Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) remains the undisputed heavyweight of the Australian financial system, dominant in retail banking, advantaged by scale, and well-positioned to monetise the next phase of household re-leveraging as rates peak and credit growth stabilises. Our view is simple: CBA’s franchise resilience is undervalued. While the macro backdrop remains mixed and competition in mortgages remains intense, the bank continues to deliver sector-leading returns, defend margin leadership, and maintain one of the strongest balance sheets globally.
LaserBond (ASX: LBL) has entered a structurally stronger period after FY25 delivered clear evidence of operating leverage, improved manufacturing efficiencies, and accelerating adoption of its surface-engineered technologies across mining, energy, defence, and agricultural markets. With its patented LaserBond® cladding and composite coating systems now demonstrating superior lifecycle economics versus traditional wear-resistance methods, the company is positioned as a high-margin engineering solutions provider rather than a cyclical industrial.
Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX: SRL) is advancing one of the Western world’s most strategically significant battery-materials developments: the Sunrise Nickel-Cobalt-Scandium Project in NSW, a globally large, long-life, ESG-aligned source of critical minerals essential for EVs, aerospace alloys, defence technologies and high-performance fuel cells. Backed by strong balance sheet discipline, rising government engagement, escalating Western supply-security policies, and material advancement across strategic partnerships during 2025, Sunrise enters 2026 with a profile we view as deeply undervalued relative to its strategic optionality.
Recce has recently attracted attention because it’s advancing drug candidates against serious infections, a space with significant potential if late-stage trials succeed. That kind of promise is why some market watchers see upside in RCE’s shares. On the flip side, the company remains unprofitable, with no consistent earnings or predictable cash flow, so it’s still a speculative biotech rather than a stable performer.
Cettire (ASX: CTT) share price recently had a breakout. But it is in a bit of limbo; enough promise remains that a rebound could be on the cards, but enough uncertainty that it’s far from a safe bet. On one hand, the company is forecast to post healthy earnings-per-share growth over the next few years and has a pretty low price-to-sales ratio compared with peers, suggesting some latent value. On the other hand, consensus analyst targets hover modestly, some even see a drop, and many believe any upside beyond roughly one Australian dollar a share depends on improvements that aren’t guaranteed.
Global data point to a softening but still mixed growth backdrop, with US manufacturing in mild contraction contrasted against resilient services activity. Labour indicators such as ADP employment and continuing jobless claims show cooling private hiring and more challenging re‑employment conditions, reinforcing expectations of earlier and deeper Federal Reserve rate cuts. Core US PCE inflation is running at a steady, moderate pace, allowing the Fed to stay on hold while waiting for clearer evidence that inflation is durably converging to the target.
