New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) shares are heading north after the coal miner released its FY26 results on Tuesday.

At the time of writing, the New Hope share price is up 2.55% to $6.44, just below its 52-week high of $6.49.

It’s been a strong run for the stock, and today’s gain has taken it even closer to a new high.

And while profit fell from last year, there were still a few things investors seemed to like.

So, what stood out?

Production keeps climbing

One of the better parts of the update was the continued lift in coal production.

New Hope produced 11.5 million tonnes of saleable coal during FY26, up 7.6% from a year earlier.

Coal sales rose even faster, climbing 11.8% to 11.8 million tonnes.

Bengalla produced 8.2 million tonnes on New Hope’s 80% interest basis, while New Acland lifted production 17.3% to 3.3 million tonnes.

But the higher volumes weren’t enough to make up for weaker coal prices.

New Hope’s average realised coal price fell 10% to $145.20 per tonne, while group FOB cash costs increased 7.9% to $88.90 per tonne.

That hit earnings pretty hard, with underlying EBITDA falling 32.8% to $514.3 million.

Net profit after tax (NPAT) came in at $161 million, down 63.4% from the previous year.

Cash is still coming in

Even with profit down, New Hope still brought in plenty of cash.

Operating cash flow came in at $564.1 million, while the company finished July with $778.5 million in available cash.

And shareholders are seeing some of that cash come back their way.

New Hope declared a fully-franked final dividend of 30 cents per share, taking total dividends for FY26 to 40 cents per share.

That’s up from 34 cents per share in FY25, despite the big drop in profit.

The company also has an on-market share buyback of up to $100 million in place.

What happens next?

New Hope still has more production to bring on.

New Acland is working towards around 5 million tonnes of saleable coal a year, while Maxwell should contribute more as production ramps up.

Over the longer term, New Hope is aiming for group saleable coal production of around 15 million tonnes.

Of course, coal prices will have a big say in how earnings look.

If coal prices hold up, having more tonnes to sell should help earnings as that extra production comes through.

And with plenty of cash in the bank, New Hope can keep spending on growth while still paying shareholders along the way.

The post New Hope shares near 52-week high. Here’s what stood out in the result appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in Barton Gold Holdings Ltd (ASX: BGD) have been pretty much steady over the past year, but according to the team at Canaccord Genuity, that could be about to change.

Big things in store for this ASX gold company

CG has initiated coverage on Barton Gold with a speculative buy rating and a bullish price target, which I’ll get to shortly.

First, let’s look at why they like the company.

The CG team said Barton had done a good job of building a large gold development portfolio in South Australia “through a combination of opportunistic asset acquisitions, infrastructure ownership deals and disciplined capital management”.

They added:

The company has consolidated a 2.2Moz Au and 3.1Moz Ag resource base across four projects, acquired strategic assets including the Wudinna Gold Project and the region’s only gold processing facility, the Central Gawler Mill (CGM), and generated more than A$13m of non-dilutive cash through asset monetisation initiatives. In our view, few junior developers have built a comparable regional platform while maintaining such a measured approach to shareholder dilution. BGD’s portfolio is underpinned by two core development assets: Tunkillia and Challenger.

The broker believes the company’s value driver is the Tunkillia project, where Barton has delineated to date 1.6 million ounces of gold and 3.1 million ounces of silver.

A scoping study released in May 2025 envisaged an eight-year mining plan with a capital cost of $452 million; however, recently completed resource drilling is expected to support further improvements, CG said.

The broker added:

We view Tunkillia as one of the more compelling undeveloped gold projects in Australia given its scale, production profile, meaningful silver credits and overall similarity to Capricorn Metals Ltd’s (ASX: CMM) Karlawinda gold mine.

CG said Barton’s stage one strategy involved restarting the Challenger gold mine and the associated Central Gawler Mill (CGM), “creating a potential pathway to near-term producer status and an internal source of cash flow to assist Tunkillia’s development”.

They added:

Challenger hosts 313koz Au across tailings, open pit and underground resources, while the fully permitted 600ktpa CGM produced ~1.2Moz historically and is estimated to require only ~A$26m of refurbishment capital. A definitive feasibility study is underway evaluating an initial 3-4 year operation based largely on tailings retreatment and near-surface feed, preserving the larger underground opportunity for future development.

Beyond Tunkillia and Challenger, Barton holds additional regional growth prospects, CG said, including the Perseverance Mine and the Tolmer silver-gold discovery.

Shares looking cheap

CG has a price target of $2.05 for Barton Gold shares, compared to the current $1.02.

The post This ASX gold developer could jump more than 100%: Broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are down 0.6% to 8,701 points on Tuesday.

Among the 11 market sectors, technology is in the lead today, up 2.3%, while materials is the laggard, down 2.1%.

Let’s check out some new expert ratings for this week (courtesy The Bull).  

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

The Magellan share price is $8.59, up 0.5% today and down 20% over the past month.

James Bills from Shaw and Partners has a buy rating on this ASX 200 financial share. 

Bills said: 

Magellan offers investors exposure to a respected global funds management business that appears attractively valued following several challenging years. The company continues to generate strong cash flow and maintain a robust balance sheet.

The business also offers an appealing dividend yield – recently above 7 per cent – supported by surplus capital.

Improving sentiment and stabilising operating conditions provide potential for a re-rating, making Magellan an attractive opportunity for income and capital growth investors.

Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU)

The Iluka Resources share price is $6.03, down 0.8% on Tuesday and down 16% over the past month.

Joshua Baker from RaaS Group has a hold rating on this ASX 200 mining share. 

Baker said: 

This mineral sands producer is diversifying into rare earths via its Eneabba refinery, which is 60 per cent complete. The company recently reported the refinery is progressing on schedule and on budget. An inaugural off-take agreement has been executed.

Mineral sands revenue of $433 million in the first half of 2026 was down 22 per cent on the prior corresponding period.

If the Eneabba project continues without any major cost blowouts or delays amid mineral sands prices continuing to recover, ILU may be a buy next year.

PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The PLS Group share price is $4.37, down 0.9% today and down 14% over the past month.

Toby Grimm from Baker Young has a sell rating on this ASX 200 lithium share. 

Grimm said: 

This lithium producer generated group revenue of $1.934 billion in full year 2026, up 152 per cent on the prior corresponding period. It was driven by a 121 per cent increase in the average realised price and record sales volumes.

However, in our view, considerable optimism is already priced into the stock. Further details, including the benefits and risks, of potentially expanding the Pilgangoora operations are expected to be released in the December quarter.

After a strong share price run in the past year, we would consider cashing in some gains at these levels.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Magellan, Iluka Resources, PLS Group shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Magellan Financial Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.