Category: Stock Market

The CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) share price fall has become too big for investors to ignore.

The biotech giant is down another 1.46% to $97.81 on Thursday, taking its one-month decline to about 26%.

Over the past year, the damage is even more severe. CSL shares have fallen roughly 60% since this time last year.

That’s a rare fall for a business long viewed as one of the ASX’s highest-quality healthcare names.

Now, after months of bad news, investors have been given a small but interesting signal from inside the company.

Let’s take a closer look.

Naylor buys after the sell-off

According to the company’s change of director’s interest notice, interim Chief Executive Gordon Naylor bought 1,100 CSL shares on 26 May.

The shares were acquired on-market for $107,800.

It is Naylor’s first on-market share purchase since taking the top job, and it comes after a heavy fall in the CSL share price.

On its own, the purchase isn’t huge for a company of CSL’s size. But after a string of disappointing updates, it’s the kind of move investors are likely to notice.

CSL has just gone through one of the roughest periods in its recent history. The company has cut its outlook, and investors have kept selling after years of weaker share price performance.

While insider buying doesn’t guarantee a turnaround, a senior executive buying shares after a major sell-off can still give investors a reason to look again.

Another director has been buying too

Naylor is not the only CSL director to recently buy shares.

A separate notice shows Non-Executive Director Alison Watkins acquired 2,540 shares on-market earlier this month for $250,595.

Again, the purchase does not change the issues CSL is dealing with. The company still needs to rebuild confidence after a steep share price fall and a difficult run of updates.

But a second director purchase does make the buying much harder to ignore.

What investors are watching next

CSL still has plenty to prove.

The company remains a global healthcare giant, with operations across plasma therapies, vaccines, iron deficiency, nephrology, and other speciality areas.

But the market has stopped giving the stock the benefit of the doubt.

The next few updates will need to show that earnings pressure is stabilising, cash generation remains sound, and the board has a clear leadership plan.

Naylor’s share purchase may get investors looking again. But CSL still needs to prove the worst of the earnings pressure is behind it.

The post After CSL’s 60% share price crash, insiders are starting to buy 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 positions in and has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

WiseTech Global (ASX: WTC) shares have fallen further into the red on Thursday.

At the time of writing, the shares are down around 2% to $36.35 each.

Today’s slide means the beaten-down tech stock is now down close to 47% for the year to date and has crashed just over 66% inside 12 months.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down around 1% this morning but is just over 3% higher than a year ago.

What on earth happened to WiseTech shares?

It’s been a bloodbath for WiseTech shares over the past year, with the tech company hit by multiple and consecutive headwinds which sent its share price tumbling. 

WiseTech was caught up in a tech-sector wide sell-off in late-2025 and early-2026 after investors became concerned about the implications of AI on traditional software models. 

Shortly later, concerns about conflict in the Middle East spooked investors further. Global sharemarket uncertainty saw investors turn their back on high-growth technology stocks like WiseTech and rotate towards more stable assets instead.

Can the tech stock turn its share price around?

WiseTech certainly has a lot of potential.

The company’s CargoWise platform is deeply embedded in the global logistics industry. That means it’s difficult to replace and gives WiseTech a strong competitive advantage in the market.

Investors are also optimistic about the company’s potential to expand further into the global trade market.

And this market dominance was represented in its latest results.

The company’s most recent market update was back in February when it reported its half-year FY26 results and reaffirmed its FY26 guidance.

Highlights from the first half included a 76% year-on-year revenue boost and a 31% increase in reported EBITDA.

On the bottom line, WiseTech reported a 2% increase in underlying NPAT.

The company also recently reaffirmed full-year revenue guidance of between US$1.39 billion and US$1.44 billion. That would represent growth of 79% to 85% for the year. Meanwhile, management forecasts full-year EBITDA in the range of US$550 to US$585 million, up 44% to 53% from FY25.

CEO Zubin Appoo also commented that AI is strengthening the company’s advantage in the market, unlocking efficiency gains and adding value to customers.

The potential for AI to automate manual logistics processes and reduce errors could make WiseTech’s CargoWise platform even more valuable over time.

Where do brokers expect WiseTech shares to go next?

Market Index data shows brokers have a strong buy consensus on WiseTech shares. They tip a potential 123% upside over the next 12 months to an average $81.64 target price, at the time of writing.

The team at Dolphin Partners Financial Services recently named the ASX tech stock as a buy. The broker said it thinks the shares are trading at a deep discount to broker valuations following significant share price weakness.

Bell Potter also has a buy rating on the shares and said it is eagerly awaiting the FY26 results in August. The broker added that, depending on the FY26 results, WiseTech’s FY27 forecast could even prove to be conservative and has the potential to drive renewed confidence and push up its share price. 

The post WiseTech shares crash 66% in 12 months. What’s next? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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 WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in ASX tech company SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR) are charging higher after it announced the launch of a new technology offering.

Easier integration

The hotel commerce platform provider said in a statement to the ASX that it had launched SiteMinder Powered, “enabling, for the first time, selected hospitality technology companies to integrate SiteMinder’s distribution engine directly within their own platforms”.

The company added:

The capability expands how hotels can access SiteMinder’s hotel commerce capabilities at an infrastructure level. While many hotels will continue to use the full SiteMinder platform directly, others will soon be able to access SiteMinder-powered capabilities through the hospitality software systems they already use every day.

SiteMinder said its inaugural partner for the new product was Mews – a hospitality operating system and a long-time partner of SiteMinder.

SiteMinder said regarding the partnership:

Under the new model, Mews will integrate SiteMinder’s distribution engine natively into its platform and make it available to users as ‘Mews Channel Manager – Powered by SiteMinder’. SiteMinder’s Channels Plus, Demand Plus and Dynamic Revenue Plus products will also be included. For hoteliers, the integrated experience has been designed to provide a Mews-native hotel commerce workflow powered by SiteMinder’s distribution engine, which facilitates the movement of rates, availability, inventory, restrictions, reservations and other content across the global hotel demand ecosystem.

SiteMinder Managing Director Sankar Naryan said the new product was a natural evolution of the company’s platform.

He said further:

Over time, we expect more agentic workflows to operate seamlessly across connected hospitality platforms – and, as those workflows become more automated, the infrastructure connecting hotel systems, distribution channels and commerce capabilities becomes more valuable. SiteMinder’s distribution engine has powered hotel commerce for twenty years and today moves over 300 million room nights annually through one of the world’s largest hotel demand ecosystems. Through SiteMinder Powered, we are expanding how that infrastructure is delivered across the hospitality ecosystem, starting with Mews.

Shares piling on the gains

SiteMinder shares were 11.3% higher at $3.36 on the news on Thursday morning. The shares have traded in a wide range over the past 12 months – as high as $7.96 and as low as $2.60.

RBC Capital Markets said in a note to their clients that the new development was neutral for the share price outlook. The broker has a price target of $7 on SiteMinder shares.

RBC said it was positive that Mews had chosen to partner with SiteMinder, and Mews would be incentivised to upsell SiteMinder products under the arrangement.  

SiteMinder is valued at $854.9 million.

The post Why is this ASX tech company surging more than 10% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

If you are in the market for some new additions to your portfolio, then it could pay to listen to what analysts at Morgans are saying.

This morning, the broker named three ASX shares as buys. Here’s what it is recommending to clients:

Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE)

Morgans remains positive on this auto retailer despite the release of a mixed trading update this week.

In response, the broker has retained its buy rating with a reduced price target of $27.25. It said:

APE delivered a mixed AGM update. Key OEM supply constraints tempered 1H26 expectations, with ANZ 1H26 PBT guided flat/slightly ahead yoy (7-11% below cons), while record order intake (>29% ahead of deliveries YTD) and ANZ/CAD acquisition contributions support a robust 2H outlook. We expect guidance may prove conservative, with the group yet to work through the peak May/June trading period (~50% of 1H profit) and supply conditions remaining constrained across key OEMs.

Despite some near-term earnings uncertainty, we continue to view a meaningful structural opportunity across consolidation (AUS/CAD), strategic alliances (Mitsubishi Corporation), used vehicles (EA123) and ongoing NEV leadership. We see recent share price pressure (~18x FY27F PE) as an attractive entry point given the earnings trajectory ahead (CY27F EPS growth ~19%).

Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

Another ASX share that Morgans is positive on is agricultural chemicals company Nufarm.

It was pleased with its half-year results and highlights that the company is on track to deliver strong earnings growth in FY 2026.

As a result, the broker has reiterated its buy rating with a $4.15 price target. It said:

NUF’s 1H26 result was at the higher end of guidance with the company reporting strong earnings growth. Seed Technologies reported a particularly strong result. NUF is on track to deliver strong underlying EBITDA growth in FY26. Pleasingly, the company upgraded its Seed Technology guidance. NUF is our key pick of the ag and chemical sector. The company is materially undervalued and we reiterate our BUY rating with a new price target of A$4.15.

Web Travel Group Ltd (ASX: WEB)

This travel technology company delivered an FY 2026 result ahead of expectations this week.

And while FY 2027 will be impacted by the Middle East conflict, Morgans remains positive.

So much so, it has upgraded this ASX share to a buy rating with a $3.75 price target. It explains:

Given the Middle East conflict affected trading in March, WEB’s FY26 result came in at the lower end of guidance, albeit better than consensus, proving its resilience. Unsurprisingly, WEB’s FY27 update showed that trading has slowed materially given the conflict. Adverse FX has been another headwind. Given the uncertainty, WEB did not provide any formal FY27 earnings guidance. We have made significant downgrades to our forecasts. We assume that the conflict and a subdued consumer environment impacts WEB’s 1H27 (seasonally stronger half), followed by a recovery in the 2H27.

After material share price weakness, we upgrade WEB to a BUY rating. The company is worth materially more than the current share price. We know from past economic and geopolitical events, that after a downturn, travel demand rebounds and so will its earnings and share price.

The post Morgans says these ASX 200 shares are buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Web Travel Group Limited. 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 Eagers Automotive Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.7% today, but don’t blame this outperforming ASX All Ords gold stock.

The outshining stock in question is Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX: NVA).

Nova Minerals shares closed yesterday trading for 67.5 cents. In late morning trade on Thursday, shares are changing hands for 69 cents apiece, up 2.2%.

This sees the Nova Minerals share price up an impressive 115.6% since this time last year, smashing the 3% 12-month gains delivered by the benchmark index.

Here’s what’s catching investor interest today.

ASX All Ords gold stock jumps on big drilling plans

Nova Minerals shares are jumping today after the miner announced its extensive 2026 field season exploration plans.

The diversified ASX All Ords gold stock is preparing to kick off a drilling program of up to 10,000 metres, planning to deploy up to three diamond core rigs across its flagship Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project, located in the US state of Alaska.

The miner said the drilling program will be complemented by extensive regional mapping and surface exploration.

Nova Minerals aims to advance the Estelle Project to Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) stage, noting that pilot-scale antimony production is on track for first production in late 2026 to early 2027.

If you’re unfamiliar with antimony, you’ll often find the silvery metalloid used in batteries and to strengthen other metals, including lead. And, importantly for miners like Nova Minerals, the United States currently has no secure domestic antimony supply.

Indeed, management noted that Nova’s 2026 exploration programs are fully funded, with over $85 million available through cash and US$43.4 million through US Department of War (DoW) award funding.

The ASX All Ords gold stock plans to make the most of the near 24-hours of daylight during the Alaskan summer over a minimum three-month period, noting that its operations are set for continuous drilling seven days a week.

Nova Minerals expects to commence in the coming weeks.

What did Nova Minerals management say?

Commenting on the upcoming drill campaign that’s helping boost the ASX All Ords gold stock today, Nova Minerals CEO Christopher Gerteisen said, “We are excited to commence the 2026 field season, which is expected to represent a major advancement for the Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project.”

Gerteisen added:

The program includes one of the largest drill campaigns undertaken at Estelle to date, targeting both gold resource expansion and antimony development opportunities…

I can report we have already produced antimony metal and military-grade antimony trisulfide at the lab scale from Estelle stibnite ores which is now being assayed and certified.

The post Up 116% in a year, why is this ASX All Ords gold stock leaping higher in Thursday’s sinking market? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Buying Yancoal shares? Here’s why the ASX 200 coal stock is outperforming today
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• Why is this ASX lithium share charging 15% higher today?

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.

ASX tech shares can be volatile, but I think the right businesses can create a lot of value over time.

I am not looking for the most exciting story or the stock with the biggest short-term momentum. I prefer companies that solve real problems, have room to grow, and can become more important to customers over time.

Two ASX tech shares I think could be worth much more by 2030 are named in this article.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

Catapult Sports is one ASX tech share I think has a long runway ahead.

The company provides technology used by elite sporting teams to understand performance, training loads, match preparation, and tactical execution.

What I find interesting is how deeply data has moved into sport.

Professional teams are no longer relying only on what coaches can see from the sideline. They want to know how athletes are moving, how hard they are working, whether training intensity is building too quickly, and how game plans are playing out in real time.

Catapult sits in that daily workflow.

I also think the company’s opportunity is broader than simply selling wearable devices. The more useful its platform becomes across performance, video, analysis, and team decision-making, the more valuable it can be to clubs.

Sport is a global market, and elite teams are willing to invest in tools that can improve preparation and reduce avoidable mistakes and injuries. Catapult does not need every club in the world to become a customer overnight. It just needs to keep deepening its role with teams and expanding across more leagues, codes, and geographies.

There are risks to consider. The company still needs to keep growing efficiently and proving that its market opportunity can translate into stronger profitability. But by 2030, I think Catapult could be a much larger sports technology business.

Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Nextdc is another ASX tech share I think could be worth much more by 2030.

The company provides data centre infrastructure, which has become increasingly important as the digital economy expands.

I like Nextdc because it is exposed to a very practical problem. Businesses need secure, reliable, high-capacity environments to support cloud computing, software, cybersecurity, data storage, and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.

That demand is not going away.

AI gets a lot of the attention, but the bigger point is that more of the economy is becoming data-heavy. Companies are using more applications, creating more information, and relying more on digital systems that need to be available all the time.

Nextdc gives investors exposure to the physical infrastructure behind that shift.

This is a capital-intensive business, so execution is important. Building data centres requires large upfront investment, power access, customer commitments, and careful funding decisions.

But if demand for digital infrastructure keeps increasing, I think high-quality capacity in the right locations could become more valuable. Nextdc may still have a lot of growth ahead if it can keep expanding while maintaining customer trust.

Foolish Takeaway

I think the best ASX tech shares are often the ones that become more useful to customers over time.

That is what interests me here. These businesses are not chasing the same opportunity. They are tied to sport and digital infrastructure, which gives each a different path to growth.

There will be setbacks along the way, and valuations can move around quickly in the tech sector. But by 2030, I think both companies could be far more important in their markets than they are today.

The post 2 ASX tech shares I think could be worth much more by 2030 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Is NextDC the hottest ASX growth stock right now?
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Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 Catapult Sports. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Catapult Sports. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Residential development company Peet Ltd (ASX: PPC) has upgraded its earnings guidance for the second time this calendar year, saying it now expects full-year net profit to come in at $98 to $100 million.

This figure is up from $86 to $90 million the company forecast at the release of its half-year results, which was itself an upgrade.

The new figure amounts to an increase over FY25’s net profit of 67% to 71%.

Strong pipeline paying off

The company said re the upgrade:

This revised guidance is primarily driven by continued strong market conditions across Western Australia and Queensland and Peet’s capacity to deliver into the prevailing favourable market conditions. Peet has responded to the sustained, elevated demand with the acceleration of its construction program, thereby bringing product to market sooner than previously expected. This strong demand in key markets has underpinned price growth and consistent sales volumes throughout FY26.

Peet said it was continuing to target growth in FY27, “supported by its established pipeline, visibility of contracts on hand, and demand across key markets, with outcomes subject to prevailing market conditions and settlement timing”.

The company added:

Whilst population growth and constrained housing supply remain favourable for the sector, the Group continues to monitor the impact of interest rate rises and cost of living pressures on customers, as well as broader geopolitical and macroeconomic factors.

Dividend yield solid

Peet in February declared an interim dividend of 6.5 cents per share, which was an increase on the previous year’s interim dividend of 2.75 cents.

Based on the company’s current share price, it is paying a trailing dividend of 7.21%.

The company previously had a buyback running, which was closed during the first half having bought back about 4% of the company’s shares on issue.

At the time of releasing its first-half results, the company said it had cash and undrawn facilities worth more than $200 million with which to fund its growth plans.

Peet made a net operating profit of $50.9 million for the half, up 102%, with operating earnings per share of 10.88 cents also up 102%.

The company’s gearing level was 24.7%, within its target range of 20% to 30%.

The company added:

The Group’s EBITDA margin strengthened to 34%, an improvement of eight percentage points on the prior corresponding period, while net tangible assets increased to $1.44 per share, up 5% since 30 June 2025.

Peet shares were 4.2% higher on Thursday morning at $1.66. The company is valued at $746.7 million.

The post This big dividend payer has just increased its profit guidance for the second time appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 116% in a year, why is this ASX All Ords gold stock leaping higher in Thursday’s sinking market?
• 2 ASX tech shares I think could be worth much more by 2030
• Buying Yancoal shares? Here’s why the ASX 200 coal stock is outperforming today
• Investors are watching this ASX stock after a big CEO announcement
• Why is this ASX lithium share charging 15% higher 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.

Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) shares are flat today but still outpacing the sinking benchmark.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) coal stock closed yesterday trading for $6.95. In early morning trade on Thursday, shares are changing hands for $6.95 apiece. (I’ll let you do the maths!)

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 1% at this same time.

Here’s what’s happening.

Yancoal shares outerperforming amid AGM

Yancoal shares are outpacing the losses posted by ASX 200 today as the miner holds its annual general meeting (AGM).

On the environmental front, the company said it intends to develop a Climate Transition Plan to “strengthen climate resilience” and support its P4 Sustainability Strategy. Yancoal published its annual sustainability report in April.

Reviewing the company’s 2025 performance, management highlighted that run of mine (ROM) coal production of 67 million tonnes (on a 100% basis) was up 7% from 2024, while saleable production of 50.8 million tonnes increased by 6%.

However, with 2025’s average realised coal prices sliding 17% from 2024 to $146 per tonne, Yancoal’s full-year revenue declined by 13% to $5.95 billion.

Underscoring the premium price of steel making coal, Yancoal received an average price of $203 per tonne for its metallurgical coal compared to $136 per tonne for its thermal coal, which is more broadly used for power generation.

Indeed, in April, Yancoal inked a deal valued at some US$2.4 billion to acquire an 80% interest in the Kestrel Coal Mine, a long-life metallurgical coal mine located in Queensland’s Bowen Basin.

“Kestrel delivers increased scale and diversification to Yancoal’s portfolio and is expected to contribute premium metallurgical coal into our product mix,” Yancoal CEO Sharif Burra noted.

On the passive income front, Yancoal noted that it has now paid out more than $4 per share of unfranked and fully-franked dividends since 2018. That equates to some 58% of the current Yancoal share price.

What’s next for the ASX 200 coal stock?

Looking to what could impact Yancoal shares in the months ahead, the miner provided full-year 2026 guidance for attributable saleable production of 36.5 million to 40.5 million tonnes. That compares to 38.6 million tonnes in 2025.

As for the impact of the Middle East conflict, Yancoal expects 2026 cash operating costs of $90 to $98 per tonne. That’s up from $92 per tonne last year, with higher diesel costs expected to drive some of that increase.

On the capex front, Yancoal forecasts attributable full-year capital expenditure of $750 million to $900 million, compared to $750 million in 2025.

Management noted that, “Continual reinvestment ensures assets remain large-scale and low cost.”

The post Buying Yancoal shares? Here’s why the ASX 200 coal stock is outperforming today 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.

IPH Ltd (ASX: IPH) shares are edging lower on Thursday despite the intellectual property services group naming its next boss.

The IPH share price is down 1.55% to $3.80 at the time of writing.

The stock is still up about 8% in 2026, so it has clawed back some ground this year. But it has been a rougher ride over 12 months, with IPH shares still down around 23%.

Let’s take a closer look at the announcement.

A new boss is coming

According to the release, IPH has appointed Tony O’Malley as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

He will start in the role on 1 July 2026 and will replace Andrew Blattman, who flagged his retirement in November.

Blattman will stay with the company for a transition period and continue providing support until 30 November 2026.

The appointment follows what IPH described as a comprehensive global search.

IPH chair Peter Warne said O’Malley brings more than 30 years of experience across legal and professional services.

His most recent senior executive role was at PwC, where he was global legal business solutions leader. In that role, he helped run a legal services business across more than 100 territories, with about 4,000 people.

O’Malley has also held senior roles at King & Wood Mallesons and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Why the appointment is important

IPH is an intellectual property services group with operations across 27 offices and 25 IP jurisdictions. Its member firms include AJ Park, Applied Marks, Griffith Hack, Pizzeys, ROBIC, Smart & Biggar, and Spruson & Ferguson.

Its clients include Fortune Global 500 companies, public sector organisations, research organisations, SMEs, and professional services firms.

After a tough year for the share price, investors now know who will lead the next stage of the business.

IPH pointed to O’Malley’s experience in business transformation and AI-enabled legal technology. His background should get some attention as clients look for faster systems, smoother processes, and better use of technology.

O’Malley said IPH is at a pivotal point in its transformation. The real test will be how that shows up in the business after he takes over in July.

What the new CEO will be paid

IPH also set out the key terms of O’Malley’s pay deal.

He will receive total fixed remuneration of $950,000 a year, including superannuation.

On top of that, he can earn a short-term incentive of up to $760,000 if higher performance targets are met.

His long-term incentive allocation has been set at $1.35 million.

Any short-term incentive will be split evenly between cash and deferred share rights, with the deferred portion vesting over 2 years.

The post Investors are watching this ASX stock after a big CEO announcement 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 recommended IPH Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Galan Lithium Ltd (ASX: GLN) shares have returned from their trading halt with a bang on Thursday morning.

In early trade, the ASX lithium share is up 15% to 50 cents.

Why is this ASX lithium share jumping?

Investors have been bidding the company’s shares higher after Galan announced a major milestone at its Hombre Muerto West (HMW) project in Argentina.

According to the release, the company has completed wet plant commissioning and produced its first processed lithium chloride brine at HMW. This processed brine has now been discharged into the final evaporation ponds.

This is a key step for the ASX lithium share as it moves closer to lithium chloride concentrate production and potential product sales in the second half of 2026.

What happened?

Galan advised that following completion of Phase 1 construction in March, it has successfully completed electrical and mechanical testing and transitioned HMW into wet commissioning.

The nanofiltration plant was initially commissioned with raw brine at low pressure before being fed with pre-concentrated brine under high pressure.

Importantly, independent laboratory assays have validated that impurity separation performance is consistent with plant design specifications.

The processed lithium chloride will now remain in final evaporation ponds for around three months. During this period, water will be removed and contained lithium will be concentrated. This is expected to produce lithium chloride concentrate with 6% lithium content, which will then be sold under Galan’s Phase 1 offtake arrangements.

Ramp-up underway

Galan noted that it has not yet achieved stabilised production at HMW and is now moving into an optimisation phase.

This means processed brine rates are expected to vary initially. However, once optimisation is complete, the company expects processing to stabilise at an annualised rate of 4,000 tonnes per annum lithium carbonate equivalent.

The ASX lithium share also highlighted that it has around 10,000 tonnes of LCE brine inventory in evaporation ponds. Management said this provides immediate feedstock for the production ramp-up phase.

Management commentary

Galan’s managing director, Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega, appeared to be very pleased with the news. He said:

The significance of the successful commissioning of the HMW plant cannot be overstated. The HMW mining operations have now been completely de-risked from start to finish and in just a few months we expect to have lithium chloride concentrate ready for sales. To our knowledge Galan will be the only greenfield lithium project coming online in 2026. Becoming a new source of potential supply to the battery supply chain is very exciting and it is well timed to take advantage of a favourable lithium pricing environment.

The post Why is this ASX lithium share charging 15% higher today? 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.