Author: openjargon

The Atlas Arteria Group (ASX: ALX) share price is in focus today after the company released its second supplementary target’s statement, reiterating that securityholders should reject the takeover offer from IFM’s Diamond Infraco 1 Pty Ltd. Key points include confirmation of a 40c per security distribution guidance for 2026 and the continued unanimous recommendation by independent directors to reject the offer.

What did Atlas Arteria report?

• The offer period for IFM’s off-market takeover bid has been extended by one week, now closing at 7.00pm (Sydney) on 18 June 2026.
• Atlas Arteria maintains guidance for an ordinary distribution of 40.0 cents per security in 2026.
• The independent directors continue to recommend that securityholders reject the $4.75 and $5.10 per security offers.
• No announced increase in the bidder’s voting power since extension; acceptances remain low.
• The bidder has not satisfied or waived any of the extensive conditions set out in its offer.

What else do investors need to know?

The company’s second supplementary target’s statement was released in response to the Fourth Supplementary Bidder’s Statement from IFM. The Board states there is no urgency for securityholders to accept the bid, as IFM must give notice of its offer conditions at least seven days before closure.

Atlas Arteria confirms that the proceeds from any asset sales would be available to be returned to securityholders, in addition to its regular distribution schedule. The company encourages investors to seek independent financial advice and read all issued statements and expert reports before making decisions regarding the offer.

What’s next for Atlas Arteria?

Atlas Arteria’s directors restate their confidence in the company’s long-term value, urging securityholders to remain patient. The company has emphasised ongoing discipline in capital management, pledging returns to securityholders through regular and special distributions as circumstances permit.

With the offer period extended, investors will have advance notice if the bid becomes unconditional. The Board will continue to keep shareholders updated as developments unfold in the takeover process.

Atlas Arteria share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Atlas Arteria shares have declined 5%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 1% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Atlas Arteria reiterates ‘reject’ on IFM bid, maintains 2026 distribution guidance appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Perpetual to acquire Interfi majority stake; debt reduction underway
• Megaport completes $518m institutional entitlement offer
• Monadelphous Group wins $380m energy contract
• Meridian Energy: draft approval for Lake PÅ«kaki hydro storage
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

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.

The Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT) share price is in focus today after the company announced the acquisition of a majority interest in Interfi and improvements to its gross debt position.

What did Perpetual report?

• Agreement to acquire 70% of Interfi Systems Pty Ltd, an asset servicing technology business.
• Interfi has around $55 billion in assets under administration as at 30 April 2026.
• Perpetual expects its gross debt to decrease by approximately 15% for the period to 30 June 2026, from $742 million at 31 December 2025.
• The acquisition will be funded from internally generated cashflows.
• Option to acquire the remaining 30% of Interfi shares by FY31.

What else do investors need to know?

The acquisition is set to strengthen Perpetual’s Corporate Trust and expand its capabilities in digital and market services. By integrating Interfi’s technology with Perpetual’s own platforms, the company aims to create a more integrated and digital end-to-end client solution.

Completion of the Interfi transaction is expected by the end of June, dependent on certain conditions being met. Michael Dilworth, Interfi’s founder and managing director, will stay on to help guide the business post-acquisition.

The company also emphasised its recent progress in reducing gross debt, which includes recent repayments and the impact of the Interfi deal.

What did Perpetual management say?

Perpetual’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Bernard Reilly, said:

This transaction is in line with our strategy to invest in new capabilities in Corporate Trust to support long-term growth and retain its strong market leadership. The acquisition is expected to contribute to growth in Corporate Trust’s Digital and Markets division in FY27 and beyond.

What’s next for Perpetual?

Looking ahead, Perpetual intends to continue investing in new digital capabilities and pursuing opportunities that will support sustainable growth. Management expects the Interfi acquisition to accelerate innovation and bolster Perpetual’s market leadership in corporate trust and digital services.

The company is also focused on further strengthening its financial position, with the targeted reduction in gross debt expected to provide additional balance sheet flexibility.

Perpetual share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Perpetual shares have declined 15%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has rise 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Perpetual to acquire Interfi majority stake; debt reduction underway appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Atlas Arteria reiterates ‘reject’ on IFM bid, maintains 2026 distribution guidance
• Megaport completes $518m institutional entitlement offer
• Monadelphous Group wins $380m energy contract
• Meridian Energy: draft approval for Lake PÅ«kaki hydro storage
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

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.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) shares have returned from their trading halt and are racing higher.

In morning trade, the network solutions company’s shares are up 27% to $21.16.

Why are Megaport shares rocketing?

Megaport’s shares have returned to trade on Friday after completing the institutional component of its enormous $827.3 million fully underwritten entitlement offer.

According to the release, the institutional entitlement offer raised gross proceeds of approximately $518 million and will result in the issue of approximately 36.2 million new shares.

These new Megaport shares are being issued at $14.30 per share, which represents a 13.9% discount to its last close price.

Management advised that the institutional entitlement offer attracted strong demand from eligible institutional shareholders, with a take-up rate of approximately 99%. The balance of approximately 1% was allocated to eligible institutional shareholders who bid for new shares over their entitlements.

‘Game on!’

The company’s CEO, Michael Reid, was very pleased with the outcome of the institutional entitlement offer. He said:

This exceptional outcome reflects the strong support of our institutional shareholders and their confidence in our strategy. By combining Megaport’s global footprint of more than 1,100 data centres in 31 countries with Latitude.sh’s platform capabilities, we are building a Globally-Distributed AI Inference Cloud designed to support AI at global scale. We now look forward to our retail shareholders having the same opportunity to participate on a pro rata basis. We’re just getting started. Game on!”

Why is it raising funds?

Earlier this week, Megaport revealed that it secured four new AI infrastructure contracts with combined Total Contract Value (TCV) of approximately $458.9 million.

It noted that these contracts support AI inference workloads and require approximately $369.5 million of capital expenditure, primarily for high-performance NVIDIA GPUs, network, and storage infrastructure.

Megaport intends to establish an on-demand GPU Pool, supported by $350 million of investment, providing enterprise customers with access to AI infrastructure through both contracted and consumption-based commercial models.

Management highlights that these latest contracts bring the compute division pro forma annualised recurring revenue (ARR) to $385.2 million, with strategic contracts contributing $747.8 million of TCV and $301.3 million of ARR. This means the combined group pro forma ARR increases to $662.9 million.

Reid commented:

The contracts announced today reflect the accelerating demand for globally-distributed AI inference infrastructure. Megaport’s software-provisioned compute, network, and storage platform positions us strongly to meet that demand. The proceeds from the Entitlement Offer will enable us to fulfil contracted customer demand while building an on-demand GPU Pool that creates new opportunities across enterprise and sovereign AI markets globally.

AI inference is becoming a global infrastructure challenge, not simply a GPU problem. As AI adoption accelerates, organisations need seamless access to GPUs, CPUs, storage, and the connectivity that powers them. Megaport is built to deliver it all.

The post ‘Game on!’ Why Megaport shares are rocketing 27% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Megaport completes $518m institutional entitlement offer
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Up 148% since April, should I still buy Megaport shares today?
• How high does Macquarie think Megaport shares will go?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Megaport. 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.

Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG) shares are having a tough finish to the week.

In morning trade on Friday, the ASX 200 gold stock is down 14% to $1.03.

Why is this ASX 200 gold stock sinking?

Investors have been selling the ASX 200 gold stock after it released an operational update for its Syama Gold Mine in Mali.

According to the release, production during the second quarter of FY 2026 has been impacted by logistical and supply chain disruptions.

These disruptions developed over the past four weeks following significant security challenges in Mali during late April and May.

As a result, Resolute now expects Syama’s second-quarter gold production to be around 30,000 ounces. This is well short of its original expectation of 40,000 ounces to 45,000 ounces.

While the company has not withdrawn its full-year guidance, it now expects Syama production to be around the lower end of its 195,000 ounces to 210,000 ounces guidance range in FY 2026.

That guidance disappointment appears to be weighing heavily on Resolute Mining shares today.

What went wrong?

The main issue has been delays in receiving key equipment needed to mine higher-grade sulphide ore zones within the A21 open pit.

Resolute said this was due to road insecurity in parts of Mali.

There have also been issues underground, where grades have been lower than expected. This was blamed on intermittent blasting performance and temporary disruption to explosives supply following the recent security situation.

Because of this, the sulphide mill feed has relied more heavily on lower-grade stockpiles.

Adding to the disruption, Resolute has deferred a planned three-week shutdown of the sulphide plant and roaster from May to mid-June. It has also extended the shutdown by one week to complete additional preventative maintenance work.

What is Resolute doing about it?

The ASX 200 gold stock has taken a range of actions across mining, processing, and planning to support operational continuity.

This includes working with open pit contractors to ensure equipment is delivered by the end of the maintenance shutdown.

Resolute is also increasing underground development capacity, securing additional operators, and accelerating open pit mining to access higher-grade fresh ore.

The good news is the company expects production to improve as access to higher-grade ore is restored and the security situation stabilises.

Commenting on the news, the ASX 200 gold stock’s CEO, Chris Eger, said:

Recent performance at Syama has been below expectations despite the significant changes implemented in Mali. These issues are well understood, and our focus is on stabilising operations and restoring consistent performance.

Importantly, the broader business continues to perform well. The Company remains cash generative, supporting ongoing investment in growth, including the Doropo development, which continues to progress to plan.

It isn’t all bad news

There was better news elsewhere in the portfolio.

Resolute said production from stockpile processing at the Mako operation in Senegal remains on track with full-year guidance.

Construction of the Doropo Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire also remains on schedule.

However, this was clearly not enough to offset the disappointment at Syama.

The post Guess which ASX 200 gold stock is crashing 14% on guidance disappointment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why has the gold price fallen 17% since the Iran war began?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 2 super-cheap ASX 200 shares tipped to bounce back
• 4 ASX 200 shares tipped to climb 75% to 126% higher

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 Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price is in focus today after the company announced it has successfully completed the institutional component of its A$827.3 million entitlement offer, raising about A$518 million and attracting around 99% take-up from eligible institutional shareholders.

What did Megaport report?

• Raised gross proceeds of approximately A$518 million from the Institutional Entitlement Offer
• Issued around 36.2 million new fully paid ordinary shares at A$14.30 per share
• 99% take-up rate among eligible institutional shareholders
• The full entitlement offer (institutional and retail) aims to raise A$827.3 million in total
• Retail Entitlement Offer expected to raise approximately A$309 million

What else do investors need to know?

Megaport’s entitlement offer is part of the company’s broader capital management strategy, supporting its global growth plans and strategic combination with the Latitude.sh platform. The newly raised funds will help strengthen Megaport’s balance sheet and invest in the expansion of its AI inference cloud capabilities across more than 1,100 data centres in 31 countries.

The institutional offer saw nearly all eligible shareholders take part, with surplus demand covering the small unallocated portion. The retail offer, which follows at the same offer price and ratio, opens on 11 June 2026 for eligible retail shareholders in Australia and New Zealand.

What’s next for Megaport?

Megaport plans to proceed with the retail offer phase, giving retail shareholders the same chance to invest at the institutional offer price. Funds raised are expected to drive the company’s strategic ambitions, including further scaling its cloud and AI infrastructure offering and strengthening its position in global connectivity.

Eligible retail shareholders can apply for additional new shares if there’s a shortfall, subject to scale-back at the company’s discretion. Normal trading for new institutional shares begins 15 June 2026, while retail shares start trading 7 July 2026.

Megaport share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Megaport share have risen 20%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Megaport completes $518m institutional entitlement offer appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Atlas Arteria reiterates ‘reject’ on IFM bid, maintains 2026 distribution guidance
• Perpetual to acquire Interfi majority stake; debt reduction underway
• ‘Game on!’ Why Megaport shares are rocketing 27% today
• Monadelphous Group wins $380m energy contract
• Meridian Energy: draft approval for Lake PÅ«kaki hydro storage

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 positions in and has recommended Megaport. 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 biggest initial public offering in history – the US$75 billion SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) raise – is now open for share applications, and Australians can get in on the action, but they’ll have to move fast.

The company’s shares are scheduled to start trading on the NASDAQ Exchange in the US on June 12, and at the US$135 issue price, the company will be valued at about US$1.75 trillion.

Local offer has opened

Australian investors can apply for shares in the SpaceX IPO through CommSec, which just yesterday updated its trading site to say it is now accepting applications.

The broker said:

CommSec is acting as the Lead Australian Retail Broker to the Australian Offer. CommSec is expected to receive an allocation of Shares for CommSec clients who are Australian residents. The Australian Offer is being made under an Australian prospectus that was lodged with ASIC on 4 June 2026.

Applications for SpaceX shares are due by 5pm on 10 June, but CommSec warns it may close applications early.

Investors applying through CommSec also need an international shares account with the broker.  

Historic wealth creation

The SpaceX IPO looks set to cement Elon Musk’s status as the richest man on earth, and aligns with his ambition to send humans to Mars.

The SpaceX prospectus reads in parts more like a science fiction to-do list than a business document, saying, for example, “Our mission is to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars”.

A more down-to-earth bridge the company will need to cross at some stage is achieving profitability, with only one of its three divisions currently operating in the black.

The company comprises the space, connectivity, and AI divisions, with only connectivity at this stage turning a profit.

SpaceX overall posted a US$2.59 billion loss on revenue of US$18.7 billion in 2025. For the first three months of 2026, the Space division lost US$662 million, the AI division lost US$2.47 billion, and the connectivity division made a profit of US$1.19 billion.

Investors will also need to be comfortable with Mr Musk controlling the company with little real oversight from anyone else, with his 82.4% shareholding in the voting stock of the company virtually guaranteeing full control.

Mr Musk is named as “founder, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technical Officer and Chairman of our board” in the prospectus.

The post Australians can now apply for shares in the SpaceX IPO. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 compelling reasons to buy Origin Energy shares today
• How to become rich by investing in ASX shares
• Atlas Arteria reiterates ‘reject’ on IFM bid, maintains 2026 distribution guidance
• Perpetual to acquire Interfi majority stake; debt reduction underway
• ‘Game on!’ Why Megaport shares are rocketing 27% today

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 fell 1.35% to 8,785.70 points yesterday.

The market is in the red overall this week, down 0.3% since Monday, amid no progress on a peace deal in the Middle East.

Tough economic news has also weighed on ASX 200 shares this week.

Gross domestic product (GDP) lifted just 0.3% in the March quarter, with annual growth now at 2.5%, according to the Bureau of Statistics. 

Additionally, the Fair Work Commission ordered a 4.75% lift to award wages, which will add to company’s labour costs.

On top of that, businesses are trying to understand the impact of proposed changes to capital gains tax (CGT) in the Federal Budget.

The share market sure is volatile this year, and year to date, we have seen a 0.5% decline in the value of the ASX 200 overall.

Now, let’s take a look at some fresh buy, hold, and sell calls from the experts.

IPD Group Ltd (ASX: IPG)

The IPD Group share price fell 0.49% to $6.17 yesterday. The stock is 51% higher over the past six months.

Shaw and Partners has a buy rating on this ASX 200 industrials share.

The broker comments:

IPD Group Ltd (ASX:IPG) provided an FY26 trading update that included circa 19% growth in EBIT, including 10% growth ex the Platinum Cables acquisition.

Though this was a very solid result, FactSet consensus sat marginally above the top end of guidance and the IPG share price had rallied almost 26% over the past month leading into this trading update.

IPG remains exposed to strong tailwinds that include expenditure on electrification and data centres. 

Shaw & Partners increased its price target on the electrical products and services company from $5.35 to $5.85 per share.

This implies a 5% downside from here.

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

The Kogan share price closed at $4.16, down 1.32% yesterday and up 24% over six months.

Bell Potter has a hold rating on this ASX consumer discretionary share.

This week, the broker lifted its 12-month price target from $3.80 to $4.20.

This implies the stock is fully valued already.

The broker said:

While KGN has seen beats in both 1H and 2H to-date, we remain cautious on the FY27 period across our overall Consumer Discretionary
coverage to see some downside risk to the current growth rate in optimising for EBITDA margins within KGN’s target range of 8-12% in a challenging and competitive e-commerce landscape.

We continue to view EBITDA margins as highly sensitive to the investment into sustaining the GS/customer/subscriber growth.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

The Rio Tinto share price closed Thursday’s session at $194.47, down 3.29% yesterday and up 36% over six months.

Rio Tinto and other ASX 200 iron ore shares, such as BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG), fell heavily yesterday on news of significantly higher production at Simandou.

The Simandou project in Africa is the world’s largest untapped, high-grade iron ore deposit.

It is majority-owned by Chinese interests, but Rio Tinto has a stake.

Simandou began producing iron ore six months ago and is expected to significantly add to global supply once fully ramped up.

While higher production bodes well for Rio Tinto, it also increases global supply, which can negatively impact the iron ore price.

The iron ore price is currently at a 7-week low of US$103.71 per tonne.

RBC Capital reiterated its sell rating on Rio Tinto shares with a $143 target on Wednesday.

This suggests a near 25% downside ahead.

The post Buy, hold, sell: IPD, Kogan, Rio Tinto shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• China’s PMI data beat forecasts. Investors should be looking at these ASX resource stocks
• $10,000 invested in Rio Tinto shares 12 months ago is now worth…
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Top 10 ASX shares bought and sold by investors in May
• 5 ASX shares set to soar 40% to 80% in 12 months: experts

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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 Ipd Group and Kogan.com. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Ipd Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Kogan.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) share price is in focus today after the company secured a major $380 million construction contract with CS Energy for the Brigalow Peaking Power Plant. The award underscores Monadelphous’ strengthening role in Australia’s energy transition and involves the installation of 12 aeroderivative gas turbine units with a 400 MW combined capacity.

What did Monadelphous report?

• Secured a $380 million construction contract with CS Energy
• Project involves installing 12 gas turbine generator units, totalling 400 MW capacity
• Contract expected to be completed by early 2029
• Workforce to peak at around 300 people during construction
• Focus on local employment and supplier opportunities

What else do investors need to know?

The Brigalow Peaking Power Plant, near Chinchilla in Queensland, is designed to deliver power to more than 150,000 homes during periods of peak electricity demand. Monadelphous’ contract covers both construction and minor engineering packages, with operations set to start in the second half of this year.

The company has highlighted its commitment to supporting local communities by forecasting significant workforce participation and supply engagement from the region. This contract further diversifies Monadelphous’ energy sector exposure, complementing its strong track record in large-scale infrastructure.

What’s next for Monadelphous?

Work on the Brigalow plant will commence later this year and is expected to continue through early 2029. As Monadelphous delivers this significant project, the company is positioned to benefit from ongoing demand for new energy infrastructure, especially as Australia transitions towards a more flexible and renewable-powered grid.

The company’s strategic focus on supporting key sectors like energy and infrastructure could see further contract awards. Ongoing execution and community engagement will be crucial for future growth and shareholder returns.

Monadelphous share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Monadelphous shares have risen 76%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Monadelphous Group wins $380m energy contract appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Meridian Energy: draft approval for Lake PÅ«kaki hydro storage
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why is the ASX 200 being smashed today?
• Treasury Wine Estates kicks off 2026 Investor Day with a renewed transformation plan

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.

The Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) share price is focus today after the company received draft approval to ease access restrictions on Lake PÅ«kaki hydro storage and to install permanent protective works at PÅ«kaki Dam.

What did Meridian Energy report?

• Received draft approval from the Fast-track Panel to temporarily ease access restrictions on Lake PÅ«kaki hydro storage for three years
• Approval includes the right to access water stored between 518 and 513 metres above sea level in specific conditions
• Draft approval granted for the permanent installation of rock armouring at PÅ«kaki Dam to help manage wave erosion risks
• The panel’s final decision is anticipated by 3 July 2026

What else do investors need to know?

Meridian has indicated it will phase in the new access by treating half of the additional storage as only available when there’s an elevated risk to electricity supply, in response to community feedback and the currently positive hydro outlook for winter 2026.

The company plans to engage further with key electricity industry stakeholders throughout 2026 to ensure storage access aligns with industry and community interests.

This draft approval aligns with Meridian’s ongoing commitment to both reliable supply and environmental stewardship. The approval to strengthen the PÅ«kaki Dam is intended to safeguard its resilience during periods of lower water levels.

What’s next for Meridian Energy?

The Fast-track Panel is expected to release its final decision by 3 July 2026. If confirmed, Meridian will proceed with its plan to cautiously access additional hydro storage while maintaining robust conversations with industry stakeholders.

Meridian’s ongoing focus remains on reliable and sustainable electricity generation, and the company anticipates further community and industry consultation as the new storage access protocols are developed.

Meridian Energy share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Meridian Energy shares have risen 4%, running slightly ahead of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Meridian Energy: draft approval for Lake PÅ«kaki hydro storage appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Monadelphous Group wins $380m energy contract
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why is the ASX 200 being smashed today?
• Treasury Wine Estates kicks off 2026 Investor Day with a renewed transformation plan

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.

The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has gained a tepid 1.67% over the past 12 months, but don’t blame this rocketing ASX All Ords silver share. 

The fast-rising miner in question is Unico Silver Ltd (ASX: USL).

Despite closing down 4.20% on Thursday to 68.5 cents a share as investors fretted over the renewed attacks in the Middle East, the Unico Silver share price remains up 163% since this time last year.

Part of that stellar performance has been spurred by the surging silver price.

On Thursday, silver was trading for US$73.42 an ounce. That sees the silver price up a whopping 112.8% since 4 June 2025.

And Unico Silver has hardly been sitting on its laurels over this time.

Here’s why Medallion Financial Group’s Philippe Bui expects the Aussie miner to keep outperforming in the months ahead (courtesy of The Bull).

Should I buy the ASX All Ords silver share today?

“This silver explorer is advancing high grade deposits in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province,” Bui said.

Bui sounded a bullish note on Unico Silver’s recent update on its Joaquin project. He said:

The Joaquin project recently delivered a 143% resource increase to 167 million ounces of silver equivalent since acquiring it in October 2024. The latest update was achieved from just 27,723 metres of drilling at a discovery cost of 11 US cents per ounce.

Then there’s the outlook for ongoing strength in global silver prices.

“Silver demand is structurally supported by solar, electrification and green technology, giving USL direct leverage to a rising commodity,” Bui said.

Summarising his buy recommendation on the ASX All Ords silver share, Bui concluded, “With the resource growing rapidly and development progressing, the investment case is building.”

What did Unico Silver management say on the Joaquin upgrade?

Unico Silver shares closed up 9.2% on 7 May following the company’s Joaquin exploration update. Shares gained another 11.5% the following day.

Commenting on the strong results boosting the ASX All Ords silver share, Unico Silver managing director Todd Williams said:

We continue to see strong and consistent drilling results across the Joaquin district, with mineralisation now extending beyond the March 2026 Mineral Resource across multiple prospects.

At Breccia Puntudo, the latest results represent the highest grades recorded to date and reinforce the potential of this structure as a key source of high-grade feed for the upcoming PFS [pre-feasibility study].

Importantly, mineralisation remains open along the 3.5-kilometre trend, with clear upside through further definition of high-grade shoots.

The post Up 160% in a year, why this ASX All Ords silver share is tipped to keep outperforming 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.