HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) has been a top ASX performer, with its share price up an extraordinary 286% over the past five years.

That kind of run is enviable, but the valuation inevitably raises eyebrows as the stock now trades at around 100x trailing earnings. So why are investors still willing to pay up?

Growth at scale (and still accelerating)

The most obvious reason is growth, which continues to surprise to the upside.

HUB24’s latest quarterly update shows that it is scaling rapidly across its platform and technology businesses, with its platform funds under administration increasing 29% from a year ago.

Importantly, this growth is occurring at a meaningful scale with platform funds under administration now exceeding $127 billion.

This sort of growth at scale for a tech platform can lead to strong profitability, and investors are willing to pay for that growth.

While the headline multiple looks extreme, on a one-year forward basis, the valuation falls to roughly 68x earnings. That’s still expensive, but it reflects expectations that earnings will continue to compound strongly rather than plateau.

Structural industry tailwinds

HUB24 also benefits from powerful industry tailwinds.

Australia’s wealth industry is undergoing long-term structural change: advisers are consolidating platforms, regulatory complexity is rising, and technology is becoming essential to productivity. The shift toward fewer, higher-quality platforms favours established players with scale and deep integrations.

HUB24 has positioned itself as a premium, adviser-aligned platform at exactly the right time. It’s a powerful narrative for investors who don’t want to swim against the tide and would rather have their investments powered by strong industry tailwinds.

High margins and operating leverage

Another key part of the valuation story is profit margins.

According to HUB24’s strategy deck released in late November 2025, group revenue has grown at a 4-year CAGR of 38%, while underlying EBITDA has grown at 46% and underlying net profit after tax at 61% over the same period. That gap highlights the business’ operating leverage.

As revenue scales, a growing share of it drops through to profit. Platform EBITDA margins have also expanded steadily, supported by recurring revenue and a cost base that doesn’t rise linearly with funds under administration.

With roughly $400m of revenue and almost $100m of underlying net profit, profit margins are high, and this combination of strong growth and expanding margins is exactly what supports premium valuation multiples.

An emerging oligopoly

Finally, investors increasingly view HUB24 as part of a small group of long-term winners, alongside peers like Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL).

Platform businesses tend to become oligopolistic over time. Scale attracts advisers, advisers attract flows, and flows justify further investment in technology, thereby reinforcing the competitive moat. Once established, these advantages can be difficult for smaller competitors to overcome until the next big shift occurs.

The risks of paying up

For all of HUB24’s desirable traits, none of them completely insulates the risks for investors.

A 100x earnings multiple leaves little room for disappointment, and sharp drawdowns are to be expected, particularly during market volatility or if growth slows. Even great businesses can see their share prices fall when expectations reset.

Foolish bottom line

HUB24’s valuation reflects more than just hype. Investors are paying for growth at scale, structural tailwinds, high margins, and a belief that the company is helping shape a concentrated platform market.

That doesn’t make the shares low-risk, but it does help explain why, even after a 286% rise in five years, the market is still willing to pay a premium.

The post Up 286% in 5 years, why are investors paying 100x earnings for HUB24 shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 3 underappreciated ASX growth shares I would buy with $1,000
• Why this incredible ASX 200 stock could rise almost 25%
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why Bellevue Gold, DroneShield, Hub24, and Telix shares are storming higher today

Motley Fool contributor Kevin Gandiya has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned.  The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Hub24 and Netwealth Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Netwealth Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models and recommendations again. This has led to the release of a number of broker notes this week.

Three ASX shares that brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why their analysts are feeling bullish on them right now:

ARB Corporation Ltd (ASX: ARB)

According to a note out of Macquarie, its analysts have retained their outperform rating on this 4×4 automotive parts company’s shares with a trimmed price target of $35.80. This follows the release of a half year update which revealed underlying profits well short of expectations. This was driven by weaker than expected margins. In addition, export sales were softer than the broker was expecting during the half. Nevertheless, Macquarie thinks its shares offer value for money following recent weakness and reaffirms its outperform rating. The ARB share price is trading at $27.38 on Wednesday afternoon.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

A note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have retained their overweight rating and $56.50 price target on this mining giant’s shares. The broker was pleased with the Big Australian’s performance during the second quarter. This was particularly the case with its iron ore operations, which outperformed expectations. In addition, it was pleased to see its copper operations deliver production ahead of forecasts, largely due to the key Escondida mine. All in all, Morgan Stanley has seen nothing to change its positive view of the stock. The BHP share price is fetching $48.31 at the time of writing.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

Analysts at Bell Potter have retained their buy rating and $125.00 price target on this investment platform provider’s shares. According to the note, the broker was impressed with the company’s performance during the second quarter. It highlights that it achieved the highest quarterly inflow on record. In addition, it points out that management provided similarly positive comments around its pipeline. Bell Potter backs this up, noting that its own channel checks indicate that Hub24 continues to rank first for future flow intentions. In light of this and with the current forward multiple around average levels, the broker sees value in Hub24’s shares at these levels. The Hub24 share price is trading at $101.39 today.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 286% in 5 years, why are investors paying 100x earnings for HUB24 shares?
• 3 underappreciated ASX growth shares I would buy with $1,000
• Why this incredible ASX 200 stock could rise almost 25%
• Should you buy the dip on these ASX 200 stocks?
• 5 ASX shares I’d buy with $5,000 this week

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 ARB Corporation, Hub24, and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ARB Corporation, BHP Group, and Hub24. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in Servcorp Ltd (ASX: SRV) are rocketing higher today, up 8.18% to $7.67 after the company delivered an upgrade to its FY26 outlook.

The global serviced offices provider released fresh guidance this afternoon, shedding light on how the business is tracking as FY26 progresses. Recent share price behaviour and shareholder activity are providing additional context.

Let’s take a closer look at the release.

FY26 guidance upgraded

In an ASX announcement released today, Servcorp lifted its FY26 outlook across all key metrics.

Underlying NPBT is now expected to be between $80 million and $84 million, up from previous guidance of $72 million to $76 million. Underlying free cash flow guidance was also upgraded to no less than $100 million, compared with prior guidance of at least $90 million.

Importantly for income investors, Servcorp said its dividend is not expected to be below 32 cents per share, up from a previous floor of 30 cents.

Management attributed the upgrade to strong operating momentum, improved occupancy, pricing discipline, and leverage from mature locations. Cost control and better cash conversion across the global portfolio also played a role.

The company now enters the year with a strong balance sheet, high cash levels, and no debt.

Insider buying sends a strong signal

One of the more notable developments over the past year has been the level of insider buying at Servcorp.

Founder, CEO, and Executive Chairman, Mr Alfred George Moufarrige, has been a consistent buyer of Servcorp shares. According to disclosed director transactions, he has purchased well over 400,000 shares across multiple transactions in 2025, with several large off-market buys around the $7 level.

While insider buying is never a guarantee of future performance, sustained buying by a founder-led CEO is often interpreted as a strong vote of confidence in the company’s outlook and valuation.

Dividend appeal and technical picture

At the current share price, Servcorp offers a trailing dividend yield of around 4%, fully franked. With free cash flow guidance upgraded and a payout ratio near 50%, the dividend appears well supported.

From a technical perspective, Servcorp shares remain in a broader uptrend. The stock is trading above its 200-day moving average, with support forming around $6.80 to $7. Resistance remains near the recent highs around $7.40.

Foolish Takeaway

Servcorp may not be the most exciting stock on the ASX, but steady earnings, rising cash flow, a solid dividend, and insider buying make it one to watch.

With upgraded guidance now in place and a strong balance sheet underpinning returns, the company appears well-positioned to deliver reliable income while continuing to compound value over time.

The post Servcorp upgrades guidance, insiders keep buying. Is this ASX dividend stock quietly setting up? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 286% in 5 years, why are investors paying 100x earnings for HUB24 shares?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why is this gold miner’s share price heading higher today?
• A 3.5% ASX dividend stock paying cash every month
• Up 300% since August, why this surging ASX gold stock could keep racing higher

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

Shares in St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) have traded more than 5% higher after the company published a positive prefeasibility study for its 15-Mile processing hub.

The gold miner said in a statement to the ASX that the study “confirms outstanding project economics and optimal environmental and social outcomes”.

It added that the project had a post-tax payback period of less than one year, using a gold price of US$3000 per ounce, and would generate post-tax cash flow over the life of the mine of $2 billion.

The current gold price is sitting well above the figure used for the company’s calculations, with the precious metal currently changing hands for US$4835.45 per ounce.

Long life mining project

St Barbara said the project would have a stable production profile of more than 100,000 ounces of gold per year over more than 11 years, which did not include any potential upside from exploration in the region.

The project would cost about $308 million to build, and would have an all-in sustaining cost of production of US$1188 per ounce, “underpinned by fundamentals of low open pit strip ratios, strong recoveries from conventional free milling ores, proven operating experience from Touquoy and costs shared across three mining areas”.

Touquoy refers to the company’s existing mine, where open-cut mining is proposed to restart soon.

St Barbara said the 15-Mile development was expected to be funded from cash flow from the New Simberi gold project in Papua New Guinea and Touquoy once it had restarted.

The company said further re the project:

The project includes three operating locations, with all ore processing and tailings management occurring at 15-Mile, while Beaver Dam and Cochrane Hill are to operate as satellite mines. The prefeasibility study design leverages the existing Touquoy processing plant equipment. The proposed Touquoy restart would have no adverse impact on the 15-Mile Processing Hub Project development timeline as the remnant surface ore stockpiles are anticipated to be processed before relocation of the Touquoy processing plant to 15-Mile.

St Barbara Managing Director Andrew Strelein said the prefeasibility study showed 15-Mile had “outstanding” economics.

The completion of the prefeasibility study is a key milestone as we continue to de-risk the project. St Barbara is well-positioned to take the project to environmental and social impact assessment processes over FY26 and in parallel with the feasibility study.

Shares in St Barbara have tripled over the past 12 months, up from 19.2 cents to 61.5 cents on Wednesday, up 4.2% on the day.

The company was valued at $713.8 million at the close of trade on Tuesday.

The post Why is this gold miner’s share price heading higher today? 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.

Over the past few months, we’ve been looking at the dividend stocks on the ASX that pay out income every single month.

Monthly dividend payers are a rare breed in Australia. Biannual dividend shares that fork out two payments per year are the norm, while quarterly dividend stocks are less common. But there are only a handful of monthly dividend payers. Let’s talk about another one that has only joined the ASX recently.

That monthly dividend payer is WAM Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: WMX).

WAM Income Maximiser is a listed investment company (LIC) run by the LIC-focused Wilson Asset Management (WAM). It began ASX life in May last year, debuting at $1.50 a share. The company is currently up 8% from that IPO price at $162 at the time of writing.

Like most LICs, WAM Income Maximiser invests in an underlying portfolio of assets that it manages on behalf of its investors. In this case, that portfolio consists of both ASX shares and corporate debt instruments. The ASX shares are mostly blue-chip dividend stocks, including (as of the latest data) BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL), and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG). This portion of WAM Income Maximiser’s assets accounts for about 73.3% of the entire portfolio.

The corporate debt component makes up another 26.7% of the portfolio. 54% of the debt is classified as either A- or AAA-rated debt, with 28% rated at BBB and the last 18% consisting of hybrid assets.

Together, these shares and debt assets provide WAM Income Maximiser with investment income, which it passes through to investors as fully-franked dividends.

How much monthly income does this ASX dividend stock pay out?

WAM Income Maximiser paid out its first dividend in August last year and has paid a monthly dividend ever since. As we haven’t yet had a full 12 months of income, we cannot come to an accurate annual dividend yield figure as of yet. But we’ll attempt some creative accounting regardless.

WAM Income Maximiser’s first dividend, paid out on 29 August 2025, came to 0.2 cents per share. Each month, the LIC has increased its payouts by 0.5 cents. Investors bagged 0.25 cents per share in September, 0.3 cents in October, and so on. The company has provided guidance that its January dividend (set for payment on 30 January) will be worth 0.45 cents per share. That will be followed by a 0.5-cent per share payout in February and a 0.55-cent dividend in March.

There are two potential paths we can anticipate here. Assuming WAM Income Maximiser continues on its past trajectory, the company could pay a 0.6-cent-per-share dividend in April, 0.65 cents in May, and so on. Once August rolls around, investors will have received a total of 5.7 cents per share in dividends. That would result in the company trading at a dividend yield of 3.52% today.

More conservatively, we can take an average of the dividends WAM Income Maximiser has already paid out and apply that to the next few dividends. That average is 0.38 cents per share, which, if applied ot the current share price, would give this monthly dividend stock a yield of 2.79% today.

Would I buy this monthly ASX dividend stock?

Monthly dividend payers have a certain (and understandable) appeal amongst ASX investors. However, I wouldn’t be buying this particular one. For one, WAM Income Maximiser hasn’t gotten off to a great start, underperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) since its inception. Sure, a period of less than 12 months is arguably not enough time to rule out a stock for performance reasons. But this is not my only concern.

Wilson Asset Management has a patchy track record when it comes to the performance of its LICs. We’ve looked at the underwhelming return that its flagship WAM Capital Ltd (ASX: WAM) has delivered before. WAM Capital has been a disappointing investment for a long time now, with its shares currently down 18.8% over the past five years. WAM Research Ltd (ASX: WAX) has lost 22.1% over that same period, while WAM Global Ltd (ASX: WGB) shares have lost 0.4%.

Before WAM Income Maximiser’s debut, Wilson Asset Management launched WAM Strategic Value Ltd (ASX: WAR) in 2021. This LIC is down almost 16% from its 2021 debut at today’s pricing.

WAM Income Maximiser also charges a relatively expensive fee. Investors pay 0.88% per annum to have their money in this LIC. Additionally, they are slugged an additional 20% performance fee if the fund outperforms a benchmark. That benchmark is calculated using 60% of the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index and 40% of the Bloomberg AusBond Bank Bill Index. That means that WAM Income Maximiser can underperform the broader Australian stock market and still collect a performance bonus from its shareholders.

Foolish takeaway

Weighing all of this up, I would prefer to invest in cheaper monthly ASX dividend stocks that don’t charge performance fees like WAM Income Maximiser. Two of my favourite monthly payers are Plato Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: PL8) and the BetaShares S&P Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: HYLD). Both offer monthly payouts but with far lower fees. Over time, this factor alone will probably make a significant difference for investors.

The post A 3.5% ASX dividend stock paying cash every month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

ASX gold stock Titan Minerals Ltd (ASX: TTM) has been on a tear since plumbing one-year lows in August.

How much of a tear?

Well, on 5 August, you could have bought shares at the closing price of 29 cents.

In afternoon trade today, Titan Mineral shares are up 1.8% trading for $1.16 each. That sees the ASX gold stock up a blistering 300% in just over five months.

Or enough to turn an $8,000 investment into $32,000.

Atop from enjoying a surging gold price (gold is currently trading for US$4,824 per ounce), Titan Minerals has also impressed investors with strong results from its ongoing exploratory drilling campaign at its Dynasty Gold Project, located in Ecuador.

And it’s with these results in mind that the team at Euroz Hartleys believe Titan Minerals shares can keep leaping higher in 2026.

ASX gold stock expanding its footprint

Titan Minerals shares closed up 15.4% on 14 January after the ASX gold stock reported on “exceptional wide, high-grade results” from infill drilling at the Cerro Verde prospect, situated within Dynasty.

“Our infill drilling has highlighted the quality and remarkable predictability of the Dynasty gold orebody, with latest results set to support resource classification upgrades and a robust MRE update suitable for feasibility studies,” Titan Minerals CEO Melanie Leighton said on the day.

Having pored over those results, Euroz Hartleys analyst Mike Milligan said:

Latest resource infill and extensional drilling results from Titan’s 100%-owned Dynasty Gold Project continues to support an upgrade in resource classifications and growth ahead of the late Q1CY26 resource update… Recent drilling from the Brecha-Comanche target, Cerro Verde has delivered wide, high-grade vein-hosted mineralisation with significant results.

And Euroz Hartleys expects the ASX gold stock is poised to deliver a significant resource upgrade this year.

Milligan said:

Dynasty has a current resource of 43.5Mt @ 2.2g/t Au & 15.7g/t Ag for 3.1Moz gold and 22Moz silver, of which Cerro Verde contains over 60% or 1.9Moz gold & 12Moz silver, which is clearly set to increase.

We continue to see potential for gold equivalent resource growth towards 4Moz AuEq [gold equivalent], which could be significantly higher if the bulk tonnage porphyry mineralisation extends as anticipated.

Titan Minerals shares could also get further support amid merger and acquisition interest.

Milligan noted:

While key de-risking milestones such as feasibility studies remain ahead, TTM has confirmed a substantial resource base and is attracting strong M&A interest, reinforcing its value proposition.

Connecting the dots, Euroz Hartleys maintained its speculative buy rating on Titan Minerals with an increased price target of $1.70 a share.

That represents a potential upside of 46.6% from current levels.

The post Up 300% since August, why this surging ASX gold stock could keep racing higher 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.

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) shares are trading in the red again in Wednesday lunchtime trade. At the time of writing, the shares are 2.75% lower at $4.24 a piece.

Since peaking at an all-time high of $5.20 per share on Monday morning this week, 4DMedical shares have crashed 20%.

For the year to date, the shares are now down 6.61%. But thanks to an enormous 1,470.37% gain over the past 6 months, the shares are still 643.86% higher than this time last year.

In the grand scheme of things, when discussing a 600%+ annual gain, a 20% decline this week doesn’t look like much. But it does make you question, is the price rally for one of 2025’s fastest-growing stocks on the planet finally over? 

What has driven the 4DMedical share price higher over the past year?

The healthcare technology company is focused on advanced respiratory imaging. 

Its flagship product, CT:VQ, uses software to convert standard CT scans into detailed functional lung images. The technology helps diagnose and monitor conditions such as pulmonary embolisms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other respiratory illnesses.

4DMedical rocketed to success in August last year following some successful partnerships and new commercial contracts. A run of positive financial results, increased adoption of the technology, and achieved milestones throughout sent the share price flying. 

One of the biggest catalysts for the share price this year has been accelerating adoption in the United States. In early January, the company announced that UC San Diego Health had begun clinical adoption of its flagship CT:VQ product. There has already been uptake by major institutions, such as Stanford University, the Cleveland Clinic, and the University of Miami.

Why has the stock plunged over the past two days?

There has been no price-sensitive news out of the company this week to explain the price drop. Given that 4DMedical’s share price has increased so strongly over the past 6 months, it’s likely that the latest decline is investors taking their gains off the table.

The question is, does this present a great opportunity for investors to get into the stock? Or will more follow suit and send the share price south?

Time to panic or a buying opportunity?

In 2026, 4DMedical plans to focus on accelerating the rollout of its CT:VQ imaging product. This will be through strategic partnerships and new contracts. The company hopes that 2026 will be a transformative year driven by increased product adoption and long-term commercial growth.

The problem is, 4DMedical is still in its infancy, and it isn’t profitable yet. The business is mostly forecast to break even in 2026, so it has its work cut out to reach the level of growth needed to keep its shares on the same trajectory.

TradingView data shows analysts have a consensus buy rating on the stock, but target prices are significantly below the current trading price and most likely out of date, given how fast the stock has climbed over the past couple of months.

My gut is that there will be more to come from 4DMedical shares this year. But I expect volatility ahead as we enter the next growth phase.

The post 4DMedical shares crash 20% this week: Should investors cut their losses on the once-booming stock? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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.

Shares in Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL) are back in focus after the company released an operational update that appears to be lifting investor confidence.

The Vulcan share price is up 5.29% today to $4.38, adding to gains of around 10% over the past month. The move follows successful production test results from the company’s first new Lionheart well in Germany.

A key production milestone achieved

According to the release, Vulcan reported successful production flow test results from its LSC-1b sidetrack well. The well forms part of Phase One of the Lionheart Project in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley.

The production test equipment was run at full capacity, confirming the well can deliver strong flow rates. Vulcan said the results support a potential production rate of 105 to 125 litres per second, in line with assumptions in its field development plan.

Earlier drilling results were encouraging, but a previous completion issue meant production performance could not be confirmed at the time. That issue has now been resolved, allowing Vulcan to successfully test the well’s production and flow rates.

Why Lionheart is so important

Phase One of the Lionheart Project is central to Vulcan’s strategy of producing carbon-neutral lithium for European electric vehicle batteries.

Once operational, the project is expected to produce around 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide per year, enough for roughly 500,000 electric vehicle batteries annually. It also includes the co-production of renewable energy, with around 275 GWh of power and 550 GWh of heat per year.

The company has already secured project financing, and construction for Phase One is now underway. First commercial lithium production is targeted for 2028, with Vulcan aiming to position itself as a strategic supplier to Europe’s battery and EV supply chain.

Execution on the ground

The update also pointed to strong drilling performance. The well was completed safely, ahead of schedule, and without any lost-time incidents.

Management said key measures such as reservoir quality, lithium grade, temperature, and pressure are meeting or beating expectations. That should make the next stages of the project easier to execute as Vulcan moves from drilling into the build phase.

What investors are weighing up next

Even after the recent rise, Vulcan shares are still well below their 2024 highs. That shows many investors remain cautious about execution, timelines, and funding.

This latest update helps ease one of the biggest concerns. It shows the Lionheart wells can deliver flow rates that look commercially viable.

If Vulcan keeps meeting key milestones through 2026 and 2027, today’s share price could look much more attractive in hindsight.

The post Up 10% in a month. Is this ASX lithium stock finally back on track? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) shares are sinking today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) diagnostic and therapeutic product developer closed yesterday trading for $11.49. During the Wednesday lunch hour, shares are changing hands for $10.83 each, down 5.7%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.4% at this same time.

Unfortunately for stockholders, today’s underperformance is par for the course this past year, with Telix shares down 59% over 12 months.

Telix has faced headwinds on several fronts over the past months, including regulatory filing issues with the US Food and Drug Administration.

Shares closed down 18.8% on 28 August when the company announced that the FDA had identified deficiencies relating to the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) package for Telix’s renal cell carcinoma imaging agent, TLX250-CDx (Zircaix).

Should you buy the big dip on Telix shares?

Looking ahead, the team at RBC Capital expect a much stronger year from the ASX 200 healthcare stock (courtesy of The Bull).

The broker recently upgraded Telix shares to an outperform rating. Noting the outsized share price retrace over the past year, RBC Capital said the current valuation represents a “compelling risk/reward profile” for longer-term investors.

RBC Capital has a $17 price target on the stock. That represents a potential upside of 57% from current levels.

What’s happening with the ASX 200 healthcare stock today?

Telix released its December quarter update (Q4 2025) after market close yesterday.

Telix shares are under pressure today despite the company reporting that it had met its full calendar year 2025 revenue guidance, reporting revenue of US$804 million (AU$1.2 billion).

However, this did come in on the lower end of the company’s guidance of US$800 million to US$820 million, which was upgraded in October from US$770 million to US$800 million.

Fourth quarter revenue of US$208 million was up 46% year on year.

Commenting on the results that have yet to boost Telix shares today, managing director Christian Behrenbruch said, “Telix’s precision medicine business delivered excellent sequential growth in Q4 2025, driven in part by the successful US launch of Gozellix.”

The company’s precision medicine division achieved Q4 revenue of US$161 million, up 4% from Q3.

Behrenbruch noted:

This revenue growth outpaced a 3% increase in dose volumes, demonstrating the positive impact of our two-product strategy on market share and pricing. With strong early uptake of Gozellix and a robust pipeline of key accounts integrating Gozellix and ARTMS technology, Telix is well positioned for sustained growth in 2026.

The post Top broker tips 57% upside for beaten-down Telix 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 positions in and has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

If you have an appetite for investing in minerals explorers that are in the development phase, according to the team at Bell Potter, it might be worth casting an eye over Sky Metals Ltd (ASX: SKY).

Earlier this week, the company reported, in its words, “exceptional high-grade tin and silver intercepts” in the first batch of new drill results from its Tallebung project in New South Wales.

These included intercepts of 3m at 604 grams per tonne of silver, 0.68% tin from a depth of 24m, 8m at 59.4 grams per tonne of silver, and 0.26% tin from a depth of 49m, among many more.

The company said the drilling “continues to demonstrate that the deposit remains open in all directions, with further assay results expected in the coming weeks”.

Lots of work underway

Sky Managing Director Oliver Davies said the results were encouraging.

With tin and silver prices reaching record highs, this is an outstanding time to be reporting such impressive early results from our ongoing multi‑rig drilling program at Tallebung. Tin has surged above US$53,000/t on the London Metals Exchange – more than four times the copper price – highlighting the exceptional value of high‑grade tin discoveries such as this. The high-grade intercepts from the southern and central parts of the deposit reinforce Tallebung’s status as a premier near‑term development opportunity, particularly against the backdrop of rising tin, silver and tungsten prices. We look forward to receiving further assay results in the coming weeks as drilling continues with multiple rigs, and to advancing the project rapidly toward potential tin‑silver‑tungsten production.

The company also said it expected to publish an updated mineral resources estimate in the first half of the year.

Analysts like what they see

Bell Potter said in its research note published this week that they also expected the company to publish a development study for the project, which would “provide a preliminary economic outlook for a potential low-cost, open pit mining operation that could generate three high-value products; tin concentrate, tungsten concentrate, and silver”.

The Bell Potter team added:

Tallebung is emerging as a strategic source of near-term tin, silver and tungsten supply in a stable jurisdiction. SKY is rapidly de-risking the project into development amidst a backdrop of rising tin, silver and tungsten prices. We expect news flow over the coming months to include drill results (ongoing); updated mineral resource estimate (current half); mine development study (current half); flowsheet optimisation (ongoing); and permitting activities (ongoing).

Bell Potter has upgraded its price target on the shares from 12 cents to 21 cents, with a speculative rating on the shares.

The Sky Metals share price was 15 cents on Wednesday morning, and is well above 12-month lows of 3.2 cents.

Sky Metals was valued at $127.8 million at the close of trade on Tuesday.

The post Up 300% over a year, this minerals explorer still has further to go, one broker says 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.