Your 10 most-tipped ASX growth stocks for 2026

2025 was a very interesting year for growth stocks. It was not a case of a rising tide lifting all boats. Whilst there were some shooting stars, other names that had previously been angels fell from grace.

For a long period, Life360 (ASX: 360) was the poster child for growth, although it stumbled late in the year. Lithium and battery-related miners were reborn, with the likes of Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS), Liontown (ASX: LTR), and Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) rising from the ashes.

Small-cap growth stocks, generally speaking, were a bright spot, with DroneShield (ASX: DRO) another poster child that came a little unstuck in the latter stages of the year.

And, of course, we can’t forget about tech names. They were mainly in the naughty corner, with TechnologyOne (ASX: TNE) and NEXTDC (ASX: NXT) failing to fire. 

They weren't alone. Former darlings WiseTech Global (ASX: WTC), Xero (ASX: XRO) and Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX: TLX) all had an annus horribilis, whilst stocks with lofty multiples or heavy momentum profiles – across tech, software and discretionary growth names – saw multiple contraction and share price drag.

So, in summary, a bit of a crapshoot. What will 2026 bring?

Outlook Series Survey 2026 – the results are in

More than 4000 readers submitted their top growth stock for 2026 and they are outlined in the table below. For those who like data, a bit further down we’ve also shared the next 10 most-tipped names.

Please note: We are sharing information from the Livewire and Market Index readerships by publishing this list. We hope it inspires ideas for your investment research. This information is not, nor is it intended to be, a set of recommendations. Please do your own research and seek advice from a professional.

Key observations

There are a handful of stocks that made it into the 2026 list that were also on the 2025 list. And, once again, CSL has taken out the crown as the most tipped growth stock – clearly investors are hoping for a rebound.

Names on both 2025 and 2026 lists

• CSL (ASX: CSL)
• WiseTech Global (ASX: WTC)
• BHP Group (ASX: BHP)
• Woodside Energy (ASX: WDS)
• Pro Medicus (ASX: PME)
• Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX: TLX)

Stock that fell out from 2025 to 2026

• Life360 (ASX: 360)
• Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN)
• Technology One (ASX: TNE)
• Catapult Group (ASX: CAT)

New entrants in 2026

• 4DMedical (ASX: 4DX)
• DroneShield (ASX: DRO)
• NEXTDC (ASX: NXT)
• Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA)

Key metrics

Source: Market Index, data as at 19 December 2025

• The average market capitalisation of the top 10 growth stocks is $67.9bn, but this headline figure is heavily skewed by CBA ($262.7bn) and BHP ($225.2bn). Excluding those two mega caps, the list is far more mid-cap in character.
• The average 1-year share price return is 84.8%, though this masks a sharp split between winners and losers. Two high-beta names — 4DMedical and DroneShield — account for the bulk of the upside, while several large-cap growth stalwarts delivered material declines.
• The average trailing dividend yield is 1.74%, inflated by Woodside Energy (7.33%), BHP (3.86%) and CBA (3.09%). Most of the list remains income-light or non-yielding.
• The average trailing ROE is 8.5%, dragged down by early-stage and capital-intensive businesses. Profitability is highly uneven across the group.
• Sector mix: Healthcare dominates (40% of stocks), followed by technology (20%). The remainder is spread across materials, energy, industrials and financials — a sign that “growth” is being defined more broadly in 2026.

Biggest share price returns (1 year)

These stocks delivered the strongest momentum over the past year, though the dispersion highlights how speculative returns can overwhelm index-level averages.

• 4DMedical (ASX: 4DX)
  1-year return: +675.8%
• DroneShield (ASX: DRO)
  1-year return: +324.2%
• BHP Group (ASX: BHP)
  1-year return: +11.8%

Notably, seven of the ten stocks recorded negative 1-year returns, underscoring how narrow the rally has been.

Highest return on equity

These companies generated the strongest returns on shareholder capital in their most recent financials - a useful anchor when sentiment is volatile.

• Pro Medicus (ASX: PME)
  ROE: 44.8%
• BHP Group (ASX: BHP)
  ROE: 19.2%
• CSL (ASX: CSL)
  ROE: 15.7%

At the other end of the spectrum, 4DMedical and NEXTDC highlight the capital-intensive nature of early-stage and infrastructure-heavy growth models, where profitability remains secondary to scale.

Takeaways

This is a barbelled growth list. On one side sit mega-cap compounders and cash generators (CSL, BHP, CBA). On the other are high-volatility, thematic growth plays (4DX, DRO). The data shows investors are not abandoning growth - they’re polarising around either proven profitability or extreme upside optionality, with far less appetite for the middle ground.

And the next 10...

As promised above, here are the next 10 most-tipped growth stocks - for those of you who can't have enough data.

Did your call make the top 10, or were you surprised by the list?