Category: Stock Market

Shares in Venus Metals Corporation (ASX: VMC) have hit a fresh 12-month high after a takeover bid for the company was lobbed by resources billionaire Chris Wallin on Monday.

Mr Wallin’s private company, QGold, is offering 17 cents per share for Venus in an on-market bid, with the target company’s shares soaring past the bid price to hit 18.5 cents on Monday morning.

Trade in the shares was robust, with 2.8 million shares changing hands by early afternoon compared with the usual daily volume of slightly more than 200,000 shares.

Large stake already owned

Venus said in a statement to the ASX that QGold would keep the offer open until 16 January 2026, and had already acquired a stake of about 26.4% in Venus.

A bidder’s statement lodged with the ASX on Monday said QGold was a private company that currently holds exploration and mining permits in Queensland and Western Australia.

Qgold is also a major shareholder in Rox Resources Ltd (ASX: RXL), owning a 15.8% stake in the company, which Venus itself also owns a 6.9% stake in.

Mr Wallin is also the founder and managing director of QCoal Pty Ltd, which mines coal in Queensland’s Bowen Basin across four deposits and also at the Blackwater coal mine in Queensland, producing about 10 million tonnes of coal per year.

Venus, according to its website, “holds a significant and wide-ranging portfolio of Australian gold, copper, base metals, lithium, titanium, and vanadium exploration projects in Western Australia, in addition to owning a 1% royalty over the Youanmi Gold Mine and being a substantial shareholder of Rox Resources Limited”.

In its most recent quarterly report, Venus stated that it had updated the mineral resource estimate at its 90%-owned Bellchambers gold project in Western Australia, with the resource now standing at 31,400 ounces of contained gold.

The company also explained that it had completed metallurgical test work on samples from the project.

Key findings from the leach test work are Bellchambers ore is highly amenable to conventional processing via gravity recovery followed by cyanide leaching. Rapid and high recoveries confirm the mineralisation is non-refractory and with minimal deleterious elements. Both oxide and sulphide material demonstrate strong gravity response and high leach recoveries, supporting a low-risk, conventional gold processing route.  

Venus was valued at $33.3 million at the close of trade on Friday, when the shares closed at 17 cents. Venus shares have improved from lows of 5.6 cents over the past year.

The post Queensland coal billionaire targets junior miner for takeover appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Gentrack, Monash IVF, Pro Medicus, and Qube shares are racing higher today
• Why are shares in Aussie lithium producers being sold off today?
• Ranking the best “Magnificent Seven” stocks to buy for 2026. Here’s my No. 7 pick.
• This is the price at which I would buy CBA shares
• Why Accent Group, EOS, Mayne Pharma, and Pilbara Minerals shares are falling 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.

It’s been a rough few months for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price, to put it lightly. Since hitting a new record high of $192 a share back in June (which was the latest in a long line at the time), this ASX 200 bank stock has fallen dramatically.

Right now, CBA shares are going for $153.98 each, after getting as low as $150.48 last week. At the current pricing, Commonwealth Bank shares are down by a dramatic 19.8% from that all-time high we saw just a few months ago.

As we covered earlier this month, this share price dip has somewhat sweetened the deal for ASX dividend investors. After CBA’s dividend yield fell to under 2.6% due to the record share prices seen earlier this year, the bank’s yield has rebounded to over 3.1%.

When CBA shares were pushing those fresh record highs, it was almost common knowledge that they were, to put it lightly, a little too expensive. For one, CBA was trading on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of close to 30, which is almost unheard of for a major bank anywhere in the world. Furthermore, Commonwealth Bank’s dividend yield had not even been close to 2.6% in living memory.

So there were a few warning signs that the $192 price tag might not have been sustainable.

But what about now, with the bank in the low $150s? Does this new share price and higher dividend yield bring this ASX 200 bank closer to the buy zone for me?

At what price would CBA shares be a buy?

Unfortunately, CBA would have to fall by a whole lot more before it finds a place in my portfolio.

I am still at the stage of my investing journey where I prioritise obtaining the highest possible rates of return. CBA just doesn’t fit the bill.

Last week, we went through some analyst predictions on the major ASX banks from Macquarie. The analysts mapped out CBA’s earnings trajectory over the next three financial years, and it made for some sobering reading. Macquarie predicted that CBA’s cash earnings per share (EPS) would rise 2% over FY2026 to $6.25 per share, compared to FY2025’s levels. FY2027 would see growth of 1% to $6.32 in EPS, followed by 3% for FY2027 to $6.52.

That is anaemic by any measure. But particularly so for a bank that is still trading on an earnings multiple of over 25.5 right now.

Macquarie’s analysts might be wrong, of course. But I suspect, given the maturity of CBA’s business, that it won’t be too far from what eventuates.

Commonwealth Bank remains a strong and reliable payer of fully franked dividends, though. To offset this lack of growth, I would consider buying this blue chip if I were offered a suitable level of income. But the dividend yield would need to be attractive.

I might consider adding this bank to my portfolio if it were trading on a dividend yield of at least 5%, preferably higher. But for that to happen, CBA shares would need to drop well below $100 each at the current payout level. I might consider buying at $90, which would yield a dividend of about 5.4% to an investor. But $90 is a long way from $153.98.

The post This is the price at which I would buy CBA shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Age Pension worries? 7 income stocks to consider for retirement
• How low could CBA shares go in 2026?
• Why the CBA share price valuation is ‘disconnected from fundamentals’
• Commonwealth Bank’s top tier status has begun to unwind, so which bank is looking good according to Wilsons Advisory?
• If I invest $10,000 in CBA shares, how much passive income will I receive in 2026?

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

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has followed Wall Street’s lead and is charging higher. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 1.1% to 8,509.8 points.

Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are falling:

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

The Accent share price is down a further 6% to 96 cents. This footwear retailer’s shares have been under significant pressure since the release of guidance for FY 2026 at the end of last week. Accent revealed that it expects first half earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) in the range of $55 million to $60 million. This is down sharply from $80.7 million in the first half of FY 2025. For the full year, EBIT in the range of $85 million to $95 million is expected. This will be down from $110.2 million in FY 2025. This has been driven by like for like sales weakness and margin pressure due to promotional activity.

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

The EOS share price is down over 2% to $4.48. This may have been driven by optimism that Russia and the Ukraine could soon sign a peace deal. While this would be great news for the world, it could reduce near term demand for drone and counter drone technology. EOS has reported very strong sales growth so far this year.

Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX: MYX)

The Mayne Pharma share price is down a further 18% to $3.65. Investors have been selling this pharmaceutical company’s shares since the Foreign Investment Review Board blocked its takeover by Cosette Pharmaceuticals. It said: “Mayne Pharma was notified by Cosette shortly after market open this morning that it had received written notice from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) stating that the Treasurer has objected to the proposed Scheme. As a result, Mayne Pharma is disappointed to inform shareholders that the FIRB condition precedent to the Scheme will not be satisfied such that the Scheme is unlikely to proceed.” The company is now assessing its options and next steps and will keep the market informed as appropriate.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is down 2.5% to $3.80. This is despite there being no news out of the lithium miner on Monday. Though, it is worth noting that most ASX lithium stocks are trading lower today. This follows a relatively poor night of trade for their US listed peers on Wall Street on Friday. The Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) share price fell 2% despite the market rebound.

The post Why Accent Group, EOS, Mayne Pharma, and Pilbara Minerals shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What’s Morgans’ view on Accent Group shares after Friday’s sell off?
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• What’s driving a 9% divergence in ASX 200 consumer staples vs. discretionary shares?
• Why Accent, DroneShield, Lovisa, and Pilbara Minerals shares are sinking today
• Why is this ASX 300 stock crashing 18% today?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Accent Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Electro Optic Systems. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Analysts are always on the lookout for ASX share opportunities that could deliver strong returns. When there’s one buy rating that’s interesting to note, when there are multiple buy ratings, investors may be seeing a clear opportunity.

The two businesses I’m going to cover are not the ASX’s largest companies. Still, they have seen significant earnings growth in the last few years, and analysts are optimistic about what could happen to their share prices going forward.

Let’s look at two of the most well-liked S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares right now.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

Broker UBS describes Megaport as a network-as-a-service provider, which enables connectivity between customers and the top seven cloud providers across hundreds of data centres on a secure network. Its offering aims to eliminate the fixed-term, bandwidth, and location restraints of the traditional telco model. Customers subscribe monthly to a dedicated port and can scale their usage up and down.

According to the CommSec collation of analyst opinions, there are currently 11 buy ratings and six hold ratings on the business.

The ASX 300 share recently announced a capital raising to fund the acquisition of Latitude.sh and accelerate its expansion in India. Latitude.sh is a global, automated infrastructure platform that’s delivering compute-as-a-service.

The upfront acquisition cost is US$150 million and up to US$150 million of contingent consideration linked to revenue and integration targets.

Megaport says that combining ‘network’ and ‘compute’ is a logical extension of Megaport’s core capability of automating network infrastructure for the hybrid cloud. The ASX tech share is expected to see a 20% revenue increase and an adjusted operating profit (EBITDA) increase of more than 40% following this move.

The company noted that it has delivered a strong performance in the financial year to date, with October 2025 annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $260.1 million (up 22% year-over-year) and FY26 first-quarter revenue of $62.9 million (up 21% year-over-year).

UBS is one of the brokers that has a hold/neutral rating on the business, with a price target of $15.30. At the time of writing, that implies a possible rise of 17% over the next year.

Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN)

Another ASX 300 share with multiple buy ratings is Qantas. There are currently 11 buy ratings on Qantas shares and six hold ratings, according to CommSec.

Qantas has multiple segments that generate business profit, including its domestic flights, international flights, freight division, and Qantas loyalty.

The Qantas share price has drifted lower in recent times, falling more than 20% since September 2025, as the chart below shows.

Broker UBS recently upgraded its rating on Qantas shares to “buy” due to share price weakness and the trading update.

UBS noted that travel demand is proving resilient, for example the domestic revenue growth was around 8% in the first half of FY26. But, the company and wider industry is “showing restraint from growing capacity too strongly”, while the loyalty division continues to provide reliable earnings growth.

The broker has a price rating of $11.50 on the airline, which implies a possible rise of 22% over the next year from where it is at the time of writing.

The post 2 ASX 300 shares highly recommended to buy: Experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Macquarie tips more than 20% upside for Megaport shares
• Why Aristocrat, Inghams, Life360, and Megaport shares are falling today
• Up 104% this year, guess which ASX 200 tech stock just secured $200 million in new funds
• Megaport announces $220 million capital raise to bankroll a major acquisition
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy 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 positions in and has recommended Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX rare earths stocks are back in form today and racing ahead of the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

During the Monday lunch hour, the All Ords is up a welcome 1%.

Now, here’s how these leading ASX rare earths stocks are performing at this same time:

• Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) shares are up 5.3%
• Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU) shares are up 3.9%
• Northern Minerals Ltd (ASX: NTU) shares are up 6.5%
• Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) shares are up 4%
• Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BRE) shares are up 2.7%

As you’re likely aware, the rare earths miners have come under heavy selling pressure over the past month – with the above group tumbling anywhere between 15% to 37% – following on the blistering run higher from January.

Despite that past month’s steep decline, here’s how these miners’ year-to-date performance stacks up to the 3.7% gains posted by the All Ords in 2025:

• Lynas Rare Earths shares have gained 136.1%
• Arafura Rare Earths shares have gained 120.8%
• Northern Minerals shares have gained 60%
• Iluka Resources shares have gained 27.8%
• Brazilian Rare Earths shares have gained 90%

Boom!

What’s been stoking investor interest?

ASX rare earths stocks, and their shareholders, have been benefiting from the West’s move to secure supplies outside of China’s control.

Rare earths are critical elements in most modern technologies, including military defence equipment, phones, EVs, and wind turbines, to name a few. And as China has recently demonstrated, it is willing to use its dominance in rare earths to further its own political and trade ambitions.

In late October, this led to United States President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signing a multi-billion-dollar deal that granted the US more access to Australia’s rare earths and other critical minerals.

Australia and the US both agreed to invest more than US$1 billion over six months to spur initial rare earths projects.

Why are ASX rare earths stocks surging today?

Today’s big lift for Lynas shares and its rival ASX rare earths stocks appears to be driven by news out of the European Union.

As Reuters reports, the EU would like to directly invest in Australian critical minerals projects. On Friday, EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the European trading block would reveal a list of projects it would like to support shortly.

Sefcovic engaged in discussions with Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King last week.

“We see how we are squeezed now on chips and some critical raw materials,” he said, referring to China’s stranglehold on crucial elements.

“We did the first such selection of the projects where we would declare our official interest,” Sefcovic added. “That list should be published very, very soon.”

Stay tuned!

The post How this new development could drive the next big boost for ASX rare earths stocks like Lynas appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Ord Minnett is bullish on these ASX shares
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Upgrade alert! Why this broker is urging investors to buy Lynas Rare Earths shares

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 recommended Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. 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 starting the trading week off on an upbeat note after the carnage that we saw last week. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has gained a healthy 0.94%, pushing the index back towards the 8,500-point mark. However, Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares are a little more subdued today.

The ASX 200 blue chip and industrial and retail conglomerate is still in positive territory so far this Monday. However, Wesfarmers shares are only up by a relatively tame 0.19% this session. After closing out at $80.03 a share last week, the company is currently sitting at $80.23 a share, up 0.22% for the day thus far.

It’s been a tough few weeks for Wesfarmers. The company reached a new all-time record high of $95.18 per share in August and was trading as high as $94.70 late last month. However, since then, investors seem to have thought better of that kind of pricing. As it stands today, the Wesfarmers share price is a good 15.7% down from that record high, and down 15.3% from where it was at the end of October, a little over three weeks ago.

To be fair, Wesfarmers shares are still up a halthy 12.5% over 2025 to date, and up 11.3% over the past 12 months.

But given the recent share price dip, it might be a good time to check out what kind of dividend yield this ASX 200 blue chip is trading on right now. After all, any experienced dividend investor will tell you that when a stock’s share price falls, the potential dividend yield available to new buyers rises.

And as Wesfarmers shares have long been a favourite of ASX income investors looking for fully-franked dividends, it’s certainly worth a look today.

What is the dividend yield on Wesfarmers shares right now?

So, Wesfarmers shares have paid out two dividends over 2025, as is the company’s habit. The first was the 95-cent-per-share interim dividend that hit shareholders’ bank accounts in April. The second is the October final dividend, worth $1.11 per share. Both of these payments came with full franking credits attached, as is Wesfarmers’ habit. And both payments represented increases over their corresponding 2024 payments (91 cents and $1.07 per share, respectively).

Back in August, when Wesfarmers was at that $95.18 record high, those payouts would have given the company a dividend yield of just 2.16%. But at today’s pricing, the company’s yield now sits at 2.57%. A rather small but still notable improvement, we might say.

Of course, this yield is a trailing one. For investors buying Wesfarmers shares today, the company will need to keep its 2026 dividends at least in line with those paid out this year for it to hold going forward. But it has been many years since Wesfarmers has delivered a dividend cut, so history is arguably on shareholders’ side there.

The post Here’s the dividend yield on Wesfarmers shares right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Age Pension worries? 7 income stocks to consider for retirement
• Top Australian stocks to buy right now with $5,000
• I’d buy this ASX dividend stock in any market
• 1 magnificent ASX dividend stock down 15% to buy and hold for decades
• Forget CBA shares! Buy these ASX dividend shares instead for passive income

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in ASX mineral explorer St George Mining Ltd (ASX: SGQ) have been on a tear in recent months.

Overall, they have risen from $0.02 per share in early January to $0.10 apiece at the time of writing.

This marks a spectacular 400% jump in less than a year.

For context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has increased by about 3.7% during the same period.

A key catalyst for this ascent has been the company’s pivot into rare earths.

At the start of 2025, the ASX mining stock locked in the acquisition of its Araxá rare earths and niobium project in Brazil.

Since then, results from a series of exploration works have propelled St George onto the radar.

In particular, the group reported several rich intercepts of rare earths and niobium from exploration drilling, while also delivering a maiden mineral resource estimate at the project.

And the potential of Araxá didn’t go unnoticed amongst the movers and shakers of the mining industry.

Just last month, Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, headlined a $72.5 million capital raising designed to move Araxá closer to production.

Here, the mining tycoon invested $22.5 million in St George through her private company, Hancock Prospecting.

And so far, Rinehart’s investment appears to be bearing fruit.

What happened?

This morning, St George announced that thick and high-grade rare earths and niobium drill intercepts at Araxá have continued to expand the mineralised envelope.

More specifically, results from the latest six drill holes have confirmed consistent, shallow, and rich mineralisation outside of the current mineral resource.

St George Executive Chairman, John Prineas, commented:

These drilling results are exceptional and highlight the unrivalled quality of the thick, high-grade mineralisation at our Araxá Project. Significantly, the mineralisation remains open laterally in all directions and at depth.

As things stand, the “world class” resource at Araxá contains 1.7 million tonnes of total rare earths oxide (TREO) and 280,000 tonnes of niobium.

According to St George, it is already the largest and highest-grade carbonatite-hosted rare earths resource in South America.

However, the ASX mining stock believes the latest drill results could now potentially support a large expansion of the existing mineral resource estimate (MRE).

Prineas added:

All resource expansion holes and resource definition holes have demonstrated consistent continuity and grade, giving us confidence that this drill campaign will transform the scale of the MRE, redefine the value of our company and further position St George as one of the leaders in the rare earths and niobium sectors.

What next for this ASX rare earths stock?

Results from another 29 holes that have already been drilled remain pending.

Furthermore, the drilling campaign is ongoing as three rigs pepper Araxá in search of rare earths and niobium mineralisation.

In total, 40 more holes are planned as part of the current program.

St George expects to release the drill results over the coming weeks.

The ASX mining stock is also targeting an upgraded resource estimate for Araxá by the first quarter of next year.

The post Up 400% in 2025! This Gina Rinehart-backed ASX rare earths stock just delivered some big news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Macquarie says these three critical minerals stocks deserve your attention
• This ASX mining stock is tipped to storm over 80% higher

Motley Fool contributor Bart Bogacz 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 Australian share market.

To narrow things down, let’s look at what Morgans is saying about a few popular options following recent updates. Here’s what it is recommending:

James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX)

Morgans was pleased with this building products company’s recent quarterly update, noting that its performance and outlook were more positive than expected.

As a result, the broker has upgraded its shares to a buy rating with a $35.50 price target. It said:

Whilst the headline 2QFY26 result was largely released in early Oct-25, the details and outlook were incrementally more positive than previously anticipated. Upgraded guidance reflects a c.6% organic decline (vs pcp), as a challenging environment sees volume declines exceed price increases.

However, this is better than feared and may prove to be a bottoming in the cycle as demand stabilises. JHX is trading on c.17.1x FY26F as the business navigates its acquisition missteps, earnings downgrades and a challenging consumer environment in North America (NA). However, at EPS of c.U$1.04/sh in FY26 we see upside from both earnings and an undemanding PER (ave PER. 20x). It is on this basis we upgrade to a BUY recommendation and $35.50/sh target price.

Reece Ltd (ASX: REH)

This plumbing parts company also delivered a quarterly update that was better than expected.

However, Morgans highlights that the worst is not necessarily over for Reece, with its margins and earnings under pressure from higher costs.

In light of this, it has only upgraded its shares to a hold rating with an $11.25 price target. It said:

REH provided a trading update at its AGM. 1Q26 sales were stronger than anticipated, supported by contributions from an expanded branch network across both ANZ and the US. However, earnings and margins remain under pressure due to higher costs. Management expects soft market conditions to persist in both ANZ and the US. We increase FY26-28F sales by 7%, while EBIT remains largely unchanged (+1%). Our estimates also incorporate the recent off-market buyback. Our target price rises to $11.25 (from $11.10).

With a 12-month forecast TSR of 5%, we upgrade our rating to HOLD (from TRIM). While we continue to view REH as a fundamentally strong business with a good culture and a long track record of growth, the operating environment remains challenging, particularly in the US where competitive pressures persist. Trading on 24.2x FY26F PE with a 1.6% yield, we see the stock as fully valued and prefer to wait for signs of market improvement before reassessing our view.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

Finally, enterprise software provider TechnologyOne released a full year result that was in line with Morgans’ expectations.

And while its annualised recurring revenue (ARR) may have been a touch softer than expected, the broker feels the negative share price reaction has been overdone. As a result, it has upgraded its shares to an accumulate rating with a $34.50 price target. It said:

TNE’s FY25 result was largely in line with our expectations with the group delivering, PBT growth of +19% to $181.5m ahead of its 13-17% guidance range, and in line with consensus. The negative share price reaction appears to have been driven by softer than expected ARR/NRR print, which saw a 2% miss to ARR growth expectations vs consensus, despite this, the group continues to deliver, with ARR of $554.6m (+18% YoY), which along with its NRR growth of 115% continues to see TNE Ontrack to achieve its long-term ARR growth aspirations.

We modestly pare our EPS forecasts by 1-3% in FY26-28F. and move to an ACCUMULATE rating, with our target price $34.50 now reflecting a TSR of +19% following TNE’s post result share price movement.

The post Buy, hold, sell: James Hardie, Reece, and TechnologyOne shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• These ASX 200 shares could rise 25% to 30%
• How to make $50,000 of passive income a year from ASX shares
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Technology One. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Technology One. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Technology One. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Keen to get exposure to the mining sector but don’t feel confident picking individual stocks?

Never fear, there is a simple way, via entities listed on the ASX, that you can buy into the strong performance of our resources winners without the risk and complexity of picking your own shares to buy.

One method is by buying exchange traded funds (ETFs), which aim to track the performance of a basket of shares, and another way is by not investing in the companies themselves, but in the royalty streams they generate.

Gold ETF a winner

If you’re keen on tracking the performance of mining companies themselves, one option is the Betashares global gold miners ETF (ASX: MNRS) ETF.

This particular ETF aims to track an index of the world’s largest gold mining companies, and if you’ve been paying attention to the gold price over the past year, you’d assume correctly that an investment in this vehicle has paid off handsomely.

While a hiccup in the price of gold’s seemingly inevitable march higher has meant MNRS has fallen 5.8% over the past month, looking further back, it’s delivered a whopping 82.5% over the past year and a compound 15.6% over the past five years.

Some of the major holdings in the MNRS ETF include Barrick Gold Corp at 9.1%, Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) at 7.4%, and Agnico Eagle Mines also at 7.4%.

A slightly different vehicle is Betashares Global Royalty ETF (ASX: ROYL), which tracks the royalty streams generated by not only resources companies, but also companies with strong intellectual property holdings, and royalty financing arrangements.

While ROYL’s largest holding is in Wheaton Precious Metals Corp, its second largest holding is in Universal Music Group, and it also holds a stake in Royalty Pharma Plc.

ROYL would be useful for investors seeking a regular income stream, as it pays out a distribution each month.

The fund’s performance over the past year has been 25.8%, while looking further back, it has delivered compound annual growth of 21.1% over five years.

More mining royalty streams

And lastly there is Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR), which holds the rights to a number of royalty streams in sectors such as iron ore, gold, and lithium.

The company says its benefit lies in gaining direct exposure to commodity price upside, without the risk associated with project development or operating cost issues.

At the end of FY25, the company held 28 royalties and “royalty-like assets” across 11 countries and six commodities, according to its annual report.

The report goes on to say:

With revenue-producing assets, and investments in projects across the development cycle, Deterra couples strong, consistent revenue streams with significant near, medium and long-term optionality.

Deterra’s total shareholder return over the past year has been 7.4%, while over a five year period, it has been 2.2%, according to data sourced from CMC Markets.

Currently, it is offering a fully-franked dividend yield of 5.77%, according to the ASX website.   

The post How to take the guesswork out of getting exposure to the mining sector appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why are ASX gold shares and ETFs soaring today?
• 3 excellent ASX ETFs to buy for lifelong passive income

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.

It certainly has been a very tough time for DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares.

After hitting a record high of $6.71 in October, the counter drone technology company’s shares have lost 75% of their value and currently trade at $1.68.

While this is disappointing for shareholders, it could be a buying opportunity for the rest of us according to one analyst.

Should you buy the dip?

This morning, investment advisory and portfolio management company, MPC Markets, named DroneShield shares as a buy, courtesy of The Bull.

It believes that the company’s shares are now trading at a “reasonable price” given its strong growth potential. MPC Markets said:

The company provides artificial intelligence based platforms for protection against advanced threats, such as drones and autonomous systems. The shares had enjoyed a strong run, rising from 76 cents on January 3 to close at $6.60 on October 9, driven by new deals with foreign governments and growth forecasts. The shares fell to $2.25 on November 13 and were trading at $2.095 on November 19.

Investors sold their shares after disclosures to the ASX revealed DRO directors had been selling their holdings. The company generated strong revenue in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 and has a strong contract pipeline across government and military sectors. The shares are trading at a reasonable price for a company with growth prospects.

Is anyone else bullish on DroneShield shares?

The team at Bell Potter remains very bullish on the counter drone technology company and is recommending it to clients.

Earlier this month, the broker reiterated its buy rating and $5.30 price target on its shares. Based on its current share price, this implies potential upside of 215% over the next 12 months.

The broker believes that DroneShield is well-placed to win significant contracts from its $2,550 million sales pipeline over the coming quarters. It said:

We believe DRO has the market leading counter-drone offering and a strengthening competitive advantage owing to its years of experience and large R&D team, focused on detect and defeat capabilities. We expect 2026 will be an inflection point for the global counter-drone industry with countries poised to unleash a wave of spending on soft-kill detect and defeat solutions. Consequently, we believe DRO should see material contracts flowing from its $2,550m potential sales pipeline over the next 3-6 months as defence budgets roll over to FY26.

The post Why DroneShield shares could rise a massive 200% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• DroneShield share price hit as company strikes back
• DroneShield shares tank again as investor call abruptly cancelled
• Why Accent, DroneShield, Lovisa, and Pilbara Minerals shares are sinking today
• 3 ASX 200 shares I’m avoiding next week
• Why DroneShield, GQG Partners, Origin Energy, and Worley shares are falling today

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 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.