Fundamentally Sound

Martin Roth’s book “Top Stocks” has been published annually since 1995 (32 editions) and highlights ~100 Australian listed companies considered financially sound.

During Martin's analysis, a company’s share price is ignored. The goal is to select companies with a strong balance sheet and a focus on profitability, debt levels and dividends.

The companies mentioned in the book provide investors with a great fundamental filter over Australia's ~2,300 listed companies. The final shortlist can be used as a watchlist, or to simply uncover companies that might warrant further investigation.

The 2026 criteria for a “Top Stock”:

  • Publicly listed since 2021
  • A constituent of the All Ordinaries Index (i.e. Top 500 company by market capitalisation)
  • Return on Equity (ROE) ratio of at least 10% in the most recent financial year
  • Debt-to-Equity (D/E) ratio less than 70%
  • Foreign registered stocks and listed managed investments are excluded

The list below includes all companies mentioned in the 2026 book plus those currently meeting the criteria.

Interesting fact...
In the 32 editions of Top Stocks, only Commonwealth Bank has appeared every single year.

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List of Companies

Code Company Price 1 Day 1 Month 1 Year Sector Mkt Cap
AX1 Accent Group Ltd $0.725 -3.33% -2.03% -51.83% Consumer Cyclical $435.86M
ADH Adairs Ltd $1.46 -1.02% +3.19% -30.05% Consumer Cyclical $259.88M
AGL AGL Energy Ltd $8.28 +0.61% -3.50% -16.28% Utilities $5.57B
AOV Amotiv Ltd $6.66 +3.58% +2.30% -23.36% Consumer Cyclical $891.44M
ARB ARB Corporation Ltd $17.76 +0.94% -9.46% -47.33% Consumer Cyclical $1.49B
ALL Aristocrat Leisure Ltd $62.21 -0.54% +13.21% -7.70% Consumer Cyclical $37.29B
ASX ASX Ltd $56.16 -1.51% +7.98% -20.16% Financial Services $10.97B
AUB AUB Group Ltd $28.61 -0.66% +0.49% -14.88% Financial Services $3.74B
AEF Australian Ethical Investment Ltd $4.49 -1.54% +2.51% -37.29% Financial Services $511.1M
BPT Beach Energy Ltd $0.878 +0.86% -9.07% -35.95% Energy $2B
BLX Beacon Lighting Group Ltd $1.62 -2.12% -6.11% -53.99% Consumer Cyclical $370.39M
BHP BHP Group Ltd $59.60 +2.25% -2.93% +43.58% Basic Materials $302.85B
BIS Bisalloy Steel Group Ltd $4.32 +1.17% -4.00% +6.67% Basic Materials $207.54M
BXB Brambles Ltd $19.03 -1.55% -0.89% -18.85% Industrials $25.42B
BRG Breville Group Ltd $30.85 -0.52% -1.47% +1.65% Consumer Cyclical $4.47B
CAA Capral Ltd $10.68 +1.91% -4.04% -5.49% Basic Materials $169.2M
CAR CAR Group Ltd $25.44 -2.60% -8.26% -30.93% Communication Services $9.64B
CWP Cedar Woods Properties Ltd $6.91 -1.64% +1.84% -8.54% Real Estate $587.45M
CUV Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd $9.81 -2.39% -4.76% -19.92% Healthcare $494.7M
COH Cochlear Ltd $112.55 -4.62% -4.73% -63.72% Healthcare $7.36B
CDA Codan Ltd $42.12 +0.62% -2.36% +106.37% Technology $7.66B
COL Coles Group Ltd $23.32 +0.09% -1.44% +14.15% Consumer Defensive $31.32B
CKF Collins Foods Ltd $7.80 -0.76% -8.67% -12.95% Consumer Cyclical $921.94M
CBA Commonwealth Bank of Australia $170.79 +0.18% +5.17% -0.95% Financial Services $285.81B
CPU Computershare Ltd $39.85 +0.33% +8.55% -3.23% Industrials $23.05B
COS Cosol Ltd $0.20 0.00% -2.44% -65.96% Technology $36.4M
CCP Credit Corp Group Ltd $13.31 +1.37% +1.84% -13.52% Financial Services $905.97M
CSL CSL Ltd $118.30 -2.54% +1.70% -55.18% Healthcare $56.65B
DTL Data#3 Ltd $9.97 +1.94% +3.32% +29.65% Technology $1.55B
DOW Downer Edi Ltd $7.98 +1.01% -1.60% +15.82% Industrials $5.26B
DUR Duratec Ltd $2.27 -1.30% -20.35% +46.93% Industrials $586.02M
EVN Evolution Mining Ltd $11.42 +4.82% -8.97% +48.63% Basic Materials $23.18B
FID Fiducian Group Ltd $8.32 -0.95% -0.48% -24.36% Financial Services $262.64M
FMG Fortescue Ltd $18.68 +0.86% -5.42% +4.89% Basic Materials $57.52B
GNP Genusplus Group Ltd $9.12 -0.44% -8.80% +110.62% Industrials $1.85B
GNG GR Engineering Services Ltd $5.26 +0.67% -6.33% +44.37% Basic Materials $894.87M
GWA GWA Group Ltd $2.33 -1.27% 0.00% -2.10% Industrials $617.93M
HSN Hansen Technologies Ltd $4.27 +1.91% -2.96% -26.63% Technology $873.33M
HVN Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd $4.72 -1.98% -2.38% -16.55% Consumer Cyclical $5.87B
HLI Helia Group Ltd $5.01 -1.28% -5.39% -2.63% Financial Services $1.37B
HZN Horizon Oil Ltd $0.218 -1.14% +3.57% +8.75% Energy $385.95M
HUB HUB24 Ltd $85.79 +5.46% +16.64% -18.28% Financial Services $7.02B
IEL Idp Education Ltd $2.16 -0.23% -15.82% -40.96% Consumer Cyclical $599.81M
ILU Iluka Resources Ltd $6.13 +1.32% -21.61% +18.34% Basic Materials $2.64B
IAG Insurance Australia Group Ltd $8.42 -0.30% +5.45% +2.00% Financial Services $19.67B
IPH IPH Ltd $4.03 -1.47% -3.82% -22.20% Industrials $1.03B
IGL Ive Group Ltd $2.79 +0.18% +5.09% -8.09% Communication Services $424.53M
JBH JB Hi-Fi Ltd $78.20 -1.38% +0.31% -25.72% Consumer Cyclical $8.55B
JIN Jumbo Interactive Ltd $6.93 -1.14% -7.85% -31.45% Consumer Cyclical $439.03M
LAU Lindsay Australia Ltd $0.665 -2.21% +12.71% -9.52% Industrials $243.56M
LOV Lovisa Holdings Ltd $21.98 -0.79% -6.13% -31.88% Consumer Cyclical $2.43B
LYL Lycopodium Ltd $18.28 -1.40% -0.98% +57.72% Industrials $726.45M
MAH Macmahon Holdings Ltd $0.97 +1.04% +1.04% +234.48% Basic Materials $2.09B
MQG Macquarie Group Ltd $254.36 -0.15% +1.82% +13.22% Financial Services $97.58B
MAD Mader Group Ltd $7.64 +2.41% -6.26% +6.70% Industrials $1.55B
MFG Magellan Financial Group Ltd $9.78 +0.72% -3.36% -1.41% Financial Services $2.86B
MPL Medibank Private Ltd $5.13 -0.29% +5.67% +2.71% Financial Services $14.11B
MTS Metcash Ltd $2.95 -0.34% -7.23% -24.17% Consumer Defensive $3.24B
MND Monadelphous Group Ltd $28.91 -2.79% +0.87% +54.76% Industrials $2.91B
MVF Monash Ivf Group Ltd $0.67 -1.47% -5.63% -11.84% Healthcare $261.06M
NAB National Australia Bank Ltd $39.27 -0.08% +4.05% +5.51% Financial Services $122.42B
NWL Netwealth Group Ltd $22.37 +1.54% +5.27% -38.76% Financial Services $5.49B
NHC New Hope Corporation Ltd $5.51 +2.80% +0.36% +28.44% Energy $4.65B
NHF Nib Holdings Ltd $7.42 +0.61% +7.00% +1.44% Financial Services $3.63B
NCK Nick Scali Ltd $15.39 +0.13% -6.33% -19.00% Consumer Cyclical $1.32B
NEC Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Ltd $0.965 -1.53% +5.46% -43.73% Communication Services $1.53B
NST Northern Star Resources Ltd $20.41 +3.82% -2.20% +23.77% Basic Materials $29.08B
NWH NRW Holdings Ltd $7.01 +0.72% +2.94% +119.75% Industrials $3.22B
OCL Objective Corporation Ltd $6.99 -2.92% -31.47% -62.40% Technology $668.34M
ORG Origin Energy Ltd $10.37 -2.35% -3.54% -14.09% Utilities $17.86B
PPT Perpetual Ltd $19.51 +1.09% +23.87% -5.29% Financial Services $2.26B
PNI Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd $16.92 -0.47% +0.65% -23.65% Financial Services $4.08B
PMV Premier Investments Ltd $14.05 -1.47% -1.75% -29.33% Consumer Cyclical $2.24B
PME Pro Medicus Ltd $172.35 -4.27% -0.26% -47.49% Healthcare $18.01B
PWH PWR Holdings Ltd $9.62 +4.00% +15.49% +23.02% Consumer Cyclical $967.52M
QBE QBE Insurance Group Ltd $24.77 -2.52% +2.95% +8.83% Financial Services $37.01B
RMS Ramelius Resources Ltd $3.11 +2.82% -1.12% +16.73% Basic Materials $5.87B
REA REA Group Ltd $160.40 -2.24% +14.51% -32.66% Communication Services $20.99B
RWC Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd $3.60 -2.31% -3.88% -14.41% Industrials $2.69B
SGLLV Ricegrowers Ltd $13.51 -2.31% -2.46% +22.15% Consumer Defensive $924.71M
RIC Ridley Corporation Ltd $2.77 +0.18% -0.54% -2.30% Consumer Defensive $1.04B
RIO RIO Tinto Ltd $161.44 +2.18% -8.98% +36.44% Basic Materials $60.03B
SFC Schaffer Corporation Ltd $19.37 +4.70% +4.31% -6.43% Consumer Cyclical $261.88M
SRV Servcorp Ltd $6.13 -0.33% -9.19% +7.54% Real Estate $611.93M
SSG Shaver Shop Group Ltd $1.40 +0.72% +4.48% +1.45% Consumer Cyclical $183.42M
SIQ Smartgroup Corporation Ltd $13.05 -0.84% +3.82% +69.70% Industrials $1.8B
SXE Southern Cross Electrical Engineering Ltd $4.67 +1.30% +1.52% +151.08% Industrials $1.44B
SDF Steadfast Group Ltd $5.26 0.00% +2.14% -10.70% Financial Services $5.85B
SUN Suncorp Group Ltd $19.32 +0.47% +3.76% -4.64% Financial Services $20.48B
SUL Super Retail Group Ltd $12.84 -2.21% -2.13% -13.30% Consumer Cyclical $2.9B
SNL Supply Network Ltd $31.34 +0.37% -6.35% -21.76% Consumer Cyclical $1.37B
TNE Technology One Ltd $29.16 -2.67% -2.70% -27.63% Technology $9.55B
UNI Universal Store Holdings Ltd $7.14 -2.33% -3.64% -11.30% Consumer Cyclical $547.79M
WES Wesfarmers Ltd $89.98 -2.03% +4.92% +8.28% Consumer Cyclical $102.09B
WBC Westpac Banking Corporation $36.22 0.00% +3.46% +10.93% Financial Services $123.88B
WTC Wisetech Global Ltd $33.89 -0.32% -8.11% -71.53% Technology $11.39B
XRF XRF Scientific Ltd $1.71 +0.74% -6.42% -16.05% Industrials $244.96M