In morning trade, the Perenti share price is up 5.13% to $2.05, extending what has already been a strong 12 months for the mining services stock.

Even after a volatile start to 2026, Perenti shares are now up more than 50% over the past year, comfortably outperforming many sector peers.

Here's what appears to be driving the latest move.

New CEO brings deep global mining leadership

According to the release, Perenti has appointed Dr Vanessa Torres as its new Managing Director and CEO.

She will succeed current Chief Executive Mark Norwell, with the transition following the process previously outlined to shareholders at the company's AGM.

Torres most recently served as Chief Operating Officer at South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) and brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in mining and resources.

Her background includes senior executive roles across BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Vale, and South32, spanning operations, logistics, strategy, project delivery, and technology leadership.

Perenti said Torres will commence with the company on 13 April and formally take over as Managing Director and CEO on 1 June 2026.

Board points to next growth phase

Chair Diane Smith-Gander said the board ran a rigorous international search process and focused on appointing a leader who could build on the group's existing momentum.

She said the board believes Torres is "a highly accomplished executive" with the strategic capability and operational experience to lead Perenti's next phase of growth.

Smith-Gander also thanked outgoing CEO Mark Norwell for his contributions since 2018, noting that he helped deliver material improvements in financial metrics and build the group's diversified portfolio.

Torres also said she was honoured to be appointed and looked forward to working with the board and management team to continue Perenti's development and deliver long-term value for clients, people, communities, and shareholders.

Foolish Takeaway

Leadership changes can sometimes create uncertainty, but Perenti's planned succession process and Torres' experience should support continuity across the business.

Perenti remains a diversified mining services group spanning contract mining, drilling, mining services, and technology solutions. This gives it broad exposure to gold, copper, iron ore, and other major commodities.

The company has a market capitalisation of roughly $1.92 billion.

Perenti is also entering the leadership change after a period of improving earnings and disciplined capital management.

The focus now shifts to how the new leadership team delivers from here.

The post Why this ASX 200 stock just jumped 5% on Wednesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

ASX 200 to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rise again on Wednesday despite a poor night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 67 points or 0.8% higher. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 0.1%, the S&P 500 is down 0.35% and the Nasdaq is 0.8% lower.

Buy Life360 shares

Bell Potter sees significant value in Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360) shares at current levels. According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating on the family safety technology company's shares with a trimmed price target of $37.75. This implies potential upside of 94% for investors. It said: "We see the release of the Q1 result on 12th May as a potential catalyst given the company has already lowered expectations and the potential of a small beat in adjusted EBITDA."

Oil prices rebound

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a good session on Wednesday after oil prices rebounded overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 4% to US$91.68 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 3.6% to US$103.53 a barrel. Traders were buying oil after optimism faded over a de-escalation in the US-Iran war.

Gold price eases

ASX 200 gold shares Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a subdued session on Wednesday after the gold price traded lower overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 0.2% to US$4,399 an ounce. A stronger US dollar and rate hike concerns have weighed on the gold price.

ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend

A number of ASX 200 shares are going ex-dividend this morning and could trade lower. This includes diversified mining services company Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN), toll road operator Atlas Arteria Group (ASX: ALX) and travel agent Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT). Perenti is paying shareholders a 3.3 cents per share dividend on 9 April, Atlas Arteria is paying 20 cents per share on the same day, and Flight Centre is paying 12 cents per share on 16 April.

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

In order to receive a dividend, you must own the ASX share before its ex-dividend date.

If you've had your eye on an ASX share for a while, and you're ready to buy, the ex-dividend date can provide a deadline to act.

Might as well buy and pick up the next dividend payment if the stock is trading at an acceptable price, right?

Alternatively, you could play a longer game, and wait for the ex-dividend date to arrive before buying the stock.

This can be a good strategy because share prices tend to fall on the ex-dividend date.

This happens because the stock is fundamentally worth less without the next dividend payment attached.

Many companies offer dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs).

DRPs allow investors to instruct the company to use their dividends to buy more shares on their behalf, instead of paying cash.

After lodging your DRP form, this process becomes automatic.

It's an easy, passive way for investors increase their shareholdings in a company over time.

And every now and then, a company will offer a discount to shareholders participating in the DRP.

Bonus!

ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week

The post 14 ASX shares about to go ex-dividend 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:

Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN)

The Coronado Global share price is down 6% to 28.7 cents. Investors have been selling this coal miner's shares following the surprise exit of its CEO. According to the release, Douglas Thompson intends to resign from his role to pursue new opportunities. Subject to board approval, the company's executive chair and former CEO, Gerry Spindler, will assume the role of interim CEO, and Greg Pritchard will transition to interim chair. In addition, it was revealed that Jeff Bitzer, Coronado's chief development officer and formerly chief operating officer, has decided to step back from full-time responsibilities, effective as of 28 February.

G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM)

The G8 Education share price is down 15% to 39.2 cents. This follows the release of the childcare centre operator's full-year results. G8 Education reported a 7% decline in revenue to $946.9 million and an 18.4% decline in underlying net profit after tax to $59 million. On a reported basis, G8 Education recorded a net loss of $303.3 million. This was driven by a $349.1 million goodwill impairment expense. The company also provided a trading update which revealed that its spot occupancy rate was 54.4% on 15 February. This is down 7.5 percentage points from the prior corresponding period.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The Megaport share price is down a further 15% to $8.17. This network-as-a-service provider's shares have crashed since the release of its half-year results last week. This is despite them revealing record revenue and earnings. Megaport reported a 26% increase in revenue to $134.9 million and EBITDA growth of 28% to $35.3 million. Its CEO, Michael Reid, said: "Our global business continues to scale, with the United States delivering exceptional momentum, pushing the Americas to 24% YoY ARR growth. This performance was driven by rising NRR and consistent new logo acquisition."

Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN)

The Perenti share price is down 14% to $2.43. This morning, the diversified mining services company released its half-year results and revealed flat revenue and a 2% decline in EBITDA for the period. Looking ahead, management is forecasting revenue of $3.45 billion to $3.55 billion for FY 2026. This is broadly in line with the $3.49 billion it achieved in FY 2025. It seems that the market was expecting a stronger performance.

The post Why Coronado, G8 Education, Megaport, and Perenti shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

However, at the time of writing, there are roughly 17 companies inside the ASX 200 that doubled in value so far in 2025. 

Many of these have enjoyed tailwinds from global commodity prices. 

This goes to show that even large-cap companies can deliver significant upside.

While there is still a couple of weeks left in 2025, here are two that are on track to double this calendar year. 

Perenti Global (ASX: PRN)

Perenti Global is a mining services company offering surface and underground mining solutions. It provides exploration drilling, production drilling, blasting, and geotechnical services.

In January of this year its shares were trading at $1.44 each. 

Last week, this ASX 200 stock closed at $2.94. 

That represents a rise of more than 104%. 

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials (ASX: XMJ) is up roughly 27% in the same period. 

Key wins this year included a $300M Dalgaranga contract with Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX:RMS) in September. 

The contract awarded Parenti Limited's underground mining business, Barminco, a four-year contract for underground mining services at the Dalgaranga Gold Project. 

Financially, the company posted solid growth, which included for FY25: 

• Revenue of $3.5 billion jumped by 4% from previous year, with operating earnings (EBITDA) of $668 million rising by the same amount.
• Its EBIT margin strengthened to 9.6% (up from 9.4% in FY24).
• Underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $178.4 million also grew by 8%.
• Final dividend of 4.25c/share declared, taking total FY25 dividends to 7.25c/share (up from 6c/share in FY24). 

Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND)

Monadelphous Group is an engineering company that provides construction, maintenance, and industrial services to the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors. 

At the start of 2025, shares were trading for approximately $14. 

Last week, shares closed at $26.40, which represents a rise of almost 90%. 

This ASX 200 stock is up approximately 97% in the last 12 months, so while it hasn't quite doubled this year, it could pass this benchmark by new years. 

At last month's AGM, management attributed this year's success to multiple factors, including the record $2.3 billion of secured new work, with $570 million secured post year end major wins in energy, iron ore and renewables. 

Do these soaring ASX 200 stocks still have upside?

After almost doubling in such a short span, investors may be interested if there is further upside for these stocks. 

In a recent note out of Morgans, the broker placed a $29.00 price target on Monadelphous Group shares. 

This indicates a further upside of 9.85%. 

For Perenti Global, it appears it is trading close to fair value. 

TradingView has an analyst price target of $2.93, while an older report from Bell Potter had a 12 month price target of $2.80. 

The post Investors likely doubled their returns with these ASX 200 stocks in 2025 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

Mount Gibson Iron Ltd (ASX: MGX)

The Mount Gibson Iron share price is down almost 27% to 34.5 cents. This morning, this iron ore miner announced that following a significant rockfall it would be ending production at its Koolan Island operations. The company's CEO, Peter Kerr, said: "It is extremely disappointing for the Company and its people that we must prematurely ramp down operations at Koolan Island, however the physical safety of our personnel is our prime consideration. We will now be working closely with our site team, the Dambimangari Traditional Owners and other relevant stakeholders to responsibly manage the transition and preserve a strong legacy in the region."

Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM)

The Newmont Corporation share price is down over 3% to $128.81. This follows the release of the gold miner's quarterly update this morning. Newmont reported a 15.5% year on year decline in production to 1.42M ounces for the three months. But with its average realised gold price lifting 69.3% from a year ago to US$3,539 per ounce and its costs per ounce reducing, its adjusted EBITDA almost doubled to US$3.3 billion. Newmont CEO, Tom Palmer, said: "Newmont delivered a robust third quarter performance, producing approximately 1.4 million attributable gold ounces and generating a third-quarter record of $1.6 billion in free cash flow, marking the fourth consecutive quarter with over $1 billion in free cash flow."

Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN)

The Perenti share price is down 2% to $2.71. This morning, this mining services company announced the refinancing of its existing syndicated debt facility. Perenti is taking on more debt, replacing its previous $445 million facility with a new $650 million facility on improved pricing and terms. Management advised that this "ensures appropriate liquidity and funding headroom to support operational requirements and growth initiatives."

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

The Whitehaven Coal share price is down 2% to $6.88. This has been driven by the release of the coal miner's quarterly update. The company reported managed run-of-mine (ROM) coal production of 9 million tonnes, which is down 15% quarter-on-quarter. Whitehaven's CEO, Paul Flynn, said: "Whitehaven delivered a solid first quarter result. New South Wales ROM production totalled 4.4Mt for the quarter, after being modestly affected in the quarter by flooding at the open cut mines, but partially offset by improved output from Narrabri following the long wall move in the previous quarter."

The post Why Mount Gibson, Newmont, Perenti, and Whitehaven Coal shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Following earnings season in August, scores of ASX companies are paying out millions in dividends to shareholders.

Those participating in dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs) are receiving their new shares, typically on the same day that cash dividends are paid out.

If you'd like to receive any of the dividend payments below, you need to buy these ASX shares before their ex-dividend dates.

Each time a company announces its next dividend, investors have a typically short time period to invest anew or top up their holdings to maximise their dividend income.

Here at The Fool, we do not recommend buying shares in a company you have not researched just to get the next dividend payment.

Our stock analysts say the decision to invest should be much more considered and strategic than that, and based on fundamentals.

Many investors employ a dollar-cost averaging strategy on ex-dividend dates to reduce the average cost of their holdings over time.

These investors already own stock in the company.

They target the ex-dividend date for further purchasing because the share price tends to fall on the ex-dividend day, potentially providing an attractive buy-the-dip opportunity.

Here are 16 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week.

16 ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week

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

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

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today 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:

Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW)

The Downer EDI share price is up 2.5% to $7.09. This follows news that it has been awarded a new contract to deliver base and estate services to the Australian Department of Defence valued at approximately $3.05 billion over an initial term of six years. It notes that the Property and Asset Services (PAS) contract, part of Defence's Base Services Transformation program, commences in February 2026 and runs until 2032. However, there are two extension options of between one to three years each. A maximum term contract could see Downer delivering PAS for a total of 10 years. CEO of Downer, Peter Tompkins, said: "Downer is a long-standing Defence partner, and has been providing sustainment, infrastructure, and estate services for more than 80 years. We are proud of the role we play as the custodian of Defence estates, supporting the working environments that enable an agile and capable Defence force."

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

The Evolution Mining share price is up 5% to $9.62. It is one of a number of ASX gold stocks charging higher on Thursday. So much so, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is up over 3% at the time of writing. In addition, it is worth noting that Bell Potter upgraded Evolution's shares to a buy rating with an improved price target of $10.55 on Wednesday.

Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN)

The Perenti share price is up 5% to $2.52. This morning, this underground mining services company announced a new contract win. It has been awarded a four-year contract for underground mining services at the Dalgaranga Gold Project, which is now owned by Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX: RMS) following completion of its acquisition of Spartan Resources. The contract is estimated to be worth $300 million over the four years. Perenti's CEO, Mark Norwell, said, "Securing a four-year contract for underground mining at the Dalgaranga Gold Project is another strong result for Barminco. Several recent regional contract wins have built additional scale for the Barminco Australia business, which ultimately delivers benefits for both our clients and shareholders."

Service Stream Ltd (ASX: SSM)

The Service Stream share price is up 16% to $2.32. This follows the announcement of a $1.6 billion Base Services Contract from the Department of Defence. Managing director, Leigh Mackender, said: "Service Stream is extremely proud to be awarded this significant agreement with the Australian Department of Defence. As an Australian owned and operated company, we are honoured to earn the trust of Defence and believe this is an ideal strategic fit for Service Stream and its ongoing support of critical essential infrastructure throughout Australia."

The post Why Downer, Evolution Mining, Perenti, and Service Stream shares are charging higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

S&P Dow Jones Indices announced its September quarter rebalance after the market closed on Friday.

Telecommunications shares Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA) and Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC) have also secured places in the ASX 200 index.

Another business joining the ranks of Australia's top 200 listed companies is the asset manager, GQG Partners Ltd (ASX: GQG).

What is an index rebalance?

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

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

Indices are important guides for investors. They are a way to measure the market's performance and monitor its momentum over time.

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

However, other indices, like the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) and S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO), are also very important.

What's the significance of getting into the ASX 200?

Gaining entry into the ASX 200 gives a company a bit of extra prestige.

It's a clear signal to the market that the company is growing, and this new ASX 200 share is one to watch.

A stock has to meet market capitalisation and liquidity requirements to enter the ASX 200.

A share's inclusion in the ASX 200 can sometimes have tangible effects on its price.

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

Therefore, fund managers must adjust their holdings at each rebalance, buying ASX shares added and selling those removed.

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

Rebalances matter more than ever due to the growing number of Australians investing in ASX ETFs rather than picking individual shares.

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

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

ETFs are a form of passive, diversified investment that many investors perceive as lower risk.

They allow investors to buy a basket of shares in one trade for a single brokerage fee and low ongoing management fees.

9 ASX shares about to join the ASX 200

This next rebalance will become effective on 22 September.

Here are the new entrants into the ASX 200.

The post 9 ASX shares including Droneshield, GQG, and Tuas about to enter ASX 200 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Shares in this ASX All Ords stock have rocketed from $1.01 per share in early January to $2.28 apiece at the time of writing.

This marks a 123% return for shareholders in just twelve months, compared to an 11% rise in the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) during the same period.

The rally kicked into overdrive following the company's FY25 results released on Monday, which featured record revenue and profit.

And the market responded in fine style with shares in the ASX All Ords stock flying to 52-week highs during the session.

But is there any fuel left in the tank for the company's share price?

Analysts at renowned investment bank Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) seem to think so.

What happened?

Perenti delivered a strong set of numbers in FY25, headlined by a series of records.

Revenue of $3.5 billion jumped by 4% from a year ago, with operating earnings (EBITDA) of $668 million rising by the same amount.

Its EBIT margin strengthened to 9.6%, up from 9.4% in FY24.

Underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $178.4 million also grew by 8%.

Free cash flow of $286.1 million bolted by 55% to reach a new record.

And underlying earnings per share (EPS) also notched up 1% to 18.8 cents per share.

Shareholders were also rewarded with the company declaring a final dividend of 4.25 cents per share.

This took the full-year dividend for FY25 to 7.25 cents per share, up by 21% on FY24.

Beyond the dividend, the ASX All Ords stock bought $25.1 million of its own shares under the group's share buyback initiative.

Macquarie's take on Perenti

Analysts at Macquarie have crunched the numbers and revealed their views on Perenti in a research report released this week.

The broker noted that the group's FY25 results came in broadly as expected, with effective cost control and a healthier contract book helping to lift margins.

Macquarie also highlighted the balance sheet strength for the ASX All Ords stock.

It believes that Perenti's $850 million in available liquidity could support near-term organic and inorganic growth.

The broker also expects solid cash generation in FY26 to help reduce debt even further.

Finally, Macquarie sees the company's guidance for FY26 to be on the conservative side.

Here, the ASX All Ords stock is guiding for revenue to range between $3.45 billion and $3.65 billion, with free cash flow projected to surpass $160 million.

According to the broker, upside surprises on margins could provide fresh momentum for the share price.

Other potential catalysts include outperformance from the Drilling Services division and the accelerated onboarding of new contracts and expansions.

Macquarie's final word

All up, Macquarie believes this surging ASX All Ords stock could have further room to run.

The broker placed an outperform rating on Perenti shares with a 12-month target price of $2.65 per share.

This equates to 16% upside potential from $2.28 per share at the time of writing.

The post Up 123% in one year! Is this barnstorming ASX All Ords stock still a buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Broker Macquarie has identified several stock tips, as well as key themes and takeaways from broader earnings seasons results so far. 

Positive earnings momentum – especially for growth stocks

Macquarie said one key takeaway from results has been that high price to earnings ratios are not necessarily a red flag. 

Investors should not shy away from high-PE names if they are delivering growth and margin upside – the market still rewards them

In fact, despite high valuations (PEs >80), some growth stocks are among the best performers – the market is rewarding earnings and growth even at elevated multiples.

The broker said Week 2 delivered +12% net EPS beats, slightly below Week 1 (+33%), but season-to-date at +15%, indicating continued strength in earnings.

Guidance soft – but mostly expected

Soft guidance may be setting the stage for positive earnings revisions later, especially if macro conditions improve.

As is typical in August, initial FY26 guidance is conservative, with more misses (5) than beats (2).

However, companies with December year-ends are faring better (3 upgrades, no downgrades).

Stage analysis 

The broker continues to see the 4 stages of momentum as a useful way to think about how to position for reporting season, and for interpreting the results.

They categorise stocks into 4 momentum "stages":

Stage 1 (Bottoming): Weak past performance, signs of recovery. Best current price returns, even with net EPS misses.

Stage 2 (Rising): Strongest EPS surprises, outperforming.

Stage 3 (Topping): High EPS beats but underperforming in returns – likely priced in.

Stage 4 (Decline): Weakest EPS and guidance – still outperforming, but with caveats.

Stock ideas for upcoming results

The broker also listed key stock tips. 

Just as selling CBA was a widowmaker, but the time to try was in Week 2, the reverse is true for CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) in Week 3. CSL's momentum is in Stage 1, and recent FY26 revisions are Neutral. For domestic investors looking to rotate from CBA and don't want Resources, CSL is a logical choice.

Other Stage 1 stocks with upgrades are Reliance Worldwide Corp Ltd (ASX: RWC) in Week 3, then Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN) on Monday of Week 4. 

Stage 2 stocks with upgrades include: 

• Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF)
• Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK)
• Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND)
• Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC)
• Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA)
  
  

Additionally Regis Healthcare Ltd (ASX: REG) and Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN) on Monday of Week 4.

The post Earnings season: Macquarie's top ASX picks for upcoming results 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:

Block Inc (ASX: XYZ)

The Block share price is down 5% to $81.86. This follows a similar decline from the payments giant's NYSE listed shares overnight. This latest decline means that the Cash App and Afterpay owner's shares have now lost 45% of their value since the end of January.

Deep Yellow Ltd (ASX: DYL)

The Deep Yellow share price is down almost 7% to 85 cents. This follows broad weakness in the uranium industry and the release of a quarterly update from the uranium developer this morning. Deep Yellow revealed a net operating cash outflow of $9.2 million for the three months. Commenting on the quarter, Deep Yellow's CEO, John Borshoff, said: "We are at an extraordinary stage in the uranium supply sector. We have a situation where the long-term uranium market is essentially broken. This is due to more than a decade of sector inactivity, persistently depressed uranium prices, and utility offtake contracting practices which are yet to support the development of greenfields uranium production."

Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN)

The Perenti share price is down 1.5% to $1.31. Investors have been selling the engineering company's shares following the release of an update on the Khoemacau Copper Mine in Botswana. Management advised that its underground mining business, Barminco, will finalise operations at the Khoemacau Copper Mine at the end of the current contract on 30 June 2025. Perenti's CEO, Mark Norwell, said: "The financial performance at Khoemacau has not met our internal performance hurdles and we must maintain our commercial discipline to enable consistent returns through economic cycles."

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip Co share price is down 7.5% to $1.53. This appears to have been driven by weakness in the tech sector following a poor night on the Nasdaq index on Monday. In addition, there could be some profit taking going on today after investors bid the buy now pay later provider's shares higher following the release of its third quarter update last week. For example, its shares remain up 5% since this time last week despite today's decline.

The post Why Block, Deep Yellow, Perenti, and Zip shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The definition of a market correction is a major index falling 10% from the most recent peak.

The ASX All Ords' most recent closing high was 8,825.1 points on 14 February.

Today, the All Ords is at 8,005.4 points, up 0.49% for the day and down 9.31% since the peak just one month ago.

The fall can be largely attributed to market uncertainty over how the US tariffs will impact global trade, economic growth, and inflation.

So, with capital growth prospects looking pretty grim right now, dividends may be at the forefront of investors' minds.

Following last month's earning season, a bunch of ASX shares will begin trading ex-dividend next week.

If you want to catch any of these dividend payments, you have to buy the relevant stock before it goes ex-dividend.

The Fool does not advocate buying ASX shares purely for their next dividend.

But if you've been watching any of these stocks for a while, and they pass your fundamental analysis test, then perhaps you might like to take advantage of market weakness and pick them up for a bit less while also qualifying for the next dividend payment.

So, here is a sample of ASX shares going ex-dividend next week.

21 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week

The post 21 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Two ASX 300 shares with $1.3 billion+ market capitalisations that have crashed deep into the red following the release of their results are listed below. Here's what they reported:

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

The Iress share price is down 18% to $7.36. Investors have been selling the financial technology company's shares today after it released its full year results.

Iress reported a 3.4% decline in revenue to $604.6 million and a net profit after tax before amortisation (NPATA) of $30.1 million. While the latter is up 192% on the prior corresponding period, the market appears to have been expecting even stronger growth.

Not even its FY 2025 guidance has been able to keep this ASX 300 share from sinking today. Management is guiding to NPATA growth of 80% to 106% for the year ahead. Though, adjusted EBITDA is only expected to lift 6% to 12%.

Commenting on its outlook, the company said:

In 2025, Iress will continue to invest for growth through focused programs of product innovation in its core businesses as well as accelerating initiatives to capture new revenue streams in data & AI products through expanded partnerships, underpinned by a strong focus on customer experience.

Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN)

The Perenti share price is down 18% to $1.12. This follows the release of the diversified mining services company's half year results.

The ASX 300 share reported a 6% increase in revenue to a record of $1,730 million and a 3% lift in EBIT(A) to $155 million. Things weren't quite as positive for its earnings on a statutory basis, with net profit falling to $64 million.

Also potentially catching the eye of investors was its free cash flow generation. Perenti recorded negative free cash flow of $11 million for the half due to late debtors.

Looking ahead, management has reaffirmed its guidance for FY 2025. It continues to expect revenue in the range of $3.4 billion to $3.6 billion and EBIT(A) of $325 million to $345 million. Investors may believe that the bottom end of this guidance range is the best the ASX 300 share will be able to achieve now.

CEO Mark Norwell said:

Perenti will continue to focus on delivery of value and certainty for all stakeholders. To clearly demonstrate this commitment, we reaffirm our guidance for FY25. We expect to deliver revenue of between $3.4 billion and $3.6 billion; EBIT(A) of $325 million to $345 million; leverage of between 0.6x to 0.7x; net capital expenditure of ~$330 million; and free cash flow greater than $150 million."

The post Why these $1.3 billion+ ASX 300 shares just crashed 18% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The ASX All Ords finished 0.53% higher at 8,465 points on Thursday.

Here are five ASX All Ords shares that started the new year on a positive note with 52-week high prices.

5 ASX All Ords shares that hit 52-week highs on Thursday

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

It's rather fitting that the No. 1 stock among the 5 best-performing ASX All Ords stocks of 2024 started the new year at a four-year high.

The Mesoblast share price reached $3.37 in intraday trading on Thursday.

The ASX biotech closed at $3.35, up 8.06%.

Mesoblast develops drugs for complex diseases. The company did not release any news yesterday.

However, the ASX All Ords stock has been on an upward trajectory since the biotech gained approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration for its lead drug, remestemcel-L, last month.

Branded Ryoncil, the drug is the first approved treatment for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGvHD) in children and the first mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy approved in the US.

Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS)

Another ASX All Ords tech share, Bravura Solutions, also clocked a 52-week high yesterday.

On Thursday, the Bravura share price ascended to a three-year high of $2.31. It closed steady at $2.25.

Last month the wealth management software provider upgraded its FY25 guidance. It now expects cash EBITDA of between $33 million and $36 million, which is well up on its previous guidance of $28 million to $32 million. Investors were also pleased to learn that Bravura plans to resume paying dividends this year.

Botanix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: BOT) 

The Botanix Pharmaceuticals share price lifted to a 12-year high of 45.5 cents per share on Thursday.

The ASX All Ords cannabis share closed at 45 cents, up 3.45%.

Botanix is a clinical-stage dermatology company that produces synthetic cannabinoid pharmaceutical products for skin conditions. The company had no news for the market yesterday.

However, last month, Botanix Pharmaceuticals announced that the first prescriptions for its Sofdra topical gel had been shipped to patients following telemedicine diagnoses and insurance approvals.

Sofdra treats excessive underarm sweating in adults and children aged nine years and older.

Botanix will undertake a full commercial launch of Sofdra in the first quarter of this year.

Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN)

The Perenti share price hit a 52-week peak of $1.44 on Thursday despite no news from the company.

Stock in the ASX All Ords mining operations provider closed at $1.435 per share, up 2.87%.

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

ASX All Ords tech share Appen hit a 52-week high of $2.91 in intraday trading on Thursday.

The data sourcing and annotation provider stock finished the day at $2.82 per share, up 6.82%.

The post 5 ASX All Ords shares starting the new year at 52-week highs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In fact, we've seen a few ASX 300 shares even mint fresh new highs this session. Let's check out these lucky exceptions to today's savage market.

Three ASX 300 stocks hitting new highs this Thursday

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

First up, we have ASX 300 biotech share Mesoblast. Get ready for this one. Mesoblast shares closed at $1.98 each yesterday afternoon. But today, those shares have exploded a whopping 48.5% higher and are currently going for $2.95. That's after Mesoblast hit a new 52-week high of $3.01 earlier this session.

As we covered this morning, this extraordinary gain comes after the company revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its remestemcel-L produce, known as Ryoncil, for the treatment of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy in the United States market. Mesoblast is now in an enviable position as being the only approved treatment provider for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGvHD) in the United States.

Investors have evidently reacted accordingly, lighting a match under this company's share price.

Perenti Ltd (ASX: PRN)

Next up, and far less dramatic, we have ASX 300 mining services share Perenti. This stock closed at $1.36 a share yesterday afternoon and opened at $1.34 this morning before climbing up to a high of $1.39 this afternoon. That's also a new 52-week high for this company.

Unlike Mesoblast, there is no big news item we can point to today that might easily explain this rise. There's been no share price-sensitive news out of Perenti for a while now. Saying that, this ASX 300 share is up a huge 14.6% or so over just the past month. As such, it seems that investors aren't ready to quell this momentum today despite the falls of the broader market.

MyState Ltd (ASX: MYS)

Last, and least (in terms of gains that is), we have ASX 300 banking and finance share MyState.

The MyState share price closed at $4.17 yesterday, opened at $4.18 this morning, and pushed up to a high of $4.26. Again, that's also a new 52-week high for this ASX 300 share.

As is the case with Perenti, there isn't any big news out of MyState today that we can point to as an obvious catalyst for this fresh 52-week high this session.

However, as we covered earlier this week, MyState has recently received some love from an ASX broker. We looked at Ord Minnett's views, which argue that MyState is a compelling investment thanks to its strong earnings growth potential and massive dividend yield.

It's possible that investors have taken note of this optimism and are bidding this ASX 300 share higher as a result.

The post 3 ASX 300 shares smashing new highs while the market dives appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.