement in mid-November. This was just a day after it revealed that it was raising $220 million to fund the acquisition of Latitude.sh for US$150 million in cash and scrip. The acquisition boosts Megaport's existing offerings further and gives it a direct entry into a large, fast-growing end market.

At the ASX close on Monday, Megaport's share price closed 2.46% higher at $12.90. Over the past year the shares have rocketed 73.85% higher. And analysts are bullish that the shares will keep climbing in 2026 too. TradingView data shows 10 out of 14 analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on the shares with a maximum target price of $21.70 for 2026. That implies an upside of 68.22% next year. 

NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Another ASX AI stock set to climb higher in 2026 is NextDC. It's Australia's leading independent data centre operator and it provides secure facilities where businesses can store their IT systems to keep their networks running smoothly and reliably.

At the time of writing, its share price has tumbled nearly 30% since peaking at an annual high of $17.99 in mid-September. The company suffered a huge protest vote against its remuneration report at its annual general meeting (AGM) in November. It has also been caught up in the tech-led market pullback over the past couple of months.

At the close of the ASX on Monday its shares were 6.62% higher for the day at $12.73. Over the past year they've fallen 17.01%.

But it looks like NextDC has great prospects for 2026, and analysts are bullish that the company can pull off significant growth throughout the year. Nextdc has an aggressive expansion plan to meet an ever-increasing demand for data storage and cloud services. 

Data shows analysts consensus that the shares are a buy, with a target price as high as $28.89 per share. At the time of writing that implies a huge 126.94% upside in 2026.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) 

Macquarie Technology is one of Australia's leading data centres, which provides infrastructure for cloud computing, cybersecurity, and telecommunications. The business has posted 20 consecutive half-years of operating income growth. 

It is clearly fast-growing, although its share price has fluctuated wildly over the past 12 months anywhere between $91.39 and $52.66.

At Monday's close of the ASX, the share price was 3.17% higher at $68 a piece. Over the past year, its shares have dropped 20.37% but the company is optimistic that it'll have more growth ahead and analysts seem to agree. 

Forecasts for Macquarie Technology have a maximum estimate of $112 throughout 2026. That implies a potential upside of as much as 64.71% at the time of writing.

The post 3 ASX artificial intelligence stocks with up to 130% upside in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The top broker has given the following shares outperform ratings and optimistic 12-month price targets despite today's volatility.

Let's check them out.

ASX 200 shares set to outperform in 2026: broker

Here is a selection of Macquarie's top ASX 200 share tips across the 11 market sectors for 2026.

Materials

Macquarie likes ASX 200 gold share Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL), which is trading at $1.29 on Thursday, up 3%.

The broker has a price target of $1.70 on the stock, implying a potential 32% upside.

Macquarie is also backing James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) shares for a strong recovery after a 40% dive in 2025.

The James Hardie share price is currently $29.92.

The broker has a price target of $40.60 on the building materials supplier, implying a potential 36% gain over 12 months.

Technology

The Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) share price is down 22% in the year to date to $68.19 on Thursday.

The broker has high hopes for this ASX 200 tech share with a 12-month price target of $97.30, suggesting a 43% rise.

Macquarie also likes NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares with a price target of $20.90.

The NextDC share price is currently $13.87, suggesting a potential 51% upside over the next 12 months.

As we reported this week, ASX 200 tech shares are officially in a bear market amid fears of an AI bubble and high valuations.

Financials

The top broker has a $2.50 price target on GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) shares, which are trading at $1.80 today, up 7.5%.

This implies a potential capital gain of 39%.

Macquarie also likes Pinnacle Investment Management Ltd (ASX: PNI) shares with a price target of $26.55.

The ASX 200 financial share is $17.63 on Thursday, up 3.8%. The broker's target implies a meaty 51% potential upside.

Industrials

Macquarie has a price target of $8.10 on navy shipbuilder Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB).

Increased global spending on defence is a major tailwind for this ASX 200 industrial share, which is $6.62 apiece today.

This implies a potential 22% gain from here.

The broker is also optimistic on IPH Ltd (ASX: IPH) shares, which are trading for $3.46 on Thursday, down 0.7%.

Macquarie is tipping a 60% upside with its $5.55 price target.

Utilities

Macquarie is backing AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) shares for 2026 with a price guide of $11.

The AGL share price is $9, up 0.2% on Thursday, so the broker is expecting a 22% gain from here.

Consumer discretionary

Macquarie is positive on Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) shares with a price target of $31.30.

Temple & Webster shares were smashed this week after the online furniture retailer reported an 18% lift in sales for 1H FY26 so far.

The Temple & Webster share price is $14.20, up 2.7% today, with a potential 120% capital gain on the cards if Macquarie is right.

The broker also likes ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB) shares with a price target of $44.90 compared to the current share price of $33.84.

Consumer Staples

In this sector, the broker likes ASX 200 agricultural share Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA).

The Bega Cheese share price is $5.98, down 0.8% on Thursday.

Macquarie has a price target of $6.80 on the stock, suggesting a potential near-14% upside.

The broker also foresees Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) shares surpassing their record high in 2026.

The Coles share price is $22.44, up 0.4% on Thursday and well down on the record $24.28 reached in September.

Macquarie has a price target of $26.10 on the second biggest ASX 200 consumer staples share on the market.

This implies a potential 16% capital gain from here and a new all-time high for Coles shares.

Healthcare

Despite its share price plunge this year, Macquarie is backing CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) for a comeback in 2026.

The CSL share price is $185.61 on Thursday, up 1.5%.

Macquarie's 12-month price target is $275.20, suggesting a potential 48% gain from here.

The broker also likes sleep apnoea device maker, Resmed CDI (ASX: RMD) shares.

Macquarie has a price target of $49.20 on this ASX 200 healthcare share, which is trading 0.2% lower today at $39.24.

Communications

Macquarie likes Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK) shares with a price target of $32.50, implying a potential 32% increase over the next 12 months.

The Seek share price is $24.56, up 1% today.

Another ASX 200 communications share on the broker's radar for 2026 is carsales.com.au owner Car Group Limited (ASX: CAR).

The CAR share price is $34.73 on Thursday, up 1.5%.

The broker foresees 13% in capital growth over the next 12 months with a price target of $39.

Energy

Macquarie has a share price target of $11.10 on the market's largest ASX 200 uranium share, Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN).

The Paladin Energy share price is $7.82, down 2%, so the broker's tip suggests a potential 42% upside from here.

The broker also expects a recovery in the Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price after a difficult year and a withdrawn takeover bid.

The Santos share price is $6.44, down 1.9%. Macquarie's price target is $8.15, implying a potential 26% increase ahead.

Real estate & REITs

Macquarie has a $6.74 price target on ASX 200 real estate share Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC).

Lendlease shares are $5.18, down 0.6% today, so the broker's tip implies a potential 30% upside from here.

Macquarie also likes sector leader Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) with a price target of $34.73.

The Goodman Group share price is $29.66, up 0.9% on Thursday.

The post Macquarie reveals ASX 200 share tips in each market sector for 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the ASX tech stock is up 4% to $66.33.

This appears to have been driven by the release of a bullish broker note out of Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) this morning.

What is the broker saying about this ASX tech stock?

Macquarie is feeling very bullish about the telecommunication, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data centre services provider to corporate and government customers within Australia.

This is especially the case given its positive outlook and attractive valuation compared to peers. In respect to its outlook, the broker commented:

MAQ is well positioned to benefit from accelerating demand in Australia's data centre market, which Alvarez & Marsal forecasts to witness a 16% CAGR from 2024– 27e. It expects the hyperscale and AI segments to expand even faster, at ~20% and ~90% CAGRs, offering significant opportunities for established operators like MAQ, which already serves 2 of 3 global hyperscalers and 42% of government agencies.

This will be supported by the ASX tech stock's data centre capacity plans. It adds:

Data centre capacity set to expand ~10x. MAQ's strategy is to grow current installed capacity of 21MW to >215MW over the next decade driven by the 47MW IC3 SW and the recent land lot option to provide a further >150MW. Our data centre earnings accelerate from FY28e, with Phase 1 of IC3 SW to be completed Sep-26.

Attractive valuation

As mentioned above, Macquarie thinks that the technology company's shares are attractively priced at current levels and sees significant upside potential for investors.

According to the note, the broker has initiated coverage on the stock with an outperform rating and $97.30 price target. Based on its current share price, this implies potential upside of almost 50% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its recommendation, Macquarie said:

Initiate with Outperform. MAQ is trading on ~14x NTM EV/EBITDA, well below peers at 17-34x. As its data centre developments advance, we see scope for a material valuation re-rate; we forecast Data Centres will increase from ~35% to ~60% of group earnings over FY26-FY30e.

Valuation: $97.30 TP based on a blended DCF & EV/EBITDA val. Our $71.30 val for MAQ's existing businesses is underpinned by the current share price, with IC3 SW & future data centres providing material upside risk. Key catalysts. IC3 SW build &contract updates, land settlement for new campus, funding updates, industry news on large AI/hyperscale demand.

The post Macquarie initiates coverage on this ASX tech stock; tipping 50% upside appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The broker has released a report on the data centre sector. It says that while 2025 was a big year for the local market, the appetite for new data centres remains strong.

Overall 2025 was a massive year for the local data centre market, with record leasing in Melbourne in particular. This is despite one of the major market customers (Microsoft) being far less active than they have been in the last two years. There is large anticipation of them returning to the leasing market in 2025-26, which likely sets 2026 as another record year building on 2025, which built on 2024.

E&P Capital said it had been bullish on the local data centre market for more than a decade, "and our conviction in this view is as strong as ever".

Stocks to surge higher

Many of the local data centre companies, such as AirTrunk, are unlisted; however, among the ASX-listed companies covered in the report, E&P Capital is predicting solid share price gains.

Its favoured pick from a valuation perspective is Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ), which E&P analysts have assigned a valuation of $112 against the current share price of $64.48.

If that level were attained, it would represent a gain of 73.7%.

The broker is also bullish on NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares, which are trading around the same levels they were a year ago, after being sold down to as low as $9.40 during the past 12 months.

E&P has a price target of $28.66 on NextDC shares, 64.1% higher than the current price of $17.47.

It is also positive on the $1.5 billion Digico Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT), which it has valued at $3.61, 31.7% higher than the current price of $2.74.

Least favoured was Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT), which E&P analysts have valued at $12.19, 9.9% higher than the current share price of $11.09.

We would regard the conclusions of this report as generally bullish for all companies, with continually large growth rates and emerging deeper supply constraints.

E&P analysts say the Melbourne data centre market is expected to remain particularly hot, and will "take off in a way that will not correlate to the local population, with AWS having set up a machine learning hub in the city in 2025 that has led to an order of magnitude change in their activities".

The post Another record year for data centre companies could deliver more than 70% share price gains this broker says appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

On Friday, several ASX tech stocks ripped to new highs after the Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) hit a record the previous night.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 1.03% over the week to close at 8,773.5 points on Friday.

The energy sector was the biggest drag last week, falling 4%, after the foreign takeover bid for Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) was withdrawn.

Just three of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let's recap.

ASX 200 technology shares led the market last week

Tech sector darling Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) was among 9 ASX 200 shares that reached multi-year high share prices on Friday.

The Life360 share price rose 5.3% over the week to close at $51.96, after reaching a record $52.40 during intraday trade on Friday.

Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares set a new 52-week high of $18.22 on Friday, and rose 2.8% over the week to finish at $17.81.

The Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) share price reached a four-year high of $7.20 on Friday before closing at $7.14, up 3% over the week.

The Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC) also reached a new record of $33.42 per unit on Friday.

ATEC, which seeks to track the S&P/ASX All Technology Index before fees, was among 68 ASX ETFs that smashed records on Friday.

Several ASX small-cap tech shares also hit new highs on Friday.

The Hansen Technologies Ltd (ASX: HSN) share price closed at a four-year high of $6.22 on Friday, up 7.4% for the week.

Energy One Ltd (ASX: EOL) shares reached an all-time high of $18 on Friday before closing at $17.95, up 11.8% over the week.

Infomedia Ltd (ASX: IFM) shares closed at a 52-week high of $1.72, up 2.4% over the week.

Eroad Ltd (ASX: ERD) shares reached a three-year high of $2.63 on Friday before finishing the session at $2.55, up 8.1% last week.

Other tech sector price changes

Turning our attention to large-cap ASX 200 tech shares, WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) lifted 1.4% over the week to close at $96.30.

The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price inched up 0.3% to $162.59.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares rose 0.8% to $38.35.

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) shares fell 3.1% to $29.98.

The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price lifted 0.8% to $15.01.

The Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) share price increased 4.4% to close at $7.09.

The Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) share price rose 2.4% to $9.34.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) shares rose 5.5% to $65.07 ahead of their departure from the ASX 200.

Macquarie Tech is among 9 shares leaving the ASX 200 in the next index rebalance, effective tomorrow.

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 Life360, NextDC, and Siteminder shares reach new highs amid tech sector lead last week 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.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) slipped 0.07% to close at 8,864.9 points on Friday.

Just five of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let's review.

ASX technology shares led the market last week

Let's take a look at how the major ASX 200 technology shares performed last week.

The ASX 200's largest tech share, WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), lifted 1.46% to close at $94.93 on Friday.

We presented 4 expert opinions on whether WiseTech shares are a buy, hold, or sell right now.

Wisetech shares went ex-dividend on Friday and will pay a final dividend of 11.9 cents on 10 October.

The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price rose 2.07% to $162.18 last week.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares slipped 0.21% to $38.06 apiece.

Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT) shares increased 4.84% to $17.32.

The Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) share price swished 8% higher to $49.34.

Life360 shares are a firm investor favourite and have risen 21% in just one month.

Morgan Stanley has a buy rating on Life360 shares with a 12-month price target of $51.

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) shares inched 0.58% higher to finish at $30.95 apiece on Friday.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) shares rose 5.68% to $14.89 after Citi issued a bullish note upgrading the tech stock to a buy.

The Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) share price lifted 1.46% to $6.93.

Objective Corporation Ltd (ASX: OCL) shares fell 0.63% to $20.58 apiece.

The Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) share price ripped 15.67% to $6.79 despite no news from the company last week.

Catapult Sports shares reached a new record high of $6.99 on Friday.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) shares lifted 1.55% to $9.84 apiece.

The Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) share price slipped 0.11% to $9.12.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) shares rose 3.68% to close at $61.70 on Friday.

Macquarie Tech is among 9 ASX shares being dumped from the benchmark ASX 200 index in the next rebalance.

The Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL) share price lifted 4.2% to $9.68 and reached an 18-month high of $9.74 on Friday.

Data#3 shares are among 23 ASX stocks going ex-dividend next week.

The company will pay a dividend of 15 cents per share on 30 September.

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 led last week with sector darling Life360 now up 21% in a month 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.

The world's largest tech companies are racing to train ever-larger AI models. This requires more data centres, energy, and secure networks, as well as vast amounts of industrial land and long-term capital investment.

This is where a handful of ASX AI companies come in. They aren't developing AI models or software, but their business models are increasingly critical to the global AI boom.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) – the property backbone

Goodman Group is a global industrial property leader that owns, develops, and manages high-quality, sustainable logistics properties and data centres in major global cities. These assets are critical to the digital economy, underpinning e-commerce, cloud services, and increasingly, artificial intelligence.

The company's portfolio is currently valued at $85.8 billion, and it isn't slowing down. Goodman has $13.7 billion of development work in progress across 66 projects worldwide, with more than half of that pipeline dedicated to data centres. This puts it in a prime position to benefit from the ongoing build-out of infrastructure required for AI and machine learning.

Goodman has built a reputation for investing in forward-looking assets, from warehouses supporting the rise of online retail to logistics hubs and, more recently, data centres. These facilities are capital-intensive but essential for AI workloads, making Goodman something of a 'picks-and-shovels' play in the AI revolution. For investors, that means exposure to long-term growth drivers without having to pick the winning software platforms directly.

GenusPlus Group (ASX: GNP) – powering the grid

All those servers and data centres run on electricity. And not just any electricity – AI requires highly reliable, high-capacity energy infrastructure.

GenusPlus provides the poles, wires, and substations that connect the grid. It builds and maintains the backbone of Australia's electricity networks, often under long-dated contracts with utilities and government.

This isn't glamorous work, but it's vital. With Australia pushing for a renewable energy transition and AI driving new power demand, companies like GenusPlus could be long-term beneficiaries. Their revenues are often inflation-linked, providing resilience in uncertain markets.

Macquarie Technology Group (ASX: MAQ) – hosting the workloads

Closer to the coalface of AI sits Macquarie Technology Group. It is one of Australia's leading data centre operators, providing infrastructure for cloud computing, cybersecurity, and telecommunications.

The company offers tailored solutions for medium-to-large enterprises and government agencies — the kind of clients now grappling with how to deploy AI safely and effectively.

Incredibly, Macquarie has delivered 20 consecutive half-years of operating income growth. Its most recent half-year result showed modest revenue growth of 1% and EBITDA growth of 6%. That consistency demonstrates the resilience of its recurring revenue model, which could compound further as AI adoption accelerates.

Foolish Takeaway

AI might look like a pure technology story, but its growth depends on the real-world infrastructure that supports it.

Property landlords, power grid specialists, and data centre operators all stand to benefit as investment pours into the sector. 

The post 3 ASX AI companies set to gain from pipes, power and property boom 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.

Four ASX shares that are rising more than most today are listed below. Here's why they are climbing:

Abacus Storage King (ASX: ASK)

The Abacus Storage King share price is up almost 6% to $1.56. This has been driven by news that the self-storage operator has received an improved takeover offer from the Ki Corporation and Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) consortium. A revised non-binding and indicative proposal of $1.65 cash per share has been tabled. This represents a 15% increase on its initial proposal. The company also notes that the offer would not be subject to a deduction for any declared ordinary course distributions.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up over 5% to $2.92. This morning, this high-flying counter drone technology company announced a major increase to its research and development capabilities. DroneShield will make a $13 million+ initial investment via a multi-year lease and fitout commitment into a brand new 3,000sqm production facility in Sydney's Alexandria. DroneShield's CEO, Oleg Vornik, said: "In response to rising threats and multiple wars taking place across the globe, Australia's allies are increasing investment in modern defence capabilities. We are stepping up to meet this demand by investing in state-of-the-art facilities here and abroad, and in sovereign Australian skills development to provide the most modern and effective counterdrone capabilities in the world. Our new facility in Alexandria will epitomise the value Australian engineering can bring to a changing geopolitical landscape."

Hansen Technologies Ltd (ASX: HSN)

The Hansen Technologies share price is up 12% to $5.34. This software company's shares are taking off today after it upgraded its earnings guidance for FY 2025. According to the release, thanks to a quicker than expected turnaround in the Powercloud business, as well as improved operating efficiencies and disciplined cost management, underlying EBITDA is forecast to be between $110 million and $112 million for the year. This is up from its previous guidance range of $92 million to $101 million.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ)

The Macquarie Technology share price is up 8% to $66.72. The catalyst for this has been news that the technology company has entered into a put and call option with a large, long established property investment and development company based in Sydney to purchase a large parcel of land for a new data centre campus. If everything goes to plan, Macquarie Technology intends to construct a new Sydney data centre campus in stages that is expected to deliver more than 150 MW of IT load.

The post Why Abacus Storage King, DroneShield, Hansen, and Macquarie Technology shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here are three ASX-listed AI shares to keep an eye on for the year ahead.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) 

Megaport provides data network-as-a-service (NaaS) connectivity services that support AI applications that need high-speed data transfer. Essentially, the platform allows businesses to quickly and securely connect to cloud services, data centres, and other digital infrastructure without the need for traditional physical hardware.

It's this exposure to cloud computing that makes the company well-positioned for growth over the long term, too. General demand for AI development and a company's thirst for growth will also support success.

Megaport expanded its network presence in the first half of FY25. It added 82 new data centres and four new internet exchange locations. It also launched new products, such as the 100GB Megaport Cloud Routers and the NAT Gateway, demonstrating significant innovation. 

Thanks to its exposure to cloud computing, general AI trends, and thirst for growth, the company is well-positioned for continued improvement.

Unsurprisingly, the AI business is reaping rewards from the AI demand boom this year, and has also seen consistent share price growth.

At the ASX close on Wednesday, Megaport's share price dropped 1.13% to $13.95. Despite the small decline over the day, the share price has risen 111.04% since January, and is up 27.63% for the year.

The team at Morgans has an accumulate rating and $15.50 price target on its shares. The broker thinks the company is "uniquely placed to help businesses move data globally and benefit from the growth of data related to both cloud computing and AI".

NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Another Australian AI stock set to strengthen in FY26 is NextDC. It is Australia's leading independent data centre operator, focused on providing a secure environment for businesses to house their IT infrastructure and enabling businesses to have reliable network connections to support their operations.

The business is headquartered in Brisbane but operates across 13 data centres supporting networks across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Canberra. 

The stock also has significant growth prospects. It has raised $1.3 billion to develop new data centres in Sydney and Melbourne to meet the increasing demand for AI processing power.

It is clearly in favour with investors too. NextDC was the second-most traded AI stock on the ASX from 1 April to 15 June. 

Its success is also reflected in its share price, with many investors looking to take a piece of the pie.

At the close on Wednesday, NextDC's share price fell 1.05% to $14.19.

The stock is 18.68% lower over the year after the price plunged in April. But it has since posted a strong and consistent recovery.

Morgans is very bullish on NextDC and sees it as a great way to invest in AI. It has a buy rating and a $18.80 price target on its shares. This would represent a 32.48% increase from Wednesday's share price at the ASX close.

But Macquarie thinks the share price could storm even higher. The broker confirmed its outperform rating and its $22.10 target price on the stock last week. That represents a potential 55.74% upside from Wednesday's trading price at ASX close.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) 

Macquarie Technology is one of Australia's leading data centres, which provides infrastructure for cloud computing, cybersecurity, and telecommunications. It offers a tailored service to help medium-to-large businesses and government customers facilitate their AI workloads.

The business has posted 20 consecutive half-years of operating income growth. In its latest H1 2025 results, released in February, the business announced a 1% increase in its revenue and a 6% increase in its EBITDA.

The business is clearly fast-growing, and its share price is mostly following suit.

At Wednesday's close of the ASX, the share price is 0.05% lower at $65.46.

Over the past year, Macquarie Technology shares have dropped 27.59% but they've surged 47.56% over the past 5 years.

Analysts expect more upside for the stock, too. One-year price forecasts for Macquarie Technology have a maximum estimate of $110.18 and an average of $88.80. That represents a potential upside of as much as 68.31% from the current trading price.

The post 3 fast-growing ASX-listed AI shares set to boom in FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's no surprise, then, that interest in AI stocks on Australian share markets has surged.

A recent AUSIEX report reveals a 43% increase in trade volumes and a 41% increase in traded value year over year.

And some ASX-listed stocks are more in favour than others.

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) was the most traded artificial intelligence stock on the ASX from April 1 to June 15. 

This was followed by NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) and then BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN).

Here is the full list of the 10 most traded AI stocks in Q2 of the 2025 calendar year, according to AUSIEX data.

Appen

Appen provides data for training AI models, including natural language processing and machine learning systems. 

The company's shares are trading 2.66% higher at $1.16 today, which represents an impressive 136.73% increase over the year to date.

Appen's share price suffered a dramatic 54.68% decrease over 72 hours in late February after the company posted a 14% decrease in revenue in its annual 2024 results. This was mostly due to the termination of its contract with Google. 

The share price dropped to a low of $0.78 in April and has since slowly begun to recover.

BrainChip Holdings 

Brainchip specialises in neuromorphic computing, developing the Akida chip. 

The company's shares are trading 7.9% higher today at $0.205 each. 

For the year, BrainChip's shares are down 4.65% thanks to a 74% spike in late-December. Investor buying rocketed after the company secured a commercial licence agreement with Frontgrade Gaisler, a Swedish leader in radiation-hardened microprocessors for space applications.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) 

Dicker Data distributes IT hardware and software, including AI solutions, to resellers. 

The company's shares are trading 0.38% lower today at $7.97 a piece.

Over the year, Dicker Data's share price has slowly corrected downwards and is 18.76% lower to date. The trend follows the company's half-year results announcement in August last year.

FBR Ltd (ASX: FBR) 

FBR, or Fastbrick Robotics, develops robotic systems for construction, integrating AI for autonomous bricklaying. 

The company's shares are trading hands 8.33% lower today at $0.0055 each. The share price has fallen 85.9% since February this year after the company released a disappointing update.

The current trading price represents a 78% decline over the year. 

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) 

Macquarie Technology offers data centre and cloud services that facilitate AI workloads. 

The company's shares are trading 1.28% today at $65.06. Over the year, the share price is down 29.96%.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) 

Megaport provides network connectivity services that support AI applications requiring high-speed data transfer. 

The company's share price is trading hands at $13.47 today, 0.37% higher. The AI company is benefiting from the AI demand boom this year. The share price has risen 102.2% since January, and is up 14.25% for the year.

The team at Morgans has an accumulate rating and $15.50 price target on its shares.

NextDC 

NextDC operates data centres necessary for AI processing and storage needs. 

The company's share price is trading 0.91% higher today at $14.38. The stock is 18.34% lower over the year after the price plunged in April. But it has since posted a strong and consistent recovery.

Morgans is very bullish on NextDC and sees it as a great way to invest in AI. It has a buy rating and a $18.80 price target on its shares.

Opyl Ltd (ASX: OPL) 

Opyl applies AI to improve clinical trials. 

The company's shares are trading 42.11% higher today at $0.0080. Year-to-date, the stock's price is 35% higher.

Straker Translations Ltd (ASX: STG) 

Straker offers AI-powered language translation services. 

The company's share price is 7.14% higher today at $0.45 per share and is flat over the year. 

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) 

Weebit Nano develops AI-integrated memory solutions.

The company's shares are trading 4.27% higher today at $1.71. Weebit's share price spiked in November last year, and again in December, after the company said it was "well-funded for technical and commercialisation activities". 

Since then, the share price has returned to levels seen before the spikes.

The post 10 most traded AI stocks on the Australian share market in Q2 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.