Top 10 ASX blue chip shares to watch in 2026

Blue chip shares are shares in large, established companies – the banks Australians use for mortgages, the miners digging out iron ore and copper, the supermarkets and telcos woven into everyday life. This list covers ten ASX-listed companies across seven sectors. Four are in financials, with the rest spread across resources, healthcare, energy, retail and beyond.

How we built this list: We selected these companies based on their industry and 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 10 August 2026.

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1. BHP Group ($BHP)

BHP Group (BHP) share price over the last year: started at A$40.87, ended at A$63.52, a change of +55.4%. Range over the period: high A$65.59, low A$39.64. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $63.52 · Daily: 0.9% · Market cap: $319.98B · Sector: Basic Materials · Industry: Metals & Mining

Mining iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal, nickel and potash puts BHP Group ($BHP) at the supply end of steel production, electrification and modern agriculture. Its three operating segments are Copper, Iron Ore and Coal. Beyond copper itself, the Copper segment also produces silver, zinc, molybdenum, uranium and gold.

Three of $BHP's copper-gold assets – Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena – are underground mines in South Australia. The company operates across Australia, the Americas, Asia and Europe, employing 39,958 people under CEO Brandon Craig.

2. Commonwealth Bank of Australia ($CBA)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) share price over the last year: started at A$178.60, ended at A$174.27, a change of −2.4%. Range over the period: high A$183.52, low A$147.22. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $174.27 · Daily: -2.1% · Market cap: $291.63B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Banking

Home loans, everyday transaction accounts and business lending sit at the core of what Commonwealth Bank of Australia ($CBA) does. The bank provides retail and commercial banking across Australia, with New Zealand covered through its subsidiary ASB Bank. CommSec, part of $CBA, handles equities trading and margin lending. Business Banking serves agribusiness, small business and corporate clients across the full range of financial services.

The Institutional Banking and Markets arm handles domestic and global financing for government and large corporate clients. CEO Matt Comyn leads a workforce of 51,346 people across both countries.

3. National Australia Bank ($NAB)

National Australia Bank (NAB) share price over the last year: started at A$38.82, ended at A$41.22, a change of +6.2%. Range over the period: high A$49.10, low A$35.68. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $41.22 · Daily: -2.4% · Market cap: $131.65B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Banking

National Australia Bank ($NAB) sits at the intersection of everyday banking and business finance. Its Personal Banking arm handles home loans, deposits and credit cards, while Business and Private Banking works with small and medium enterprises across sectors like agriculture, health and professional services.

The Corporate and Institutional Banking segment takes $NAB's reach well beyond Australian retail customers, working with businesses globally across corporate finance, markets and payments. New Zealand Banking rounds out the group through a network of customer centres serving personal and business customers across the Tasman. Andrew Irvine leads a workforce of 41,880 people across these segments.

4. Westpac Banking Corp ($WBC)

Westpac Banking Corp (WBC) share price over the last year: started at A$34.31, ended at A$35.70, a change of +4.1%. Range over the period: high A$42.95, low A$33.90. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $35.70 · Daily: -5.9% · Market cap: $122.10B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Banking

Westpac Banking Corporation ($WBC) covers retail, business and institutional banking, predominantly in Australia and New Zealand. For everyday customers, that means home loans, consumer finance and transaction accounts.

Its Business & Wealth segment adds business banking, private wealth and wealth management, while the Westpac Institutional Bank serves corporate, government and institutional clients. Anthony Miller leads the group, which employs 35,236 people.

5. CSL Limited ($CSL)

CSL Limited (CSL) share price over the last year: started at A$263.82, ended at A$134.47, a change of −49.0%. Range over the period: high A$271.32, low A$92.24. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $134.47 · Daily: 1.7% · Market cap: $64.40B · Sector: Healthcare · Industry: Pharmaceuticals

CSL Limited ($CSL) works across three distinct areas of medicine: plasma-derived therapies, influenza vaccines and treatments for iron deficiency and kidney disease. Its CSL Behring arm manufactures and distributes plasma products, gene therapies and recombinants, drawing on a network of approximately 325 plasma collection centres across the U.S., Europe and China.

The influenza side of the business, CSL Seqirus, also supplies pandemic preparedness services to governments. CSL Vifor, the third segment, covers nephrology and iron deficiency products. With 32,065 employees and operations across Australia, the U.S., Germany, the UK, Switzerland and China, $CSL runs a genuinely global operation under CEO Gordon Naylor.

6. Woodside Energy Group ($WDS)

Woodside Energy Group (WDS) share price over the last year: started at A$27.02, ended at A$31.79, a change of +17.7%. Range over the period: high A$35.80, low A$22.10. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $31.79 · Daily: -0.3% · Market cap: $60.44B · Sector: Energy · Industry: Oil & Gas

Woodside Energy Group ($WDS) sits at the heart of Australia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. Its operations cover exploration, production and the marketing of oil and gas assets – from the Pluto LNG and North West Shelf projects off the Australian coast to the Sangomar oil field off Senegal.

The company is also building out beyond its established base. Its Scarborough Energy Project feeds into expanded LNG capacity, and it holds an interest in Woodside Louisiana LNG, an LNG export terminal under construction in Louisiana. A newer addition is the Beaumont New Ammonia Project, which sits in lower-carbon energy production. CEO Liz Westcott leads a workforce of 4,693 people across these global operations.

7. Telstra Group Limited ($TLS)

Telstra Group Limited (TLS) share price over the last year: started at A$4.98, ended at A$5.00, a change of +0.4%. Range over the period: high A$5.55, low A$4.72. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $5.00 · Daily: 0.4% · Market cap: $55.70B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Telecom

Telstra Group Limited ($TLS) runs mobile and fixed-line networks in Australia, selling phone, internet and technology services to consumers, small businesses and large enterprises. Beyond Australia, $TLS operates Digicel Pacific, which delivers telecommunications, media and technology products to consumer, business and government customers across the South Pacific.

CEO Vicki Brady leads a company of 30,533 employees. A dedicated segment, Telstra InfraCo, manages the network infrastructure that underpins all of these services.

8. Woolworths Group ($WOW)

Woolworths Group (WOW) share price over the last year: started at A$31.98, ended at A$40.66, a change of +27.1%. Range over the period: high A$40.66, low A$25.91. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $40.66 · Daily: 0.9% · Market cap: $49.67B · Sector: Consumer Staples · Industry: Food & Drug Retailers

Woolworths Group ($WOW) runs supermarkets across Australia and New Zealand, selling food, drinks and everyday essentials to millions of households. The business also supplies food to other companies through its Australian B2B arm and sells general merchandise and pet products under its W Living segment.

Amanda Bardwell leads the company, which employs around 202,000 people. A data analytics business called Quantium sits within the group alongside those retail operations.

9. Insurance Australia Group Limited ($IAG)

Insurance Australia Group Limited (IAG) share price over the last year: started at A$8.18, ended at A$8.35, a change of +2.1%. Range over the period: high A$9.10, low A$6.44. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $8.35 · Daily: -3.2% · Market cap: $19.52B · Sector: Financials · Industry: Insurance

Insurance Australia Group Limited ($IAG) underwrites general insurance across Australia and New Zealand, covering everything from home and car policies to commercial risks. Most Australians encounter its products without realising it – NRMA Insurance, ROLLiN' Insurance and, in Victoria, the RACV brand all sit under the $IAG umbrella.

The business runs two main channels in Australia. One sells directly to individuals and small businesses under those consumer-facing brands. The other reaches customers through brokers and agents, primarily using the CGU Insurance and WFI Insurance names.

CEO Nick Hawkins leads the group, which also holds investment management activity alongside its underwriting operations. New Zealand rounds out the business, adding a second market to what is otherwise a predominantly domestic operation.

10. Qantas Airways Limited ($QAN)

Qantas Airways Limited (QAN) share price over the last year: started at A$10.90, ended at A$10.45, a change of −4.1%. Range over the period: high A$12.12, low A$8.15. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $10.45 · Daily: -1.1% · Market cap: $15.81B · Sector: Industrials · Industry: Passenger Transport

Australia's flag carrier, Qantas Airways Limited ($QAN), runs a full-service airline connecting Australian capital cities and regional hubs, with QantasLink handling metropolitan and regional routes under the same umbrella. On the international side, $QAN flies between Australia and destinations across Asia, New Zealand, the Americas, Africa and Europe. Jetstar operates alongside as the group's distinct low-cost brand, targeting a separate slice of the travel market.

There's also a freight arm embedded within the international business, moving air cargo on those same international routes. A loyalty division rounds out the group, running customer programs across multiple brands that go well beyond flight points. CEO Vanessa Hudson leads a workforce of around 27,000 people across all of these divisions.

Common questions

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

Each company in this list trades on the ASX under its own ticker, so you can buy shares directly through a share trading platform – search the code, place an order during market hours and the trade settles into your account. Building exposure across more than one company means buying each separately, as there's no single instrument that tracks this particular group.

What are the key risks of blue chip shares?

Large, established companies can still face significant share price falls and earnings pressure. Commodity-exposed names like $BHP and $WDS move with raw material prices, which can shift sharply. The banking names face regulatory scrutiny, credit cycle risk and sensitivity to the Australian housing market. $CSL earns much of its revenue in foreign currencies, so a rising Australian dollar can weigh on reported earnings when those revenues are converted back. Four of the ten companies here sit in financials, which means a sector-wide shock would affect a large portion of this list.

What does "blue chip" actually mean?

The term describes large, established companies with a long operating history – typically those with substantial market capitalisations and, in many cases, a track record of paying dividends. There's no official threshold or regulated definition; it's a descriptive label applied based on size and profile. Companies appear on lists like this one because of their prominence on the ASX, not because they meet any fixed criteria.

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.

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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.