Category: Stock Market

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) stock Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) is jumping higher on Monday, up 1.2% to $14.24.

The gain follows a fresh traffic update for April, which showed improving conditions across key markets. That includes Melbourne traffic rising 1.6% and Australian commercial vehicle traffic jumping 10.8%.

Still, the stock has underperformed over the longer term. Transurban shares are down around 0.5% over the past 12 months, while the ASX 200 Index has climbed roughly 7% in the same period.

So, what exactly is pushing the transport share higher today.

Global toll road giant

Transurban is one of the world’s largest toll road operators, with a portfolio spanning 22 major urban motorways across Australia and North America.

Its assets include key transport corridors in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, as well as high-traffic express lanes in the US. The ASX 200 stock generates revenue by charging motorists tolls, with earnings typically supported by long-term concession agreements and inflation-linked pricing.

This model provides relatively stable and predictable cash flows, particularly given the essential nature of the infrastructure it operates.

Signs of improvement

The latest update of the ASX 200 stock points to stabilising traffic conditions after earlier weakness linked to macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.

In Melbourne, traffic increased 1.6% in April, supported by the ongoing ramp-up of the West Gate Tunnel project. The project is already delivering benefits, including reduced travel times and fuel savings for heavy vehicles, along with less truck traffic on local roads.

Notably, around 63% of traffic through the tunnel is made up of large vehicles, highlighting its importance to freight operators.

Across Australia, commercial vehicle traffic rose 10.8% overall — or 4.4% excluding the West Gate Tunnel contribution — signalling solid underlying demand from freight and logistics activity.

Elsewhere, Brisbane traffic edged up 0.7% for the month. Sydney, however, saw a 1.2% decline, impacted by holiday timing and ongoing construction works.

Pricing power

Beyond traffic volumes, Transurban also highlighted strong toll price growth in North America. Quarterly average tolls surged 14.6% on the 95 Express Lanes and 36.0% on the 495 Express Lanes.

The ASX 200 stock continues to benefit from a highly defensive revenue profile, with more than 90% of its income linked to CPI or fixed escalation mechanisms.

It also made progress on the balance sheet, refinancing $1.21 billion of WestConnex debt during the period. This move extends debt maturity and supports overall liquidity.

Foolish Takeaway

With the price of the ASX 200 stock on the rise, investors appear encouraged by signs that traffic is stabilising and key projects like the West Gate Tunnel are gaining traction.

Combined with resilient, inflation-linked revenues and ongoing balance sheet management, that may be enough to keep Transurban shares edging higher. At least for now.

The post Why is this $45 billion ASX 200 stock edging higher today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Viva Energy, Transurban and NAB shares are turning heads on Monday
• Transurban Group posts April traffic gains as West Gate Tunnel ramps up
• 3 excellent ASX dividend shares to buy in May
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• $250,000 to invest for passive income? Here’s how I would build a portfolio

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

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) released its half-year results this morning and declared its latest interim dividend.

Here is what investors need to know.

NAB’s half-year results

As a reminder, NAB released a solid half-year result today that revealed modest earnings growth and strong capital position.

The bank reported statutory net profit of $2.75 billion and cash earnings of $2.64 billion for the half. Cash earnings excluding large notable items were $3.59 billion, up 2.3% compared with the previous half.

Commenting on the half, NAB’s CEO, Andrew Irvine, said:

Continued disciplined execution of our strategy and ongoing momentum across our business is reflected in NAB’s 1H26 operating performance. Changes to our software capitalisation policy this period, consistent with the rapidly changing technology environment, have lowered cash earnings by $949 million. Excluding this large notable item (LNI), cash earnings were 2.3% higher than 2H25 with underlying profit up 6.4% supported by strong growth of 5.4% in Business & Private Banking (B&PB).

The NAB dividend

In light of its performance, the NAB board elected to declare an interim dividend of 85 cents per share.

This is in line with recent dividends. NAB also paid shareholders an 85 cents per share interim dividend in FY 2025 and an 85 cents per share final dividend later that year.

As usual, this dividend is fully franked, which means franking credits are attached at the 30% tax rate.

When do NAB shares trade ex-dividend?

NAB shares are scheduled to trade ex-dividend on 7 May 2026. The record date is 8 May 2026.

The ex-dividend date is important because investors need to own the shares before this date to qualify for the dividend.

If an investor buys NAB shares on or after the ex-dividend date, they will not receive this interim dividend. Instead, the seller keeps the entitlement.

When will the dividend be paid?

Investors will have to wait around two months until pay day. NAB advised that the payment date is currently scheduled for 2 July 2026.

Shareholders don’t necessarily have to receive a cash dividend on that date.

NAB’s dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) will apply to this dividend. The last date for DRP elections is 11 May 2026 according to the release.

The DRP will include a 1.5% discount, with the reinvestment price based on the average volume weighted average price of NAB shares over the 25 trading days from 14 May to 18 June 2026.

The post Everything you need to know about the latest NAB dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Viva Energy, Transurban and NAB shares are turning heads on Monday
• NAB shares fall despite $3.59 billion cash profit
• NAB posts higher cash earnings, keeps dividend firm
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• What happened with ASX 200 banks stocks NAB and CBA in April?

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.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) shares are storming higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) tech stock – which specialises in semiconductor memory technology – closed Friday trading for $4.16. In late morning trade on Monday, shares are changing hands for $4.66 apiece, up 12.0%.

For some context, the ASX 300 is down 0.1% at this same time.

Taking a step back, Weebit Nano shares have smashed the benchmark over the past year, up 161.8% compared to the 6.9% 12-month gains posted by the ASX 300.

And investors who bought shares at the one-year lows of $1.50 each on 23 June will now be sitting on gains of 210.7%. That’s enough to turn a $10,000 investment into $31,067.

In one year!

Here’s what’s piquing ASX investor interest again today.

Weebit Nano shares surge on manufacturing progress

Weebit Nano shares are off to the races after the company announced that two of its customers have successfully released manufacturing (taped-out) chip designs intended for eventual mass production. Those chip designs integrate Weebit’s ReRAM module.

The ASX 300 tech stock said that one of the customers has already manufactured a functional prototype.

Weebit Nano reported that Overlord Labs has integrated its ReRAM technology into the design of its next-generation smart battery management system.

According to the release, Overlord Labs’ chip design was recently taped-out at DB HiTek. The company noted that, once manufactured and shipped, this will deliver advantages in power consumption, cost, and overall performance for high-volume applications.

Both customers plan to continue further testing. Weebit Nanon noted this is likely to take 12 to 18 months. After the chips pass these tests, the customers can then move their products to mass production.

What did management say?

Commenting on the commercial progress helping boost Weebit Nano shares today, CEO Coby Hanoch said:

A first commercial product incorporating our ReRAM, and passing initial functional tests, is a significant achievement for Weebit Nano, marking an important step towards mass production.

In addition, the tape-out by Overlord shows the great coordination between Overlord, DB HiTek and Weebit.

Looking ahead, Hanoch added:

Our ReRAM IP is currently being embedded in the design of several next-generation applications under agreements with multiple product companies, and we expect more will tape-out this calendar year.

Discussions with additional potential product customers are advancing, driven by growing demand for faster, lower power and better performing embedded non-volatile memory and increased availability through foundries and Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs).

The post Up 211% in a year, why are Weebit Nano shares rocketing another 12% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Brainchip, Minerals 260, Nuix, and Weebit Nano shares are racing higher today
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• This ASX tech stock is up 150% in a year. Here’s why it’s climbing again 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a soft start to the week. In late morning trade, the benchmark index is down slightly to 8,722.2 points.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are rising:

Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN)

The Brainchip share price is up 6.5% to 16.5 cents. This follows news that the struggling semiconductor company has signed an IP distribution license agreement. Brainchip has signed the deal with South Korean-based semiconductor solutions provider ASICLAND. The agreement sees BrainChip grant ASICLAND a non-exclusive, worldwide license to its Akida neuromorphic AI IP portfolio. However, the company advised that it “is unable to quantify the financial impact of the agreement at this time.” ASICLAND reported revenue of approximately A$68.5 million for 2025, with a loss of A$25 million.

Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)

The Minerals 260 share price is up 12% to 80.7 cents. This has been driven by the release of drilling results from the gold developer’s Bullabulling Gold Project. Management notes that drilling continues to support strong potential for a resource upgrade at Bullabulling. Minerals 260’s managing director, Luke McFadyen, said: “Drilling results since the December 2025 MRE continue to demonstrate the consistency and quality of the mineralisation at Bullabulling, with infill programs at Bacchus and Phoenix delivering strong results in line with, and in places exceeding, the current resource model.”

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

The Nuix share price is up 4% to $1.55. This morning, this investigative and analytics software provider announced the appointment of a permanent CEO. Nuix revealed that its interim CEO, John Ruthven, has been selected after impressing during his tenure. Nuix’s chair, Robert Mactier, said: “The Board has been impressed with the strategic, diligent and considered way John has embraced the role of Interim CEO and how he has resonated with our people and customers. The Board is unanimous in selecting John as our Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, and we look forward to supporting him in driving the next phase of growth at Nuix.”

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is up 8% to $4.48. This has been driven by the release of an announcement from the semiconductor company today. Weebit Nano advised that two product customers have successfully taped-out chip designs intended for eventual mass production which integrate its ReRAM module. One customer has a prototype already manufactured and functional. It notes that tape-out by product customers is an important milestone on the path to mass production. Weebit Nano’s CEO, Coby Hanoch, said: “A first commercial product incorporating our ReRAM, and passing initial functional tests, is a significant achievement for Weebit Nano, marking an important step towards mass production. In addition, the tape-out by Overlord shows the great coordination between Overlord, DB HiTek and Weebit.”

The post Why Brainchip, Minerals 260, Nuix, and Weebit Nano shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares flew into some turbulence in April.

On 31 March, shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) drone defence company closed trading for $3.81. When the closing bell rang on 30 April, shares were changing hands for $3.54 apiece.

That saw DroneShield shares down 7.1% in April, materially trailing the 2.2% gains posted by the ASX 200 over the month just past.

Here’s what’s been happening.

High-flying DroneShield shares under new leadership

Before looking at some specifics from April, it’s worth noting that despite the recent underperformance, DroneShield shares remain up 173.9% (at the time of writing on Monday) over the past 12 months.

So, some occasional profit-taking is not unexpected. Especially with the US entering into a ceasefire with Iran in April, which investors may relate to potentially lower future demand for drone defence technologies.

Now, on to those specifics.

DroneShield shares closed down a sharp 13.5% on 8 April after the company announced that CEO Oleg Vornik was stepping down from his role after more than 10 years in the top spot.

Investors also learned that chairman Peter James was retiring from the board and will not seek re-election.

Chief product officer Angus Bean – who joined DroneShield in 2016 – took over as managing director and CEO on the day of the announcement.

Outgoing CEO Oleg Vornik said:

I joined DroneShield as its first employee in 2015 and have led its growth from a market capitalisation of $27 million at its Initial Public Offering in 2016 to entering the ASX200 in September 2025 with a market capitalisation of nearly $4 billion.

Commenting on Bean’s appointment, James said:

Angus led the development of the products that we are best known for in the market, and is the key architect of our current and next generation of technologies. He has built DroneShield’s 350-plus engineering team and has been a prominent representative of the business to many of our major customers over the years.

Investors had other reasons for optimism in April as well.

ASX 200 drone defence stock sees revenue surge

DroneShield shares closed flat on 22 April, despite the company releasing a strong first-quarter (Q1 2026) update.

Highlights for the three months included all-time high customer cash receipts of $77.4 million, up 360% from Q1 2025.

And revenue of $74.1 million was up 121% year on year, marking the company’s second-highest quarterly revenue in its history.

Following a strong quarter, DroneShield reported a 13% year-on-year increase in its cash balance to $222.8 million at quarter end.

Looking at what might impact DroneShield shares longer term, management said the company’s $2.2 billion potential sales pipeline – spanning 312 projects in some 60 countries – is the largest ever.

The post Why did DroneShield shares tumble more than 7% in April? 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 positions in and has recommended DroneShield. 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.

Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) shares are taking a hit on Monday after the company released a fresh trading update.

At the time of writing, the Endeavour share price is down a sizeable 7.75% to $3.155.

That extends a tough run for the stock, which is now down around 24% over the past 12 months.

Here’s what the company reported.

Growth slows across retail and hotels

According to the release, Endeavour reported a mixed set of numbers across its retail and hotels divisions.

For the second half to date, retail sales are up 2.9%, while hotels have grown 3.7% over a similar period.

Retail sales came in at around $2.398 billion, with hotels contributing $531 million.

It appears recent trading has been slower than earlier in the half, with the pace cooling off.

Retail growth eased to 0.7%, down from 2.9% in the prior 13-week period, with management pointing to a tougher consumer backdrop.

The company said customers are still spending, but demand remains softer outside of key events like Easter.

Hotels have held up better, with stronger trading across bars, gaming, and accommodation, though growth also slid back through March.

Costs are creeping higher

Alongside the softer numbers, costs are moving higher.

Endeavour flagged higher fuel and freight expenses tied to supply chain pressures, which are expected to lift costs by $6 million to $8 million in FY26.

The added costs are likely to show up in margins, particularly across the retail business.

The group is already working with suppliers and adjusting operations to offset some of the impact, but it still leaves another headwind.

A bigger push on cost-cutting

Management is stepping up efforts to reduce costs across the business.

The company is targeting $100 million in savings by FY27 as part of a broader transformation plan.

That includes changes across store operations, procurement, and support functions.

There is also a near-term impact on working capital, with inventory levels expected to rise by up to $400 million to support availability.

What I’m watching

There is not much here that makes me want to rush in.

The retail environment feels weak right now, and that is the part that usually needs to carry more weight.

At the same time, costs are starting to rise, which does not leave much room if growth slows.

I am more interested in seeing whether spending actually improves outside of the usual seasonal bumps.

I would want to see retail demand pick up again before taking a closer look.

The post Why this $5.7 billion ASX stock is getting sold off today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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.

There are a lot of ASX shares to choose from on the local market.

To narrow things down, let’s see what analysts are saying about three big names, courtesy of The Bull.

Are they buys, holds, or sells this week? Let’s find out:

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL)

The team at Baker Young has labelled gaming technology company Aristocrat Leisure as a hold this week.

Although it thinks that its valuation is reasonable, it has a few concerns with promotional intensity. It said:

Aristocrat Leisure designs, develops and distributes gaming content, platforms and systems. The company has experienced a steep share price fall despite a solid underlying operational performance. Attention is likely to focus on promotional intensity and machine level margins in the upcoming interim result.

Outside the early COVID-19 period, the stock was recently trading towards the lower end of its historical range. Supported by a modest dividend yield and ongoing buy-back capacity, we consider the current valuation reasonable and maintain a hold position.

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG)

Baker Young is more bullish on this telco and believes its shares could be a buy this week.

The broker highlights TPG Telecom’s strategic shift away from infrastructure ownership as a positive. And compared to peers, it feels that the company’s shares are attractively priced. It said:

Following several years of asset sales and restructuring, TPG has emerged as a more focused telecommunications provider with a stronger balance sheet and increasing exposure to the structurally attractive mobile segment, now contributing close to half of group revenue. Full year 2025 results highlighted accelerating subscriber growth and improving revenue per user, indicating positive operating momentum.

The company’s strategic shift away from infrastructure ownership and lower-margin fixed line broadband positions it for higher quality earnings growth. The stock screens as relatively attractive compared to peers.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

Over at Fairmont Equities, its team has put a sell rating on Westpac shares this week.

It has concerns over current trading conditions, with higher interest rates potentially causing challenges for the bank. It said:

We had previously been bullish on the banks when they were trending higher from high levels of momentum. However, they are stalling at current levels. A recent trading update by WBC indicated economic conditions could be getting tougher in response to rising interest rates, inflation and potential fuel shocks. In our view, challenging economic conditions are likely to impact lending activity and credit quality. Even a robust dividend yield may not be enough to prevent a further slide in WBC’s share price.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Aristocrat, TPG Telecom, and Westpac shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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.

There are a certain group of ASX shares that are highly rated by multiple analysts at the same time.

If many investment professionals are attracted to a certain business, it could suggest there’s a significant opportunity.

We’re going to look at two businesses with the group of ASX shares that currently have the most buy ratings.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Coles is one Australia’s largest supermarket businesses. It also has a liquor division which includes Coles Liquor and Liquorland.

According to CMC Invest, there are currently 11 analyst buy ratings on Coles, with no hold ratings and no sell ratings.

The business recently announced its FY26 third-quarter update for the 12 weeks to 29 March 2026.

That third quarter saw supermarket growth of 4% to $9.78 billion, with comparable sales growth of 3.6%. Excluding tobacco, supermarket sales grew by 5.7%. Total revenue grew 3.1% to $10.7 billion, though liquor sales declined by 3.9% to $781 million.

Coles boasted that it achieved above market growth in supermarkets demonstrating “consistent execution over multiple years”.

The supermarket business also said that its e-commerce sales grew by 24.8%, with online penetration reached 13.6%.

Coles said that in the early part of the fourth quarter, supermarket sales revenue growth “remained broadly in line with the third quarter”, which provides a solid outlook for the ASX share.

The company noted that it has seen an increase in supplier cost price increase requests and higher costs within its own operations, particularly in fuel, freight and packaging. It’s actively managing this and will “will mitigate impacts where possible, while balancing the needs of customers and suppliers”.

According to the projection on CMC Invest, Coles shares are valued at under 25x FY26’s estimated earnings, with a possible grossed-up dividend yield of 4.9%, including franking credits.

Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Nextdc describes itself as Asia’s most innovative data centre as a service provider – the ASX share is building the infrastructure platform for the digital economy, delivering the critical power, security and connectivity for global cloud computing providers, enterprises and government.

According to CMC Invest, it has seen recent 10 analyst buy ratings on the business, with no holds and no sells. Those analysts are expecting big returns from the business, with an average price target of $19.84 – that implies a possible rise of around 40% over the next year, from where it is at the time of writing.

The ASX share is seeing rapid growth of demand for its data centre services thanks to the growth of AI and cloud computing.

On 20 April 2026, the business reported that, as a result of recent customer contract wins, its pro forma contracted utilisation as at 31 March 2026 had increased by approximately 250MW (or 60%) to 667MW since 31 December 2025

Nextdc also said that its pro forma forward order book as at 31 March 2026 has increased by 247MW (83%) to 544MW since 31 December 2025.

The pro forma forward order book is expected to progressively convert to billing utilisation, revenue and operating profit (EBITDA) over FY26 to FY30. The ASX share continues to bank longer-term financial growth.

The post 2 ASX shares highly recommended to buy: Experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why are Coles shares falling today?

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.

ASX materials stocks have been a shining light in what has otherwise been a turbulent 2026 for the ASX. 

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is up 9% year to date. 

This has significantly outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is almost even with where it began the year.

ASX materials stocks have outperformed in 2026 largely due to momentum from a strong 2025, elevated and sometimes rising commodity prices (especially metals tied to electrification), and investor rotation into inflation-resistant “real asset” sectors.

One such ASX materials stock that has enjoyed this sector outperformance is Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC). 

This ASX materials stock is a producer of nickel pig iron , a key ingredient in stainless steel. It is also engaged in exploring, mining, acquiring, and developing nickel projects globally.

Its share price is up 18% year to date and almost 80% over the last 12 months. 

More upside to come for this ASX materials stock

For those worried they missed the boat on this ASX materials stock, the team at Bell Potter are predicting more upside. 

In a recent report, the broker provided updated guidance following the company’s quarterly activities report.

The broker said NIC’s March 2026 quarter was broadly in line with expectations. 

It produced about 30,300 tonnes of nickel in NPI, slightly below forecasts, with attributable production also a bit under expectations. 

Costs were close to forecasts at around US$10,450 per tonne, but rose 4% from the previous quarter due to lower ore grades and higher electricity prices.

Additionally, the Hengjaya mine recovered strongly after earlier delays, selling about 3.0 million tonnes of ore, slightly above expectations.

Overall, NIC reported strong earnings, with EBITDA of about US$136 million – well above forecasts and up sharply from the previous quarter. 

Our key takeaway is the nickel price leverage demonstrated with this result. RKEF operations stood out, where EBITDA was up 145% from US$35m to US$86m, driven almost entirely by NPI pricing (up 19%) rather than volume (down 4%).

Buy recommendation unchanged 

Based on this guidance, Bell Potter has retained its buy recommendation on this ASX materials stock. 

The broker has also reaffirmed its price target of $1.450. 

From last week’s closing price, this indicates an upside potential of 40%. 

NIC offers nickel price leverage and diversified margin exposure across an integrated value chain. Retain Buy, our $1.45/sh Target Price is unchanged.

The post This ASX materials stock could be set to boom 40% or more appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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 All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 6.7% over the past full year, with ASX All Ords gold stock Strickland Metals Ltd (ASX: STK) up 70% over those 12 months before Monday’s opening bell.

But stockholders are giving back some of those outsized gains today.

In early morning trade on Monday, Strickland Metals shares are down 11.8% trading for 15 cents apiece. The All Ords is down 0.1% at this same time.

This follows the release of the miner’s latest exploration update at its 100%-owned 8.6-million-ounce gold equivalent Rogozna Project, located in Serbia.

Here’s what’s happening on and under the ground.

ASX All Ords gold stock hammered on permit delays

This morning, Strickland reported that it has now finalised its drilling plans for 2026.

However, the ASX All Ords gold is under pressure after noting that it has not yet received the required final approvals from the Ministry of Mines and Energy for the expanded exploration drilling work plans covering its main (Shanac) license at Rogozna.

Despite this unexpected delay, Stickland said it is preparing to commence drilling in the coming weeks at two other prospects within Rogozna, where it has existing approval for the works.

The ASX All Ords gold stock said its overall exploration and drilling strategy at the project remains focused on supporting the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), which is targeting high value resource growth and testing high priority discovery targets.

And Strickland remains well-funded for ongoing exploration in 2026, reporting cash and liquid investments of $81 million as at 31 March.

What did Strickland Metals management say?

Commenting on the ASX All Ords gold stock’s 2026 drilling plans, Stickland Metals managing director Paul L’Herpiniere said:

We are very encouraged by the scale of opportunity emerging across the Rogozna Project, with our 2026 drilling plans designed to deliver meaningful resource growth and further strengthen the foundations of our Pre-Feasibility Study expected to be completed in mid-2027.

The results achieved during 2025 have reinforced our confidence in the high-grade potential across the project and we see significant upside through targeted infill and extension drilling, particularly within the gap zones, along strike and at depth.

Addressing the unexpected setback in the final approvals that is pressuring Strickland shares today, L’Herpiniere added:

While we have experienced some timing delays associated with the approval process for expanded drilling at the Shanac licence (which contains our resource deposits), we continue to advance a range of field-based activities and studies across the project.

Importantly, we retain the ability to commence near-term drilling at our Obradov Potok and Jezerska Reka Prospects, with a Magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical survey also set to commence imminently, ensuring exploration momentum is maintained.

The post Why is this high-flying ASX All Ords gold stock crashing 12% 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.