Shares in Echo IQ Ltd (ASX: EIQ) shot up more than 50% to record highs in early trade after the company announced a strategic investment from and a US commercial partnership with major imaging technology company Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME).

Shares hitting new highs

Echo IQ shares hit a high of $1.87, up 50.8%, before settling back to be changing hands for $1.72, up 38.7% by mid-morning. The shares have increased from lows of 16.5 cents over the past 12 months.

The company said in a statement to the ASX that Pro Medicus had agreed to invest an initial $10 million in the company through a subscription for secured convertible notes, with the right to subscribe for a further $10 million once Echo IQ had its EchoSolv HF product cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration.

EchoSolv HF is an AI-powered heart failure detection software.

Pro Medicus has also agreed to become a reseller for EchoSolv, “providing potential access to an extensive network of leading US health systems, academic medical centres and enterprise healthcare customers”.

Echo IQ said regarding the deal:

The proposed partnership represents a significant strategic milestone for Echo IQ. Beyond the proposed investment, the arrangement has the potential to provide exceptional validation for Echo IQ and access to a leading healthcare technology platform with an extensive US based customer network, supporting the Company’s strategy to accelerate adoption of its AI-powered cardiac diagnostic solutions across the US. Pro Medicus is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most successful healthcare technology companies and a global leader in enterprise medical imaging software. Through its Visage platform, Pro Medicus provides mission critical imaging solutions to many of the largest health systems, academic medical centres and integrated delivery networks throughout the US.

Access to markets a key element of the deal

Echo IQ Chief Executive Officer Dustin Haines added:

The execution of this binding Heads of Agreement with Pro Medicus represents a transformational milestone for Echo IQ and a significant validation of both our technology and long-term commercial strategy, while also providing exceptional financial flexibility to accelerate our commercialisation activities in the US. Importantly, this proposed partnership extends far beyond the investment itself. Through Pro Medicus, we have the opportunity to leverage an established healthcare platform, trusted customer relationships and a highly experienced commercial organisation with deep penetration into the US healthcare market. We believe this creates a compelling pathway to accelerate awareness, adoption and commercialisation of EchoSolv across a broad range of healthcare providers.

RBC Capital Markets said in a note to clients that the deal was also positive for Pro Medicus, as “the deal delivers both an economic interest and a product that deepens its cardiology value proposition through the embedding of an AI diagnostic capability directly onto Visage”.

Pro Medicus shares were 1.6% higher at $181.95. RBC has a price target of $195 on the shares.

The post A deal with Pro Medicus has turned this ASX biotech into a 10-bagger, up more than 30% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has positions in Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Now could be a good time to buy the small-cap ASX tech share in this article.

That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, who are tipping big returns from its shares for investors over the next 12 months.

Which small-cap ASX tech share?

Bell Potter is positive on WRKR Ltd (ASX: WRK). It is a regulation technology company for Australian employers across the employee lifecycle, with a core focus on managing superannuation compliance events.

While the broker has revised its estimates to reflect a slight slowdown, it remains very positive on the future. It said:

While iconic businesses are moving fast, the mid-market is seen to slow things down, extending beyond the July deadline. We revise FY27 revenue and include a cautious scenario, based on the lower end of the guidance range ($30-35m in exit rate ARR). There are a few good moving parts like: 1) $5m in float-based income, 2) $10m of different ARR attached to PaidRight (on track to do $4m), 3) another $5m opportunity tied to the small business clearing house, and 4) $2m from electronic service addresses.

However, we see fewer pathways to an immediate positive surprise, with the commercial terms between WRK and MUFG nearing renegotiation. A second look at AustralianSuper and its grassroots have resulted in changes. Our FY27 revenue is reduced from $36m to $32m from counterparty risk. At worst, we expect a three-month delay. The ATO should have a low tolerance for those showing little attempt to meet their obligations.

Big potential returns

According to the note, Bell Potter has retained its speculative buy rating on the small-cap ASX tech share with a trimmed price target of 15 cents.

Based on its current share price of 9.2 cents, this implies potential upside of 63% for investors with a high tolerance for risk over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its investment thesis, Bell Potter said:

Our Buy (Spec.) rating is unchanged. We risk up ahead of the quarterly update. While we expect strong early metrics from the platform, the outlook now reads less positive on closer look. WRK has mapped out $12m of insurance and detailed the next $10m expansion phase, which could grow into a similar sized standalone. Either this gains pace, Rest and AustralianSuper benefit in isolation, or new MUFG clients are signed.

The post Guess which small-cap ASX tech share could rise 60% 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.

The Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC)share price is in focus today after the company announced it will sell its 25.1% interest in the Keyton Retirement Living Trust to Aware Super for $525 million, with proceeds going towards reducing group debt. This key deal is part of Lendlease’s ongoing capital recycling initiative, which now totals $3.4 billion in announced and completed transactions.

What did Lendlease report?

• Sale of 25.1% interest in Keyton Retirement Living Trust for $525 million
• Transaction proceeds to be used to pay down group debt
• Deal aligns with HY26 book value
• Brings total announced/completed capital recycling to $3.4 billion from the Capital Release Unit
• Completion subject to regulatory approvals, targeted for 1H FY27

What else do investors need to know?

The sale to Aware Super is expected to complete in the first half of FY27, once conditions precedent—including regulatory approvals—are met. Today’s news follows a series of asset sales under Lendlease’s Capital Release Unit, with more than $3.4 billion in transactions either announced or completed since May 2024.

Management says further key transactions are in the pipeline for FY26 and early FY27, reflecting the company’s focus on recycling capital and strengthening its balance sheet. Outcomes for the rest of the Capital Release Unit portfolio will depend on market conditions and transaction timing.

What’s next for Lendlease?

Lendlease continues to pursue capital recycling as a way to realise value and support future growth. Management remains focused on balancing speed and execution with maximising value from its portfolio.

With several transactions still to be completed and others underway, investors can expect ongoing updates as Lendlease streamlines its business and manages debt levels in a challenging market environment.

Lendlease share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Lendlease shares have declined 44%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 3% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Lendlease offloads Keyton stake in $525m deal 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.