Author: openjargon

Iron ore magnate Gina Rinehart has invested $8.7 million into copper explorer White Cliff Minerals Ltd (ASX: WCN), sending its shares more than 20% higher.

Major investment to drive exploration

Ms Rinehart’s company, Hancock Prospecting, has acquired the stake via a private placement, which constitutes about 13.5% of White Cliff’s shares on issue.

The money raised via the placement will be used to expand and accelerate the company’s exploration activities at the Rae copper project.

White Cliff’s Managing Director, Troy Whittaker, said:

Hancock Prospecting’s decision to invest is a major milestone for White Cliff and powerful third-party validation of what we are building at Rae. We have spent the past two seasons demonstrating that Rae can deliver exceptional grades across a mineralised system with genuine district-scale potential. The timing could not be more compelling. Copper prices have reached record highs, supply is tightening and global demand continues to grow. The search for large, high-quality new copper discoveries has rarely been more important, and we believe Rae has the potential to become one of them.

Mr Whittaker said the money would help accelerate drilling at the Danvers one deposit, “aggressively test the scale” of Danvers two and three, and advance exploration across the broader area.

He added:

We are still at an early stage in understanding the full scale of this system, but the results to date demand an ambitious program, and that is exactly what we now intend to deliver.

The issue of shares to Hancock Prospecting is subject to shareholder approval. White Cliff intends to hold a meeting in mid-October to hold a vote on the placement.  

White Cliff shares traded as high as 2.1 cents on the news before settling back to be 17.7% higher at 2 cents.

The company is valued at $56.2 million.

Recent results are promising

White Cliff in early September released new drilling results, including an intersection of 6.18% copper over a length of 23 metres from drill hole DAN26036 at the Danvers three discovery.

Mr Whittaker said of the results:

DAN26036 is exactly the type of result we want from step-out drilling. More than 220m from DAN26012, it has delivered 23m at 6.18% Cu, including 3.90m at 16.45% Cu and a new Danvers record assay of 23.5% Cu – Assays that demonstrate thick and high-grade continuity of the copper mineralisation. The high-grade zone remains open, with another 248m still untested towards the next drillhole in the southwest.

The post A Gina Rinehart investment has fired up this ASX copper stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Westpac, ANZ, NAB or CBA shares? Which ASX bank stock should I buy for $5,000 a year in passive income?
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• Worried about a recession? These ASX shares would be just fine
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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.

If you’re looking to bank an extra $5,000 a year in passive income, should you buy National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), or Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares?

All of the big four S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stocks have a lengthy history of paying twice-yearly dividends. But there are some marked differences in both the yields you might expect, as well as the level of franking credits you may receive.

We’ll look at the past year’s share price moves and passive income payouts from CBA, NAB, ANZ, and Westpac shares below.

Just bear in mind that the yields you generally see quoted are trailing yields. Future yields may be higher or lower depending on a range of macroeconomic and company-specific factors.

With that in mind…

Tapping the ASX 200 banks for $5,000 in passive income

Kicking off with the biggest ASX 200 bank stock, CBA shares closed on Monday trading for $154.97 each. That sees the CBA share price down 8.3% over the last 12 months.

On the passive income front, CBA paid (or shortly will pay) two fully-franked dividends totalling $5.05 a share over the full year. CBA shares trade ex-dividend on 19 August. Eligible stockholders will receive the final dividend on 29 September.

At Monday’s closing price, then, CBA trades on a fully-franked dividend yield of 3.3%.

Moving on, NAB shares closed yesterday at $38.72 each, putting the NAB share price down 11.6% over 12 months.

Over the time, NAB paid two fully-franked dividends totalling $1.70 a share. This sees NAB trading on a fully-franked dividend yield of 4.4%.

Next up, ANZ shares ended Monday trading for $37.54. Unlike the other big four ASX 200 bank stocks, ANZ shares have gained 13.8% over the past 12 months. Over this period, ANZ paid two dividends (franked at 70% and 75%), totalling $1.66 a share.

At Monday’s close, ANZ shares trade on a partly franked dividend yield of 4.4%.

And last up, Westpac shares closed on Monday at $34.53 each, which sees the ASX bank stock down 10.9% over 12 months.

As for that passive income, Westpac paid two fully-franked dividends over the full year, totalling $1.54 a share. Westpac stock trades on a fully-franked 4.5% trailing dividend yield.

Which ASX 200 bank stock to buy?

While all four ASX 200 banks offer reliable dividend payments, Westpac is well ahead of CBA and edges out ANZ and NAB shares with the best yield. And it provides full franking credits.

For $5,000 a year in passive income, based on the trailing yield, you’d need to buy 3,247 Westpac shares today.

The post Westpac, ANZ, NAB or CBA shares? Which ASX bank stock should I buy for $5,000 a year in passive income? 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.

The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price is in focus today as the gold miner outlined its long-term plan to deliver sector-leading margins and future growth, supported by higher copper exposure and a robust project pipeline.

What did Evolution Mining report?

• FY27 production guidance: 660,000–730,000 ounces of gold, 63,000–70,000 tonnes of copper.
• All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) guidance: $1,795–$1,995 per ounce.
• Portfolio reserve life: 17 years on average, with a target of up to 8 assets in Tier 1 regions.
• Industry-leading EBITDA margins, driven by high-margin copper and gold assets.
• Investment-grade balance sheet and strong cash generation to fund growth.

What else do investors need to know?

Evolution Mining highlighted several growth projects across its portfolio, including developments at Cowal, Ernest Henry, and Northparkes. The company is focusing on expanding copper production, with mill upgrades and exploration in progress to support future output.

Evolution remains disciplined with capital management, emphasising sustainable cash flows and returns to shareholders through the cycle. Exploration success has extended mine life and resource base across existing and greenfield assets, supporting ongoing value creation.

What did Evolution Mining management say?

Lawrie Conway, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer said:

Today’s investor briefing will demonstrate why Evolution’s portfolio has significant growth options available that can support sustainable returns for multi-decades. Our long-life high-margin assets, significant and growing copper exposure, and a robust balance sheet, gives confidence in our ability to generate sustainable cash flows, invest in future growth, and create lasting value for shareholders.

What’s next for Evolution Mining?

Looking ahead, Evolution Mining plans to ramp up production from its new and existing operations while maintaining a focus on margin over sheer output. Projects such as the Cowal underground, Ernest Henry’s Bert expansion, and Northparkes mill upgrade are set to drive further growth in gold and copper production.

The company’s strategy centres on disciplined investment in Tier 1 assets, sustainable cost management, and leveraging copper demand to deliver long-term, stable returns to shareholders.

Evolution Mining share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Evolution Mining shares have risen 44%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has declined 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Evolution Mining reveals copper-driven growth and sector-leading margins 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.

At the current Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK) share price, investors can grab a bargain and get a much larger dividend yield.

When a share price falls, it can significantly boost the dividend yield on offer. When a share price falls 10%, the yield is boosted by 10%. For example, if the business has a dividend yield of 5% and the share price falls 10%, the dividend yield becomes 5.5%.

But the Nick Scali share price has fallen much further. In the past year, it has dropped 41%. That has had a big impact on the potential dividend payout in the coming years.

We shouldn’t just think of Nick Scali as a cash-paying machine, but it has impressive passive income credentials. So, before getting to the earnings growth part, let’s look at the potential dividend payments from the business.

Dividend credentials

Nick Scali has been paying dividends to shareholders for more than 13 years. Most years in the past decade or so have seen the company increase its payout, though that’s not always going to happen.

In FY26, the business did increase its annual dividend per share by 30% to 78 cents. That translates into a current grossed-up dividend yield of 8.1% at the time of writing, including franking credits.

However, difficult trading conditions could mean that the business isn’t able to maintain its payout in FY27. It’s currently projected to pay an annual dividend of 65.7 cents – that currently translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.8%, including franking credits.

Following that, the projection suggests that the business could pay an annual dividend per share of 74.2 cents in FY28 and 84.3 cents in FY29. That translates into forward grossed-up dividend yields of 7.7% and 8.7%, including franking credits, respectively.

On the dividends alone, I think Nick Scali can provide good passive income returns.

Store network growth potential

I think that Nick Scali is a great furniture retailer, and it still has plenty of growth potential left by expanding its global store network.

At July 2026, it had 114 stores in Australia and New Zealand across its Nick Scali and Plush store networks. The business thinks it could reach between 180 and 200 stores across ANZ in the long term. That implies growth of between 58% and 75% in the long term.

Its UK store network was 18 stores as of July 2026, but management currently thinks the UK network could reach between 60 and 70 stores, representing a possible rise of at least 230% from where it is right now.

Adding more stores could bring significant benefits in the years ahead.

Rising profit margins

I believe one of the best reasons to like Nick Scali shares is because I expect its profit margins to increase, particularly thanks to the UK.

In FY26, Nick Scali said its revenue grew 4.3% to $516.7 million, and the gross profit margin improved 2.1 percentage points to 65.6%, helping net profit after tax (NPAT) grow by 22.1% to $75.7 million.

The UK market is seeing top-selling ANZ items perform well in the UK, which I think bodes well for other Nick Scali products in that market. The UK gross profit margin improved by 13.2 percentage points to 60.3%, which is a huge increase in just one year.

Even if revenue doesn’t grow a huge amount, rising profit margins could make a big difference to the bottom line in the years ahead.

I think the Nick Scali share price is a buy, not just for the dividend yield, but also for the potential bounce-back after the current challenging retail conditions.

The post Is the Nick Scali share price a buy for its 7% dividend yield? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 recommended Nick Scali. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

There aren’t too many economic indicators out there right now that indicate that the health of the global economy is tip-top. Inflation across the world remains elevated, oil prices are back over US$100 a barrel, and government debt, particularly in the United States, continues to balloon at an arguably unsustainable rate. I’m not saying that all of this means a recession is on the horizon. But it does, at least in my view, indicate that investors should keep their wits about them over (at least) the rest of 2026.

If you are an investor who is worried about a recession, you might want to focus your investing energy on ASX shares that arguably thrive in all kinds of economic weather. That doesn’t mean that these ASX shares won’t see potentially severe price impacts if there is a recession or stock market crash, of course. But it does mean that the underlying fundamentals of these companies would be relatively unaffected if the worst were to happen.

So with that in mind, here are two ASX shares whose earnings should prove to be a veritable fortress if the global economic weather does take a turn for the worse.

2 ASX shares to ride out a recession

First up, we have ASX 200 telco Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS). Telstra is a company we all know and may or may not love. What we can say with certainty is that Telstra continues to enjoy a status as Australia’s largest and most popular telco. The company boasts what is almost universally regarded as the best mobile network in the country. That’s a moat that allows Telstra to keep many customers in-house and competitors at bay.

The beauty of Telstra’s business model is that it is highly resistant to recessions, inflation, and other economic maladies. Most of us would give up a lot before our mobile phones and internet connections if times got tougher. Telstra’s earnings were unaffected by the COVID recession, and I expect them to emerge from the next economic downturn, whenever that may occur, largely unscathed.

Next, let’s talk about Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). Coles is another stock we’d all know well. It is the second-largest supermarket chain operator in the country, and also owns the Liquorland bottle shop chain. Coles shares many of the same attributes as Telstra. It is highly defensive (we all need to eat, drink, and stock our households), for one. For another, it is resistant to inflation, given it is one of the lowest-cost providers of those consumer staples on the market.

As such, I wouldn’t expect to see much in the way of earnings impacts if bad economic weather hits the Australian economy. Coles’ hefty, fully-franked dividend (which the company has increased every year since 2018) provides some further certainty to investors.

The post Worried about a recession? These ASX shares would be just fine appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX small-cap shares are often some of the most exciting ideas to buy because of how they may be undervalued relative to their potential.

Many of the largest companies have reached a mature stage where revenue growth is now fairly subdued. Smaller companies are much earlier on in their growth journey, so there’s much more compounding potential for earnings to grow in the future.

The business I’m going to highlight today is Beacon Lighting Group Ltd (ASX: BLX). It’s one of the top picks inside the investment portfolio of WAM Microcap Ltd (ASX: WMI), a listed investment company (LIC) that targets some of the smallest ASX stocks to generate returns for shareholders.

The WAM investment team recently highlighted why they think the business is an opportunity.

Accelerating sales momentum for the ASX small-cap share

The Beacon Lighting share price has taken a bit of a beating in recent times; it’s down by 42% over the past year, at the time of writing.

At this lower price, it could be undervalued, and WAM is attracted to the specialist residential and commercial lighting retailer.

In August 2026, the Beacon Lighting share price rose strongly (up 18.7%) after the release of its FY26 results.

That 2026 annual report showed record underlying sales of $340.3 million and continued momentum across its growing trade division.

FY26 trade sales grew by 14.5% during the year and represented more than 43% of relevant sales, which highlighted the “success of the company’s strategy to expand its exposure to commercial customers”.

The WAM investment team also noted that the Beacon Lighting share price responded positively to accelerating sales momentum, with comparable store sales increasing 7.1% in the fourth quarter of FY26.

Wilson Asset Management said that this momentum has continued into the start of the 2027 financial year.

The fund managers and analysts overseeing WAM Microcap remain positive on Beacon Lighting Group’s outlook, citing its strong balance sheet and multiple growth opportunities, including store expansion, digital initiatives, and increased trade penetration.

What is the Beacon Lighting valuation?

According to the projection on CMC Invest, the ASX small-cap share is valued at 14 times FY27’s estimated earnings. The business is also projected to pay an annual dividend that equates to a dividend yield of 4.25% excluding franking credits and 6.1% including franking credits.

The forecast on CMC Invest suggests the business could see further earnings growth in FY28, with potentially 10% profit growth. The dividend could also increase again.

At those valuations, I can see why WAM thinks the ASX small-cap share is a compelling buy.

The post An ASX small-cap share to buy for its bright future appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Wam Microcap. 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 Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) share price is in focus after the company reported national hydro storage rising to 155% of average and total August generation up 21.1% on last year.

What did Meridian Energy report?

• National hydro storage at 155% of historical average by 7 September 2026 (from 128% a month prior)
• South Island storage reached 178% of average; North Island storage fell to 79% of average
• August 2026 generation was 1,432 GWh, up 21.1% year on year
• Meridian’s August inflows were 145% of average, supported by wet conditions in the South Island
• Retail sales volumes in August dropped 4.7% compared to the same month last year
• Average generation price received fell 62.3% year on year in August

What else do investors need to know?

August saw record peak electricity demand in New Zealand, with Meridian and its peers supporting the grid through strong renewable generation and battery systems. Despite the headline drop in retail volumes, large business segment sales climbed by 5.1% compared to August 2025.

The company’s hydro catchments remain healthy, with Waitaki storage at 161% of historical levels and Waiau at 172% by month’s end. El Niño conditions are strengthening, which may mean drier conditions overall, but could also bring extra rainfall to the hydro catchments.

What did Meridian Energy management say?

Chief Executive Mike Roan said:

We and the sector comfortably met that demand peak in early August, through high renewable generation and the system benefits of North Island batteries. It was another sign of a system that’s performing extremely well.

El Niño conditions continued to strengthen through August, and are building further, supporting Meridian’s high winter-end storage levels. While El Niño may bring dry conditions, particularly in eastern regions, it can also bring increased rainfall to our hydro catchments, so we’re optimistic of maintaining strong hydro storage through the summer.

What’s next for Meridian Energy?

Looking ahead, Meridian expects its high hydro storage to provide flexibility heading into summer, even as El Niño weather patterns develop. The company continues to monitor regional rainfall closely while keeping an eye on electricity demand and market pricing.

Ongoing investments in hydro and wind capacity, as well as battery infrastructure, should help Meridian stay resilient and adaptable in New Zealand’s changing energy landscape.

Meridian Energy share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Meridian Energy shares have declined 14%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has declined 1% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Meridian Energy reports record hydro storage and August generation growth 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.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares may be a compelling pick for dividends for the foreseeable future.

Banks can be useful for passive income because they often offer a generous dividend payout ratio and trade at a relatively low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio compared to other sectors.

NAB’s dividend yield is typically materially higher than that of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), making NAB more appealing.

We’re going to take a look at how big the NAB dividend could be in the coming period and what it would take to generate $9,000 of passive income.

NAB dividend projection

The ASX bank share has provided investors with a steady, slightly growing dividend over the last few years. The bank’s consistent dividends have been pleasing, and analysts expect further solid payouts.

According to Commsec’s projection, the business is expected to pay an annual dividend of $1.72 per share in FY27, a 1.2% year-over-year increase from FY26.

Dividend growth isn’t guaranteed, but I think any growth is attractive in the current economic climate. Credit growth looks more challenging amid the Australian taxation changes and higher interest rates.

The biggest portion of NAB’s earnings comes from lending to businesses. However, a weaker economic environment can be challenging for that segment.

If NAB does pay an annual dividend per share of $1.72 in FY27, that would be a dividend yield of 4.5% excluding franking credits and 6.3% including franking credits.

That’s more passive income than what an Australian could get from a term deposit.

Let’s take a look at what it would take to unlock $9,000 of annual passive income by owning NAB shares throughout FY27.

$9,000 passive income from the ASX bank shares

If investors are willing to own enough NAB shares, it could lead to significant passive income from the ASX bank share.

To generate $9,000 of passive income from NAB, if it pays $1.72 per share, an investor would need to own 5,233 NAB shares for that level of passive income cash.

However, if we also include franking credits in the income goal, an investor would need to own only 3,663 NAB shares.

NAB is certainly a potential option for dividends, but is the NAB share price actually an attractive opportunity?

According to the Commsec collation of analyst recommendations, there are currently 16 ratings. Four of them are a sell, nine of them are a hold and three are a buy rating.

Therefore, it seems like there are better ASX share opportunities out there worth choosing first.

The post How many NAB shares do I need to buy for $9,000 of passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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.

Oil prices have already had a huge year in 2026.

But Goldman Sachs reckons they could still go a fair bit higher.

The investment bank says Brent crude could rise above US$120 a barrel in early 2027 if problems across the Middle East continue.

Brent is trading at around US$106 a barrel on Tuesday morning, up roughly 57% over the past year.

A big part of that rise has come as attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea continue to make it harder to get oil out of the region.

And Goldman Sachs thinks prices could stay high for quite some time.

Why could oil reach US$120?

A lot comes down to how quickly Gulf oil supply can recover.

Goldman Sachs believes Brent could rise above US$120 if production stays well below pre-conflict levels.

The bank estimates average output next year could still be around 4 million barrels per day below pre-war levels.

Goldman Sachs global commodities co-head Daan Struyven said:

Markets are increasingly pricing a prolonged Mideast conflict.

The intensity and geographical breadth of tanker attacks … will remain a key driver of whether Gulf oil exports recover and how quickly.

And we’re already not that far away.

Crude reached US$109 a barrel last week, its highest level in around 5 months.

China could have a big say in what happens next too.

The country has cut crude imports by around a third while drawing more heavily on its large strategic petroleum reserves.

Goldman Sachs said how long China keeps dipping into those reserves could play a big role in how tight the global oil market becomes.

Why investors should care

Goldman Sachs said LNG markets across Asia and Europe are still tight, with only around 25% to 30% of pre-war Gulf energy exports restored.

If Middle East exports don’t improve, the bank believes global LNG prices could rise by around 55%.

Coal demand is holding up too.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently forecast that global coal demand would rise 1.2% in 2026 to a record 8.94 billion tonnes.

Goldman Sachs said US coal-fired power plants are also closing more slowly than expected, as electricity demand continues to grow.

Where to from here?

If oil stays above US$100 a barrel, Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS), and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could benefit from higher realised prices.

But there is another side to it.

Fuel is a major cost for transport, manufacturing and plenty of other businesses.

If those costs keep rising, some of them will eventually find their way through to consumers.

That could make inflation even harder to bring down, especially if energy costs continue to stay high.

The post Goldman Sachs says oil could surge past US$120. Could this be the next big market shock? 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.

The New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) share price is in focus today after the company reported a significant increase in coal resources, with a 262 million tonne boost at Bengalla Mine and a 151 million tonne rise at New Acland Mine.

What did New Hope report?

• Total coal resources grew to 2.96 billion tonnes as at 31 May 2026, up from 2.55 billion tonnes in 2025
• Bengalla Mine resources increased by 262 million tonnes, including a jump in underground resources from 76Mt to 100Mt
• New Acland Mine resources rose by 151 million tonnes, supported by new drilling and updated geological models
• Total recoverable reserves increased to 844 million tonnes (2025: 818Mt)
• Marketable reserves climbed to 516 million tonnes, compared with 507Mt the previous year

What else do investors need to know?

Recent exploration at Bengalla extended into new Exploration Licences, uncovering additional open cut and underground coal resources. At New Acland, drilling over the past two years within approved pit boundaries enabled a revised, JORC-compliant resource update.

Further mine planning and economic analysis are needed before new Bengalla resources can be converted to reserves. A concept-level study is complete, and pre-feasibility works are ongoing to support Bengalla’s operational life beyond current approvals. Meanwhile, resource and reserve estimates for other New Hope assets were unchanged from last year, as no new exploration was conducted outside the two main operating mines.

What’s next for New Hope?

The company will continue pre-feasibility studies at Bengalla to assess options for extending mining into prospective exploration areas. At New Acland, ongoing data collection and drilling may inform future approvals and potential extensions to the mine’s life.

Management says further resource upgrades could occur with additional exploration and technical work, though future reserve conversions will depend on regulatory approvals and detailed mine planning.

New Hope share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, New Hope shares have risen 44%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has declined 1% over the same period.

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The post New Hope reveals major 2026 coal resource increases 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.