I've had a look through the reports Macquarie has put out this week and singled out three which profile companies they think will do particularly well.

Let's see who they like.

Arena REIT (ASX: ARF)

This listed property trust recently reported a net operating profit of $79.1 million, up 8% on FY25, and boosted its distributions per security by 5.5% to 19.25 cents.

The trust also guided to distributions for the current year of not less than 18 cents.

The company said re the result:

Key contributors to the FY2026 result were income growth from contracted annual and market rent reviews and acquisitions and development projects completed in FY2025 and FY2026. Arena finished the year with a strong balance sheet, with total assets of $2 billion and relatively low gearing of 24.5%.

Managing Director Justin Bailey said it was a strong year, and the trust "continued to improve portfolio quality through disciplined capital allocation, development activity and targeted divestments''.

The trust is dealing with a default from Edge Early Learning, which leases 31 Arena properties representing 14% of Arena's income.

The trust says it is continuing to engage with Edge and reserves its legal rights.

Macquarie said in a note to clients that they assume Edge will not remedy the situation and will need to be replaced.

But they said the current share price implies an "overly pessimistic outcome''.

Macquarie has a price target of $2.90 on Arena shares compared to $2.45 currently.

Liberty Financial Group Ltd (ASX: LFG)

Macquarie said Liberty's second-half result was positive, underpinned by stronger margins, while a 15 cent special dividend was also a positive.

They said:

We like LFG's continued focus on delivering stable margins and returns, which we believe supports ongoing capital management initiatives. This supports return on equity of ~14% over the medium term, based on our forecasts. Despite changes to negative gearing and CGT in the budget, management noted only modest impacts to date on mortgage lending (with peers reporting similar), which has positively surprised us.

Macquarie has a price target of $4.70 on Liberty shares compared to $3.58 currently.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Macquarie said this funds manager's net profit of US$75 million came in at about 8% better than consensus estimates, and the outlook for the current financial year was strong.

The completion of an acquisition during the year "provides for material earnings growth in FY27, with capacity on the balance sheet to fund additional M&A'', Macquarie said.

The broker has a price target of $3.24 on Navigator shares compared to $2.51 currently.

The post 3 ASX shares Macquarie says will return 23% to 49% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

ASX 200 to tumble

The Australian share market looks set for a poor session on Tuesday following a mixed night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 39 points or 0.45% lower. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 0.65% and the S&P 500 is down 0.2%, but the Nasdaq is edging higher.

Navigator Global shares given buy rating

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI) shares could be in the buy zone according to Morgans. This morning, the broker has retained its buy rating on the investment company's shares with a reduced price target of $3.13 (from $3.39). It commented: "NGI has released its June 2026 (4Q26) AUM update. We saw this as another broadly solid quarter, marked by a +6% increase in group ownership-adjusted AUM despite volatile markets, and with continued robust quarterly net flows into Lighthouse (+US$690m). We revise our NGI FY26F/FY27F EPS by +1%/-2%/-4%, with higher AUM forecasts offset by slightly lower operating margin assumptions. Our price target is reduced to A$3.13 (previously A$3.39). With >20% upside remaining to our PT, we maintain our BUY recommendation."

Oil prices rise again

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have another good session after oil prices rose overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.5% to US$83.75 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.4% to US$89.33 a barrel. Traders have been bidding oil higher following an increase in US-Iran tensions.

Gold price eases

It could be a subdued session for ASX 200 gold shares Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) and Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) after the gold price eased overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 0.2% to US$4,012 an ounce. Concerns about US interest rate increases are weighing on the precious metal. 

Buy Regis Resources shares

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) shares could still be undervalued according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, in response to the gold miner's production and cost guidance, the broker has retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of $8.45 (from $9.45). It said: "The midpoint of FY27 production guidance is in-line with our forecast (~380koz) and FY26 actual (379koz), while noting there is upside to ~400koz. Duketon is forecast to lift production ~10% YoY, offsetting lower production at Tropicana. Overall, AISC are ~13% above our current group forecast (A$2,650/oz) as higher cost ounces are brought into the mine plan at Duketon and diesel cost inflation comes through the cost base at both operations."

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

Navigator is a holding company – one that holds interests in other companies. 

It describes itself as an alternative asset management company with diverse partnerships across investment styles, product types, and client bases. 

The Company has 29 Partner Firms (of which 17 form the NGI Stable Growth Portfolio), all of which are established alternative asset managers who operate businesses diversified across investment style, product type and client base.

Year to date, its share price has fallen approximately 20%. 

However, Morgan's has updated its outlook following the company's Assets Under Management Update.

What did the company report?

Last week, Navigator Global Investments announced: 

• Ownership-adjusted AUM increased by 6% to USD33.6 billion in Q4, up 21% over the last 12 months
• NGI Strategic AUM up 3% to over USD13 billion
• Total Partner Firm AUM up 7% to USD104 billion.

Speaking on the results, the company said ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, interest rate volatility and changing market conditions continue to create both opportunities and challenges for alternative investment strategies.

Looking to FY27, the company said there is a focus on continued AUM growth across LHP and NGI Strategic in Q4 provides a solid platform entering FY27, supplemented by the expected contributions from the NGI Stable Growth Portfolio.

Morgan's updated view 

Yesterday, this ASX financials stock closed trading at $2.38 per share. 

The team at Morgans provided commentary on the company following its AUM release. 

NGI has released its June 2026 (4Q26) AUM update. We saw this as another broadly solid quarter, marked by a +6% increase in group ownership-adjusted AUM despite volatile markets, and with continued robust quarterly net flows into Lighthouse (+US$690m). 

We revise our NGI FY26F/FY27F EPS by +1%/-2%/-4%, with higher AUM forecasts offset by slightly lower operating margin assumptions. Our price target is reduced to A$3.13 (previously A$3.39). With >20% upside remaining to our PT, we maintain our BUY recommendation.

Despite lowering its price target, the updated target price from Morgans indicates a 31% upside for the ASX financials stock. 

Morgans isn't the only broker with an optimistic view for this company. 

Recently, the team at Macquarie has a price target on the company of $3.28 along with an outperform rating. 

Macquarie said the company has a strong platform entering FY27. 

The post Broker tips more than 30% upside for this ASX financials stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The brokers at Macquarie have this week issued reports into three ASX finance companies which they believe will perform well over the next 12 months.

Let's see who they like.

Australian Finance Group Ltd (ASX: AFG)

Shares in this company have fallen 22.4% over the past 12 months, but the team at Macquarie think they will tick upwards over the next year.

AFG recently said in a statement to the ASX that AFG mortgage brokers had lodged $28.1 billion worth of home loans in the fourth quarter, which was the strongest June quarter on record.

AFG Chief Executive Officer David Bailey said regarding the result:

Following the strongest March quarter on record, some easing in June was expected, especially after the Federal Budget announcements on 12 May and during a tightening rate cycle. Despite divergence across states and shifting borrower sentiment mid-quarter, we delivered positive year-on-year growth and a record-high average loan size. We believe the fiscal policy changes announced during the quarter will represent a period of readjustment rather than a structural shift in underlying demand.

Macquarie said they were forecasting some headwinds for AFG as the impact of tax policy changes in the Federal Budget rolled through, and reduced their price target on the company from $3.01 to $2.26.

This remains well above the current price of $1.64.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Macquarie has reinitiated coverage of this stock with an outperform rating after the company released a quarterly update earlier this week.

In that report, the company said assets under management were up 6% to US$33.6 billion, while assets under management in its Lighthouse Partners division were up 8% to more than US$20 billion.

The company said:

Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, interest rate volatility and changing market conditions continue to create both opportunities and challenges for alternative investment strategies. Most of Lighthouse Partners' strategies performed strongly during the quarter and several of NGI Strategic's Partner Firms delivered strong performance on an absolute and relative basis during the quarter.

Macquarie said the company had a strong platform entering FY27, and the broker has a price target on the company of $3.28 compared to the current price of $2.44.

Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL)

Macquarie said Netwealth's fund inflows of $3.09 billion were slightly below consensus, while total funds under administration of $134.3 billion were in line with expectations.

The broker has maintained an outperform rating on the stock due to "robust" earnings per share (EPS) growth.

Macquarie's share price target for Netwealth is $32.25 compared to $23.79 currently.

The post Macquarie tips three ASX finance companies to return better than 30% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

To narrow things down, let's see if Morgans rates the following three ASX shares as buys, holds, or sells. Here's what it is recommending:

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

Morgans notes that this travel agent giant has unsurprisingly downgraded its earnings guidance.

It believes investors should look beyond this, highlighting that it would have been a great year for Flight Centre if it were not for the Middle East conflict.

As a result, it has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $14.80 (from $14.55). It said:

Given recent downgrades from other travel industry peers due to the conflict in the Middle East, FLT's downgrade wasn't a surprise. Given its balance sheet strength and depressed share price, a new up to A$200m share buyback was announced. We have made only minor changes to our forecasts given FLT's guidance was broadly in line with our previous forecast. While a peace agreement and eased travel restrictions are positive, we think 1H27 will still be challenging.

We forecast a strong recovery in 2H27. If it wasn't for this conflict, FLT would have had a great year given its results for the first nine months were strong. We are buyers of FLT because when operating conditions ultimately improve, both its earnings and share price will be materially higher.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Another ASX share that has been given a buy rating is investment company Navigator Global Investments.

Morgans has put a buy rating and improved price target of $3.42 (from $2.97) on its shares.

While the broker has trimmed its FY 2026 earnings estimates, it has lifted its outer year forecasts to reflect the Stable transaction. It commented:

NGI on the 4th of May announced the acquisition of a portfolio of alternative asset manager interests from Stable Asset Management, alongside a new strategic partnership between the two firms. Following the completion of the entitlement offer and lifting of research restrictions we update our forecasts. We view the transaction as strategically attractive, though the projected double-digit EPS accretion in Year 1 assumes Stable sustains its strong near-term growth trajectory (EBITDA +35% – MorgansE).

We revise our NGI FY26F EPS down -5%, reflecting management's updated FY26F EBITDA guidance range (US$100m-US$104m), which came in below our prior forecast (US$106m). Our FY27F and FY28F EPS forecasts are lifted by 9%–13%, incorporating the earnings accretion from the Stable transaction. Our price target increases to A$3.42 (from A$2.97). We maintain our BUY rating with >20% upside to our price target.

SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH)

Morgans has been looking at this diversified investment company's investor day presentation and was pleased with what it saw.

In response, the broker has resumed coverage with a buy rating and a $52.75 price target. It commented:

At SGH's recent investor day management set out a medium-term strategy and framework to deliver 10% EPS/EBIT growth at a 15% ROCE, along with a near doubling of market cap. These ambitions are set against a track record of growing organically, while acquiring industrial businesses, improving operational performance and cash generation. SGH takes an entrepreneurial approach to leverage, gearing up to acquire what it perceives as 'privileged assets', with operational improvements then driving a quick deleverage.

With first gas expected from Crux in FY28, the Ravenhall (DXS JV) underway, and Boral volumes muted, we believe the business can continue delivering double-digit earnings growth. The stock is trading at 16.8x PER (Consensus, NTM), in line with its historical 3-year average, but a c.4.5x PER (NTM) discount to the index (ASX 200 industrials). Given the baseline strategy is set, and potential levers for outperformance are clear (property, Crux, M&A), we rate SGH a BUY with a A$52.75/sh price target.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Flight Centre, SGH, and Navigator Global shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the Navigator share price is up 7.66% to $2.67. By comparison, the broader S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.50% to 8,881 points.

That continues a strong run for the alternative investment manager, with the stock up around 30% over the past month.

It has also climbed about 70% over the past year, putting it among the top performers on the ASX over that period.

Here's what investors are looking at today.

Fresh support after capital raising update

Navigator's latest update showed strong support for the institutional part of its raising.

The company said it has completed the institutional part of its fully underwritten 1-for-8.13 accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer.

It raised about $134 million from institutional investors, with new shares issued at $2.40 each.

That sits below where the stock is trading today, which helps explain the positive reaction.

Demand also looked solid, with eligible institutional shareholders taking up about 99% of their entitlements.

The retail offer is expected to raise another $11 million, taking the total raising to about $145 million if completed as planned.

What the money is being used for

The raising is linked to Navigator's proposed acquisition of a portfolio of alternative asset manager interests.

The deal has a total consideration of US$195 million and involves net revenue share interests in 17 alternative asset managers connected to Stable Asset Management.

Navigator said the portfolio had US$15 billion in firm-level assets under management at March 2026. It also had US$1.8 billion in ownership-adjusted AUM and US$27 million in CY2025 net portfolio income.

The company said the deal adds scale and diversification across alternative asset managers, while also expanding its relationship with Stable.

The UBS target price lift is also helping sentiment today. The broker has raised its target by 5.6% to $3.80, which sits well above the current share price.

Foolish Takeaway

Navigator has a few things working in its favour today.

The capital raise was well supported by investors, the stock is trading above the offer price, and UBS has raised its target price.

Still, I would not ignore how far the stock has already moved. A 70% gain over the past year means expectations are much higher than they were.

Instead, I would be watching whether the acquisition flows through to stronger earnings and continued growth in assets under management.

The post Why this ASX stock just jumped 7% after a 70% run appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This led to a 6% share price rise on opening.

At the time of writing, Navigator Global Investments shares are up 2% during today's session. 

The company remains down more than 17% year to date. 

What did the company report?

Today, the company reported: 

• Navigator's ownership-adjusted AUM increased by 9% to USD31.6 billion in Q3, up 16% over the last 12 months
• Total NGI Firm Level AUM2 increased by 17% to USD98 billion in Q3, up 20% over the last 12 months
• The Lighthouse Partners business remains the largest contributor, with AUM rising 8% during the quarter to a record US$18.7 billion. Over the past 12 months, that figure is up 17%

The company advised that growth was driven by a mix of inflows and investment performance across its platform.

The company expects strong asset growth (AUM) in Q3 FY26, putting NGI in a good position for FY27.

The company continues to expect FY26 adjusted EBITDA to be lower than FY25, driven by: 

• The timing of AUM growth recognised this quarter
• A higher proportion of inflows into lower fee-generating AUM
• The concentration of NGI's performance fee revenues, with the majority expected to crystallise in December

This announcement pleased investors, who were gobbling up shares in the company this morning.

What did Morgans have to say?

Following the release, the team at Morgans released updated guidance on Navigator Global Investments shares.

The broker said it was a broadly solid quarter, punctuated by a +9% increase in group Ownership adjusted AUM in a volatile market, and robust quarterly net flows into Lighthouse (+US$1.2bn). 

We update our NGI numbers for the quarterly and also following a broad review of our earnings assumptions. Our FY26F EPS estimate is revised down -3%, reflecting more conservative performance fee assumptions for the current year, while FY27F EPS moves up +2% on higher FUM estimates following today's update.

Upside and buy rating intact

It appears the company is quickly recovering from an early-year lull. 

Since late March, Navigator Global Investments shares have risen more than 23%. 

It seems that, based on Morgans' guidance, this recovery can continue. 

Morgans has retained its buy recommendation, along with a largely unchanged price target of $2.97. 

From today's current price target of $2.46, this indicates an upside potential of approximately 20%. 

The post What is Morgan's view on Navigator Global Investments shares after update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

The Navigator Global share price is up 7% to $2.45. This follows the release of a quarterly assets under management (AUM) update from the investment company this morning. Navigator Global revealed that AUM was US$31.6 billion at the end of March. This is up 9% over the quarter and 16% from last year. It advised that growth was driven by a mix of inflows and investment performance across its platform.

St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

The St Barbara share price is up 6% to 72.5 cents. This has been driven by the release of a production update from the gold miner this morning. St Barbara revealed that it expects to increase its gold production to 200,000 ounces per year by 2030. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 59%. The company's managing director, Andrew Strelein, said: "St Barbara's recent breakthroughs with the Mining Lease Extension and now FID on the New Simberi Gold Project, the permitting of the Touquoy Restart and the impressive results of the 15-Mile Processing Hub Project Pre-Feasibility Study set up the Company for an attractive gold production CAGR of 59% lifting attributable production to over 190koz in FY30 and more than 200koz in FY31."

Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL)

The Vulcan Energy share price is up 2% to $3.59. This morning, the lithium developer revealed that it has entered into a 40 million euros major project framework agreement with Siemens for the supply of engineering, automation, telecommunications, and building technology systems. Vulcan Energy's managing director and CEO, Cris Moreno, commented: "The signing of this framework agreement with Siemens AG builds on our established partnership with the broader Siemens group which shares Vulcan's commitment to innovation and sustainability. We are pleased to be working alongside Siemens who have a vast local presence and history working in the broader region, and bring decades of experience in delivering engineering, automation, telecommunications, and digital technology systems to similar types of industrial projects."

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip share price is up a further 11% to $2.58. This buy now pay later provider's shares have been racing higher since the release of its third-quarter update at the end of last week. Zip reported record cash EBTDA of $65.1 million for the third quarter, which represents a 41.5% increase on the prior corresponding period. In light of its stronger than expected performance, management now expects group cash EBTDA of at least $260 million for the full year. This is up from its previous guidance of approximately $248.6 million.

The post Why Navigator Global, St Barbara, Vulcan Energy, and Zip shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In midday trade, the Navigator share price is up 6% to $2.43. That extends its weekly gain to almost 20%, placing the stock back near the upper end of its recent range.

The move follows a fresh update released to the market before the open.

Funds under management keep climbing

Navigator reported ownership-adjusted assets under management (AUM) of US$31.6 billion at the end of March, up 9% over the quarter and 16% across the past year.

Growth was driven by a mix of inflows and investment performance across its platform.

The Lighthouse Partners business remains the largest contributor, with AUM rising 8% during the quarter to a record US$18.7 billion. Over the past 12 months, that figure is up 17%.

Performance across key hedge fund strategies stayed positive, with several strategies delivering returns above benchmarks over both 1 and 5-year periods.

Net inflows also played an important role. Around US$1.2 billion came into the business during the quarter, with most directed toward managed account services.

Strategic platform and private markets stand out

In addition, the NGI Strategic platform moved higher, with AUM increasing 10% over the quarter to US$12.9 billion.

Within that, private markets stood out. AUM in that segment rose 20% to US$3.6 billion, supported by the addition of a Canada-based technology investor during the period.

Across the broader strategic platform, AUM growth over the past year has reached 57%, reflecting both new partnerships and market performance.

At the firm level, total AUM increased 17% during the quarter to US$98 billion.

Earnings outlook softens despite AUM growth

Despite the lift in AUM, the earnings outlook points to some pressure in the near-term.

Management expects FY26 adjusted EBITDA to come in below FY25 levels. That reflects the timing of inflows during the year and a greater weighting toward lower fee products within the mix.

Performance fees are also expected to normalise after stronger contributions in the prior period.

The update also pointed to ongoing demand from institutional investors seeking exposure to alternative asset classes.

Foolish bottom line

The latest move in the share price lines up with continued growth across the platform.

AUM expansion remains one of the key drivers for this business, particularly when it is supported by inflows instead of just market movements.

The strength in private markets and strategic partnerships is also drawing attention, given how quickly that segment has scaled.

After a solid run over the past week, investors appear more focused on AUM growth than Navigator's earnings outlook.

The post This ASX financial stock is jumping 6% today. Here's what just landed 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:

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

According to a note out of Bell Potter, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $4.80 price target on this counter-drone technology company's shares. Bell Potter has been looking at the counter-drone industry and highlights that the Middle East conflict is accelerating demand for the technology. The broker notes that lessons learned in Ukraine are being repeated, including the realisation that using up to US$4 million missiles to take down US$35,000 drones is unsustainable. In light of this, Bell Potter expects there to be broad adoption of C-UAS technologies alongside advanced hypersonic defence capabilities to improve on this equation. It feels that this bodes well for DroneShield given its strong position in the market and high-quality product portfolio. The DroneShield share price ended the week at $3.93.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

A note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this investment company's shares with a reduced price target of $2.98. Morgans I had spoken positively about the company's decision to acquire Georgian. It is a Toronto-based AI-focused growth equity firm. The broker thinks the deal is a strategic fit and will be earnings accretive. In addition, Morgans highlights that a recent selloff of Navigator Global shares appears to be linked to private credit concerns around its key strategic partner Blue Owl. However, Morgans thinks that the company's fundamentals are largely unchanged, creating a buying opportunity for investors. The Navigator share price was fetching $2.05 at Thursday's close.

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

Another note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and $3.60 price target on this agricultural chemicals company's shares. Bell Potter notes that we are entering the most material selling windows for Nufarm. The good news for Nufarm is that the majority of markets look supportive of reasonable demand levels of crop protection products. In addition, Bell Potter points out that upward movements in active ingredients and omega-3 indicators all look supportive of a reasonable pricing environment. It feels that this leaves Nufarm in a position to deleverage its balance sheet, which could be a positive share price catalyst. The Nufarm share price ended the week at $2.03.

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

If you are, it could be worth checking out the ASX shares that analysts at Bell Potter and Morgans are recommending to clients.

Here's what you need to know:

Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN)

The first ASX share that is rated as a buy is Harvey Norman.

Bell Potter acknowledges that there are risks in the retail sector, particularly given the company's exposure to multiple product categories. However, it believes Harvey Norman's geographic diversification and property assets help balance these risks.

Importantly, the broker sees value emerging in its shares after a sharp decline. Furthermore, it highlights that Harvey Norman's international store expansion, ongoing store upgrades in Australia, and significant property portfolio could support earnings growth over time.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $6.70 price target on its shares. It said:

While our preference skews to category specialists with balance sheet strength, we see HVN's well balanced geographical diversification somewhat offsetting the multi-category risks.

Following the sharp sell-off in the name since Oct-25, HVN's 1-year forward P/E of ~13x (as per BPe) appears attractive considering the new store driven growth in international retailing (UK, Malaysia, Croatia), refit program in Australia and opportunities to grow their real estate portfolio as Australia's single largest owner in large format retail with a global portfolio of ~$4.6b.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Another ASX share that is rated as a buy by brokers is Navigator Global Investments.

Morgans believes the company's recent acquisition of Georgian strengthens its long-term growth outlook. Georgian is an AI-focused growth equity firm, which Morgans believes aligns with key investment trends and could support earnings growth in the coming years.

While the broker has trimmed its price target due to broader market valuation changes, it does not believe the company's fundamentals have deteriorated. In fact, recent market volatility may even be supportive of its alternative asset management business.

Morgans has put a buy rating and $2.98 price target on its shares. It said:

NGI has acquired Georgian, a Toronto-based AI-focused growth equity firm. This deal appears to be a strategic fit for NGI, meeting its flagged acquisition criteria and being earnings accretive. We forecast NGI FY26F/FY27F/FY28F EPS to increase by ~1%-3% following the transaction. However, our target price reduces to A$2.98 (from A$3.35), reflecting a meaningful contraction in global peer trading multiples and our application of a more conservative valuation multiple to NGI (12.5x PE versus 15x previously).

NGI's recent sell-off appears to be mainly tied to Private Credit concerns around its key strategic partner Blue Owl. We think NGI's fundamentals are largely unchanged, and current market volatility is arguably conducive to its stable of alternative asset fund managers. We rate NGI a Buy.

The post Why these ASX shares are rated as buys in April appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL)

According to a note out of Macquarie, its analysts have retained their outperform rating and $63.00 price target on this gaming technology company's shares. The broker has been looking at recent US casino gaming data and was pleased to see year on year growth. This is despite operating in a potentially softer consumer backdrop. In light of this, the broker continues to forecast solid growth from Aristocrat over the medium term. So, with its shares de-rating significantly this year and its valuation at a multi-year low, the broker thinks investors should be snapping them up while they are down. The Aristocrat Leisure share price is trading at $46.55 this afternoon.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and $4.75 price target on this sports technology company's shares. This follows the release of its investor day event presentation which outlined its medium-term growth targets. Bell Potter highlights that the key target is annual contract value (ACV) of US$200 million+ in two to three years. This in theory will be achieved by reaching 5,000 pro teams (vs ~4,000 now) and ACV per pro team of ~US$40,000 (vs ~US$30,000 now). The broker believes that this is achievable given the increase in solutions it offers due to acquisitions and new product development. Bell Potter is forecasting ACV of US$207 million in FY 2029, which is consistent with Catapult's target. The Catapult share price is fetching $3.50 at the time of writing.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Analysts at Morgans have retained their buy rating on this investment company's shares with a trimmed price target of $2.98. According to the note, the broker was pleased with the company's acquisition of Georgian, which is a Toronto-based AI-focused growth equity firm. It thinks the acquisition is a strategic fit and will be earnings accretive. Outside this, it highlights that a recent selloff of Navigator Global shares appears to have been tied to private credit concerns around its key strategic partner Blue Owl. However, Morgans thinks that the company's fundamentals are largely unchanged. The Navigator share price is trading at $2.17 on Wednesday.

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

The S&P/ASX 200 Financials (ASX: XFJ) index remains flat year to date. 

This week, two ASX financial stocks have received positive outlooks from brokers. 

Here's what's behind the optimistic view. 

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Navigator Global Investments is a holding company. 

It is an alternative asset management firm with diverse partnerships across investment styles, product types, and client bases. Navigator Global Investments has around US$73 billion in assets under management and is currently partnered with 11 businesses.

It has fallen 28% year to date, however a key announcement could be good news for the ASX financials stock according to Morgans. 

The company released an announcement on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a strategic minority ownership interest and a preferred economic interest in Georgian and its affiliates ("Georgian").

Georgian is a Toronto, Canada based AI-focused growth equity firm with USD $5.9 billion in assets under management. 

Stephen Darke, NGI CEO, commented, 

Our strategic partnership with Georgian is the latest example of NGI executing our strategy to provide growth capital to leading alternative investment firms globally. Artificial intelligence will be one of the dominant investment themes of the next century, and in Georgian we have found an aligned partner that is a true pioneer in the field.

Following the announcement, the team at Morgans updated its outlook on this ASX financials stock. 

Morgans said it expects EPS to increase by 1-3% following the transaction. 

It also rates Navigator Global Investments shares a buy, however reduced its price target to $2.98 (previously $3.35). 

From yesterday's closing price of $2.12, this indicates an upside of approximately 40%. 

Cuscal Ltd (ASX: CCL)

Cuscal Ltd is a payment and regulated data services provider in Australia. The group offers a comprehensive suite of payment infrastructure solutions to a diversified client base.

In a note out of Bell Potter yesterday, the broker updated its outlook on this ASX financials stock after the Reserve Bank of Australia announced surcharging on debit and credit cards should end from 1 October 2026. 

This could impact Cuscal margins removing a key revenue mechanism tied to merchant card payments.

However, Bell Potter said its buy rating and target price is unchanged. 

We view the outcome today as a mild indirect positive for CCL whose customer base are price takers with low exposure to credit and view subscription-based models are an emerging second leg of growth.

Bell Potter has maintained its price target of $5.10 on this ASX financials stock, which indicates a potential upside of 28% from yesterday's closing price. 

The post Experts name 2 ASX financials stocks to watch closely appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

29Metals Ltd (ASX: 29M)

The 29Metals share price is down 31% to 42.7 cents. The catalyst for this has been the copper miner undertaking an equity raising. 29Metals revealed that it has raised $119 million from institutional investors at an offer price of 40 cents per new share. This represents a 35.5% discount to its last closing price of 62 cents. 29Metals' CEO, James Palmer, commented: "This equity raising is expected to allow us to maintain our commitments to our strategic growth objectives to accelerate value realisation across the portfolio. Specifically, the ongoing investment in Gossan Valley, progression of a Restart Definitive Feasibility Study at Capricorn Copper and drilling to test priority exploration targets across the portfolio."

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

The Navigator Global Investments share price is down 3.5% to $3.10. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Morgans. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the investment company's shares to an accumulate rating (from buy) but with an improved price target of $3.71.

Praemium Ltd (ASX: PPS)

The Praemium share price is down 6.5% to 78.5 cents. This morning, this investment platform provider released its second quarter update. Praemium revealed a 14% increase in funds under administration to $70.5 billion. This may have been softer than the market was expecting. The company's CEO, Anthony Wamsteker, was pleased with the quarter. He said: "The December quarter continued to see strong inflows into Spectrum. We are pleased that the demand we're seeing reflects the strength of our offering and the opportunity to grow our market share in the HNW segment. Since launch we have achieved $1.4 billion in new business gross inflows."

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

The Xero share price is down 4.5% to $99.43. This has been driven by broad weakness in the tech sector on Wednesday following a poor night of trade on Wall Street's Nasdaq index. It isn't just Xero that is falling today. Almost all tech stocks are being sold down. This has led to the S&P/ASX All Technology Index dropping 2.75% at the time of writing.

The post Why 29Metals, Navigator Global, Praemium, and Xero shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 6.8% and produced total returns of 10.32%.

ASX financials were the third-best performer among the 11 market sectors last year.

Looking ahead, here are five ASX financial shares that the experts are backing for price growth in 2026.

5 ASX financial shares with new year buy ratings

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

The Hub24 share price rose by 38% to finish 2025 at $96.25 per share.

Bell Potter has a buy rating on Hub24 shares with a price target of $125.

On Thursday, the investment and superannuation platform provider is trading at $95.53 per share, up 2%.

The broker's price target suggests potential gains of 31% in the new year.

Infratil Ltd (ASX: IFT)

The Infratil share price fell 15.8% in 2025 to close at $9.74 on 31 December.

Today, Infratil shares are $9.88 apiece, up 0.5%.

Morgans has just initiated coverage on this ASX financial share with an accumulate rating.

The broker has put a price target of $11.30 on the New Zealand-based investment company.

This suggests a potential 14% upside over the new year ahead.

Morgans said:

Infratil (IFT) is a high quality, concentrated structural growth investor targeting 11-15% pa post fee returns. IFT's investors have enjoyed c.18% pa returns over the last ~30 years.

Assuming delivery of target returns, post fees the Net Asset Value (NAV) should nearly double over the next five years and create substantial value for equity holders.

The share price is currently trading at a 30% discount to NAV.

Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG)

Retirement and investment solutions provider Generation Development Group was the best performer of the financials sector in 2025.

The Generation Development Group share price rose 66% to finish the year at $5.89.

Macquarie gives Generation Development Group shares an outperform rating with a 12-month price target of $6.70.

Today, the ASX financial share is trading for $5.90, up 0.3%.

The broker's target implies a potential upside of 14% for investors who buy the stock today.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Navigator Global Investments shares increased 72% last year to close at $2.96 on 31 December.

Ord Minnett has a buy rating on this ASX small-cap financial share with a price target of $3.50.

Today, the alternative asset manager is trading at $2.98 per share, up 4.9%.

The broker's price target suggests potential gains of 17% in the new year.

Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF)

Challenger shares also performed strongly last year, rising 57% to finish the year at $9.41 apiece.

Citi has a buy rating on this ASX financial share with a price target of $10.25.

Today, the Challenger share price is $9.39, down 0.2%.

The broker's price target implies a potential upside of 9% for 2026.

The post 5 ASX financial shares to buy in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) slightly outperformed the ASX 200. 

It rose by just over 7%. 

There were a few ASX financials shares that had stellar years, bringing happy investors strong returns. 

Let's look at three and investigate if they are likely to repeat their strong performance in 2026. 

Consolidated Operations Group Limited (ASX: COG)

Consolidated Operations Group shares were among the best performing in the entire sector over the last year. 

The company is Australia's leading finance broker aggregator and equipment leasing company for small to medium-sized businesses. 

The company has two segments, its finance broker & aggregation business and its lending business.

Its share price is up almost 100% across the last year. 

Is it time to buy, hold, or sell after this impressive gain?

Estimates from brokers indicate it still has more room to run. 

Late last year, Morgans placed a price target of $2.63 on these financials shares and Bell Potter, a buy rating and $2.70 price target. 

These targets indicate a further upside from yesterday's closing price of around 29% to 33%. 

The cherry on top is the expected 3.8% to 4.5% dividend yield over the next two years. 

Ma Financial Group (ASX: MAF)

This financials stock has enjoyed a rise of 85% over the last 12 months. 

It is a diversified financial services company, specialising in managing alternative assets, lending, corporate advisory, and equities.

This has been driven by strong growth in assets under management (AUM).

Investors also reacted positively to the acquisition in late November of Hyperdome Town Centre shopping centre for $678.7 million.

Estimates from analysts indicate these ASX financials shares are now trading close to fair value. 

TradingView has a 12 month price target of $11.27, which is roughly 25% higher than its current share price. 

Navigator Global Investments (ASX: NGI)

Navigator Global Investments shares were another stock market winner in 2025. 

Its share price is up 86% from this time last year. 

The company believes its strong financial performance can continue, with management targeting to double its EBITDA to over US$200 million by 2030.

Estimates from the team at Morgan reinforce that these ASX financials shares can keep rising. 

In December last year, the broker initiated coverage with a buy rating and $3.45 price target.

This indicates a further 15% upside. 

The post Can these high flying financials shares from last year do it again? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

They have just been given buy ratings and are tipped to rise meaningfully from current levels. Here's what the broker is saying about them:

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Morgans believes that this alternative asset management company's shares are undervalued.

It highlights that despite rising over 70% this year, its shares are still trading at just 13x estimated FY 2026 earnings.

This comes at a time when management is aiming to double its earnings over the next five years, which implies a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%. It said:

Navigator Global Investments (NGI) is an alternative asset management firm focused on partnering with leading global alternative managers, with exposure to 11 boutique firms across hedge funds, private markets, structured credit, macro, commodities and derivatives. NGI operates a simple and effective model: it takes minority stakes in high-quality, high-margin alternative managers and supports their growth with capital and strategic services. The model creates a highly diversified earnings base with strong growth potential through adding scale (new partnerships) to the existing platform.

NGI has a strategic ambition to double EBITDA over five years, implying ~15% CAGR. We believe the business has the operating structure and expertise, is self-funding, and has a large addressable market for acquisitions to achieve this target. Earnings resilience is a key feature supported by high diversity in its Assets under management (AUM) across asset classes, managers, investment strategies, and investor channels. At ~13x FY26F PE, we see this earnings durability and growth potential as undervalued.

Morgans has initiated coverage on the ASX stock with a buy rating and $3.45 price target. This implies potential upside of 17% for investors from current levels.

Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV)

Another ASX stock that Morgans has put a buy rating on is Polynovo.

It is a medical technology company aiming to simplify the management of acute complex wounds with its NovoSorb BTM product. This is a dermal scaffold for the regeneration of the dermis when lost through surgery, trauma or burn.

Morgans has turned more positive on the company after it strengthened its board and finally appointed a new leader. It was also pleased to see that its recent trading update suggests that the company is on to achieve its revenue forecast in FY 2026. It said:

Following changes to its Board and with the appointment of a new CEO, we see more stability and focus returning to the PNV business. The 1Q26 trading update sees group sales up 33% and gives us confidence our full-year revenue forecast (up ~17%) is on track. We sit below revenue consensus but in line with EBITDA. We have made no changes to forecasts. However, we have removed our discount to the target price which now sits at A$2.03 (was A$1.69). We have moved our recommendation up to BUY from SPECULATIVE BUY.

As mentioned above, Morgans has a buy rating and $2.03 price target on its shares. This suggests that upside of 68% is possible between now and this time next year.

The post Why Morgans just put buy ratings on these ASX stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Navigator Global Investments is a diversified alternative asset management company that partners with a variety of institutional asset managers operating across different investment styles, product types, and client bases.

It has around US$73 billion in assets under management and is currently partnered with 11 businesses.

Yesterday, it closed trading at $2.94, and is now up 24.58% in just the last month. 

In a fresh note out of Ord Minnett, it appears the broker sees plenty more upside in this ASX financials stock following Navigator Global Investments' recent investor day. 

Ord Minnett said the recent investor day underscored the immense growth opportunity that the asset manager has in front of it.

The broker has a buy rating on the stock and has just raised its target price to $3.50 from $2.80.

Let's see what was behind the upgrade. 

Highlights from investor day 

The team at Navigator Global Investments reiterated that in FY25, ownership-adjusted AUM increased to US$27.7 billion, up 6% from the previous year.

The team at Ord Minnett also pointed out principals from partner firms referred glowingly to the company's assorted value-add levers, in particular, the Blue Owl Business Services Platform. 

Blue Owl's GP Strategic Capital platform offers minority equity and financing solutions to private capital managers.

Ord Minnett also pointed to organic growth and targeted acquisitions as key drivers of future growth. 

The combination of organic growth, supplemented by targeted US$80 million ($125 million) of strategic acquisitions from a large opportunity set, sees the business well-placed to achieve its 2030 target of a doubling of operating earnings (EBITDA) from 2025.

Other noted highlights included: 

• A strong endorsement of Navigator's offering from the principals of the 1315 Healthcare and Waterfall AM fund managers.
• Because Navigator's partners are highly diversified, aggregated performance fees are more consistent, and along with the high margins of alternative managers, this generates steady cash flows that investors are only just starting to value.
• The size of Navigator's acquisition target set, i.e. firms in the US$1–US$10 billion range, is significant at more than 8,000.

Ultimately, this diversification can help smooth earnings, and paired with high margins, creates steady cash flows that Ord Minnett believes the market hasn't fully valued until now.

This has positively influenced Ord Minnett's view of the company moving forward. 

Earnings forecasts and target price adjusted 

Following the investor day, Ord Minnett bumped up its earnings forecasts and price target for this ASX financials stock. 

We made minor adjustments to our earnings forecasts post the investor day, notably our EBITDA estimate for FY26 has increased by 3% to $106.5m, after adjusting our performance fee estimates for Lighthouse Partners.

Based on the new price target from Ord Minnett, the broker now sees an upside of 19.05% for this financials stock. 

The post Top broker says this skyrocketing financials stock is still a buy! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)

The Breville share price is up a further 4% to $31.80. Investors have been buying this appliance manufacturer's shares this week following the release of a bullish broker note out of Morgans. It has upgraded the company's shares to a buy rating with a $36.05 price target. The broker said: "We are encouraged by recent positive updates from peers who share key attributes with BRG, including strong new product innovation and geographic expansion (SharkNinja; SN-US), premium brand positioning (KitchenAid / Whirlpool; WHR-US) and growing coffee category exposure (both). We view recent weakness in BRG as an opportunity to build a position in a high-quality, well-managed business, with structural coffee tailwinds. Upgrade to BUY."

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

The Flight Centre share price is up a further 4% to $12.76. This travel agent's shares have been rising this week following the release of a trading update at its annual general meeting. Commenting on its performance, Flight Centre's managing director, Graham Turner, said: "FY26 is off to a positive start, with first-quarter results and preliminary October trading data confirming momentum across both corporate and leisure segments." Turner also provided guidance for the full year, revealing that profit before tax is expected to be up 5.5% to 17.6% year on year.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

The Navigator Global Investments share price is up 6% to $3.07. This morning, this investment company released an investor day presentation. It spoke about its strategy that it expects to double its EBITDA to over US$200 million by 2030.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)

The Regis Resources share price is up 5.5% to $7.26. This follows the release of a resource update this morning. The gold miner revealed that the probable open-pit ore reserves at Buckingham-Wellington have increased to 251,000 ounces from the prior estimate of 128,000 ounces. The company's CEO, Jim Beyer, said: "The consolidation of the Buckingham and Wellington open pits is an opportunistic and disciplined response to the current gold price, allowing us to bring forward and produce profitable ounces while maintaining flexibility in our long-term plan."

The post Why Breville, Flight Centre, Navigator Global, and Regis Resources shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But broker Macquarie is forecasting ho-hum dividend yields from the big four banks this year.

Specifically, 2.8% for Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares, 4.6% for National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares, 4.8% for Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC) shares, and 5.7% for Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares, based on stock prices at the time of writing.

Macquarie also has uninspiring ratings on these ASX bank stocks — namely a neutral rating on ANZ and NAB shares and an underperform rating on CBA and Westpac shares.

The broker also expects the share prices of all four big bank stocks to fall over the next 12 months.

If you want to heed Macquarie's advice and avoid the bank stocks for now, what should you buy instead?

Investing in the ASX financial sector is still a sound option, given it's the market's second biggest sector and is known for good dividends.

Lots of ASX financial shares also offer appealing potential upside over the next 12 months, according to the broker.

14 ASX financial shares set to outperform: broker

According to a new note, Macquarie has given an outperform rating to 14 of the ASX financial shares under its coverage.

Some of them are offering more potential share price growth than others.

Here are some examples.

Liberty Group (ASX: LFG)

The broker has a 12-month price target of $4.40 on this ASX financial share.

The Liberty share price finished yesterday's session at $3.12.

The broker's forecast implies a potential 41% upside from here.

QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) 

Macquarie has a share price target of $23 on this insurance giant.

QBE shares closed at $22.37 on Thursday, implying an almost 3% upside on offer to investors from here.

GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) 

Macquarie has a share price target of $2.90 on GQG.

The GQG share price at the market close yesterday was $2.24.

The broker's forecast implies a potential 29% upside ahead.

Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI)

Macquarie has a 12-month target of $27.37 on Pinnacle Investment shares.

Pinnacle Investment shares closed at $19.92 yesterday, suggesting a possible 37% upside from here.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

The broker has a 12-month target of $2.37 on this ASX financial share.

Navigator shares closed at $1.75 on Thursday, indicating a potential 36% capital gain ahead.

Fleetpartners Group Ltd (ASX: FPR)

Macquarie has a 12-month target of $3.77 on the stock of this car fleet management company.

Fleetpartners shares closed at $2.99 on Thursday, implying 26% potential growth over the next year.

Qualitas Ltd (ASX: QAL)

The broker has a target price of $3.10 on this alternative real estate investment manager.

Qualitas shares closed at $2.74 yesterday, suggesting a potential 13% capital gain ahead.

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP)

The broker has a 12-month target of $1.34 on this ASX financial share.

The AMP share price closed at $1.31 yesterday.

The broker's forecast implies AMP shares are almost fully valued, with just 2% potential growth ahead.

The post 8 alternative ASX financial shares to buy instead of bank stocks: broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.