Here are two ASX growth shares I think tick those boxes and would consider buying today.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

Catapult Sports is a growth share I think is much more interesting than the current share price suggests.

The company provides wearable technology, video analysis, and performance software used by professional sporting teams around the world. Its technology helps coaches and performance staff understand player workload, improve training programs, analyse tactics, and make better decisions around athlete management.

What I like about Catapult is that it solves a very specific problem. Elite sports teams are constantly looking for small advantages. A better understanding of player fatigue, a more effective training session, or improved tactical analysis can influence results.

That means the technology is not just a nice addition. It can become part of how teams operate.

I also think the long-term opportunity is larger than many investors realise. Professional sport is becoming increasingly data-driven across football, rugby, basketball, American football, cricket, and many other competitions. The best teams are looking for more information, not less. This could result in growing demand for Catapult's products over the next decade.

The shares are down around 55% from their highs, which has clearly damaged investor confidence. But I think that creates an opportunity to look beyond the short-term sentiment and focus on the underlying business.

SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

SiteMinder is another ASX growth share I think has an interesting long-term story.

The company provides technology that helps hotels manage their online presence, connect with booking channels, improve direct bookings, and manage their rooms more effectively.

I think this is a fascinating part of the travel industry because it focuses on the behind-the-scenes technology that makes bookings possible.

Hotels compete for customers every day. They need to manage pricing, availability, online channels, and customer relationships across an increasingly digital environment. SiteMinder helps simplify that process.

What I like about the company is that it sits in the middle of a major industry shift. Travel has become more technology-driven, and accommodation providers need better tools to compete.

The artificial intelligence opportunity is also interesting. As hotels look for more automation and smarter ways to manage demand, software platforms that can provide better insights and efficiency could become increasingly valuable.

The shares are down around 50% from their 52-week high, and the business still needs to prove it can deliver sustainable profitable growth. But I think the long-term opportunity remains attractive. The hotel industry is huge, and the technology behind every booking is becoming more important.

Foolish takeaway

I think Catapult and SiteMinder are two examples of growth companies where the market may be focused more on the present than the future.

Both businesses are still building their stories, and execution will remain important.

But I like companies that solve real problems in growing industries. Catapult is helping professional teams make better decisions, while SiteMinder is helping accommodation providers compete in a more digital world.

Those are the types of growth opportunities I would be happy to own for the long term.

The post 2 ASX growth shares down 50%+ that I'd buy with $2,000 in July appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The attractiveness of some investments may have changed in the last few months following the Federal budget. Property investors who buy an established residential property can no longer benefit from negative gearing (the losses are carried forward until the property makes a profit), though buyers of new builds can still make use of negative gearing.

The outlook for sizeable capital gains for residential property looks challenging in the short to medium term.

In my view, there are three areas that still make a lot of sense for investors.

Commercial property

Residential properties may have been impacted, but commercial property looks as attractive as ever to me. Commercial properties are normally positively geared, which is great for investor cash flow.

However, I'm not looking to become a property manager. Instead, I believe that high-quality real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a great option to invest my money because I can buy a stake in a portfolio of properties in a single transaction.

Names like Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP), Dexus Industria REIT (ASX: DXI), Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) and Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF) offer exposure to quality property portfolios and good distribution yields. As a bonus, they are all trading at large discounts to their last reported net tangible assets (NTA).

High-quality exchange-traded funds

Another area that I think is well worth investing in is exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and listed investment companies (LICs) because of the diversification and returns they can provide over the long-term.

I'd rather invest in international shares than local shares because I'm not sure that ASX blue-chip shares are going to grow earnings materially in the near-term. Major ASX bank shares face headwinds from the property taxation changes, as well as a challenge from Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), while African iron ore from new projects could be a headwind for earnings from BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG).

In my view, something like the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) makes a lot of sense because it provides exposure to well over 1,000 shares from the global share market.

But, given the uncertainty of how various intriguing investment trends will play out – AI, data centres, private credit, the lack of fuel and other resources flowing out of the Middle East, and inflation – I think high-quality businesses are best-suited to these conditions.

Over the long-term, I believe ideas such as VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL) and Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY) can outperform the wider global share market, so that could be a great place to invest my money.

ASX shares that can grow earnings

The final place that could be a good area to invest is good ASX shares with solid earnings growth potential.

There are plenty of businesses that could deliver pleasing returns over the long-term as they grow their earnings. The ASX is more than just the largest businesses.

I'm thinking of names like Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW), Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG), Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG), TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE), Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR), L1 Group Ltd (ASX: L1G), Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL).

These aren't the only names I'd buy to invest my money for my portfolio, there are plenty of exciting options!

The post How should I invest my money in FY27? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It was a happy hump day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Wednesday, as investors continue to bask in worldwide market optimism.

After yesterday's close call and slight rise, investors were more decisive today, sending the ASX 200 up a confident 0.54%. That leaves the index at 8,966.3 points, its highest level in two months.

This optimistic midweek session for Australian shares follows a mixed night on the American boards.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was on fire, gaining 0.64% after hitting a new record high.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't so lucky, though, and fell 1.15%.

But let's return to the local markets now and examine what was going on amongst the various ASX sectors today.

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

When we let a great company carry out its plans, we give it the best chance of delivering great profit growth. Compounding is a powerful force, as long as we let it run its course without prematurely interrupting.

I'm going to highlight two ASX shares that could significantly outperform the market over the next decade (or longer). Let's get into it.

Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

Siteminder is a leading ASX tech share that provides software for hotels to manage operations and maximise revenue.

The business is winning thousands of new hotels as subscribers each year, and recently it's targeting larger hotels, which can generate more revenue for Siteminder.

It aims to increase its annual recurring revenue (ARR) by 30% per year, an incredible rate of growth. I don't know whether it'll be able to continue growing at that pace for the entire next decade, but I think it's being dramatically underrated by the market.

The company is rolling out its smart platform, helping subscribers connect with distribution platforms, analyse their performance and room demand, and even manage room prices. This helps unlock more revenue per subscriber when they sign up for those modules.

Siteminder's growing scale is improving its operating leverage, boosting profit margins and strengthening its bottom line.

I believe the ASX share will significantly outperform the ASX share market in the coming years, making the current value look very attractive.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

This is a leading exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the NASDAQ, a US stock exchange.

It's rare to find a portfolio of this high-quality and deliver such strong returns.

I think it's great for Australians to have exposure to incredible businesses like Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Micron Technology, Amazon.com and Advanced Micro Devices. Many of the businesses involved are driving change in how we live.

These companies (and the rest of the ETF's 100 holdings) are among the best in the world at what they do, with market-leading products and services, enabling them to win an enormous customer base, achieve strong profit margins, maintain a strong balance sheet, and still have plenty of growth prospects.

The NDQ ETF portfolio holdings are leaders in areas such as AI, smartphones, computer software, online shopping, online video, cloud computing, driverless vehicles, and much more.

I don't know what the future returns of this fund will be, but the ASX ETF has performed extremely strongly for Aussies. It delivered an average annual return of 21% over the last decade. It's definitely one to look at during market volatility.

These aren't the only two ASX shares I'd be excited to own for the next decade, though.

The post 2 top ASX shares to buy and hold for the next decade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Index changes loom

That's because S&P Dow Jones has just issued its quarterly rebalancing of the various indices, and Pro Medicus is set to be dropped from the S&P/ASX 50 Index (ASX: XFL), with minerals analysis company ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ) to join.

The removal of Pro Medicus comes despite the company recently announcing several contract wins, including a five-year, $28 million contract renewal with Allegheny Health Network in the US.

Removal from an index can trigger the selling of a stock, as funds that track indices sell out of dropped stocks and buy into added ones.

With regard to the S&P/ASX 100 Index (ASX: XTO), uranium company Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) will join the index, while grocery company Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS) will be dropped.

Paladin shares are currently up 43.9% over a 12-month period, with Macquarie recently issuing a price target of $13.25 for Paladin shares compared to $9.52 currently.

Macquarie said Paladin had successfully ramped up production at its Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia and was also making "real progress" on its Patterson Lake South approvals in Canada.

Paladin recently reported that for the March quarter it had produced 1.29 million pounds of uranium at Langer Heinrich, up 5% from the previous quarter, "driven by strong processing plant performance".

The Patterson Lake South Project had also had its environmental impact statement approved.

In the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), there will be nine changes in all, with Elevra Lithium Ltd (ASX: ELV), Electro Optic Systems Ltd (ASX: EOS), Firefly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM), and Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN) being added.

The companies being removed are Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6), Guzman Y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG), IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL), SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR), Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW), and Web Travel Group Ltd (ASX: WEB).

Elevra shares are up an impressive 310.4% over the past year; however, the stock has come off a bit recently.

The company raised $275 million in an institutional placement in mid-May at $12.20 per share; however, the shares are now changing hands for $10.46.

Another large capital raise

Electro Optic Systems, meanwhile, is in the midst of a capital raise, having raised $150 million at $8 a share.

Shareholders in the company were also able to subscribe for up to $30,000 worth of shares at the same price, with that process ongoing this week.

EOS shares are currently changing hands for $9.98, meaning the raise is well in the money at the moment. Shareholders will find out on Friday how many shares they have been allocated.

The index rebalances will take effect from 22 June.

The post Why might Pro Medicus shares soon be under pressure? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

These changes will be effective prior to the open of trading on 22 June.

Unfortunately for a number of ASX 200 shares, they have been kicked out of the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

This could put downward pressure on their shares, as index funds will be forced to sell them to mirror the changes. In addition, some fund managers have strict investment mandates. This could include only being able to buy shares in the ASX 200 index.

Which ASX 200 shares have been kicked out of the index? S&P Dow Jones Indices has named five shares that will exit later this month. They are as follows:

Guzman Y Gomez Ltd (ASX: GYG)

This Mexican-focused quick service restaurant operator's shares are leaving the index in June. Over the past 12 months, Guzman Y Gomez's shares have lost 35% of their value. This is despite a recent rebound amid news that the company is closing its loss-making US operations.

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

After losing more than 90% of their value over the past five years, this struggling language testing and student placement company's shares are leaving the ASX 200 index. IDP Education has been battling unfavourable student visa changes and general industry weakness.

Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

The Siteminder share price is down 37% since the start of the year, dragging its market capitalisation down to $1.1 billion. Concerns over the threat of AI disruption has weighed heavily on the hotel technology platform provider's shares.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Another ASX 200 share heading out of the index later this month is online furniture retailer Temple & Webster. Its shares are down 80% since this time last year amid concerns over consumer spending, housing market weakness, and the potential for AI disruption.

Web Travel Group Ltd (ASX: WEB)

Finally, Web Travel shares have halved in value over the past 12 months. The Web Beds owner's performance has been relatively positive, but concerns over the Middle East conflict and its impact on travel markets has weighed on investor sentiment.

The post These shares are being dumped from the ASX 200 index appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) slipped 1.22% to close at 8,625.1 points on Friday.

ASX 200 tech shares are continuing to recover from a 48% sector meltdown between 29 August 2025 and 30 March 2026.

Fears over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) drove the decline, but ASX investors appear to be over it.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) is now up 26% since 31 March vs. a 1.9% lift for the rest of the market.

Six of the 11 market sectors finished in the green last week.

Let's review.

ASX 200 tech shares outperform by a long shot

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

The market's largest tech company by market cap, Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO), rose 5.45% to $79.27 per share.

The WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price zoomed 10.55% to close at $39.81 on Friday.

Investors in Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) shares had an exciting week that ended with a 19.07% share price rise to $18.48.

On Friday, Megaport shares were the best performers of the ASX 200, reaching a new 52-week high of $21.16.

This followed news of four new AI infrastructure contracts worth $458.9 million and a fully underwritten $827.3 million entitlement offer.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares rose 8.34% to $32.33 apiece, while Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT) lifted 4.07% to $15.86.

The Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) share price soared 13.81% to $22.

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) shares rose 2.46% to finish at $43.70 apiece on Friday.

The Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) share price lifted 10% to $3.85.

Objective Corporation Ltd (ASX: OCL) shares ascended 8.12% to $11.32.

The Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) share price rose 8.31% to $3.65.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) shares lifted 7.72% to $11.16 apiece.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

The post ASX 200 tech stocks led the market with big share price gains last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

As the above chart shows, the Siteminder share price has sunk around 50% since October 2025. But, investor fears about AI could be overblown and the company's ongoing financial success with its hotel software may help justify a resurgence.

Experts predict big returns

According to CMC Invest, the business has a 100% positive backing from analysts who have rated the business within the last three months – all six were a buy.

The average price target on the ASX growth share is $6.35. A price target tells us where analysts think the business will be trading in a year from now. Therefore, at the time of writing, those analysts suggest the Siteminder share price could rise by 63% over the next year.

The most optimistic price target is $7.32, implying a possible rise of around 90%. Even the most pessimistic price target is $5.30, suggesting a rise of 36%, which would very likely be a market-beating return if that happened.

Price targets are not guarantees, of course, but it's clear that analysts think the business is undervalued, and I believe the company is delivering what it needs to for long-term success.

Strong financial performance

Two of the most important things that an ASX growth share can do is grow its revenue and increase its profit margins. When a business does that, it can lead to a rapidly improving bottom line, which is usually what investors value a business on.

It's winning in a number of ways, including attracting new hotels, growing its average revenue per user (ARPU), offering its distribution engine to other hospitality software providers, and growing its profit margins.

In the FY26 half-year result, annualised recurring revenue (ARR) grew by 29.7% to $280.3 million thanks to the accelerating contributions from its smart platform modules, alongside its continued strength across the broader business.

It also reported in HY26 that ARPU grew 11.3% to $435 and net property additions were 2,900 (taking the total to 53,000) – its current focus is winning larger hotels.

On the margin side of things, the adjusted group gross margin improved by 98 basis points to 67.8%, while the adjusted operating profit (EBITDA) more than doubled in dollar terms to $12.3 million.

If ARR continues growing at well over 20% per year, I think the ASX growth share can deliver a wonderful performance for investors in the next three years.

According to the forecast on CMC Invest, it's projected to generate 11.7 cents of earnings per share (EPS) in FY28. That means, at the time of writing, the Siteminder share price is valued at 32x FY28's estimated earnings. I believe it's a great time to invest in this business for the long-term.

The post Why experts think this ASX growth share can rise 63% in a year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Both of the stocks I'll highlight have built an impressive market share in their sector and are still growing rapidly.

I believe they could be two of the best-performing S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares over the next three years.

Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

Siteminder says it's the world's leading hotel distribution and revenue platform with its Siteminder software. It also offers Little Hotelier, an all-in-one hotel management software offering.

The business generates 135 million reservations worth over A$85 billion in revenue for its hotel customers each year.

It's growing rapidly – in the FY26 half-year result, annualised recurring revenue (ARR) increased 29.7% to $280.3 million. It benefited from accelerating contributions from the smart platform alongside continued strength across the broader business. Not many businesses are growing that quickly at the moment.

The ASX growth share is winning new hotels and growing its revenue per hotel. HY26 net property additions were 2,900, taking total properties to 53,000 – it's putting a greater focus on winning larger hotels. HY26 average revenue per user (ARPU) rose 11.3% to $435, with growth driven by smart platform initiatives and rising product adoption.

The nature of being a software business means it has significant operating leverage, which is helping increase its gross profit margin, the operating profit (EBITDA) margin and net profit (loss) margin.

The ASX growth share has also launched 'Siteminder Powered', allowing certain hospitality technology companies to integrate Siteminder's distribution engine in their own platforms. The first partner is Mews and this will include the smart platform products of channels plus, demand plus and dynamic revenue plus.

Existing joint customers of Siteminder and Mews are expected to transition to the integrated experience.

At the time of writing, it's down more than 50% since October 2025, so it looks great value to me.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

Temple & Webster is the leading pure play online retailer of homewares and furniture in Australia, which puts it in a very pleasing to benefit from a strong tailwind.

E-commerce adoption is steadily increasing in the western world. The level of e-commerce adoption in homewares and furniture in Australia has reached around 20%, but in the UK it's around 30% and in the US it's approximately 35%. To me, that suggests Australia could climb towards 30% in the coming years.

The company sells hundreds of thousands of products, though most of them are shipped directly by suppliers – this enables the ASX growth share to be capital-light and generate lots of cash flow.

I'm expecting its profit margins to rise in the coming years as its growing scale helps with various benefits, as well as plenty of AI usage in different parts of operations.

I've also got my eye on the home improvement segment, which is small but growing at a much faster pace than the core business – in five years, I hope this division will be a material contributor to the overall company.

It has fallen more than 75% in the past year, so it's so much better value.

But, these aren't the only two opportunities out there.

The post 2 ASX growth shares to buy now while they're on sale appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

After starting the week's trading at an opening loss this morning, the ASX 200 spent most of the day bouncing around, but ended up closing down 0.026%. That leaves the index at 8,729.4 points.

This cold-shower start to the trading week for Australian investors follows a rosier finish to the American week on Friday night (our time).

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) was in decent form, rising a confident 0.72%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) wasn't quite as enthusiastic, but still managed a 0.2% gain.

But let's get back to this week and the local markets now, and check out how the various ASX sectors traversed today's tough trading conditions.

Winners and losers

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

But, I don't view volatility as a problematic risk, it's just something to watch with curiosity. We don't have to act when the market is going through extraordinary gyrations.

I think there are a few factors that investors should keep in mind with ASX shares, or any type of shares, particularly in this period of uncertainty with higher inflation, interest rate uncertainty, conflict, energy costs and so on.

Unknown events regularly happen

The Iran war took the global investment community by surprise, leading to a sizeable market drop.

The US tariffs last year were a big surprise, leading to a big drop.

Inflation in 2022 and 2023 was surprising for the market, significantly hitting share prices.

COVID-19 led to a major decline of the ASX share market, with a huge fall of valuations during 2020.

Each of those events were a one-off. But, something happens so regularly that I've just become accustomed to the volatility and I view those times as buying opportunities because of my confidence that normality will resume sooner or later.  

It's not just my positive mindset that gives me confidence to invest and hold during uncertain periods. History has shown how the world typically bounces back. Additionally, many leaders and institutions are trying to help the country navigate negative periods, as we saw during COVID-19 (and the GFC).

There are always opportunities

Sometimes the market is priced very negatively and other times very highly – occasionally hitting a new all-time high – and it can feel hard to invest at those times.

During market highs, not everything is trading at an all-time high, there are usually pleasing opportunities hidden underneath the surface, even if the blue-chips are trading attractively.

Smaller names and certain sectors can be mis-priced by the market if investors aren't taking into account where an investment could be in three years from now.

For example, right now, I think several real estate investment trusts (REITs) like Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF) and Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) are attractively priced because of fears about higher interest rates.

Also, certain ASX tech shares look significantly oversold because of AI worries, such as Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR), Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME) and TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE).

When markets fall, I get particularly excited when the market suffers a widespread sell-off because there are opportunities galore.

Long-term investing filters out the noise

One of the main reasons why I'm not at all bothered by significant volatility is because I'm investing for many years to come.

If we're investing with 2030 or 2040 in mind, does it really matter what happens in 2026 or 2027? I don't think it should.

I try to only invest in ASX shares that I'm holding for the long-term and that I'd be excited to buy more of if the share price fell. That way, market declines seem like significant opportunities rather than something to worry about.

If the market rises or falls from here, I won't let it affect my strategy – invest in good investments with compelling futures, at valuations that aren't too expensive.

The post How to invest in ASX shares during such an uncertain period appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This awful Thursday for the local markets follows a much rosier night over on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) fared decently, rising 0.36%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) was a little more tentative, inching up just 0.07%.

But let's get back to the unhappier market now and take a closer look at what was happening amongst the various ASX sectors today.

Winners and losers

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:

Galan Lithium Ltd (ASX: GLN)

The Galan Lithium share price is up 8.5% to 47.2 cents. Investors have been buying this lithium developer's shares following the release of an update on its Hombre Muerto West (HMW) project. Management advised that it has completed wet plant commissioning and produced its first processed lithium chloride brine at HMW. This processed brine has now been discharged into the final evaporation ponds. Galan's managing director, Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega, said: "The significance of the successful commissioning of the HMW plant cannot be overstated. The HMW mining operations have now been completely de-risked from start to finish and in just a few months we expect to have lithium chloride concentrate ready for sales."

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

The Life360 share price is up 1.5% to $19.21. The release of a broker note out of Bell Potter this week has given this location technology company's shares a boost. According to the note, Bell Potter has retained its buy rating on Life360's shares with an improved price target of $33.00. It said: "We expect similarly strong paying circle growth in each of Q2, Q3 and Q4 and, given this is the key driver of revenue growth, we believe market focus will shift to this positive rather than the negative of any weakness in MAU growth."

Select Harvests Ltd (ASX: SHV)

The Select Harvests share price is up 7.5% to $3.89. Investors have been buying the almond producer's shares following the release of its half-year results. Select Harvests reported an underlying net profit of $29.1 million. This was up 33% from $21.9 million during the prior corresponding period. The company's managing director, David Surveyor, said: "Underlying NPAT is up 33% in the first half. The earnings profile of the Company has changed and in the second half we will see the benefits of increased external grower volumes and value-added sales contributing to the profitability of what is expected to be a meaningfully improved FY2026 result."

SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

The SiteMinder share price is up 8% to $3.27. This morning, this hotel technology company announced the launch of SiteMinder Powered. This allows selected hospitality technology companies to integrate SiteMinder's distribution engine directly within their own platforms. SiteMinder's CEO, Sankar Narayan, commented: "SiteMinder Powered is a natural evolution of our platform, especially at this time when we are witnessing AI reshaping how hoteliers work. Over time, we expect more agentic workflows to operate seamlessly across connected hospitality platforms – and, as those workflows become more automated, the infrastructure connecting hotel systems, distribution channels and commerce capabilities becomes more valuable."

The post Why Galan Lithium, Life360, Select Harvests, and Siteminder shares are storming higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Easier integration

The hotel commerce platform provider said in a statement to the ASX that it had launched SiteMinder Powered, "enabling, for the first time, selected hospitality technology companies to integrate SiteMinder's distribution engine directly within their own platforms''.

The company added:

The capability expands how hotels can access SiteMinder's hotel commerce capabilities at an infrastructure level. While many hotels will continue to use the full SiteMinder platform directly, others will soon be able to access SiteMinder-powered capabilities through the hospitality software systems they already use every day.

SiteMinder said its inaugural partner for the new product was Mews – a hospitality operating system and a long-time partner of SiteMinder.

SiteMinder said regarding the partnership:

Under the new model, Mews will integrate SiteMinder's distribution engine natively into its platform and make it available to users as 'Mews Channel Manager – Powered by SiteMinder'. SiteMinder's Channels Plus, Demand Plus and Dynamic Revenue Plus products will also be included. For hoteliers, the integrated experience has been designed to provide a Mews-native hotel commerce workflow powered by SiteMinder's distribution engine, which facilitates the movement of rates, availability, inventory, restrictions, reservations and other content across the global hotel demand ecosystem.

SiteMinder Managing Director Sankar Naryan said the new product was a natural evolution of the company's platform.

He said further:

Over time, we expect more agentic workflows to operate seamlessly across connected hospitality platforms – and, as those workflows become more automated, the infrastructure connecting hotel systems, distribution channels and commerce capabilities becomes more valuable. SiteMinder's distribution engine has powered hotel commerce for twenty years and today moves over 300 million room nights annually through one of the world's largest hotel demand ecosystems. Through SiteMinder Powered, we are expanding how that infrastructure is delivered across the hospitality ecosystem, starting with Mews.

Shares piling on the gains

SiteMinder shares were 11.3% higher at $3.36 on the news on Thursday morning. The shares have traded in a wide range over the past 12 months – as high as $7.96 and as low as $2.60.

RBC Capital Markets said in a note to their clients that the new development was neutral for the share price outlook. The broker has a price target of $7 on SiteMinder shares.

RBC said it was positive that Mews had chosen to partner with SiteMinder, and Mews would be incentivised to upsell SiteMinder products under the arrangement.  

SiteMinder is valued at $854.9 million.

The post Why is this ASX tech company surging more than 10% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

After some morning wobbles, the ASX 200 spent most of the session in green territory, and ended up closing with a happy 0.69% rise. That leaves the index at 8,717.7 points.

This pleasant Wednesday session for Australian investors comes after a mixed return to trading for the American markets last night, following Monday's public holiday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) gave up some initial optimism to close down 0.23%.

However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared better, gaining a solid 1.19%.

But let's return to the local markets now and look a little closer at what was happening with the different ASX sectors this hump day.

Winners and losers

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

At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.21% to 8,675 points.

The move isn't huge, but it's notable given the market was under pressure earlier in the session.

The ASX 200 traded as low as 8,625.8 points before recovering after the April inflation numbers landed.

The index is still down 0.44% in 2026 and around 1.26% over the past month. Over the past year, however, it remains up about 3.19%.

Inflation gives investors a reason to buy

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said annual inflation eased to 4.2% in April, down from 4.6% in March. The fall was helped by lower automotive fuel prices, which dropped 7% over the month after the federal fuel excise cut.

That was enough to settle some nerves after a weaker start to the session.

Lower headline inflation can reduce pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to keep lifting interest rates.

It also helps explain why investors were more willing to buy stocks after the data was released.

But the report wasn't all good news.

Trimmed mean inflation, which strips out some volatile price moves, rose to 3.4% over the year. That was up from 3.3% in March and remains above the RBA's 2% to 3% target band.

Why the RBA question is not settled

Today's inflation update may reduce the chance of another rate rise in June, but it doesn't close the door on more tightening later this year.

The RBA has already lifted the cash rate 3 times this year, taking the cash rate target to 4.35%.

That is already putting pressure on households, especially mortgage holders rolling onto higher repayments.

The problem for the RBA is that the headline inflation number is only one part of the picture.

Annual inflation has eased, but the underlying measure is still moving the wrong way.

It also explains why the market reaction has been positive, but not overly excited.

Investors have enough in the numbers to justify some buying today. They do not have enough to assume the inflation fight is finished.

Banks weigh while tech helps

The recovery has not been spread evenly across the market.

The major banks are still dragging on the index, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shedding 0.60% to $163.32, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) down 1.46% to $36.08, National Australia Bank Ltd(ASX: NAB) slipping 1% to $37.23, and ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) edging 0.98% lower to $35.31.

Tech shares are doing more of the heavy lifting.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) is surging 7.86% to $9.61, Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) is climbing 7% to $14.75, and Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) is up 6.5% to $3.04.

The post ASX 200 rises as inflation surprise leaves investors with one big question appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

A company trading below $5 can still be expensive if the business is weak, the valuation is stretched, or the growth story is fading. 

But I do think this part of the market can contain some interesting opportunities.

The three ASX stocks in this article all trade below $5, which is less than the cost of a cafe latte, and I think they offer quality in different ways. 

They are not low-risk picks, but I would be happy to buy them with a long-term mindset.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The first ASX stock under $5 I would buy is Zip.

This is a very different business from the one many investors remember from the buy now, pay later (BNPL) boom. Back then, the market rewarded growth at almost any cost. That period is over.

I think today's Zip story is more interesting because it is more disciplined.

The company has narrowed its focus, improved profitability, and strengthened its position in the United States. That US business is the part of Zip I find most appealing. It gives the company exposure to a large consumer market where flexible payments can still have a meaningful place, provided credit quality is managed well.

The key attraction for me is that Zip no longer needs investors to believe in a wild, loss-making expansion story. The investment case is now more about whether the company can keep growing revenue, manage bad debts, improve margins, and prove that its model can generate sustainable profits.

That does not remove the risks. Consumer credit can deteriorate quickly if economic conditions weaken. Competition remains intense. Regulation can also affect the sector.

But with Zip trading around $2.23, I think the market may still be underestimating how much the business has changed since the BNPL mania days.

SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

Another ASX stock I like below $5 is SiteMinder. Its shares are currently trading around $2.85.

SiteMinder provides technology for hotels, helping them manage bookings, pricing, inventory, distribution channels, and revenue opportunities. That might sound niche, but I think it solves a real problem.

Hotels do not sell rooms through just one channel anymore. They need to manage online travel agents, direct bookings, wholesalers, metasearch, corporate travel, and other distribution partners. Prices can change quickly, and inventory needs to stay accurate across multiple systems.

That complexity creates a need for reliable software.

What I like about SiteMinder is that it sits inside a very practical workflow. Hotels want to fill rooms at the best possible rates while reducing admin and avoiding costly errors. A good platform can help with that every day.

I also think the travel technology opportunity still has room to grow. Many accommodation providers are still modernising their systems, and smaller hotels may need better tools as digital channels become more important.

SiteMinder is not risk-free either. It still needs to keep turning growth into stronger profits, and technology stocks can be volatile when investors become more cautious.

But I think the business has an attractive position in a large, global accommodation market.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

The third ASX stock under $5 I would buy is Catapult Sports. Its shares are currently trading around $3.45.

Catapult provides sports technology that teams use to monitor athlete performance, workload, tactics, and preparation. I like this business because its products can become part of the daily routine for professional sporting organisations.

Elite sport is no longer run on instinct alone. Coaches, analysts, medical teams, and performance staff all want better information. They want to know how hard athletes are training, how they are recovering, whether workloads are building too quickly, and how tactical decisions are playing out.

Catapult helps provide that data.

I think the opportunity is bigger than just selling devices. The more useful the platform becomes, the more it can support software revenue, video analysis, team workflows, and deeper customer relationships.

There is also a global angle. Sport is played everywhere, and professional teams are willing to invest in tools that can give them even a small edge.

The challenge is execution. Catapult needs to keep growing efficiently and showing that its technology can translate into a more profitable business over time.

But I think it has a strong niche, a global market, and a product set that can become more valuable as sports organisations become more data-driven.

Foolish Takeaway

I would not buy an ASX stock just because it trades below $5. The share price alone tells investors very little about quality, valuation, or future returns.

What interests me here is that each business has moved beyond the simplest version of its old story. These are not perfect companies, and I would expect volatility. But for patient investors willing to look outside the obvious blue chips, I think this is the kind of area where interesting long-term opportunities can still be found.

The post 3 quality ASX stocks I'd buy under $5 a share appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The two ASX 200 shares in this article are both down around 40%. That does not make them risk-free, but I think their long-term growth opportunities remain compelling.

Here's why I think they could be worth a closer look today.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

REA Group shares are down around 40% from their 52-week high.

That is a big fall for one of the highest-quality digital businesses on the ASX. But I think the underlying investment case remains attractive.

REA owns realestate.com.au, Australia's dominant property platform. Its strength comes from the network effect between buyers, renters, sellers, agents, developers, advertisers, and lenders.

Property buyers want to search where the most listings are. Agents want to advertise where the most serious buyers are. That creates a powerful loop that can be difficult for competitors to break.

You only need to look at its third-quarter results to see that the platform is still attracting huge audiences. REA reported record Australian audiences in the March quarter, with 12.9 million average monthly visitors and 150 million average monthly visits.

I like REA because it can grow in several ways over time. It can increase the value of property listings through premium products, help agents use more data and insights, deepen its mortgage and financial services opportunity, and improve the consumer experience with better digital tools.

Artificial intelligence could also help REA build better search, richer property insights, smarter agent tools, and more useful experiences for buyers and sellers.

The main risk is valuation. REA shares have rarely been cheap, and the property market can still affect listings and sentiment. But a 40% fall makes the equation more interesting for patient investors.

SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

SiteMinder shares have fallen around 40% over the past 12 months.

This is a very different business from REA, but I think the long-term idea is also attractive.

SiteMinder provides hotel commerce technology. Its platform helps hotels manage bookings, distribution channels, room rates, inventory, and revenue opportunities across a fragmented travel ecosystem.

Hotels need to sell rooms across multiple channels at the right price while avoiding mistakes such as overbooking or pricing errors. That becomes more complicated as online travel agents, direct bookings, metasearch, wholesalers, and emerging AI-driven channels all play a role.

SiteMinder sits in the middle of that complexity, and stands to benefit as more channels, more dynamic pricing, and more automation increase the need for reliable software that keeps inventory and pricing synchronised.

That does not make SiteMinder risk-free. The company still needs to keep executing on its strategy and delivering profitable growth.

But after a 40% share price fall, I think the risk-reward balance looks more attractive than it did.

Foolish Takeaway

Investing $1,000 into either of these ASX 200 shares will not suit everyone. REA and SiteMinder are growth-focused businesses, and both can remain volatile if investors become more cautious.

But I think both have strong long-term characteristics. REA has a dominant property platform with multiple ways to increase customer value, while SiteMinder is gaining a growing role in the global hotel technology stack.

A 40% fall does not guarantee a rebound, but it does create a better entry point for investors willing to look past short-term share price pain and focus on what these businesses could become over the next five to 10 years.

The post Down 40%: Investing $1,000 into these ASX 200 shares could be a smart move appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Brokers are always on the lookout for opportunities that could be substantially undervalued.

We're going to look at two businesses that could be among the most compelling ideas right now, if analysts end up being right. But, price targets are not guarantees that positive returns will become reality.

Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR)

This ASX tech share provides software to hotels to help them operate and generate revenue.

Siteminder has generated significant revenue growth in the last few years and it continues to do so. Analysts have put exciting price targets on the business, which suggest it could deliver great returns in the year ahead.

According to CMC Invest, of 11 recent analyst ratings, the average price target is $5.99, implying a possible rise of 111% from the current level, at the time of writing.

The company is rolling out its smart platform to subscribers, who may see a significant rise in revenue and efficiencies if they sign up for certain tools, while Siteminder gains significantly more revenue.

In the FY26 half-year result, Siteminder said channels plus grew to around 7,000 hotels, with ongoing progress in inventory optimisation and expanding distribution use cases. Dynamic revenue plus saw accelerating adoption, with over 20,000 rooms now under management, while the smart distribution program "broadened its impact across distribution partners".

On top of all of the above, along with its normal organic client wins, it saw annualised recurring revenue (ARR) grow 29.7% to $280.3 million.

The business is also seeing rising profit margins, which bodes very well for the future, in my view.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Another ASX share I'll highlight is Xero, an accounting software and business operations company.

It recently announced its FY26 half-year result, which included a 27% decline of net profit partly due to Melio acquisition costs.

Other metrics were positive, including 31% operating revenue growth, 37% annualised monthly recurring revenue (AMRR) growth and 24% growth of operating profit (EBITDA).

The ASX share is investing heavily in AI features for subscribers, which could be key for maintaining and winning additional customers to its subscriber base.

While it may take some time for Melio to be embedded into the business, it could be essential if Xero is to succeed in the US.

According to CMC Invest, there have been nine recent ratings on the business, with an average price target of $124.52. That implies a possible rise of around 60% within the next year, at the time of writing.

The post 2 ASX shares tipped to grow 50% or more in the next 12 months appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Technology shares can move around sharply, especially when investors are worried about valuations, interest rates, or artificial intelligence (AI). But I still think the right companies can be excellent long-term investments.

Rather than putting the full amount into one stock, I would spread it across three different ASX tech names: Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME), SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR), and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1).

Pro Medicus shares: $2,000

I would put the largest slice into Pro Medicus.

This is the quality anchor of the group, in my opinion. The company provides medical imaging software used by hospitals, radiologists, and healthcare networks. That might sound niche, but it is a critical part of modern healthcare.

What I like is how deeply embedded Pro Medicus can become once it wins a customer. Medical imaging systems need to be fast, reliable, and able to handle huge volumes of data. Hospitals cannot afford disruption in that part of the workflow.

That gives the business a strong position.

I also think Pro Medicus still has a significant runway in the US healthcare market. It has already won major customers, but the opportunity remains much larger than its current footprint.

The risk is valuation. Pro Medicus often trades on a premium PE ratio, so I would not expect it to be immune from pullbacks. But if I were investing with a 5-to-10-year mindset, I would still want exposure to this type of high-margin healthcare technology business.

SiteMinder shares: $1,500

I would then put $1,500 into SiteMinder.

This is a different kind of software story. SiteMinder helps hotels manage bookings, distribution, and revenue across multiple channels.

I think the appeal here is the size and fragmentation of the hotel industry.

Many hotels still need better digital tools to compete. They need to manage direct bookings, online travel agents, pricing, availability, and customer demand across different markets. SiteMinder sits inside that process.

What makes the business interesting to me is that it does not need to dominate one country to win. Its opportunity is global.

If SiteMinder can keep adding properties, increasing revenue per customer, and improving its platform, I think earnings could grow meaningfully over time.

It is still a developing business, so execution risk is higher than with Pro Medicus. But I like the combination of recurring revenue, global reach, and a large addressable market.

Megaport shares: $1,500

The final $1,500 would go into Megaport.

Megaport gives this mini portfolio exposure to digital infrastructure. The company provides network-as-a-service technology, allowing customers to connect quickly and flexibly to cloud providers, data centres, and other digital services.

I think this is becoming more relevant as businesses use multiple clouds, move data between environments, and build more complex digital systems.

Megaport is not simply selling connectivity. It is selling flexibility.

That could become increasingly valuable as cloud adoption, artificial intelligence workloads, and global data usage continue to expand.

The company's Latitude.sh acquisition also adds an interesting layer. It gives Megaport exposure to bare metal cloud infrastructure, which could broaden its role in helping customers manage demanding workloads.

This is the more speculative pick of the three, but I think the upside is attractive if adoption continues to build.

Foolish takeaway

If I were investing $5,000 across ASX tech stocks, I would split it between quality, global software, and digital infrastructure.

Pro Medicus would be my largest position because of its profitability and strong niche in healthcare technology. SiteMinder would give me exposure to the global hotel software market. Megaport would add a higher-upside infrastructure angle.

Together, I think they offer a useful blend of resilience and growth potential for patient investors.

The post How I'd invest $5,000 across ASX tech stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.