Category: Stock Market

The 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) share price is off to the races.

Again.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) respiratory imaging technology company closed yesterday trading for $6.28. In earlier trade, shares leapt to $7.55, up 20.2%. After some likely profit-taking, in later morning trade, shares are changing hands for $6.85 apiece, up 9.1%.

For some context, the ASX 300 is down 0.3% at this same time.

Taking a step back, the 4DMedical share price is now up a jaw-dropping 2,074.6% over 12 months. That meteoric rise has been spurred by a series of international regulatory approvals for its CAT scan-based ventilation-perfusion software, CT:VQ.

Indeed, just one year ago, you could have bought the ASX 300 healthcare stock for a mere 31.5 cents. That would have turned an $8,000 investment into $173,968.

Boom!

Now, here’s what’s catching investor interest again today.

4DMedical share price surges on EU approval

The 4DMedical share price is leaping higher after the company announced that CT:VQ has received CE Mark certification for commercial use in the European Union.

The company noted that CE Mark certification enables it to immediately commence commercial engagement with healthcare providers across the EU. This sets up a pathway for clinical adoption and collaboration with major European hospital networks.

Investors will also have noted that the EU has a population of more than 450 million. And with the economic block already home to highly developed hospital-based imaging infrastructure, 4DMedical said the EU constitutes one of the largest global markets for advanced cardiothoracic imaging.

What else is impacting the 4DMedical share price today?

Atop the European Union’s CE Mark certification, the company also announced an institutional capital raising.

4DMedical said it has received commitments from institutional investors for an $83 million private placement at an issue price of $5.90 per share.

That’s a 6.1% discount to the 4DMedical share price at market close yesterday. But the company noted it represents a 12.3% premium to the 5-day volume average weighted price (VWAP).

The proceeds will be used, in part, to fund the commercial launch of CT:VQ across Europe and international markets.

What did management say?

Commenting on the EU green light and capital raise that sees the 4DMedical share price up sharply again today, CEO and founder Andreas Fouras said, “CE Mark certification for CT:VQ is a significant milestone that opens access to one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated healthcare markets.”

Fouras continued:

Combined with FDA clearance, 4DMedical now holds regulatory approval to rapidly commercialise CT:VQ across both the US and the EU. Since FDA clearance, rapid adoption by leading US institutions … reflects the level of excitement CT:VQ is generating in the United States.

This placement, timed alongside CE Mark certification, gives us the resources to carry that same momentum into Europe… With an estimated 400,000 nuclear VQ scans performed annually across the EU, and an extensive network of CT scanners, the European opportunity is substantial and immediate.

The post Up 2,075% in a year, why is the 4DMedical share price rocketing again on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Forget DroneShield and EOS, this ASX healthcare stock is up 15x in a year!
• Why 4DMedical, Brazilian Rare Earths, Clarity, and Tuas shares are racing higher today
• ASX 300 stock rockets 38% on ‘landmark moment’
• Up over 900%: Is it too late to buy this incredible ASX tech stock?

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.

Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) shares are crashing deep into the red on Friday.

In morning trade, the ASX mining stock is down 24% to a multi-year low of 11 cents.

Why is this ASX mining stock crashing?

Investors have been selling the graphite producer’s shares after it raised capital for the fourth time in four years.

According to the release, Syrah has successfully completed the institutional component of a fully underwritten pro rata accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer.

The ASX mining stock advised that the institutional entitlement offer was supported by existing and new institutional shareholders, raising approximately A$44 million (US$30 million) at a fixed price of 10.5 cents per new share. This represents a 27.6% discount to its last close price.

Approximately 88% of entitlements available to institutional shareholders in the institutional entitlement offer were taken up by existing shareholders.

The new shares that were not taken up by eligible institutional shareholders and ineligible institutional shareholders were fully allocated to new investors and major shareholder AustralianSuper.

Syrah will now push ahead with retail component of the equity raising, which is fully underwritten and expected to raise approximately A$61 million (US$42 million).

Funding update

In addition, the ASX mining stock revealed that it has received non-binding strategic funding proposals from US International Development Finance Corporation, the US Department of Energy and AustralianSuper to reset Syrah’s balance sheet.

Under the proposals, a substantial portion of Syrah’s debt would be converted or exchanged for new Syrah shares and convertible loan notes.

This would boost pro forma liquidity to up to US$198 million and there would be no cash interest or principal repayments for the next three years.

Combined with its equity raising, Syrah will be well-positioned for the ramp-up of Balama to targeted production levels and Vidalia working capital to achieve commercial sales.

Syrah’s managing director and CEO, Shaun Verner, commented:

Following the Equity Raise and the Strategic Funding Proposals, Syrah will have a robust balance sheet with pro-forma liquidity of ~US$198 million to support ramp up at Balama and Vidalia and provide a pathway to near term sustainable cash flow generation.

The strong alignment with the US International Development Finance Corporation, the US Department of Energy and AustralianSuper underscores the strategic importance of Syrah’s assets in developing a secure, ex-China supply chain for critical battery materials. The strategic proposals and funding position Syrah to advance our operations as the global graphite and anode materials markets evolve.

The post Guess which ASX mining stock is crashing 24% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why CAR Group, Immutep, Northern Star, and Syrah Resources shares are sinking today
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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.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares are a very popular option for passive income investors.

It isn’t hard to see why this is the case.

Twice a year, the mining giant rewards its shareholders with fully franked dividends.

And, depending on the mining cycle, this can mean several billions of dollars heading into the pockets of Aussie investors.

But what would I need to do if I wanted to generate $1,000 of passive income from BHP shares? Let’s run the numbers.

Passive income from BHP shares

To begin with, let’s see what analysts are expecting the Big Australian to pay to shareholders in the near term.

The consensus estimate is for fully franked dividends of approximately $2.05 per share in FY 2026 and then $1.80 per share in FY 2027.

However, it is worth noting that BHP’s interim dividend for FY 2026 has now been paid. As a result, the next two dividends will be its final dividend for the current financial year and the interim dividend for the next one.

Based on that, we will assume that BHP shares provide a dividend of 192.5 cents per share over the next 12 months.

This means that to generate $1,000 in passive income, I would need to buy a total of 519 BHP shares.

How much will that cost?

At the time of writing, BHP shares are changing hands for $49.96.

This means that to buy the 519 shares I need for $1,000 of passive income, I would need to invest $25,929.24.

That’s certainly not a small amount. But it could be worth it.

Not only would I be getting a nice paycheck every six months, but there is potential for capital returns too.

BHP shares tipped to rise

According to the note out of Morgan Stanley this month, its analysts have put an overweight rating and $56.00 price target on the mining giant’s shares.

Based on its current share price, this implies potential upside of 12% for investors over the next 12 months.

This means that if Morgan Stanley’s recommendation is on the money, those 519 BHP shares would be worth $29,064 in a year. That’s over $3,100 more than I started with and doesn’t include the $1,000 of passive income.

So, in total, a return of approximately $4,100 could be possible from an investment of just under $26,000.

The post How many BHP shares do I need to $1,000 of passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Are these 3 ASX 200 mining shares a buy, hold, or sell?
• ASX mining shares have slumped but long-term outlook is positive

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 recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) uranium stock Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX) is marching higher today.

Shares in the company, which focuses on laser uranium enrichment technology, closed yesterday trading for $5.29. In early morning trade on Friday, Silex shares are changing hands for $5.31 apiece, up 0.4%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.6%, with the Aussie benchmark index following US markets lower as hopes for a near-term end of the Iran war fade.

Here’s why Silex shares are outperforming.

ASX 200 uranium stock gets US government boost

Investors are bidding up Silex shares this morning after the company announced a major US government funding package for Global Laser Enrichment (GLE). GLE is the exclusive licensee of the Silex uranium enrichment technology.

The ASX 200 uranium stock said it has received preliminary approval on an incentives package with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and McCracken County. The funding from the state and local governments will support the development of the planned Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF).

Silex reported that the performance-based incentives package will provide the company with up to US$98.9 million (AU$142.6 million) in tax and other economic incentives, subject to GLE reaching certain investment and job creation levels.

The PLEF is expected to be the single largest capital investment in Western Kentucky’s history.

To date, the ASX 200 uranium stock noted that GLE has been backed by around US$600 million in privately funded engineering, design, manufacturing, and licensing investments across North Carolina and Kentucky.

GLE was also recently awarded up to US$28.5 million from the US Department of Energy (DOE).

Silex said that it expects the planned PLEF will “play a pivotal role” in rebuilding and strengthening the US domestic supply chain for uranium, conversion, and enrichment services.

What did management say?

Commenting on the funding package that’s helping boost the ASX 200 uranium stock today, Silex CEO and managing director Michael Goldsworthy said, “We are greatly appreciative of the support for GLE’s PLEF from the Commonwealth of Kentucky and McCracken County.”

Goldsworthy added:

With an advanced Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing effort underway, ongoing focus on technology and manufacturing maturation programs and full-scale preliminary detailed design for the PLEF, we welcome the support for the PLEF from US federal, state, and local partners as we progress towards the commercial deployment of the world’s first lased-based uranium enrichment plant.

With today’s intraday gains factored in, shares in the ASX 200 uranium stock are up 38.9% over 12 months, racing ahead of the 6.3% one-year gains posted by the benchmark index.

The post ASX 200 uranium stock lifts off on $143 million US laser news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares 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.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) shares are ending the week positively.

In morning trade, the cloud accounting technology company’s shares are up 2.5% to $74.24.

Why are Xero shares rising?

Investors have been buying the company’s shares following the release of a promising announcement.

There have been concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) could disrupt Xero’s business, but today it has demonstrated how it could strengthen it.

This morning, Xero and Anthropic, the company behind Claude, announced a multi-year partnership that will bring Claude’s AI directly into Xero, and Xero’s financial data and tools into Claude.ai.

According to the release, this will give small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors real-time financial intelligence and the ability to act on it, wherever they choose to work.

Xero’s chief product and technology officer, Diya Jolly, said:

Every day, millions of small business owners ask the same questions: Why is cash tight this month? Which invoices are overdue? Can I afford to hire?

To run their business efficiently, small business owners and their accountants and bookkeepers need to be able to answer these questions and act on them in real time whether using Xero or Claude. This partnership delivers on that.

The company notes that it is the first time Xero customers will be able to work with their financial data directly inside a major AI platform, and a new way for Claude to power end-to-end financial workflows for small businesses at scale.

It highlights that for millions of small businesses, this will mean less time manually chasing invoices or piecing together cash flow across multiple reports, with Claude proactively surfacing the insights and actions that would otherwise take hours to find.

Moving into agentic workflows

Commenting on the partnership, Jolly adds:

Small businesses and advisors don’t just need data; they need a digital partner that acts on it. Integrating Claude moves Xero into agentic workflows, where Xero’s AI superagent, JAX (Just Ask Xero), does the heavy lifting, from predicting cash flow gaps to executing complex financial tasks.

Crucially, this trusted intelligence isn’t locked into one platform; it follows the user securely wherever they choose to work, empowering advisor collaboration. By shifting the admin burden to a team of agents orchestrated by JAX, we’re giving our customers time back and providing them with clarity so they can make informed decisions and focus on the future.

The company advised that Claude-powered insights within Xero and the integration of Xero experiences into Claude.ai is expected to be available in the coming months.

As part of the deal, Xero revealed that its engineering teams will be able to use Claude and Cowork to accelerate their own product development.

The post Xero shares push higher on deal with AI giant Anthropic appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• 1 ASX dividend stock and 1 growth stock I’d buy today
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• Where to invest $10,000 in ASX shares right now
• Here are expert views on whether the Xero share price is a buy amid AI concerns

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. 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 under pressure on Friday.

In early trade, the ASX tech stock is down 15% to $3.88.

Why is this ASX tech stock falling today?

The semiconductor company’s shares are falling today in response to broad market weakness and the completion of a capital raising.

According to the release, Weebit Nano has successfully completed a fully underwritten $80 million institutional placement, alongside an additional $7 million placement to investors in Israel.

In total, the company is issuing approximately 21.5 million new shares, representing around 9.4% of its existing shares on issue.

The ASX tech stock revealed that the new shares were issued at $4.05 each, which represents a 10.8% discount to the company’s last closing price.

Share purchase plan to follow

In addition to the placement, the company also announced plans for a share purchase plan (SPP) to raise up to $15 million from eligible retail investors.

The SPP will be offered at the same issue price of $4.05 per new share, allowing existing shareholders the opportunity to participate in the capital raising without brokerage costs.

Why is it raising funds?

Weebit Nano revealed that the proceeds from the raising will be used to accelerate its strategy of becoming a leading provider of ReRAM memory technology.

Commenting on the raise, Weebit Nano’s CEO, Coby Hanoch, said:

This is a strategic capital raise for Weebit Nano. It significantly strengthens our balance sheet, enabling us to accelerate development and commercial activities to ensure our ReRAM is the clear leader at a time when the industry is moving to adopt ReRAM in next-generation technologies. As the market’s only independent provider of qualified ReRAM, we have the first mover advantage. Still, scaling our R&D activity is essential to continuously improving the technology and solidifying our leadership position for many years to come.

Our recent licensing agreement with leading semiconductor vendor Texas Instruments, following the deals with onsemi and DB HiTek, has reinforced the market perception that ReRAM is the successor to embedded flash, and we are continuing to progress technical evaluations and commercial negotiations with many of the world’s leading foundries, IDMs and product companies. We also see clear opportunities to expand our offering, addressing genuine memory needs for AI in-memory compute (IMC) applications as well as within the discrete memory chip domain, among others. This Placement enables us to strengthen our newly formed System and AI team.

Despite today’s weakness, Weebit Nano shares are up approximately 90% since this time last year from $2.06.

The post Why are Weebit Nano shares crashing 15% today? 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.

Premier Investments Ltd (ASX: PMV) announced its first-half results last week, and analysts subsequently took the opportunity to run the ruler over them.

Two of the three brokers we surveyed subsequently reduced their price targets for the company’s shares, although all three still have a bullish outlook. More on that later.

Firstly, let’s have a look at what was announced.

Profit under pressure

Premier last week announced that first-half revenue came in at $460.3 million, down 1.1%, while net profit was 13.1% lower at $101.7 million.

The company’s wholly-owned brands, Peter Alexander and Smiggle, contributed $119.3 million in EBIT.

Premier also announced the appointment of Georgia Chewing as Managing Director of Smiggle, “following a comprehensive strategic review aimed at delivering sustainable global growth for the brand”.

The company said further:

The Board has reaffirmed a Premier Retail organisational structure aimed at providing clear accountability and oversight to support the current two brand structure. Judy Coomber (Managing Director – Peter Alexander) and Georgia Chewing (Managing Director – Smiggle) are outstanding retailers tasked by the Board to achieve significant growth targets set by the Board for both brands. Following a period of significant transformation, John Bryce will return to his core responsibilities as Premier Retail CFO with a relentless focus on cost controls and oversight and accountability for the proven ‘best in class’ logistics and services, supporting the two growth brands.

Premier Investments chair Solomon Lew said the past two and a half years had been a period of significant change for the business, and it was now set up for profitable growth.

He added:

Today, we have a leaner business. The Premier Investments Board is keen to see our brands operate with the speed and agility required to keep pace with consumer trends and spending volatility. The Board now looks toward the optimal organisational structure that supports the current 2-brand business of Premier Retail.

Shares looking cheap

Morgan Stanley’s analyst team had a look at the results and lowered its 12-month price target on Premier Investments shares from $19.20 to $16.90, compared with $12.58 currently.

They said the first-half result was in line with guidance, with slight weakness in Peter Alexander sales “against high expectations”.

They added that the appointment of a Smiggle boss “adds greater certainty around the scope and timing of the strategic reset”.

The analysts at Jarden also reduced their price target on Premier Investments shares, from $16.90 to $15.50.

They said they believed Premier could stabilise the Smiggle business now that a leader was in place.

The Jarden team said that while headwinds were building for the business overall, in terms of rate hikes and petrol pricing, they had raised their earnings forecasts for the company due to “high management alignment”.

RBC Capital Markets, in a quick take published on the day the results were announced, said it had a price target of $13.90 on Premier Investments shares.  

Premier was valued at $2.05 billion at the close of trade on Thursday.

The post 3 brokers weigh in on how high Premier Investments shares could go appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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 recommended Premier Investments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This ASX lithium stock has surged more than 170% over the past year. This makes PLS Group Ltd (ASX: PLS) one of the top performers in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the period.

The outlook for this ASX lithium stock looks bright, as lithium sits at the heart of electrification. Short-term volatility aside, long-term demand for battery materials remains strong with the global shift towards electric vehicles and battery storage in full swing.

And there are other reasons to like PLS Group.

A world-class lithium operation

At the heart of the business is the Pilgangoora project in Western Australia. It’s one of the largest independent hard-rock lithium operations globally.

That matters. Large, long-life assets are gold in the resources sector. They can generate strong cash flow across multiple commodity cycles. When prices rise, they print money. When prices fall, the best assets survive.

This $16 billion ASX lithium stock ticks that box.

And it’s not just about size. It’s about execution. In its latest interim result, production climbed to 432.8kt, while sales reached 446kt for the half. That’s a strong operational performance in a volatile market.

Even more impressive? The company is improving as it grows. Unit costs are falling. Realised prices have lifted. That combination shows operational discipline — and leverage when lithium markets turn favourable.

Built to handle the cycle

Lithium is a cyclical game. Prices can swing hard.

That’s why balance sheet strength matters — and this ASX lithium stock has it. The company finished the half with around $954 million in cash and total liquidity of roughly $1.6 billion.

That’s a serious buffer. It means management doesn’t have to panic when prices dip. Instead of cutting back, it can invest through the cycle and position the business for the next upswing.

For long-term investors, that kind of resilience is critical.

Bold South American move

This ASX lithium stock isn’t standing still. About a year ago, PLS made a bold move — acquiring Latin Resources for roughly $560 million. That deal added the Colina lithium project in Brazil to its portfolio.

Timing was everything. The acquisition came near the bottom of the lithium cycle, when asset valuations were under pressure. In a stronger market, the same deal likely would have cost much more.

Now, PLS has a potential second growth engine. Pilgangoora continues to generate cash, while Colina offers future upside. That’s a powerful combination.

Riding the energy transition

Zoom out, and the long-term picture looks compelling. Lithium demand is expected to surge over the next decade. Electric vehicles, battery storage, and renewable energy systems all rely on it.

No one can predict short-term price moves. Volatility will remain. But companies with large, low-cost, high-quality assets tend to win over time.

The ASX lithium stock fits that profile. It already has scale and has established partnerships across the lithium supply chain. On top of that, it has proven it can operate efficiently.

Foolish Takeaway

Pilbara Minerals is not immune to lithium price swings. The ride won’t always be smooth. But with a world-class asset, a strong balance sheet, and smart expansion moves, it looks well placed for the long term.

For investors betting on the energy transition, this is one ASX lithium stock worth serious attention.

The post 3 reasons to buy this high flying ASX lithium stock for the long term appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Why Genesis Energy, Northern Star, PLS, and WiseTech shares are falling today
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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 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.

When you think about iron ore, Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares likely comes to mind.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best way to gain exposure to the base metal.

In fact, there is one ASX iron ore stock that Bell Potter believes could be a top buy with major upside potential.

Which ASX iron ore stock?

The stock that Bell Potter is bullish on is Fenix Resources Ltd (ASX: FEX).

It is focused on unlocking stranded mining assets across the Mid-West region of Western Australia, through three wholly owned business pillars. This includes the Iron Ridge, Beebyn, Shine, and Weld Range projects.

Bell Potter notes that a December 2025 scoping study outlined production growth to 10Mtpa at significantly lower C1 costs of A$55 per wet metric tonne by FY 2031.

What’s the latest?

Bell Potter highlights that the ASX iron ore stock released an update on current operating conditions. It said:

FEX has provided an operational update. The Mid-West Port Authority will temporarily pause shipping operations at the Geraldton Port, with latest Bureau of Meteorology forecasts indicating that Tropical Cyclone Narelle is intensifying off Western Australia’s coast and could track towards the Mid-West region.

Additionally, FEX is preparing to reduce non-essential mining and haulage activities (i.e. some waste movement) with potential diesel supply disruptions from contracted providers due to the Middle East conflict. Subject to cyclone impacts and given healthy iron ore stockpiles at its mines, FEX expects to maintain sufficient fuel to continue processing and hauling volumes to its port facilities in Geraldton.

The good news is that the ASX iron ore stock has maintained its guidance for FY 2026 and Bell Potter believes its “growth pathway” is intact. It adds:

While the Geraldton Port closure will defer some March 2026 sales, FEX have maintained FY26 guidance (4.2-4.8Mt sales at A$70-80/t C1 cost; 1H 2.1Mt at A$75/t) with the expectation that ship loading resumes in early April 2026 and diesel supply maintained at normal levels. FEX’s three-year production outlook and growth pathway to 10Mtpa iron ore production remains intact.

Should you invest?

According to the note, the broker thinks investors should be buying the dip following recent share price weakness.

It has retained its buy rating with a trimmed price target of 63 cents (from 67 cents). Based on its current share price of 33 cents, this implies potential upside of 90% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its buy recommendation, Bell Potter concludes:

FEX has outlined a clear pathway to incrementally grow iron ore production to 10Mtpa at significantly lower unit costs, leveraging its integrated logistics network to underpin cash flows and fund its substantial organic growth outlook. FEX holds the largest storage position at the strategic and fast-growing Geraldton Port.

The post Is this ASX iron ore stock a better buy than Fortescue? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Should you buy the dip on ASX mining shares?

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.

ASX growth shares could be a smart way to go at the moment due to lower valuations following the recent ASX share market pullback. We’re going to look at some of the businesses that are currently buy-rated.

While the ASX tech share suffering has gotten the most investor attention over the last several months because of AI worries, there are also non-tech opportunities that analysts have picked out as ideas.

Let’s get into why these stocks could be compelling buys.

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

Broker UBS describes ALS as a leading analytical and testing services business with operations across mining, natural resources, environmental, food, pharmaceutical, industrial and inspection sectors. Other services include sampling and remote monitoring.

UBS has a buy rating on the business, with a price target of $26. That implies a possible rise of around 30% over the next year from where it is at the time of writing.

The broker noted that there are signs of an early-stage recovery in the (resources) exploration cycle. Geochemistry demand “continues to skew” to major miners, despite the increase in junior and intermediate miner capital raising activity, suggesting that it’s still “early stages in the exploration cycle”.

UBS also said that ALS appears to be recovering previous geochemistry price discounts as demand increases.

The broker noted that initial FY26 underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) guidance implies 20% year-over-year growth. UBS thinks the ASX growth share’s guidance implies a relatively conservative view on the margins, with the group operating margin (EBIT) set to increase by 80 basis points (0.80%) in FY26.

UBS concluded:

We maintain our buy rating on ALS with the stock trading at a 1yr fwd EV/EBITDA of 14x, in line with where the stock has traded at during previous exploration upcycles, albeit the current gold price is c.2.5x higher. Our Buy thesis is underpinned by the view that the record gold price should drive a recovery in exploration activity, supporting c.10% pa EPS CAGR for ALS over the next three years.

The ASX growth share is valued at 28x FY26’s estimated earnings, according to UBS’ estimates.

ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB)

UBS is also optimistic about is ARB, which the broker describes as an Australian manufacturer and retailer of 4×4 and automotive aftermarket accessories globally, servicing the retail aftermarket, wholesale distribution in offshore markets and direct to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

UBS currently has a buy rating on ARB with a price target of $25.50. This implies a possible rise of close to 20% over the next year.

The broker noted that the ASX growth share has faced some headwinds in the operating environment, but called it a high-quality business and believes that the brand is not broken.  

UBS said that it’s excited about the expansion opportunity in the US and noted that the ASX growth share has become significantly cheaper – it’s down more than 40% in the last six months.

The broker pointed out that it’s trading at a much cheaper price/earnings (P/E) ratio than it has done historically. Its three-year average of its forward earnings multiple has been 26.3x, according to UBS. It’s currently trading at 20x FY26’s estimated earnings and 18x FY27’s estimated earnings.

UBS suggests that the company’s EPS could grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11% over the next three years, including a steady increase of the profit before tax (PBT) margin to FY29 following the US tariff hit.

The post Experts rate these 2 ASX growth shares as buys this month! 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 positions in and has recommended ARB Corporation. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ARB Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.