The St George Mining Ltd (ASX: SGQ) share price is rising on Thursday after announcing a major step toward establishing a rare earths processing centre in Minas Gerais, Brazil, with local partner Lima & Pergher and strong State government support.

What did St George Mining report?

• Signed a collaboration agreement with Lima & Pergher and the State of Minas Gerais to create a rare earths processing centre
• The centre will offer processing services to rare earths projects, including St George’s Araxá Project
• St George’s Araxá Mineral Resource now stands at 111.2Mt @ 3.57% TREO and 0.57% Nb₂O₅
• The agreement supports a fully domestic Brazilian mine-to-magnet supply chain
• St George may supply feedstock and technical expertise for the centre’s development

What else do investors need to know?

St George’s Araxá Project is the largest high-grade carbonatite-hosted rare earths resource in South America, bolstering the company’s position in the critical minerals sector. The proposed processing facility in Uberlândia benefits from being located within a major industrial complex, offering established infrastructure and access to a skilled workforce.

The State of Minas Gerais will support licensing, promote connections with suppliers, and help with tax incentives. St George is also advancing discussions with potential offtake and downstream processing partners from the US, Asia, and Europe.

What did St George Mining management say?

John Prineas, Executive Chairman of St George Mining, said:

We are honoured to have been selected by the State to partner on the potential establishment of a rare earths processing centre which could have the capability to separate rare earths, refine rare earths and produce materials for rare earths magnet making. This is an opportunity to establish midstream rare earths processing in Minas Gerais that will build out Brazil’s mine-to-magnet supply chain.

What’s next for St George Mining?

St George and its partners will assess the feasibility of the new processing centre, aiming for operations to commence by 2030, subject to investment decision and approvals. In parallel, St George is conducting a feasibility study for the Araxá Project, de-risked by its upgraded mineral resource.

These initiatives support St George’s growth as a significant player in the critical minerals and rare earths supply chain in Brazil and globally.

St George Mining share price snapshot

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The post St George Mining announces rare earths processing centre in Brazil appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The Beacon Lighting Group Ltd (ASX: BLX) share price is up 14% to $1.98 on Thursday after the company posted 3.4% higher revenue of $340 million, but an 8.1% dip in net profit after tax to $27 million for FY26.

What did Beacon Lighting Group report?

• Revenue rose 3.4% to $340 million
• Net profit after tax decreased 8.1% to $26.99 million
• Final dividend declared at 3.4 cents per share, fully franked
• Net tangible assets per share increased to 77.5 cents (up from 73.8 cents last year)
• Dividend reinvestment plan was suspended during the year

What else do investors need to know?

Beacon Lighting maintained revenue growth despite the tougher retail environment, although profit was softer compared to last year. The final fully franked dividend adds to earlier payments, reflecting the company’s continued commitment to shareholder returns.

The company’s dividend reinvestment plan was suspended in FY26. There were no new entities acquired and no changes to joint ventures or associates during the year.

What’s next for Beacon Lighting Group?

Beacon Lighting is likely to remain focused on growing revenue and improving profitability, while adapting to any shifts in the retail sector. Investors will be watching closely to see how management navigates changes in consumer demand and whether the company resumes its dividend reinvestment plan in future.

Management’s continued focus on balanced growth and capital management can play a key role in supporting long-term shareholder value.

Beacon Lighting Group share price snapshot

The Beacon Lighting share price is still down around 45% despite today’s impressive gain. This compares unfavourably to a 1.2% gain from the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO).

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The post Beacon Lighting Group share price jumps 14%: FY26 profit drops despite higher sales appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

As you’re likely aware, on Wednesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the latest Australian inflation data for the year to July at 11:30am AEST.

And many investors buying ASX shares chose that moment to reach for their sell buttons.

Indeed, at 11:30am, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was up a healthy 0.8%. By the time the closing bell rang, the ASX 200 was down 0.4%.

Much of that selling pressure came as investors fear that stubborn inflation levels will lead to yet another interest rate hike from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in 2026.

That’s because headline inflation of 3.5% for the year to July came in materially higher than consensus expectations of 3.3%.

And trimmed mean inflation – which takes out certain volatile items, like automotive fuel and is the RBA’s preferred gauge – remained stuck at 3.6%, and was up 0.5% for the month of July. The trimmed mean figure also exceeded consensus expectations. And it remains well above the RBA’s target inflation range of 2% to 3%.

Now ASX share investors have already had to endure three RBA interest rate increases in 2026. Although the central bank kept rates on hold at 4.35% at its last two meetings, this still sees the cash rate back at its 2024 peak, and matching the highest levels seen since 2011.

So, what can ASX investors expect from interest rates now?

What the experts are saying on Aussie inflation and the RBA’s interest rate path

Josh Gilbert, lead analyst for APAC at eToro, said that the trimmed mean inflation figure is what’s likely to worry RBA governor Michele Bullock.

Gilbert noted:

It suggests underlying price pressures are not easing quickly enough, despite three rate hikes this year and a labour market that is beginning to soften. The board paused in August because it wanted more evidence, and this is not the evidence it was hoping for.

The trimmed mean has now sat at 3.5% or above for three months running, after holding at 3.3% in February and March. That number isn’t drifting back towards the 2-3% target band, it’s moving away from it.

He added that another interest rate hike isn’t locked in for ASX share investors yet.

“One hotter print does not make another hike inevitable, particularly with unemployment rising to 4.5%,” he said.

However, Gilbert added, “The RBA has repeatedly warned it will act if inflation looks like becoming embedded, and this read today will have the board feeling a little nervous.”

CreditorWatch chief economist Ivan Colhoun sounded a more bearish note on the RBA’s next interest rate move following the latest ABS data.

According to Colhoun:

It really leaves the RBA board no option but to raise Australian interest rates further at the upcoming September board meeting. The board is dealing not with upside inflation risks and cost pressures, but with upside inflation reality.

And we’ll leave off with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) economist Belinda Allen (quoted by The Australian Financial Review).

“We judge the broad-based upside surprise in the July CPI as having crossed that threshold and materially increased the likelihood of another RBA hike,” she said.

Stay tuned!

The post Buying ASX shares? Here’s what the latest inflation data means for interest rates appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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.