The IperionX Ltd (ASX: IPX) share price is in focus after the company announced it has priced an underwritten public offering of 2,275,000 American Depositary Shares (ADSs), raising nearly US$50 million before costs. The funds will support expansion of IperionX’s titanium production technologies and R&D activities.

What did IperionX report?

• Priced public offering of 2,275,000 ADSs at US$21.98 per ADS
• Gross proceeds of approximately US$50 million (before costs)
• Offering led by US institutional investors
• Funds to be used for commercialising titanium and alloy technology, plus site expansion
• Expected closing date: 9 July 2026 (subject to conditions)

What else do investors need to know?

Each ADS will represent 10 ordinary IperionX shares, with the total 22,750,000 shares to be issued from the company’s existing placement capacity under Listing Rule 7.1. The capital raise is being managed by Cantor as sole bookrunner, with Roth Capital Partners and B. Riley Securities acting as co-managers.

Net proceeds from the offer will be directed towards advancing the scale-up and expansion of IperionX’s Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus, furthering its titanium metal research, and developing the Camden-Titan Project in Tennessee. Extra funds will go towards general corporate purposes.

What’s next for IperionX?

With fresh funding, IperionX plans to accelerate the commercialisation of its proprietary titanium technologies and continue building out its production capabilities in the United States. The company sees these investments supporting its goal to become a key producer of high-quality, lower-cost, and more sustainable titanium alloys.

The outlook includes ongoing expansion at core US sites and increased R&D to enhance process efficiencies. Management also flagged continued focus on developing the Camden-Titan Project and supporting general business initiatives.

IperionX share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, IperionX shares have declined 7%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 1% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post IperionX launches US$50m capital raise for titanium expansion appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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.

QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) shares are pushing higher on Wednesday after the company released a senior leadership update.

At the time of writing, the QBE share price is up 2% to $25.49. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.8% to 8,737 points.

The move adds to a strong recent run for the ASX insurance stock, which is now up around 12% over the past month and 28% since the start of 2026.

Here’s what the company told investors.

Senior leader to retire

In a statement to the ASX, QBE said Sue Houghton has advised the company of her intention to retire.

She will step down from her role as Chief Executive Officer for Australia Pacific at the end of 2026.

Houghton has been with QBE for more than 5 years and has spent over 35 years working across financial services.

The Australia Pacific business is one of QBE’s 3 main divisions, sitting alongside North America and International.

Group Chief Executive Andrew Horton said Houghton had made a strong contribution to QBE over the past 5 years and helped the Australia Pacific business improve its performance, capability, and customer outcomes.

He said:

On behalf of the Board and Executive Leadership Team, I thank Sue for her contribution and leadership and wish her every success in retirement.

Houghton will remain in the role while QBE begins a search for her replacement.

What is really moving QBE shares

A senior leadership change could have taken some heat out of QBE shares, but investors seem comfortable with the way this one is being handled.

The stock was already moving higher before the update, with investors backing the insurer after a solid start to 2026.

QBE has been getting support from stronger underwriting, premium growth, and steady demand for large defensive financial stocks.

The timing of Houghton’s exit is also helping. She is staying in the role until the end of 2026, which gives QBE plenty of time to find a replacement and manage the handover.

Can QBE shares keep climbing?

After a 26% gain in 2026, QBE shares have already had a strong run.

But I wouldn’t say the run looks finished just because the stock is near its 52-week high.

The leadership change should be manageable, especially with Houghton staying on until the end of next year.

If QBE keeps underwriting well and claims don’t blow out, I think investors will be happy to stick with it.

The post QBE shares surge again as $37 billion insurance giant faces leadership change 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.

Building a reliable passive income stream doesn’t have to mean chasing the ASX dividend shares with the highest yields.

In fact, some of the best income investments are businesses that combine attractive payouts with the ability to grow those payments over time. That’s especially important for retirees, who need their income to keep pace with inflation.

With that in mind, here are two ASX dividend shares I think deserve a closer look.

APA Group (ASX: APA)

APA Group has built one of the strongest income records on the ASX.

The ASX dividend share has increased its annual distribution every year since the mid-2000s, giving it one of the longest uninterrupted distribution growth streaks on the market. Only Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL) has a longer record among major ASX companies.

APA expects to pay an annual distribution of 58 cents per security for FY26. At today’s share price, that equates to a distribution yield of around 5.7%, making it highly competitive with even the best term deposit rates.

And the income story may not stop there. It’s expected that APA will increase its annual distribution again in FY27 to around 59 cents per security, lifting the forward yield to approximately 5.8%.

Importantly, APA isn’t funding those distributions by standing still.

The company continues investing heavily in projects that should support higher cash flows over time. It is expanding its East Coast gas grid, progressing early works in the Beetaloo Basin, growing remote power generation in the Pilbara, and building a new gas peaking power station in Queensland.

At its FY26 half-year result, APA reported an organic growth pipeline worth around $3 billion. Those investments should help grow earnings over the coming years and support further distribution increases.

AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL)

AGL offers a different type of income opportunity.

The ASX dividend share has fallen around 11% so far in 2026 and remains roughly 20% below its February highs, leaving investors with an attractive dividend yield of approximately 5.7%.

Even better, AGL’s recent dividends have been fully franked, lifting the grossed-up yield to around 8% for eligible investors.

The business also benefits from operating in an essential industry. Regardless of economic conditions, households and businesses still need electricity and gas. That helps underpin demand for AGL’s services and provides a relatively defensive earnings base.

However, investors also need to understand the risks. Australia’s energy sector is undergoing one of the biggest transformations in its history. Coal-fired power stations are progressively being retired and replaced by renewable energy generation and large-scale battery storage.

AGL sits at the centre of that transition. The company must invest billions of dollars to modernise its generation fleet while navigating government regulation, wholesale electricity price volatility, and the complexities of the National Electricity Market.

Those challenges create uncertainty, but they also provide opportunities if management executes successfully.

The post Want passive income? These ASX dividend shares keep delivering appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.