Category: Stock Market

Shares in St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) were placed into a trading halt during midday trade today after the Australian gold miner requested a temporary pause in trading.

The shares were last trading at 74 cents, down about 3.89 % before the halt. Investors appear cautious as they wait for clearer news on developments at the company’s Simberi Gold Project in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

According to the ASX notice, trading will resume once the announcement is released, or at the latest by Thursday morning.

A key project back in focus

Simberi is St Barbara’s most important operating asset. The open-pit gold mine is located on Simberi Island in Papua New Guinea and has been producing gold for more than a decade.

Over the past two years, St Barbara has been working on plans to significantly expand Simberi by moving into sulphide ore mining. This expansion is designed to lift production, extend the mine’s life, and improve long-term cash flow.

However, none of this can move ahead unless St Barbara secures a long-term extension to the Simberi mining lease.

Why the mining lease is so important

The current Simberi mining lease is due to expire later this decade. Without an extension, St Barbara would be unable to justify the large investment needed for the next phase of the mine.

In 2025, Papua New Guinea’s Mining Advisory Committee recommended extending the Simberi mining lease out to 2038. That recommendation was an important step forward and aligned with the company’s long-term mine plans.

Formal paperwork was later submitted to the PNG Minister for Mining. However, final approval has been delayed due to an unresolved tax reassessment issue with the PNG tax office.

St Barbara has previously told investors it expects the revised tax assessment to be reissued, which would allow the lease approval process to move forward.

What investors are waiting to hear

The trading halt suggests St Barbara is close to an important update. This could involve progress on the mining lease, movement on the tax issue, or another development linked to Simberi’s future ownership or funding structure.

The Simberi project has already attracted interest from major partners. Previous disclosures showed plans for PNG’s state-owned Kumul Minerals to take a stake in the project, alongside a proposed investment by China’s Lingbao Gold Group.

Any confirmation around approvals or ownership would be highly relevant for investors.

Foolish bottom line

St Barbara shares have delivered a strong run over the past year, supported by higher gold prices and renewed optimism around Simberi.

Today’s halt highlights how closely St Barbara’s outlook is tied to regulatory decisions and project approvals. If the Simberi lease extension is finalised, it could remove a major uncertainty hanging over the stock.

The post Why the St Barbara share price is halted today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why is this gold miner’s share price heading higher today?

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.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are up 1.1% and the materials sector is outperforming again today.

ASX 200 materials is up 1.5% as mining shares continue their remarkable run on the back of strongly increasing commodities.

The market’s largest miner, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), rose to a two-year high of $50.08 per share this morning.

Amid this rosy backdrop, here are two outperforming ASX mining shares that have more than tripled in value over the past year.

And Canaccord Genuity reckons they still have more room to run.

Sun Silver Ltd (ASX: SS1)

Sun Silver is developing the Maverick Springs silver-gold deposit in Nevada, US.

The deposit has a JORC Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 539 Moz silver equivalent (AgEq) at 71g/t AgEq.

This includes 347.5Moz Ag at 45.5g/t Ag and 2.25Moz gold at 0.30g/t Au.

Sun Silver says this makes Maverick Springs the largest pre-production primary silver deposit listed on the ASX and within the US.

This month, Sun Silver tripled its landholding by staking 427 additional lode claims to the north and south of the existing project.

The Sun Silver share price is $2.39, up 3.01% after reaching a record $2.44 in earlier trading.

This ASX silver mining share has soared 237% over the past 12 months.

Sun Silver is benefiting from the gallivanting silver price, which leapt beyond US$100 per ounce for the first time yesterday.

Silver is supply-constrained at a time of rapidly rising global demand, largely due to its industrial usage in the green energy transition.

Silver is a key input in solar panels, tech devices, electric vehicles, and data centres due to its superior electrical conductivity to copper.

The silver price is up 256% over the past 12 months.

Like gold, silver is also a precious metal finding favour with investors as a safe haven amid volatile global geopolitics and economics.

This month, Canaccord Genuity reiterated its buy rating on Sun Silver with a share price target of $4.15.

This implies a potential upside of close to 75% over 12 months.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

The Core Lithium share price is 28 cents, down 3.5% on Tuesday and up 211% over the past year.

This ASX lithium mining share is riding the wave of increased demand for lithium since mid-2025.

The global oversupply that smashed lithium commodity prices in 2023 is over, and demand for batteries and electric vehicles is rising.

Analysts at Trading Economics say the lithium carbonate price is now at a two-year high and up 30% already in 2026.

Core Lithium put its flagship Finniss Project into care and maintenance in early 2024 due to weak lithium prices.

The miner released a restart plan last year and says it will only take a month to resume production, once it finds new financial partners.

This month, Canaccord Genuity reiterated its buy rating on Core Lithium and lifted its share price target from 27 cents to 40 cents.

This implies a potential upside of more than 40% over 12 months.

The post 2 ASX mining shares up 200% in a year and tipped to keep rising appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Up 365% since April, should you buy the recent dip in Core Lithium shares?
• Silver, lithium, and critical minerals commodities book double digit gains in just one week

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in BHP Group and Core Lithium. 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.

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) shares are in retreat today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) uranium miner closed on Friday trading for $1.87. In early afternoon trade on Tuesday, shares are swapping hands for $1.82 apiece, down 2.9%.

For some context, the ASX 300 is up 1.0% at this same time.

Despite today’s underperformance, shares remain up 54.2% since the stock plumbed multi-year closing lows of $1.18 apiece on 18 December. Those lows were driven by ongoing concerns over Boss Energy’s flagship Honeymoon uranium project, located in South Australia.

That strong rebound will come as welcome news to shareholders, though not to the host of short-sellers betting against the company. Boss Energy shares are the second most shorted on the ASX this week, with a short interest of 16.3%.

So, do the short sellers have it right? Or can the embattled uranium miner keep charging higher in 2026?

Should you buy Boss Energy shares today?

Red Leaf Securities’ John Athanasiou recently ran his slide rule over the ASX 300 stock (courtesy of The Bull).

“Boss Energy remains highly leveraged to uranium market sentiment, with its valuation reflecting optimistic production assumptions and pricing scenarios,” said Athanasiou, who has a sell recommendation on Boss Energy shares.

According to Athanasiou:

Any operational delays or cost over-runs could impact returns. In our view, companies with clearer earnings visibility are a more appealing alternative. The stock has fallen from $4.48 on July 1, 2025 to trade at $1.78 on January 22, 2026.

The shares may remain under pressure in what can be a volatile sector.

And Athanasiou isn’t alone in his concerns that the ASX uranium stock could remain under pressure.

Goldman Sachs recently initiated coverage on Boss with a sell rating.

The broker noted its concern over the outlook for “resource recovery, production rates, and cost structures” at the Honeymoon Uranium Project.

Goldman Sachs has a $1.20 price target on Boss Energy shares, or some 34% below current levels.

The bullish case

Not everyone is bearish on the ASX 300 uranium producer.

Morgan Stanley recently upgraded Boss Energy shares to an overweight rating

The broker believes that the market may be underestimating the production and sales potential at Honeymoon. Morgan Stanley also believes that costs could come in lower than consensus expectations.

With that in mind, the broker has a $2.05 price target on Boss Energy. That represents a potential upside of almost 13% from current levels.

The post Up 54% since December, can Boss Energy shares keep racing higher in 2026? 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 Goldman Sachs Group. 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.

Shares in Orezone Gold Corporation (ASX: ORE) have surged more than 20% to a new record high after the company announced a deal to acquire the operating Casa Berardi gold mine in Canada.

The company said in a statement to the ASX on Tuesday that it had struck a deal to acquire Hecla Quebec – a subsidiary of the Hecla Mining Company – which would secure its ownership of the gold mine and surrounding exploration properties, all of which were located in Quebec.

Payment in cash and shares

Orezone will pay $352 million upfront and on a deferred basis, and there could also be a further $241 million in contingency payments.

The company explained further:

The upfront and deferred Consideration consists of $160 million in cash and $112 million in Orezone common shares representing 9.9% of the pro forma issued and outstanding shares of Orezone, both payable upon closing of the transaction, and $80 million of deferred consideration in two cash instalments payable at 18 months and 30 months following the closing of the transaction. The contingent consideration consists of $10M million linked to gold prices, and $231 million based on permitting and future gold production from the proposed Principal and WMCP open pits of Casa Berardi.

The company said the transaction represented an “inflection point … as it adds a proven, cash-flow-generating asset to our portfolio, and provides asset diversification in a Tier 1 Jurisdiction”.

Orezone Chief Executive Officer Patrick Downey said it was a major milestone for the company.

The combination of Casa Berardi and Bomboré creates a multi-asset platform with strong production and free cash flow, positioning Orezone for near-term growth and long-term value creation. Casa Berardi’s established operating history, robust resource and reserve base, and substantial exploration upside across a 37km mineralized corridor, provide a foundation for sustained growth. Consistent with recent acquisitions of non-core Canadian operating mines, we believe this transaction represents a defining milestone that will generate meaningful value for all shareholders.

Strong track record

Orezone said the Casa Berardi mine had produced more than 3.2 million ounces of gold since 1988 and had a strong history of resource replacement over that period.

The production guidance for 2026 is for 83,000 to 91,000 ounces of gold, while for the past five years, the mine has averaged 106,100 ounces per annum.

Orezone shares traded as high as $3.15 on the news, up 23%, before settling back to be 14.1% higher at $2.92.

The company was valued at $1.53 billion at the close of trade on Friday.

The post Which gold company’s shares are up more than 20% on acquisition news? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 54% since December, can Boss Energy shares keep racing higher in 2026?
• Why DroneShield, Life360, Nova Minerals, and Santana shares are falling today
• Bye bye CBA: BHP is back as the ASX 200’s biggest stock
• Big UK deal, big capital raise. Why this ASX stock is in a trading halt
• Why the $260 billion Glencore merger is a ‘high-stakes gamble’ for Rio Tinto shares

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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a strong gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 1% to 8,948.7 points.

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

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is down 5.5% to $4.22. This follows the release of the counter-drone technology company’s shares following the release of its fourth quarter and full year update. DroneShield reported revenue of $51.3 million for the fourth quarter, which was a 94% increase on the prior corresponding period. This brought its total revenue for FY 2025 to $216.5 million, which is an increase of 277% on last year’s revenue of $57.5 million. It was also ahead of Bell Potter’s estimate of $210 million. Today’s weakness could have been driven by another announcement which revealed that 9.2 million options have vested for employees after it hit its $200 million cash receipts goal. Last time options were vested there was a big selloff.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

The Life360 share price is down 8% to $31.13. This appears to have been driven by profit-taking from investors after a very strong gain on Friday. Investors were buying its shares after it released a very strong fourth quarter update. Life360 reported monthly active users (MAU) of 95.8 million, which is up 20% year on year. This comprises US MAU of 50.6 million and international MAU of 45.3 million. Another positive was that its Paying Circles (paid users) grew 576,000 to 2.8 million. This was the largest annual net addition on record. Management also upgraded its FY 2025 revenue guidance. It is now expected to be between US$486 million and US$489 million, which represents a year on year increase of 31% to 32%.

Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX: NVA)

The Nova Minerals share price is down 8% to $1.18. Investors have been selling the gold and antimony explorer’s shares following the release of its quarterly update. Commenting on the quarter, Nova’s CEO, Christopher Gerteisen, said: “The December quarter was marked by the award of US$43.4 million in non-dilutive funding from the U.S. Department of War, which fully funds the development of stage 1 antimony production at Estelle, which will feed into the U.S. supply chain. This support enables us to accelerate our strategy to become a fully integrated U.S. producer of military-grade antimony.”

Santana Minerals Ltd (ASX: SMI)

The Santana Minerals share price is down 8% to $1.07. This follows the release of the gold developer’s quarterly update. Santana Minerals revealed a cash outflow of approximately $10 million for the three months. This reduced its cash balance from approximately $100 million to approximately $90 million.

The post Why DroneShield, Life360, Nova Minerals, and Santana shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Down 40% in 3 months: Are Life360 shares still a buy? 

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended DroneShield and Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Something momentous has happened on the ASX boards this Tuesday. Mining stock and ASX veteran BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) has displaced Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) as the largest stock on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), and thus, on the Australian share market.

Unlike in the United States, we don’t have a never-ending game of musical chairs when it comes to Australia’s largest public company. Banking giant CBA had occupied the top spot on the ASX for more than 18 months, fuelled by a massive share price rally that saw the bank go from under $100 a share in 2023 to last year’s record high of $192. Concluding with a lacklustre few years for BHP shares, CBA had been sitting atop the ASX for quite a while. Until today, that is.

CBA shares out, BHP stock in

This Tuesday has seen BHP shares rally considerably, up more than 3% at present. The miner crossed over $50 a share for the first time in more than a year today, topping out at $50.08 a share. Although CBA stock is also up a healthy 0.7% today (at the time of writing), BHP’s move has pushed the miner to a market capitalisation of just over $253.5 billion. As CBA is currently worth about $251.9 billion, BHP is officially the big dog of the ASX once more. The age of the bank is over, the age of the miner is beginning. At least for now.

We’ve been anticipating this outcome for a while here at the Motley Fool, given how BHP has rallied over a period that has seen CBA fall from that $192 high to the $150 price we are currently seeing.

But of course, it’s not the first time that BHP has sat atop the ASX. Prior to 2024, BHP was indeed the largest share on the ASX. Thanks to a ‘unification’ program that was announced in 2021, BHP ended its dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and made the ASX its primary home. That brought billions of dollars worth of BHP shares to the ASX, allowing the miner to leapfrog CBA as the ASX’s largest company.

That lasted a few years until CBA took back its crown in 2024. Now, that crown has been handed back.

What do the Big Australian’s gains mean for the ASX 200?

In practice, not a lot. Yes, BHP shares will now draw more dollars from index fund inflows and superannuation funds than CBA. But Australian investors, well, those with exposure to index funds, will still have plenty of exposure to both companies. However, the bragging rights of the largest public company in Australia now belong to BHP. For now, at least.

The post Bye bye CBA: BHP is back as the ASX 200’s biggest stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The AUB Group Ltd (ASX: AUB) share price is in a trading halt today after the insurance broker announced a major acquisition and capital raising.

The trading halt was requested ahead of a detailed update to the market. AUB shares last closed at $31.91 on Friday.

Let’s take a closer look at what AUB announced and why trading has been paused.

A major move into the UK

According to the release, AUB has agreed to acquire 95.9% of UK insurance broker Prestige for $432 million (roughly GBP (Great British Pound) 219 million).

Prestige operates across several areas of the UK insurance market, including retail insurance broking, specialist underwriting businesses, and insurance technology.

In FY25, Prestige generated GBP 310 million in gross written premium and GBP 17.5 million in EBITDA. That puts the purchase price at 12.9 times EBITDA, excluding expected synergies.

AUB said the acquisition strengthens its position in the UK retail insurance market. It also gives the group a larger platform to make additional small acquisitions over time.

Once the deal is completed, AUB expects its UK retail business to handle more than GBP 720 million in gross written premium. That would increase the share of earnings coming from offshore markets.

The deal also marks AUB’s first move into the UK MGA space. Management described this area as an attractive growth opportunity.

What this means for earnings

AUB expects the deal to deliver more than $10 million in annual cost savings by FY27.

These savings are expected to come from combining operations, shared services, and changes to leadership structures.

There may also be revenue benefits. AUB sees opportunities to cross-sell products across its existing UK businesses and Prestige’s specialist operations.

In the near term, the company said the acquisition and recent smaller deals should be earnings neutral before synergies. After synergies, AUB expects the transaction to be low to mid-single-digit earnings accretive in FY25.

How the deal is being funded

To fund the acquisition, AUB has launched a fully underwritten $400 million institutional placement at $29.40 per share. That price represents a 7.9% discount to Friday’s close.

The placement will result in the issue of about 13.6 million new shares, increasing AUB’s total share count by around 11.7%.

Retail investors will also be offered a share purchase plan of up to $40 million, with a maximum investment of $30,000 per shareholder.

In addition, AUB has secured a new $200 million debt facility, bringing total funding for the transaction to $600 million.

After the deal, AUB expects its debt levels to remain manageable, with more than $300 million in available cash and unused debt facilities.

What happens next?

AUB expects the trading halt to be lifted tomorrow, once the institutional placement is completed.

Settlement of the new shares is scheduled for Friday, with normal trading expected to resume shortly after.

The post Big UK deal, big capital raise. Why this ASX stock is in a trading halt appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 54% since December, can Boss Energy shares keep racing higher in 2026?
• Which gold company’s shares are up more than 20% on acquisition news?
• Why DroneShield, Life360, Nova Minerals, and Santana shares are falling today
• Bye bye CBA: BHP is back as the ASX 200’s biggest stock
• Why the $260 billion Glencore merger is a ‘high-stakes gamble’ for Rio Tinto shares

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

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares are marching higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant closed on Friday trading for $148.72. At the time of writing, shares are changing hands for $152.22 apiece, up 2.4%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 1.1% at this same time.

As you may be aware, Rio Tinto shares took a sizeable hit earlier this month, sinking 6.3% on 9 January.

That retrace followed on Rio’s confirmation that it was engaged in preliminary negotiations with Glencore (LSE: GLEN) on a possible merger.

We’ll look at the implications of any such merger below.

But first…

What did Rio and Glencore announce?

On 9 January, Rio Tinto shares sank after the two global mining giants confirmed that they were considering combining their businesses, possibly via an all share merger, into one jumbo-sized miner.

Management stressed that no firm offers have yet been made in the early-stage discussions, with any potential terms remaining undecided.

Should it proceed, Rio Tinto could acquire Glencore via a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement.

And ASX investors won’t have to wait long to find out if this is a serious proposal.

Under UK Takeover Code rules, the ASX 200 mining stock has until 5 February to make a formal announcement on its Glencore intentions.

Rio Tinto shares in ‘high stakes gamble’

Having run her slide rule over the potential acquisition, Sharesies head of capital markets, Jacki Neumann, labelled the $260 billion merger a “high-stakes gamble on the energy transition”.

Part of the appeal for Rio Tinto is Glencore’s strong copper assets. The copper price has been setting new record highs and is currently just off those highs, trading for US$13,199 per tonne. That sees the red metal up 47% over the past 12 months.

“The merger would represent a fundamental strategic shift for Rio Tinto,” Neumann said.

She added:

By integrating Glencore’s copper portfolio, Rio would significantly reduce its exposure to the cyclical volatility of the iron ore market. The pivot would allow Rio to capitalise on projected demand growth from the energy transition and AI infrastructure, moving beyond its legacy focus on industrial bulk commodities.

However, Rio Tinto shares could face some modest headwinds from ESG investors over Glencore’s coal mines.

“A return to coal would test the market’s appetite for responsible stewardship over simple divestiture,” Neumann said.

According to Neumann:

By treating Glencore’s coal as a high-margin funding engine, Rio can self-finance its capital-intensive copper and lithium ambitions. We may see immediate churn from strict ESG funds, but the market is waking up to the ‘bridge theory’, the reality that maintaining legacy cash flows are often necessary to build the renewable infrastructure of the future.

And Neuman noted that Rio Tinto CEO Simon Trott will have his work cut out for him convincing investors that a merger with Glencore aligns with his “sharper and simpler” promise.

“CEO Simon Trott is walking a tightrope between simple and massive,” she said.

Neumann concluded:

While a $260 billion merger seems to contradict his promise of a leaner Rio, he’s gambling that buying existing, world-class copper mines is actually ‘simpler’ than the years of red tape and risk involved in developing them from scratch.

If he can successfully spin off the coal, he’ll have pulled off the ultimate shortcut to becoming a future-facing monolith.

With today’s intraday gains factored in, Rio Tinto shares are up 29.4% over 12 months, not including dividends.

The post Why the $260 billion Glencore merger is a ‘high-stakes gamble’ for Rio Tinto shares 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.

One of the biggest pieces of news on global investing markets that you might have missed over the long weekend is the latest record high for gold. Investors have been pushing the precious metal to countless new record highs over the past few months. But the weekend’s latest all-time high, fuelled by frenzied gold buying, is a huge milestone.

That’s because gold, for the first time in recorded history, hit US$5,000 per ounce over the weekend. That’s $7,236 in our local dollar.

At the time of writing, gold has pushed even higher, crossing US$5,100 in the past 24 hours.

This extraordinary new high means that gold is now up a whopping 82% or so over the past 12 months alone. Yep, this time last year, the yellow metal was going for just US$2,803 an ounce. Perhaps even more startling has been gold’s climb over just the past few weeks. Since New Year’s Eve, the precious metal has climbed from US$4,293 an ounce, giving it a 2026 year-to-date gain of close to 19%. And we haven’t even hit February yet.

Considering all of this, many investors might be wondering whether it is too late to hop onto this bandwagon by buying gold.

Is it too late to buy gold in 2026?

Well, that’s the US$5,000 question. To be clear, no one knows. Gold is a fickle commodity that is subject to the same influences of fear and greed that make the stock market so volatile. For all I know, gold could end 2026 at US$3,000 an ounce or at US$8,000.

Saying that, we can still partake in some educated guesswork.

To start, let’s look at what is driving gold higher. Gold is a rather unique asset in that it commands faith as a safe-haven asset. Due to its finite supply, its historical use as a currency, and its ability to resist corrosion and degradation, humans have been storing their wealth using gold bullion for thousands of years.

Investors tend to appreciate this safe-haven status during times of heightened geopolitical or economic uncertainty. There doesn’t happen to be any shortage of either at this early stage of 2026. There are several geopolitical hotspots keeping world leaders up at night right now. These range from the Taiwan Straight and Greenland to Gaza and the battlefields of Ukraine.

Further, there are sharp questions about the future of the United States as the centre of the global economy. From imposing arbitrary tariffs to questioning the US’ role in NATO, the Trump Administration’s economic and foreign policies have certainly ruffled a few feathers. There are now real questions being asked about the US dollar’s safe haven status and its role as the world’s reserve currency. This could have huge implications for the ever-increasing US national debt if these doubts fester.

Central banks around the world are already piling out of US Treasury bonds and buying into gold. Most notably, China.

Putting all of this together, we have the perfect recipe for higher gold prices.

Foolish Takeaway

All of the factors that have arguably pushed gold to its latest record high remain in place in early 2026, and indeed seem to be accelerating. As such, I would be surprised if gold didn’t continue to mint fresh record highs over the rest of 2026. I could be wrong, of course. But until we see these underlying global tensions ease up considerably, it seems prudent to expect gold demand to exceed supply.

The post New record high! Is it too late to buy gold in 2026? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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.

In afternoon trade on Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a decent gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 1% to 8,951.7 points.

Four ASX shares that are rising more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR)

The Dateline Resources share price is up 7.5% to 45.2 cents. Investors have been buying this gold and rare earths explorer’s shares following the release of a drilling update. Dateline Resources revealed that elevated chargeability zones have been identified in preliminary induced polarisation (IP) results at both shallow and deeper levels. Commenting on the news, the company’s managing director, Stephen Baghdadi, said: “The data supports the theory of a large mineral system with deep structural and sulphide-hosted features that may reflect mineralizing plumbing beyond near-surface ore zones.”

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

The EOS share price is up 1.5% to $10.51. This follows the release of the defence and space company’s quarterly update. EOS reported cash receipts from customers totalling $77.3 million for the three months. This represents an increase of $60.8 million compared to the third quarter of 2025. This increase primarily reflects milestone completions achieved on customer contracts during the quarter. The company advised that its order contract backlog currently stands at $459 million. This is an increase of $323 million on the position at the start of 2025.

Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)

The Karoon Energy share price is up 3.5% to $1.69. This has been driven by the release of the energy producer’s fourth quarter update. Karoon Energy reported quarterly sales volumes of 2.65 MMboe. This is up 5% on the third quarter and 12% during the prior corresponding period. However, due to softer realised oil prices, its sales revenue came in at US$156.1 million, compared to US$164.1 million in the third quarter. Karoon Energy’s CEO and managing director, Ms Carri Lockhart, said:
“During the fourth quarter of 2025, the Baúna FPSO achieved its best quarterly efficiency rate (98.8%) since the asset was acquired in 2020. As a result, Baúna production for the full year was at the upper end of our guidance range.”

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price is up 4% to $188.64. Investors have been buying this health imaging technology company’s shares following the release of a bullish broker note out of Macquarie. According to the note, the broker has upgraded Pro Medicus’ shares to an outperform rating with a $291.30 price target.

The post Why Dateline, EOS, Karoon Energy, and Pro Medicus shares are charging higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Capstone Copper, Dateline, DroneShield, and Lindian shares are falling today

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