After a shaky week that ended with a significant drop on Friday, investors came back from the weekend with some pep in their steps today. After staying comfortably in green territory all session, the ASX 200 ended up closing 1.39% higher. That leaves the index at a flat 8,894 points.

This happy start to the Australian trading week followed a mixed conclusion to the American week on Friday night (our time).

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) overcame some jitters to close 0.46% higher.

However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) went the other way, dropping down 0.64%.

But let's get back to this week and our local markets now and check out how today's gains filtered down into the various ASX sectors this session.

Winners and losers

Today's gains were almost universal, with only one sector missing out on a rise.

That unlucky sector (no prizes for guessing) was energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was abandoned, crashing 2.99% lower.

It was a veritable party everywhere else, though.

Leading the celebrations were tech stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) rocketing 4.52% today.

Close behind that were gold shares. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) soared up a happy 3.89%.

Broader mining stocks didn't miss out either, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)'s 2.42% surge.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also ran hot. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) roared up 1.68% this session.

Industrial stocks saw decent demand too, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) galloping 1.53% higher.

Healthcare shares lived up to their name this Monday. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) jumped 1.44% by the closing bell.

Communications stocks were right behind that, as you can tell from the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 1.41% leap.

Financial shares didn't miss out. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) advanced 1.19%.

Nor did consumer discretionary shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) increasing its value by 0.81%.

Its consumer staples counterpart held up. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) enjoyed a 0.68% lift today.

Finally, utilities shares staged a late recovery to get across the line, evident by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.4% bounce.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today's chart-topper was gold stock Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM). Capricorn shares had a blowout, exploding 15.13% higher to finish at $13.70 each. Most gold stocks did well, but Capricorn was boosted further by some pleasing market updates, which we examined here.

Here's the rest of today's best: 

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

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

This in-form display on the ASX boards follows a more downbeat session up on Wall Street last night.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) couldn't hold on to an early lead and finished 0.012% lower.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was more decisive, dropping 0.57%.

But let's return to ASX shares now and check out what the various ASX sectors were up to this Thursday.

Winners and losers

Despite the market's gains, we had an even split between red and green sectors today.

Leading those red sectors were tech stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was hit hard, plunging 3.32%.

Consumer discretionary shares weren't popular either, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) diving 1.52%.

Next came healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) ended up slumping 1.43%.

Communications shares were also on the nose, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ)'s 1.15% dip.

Consumer staples stocks were no safe haven. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) went backwards by 0.53%.

Our last losers were industrial shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) slipping 0.46%.

Turning to the green sectors now, mining stocks headlined the winners. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) soared 1.37% higher this session.

Gold shares were in demand as well, illustrated by the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)'s 1.34% surge.

Energy stocks ran hot too. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) saw its value climb 0.98%.

Utilities shares followed energy, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) lifting 0.65%.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) also enjoyed today's market sunshine. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) vaulted up 0.52% today.

Finally, financial stocks got across the line intact, as you can see from the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.29% bump.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Financial stock Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG) was our best performer on the ASX today. Generation shares rocketed a massive 37.13% this session to close at $4.58 each. This extraordinary leap higher followed an exceptionally well-received quarterly update.

Here's how the rest of today's top stocks tied up at the dock: 

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

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

The ASX 300 underperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which lifted 2.77% and gave a total return of 7%.

As always, there were outliers. And boy, did they outperform.

Here are three ASX 300 shares that were on a supersonic growth trajectory last financial year.

3 ASX 300 shares that smashed their peers in FY26

Sunrise Energy Metals Ltd (ASX: SRL)

This ASX 300 mining share ripped 2,040% higher in FY26, finishing the year at $17.23.

Sunrise Energy is working towards becoming a world-leading supplier of refined metals for advanced and emerging technologies.

The company is focused on scandium, nickel, and cobalt, which are in demand in the energy, defence, transport, and computing sectors.

Sunrise Energy owns one of the world's largest undeveloped scandium mines, the Syerston Scandium Project, in central-west NSW.

Scandium has many uses in the modern, high-tech world.

For example, it is 3D-printed into a high-performance alloy for aerospace components.

Scandium is also in the 5G/6G semiconductors in mobile phones and communications infrastructure.

Sunrise says the project "will bring a new source of low cost, scalable and reliable supply to western markets".

The company forecasts production of 64,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of ore to produce 60tpa of high purity scandium oxide per year.

Sunrise Energy Metals says:

This positions the Company to capture significant market share in a rapidly growing global market (currently estimated at 50-60tpa), driven by solid oxide fuel cell deployments for AI data centre power generation, defense and aerospace applications and next-generation chips/semiconductors.

Syerston has a forecast life-of-mine average cash operating cost of US$534 per kilogram of high purity scandium oxide.

This would make Syerston one of the world's lowest-cost producers.

Today, Sunrise announced an accelerated expansion study to lift its forecast annual output to 180tpa.

The company also has the Sunrise Nickel-Cobalt Project, one of the world's largest nickel-cobalt resources, also in central-west NSW.

Nickel and cobalt are essential ingredients in EV battery cathodes.

They are also used in high-performance alloys for aerospace, defence, and other advanced manufacturing applications.

Among the tailwinds for Sunrise Energy Metals shares in FY26 were positive updates from the company and export controls introduced by China, which forced buyers to shift focus to alternative suppliers.

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

This ASX 300 healthcare share skyrocketed 1,786% in FY26 to close out the year at $4.53.

The highlight of FY26 for this respiratory imaging technology company was gaining US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its CT:VQ product in September 2025. 

CT:VQ is the world's first non‑contrast post‑processing technology that transforms routine chest CTs into quantitative, lobar ventilation (V) and perfusion (Q) maps.

Since approval, the company has deployed its technology at several well-known academic hospitals and clinics.

They include the US Mayo Clinic, Stanford, Cleveland Clinic, UC San Diego Health, and University of Chicago Medicine.

Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

Minerals 260 was the best performer of the market's gold miners in FY26.

The Minerals 260 share price soared 508% to end FY26 at 73 cents per share. 

This ASX 300 mineral explorer is building the Bullabulling Gold Project in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields.

Bullabulling is one of Australia's largest near-term gold mines.

It has a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 130MT at 1.0g/t for 4.5Moz.  

Minerals 260 recently signed a $220 million funding deal with gold royalty company, Franco-Nevada Corporation, to advance and de-risk the project.

The post 3 ASX 300 shares that ripped 500% or more in FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

After opening sharply lower and spending most of the session in red territory, the ASX 200 ended up staging a late afternoon recovery, closing with a minuscule 0.023% rise. That leaves the index at 8,793.3 points.

This bumpy day for ASX investors followed a rough start to the American trading week on Wall Street's boards last night.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) started the week on a sour note, falling 0.59%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared slightly better, though, dropping by 0.048%.

But let's return to the local markets now and take stock of what the various ASX sectors were up to this Tuesday.

Winners and losers

Despite the broader market's nominal lift, green sectors outnumbered red sectors this session.

Leading those red sectors were healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) crashed 1.05% lower today.

Communications shares were on the nose as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) tumbling 0.88%.

Consumer discretionary stocks weren't popular either. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) saw its value tank 0.83%.

We could say the same for financial shares, as you can verify by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)'s 0.71% dive.

Next up were industrial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) had dipped 0.34% by the closing bell.

Our last losers were consumer staples shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) slipping 0.08%.

Turning to the green sectors now, these were led by gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) soared 3.64% higher this Tuesday.

Tech shares ran hot as well, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)'s 3.26% surge.

Mining stocks were also in demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) jumped 1.33% today.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were next, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) leaping 0.61%.

Then we had energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) saw a 0.4% increase this session.

Finally, utilities stocks got over the winner's line, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)'s 0.22% lift.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Gold miner Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6) took out today's top spot. Minerals 260 shares spiked 7.69% higher this Tuesday to close at 64 cents apiece.

There wasn't any news out from the company, but most gold shares had a strong session.

Here's how the other winners landed their planes: 

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

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

On Friday afternoon, Morgans updated its ratings on three ASX All Ords shares.

Let's take a look.

Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

The Minerals 260 share price closed at 62 cents, up 3.3% on Friday and up a whopping 425% over 12 months.

Minerals 260 is building one of Australia's largest near-term gold mines, Bullabulling, in Western Australia.

The miner updated the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and released the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the project this week.

The MRE increased a sizeable 38% to 190Mt at 1.0g/t Au for 6.2Moz.

On Friday, Morgans maintained its buy recommendation with a 12-month target of $1.38 target.

This suggests potential upside of 120% over the next 12 months.

The broker said:

MI6 has released its maiden Ore Reserve and PFS, confirming Bullabulling as one of Australia's premier undeveloped gold projects.

The study outlines ~150kozpa production over the first decade, a 43% IRR, A$2.3bn NPV and a two-year payback period.

Importantly, the PFS was completed largely on the previous 4.5Moz resource base, with the upgraded 6.2Moz MRE providing scope for further reserve growth, mine plan optimisation and increased scale through the DFS.

Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

The Adairs share price closed at $1.49, down 2.9% today and down 31% over 12 months.

Morgans downgraded Adairs shares from a buy rating to an accumulate recommendation on Friday.

The broker has a 12-month target of $1.70, suggesting 14% potential upside from here.

Morgans said:

ADH provided a FY26 trading update, with Adairs performing ahead of expectations, Mocka largely in line, but ongoing weakness in Focus on Furniture continues to weigh on group earnings.

Group EBIT is expected to be down ~1.3%.

Given the ongoing weakness in Focus on Furniture and the extended remediation time required, the group intends to recognise an impairment charge of $62-28m ($56-60m after tax). This will be excluded from underlying earnings.

We have made downward revisions to our earnings in FY26/27/28.

James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX)

The James Hardie share price closed at $35.05, up 0.6% today and down 17% over 12 months.

Morgans downgraded James Hardie shares to a trim rating on Friday.

The broker lowered its 12-month price target from $39 to $36.

This suggests a potential 3% upside in the new financial year.

The broker said:

The JHX share price is up 25% in three months, leaving the business trading on a PER (NTM) of 22x, back towards the pre-AZEK average multiple of 21x. JHX has FY27 guidance in the market for EBITDA growth 4-8% – an achievable ambition.

However, by Sep-26 investor attention will turn to 2028 earnings expectations, and with Consensus factoring in +22% EPS growth we see downside.

It is our expectation that any US housing recovery will progressively be pushed into FY29/30, with JHX eking out mid to high single digit growth over the medium term.

Given JHX is trading back at its average multiple, despite the AZEK acquisition, and combined with the potential downside revisions to consensus forecasts, we are moving to a Trim rating with a $36.00/sh price target.

The post Buy, hold, sell: James Hardie, Adairs, Minerals 260 shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ), dominated by miners, rose 47% and delivered a total return, including dividends, of 52%.

The S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index (ASX: XMM) rose 53% and produced a total return of 59%.

Experts say there is more growth ahead for ASX mining shares, with 5 key elements underpinning the current commodities supercycle.

Here are two ASX mining shares with buy recommendations from Bell Potter.

The broker believes these two stocks have the potential to more than double in value in the new financial year.

Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

The Minerals 260 share price is 63 cents, up 4.5% today and up 423% over 12 months.

The gold share was the second-fastest riser of the entire S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in FY26. (See the top five here.)

Minerals 260 is a mineral explorer that is building the Bullabulling Gold Project in Western Australia.  

Bullabulling is one of Australia's largest near-term gold mines.

This week, Minerals 260 released an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for Bullabulling.

The MRE increased 38% to 190Mt at 1.0g/t Au for 6.2Moz.

Bell Potter retained its speculative buy recommendation and lifted its 12-month target to $1.40.

This suggests Minerals 260 shares could more than double in FY27.

The broker said:

MI6 offers gold exposure via the 6.2Moz Bullabulling MRE, valuation uplift through discovery success, project advancement and de-risking as the BGP progresses towards production.

MI6 holds ~$250m cash, sufficient to fund to Final Investment Decision (FID) in early CY27, long-lead items and early site works.

WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1)

The WA1 Resources share price is $12.31, up 2.5% today and down 24% over 12 months.

Bell Potter has a speculative buy rating on this S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) copper share with a $27.20 target.

This suggests WA1 Resources shares could also more than double in the new financial year.

The broker said:

WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1) has announced scaled-up beneficiation testwork results across four composites representing key Indicated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) zones at its 100%-owned Luni Niobium Project (Luni) in Western Australia.

The testwork confirms a two-stage flotation regime can produce high-quality niobium concentrates with commercially relevant recoveries across the deposit, using raw site water.

The testwork is a significant metallurgical data point and materially de-risks the beneficiation stage of the processing flowsheet.

The post 2 ASX mining shares that could more than double in value in FY27: experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

While the stock is up more than 440% over the past 12 months, the shares dipped slightly on the publication of the PFS and are now trading at 62 cents.

The analysts at Morgans believe this is cheap and have a bullish share price target on the gold company's shares, which we'll get to later.

First, let's look at what they announced.

Major, long-life gold project in development

The company said in a statement to the ASX that Bullabulling would generate average annual free cash flow of $330 million and would operate for 19 years.

The company would spend $180 million from existing cash reserves to get to a final investment decision, while the mine would cost $560 million to build, plus another $115 million for pre-production operations.

A definitive feasibility study was expected to be completed in the first quarter of calendar year 2027.

Minerals 260 Managing Director Luke McFadyen said regarding the project:

Fifteen months after acquiring the Bullabulling Gold Project, we are presenting outcomes of our PFS and a Maiden Ore Reserve. We always believed Bullabulling could become a significant gold operation, and today's outcomes confirm the potential for this high-margin, large-scale, long-life Project. Our target of delivering Bullabulling into production by the end of 2028 will establish Minerals 260 as the next mid-tier gold producer on the ASX. With an NPV of $2.3 billion, an IRR of 43% and $510M of average annual EBITDA, Bullabulling is set to deliver significant growth and value for our shareholders.

Shares in this ASX gold company looking cheap

Morgans said, importantly, that the PFS was completed using the previous 4.5 million-ounce gold resource, with an upgraded 6.2 million-ounce resource providing scope for further resource growth.

They added:

The market has reacted negatively to the PFS, which we believe is largely a product of the crystallisation of a sizeable upfront capital requirement rather than any deterioration in project quality. While pre-production capital of ~A$855m is significant, we view it as appropriate for an asset of Bullabulling's scale, longevity and economic returns, with the project's strong cash-generative profile expected to support favourable financing outcomes.

Morgans is anticipating first production in mid FY29 with an average output of about 150,000 ounces per year initially.

They added:

We assume a Stage 2 expansion, funded from operating cash flow, is commissioned in 2H FY31, increasing production towards ~200kozpa. Beyond lifting the production profile, the larger-scale operation has the potential to benefit from economies of scale and lower unit operating costs, although we do not currently incorporate these benefits into our base case.

Morgans has a price target of $1.38 on Minerals 260 shares.

The post This oversold ASX gold developer could more than double: Broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That return was comprised of 2.77% capital growth and a 4.23% average dividend yield.

That's an improvement on last year's payout.

In FY25, dividends made up 3.84% of the total 13.81% return.

That was well below the long-term average of about 4.5%.

This last financial year, the market moved closer to the norm.

What pushed dividend yields higher last year?

The increase partly reflects higher earnings among resources companies due to rising commodity prices.

This contributed to an outstanding performance in the ASX 200 materials sector, which lead the 11 market sectors last year.

Materials stocks soared 47.48% and paid a healthy above-average dividend yield of 4.63%.

The energy sector paid an even higher dividend yield at 5.14% in FY26.

But neither paid the best dividend yield of the 11 market sectors.

That title belongs to a much more defensive segment.

Experts say capital gains tax (CGT) changes may prompt investors to seek better yield.

If that rings true for you, the following list will give you a general guide as to which sectors pay best.

Let's take a look at the dividend yields of each of the 11 market sectors in FY26.

Which ASX sectors delivered the best dividend yields?

The sectors are listed in order of highest dividend yield for FY26.

Utilities

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) last year was 11.87%.

Dividends made up 5.98% of that total return.

Energy infrastructure company APA Group (ASX: APA) was the sector's best performer for growth.

APA Group shares rose 24%, and are currently trading on a trailing dividend yield of 5.84%.

Energy

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was 14.51%.

Dividends represented 5.14% of that return.

ASX 200 coal  producer New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) had the strongest share price growth at 44%.

New Hope Corporation shares have a trailing dividend yield of 4.78%.

Materials

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) was 52.11% in FY26. 

Dividends made up 4.63% of that return.

The best performer was gold explorer, Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6), which rocketed 508% in FY26.

Minerals 260 does not pay dividends.

The largest company in the materials sector is BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), which has a trailing yield of 3.47%.

Consumer Staples

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) was 13.72%. 

Dividends represented 3.63% of that return.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) was the top-performing consumer staples share, rising 29%.

Woolworths shares have a trailing yield of 2.24%.

Financials

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was 1.69%. 

The index lost 1.89% of its market cap last year, but dividends of 3.58% brought the sector into the green.

New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company, Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT) was the fastest riser, lifting 29%.

Infratil shares have a trailing dividend yield of 1.22%.

Industrials

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) was 5.24%.

Dividends made up 3.55% of that return.

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) shares were the fastest risers, rocketing 261%.

Electro Optic Systems does not pay dividends.

The biggest company in the sector is Transurban Group (ASX: TCL), which has a trailing yield of 4.68%.

Real estate & REITs

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XPJ) was a negative 2.24%.

The index dropped 5.32% in FY26, but an average dividend yield of 3.08% mitigated the capital loss.

Property fund manager Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) outperformed with capital growth of 19%.

The ASX 200 real estate investment trust (REIT) has a trailing dividend yield of 2.3%.

Communications

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Communications Index (ASX: XTJ) was a negative 9.41%.

The sector lost 12.4% of its value, but an average dividend yield of 2.99% partially offset the loss.

Aussie Broadband Ltd (ASX: ABB) shares rose the most, lifting 26%.

Aussie Broadband has a trailing dividend yield of 1.03%.

Consumer discretionary

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) produced a negative total return of 1.21%.

The index fell 3.56%, but an average dividend yield of 2.35% reduced the impact.

The Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) share price experienced the most growth, rising 22%.

Eagers Automotive shares have a trailing dividend yield of 3.43%.

Healthcare

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) was a negative 36.15%.

The healthcare index fell 37.4%, and an average dividend yield of 1.25% did little to buoy investors' spirits.

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) was the outperformer, with its share price skyrocketing 1,786%.

4DMedical does not pay dividends.

The largest company in the sector is CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), which has a trailing dividend yield of 3.38%.

The healthcare sector is experiencing an extraordinary bounce back, with value investors returning just last month.

Since the pivot point on 3 June, the healthcare index has soared 23%.

Technology

The total return for the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was a negative 36.97%.

The index lost 37.22% of its value, and a tiny average dividend yield of 0.25% was barely noticeable to investors.

The Aussie tech sector is comprised predominately of younger growth companies, and not many pay dividends yet.

ASX 200 tech shares tanked in FY26, with only four shares experiencing capital growth.

The stand-out was Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) shares, which rocketed 119%.

Codan shares have a trailing dividend yield of 0.8%.

Technology is also on the rebound after bottoming out on 30 March.

The post Which ASX 200 sectors paid the highest dividend yields in FY26? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

However, the potential upside from current levels could be somewhat limited.

So, if you are looking for big potential returns and have a high tolerance for risk, then it could be worth checking out the ASX mining share in this article.

That's because Bell Potter believes it could more than double in value over the next 12 months.

Which ASX mining share?

The mining share that Bell Potter is recommending to investors is Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6).

It highlights that the company has released an updated mineral resource estimate (MRE), a pre-feasibility study (PFS) and a maiden ore reserve estimate (ORE) for its 100% owned, 6.2Moz Bullabulling Gold Project (BGP) in Western Australia.

While the market didn't react positively to these releases, with its shares crashing following their release, Bell Potter remains positive and notes that they mark the delivery of key catalysts in line with guidance and major milestones in the advancement of the BGP towards development.

Bell Potter believes BGP will be a significant, high margin, long-life project. It said:

The PFS presents a compelling case for project development. It outlines a long-life, high margin gold project that positions MI6 to become a stand-alone, mid-tier gold producer. It is based on a 2.5Moz Maiden ORE that is the largest undeveloped gold Reserve in Australia not owned by an existing producer. 

Key parameters include a maiden ORE of 90Mt @ 0.86g/t Au for 2.5Moz Au supporting a 5.0Mtpa process plant producing an average of 150kozpa (years 1-10) at average All-In-Sustaining-Costs (AISC): A$2,520/oz (years 1-10) over a 19 year mine life for CAPEX of $180m preFID plus $675m (post-FID, pre-production). MI6 estimate a project NPV5 of US$2.3b and IRR of 43% using a US$3,800/oz (A$5,500/oz) gold price. The PFS does not yet incorporate upside from today's updated MRE.

Shares tipped to more than double

According to the note, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating on the ASX mining share with an improved price target of $1.40 (from $1.35). 

Based on its current share price of 63.5 cents, this implies potential upside of 120% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its buy recommendation, Bell Potter said:

MI6 offers gold exposure via the 6.2Moz Bullabulling MRE, valuation uplift through discovery success, project advancement and de-risking as the BGP progresses towards production. MI6 holds ~$250m cash, sufficient to fund to Final Investment Decision (FID) in early CY27, long-lead items and early site works. We lift our valuation to $1.40/sh and retain our Speculative Buy recommendation.

The post BHP shares may not double in 12 months but this ASX mining share could appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

ASX 200 expected to fall again

It looks set to be a difficult session for Australian investors on Thursday after a poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 47 points or 0.55% lower this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 1.1%, the S&P 500 is 0.35% lower, and the Nasdaq is down slightly.

Buy Minerals 260 shares

Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6) shares could have major upside according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating on the ASX gold stock with an improved price target of $1.40. This implies potential upside of approximately 120%. It said: "MI6 offers gold exposure via the 6.2Moz Bullabulling MRE, valuation uplift through discovery success, project advancement and de-risking as the BGP progresses towards production. MI6 holds ~$250m cash, sufficient to fund to Final Investment Decision (FID) in early CY27, long-lead items and early site works. We lift our valuation to $1.40/sh and retain our Speculative Buy recommendation."

Oil prices jump

ASX 200 energy shares such as Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a great day after oil prices jumped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 4.4% to US$73.57 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 5.2% to US$78.04 a barrel. Traders were bidding oil higher following an escalation in US-Iran tensions.

Uranium miners on watch

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) and other ASX uranium shares will be on watch today. There are reports that the Australian government could sign an agreement with India this week that delivers on a nuclear co-operation plan between the two countries that was signed over a decade ago. Boss Energy shares certainly need a boost. They are down 22% year to date.

Gold price tumbles

It could be a poor session for ASX 200 gold shares including Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) on Thursday after the gold price tumbled overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 1.5% to US$4,096.85 an ounce. Rising oil prices have sparked inflation and rate hike concerns.

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

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares rose by 2.77% and provided total gross returns (including dividends) of 7% in FY26.

Thirteen ASX 200 shares doubled in value — or better — over the 12 months.

Three of them were ASX 200 gold miners, which benefited from an 18% rise in the gold price last year.

Four were lithium miners, which generated turbocharged earnings amid a 278% lift in the spodumene price and a 160% rise in the carbonate price over FY26.

While healthcare was the worst-performing sector, the ASX 200's fastest rising stock came from it and blasted 1,786% higher!

Let's check out this group of ASX 200 double baggers for FY26.

Double-baggers of FY26

1. 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

This ASX healthcare share skyrocketed 1,786% in FY26 to close out the year at $4.53.

The respiratory imaging technology company gained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its CT:VQ product in September 2025.

CT:VQ has since been deployed at several well-known academic hospitals and clinics.

One broker thinks there is more room to run for 4DMedical shares in FY27.

2. Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

This ASX 200 gold share ripped 508% to finish FY26 at 73 cents.

Minerals 260 is building the Bullabulling Gold Project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields region.

3. Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV)

This ASX 200 lithium share flew 327% to $9.60 over FY26.

Elevra has a globally diversified portfolio of mines and projects across Québec, North Carolina, Ghana, and Western Australia.

4. PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

This fellow ASX lithium share leapt 275% to close out FY26 at $5.02.

The company's flagship project is Pilgangoora, the world's largest independent hard-rock lithium mine.

Formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, PLS Group was the best performer among the ASX 200 large-cap shares last year.

5. Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

The Electro Optic Systems share price increased 261% to close the year at $10.30.

This made Electro Optic the best-performing stock of the industrials sector in FY26.

The company specialises in defence technology, advanced weapon systems, and counter-drone solutions.

6. Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

The Mineral Resources share price rose 188% in FY26.

The ASX large-cap mining share finished the year at $62.07.

Value investors returned to Mineral Resources after corporate governance and financial problems crushed the stock in FY25.

Mineral Resources reported its best half-year result ever for 1H FY26. The miner reported record revenue of $3.1 billion and EBITDA of $1.2 billion due to rising lithium prices and the successful ramp-up of its Onslow iron ore project.

7. NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH)

This ASX 200 industrials share soared 149% to finish the year at $7.44.

8. Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR)

This ASX 200 lithium share rose 142% to finish the year at $1.69.

For 1H FY26, Liontown reported doubled revenue after a 70% lift in spodumene production.

In 3Q FY26, Liontown became cash flow positive and hit its 1.5Mtpa annualised underground run-rate ahead of schedule.

9. SRG Global Ltd (ASX: SRG)

This ASX 200 industrials share rose 136% to finish the year at $3.98.

10. Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA)

This ASX 200 tech share lifted 119.5% to finish the year at $44.14.

ASX 200 tech shares tanked in FY26, with only four finishing the year in the green.

11. Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN)

This ASX 200 gold share rose 119% to finish the year at $4.95.

12. Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

This ASX 200 rare earths share increased 115% to close out the year at $18.06.

An 80% lift in the neodymium price, and restricted rare earths exports out of China helped Lynas shares grow in FY26.

13. Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX: ALK)

This ASX 200 gold share rose 92% to finish the year at $1.37.

The post 13 ASX 200 shares that doubled in value in FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The ASX 200 materials sector, which is dominated by miners, was the best-performing of the 11 market sectors, rising 47% and offering a 4.6% dividend yield.  

The S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index (ASX: XMM), which captures more of the mineral explorers than the ASX 200, did even better.  

ASX 300 mining shares rose 53.2%, and delivered total returns of 58.59%. Wow. 

This all happened because Australia is in the midst of a new mining boom that will be different to the last one in the early 2000s to 2013.  

That boom was characterised by insatiable Chinese demand for iron ore to create steel for new infrastructure and residential apartments in the cities. 

The new mining boom today is being driven by the green energy transition, the artificial intelligence (AI) build-out, and central bank purchasing of gold. 

The green energy transition and AI build-out are driving much higher demand for critical minerals, such as lithium, and base metals, such as copper. 

Lithium prices slumped in 2023-2025 due to global oversupply, but supply/demand finally rebalanced at the start of FY26.  

Lithium went on to top the charts of best-performing commodities in FY26 by a long way.

The lithium spodumene price rose about 280%, and carbonate soared 160%. 

So, it's no surprise to see four lithium producers among the top five ASX 200 mining shares for capital growth last year. 

Let's review. 

1. Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

ASX 200 gold share, Minerals 260, skyrocketed 508% to close out FY26 at 73 cents per share. 

The mineral explorer is building the Bullabulling Gold Project in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields region. 

Bullabulling is one of Australia's largest near-term gold mines with a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 130MT at 1.0g/t for 4.5Moz.  

Minerals 260 recently signed a $220 million funding deal with gold royalty company, Franco-Nevada Corporation, to advance and de-risk Bullabulling. 

2. Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV)

This ASX 200 lithium share roared 327% higher to $9.60 apiece in FY26.

Elevra has a globally diversified portfolio of mines and development projects across Québec, North Carolina, Ghana, and Western Australia.

Formed through the merger of Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, Elevra's flagship mine is the North American Lithium Project. 

3. PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, PLS Group shares rocketed 275% to close out FY26 at $5.02. 

PLS Group is the largest lithium miner on the ASX 200 by market capitalisation. 

The company's flagship is the Pilgangoora Operation, the world's largest independent hard-rock lithium mine. 

4. Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

Iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources experienced 188% share price growth in FY26. 

The Mineral Resources share price finished the year at $62.65.

Mineral Resources shares were in rebound mode in FY26 after serious corporate governance issues and financial concerns had plagued the company in FY25. 

Founder Chris Ellison faced board-imposed financial penalties of $8.8 million and loss of remuneration of up to $9.6 million for reputational damage to the company.

The need to strengthen the balance sheet contributed to the board's call not to pay dividends in FY25. No dividends have been paid in FY26, either. 

The Mineral Resources share price hit a 5-year low of $14.05 in April 2025 before commencing its rebound into FY26. 

For 1H FY26, Mineral Resources reported its strongest half-year result ever. The miner reported record revenue of $3.1 billion and EBITDA of $1.2 billion.

Rebounding lithium prices and the successful ramp-up of the Onslow iron ore project contributed to the result. 

5. Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR)

The Liontown share price leapt 197% higher to finish the year at $1.58.

Liontown owns one of Australia's newest lithium operations, the Kathleen Valley Project, which only began production in early FY25. 

The ASX 200 lithium share had the same commodity tailwinds as other providers last year, as the company sought to ramp up production. 

For 1H FY26, Liontown reported a doubling in revenue year over year to $207.5 million, after a 70% lift in spodumene production. 

In 3Q FY26, Liontown became cash flow positive and achieved its 1.5Mtpa annualised underground run-rate ahead of schedule.  

The post 5 best ASX 200 mining shares of FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

ASX 200 shares rose 2.77% and delivered total returns, including dividends, of 7% in FY26.  

Meanwhile, the national median home value, which reflects all property types in a single data point, rose by 7.3%.

The total return, including rental income, was 11% over the 12 months, according to Cotality figures.

Let's break down the numbers a bit more. 

Typical Australian houses now cost $1M!

The national median house price rose 7.8% to $1,025,085, and the median apartment price lifted 5.6% to $752,007 over FY26. 

Three interest rate rises in CY26 are having a significant impact on the property market. 

Cotality's research director, Tim Lawless, said the June quarter marked "a significant shift in Australia's housing dynamic".  

Lawless commented:

Weaker conditions through the second quarter of the year are attributable to an array of downside factors.

Even before interest rates rose by seventy-five basis points, we were seeing affordability hurdles weighing on buyer demand.

Higher cost-of-living pressures, deeply pessimistic sentiment and a further dampening of demand via property taxation changes announced in the federal budget are all contributing to weaker housing conditions.

Typical landlords and first home buyers tend to operate in the same part of the market: at the lower end of the price spectrum.   

The expansion of the 5% Home Guarantee Scheme in October has created more demand for lower-end properties. 

An expected decline in investor purchasing due to proposed changes to capital gains tax (CGT) may reduce competition for young first-home buyers.

The CGT changes may also weigh on sentiment so much that home values fall, further enhancing affordability for young buyers.

That's the upside of the proposed CGT changes.

The downside is that an exodus of property investors would reduce the number of homes available to the 30% of Australians who rent, leading to higher rents.  

On top of that, current homeowners may have to cope with their cornerstone financial asset declining in value. 

How will CGT changes influence landlords? 

Australian residential real estate has a long and impressive multi-decade history of delivering exceptional capital gains.

Most landlords will tell you they are in it for the capital growth, not the rental yield.

Although rents have increased significantly since COVID, rental yields on property investments are notoriously low.

The national median gross rental yield is 3.7%, but that does not take into account all the holding costs of property.

Once landlords pay their loan repayments, strata fees, council rates, insurance, management expenses, and repairs, there's usually a deficit, which is why they're negatively geared.  

Negative gearing will be scrapped on established properties under the proposed CGT changes from 1 July 2027.

Investors will still be able to negatively gear new builds, but long-term data shows landlords strongly prefer established properties. 

So, it's arguable as to whether investors will move to the new-home market en masse. 

Here's what landlords are thinking about…

If the government intends to take more of a landlord's capital gain, will long-standing landlords decide property is just too much trouble? 

Cotality analysts raised this in a recent article, commenting that investors "may now look to other (non-property) assets instead". 

Could the CGT changes prompt landlords who have owned investment property for decades to take their discounted gains now? 

Their options for the sale proceeds are pretty attractive.

They could pop the money into a savings account yielding 5.5%. 

They could contribute the money to superannuation and pay just 15% tax on future earnings, 10% on future capital gains, and no tax after retirement. 

Perhaps they might invest in fully-franked ASX dividend shares.

Or they could buy the market's most popular dividend-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF), Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: VHY), with its 7.2% average three-year yield and 8.8% growth rate. 

Research by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) shows that Australian landlords are predominantly high-income earners in their late 40s or early 50s, paying off a modest home mortgage. 

At their stage of life, running a property investment, with all its maintenance costs and tenant hassles, may start to look unappealing under the CGT changes, especially if home values fall. 

Treasury modelling suggests home values will keep growing, but at a 2% slower rate than otherwise under the CGT changes. Time will tell if that proves accurate.  

Shares vs. property in FY26: Houses

Here is the capital growth rate for houses in each market, ranked from highest to lowest.

Source: Cotality

Shares vs. property in FY26: Apartments

Here is the capital growth rate for apartments (and other strata properties like townhouses), ranked from highest to lowest.

Source: Cotality

5 best-performing ASX 200 shares of FY26

The best-performing ASX 200 shares of FY26 outperformed real estate by a country mile.

Here is the capital growth rate of the five top ASX 200 shares of FY26.

The post ASX shares vs. property in FY26: Which investment outperformed? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The benchmark index hit a record 9,202.9 points on 26 February before finishing the year at 8,778.7 points on 30 June.

There are 11 market sectors within the ASX 200.

In this article, we name the top-performing shares by capital growth in each market sector. 

No. 1 shares of the ASX 200 market sectors 

These were the No.1 shares of each market sector based on 12-month share price growth (excluding dividends).

We have listed the sectors from strongest to weakest.

Six of the 11 sectors declined in value last year. 

Materials

The ASX 200 materials sector was the best performer by far. 

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) soared 47.48% and produced total returns of 52.11% in FY26. 

Australia is in the midst of a new mining boom with five key factors driving a new commodities supercycle.

The green energy transition, artificial intelligence (AI) build-out, and central banks diversifying their reserves with gold drove strong commodity price rises in FY26.

The best performing share within the ASX 200 materials sector was gold explorer, Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6).

The Minerals 260 share price ripped 508% to finish at 73 cents per share on 30 June. 

Consumer Staples

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) rose 10.09% and delivered total returns of 13.72%. 

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) was the top-performing consumer staples share of the year.

The Woolworths share price rose 28.67% to $40.03 in FY26.

Energy

The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) rose 9.37% and delivered total gross returns of 14.51%.

ASX 200 coal  producer New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) recorded the strongest share price growth.

New Hope Corporation shares increased 44.32% to finish the year at $5.34 per share.

Utilities

The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) rose 5.89% and delivered a total return of 11.87%.

Energy infrastructure company APA Group (ASX: APA) was the best performer of the utilities sector. 

The APA Group share price ascended 24.11% to finish FY26 at $10.14.  

Industrials

The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) edged 1.69% higher and produced total returns of 5.24%.

ASX 200 defence share Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) recorded the highest capital growth.

The Electro Optic Systems share price soared 261% to finish the year at $10.30. 

Financials

The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) fell 1.89% in value, but dividends lifted the total return into the green at 1.69%. 

New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company, Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT) was the best performer of the financials sector.

The Infratil share price lifted 28.8% to finish the year at $12.61.

Consumer discretionary

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) fell 3.56% and produced a total negative return of 1.21%.

The Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) share price experienced the most growth in the consumer discretionary sector. 

The Eagers Automotive share price rose 21.83% to finish the year at $21.26. 

Real estate & REITs

The S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XPJ) dropped 5.32% and delivered a total negative return of 2.24%.

Property fund manager Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) outshone its property sector peers.

The ASX real estate investment trust (REIT) rose 19.12% to $22.66 on 30 June. 

Communications

The S&P/ASX 200 Communications Index (ASX: XTJ) tanked 12.4% and delivered a negative total return of 9.41%.

Telco stock Aussie Broadband Ltd (ASX: ABB) rose the most in FY26. 

The Aussie Broadband share price ripped 26.09% to $4.93 on 30 June.

Technology

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) dove 37.22%, with a total negative return of 36.97% in FY26. 

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) shares outperformed in the technology sector last year.

The Codan share price screamed 119.49% higher to $44.14 on 30 June.

Healthcare

Healthcare was the worst-performing sector of FY26.

The S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) tumbled 37.4% and delivered a negative total return of 36.15%.

The 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) share price was absolutely unstoppable in FY26. 

Shares in 4DMedical skyrocketed 1,786% to $4.53 on 30 June. 

The respiratory imaging tech company was not only the shining star of the healthcare sector.

It was also the No. 1 stock for capital growth overall in FY26.

The post Top ASX 200 share of each market sector in FY26 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 ASX 200 outperformed the S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) last financial year. 

ASX All Ords shares increased 2.43% and provided total returns of 5.69%, according to S&P Global data.

Let's take a look at the five best-performing ASX 200 shares for capital growth in FY26.

5 best ASX 200 shares for price growth

1. 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

This ASX 200 healthcare share skyrocketed 1,786% in FY26 to close out the year at $4.53.

4DMedical shares hit a record $7.55 per share in April. 

The highlight of FY26 for this respiratory imaging technology company was gaining US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its CT:VQ product in September 2025. 

CT:VQ is the world's first non‑contrast post‑processing technology that transforms routine chest CTs into quantitative, lobar ventilation (V) and perfusion (Q) maps.

Since approval, the technology has been deployed at the revered US Mayo Clinic, Stanford, Cleveland Clinic, UC San Diego Health, University of Chicago Medicine, and the University of Miami.

2. Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

This ASX 200 gold share share ripped 508% to close out FY26 at 73 cents per share. 

Minerals 260 hit a record $1 per share last month. 

The mineral explorer is building the Bullabulling Gold Project, 25km south-west of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields region. 

Bullabulling is one of Australia's largest near-term gold mines. It has a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 130MT @ 1.0g/t for 4.5Moz. 

Minerals 260 recently signed a $220 million funding deal with gold royalty company, Franco-Nevada Corporation, to advance and de-risk the project. 

3. Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV)

This ASX 200 lithium share soared 327% to $9.60 in FY26.

Elevra Lithium shares hit a 52-week high of $14.06 per share in May. 

Elevra has a globally diversified portfolio of mines and development projects across Québec, North Carolina, Ghana, and Western Australia.

Formed through the merger of Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, its flagship mine is the North American Lithium Project.

Like all ASX lithium miners, Elevra has benefitted from surging lithium commodity values in FY26.

Supply/demand for lithium has finally rebalanced after a long period of oversupply and growing demand today for batteries, green power infrastructure, and electric vehicles (EV). 

The lithium spodumene price is up from about US$600 per tonne in June 2025 to US$2,260 per tonne today.

The lithium carbonate price rocketed 155% higher in FY26. 

4. PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

This fellow ASX 200 lithium share roared 275% to close out FY26 at $5.02. 

Formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, PLS Group is the largest lithium miner on the ASX by market cap.

PLS Group shares hit a record $6.81 last month. 

The company's flagship is the Pilgangoora Operation, the world's largest independent hard-rock lithium mine. 

5. Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

This ASX 200 industrials share increased 261% to finish the year at $10.30. 

Electro Optic Systems shares have soared over the past four years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The company specialises in defence technology, developing advanced weapon systems and counter-drone solutions.

The ASX 200 defence stock hit a record $12.58 per share last month. 

The post 5 best-performing ASX 200 shares of FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

During the 12 months, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) recorded a gain of around 3%. However, with dividends, the total return lifts to around 7%.

The good news is that some ASX 200 shares outperformed this significantly. Here are three which rose by over 250% in FY 2026:

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) 

The EOS share price was a very strong performer in FY 2026. During the year, the defence and space company's shares rocketed an incredible 256% over the 12 months. This was driven by a series of major contract wins for its counter-drone technologies. This includes the recent announcement of a US$124 million (~A$175 million) order for its Slinger Counter-Drone Remote Weapon System (RWS) from Generation 5 Holding in the UAE. In addition to this, EOS made the major acquisition of MARSS, which is already delivering the goods for management. In the middle of May, management advised that the combined EOS and MARSS business had an order book of unconditional secured contracts of $726 million.

Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

The Minerals 260 share price was among the best performers on the Australian share market during the financial year with a gain of 508%. Investors have been fighting to get hold of the gold developer's shares following strong drilling updates from its 100% owned 4.5Moz Bullabulling Gold Project, which is located 25km west of Coolgardie in Western Australia. Combined with a strong gold price lifting sentiment in the sector, the market appears to believe that this ASX 200 share was significantly undervalued a year ago.

PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The PLS share price was on form in FY 2026, delivering an impressive 270% return for investors. Investors have been bidding this lithium miner's shares higher after the price of the battery-making ingredient surged on strong demand and tight supply. This has put the company in a position to deliver huge profit growth in FY 2026. For example, during the first half, PLS posted a 47% jump in revenue to $624 million and a 241% lift in underlying EBITDA to $253 million. And on the bottom line, the company posted a net profit after tax of $33 million, which was a big change from its $69 million loss in the prior corresponding period.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares up a massive 250%+ in FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's because the broker believes its shares could rise materially from current levels.

Which ASX gold stock?

The gold stock that is rated highly by Bell Potter is Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6).

It is the Western Australia-based exploration and development company behind the Bullabulling Gold Project (BGP). It currently has a mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 4.5Moz. However, Bell Potter believes that recent drilling activities could support an increase in its resource estimate.

Commenting on this, the broker said:

The results are both infill and extension drilling and will be included in the August 2026 MRE update. They continue to confirm and upgrade the confidence within the current MRE and build the case for extensions beyond it. In the August MRE we primarily expect an upgrade from Inferred to Indicated categories, making more of the Resource available for conversion to Reserves, supporting the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) ahead of an FID in early CY27.

The additional opportunity emerging is the continuity and increasing geological understanding of high-grade zones within the footwall zones at the Phoenix and Bacchus deposits. We see potential for an improved development case that brings high grade ounces into the mine plan earlier than expected.

Bell Potter was also pleased to see the commencement of early construction and development activities at the project. It adds:

This shows a strong focus on project development and production readiness. These are key milestones that de-risk the development schedule by kicking them off as early as possible and locking in costs. We note that a key enabler is the strategic funding agreement with Franco Nevada, which sees MI6 with $250m cash (end March 2026).

Big potential returns

In light of this, Bell Potter has retained its speculative buy rating and $1.35 price target on the ASX gold stock.

Based on its current share price of 84 cents, this implies potential upside of 60% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its investment thesis, the broker said:

MI6 offers gold exposure via the 4.5Moz Bullabulling Resource, valuation uplift through discovery success, project advancement and de-risking as the BGP progresses towards production. It holds ~$250m cash, sufficient to fund to Final Investment Decision (FID) in early CY27, long-lead items and early site works. We retain our $1.35/sh Valuation and Speculative Buy recommendation.

The post This ASX gold stock could be a cheap buy with 60% upside appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here's why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone right now:

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $40.00 price target on this industrial property company's shares. The broker highlights that over in the UK, Prologis (NYSE: PLD) has made a takeover offer for industrial property company Segro (LSE: SGRO). Citi believes this offer highlights the strategic value of Goodman's portfolio of development sites and data centre pipeline. It also shows the scarcity of these types of assets as global data centre demand accelerates. And given its belief that Goodman is better positioned than many of its peers, with a significant development pipeline, the broker sees plenty of value in the company's shares at current levels. The Goodman share price is trading at $31.98 on Friday afternoon.

Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO)

A note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this small business lender's shares with a heavily reduced price target of $1.47. The broker notes that Judo Capital has downgraded its earnings guidance for FY 2026. However, the biggest disappointment for Morgans was the company's guidance for FY 2027, which fell well short of consensus estimates. Nevertheless, the broker thinks the vicious selloff has been an overreaction. It highlights that Judo Capital's shares are trading at under 7x FY 2027 earnings despite its guidance pointing to 30% growth across both FY 2026 and FY 2027. Morgans suspects that the market has now priced in a significant risk premium or probability of failure. The Judo Capital share price is fetching 88 cents at the time of writing.

Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

Analysts at Bell Potter have retained their speculative buy rating and $1.35 price target on this gold explorer's shares. According to the note, the broker was pleased with drilling results from the ongoing resource definition program at its 100% owned, 4.5Moz Bullabulling Gold Project. Bell Potter highlights that they continue to confirm and upgrade the confidence within the current mineral resource estimate and build the case for extensions beyond it. The broker also notes that the company holds ~$250 million in cash, which it believes is sufficient to fund it through to a final investment decision in early 2027. The Minerals 260 share price is trading at 83 cents on Friday.

The post Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rise on Friday despite a mixed night of trade in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 14 points or 0.15% higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 0.15%, but the S&P 500 was down slightly and the Nasdaq fell 0.45%.

Oil prices recover

ASX 200 energy shares Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a decent finish to the week after oil prices recovered overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 2% to US$71.74 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.7% to US$75.01 a barrel. This follows reports of an attack on a cargo vessel by Iran.

Buy Minerals 260 shares

Bell Potter thinks Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6) shares are undervalued and could offer major upside. This morning, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating and $1.35 price target on the ASX gold stock. Commenting on the gold developer, the broker said: "MI6 offers gold exposure via the 4.5Moz Bullabulling Resource, valuation uplift through discovery success, project advancement and de-risking as the BGP progresses towards production. It holds ~$250m cash, sufficient to fund to Final Investment Decision (FID) in early CY27, long-lead items and early site works. We retain our $1.35/sh Valuation and Speculative Buy recommendation."

Gold price rises

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) could have a good finish to the week after the gold price rose overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is up 0.8% to US$4,040.1 an ounce. The release of US inflation data eased rate hike fears and gave the precious metal a boost.

Buy Nickel Industries shares

Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC) shares could be good value according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $1.55 (from $1.45). It commented: "NIC offers nickel price leverage and diversified margin exposure across an integrated value chain. The HPAL expansion transactions will further balance NIC's earnings into downstream higher-margin operations and preserve earnings through the nickel price cycle. We lift our Target Price 7% to $1.55/sh and retain our Buy rating."

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