Shares in Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) were trading higher on Wednesday despite the company reporting a 9% fall in production for the second quarter of the year.

The Adelaide-based energy company’s production came in at 4.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), which was down 9% on both the preceding quarter and the same quarter last year.

Sales revenue for the quarter was 17% lower at $445 million, with the company receiving $105 per barrel of oil sold, down from $113.

The amount the company was paid for its gas improved 2% over the prior quarter to $11.90 per gigajoule.

ASX oil share looking forward for growth

Beach Managing Director Brett Woods said the company was working on growth programs across all of its core assets.

These included the Waitsia gas plant, which was commissioned during the quarter, and which delivered its first sales gas into the pipeline network.

Mr Woods added:

I am very proud of our team’s effort to support and drive the project to completion, unlocking a critical piece of infrastructure for the Western Australian gas market. The ramp-up process is well underway.

Mr Woods said in the Cooper Basin, there was higher production across operated and non-operated assets, “on the back of successful flood recovery efforts, with a majority of flood-impacted production now back online”.

It was pleasing to see the return of a drilling rig to the Western Flank this quarter and early success from the expanded 12 well oil appraisal and development campaign, with three oil wells cased and suspended in the period. This campaign will be followed by a 10-well oil exploration campaign to be drilled through the back end of FY26 and into early FY27.

Mr Woods said the company ended the quarter with $925 million in liquidity, “driven by positive quarterly cashflow generation and a new $300 million term facility, which received strong support from new and existing lenders”.

WA project ramping up

At Waitsia, the company achieved a peak production rate of 165 terajoules per day of gas compared with the nameplate capacity of 250 terajoules.

Beach said that during the third quarter, a third and fourth gas compressor would be brought online, “during which time production rates from the Waitsia Gas Plant are expected to ramp up towards nameplate capacity”.

In the Cooper Basin, Beach participated in 20 wells during the quarter, with a success rate of 70%, “from one oil appraisal well, two oil development wells, three gas exploration wells, two gas appraisal wells and 12 gas development wells”.

Beach shares were 3.2% higher on Wednesday morning at $1.13.

The company was valued at $2.51 billion at the close of trade on Tuesday.

The post Beach Energy shares trade higher despite production slip appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) shares are charging higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rare earths miner closed yesterday trading for $15.25. In morning trade on Wednesday, shares are changing hands for $16.13 apiece, up 5.8%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.3% following the big overnight sell-down in US stock markets.

Here’s why that’s not holding back Lynas’ bull run today.

Lynas shares jump on sales revenue growth

Investors are bidding up Lynas shares following the release of the miner’s second-quarter update (Q2 FY 2026).

Highlights for the three months to 31 December include a 43% year-on-year increase in gross sales revenue to $201.9 million. And sales receipts of $185 million were up 26.8% from Q2 FY 2025.

Total rare earth oxide (REO) production came in at 2,382 tonnes. That’s down around 9% year on year and down just over 40% from the prior quarter.

Neodymium (Nd) and Praseodymium (Pr) production of 1,404 tonnes was down around 30% from Q1 FY 2026. But most of that pullback looks to already have been priced into Lynas shares, with management flagging significant power supply disruptions at its Kalgoorlie plant in early November, alongside major planned kiln maintenance at its Kuantan facility in Malaysia.

Dysprosium and Terbium (DyTb) production came in at 26 tonnes for the quarter.

Lynas reported that the average selling price increased to $85.60 per kilogram across all its rare earths products, up 74% from Q2 FY 2025.

As at 31 December, the ASX 200 miner had cash and short-term deposits of $1.03 billion.

What else is happening with the ASX 200 rare earths miner?

The December quarter also saw Lynas complete the commissioning of its Mt Weld expansion project, with its new flotation circuit ramping up.

Lynas shares could also gain longer-term support with the company working on the expansion of heavy rare earth (HRE) separation at its Malaysian facility. Management forecasts the first production of Samarium – a heavy rare-earth metal used in high end magnets – in Q4 FY26.

What’s ahead for Lynas shares?

The end of FY 2026 will see Lynas Rare Earths CEO and managing director Amanda Lacaze step down from her role.

“I have been privileged to lead this company for the past 12 years and believe this is the right time to make the transition,” Lacaze said. “I remain fully committed to my role, to continuing to deliver value for shareholders, and working to ensure a smooth transition.”

With today’s intraday gains factored in, Lynas shares are up 134.5% over 12 months, racing ahead of the 4.6% one-year gains delivered by the ASX 200.

The post Buying Lynas shares? Here’s why the ASX rare earths stock is flying higher in Wednesday’s sinking market appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 materials sector outperforms as mining shares continue their ascent

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 Emerald Resources (ASX: EMR) share price is in focus today after the gold developer announced a 27% increase in the Memot Gold Project’s mineral resource estimate to 1.7 million ounces, with over 70% now classified as Indicated.

What did Emerald Resources report?

• Memot Gold Project resource increased to 45.0Mt @ 1.2g/t Au for 1.7Moz
• Indicated category up 22%—now 1.2Moz of the resource
• Higher-grade resource: 21.6Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 1.24Moz
• Resource remains open in all directions and at depth
• Project fully permitted after recent grant of Industrial Mining Licence and Mineral Investment Agreement

What else do investors need to know?

The resource update builds on drilling during 2025, following earlier resource estimates and now positions Memot as a key growth pillar for Emerald in Cambodia. The mineralisation at Memot remains open, supporting ongoing exploration and potential for further resource growth. A maiden ore reserve statement is expected to follow this resource update.

Emerald is planning an extensive extensional and infill drilling campaign through 2026, targeting both Memot and additional prospects across its 1,190km² Cambodian tenements and 1,110km² of priority ground in Western Australia. The company maintains a strong financial position, with significant cash, bullion, and investments on hand to fund project development.

What’s next for Emerald Resources?

Emerald plans to advance development at Memot in 2026, underpinned by the upcoming maiden ore reserve and updated feasibility studies. Next steps include ongoing drilling to target resource extensions, improve confidence, and support conversion of resources to reserves.

The company continues to explore and expand across both its Australian and Cambodian projects, aiming to grow its annual gold production profile towards the 300,000 – 400,000 ounce range. Emerald also remains committed to strong environmental practices as project development moves forward.

Emerald Resources share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Emerald Resources shares have risen 101%, significantly outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Emerald Resources: Memot gold resource climbs 27% to 1.7Moz appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) share price is in focus after the company reported record gold production of 111,418 ounces for the December 2025 quarter and a doubling of underlying cash build to $365 million compared to the previous quarter.

What did Westgold Resources report?

• Record gold production of 111,418oz (up 33% quarter on quarter)
• All-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $3,500/oz; AISC excluding ore purchases: $2,945/oz
• Gold sales of 115,200oz at an average price of $6,356/oz, generating $732 million revenue
• Underlying quarterly cash build of $365 million before one-off outflows
• Closing cash, bullion, and investments of $654 million as at 31 December 2025
• Westgold remains debt free and fully unhedged

What else do investors need to know?

Westgold’s quarterly results reflect a focus on maximising cash generation by processing higher volumes of third-party high-grade oxide ore. This decision supported record production and treasury growth but also increased overall costs for the period. Notably, gold price-linked royalties have had a greater impact across the industry, adding $12 million to Westgold’s year-to-date costs.

During the quarter, Westgold advanced its strategy of portfolio optimisation, completing the divestment of non-core assets and progressing the planned spin-off of certain Murchison gold projects into the new ASX-listed Valiant Gold Limited. The company also maintained its FY26 production guidance of 345,000–385,000 ounces at an AISC of $2,600–$2,900/oz, excluding gold price-linked ore purchase costs.

What did Westgold Resources management say?

Managing Director & CEO Wayne Bramwell said:

In Q2, FY26 Westgold delivered record quarterly cash build of $365M and production of 111,418 ounces. Continued operational improvement from our assets continued and we had the opportunity to super charge our cash build by purchasing a higher volume of third-party ore. This third party ore delivered 22,317 ounces and monetising it further strengthened our balance sheet. These factors culminated in the Group closing the quarter with a treasury of $654M.

What’s next for Westgold Resources?

Westgold says its 3-Year Outlook aims to boost annual gold production to around 470,000 ounces by FY28, while targeting a reduction in AISC to about $2,500/oz from FY27. The company is progressing its key growth projects at Bluebird–South Junction, Great Fingall, and Beta Hunt, which are expected to replace lower-grade stockpiles with higher-grade ore across its main processing hubs.

Westgold plans continued focus on operational improvements and value creation through the demerger of Valiant Gold and ongoing optimisation of its asset base. Cost guidance is maintained, with a conservative view on third-party ore production for the remainder of the year.

Westgold Resources share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Westgold Resources shares have risen 180%, significantly outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Westgold Resources doubles cash build and sets new production record in Q2 FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) shares are catching the eye of investors on Wednesday.

In morning trade, the uranium producer’s shares are up 12% to a 52-week high of $13.01.

Why are Paladin Energy shares roaring higher today?

Investors have been fighting to get hold of the company’s shares today after responding positively to its quarterly update.

According to the release, Paladin Energy’s uranium production increased 16% on the previous quarter to 1.24M pounds. This was driven by an uplift in ore feed grade as a result of a higher proportion of mined ore processed.

The company also revealed strong sales volumes of 1.43M pounds with a realised price of US$71.8 per pound. This represents a 150% and 6.5% increase, respectively, over the first quarter. Management highlights that this reflects the quality of the Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM) contract book and the strengthening uranium pricing environment.

This was achieved with a cost of production of US$39.7 per pound, which is down 4.6% quarter on quarter.

Combined with the completion of its share purchase plan and the restructure of its syndicated debt facility, Paladin Energy ended the period with cash and investments of US$278.4 million and an undrawn US$70 million revolving credit facility.

Guidance update

Also giving Paladin Energy shares a boost today was its update on its guidance for FY 2026.

Management advised that given the robust production in the first half of FY 2026, coupled with the continued ramp up of LHM to full mining and processing operations, it expects full year production to trend towards the upper end of the guidance range of 4M pounds to 4.4M pounds.

Commenting on the company’s performance during the first half, its CEO, Paul Hemburrow, said:

As global interest in nuclear energy continues to strengthen, I am delighted by our progress in ramping-up operations at Langer Heinrich Mine. The new level of production achieved during the quarter provides insight into the robust performance that can be achieved from this strategic uranium asset. Our site team’s goal is to continue delivering a consistent operational performance for the remainder of this financial year.

Hemburrow also spoke positively about its Patterson Lake South (PLS) Project. He adds:

The capability of our Canadian team is growing under the leadership of Dale Huffman as President Paladin Canada, with exploration and permitting workstreams advancing at PLS. Completion of the debt restructure has provided additional balance sheet flexibility to support the continued ramp up at LHM and progress the PLS Project. As a group we are focused on improving production volumes and ensuring capability to deliver a multi-decade production pipeline for the market and to drive value for our shareholders.

The post Why are Paladin Energy shares jumping 12% to a 52-week high? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price is in focus today after the company reported a 17% drop in quarterly sales revenue to $445 million and highlighted the successful ramp-up of its Waitsia Gas Plant.

What did Beach Energy report?

• Quarterly production down 9% to 4.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe)
• Sales volumes fell 13% to 5.9 MMboe
• Sales revenue down 17% to $445 million
• Average realised gas price rose 2% to $11.9 per gigajoule (GJ)
• Waitsia Gas Plant delivered first gas and peaked at 165 TJ/day after quarter-end
• Liquidity at quarter-end rose to $925 million

What else do investors need to know?

Production increases in the Western Flank and Cooper Basin joint venture were achieved following successful flood recovery efforts, with output up 5% and 12% respectively on the previous quarter. Meanwhile, planned maintenance and lower seasonal demand led to a 31% decrease in Otway Basin production.

Beach lifted two Waitsia LNG cargoes in the quarter, generating $111 million in revenue. The company also secured a $300 million term loan to further strengthen its liquidity, ending the quarter with $925 million in cash and undrawn facilities.

What did Beach Energy management say?

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Brett Woods said:

With growth activities underway across all of our core assets, it was an active quarter for Beach with delivery of key milestones on our major projects, whilst maintaining outstanding safety and environmental performance across all operations. Pleasingly, our Beach operated assets achieved 12 months injury free in late December.

Completion of the Waitsia Gas Plant and delivery of first sales gas into the pipeline network is a great achievement. I am very proud of our team’s effort to support and drive the project to completion, unlocking a critical piece of infrastructure for the Western Australian gas market. The ramp-up process is well underway.

What’s next for Beach Energy?

Beach is focused on reaching steady-state operations at Waitsia Gas Plant, with production expected to ramp up towards nameplate capacity in the third quarter of FY26. The company also plans to continue its drilling programs in the Cooper Basin and Western Flank, including an oil appraisal and development campaign and a 10-well exploration campaign into FY27.

Investors can expect further updates when Beach releases its FY26 half-year financial results in early February. Ongoing exploration and development activities will be a key driver for future production and earnings.

Beach Energy share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Beach Energy shares have declined 26%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Beach Energy shares: quarterly revenue drops, Waitsia ramps up appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) shares could be one of the best places to invest for the long-term for Australians. When a great business drops more than 20%, I get excited about the more appealing value on offer and the potential to rebound. It’s down 27% from late October 2025.

Siteminder offers software under the same name, which it calls the world’s leading hotel distribution and revenue platform. It has another software offering called Little Hotelier, an all-in-one hotel management software that “makes the lives of small accommodation providers easier”.

It’s a truly a global business. While the headquarters are based in Sydney, it has offices in Bangalore, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Dallas, Galway, London, Manila, and Mexico City.

Impressively, the business generates more than 130 million reservations worth more than A$85 billion in revenue for hotel customers each year.

I believe the business has the potential to generate significantly more revenue in the coming years.

Great organic growth rate

The ASX share is aiming to move beyond the role of a channel manager for hotels and become the central revenue platform – a unified system, instead of various systems, where revenue decisions are made, executed, and can be automated.

It’s embedding AI across its proprietary reservations data to give its hoteliers a predictive edge, identifying new revenue opportunities, and forecasting traveller demand before their competitors can. It can help them decide on optimal pricing and execute changes immediately, or Siteminder can optimise pricing and distribute it for the hotel.

Its current annual recurring revenue (ARR) equates to approximately 0.3% of the $85 billion of gross booking value it facilitates. But if customers were to adopt its full suite of smart platform tools, it could capture 1.5% of gross booking value, just by deepening its relationship with existing customers.

The ASX share grew its revenue by 22% in FY25. The company’s ARR growth in FY26 is expected to be similar to the FY25 figure, and it’s aiming to accelerate its revenue growth towards 30% in the medium term.

There are a lot of hotels that aren’t Siteminder customers yet, and this gives the company a long growth runway with both existing and potential future customers in the coming years.

Software operating leverage

As a software business, the company is capable of delivering rising profit margins.

Selling one more software subscription doesn’t see the costs change much, so additional revenue is very helpful at boosting earnings.

The company is seeing its underlying gross profit margin increase as the results are revealed every six months, thanks to a larger level of subscription and transaction revenue.

In FY25, the business saw its underlying free cash flow shift from a $35 million outflow to a $4.7 million inflow, which is great progress and suggests earnings could rise significantly in the coming years.

The post This is a great place to invest $1,000 into ASX shares right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

A takeover bid has been launched for rare earths developer Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX: ASM) priced well above a 100% premium for the company.

ASM said in a statement to the ASX on Wednesday that Energy Fuels Inc (NYSEMKT: UUUU) had agreed to acquire the company for an implied value of $1.60 per ASM shares.

ASM shares jumped 93.1% to be changing hands for $1.40 on Wednesday after closing Tuesday’s session at 72.5 cents.

ASM said in its statement that its board was unanimously basking the deal, which would see ASM shareholders receive 0.053 Energy Fuels shares, at an implied value of $1.47 per share.

An unfranked special dividend of 13 cents would also be paid to ASM shareholders.

ASM’s Non-Executive Chair, Ian Gandel, who owns 13.6% of the company, is also supporting the proposed deal.

Fast track for development

The company’s Managing Director Rowena Smith said the tie-up made sense.

This proposed combination delivers a significant premium for ASM shareholders and ensures our shareholders retain the opportunity to participate in the substantial upside of a larger, better capitalised critical minerals business. We are pleased to recommend this transaction not only for the value it delivers but it accelerates the execution of our mine to metals strategy in a way that unlocks greater scale, de-risks delivery and positions us to capture the full potential of our rare-earths opportunity.

ASM’s flagship project is its Dubbo project in New South Wales, which it says has a “globally significant resource of light and heavy rare earths across a unique ore body comprising bastnaesite mineralogy and zirconosilicates”.

The company’s website says the project has an initial mine life of 20 years “and a further 50 years of resource”.

ASM said on Wednesday the tie up with Energy Fuels made strategic sense.

The transaction is expected to materially accelerate ASM’s mine to metals strategy by providing ASM shareholders with exposure to a secure, ex-China rare earths supply chain spanning mining, processing, separation, metallisation and alloying, underpinned by Energy Fuels’ critical feedstock and processing assets.

Energy Fuels, ASM said, had 45 years’ operational experience, “as well as … excellent capability in building, commissioning and operating upstream mining assets”.

Energy Fuels is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange and would establish a listing on the ASX following the deal to allow ASM shareholders to trace their new shares.

The deal will need to be approved by 75% of votes cast at a meeting to be held, with ASM saying it aimed to have the deal implemented by the end of June.

ASM was valued at $194.3 million at the close of trade on Tuesday.

The post Takeover bid for rare earths developer launched at a premium of more than 100% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares are pushing higher on Wednesday morning.

At the time of writing, the mining giant’s shares are up 1% to $147.77.

This follows the release of its fourth quarter and full year production update before the market update.

Rio Tinto shares rise on production update

For the fourth quarter of FY 2025, Rio Tinto reported Pilbara iron ore shipments of 91.3Mt and record iron ore production of 89.7Mt. This reflects a 7% and 4% increase, respectively, over the prior corresponding period.

This meant that Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron ore shipments totalled 326.2Mt in FY 2025, which was down 1% year on year but in line with its guidance for the lower end of the range of 323Mt to 338Mt.

Rio Tinto’s copper operations had a positive final quarter. Production was up 5% to 240kt, which brought its full year production to 883kt. This represents an 11% increase on last year’s production and was ahead of its guidance range of 860kt to 875kt. Management advised that this was driven by the strong ramp-up of Oyu Tolgoi.

Elsewhere, bauxite production was up 6% in FY 2025 to 62.4Mt, alumina production rose 4% to 7.6Mt, and aluminium production increased 3% to 3.38Mt. These were all in line with their respective guidance ranges. Rio Tinto also achieved record quarterly lithium production from its operating assets in Argentina.

The company’s chief executive, Simon Trott, was rightfully pleased with the final quarter and full year. He commented:

Our operations delivered exceptional production performance, both on a quarter-on-quarter and full year basis, as we leverage our strong foundation of operating excellence and project delivery across our portfolio. We achieved record quarterly iron ore production in the Pilbara, with a strong recovery from the extreme weather interruptions earlier in the year. At Simandou, we celebrated the major milestone of first shipment from the port; a testament to our ability to deliver major growth projects.

Record copper production continues following delivery of our Oyu Tolgoi underground project, another demonstration of our unique and diverse project capabilities. A step change in bauxite production through the year once again highlights the ongoing maturation of our operational excellence. In lithium, we achieved production growth from our operations and in-flight projects as planned in 2025, as we build out our high-quality portfolio with discipline. Implementation of our stronger, sharper, simpler way of working continues, and is delivering results and creating value.

FY 2026 guidance

All guidance for FY 2026 is unchanged from its capital markets day presentation.

It continues to forecast total iron ore sales of 343Mt to 366Mt, copper production of 800kt to 870kt, aluminium production of 3.25Mt to 3.45Mt, and lithium production of 61kt to 64kt.

Unit cost performance for FY 2025 and guidance for FY 2026 will be provided next month when its results are released.

The post Rio Tinto shares charge higher on strong FY25 update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

The Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD) share price is in focus today after the ACCC referred its proposed acquisition of EG Australia to a Phase 2 review, requiring further scrutiny under the new merger regime.

What did Ampol report?

• The ACCC has moved Ampol’s acquisition of EG Australia to a Phase 2 assessment.
• Ampol’s offer to divest 19 retail fuel sites was deemed insufficient to address competition concerns.
• The ACCC identified 115 EG sites where competition could be substantially lessened.
• Concerns raised about competition in the retail supply of petrol and diesel, particularly in metropolitan areas.
• This is the first acquisition subject to a Phase 2 review under the new regime effective from 1 January 2026.

What else do investors need to know?

The ACCC’s decision means the acquisition faces heightened regulatory scrutiny and a longer path to approval, which may affect the timeline of Ampol’s transaction with EG Australia. The review targets both localised and broader metropolitan market impacts, especially in major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra.

Parties are invited to make submissions on the Phase 2 Notice by 4 February 2026. The outcome of this process could influence Ampol’s future position and expansion plans in the Australian fuel retail sector.

What’s next for Ampol?

Ampol must now await the ACCC’s in-depth Phase 2 review, which can take up to 90 business days unless extended. The company may need to propose further site divestments or other undertakings to satisfy competition concerns.

Investors should watch for updates from both the ACCC and Ampol, as the review’s outcome will determine whether the transaction is ultimately approved or blocked under the new mandatory regime.

Ampol share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Ampol shares have risen 1%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Ampol share price in focus as ACCC refers EG Australia acquisition to Phase 2 review appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.