Top 10 ASX blue chip shares to watch in 2026

Blue chip shares typically refer to the large, established companies near the top of a stock exchange by market capitalisation – often the first names people come across when they start investing in equities. This list covers ten of them across seven sectors, with four in financials: three banks and a general insurer.

How we built this list: We selected these companies based on their industry and relevance to the theme, then ordered them by market capitalisation. Prices are updated daily, and the list and supporting content are reviewed roughly every quarter. All data is sourced from Stake. This list isn't a recommendation and isn't ordered by suitability.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Source: Stake market data. Figures in A$. Data updated as of 12 November 2026.

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1. BHP Group ($BHP)

Price: $59.61 · Daily: -1.3% · Market cap: $303.07B · Sector: Basic Materials · Industry: Metals & Mining

The materials that go into steel, electrical grids and fertiliser don't appear from nowhere. BHP Group ($BHP) pulls them out of the ground: iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal, potash and nickel. The business operates through three segments – Copper, Iron Ore and Coal.

The Copper segment goes beyond the headline metal: it also produces silver, zinc, molybdenum, uranium and gold from the same operations. Three underground copper-gold mines in South Australia – Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena – sit inside that segment. $BHP's 39,267 employees work across operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

2. Commonwealth Bank of Australia ($CBA)

Price: $171.76 · Daily: 2.9% · Market cap: $287.43B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Banking

Commonwealth Bank of Australia ($CBA) is primarily a retail bank, helping personal and private banking customers manage everyday accounts, take out mortgages and build savings. Its Business Banking division serves companies, corporates and agribusinesses across a full range of financial products. An Institutional Banking and Markets segment extends $CBA's services to government and institutional clients seeking domestic and global financing.

CommSec, $CBA's equities trading and margin lending business, also sits within the group. Internationally, $CBA operates in New Zealand through ASB Bank Limited, covering banking and funds management under the ASB brand. CEO Matt Comyn leads a workforce of 51,714 people across those operations.

3. Westpac Banking Corp ($WBC)

Price: $38.01 · Daily: 1.9% · Market cap: $130.01B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Banking

Westpac Banking Corporation ($WBC) runs across five segments – Consumer, Business & Wealth, Westpac Institutional Bank, Westpac New Zealand and Group Businesses – covering everything from home loans and credit cards to corporate treasury and wealth management. The Consumer segment alone touches mortgages, consumer finance and everyday transaction accounts for Australian customers.

Under chief executive Anthony Miller, $WBC employs 34,682 people. The bank operates predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, with a smaller footprint across Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific.

4. National Australia Bank Limited ($NAB)

Price: $38.77 · Daily: 0.5% · Market cap: $120.87B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Banking

National Australia Bank Limited ($NAB) is a full-service bank with five operating segments: Business and Private Banking, Personal Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking, New Zealand Banking, and Corporate Functions. Business and Private Banking covers small and medium enterprises, including agriculture, health and professional services. Personal Banking handles home loans, deposits, credit cards and personal lending for everyday customers.

The Corporate and Institutional Banking arm works with companies globally on corporate finance, markets, enterprise payments and asset servicing. $NAB's New Zealand operation runs personal and business banking across a nationwide network of customer centres. Phil Chronican leads the bank, which employs around 41,880 people.

5. CSL Limited ($CSL)

Price: $204.54 · Daily: 1.4% · Market cap: $98.16B · Sector: Healthcare · Industry: Pharmaceuticals

CSL Limited ($CSL) is a biotechnology company built around treating rare and serious diseases, with three distinct operating segments. CSL Behring manufactures plasma-derived therapies, gene therapies and recombinant proteins. CSL Seqirus handles influenza vaccines and pandemic preparedness services for governments. CSL Vifor focuses on iron deficiency and kidney-related conditions.

Underpinning the plasma business is a collection network of approximately 325 centres across the U.S., Europe and China, run through its CSL Plasma arm. $CSL employs 32,698 people and operates across Australia, the U.S., Germany, the UK, Switzerland and China. Gordon Naylor is CEO.

6. Woodside Energy Group ($WDS)

Price: $30.91 · Daily: 0.03% · Market cap: $58.76B · Sector: Energy · Industry: Oil & Gas

Woodside Energy Group ($WDS) produces and sells liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, pipeline gas and related products across its Australian and international operations. Its Australian projects include Pluto LNG, the North West Shelf Project and the Scarborough Energy Project, while the Sangomar oil and gas field – located 100 kilometres south of Dakar – represents its West African footprint.

The company is also building out beyond oil and gas. It holds an interest in Woodside Louisiana LNG, an LNG export terminal under construction in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and has the Beaumont New Ammonia Project in its portfolio. CEO Liz Westcott leads a workforce of 4,693 people across exploration, production, marketing and shipping.

7. Telstra Group Limited ($TLS)

Price: $5.11 · Daily: 0.8% · Market cap: $56.44B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Telecom

Telstra Group Limited ($TLS) runs Australia's mobile and fixed-line networks, selling communications services to consumers, small businesses and large enterprises under the same brand. Its international arm operates through Digicel Pacific, reaching consumer, business and government customers across the South Pacific.

Chief executive Vicki Brady leads a workforce of 29,334 people. Beyond connectivity, $TLS also holds infrastructure assets through its InfraCo segment, which provides products and services delivered over its own networks.

8. Woolworths Group Limited ($WOW)

Price: $41.95 · Daily: -0.3% · Market cap: $51.25B · Sector: Consumer Staples · Industry: Food & Drug Retailers

Woolworths Group Limited ($WOW) runs supermarkets and grocery eCommerce across Australia and New Zealand, with 209,000 employees across the business. Its Australian B2B segment operates separately from the retail stores, supplying food products and providing supply chain services to other businesses. The W Living segment adds discount general merchandise and pet products to the mix, sold across both countries. Data analytics business Quantium also sits within $WOW's operations, alongside various corporate support functions.

9. Insurance Australia Group Limited ($IAG)

Price: $9.03 · Daily: 0.7% · Market cap: $21.12B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Insurance

Most Australians have dealt with one of Insurance Australia Group Limited's ($IAG) brands without connecting it to the parent company. NRMA Insurance covers personal and some commercial lines across most of Australia. Victorian customers encounter $IAG through the RACV brand, which runs via a distribution relationship and underwriting joint venture with RACV. ROLLiN' Insurance is a third direct-to-customer brand sitting under the same group.

On the commercial side, $IAG reaches businesses through brokers, agents and authorised representatives under the CGU Insurance and WFI Insurance brands. The group also operates in New Zealand, and CEO Nick Hawkins leads the business across both markets.

10. Qantas Airways Limited ($QAN)

Price: $9.94 · Daily: -0.2% · Market cap: $15.04B · Sector: Industrials · Industry: Passenger Transport

Qantas Airways Limited ($QAN) runs both full-service and low-cost airline brands, along with air freight and a loyalty business. Under the Qantas name, $QAN covers domestic routes between Australian capitals, cities and regional hubs, with QantasLink extending the network to smaller metropolitan and regional destinations. The international arm reaches New Zealand, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Europe.

Jetstar operates as $QAN's low-cost brand, running as a distinct operation from the full-service airline. Qantas Loyalty rounds out the group with customer rewards programs. CEO Vanessa Hudson leads a workforce of around 32,000 people.

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Common questions

How do I invest in ASX blue chip shares in Australia?

All ten companies in this list are traded on the ASX and can be bought through a share trading platform or broker. You search the company's ticker, place an order and the shares settle through CHESS – Australia's central clearing and settlement system. Some investors also access large-cap ASX companies through managed funds or index-tracking ETFs that hold a broad basket of ASX-listed stocks.

What are the key risks of ASX blue chip shares?

Some of the key risks include commodity price exposure, currency movements, economic cycles and sector-specific factors. Several companies here earn revenue from commodities or offshore markets priced in foreign currencies, so shifts in global prices or the AUD/USD rate can affect reported earnings. The four financial companies in this list – the banks and $IAG – are sensitive to credit conditions and interest rate settings. A large market capitalisation doesn't insulate a company from significant share price falls; blue chip status is a market convention, not a form of protection.

What is a blue chip share?

Blue chip is a market convention for shares in large, established companies with a history of stable operations – typically household names that form the backbone of major stock indices. There's no formal definition or official threshold; the label is widely understood but not standardised. The companies in this list range across seven sectors and represent some of the largest by market capitalisation on the ASX, from resources and banking through to healthcare, energy and retail.

More resources

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Disclaimer

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. When you invest, your capital is at risk. You should consider your own investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making an investment decision. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may receive back less than your original investment. As always, do your own research and consider seeking appropriate financial advice before investing.

This is not personal financial advice nor a recommendation to invest in the securities listed. Any advice provided by Stake is of general nature only and does not take into account your specific circumstances. Trading and volume data from the Stake investing platform is for reference purposes only, the investment choices of others may not be appropriate for your needs and is not a reliable indicator of performance.

Please refer to hellostake.com/pricing for the fees that apply. When you trade securities priced in another currency, currency conversion fees may apply and movements in the exchange rate may affect your returns.

Stake Desk

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This article combines AI and human review from our analysts to bring you accurate, informative investing content at speed. For questions or suggestions, contact stakedesk@stake.com.au.