The Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) share price is in focus as the gold miner delivered record December-quarter production of 74,261 ounces and grew cash and equivalents to $404 million, all while maintaining tight cost controls.

What did Genesis Minerals report?

• Record quarterly gold production of 74,261 ounces at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $2,635 per ounce
• Half-year production of 147,139 ounces at an AISC of $2,578/oz
• Gold sales of 71,346 ounces at an average price of $6,057/oz, generating revenue of $432.2 million
• Cash and equivalents of $403.6 million at 31 December 2025, with no bank debt
• Unaudited half-year NPAT between $235 million and $245 million
• FY26 production outlook maintained at 260,000–290,000oz at an AISC of $2,500–$2,700/oz

What else do investors need to know?

Genesis accelerated its Tower Hill development, achieving major milestones ahead of schedule. These included finalising rail agreements, a mining agreement with the Darlot People, and key government approvals. Operational readiness activities are progressing well, with site establishment works to commence soon.

The miner also awarded a Letter of Intent to Byrnecut for underground mining at Leonora, with full mobilisation planned for May 2026. Genesis maintained a strong focus on sustainability, reporting no lost time injuries for the quarter and releasing new group-wide environmental standards.

What did Genesis Minerals management say?

Executive Chair Raleigh Finlayson said:

We have met or exceeded all our operational targets while making strong progress on our growth agenda. Our record production was accompanied by tight cost control, which was a significant achievement given the cost pressures faced across the industry, and as we continue to lay the foundations to deliver our ASPIRE accelerated growth strategy ahead of schedule. We look forward to unveiling details of our longer-term plan later in the current half, including the mill expansion strategy, as we seek to capitalise on the strength of the long ore position we have established.

What’s next for Genesis Minerals?

Genesis is pushing ahead with its “ASPIRE 400” strategy, aiming to accelerate production growth beyond previous 10-year plans. The Tower Hill project remains a major focus and is on track for first ore in FY28. The company raised its FY26 growth capital outlook to $220–240 million, reflecting earlier development at Tower Hill and associated projects.

An updated long-term plan, including mill expansion studies, is set for release in the June half of 2026. Genesis also expects to become liable for income tax instalments in the current financial year as it fully utilises carried-forward losses.

Genesis Minerals share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Genesis Minerals shares have soared 166%, strongly outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Genesis Minerals posts record production, strong cash in December 2025 quarter appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Champion Iron posts record iron ore sales and profits in Q3 FY26
• Viva Energy shares: 4Q25 sales volumes rise, margins improve
• Capricorn Metals reports record Q2 cash flow and resource growth
• Qube Holdings updates investors on Macquarie Asset Management proposal
• Ramelius Resources shares: December 2025 quarterly earnings highlights

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.

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) shares are on fire on Thursday.

In morning trade, the ASX AI stock is up 32% to $1.43.

Why are Appen shares rocketing today?

Investors have been scrambling to buy the artificial intelligence data services company’s shares following the release of its quarterly update.

For the fourth quarter of FY 2025, Appen reported revenue of $73.4 million. This was a 10% lift on the prior corresponding period and a 33% increase on the third quarter of FY 2025.

This reflects strong performances from both Appen China and Appen Global.

Management revealed that Appen China’s revenue was $32 million during the quarter, which is up 81% on the prior corresponding period. This side of the business was operating with an annualised revenue run-rate exceeding $135 million in December. This reflects demand from generative AI related projects, including supporting international expansion for Chinese technology companies.

Appen Global’s revenue came in at $41.4 million. This is up 90% on the third quarter, but down 16% on the prior corresponding period. This reflects new project wins, including a previously announced $10 million+ generative AI opportunity that has grown faster than expected.

Growing at an even stronger rate was the ASX AI stock’s earnings. Appen revealed that its underlying EBITDA (before foreign exchange) was $13.3 million. This represents a 182% increase on the prior corresponding period and a $12.3 million improvement on the prior quarter.

Management commentary

Commenting on the company’s performance for the quarter, its CEO and managing director, Ryan Kolln, said:

Q4 was a strong finish to the year for both our China and Global businesses. Appen China exited the quarter with an annualised revenue run-rate growing to over $135 million – a pleasing result, providing strong momentum heading into FY26. In addition to the significant revenue growth, our China business also expanded underlying EBITDA profitability on the previous quarter by $1.0 million to $4.3 million, reflecting gross margin expansion and operating leverage as the business continues to scale.

The Appen Global division continues to improve as the business has executed against its turnaround strategy in a highly dynamic market. Q4 delivered a pleasing 56% revenue growth compared to the prior quarter and underlying EBITDA of $10.2 million – a significant improvement on Q3 and pcp. Growth was driven by new project wins, including the previously announced $10 million+ generative AI opportunity that has grown faster than expected and has continued into FY26.

Outlook

No guidance has been given for FY 2026, but management appears positive on its outlook. Kolln added:

With a strong balance sheet and a dedication to delivering quality data at speed we are well positioned for sustained profitable growth. We maintain our focus on revenue growth and ongoing underlying EBITDA profitability

The post Why are Appen shares rocketing 32% on Thursday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This ASX lithium stock is being sold off today. Here’s why
• Genesis Minerals posts record production, strong cash in December 2025 quarter
• Champion Iron posts record iron ore sales and profits in Q3 FY26
• Viva Energy shares: 4Q25 sales volumes rise, margins improve
• Why is the Whitehaven Coal share price smashing the benchmark on Thursday?

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 Appen. 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 Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) share price is in focus today as the miner delivered record quarterly sales of 3.9 million tonnes and posted net income of $65 million for the three months to 31 December 2025.

What did Champion Iron report?

• Quarterly revenue of $472 million, up 30% year-over-year
• Net income of $65 million; earnings per share of $0.12
• EBITDA of $152 million, up 73% from the prior-year period
• Record iron ore sales of 3.9 million dry tonnes, an 18% increase
• C1 cash cost per tonne lowered to $73.9, down 6% from a year ago
• Cash balance (excluding restricted funds) of $245 million at quarter-end

What else do investors need to know?

Champion Iron is advancing its DRPF project at Bloom Lake to produce direct reduction pellet feed iron ore, with commissioning underway and first shipments expected by the end of June 2026. The company also reduced site stockpiles by 1.1 million tonnes during the quarter, despite some logistical setbacks, and maintains strong liquidity of $751 million to fund growth and operations.

In December, Champion announced a cash tender offer to acquire Norwegian iron ore producer Rana Gruber for around US$289 million, backed by La Caisse and Scotiabank. This deal would broaden the company’s high-grade iron ore portfolio. Work on the company’s Kami Project definitive feasibility study, in partnership with Nippon Steel and Sojitz, also continues with completion targeted for year’s end.

What did Champion Iron management say?

CEO David Cataford said:

I am proud of our team’s ingenuity and perseverance as we advance strategic initiatives designed to unlock value for our stakeholders in the coming months and reinforce our leadership in the high-purity iron ore industry. We expect to continue to benefit from sales of high-purity iron ore inventories previously stockpiled at Bloom Lake. New markets will become available as we initiate shipments of DR quality iron ore from our DRPF project in the near term. Additionally, we remain focused on the potential closing of the Rana Gruber acquisition, which will diversify our portfolio with another proven high-purity iron ore operation, as well as the anticipated completion of the Kami project definitive feasibility study, leveraging our partnership with Nippon Steel and Sojitz. As our multi-year growth capital investment cycle at Bloom Lake nears completion, we continue to rigorously evaluate growth opportunities and capital allocation strategies to optimize shareholder returns.

What’s next for Champion Iron?

Champion’s near-term priority is completing the DRPF project at Bloom Lake, targeting first commercial shipments of DR-quality iron ore by the middle of 2026 to tap new market opportunities. The company also aims to finalise the Rana Gruber acquisition, expanding its asset base and diversifying production locations.

Investors can also keep an eye on the progression of the Kami Project’s feasibility study and management’s strategy to optimise inventory management and capital allocation as the Bloom Lake expansion cycle winds down.

Champion Iron share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Champion Iron shares have risen 8%, running slightly ahead of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Champion Iron posts record iron ore sales and profits in Q3 FY26 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Genesis Minerals posts record production, strong cash in December 2025 quarter
• Viva Energy shares: 4Q25 sales volumes rise, margins improve
• Capricorn Metals reports record Q2 cash flow and resource growth
• Qube Holdings updates investors on Macquarie Asset Management proposal
• Ramelius Resources shares: December 2025 quarterly earnings highlights

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 Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) share price is in focus today after the company reported a 1.1% lift in total group sales volumes for the fourth quarter of 2025, with convenience sales and refining margins highlighted in the update.

What did Viva Energy report?

• Total group sales volumes increased 1.1% to 4,408 million litres in 4Q2025 versus 4Q2024
• Commercial & Industrial fuel volumes rose 3.7% year-on-year, led by aviation fuel
• Convenience sales fell 11.4% to $431 million, with tobacco sales down 33.6%
• Gross margin on total convenience sales improved 4.5 percentage points to 42.2%
• Geelong Refining Margin (GRM) increased to US$12.1 per barrel (up from US$6.7/bbl in 4Q2024)
• The company refinanced and increased its revolving credit facility to US$1.3 billion

What else do investors need to know?

Viva Energy’s convenience business saw softer sales, mainly because of trading interruptions linked to store conversions and the divestment of 15 Liberty Convenience stores, a condition of its OTR Group acquisition. While total convenience sales dropped, the decline in sales excluding tobacco was far less pronounced at just 1.3%, and like-for-like sales in OTR-format stores rose 1.9%.

The company opened 35 OTR stores over FY2025, continuing its network transformation, and completed five Liberty conversions in the December quarter. Despite a small drop in overall retail store numbers, the network remains broad, with more than 985 core fuel and convenience sites nationwide.

What’s next for Viva Energy?

Viva Energy’s new Ultra Low Sulphur Gasoline plant was delivered on time and ahead of new December 2025 standards, which bodes well for compliance and operational efficiency moving forward. The company’s focus remains on growing its convenience formats and enhancing gross margin, while continuing to invest in refining flexibility and core infrastructure.

Looking ahead, management has flagged ongoing emphasis on integrating OTR Group acquisitions and adapting to trends in tobacco and non-tobacco convenience sales. Debt levels remain well managed following the recent refinancing.

Viva Energy share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Viva Energy shares have declined 24%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Viva Energy shares: 4Q25 sales volumes rise, margins improve appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Genesis Minerals posts record production, strong cash in December 2025 quarter
• Champion Iron posts record iron ore sales and profits in Q3 FY26
• Capricorn Metals reports record Q2 cash flow and resource growth
• Qube Holdings updates investors on Macquarie Asset Management proposal
• Ramelius Resources shares: December 2025 quarterly earnings highlights

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 Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) share price is charging higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) coal stock closed yesterday trading for $9.19. In morning trade on Thursday, shares are changing hands for $9.49, up 3.3%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.5% at this same time.

Today’s outperformance is par for the course this past year. The Whitehaven Coal share price is now up 56.7% over 12 months, smashing the 5.1% one-year returns delivered by the benchmark index.

And that doesn’t include the two fully-franked dividends the ASX 200 coal stock paid out over this time. At the current price, Whitehaven trades on a fully-franked trailing dividend yield of 1.6%.

Now, here’s what’s piquing investor interest.

Whitehaven Coal share price lifts off on production boost

Investors are tuning into the $7.8 billion ASX 200 coal stock today following the release of the miner’s December quarter update (Q2 FY 2026).

The Whitehaven Coal share price looks to be getting a boost with the miner reporting a 21% quarter-on-quarter increase in its managed run of mine (ROM) production to 11 million tonnes.

Pleasingly, costs came in at the lower end of guidance, with management reporting unit cost of production of $135 per tonne. And looking to the full 2026 financial year, the company says it remains on track to achieve $60 million to $80 million in yearly cost savings.

The three months also saw Whitehaven shave $100,000 off its net debt, which declined to $700,000 as at 31 December, with the company reporting liquidity of $1.5 billion.

The Whitehaven Coal share price has also gotten some support over the past months, with the miner forking out $45 million to buy back 6.3 million shares in the first half of FY 2026.

Looking ahead, the coal miner maintained its full-year FY 2026 coal production and costs guidance.

What did management say?

Commenting on the results helping to boost the Whitehaven Coal share price today, CEO Paul Flynn said, “We continue to experience strong demand for Whitehaven’s products, with 12.8Mt of equity coal sales for the first half including 7.0Mt for the quarter.”

Flynn added:

Metallurgical coal prices improved during the period, while thermal prices were steady on the previous quarter. Cost discipline remains a priority, and with a half year unit cost of A$135/t, we are tracking well within the guidance range of A$130-145/t.

Whitehaven noted it continues to progress with it key growth projects. Those include the Narrabri Stage 3 Extension and the company’s Winchester South metallurgical coal project.

The post Why is the Whitehaven Coal share price smashing the benchmark on Thursday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Whitehaven Coal posts strong Q2 production and cost control
• Which ASX 200 coal share is this fundie buying more of?
• 5 of the hottest ASX metals and mining shares right now
• Top broker just increased its price target on Whitehaven Coal shares
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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.

The Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) share price is in focus after the company posted another strong quarter, delivering $200.5 million in gold sales and record operating cash flow of $122.4 million for the December 2025 quarter.

What did Capricorn Metals report?

• Gold production of 30,476 ounces for Q2 FY26, with a year-to-date total of 62,794 ounces.
• All-in sustaining cost (AISC) sustained at $1,627 per ounce for the quarter, in line with FY26 guidance of $1,530 to $1,630 per ounce.
• Record quarterly operating cash flow of $122.4 million, up from $106.9 million in Q1.
• Gold sales of 31,652 ounces achieved at an average price of $6,333 per ounce, generating $200.5 million in revenue.
• Cash and gold on hand rose to $457.4 million, including balances from the recent Warriedar Resources acquisition.
• Group Mineral Resource Estimate increased to 8.1 million ounces of gold.

What else do investors need to know?

Capricorn Metals successfully completed its acquisition of Warriedar Resources Limited during the quarter, consolidating a 788km² tenure package and bringing new projects like Golden Range and Fields Find into the fold. This transaction supports continued growth in resources and exploration potential across the portfolio.

On the development front, key approvals have been secured for the Karlawinda Expansion Project, with site works tracking to schedule and major infrastructure now in advanced stages. The Mt Gibson Gold Project also progressed, with environmental assessments underway and significant drilling results achieved, pointing to growth in both open-pit and underground resources.

What did Capricorn Metals management say?

Executive Chairman Mark Clark said:

Strong operational performance and prudent financial management have positioned Capricorn well to achieve the upper end of gold production guidance while supporting growth through our expansion projects.

What’s next for Capricorn Metals?

The company remains on track for the upper end of its FY26 gold production guidance, supported by consistent operational performance at Karlawinda. The parallel expansion project will boost processing capacity to 6.5 million tonnes per year, targeting annual production of around 150,000 ounces when commissioned.

Looking ahead, Capricorn will continue advancing expansion works and exploration activities across its key projects, aiming to unlock further value as new approvals, construction milestones, and exploration results are delivered into FY27.

Capricorn Metals share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Capricorn Metals shares have risen 114%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Capricorn Metals reports record Q2 cash flow and resource growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Genesis Minerals posts record production, strong cash in December 2025 quarter
• Champion Iron posts record iron ore sales and profits in Q3 FY26
• Viva Energy shares: 4Q25 sales volumes rise, margins improve
• Qube Holdings updates investors on Macquarie Asset Management proposal
• Ramelius Resources shares: December 2025 quarterly earnings highlights

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.

Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) shares are under pressure on Thursday.

In morning trade, the struggling semiconductor company’s shares are down 3% to 16 cents.

This leaves them trading within a whisker of a multi-year low.

Why are Brainchip shares sinking?

Investors have been hitting the sell button again today after the company released yet another dismal quarterly update.

According to the release, the company recorded a cash inflow of just US$0.4 million for the three months ended 31 December.

That’s an average of approximately US$130,000 a month for a company that entered the commercialisation stage a few years ago and has a market capitalisation over $360 million.

Unsurprisingly given its tiny cash inflows, Brainchip continues to burn cash. It revealed payments to suppliers and employees of US$4.3 million for the three months. Though, one small positive was that this was lower than the prior quarter when it spent US$5.2 million.

At the end of the quarter, the company had a cash balance of US$31.7 million. This is up from US$13.9 million in the prior quarter due to the successful completion of a US$22.8 million fully underwritten institutional placement in November.

Management notes that this capital raising was done to support the commercialisation of the Akida neuromorphic technology platform and the development of next-generation edge AI products. Though, time will tell if these funds accomplish anything other than paying the salaries of its leaders.

What else did it announce?

Brainchip also provided the market with an update on what it has been working on during the quarter.

This includes a strategic partnership with Blue Ridge Envisioneering, which is a Parsons (NYSE: PSN) entity. It notes that BRE is a Virginia-based innovator delivering next-generation solutions to the defence and intelligence sectors.

The terms of the agreement include an initial order of 10,000 chips, supporting the deployment of edge-AI systems that maintain full performance without cloud connectivity. It said:

Parsons will integrate BrainChip’s Akida neuromorphic processors into its mission-ready platforms to enhance adaptive performance in constrained and dynamic defence environments. The agreed supply framework with Parsons includes committed volumes for manufacturing scale, continuity-of-supply provisions, and tiered pricing for high-volume deployment.

It also advised that it received an initial order for 1,200 AKD1500 chips from Nex Novus for use in its Neuromorphyx Neuro Blocks product. Management believes AKD1500 will accelerate an MCU supporting neuromorphic evaluation of multi-sensor data. And while it concedes that the order size is minor, it feels it represents further market demand for the AKD1500.

Time will tell if this leads to more orders, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

The post Why are Brainchip shares sinking today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This ASX lithium stock is being sold off today. Here’s why
• Genesis Minerals posts record production, strong cash in December 2025 quarter
• Why are Appen shares rocketing 32% on Thursday?
• Champion Iron posts record iron ore sales and profits in Q3 FY26
• Viva Energy shares: 4Q25 sales volumes rise, margins improve

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 Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB) share price is in focus today after the company announced an extension to its exclusivity period with Macquarie Asset Management and confirmed continued progress towards a potential transaction.

What did Qube Holdings report?

• Extension of the Exclusivity Period with Macquarie Asset Management to 15 February 2026
• Macquarie’s view of Qube’s value in the proposal remains unchanged
• Process Deed originally entered into on 23 November 2025
• Potential transaction is well progressed but not yet binding
• No financial metrics were disclosed in this update

What else do investors need to know?

The extension allows both parties more time to complete due diligence, finalise transaction documentation, and obtain relevant approvals. Macquarie Asset Management confirmed it continues to work in good faith towards a potential deal and that its valuation of Qube remains the same as originally proposed.

Importantly, there is no certainty the current proposal will proceed to a binding offer for Qube shareholders to consider. Qube has committed to providing further updates as developments occur.

What’s next for Qube Holdings?

Investors can expect further updates as Qube proceeds through the remaining stages of the deal process. The focus will be on whether due diligence and approvals are completed and if a formal, binding offer emerges.

Until then, Qube shareholders are in a holding pattern while the potential Macquarie-led transaction is finalised or abandoned.

Qube Holdings share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Qube Holdings shares have risen 16%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 5% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Qube Holdings updates investors on Macquarie Asset Management proposal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Genesis Minerals posts record production, strong cash in December 2025 quarter
• Champion Iron posts record iron ore sales and profits in Q3 FY26
• Viva Energy shares: 4Q25 sales volumes rise, margins improve
• Capricorn Metals reports record Q2 cash flow and resource growth
• Ramelius Resources shares: December 2025 quarterly earnings highlights

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

Many Aussies may be looking for a source of passive income, and I’m going to talk about three ASX dividend shares that I believe are solid picks today.

I’m expecting all three businesses I’m going to highlight to increase their payouts in 2026 and, hopefully, beyond.

On top of that, all three ASX dividend shares are likely to provide shareholders with a compelling dividend yield that’s better than savings in the bank.

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW)

The first business I want to highlight is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns a diversified portfolio of properties across a variety of sectors, including Bunnings properties, hotels, service stations, telecommunications exchanges, data centres, distribution centres, and more.

The business has built a portfolio that has long rental agreements with tenants. At June 2025, its weighted average lease expiry (WALE) was approximately nine years, giving investors pleasing rental security.

It’s benefiting from steady rental growth with either fixed annual increases or inflation-linked increases, which has helped it provide guidance that its distribution will increase to 25.5 cents per security in FY26. This would be a distribution yield of 6.4% at the time of writing.

MFF Capital Investments Ltd (ASX: MFF)

This business is best-known as a listed investment company (LIC) which invests in a high-quality portfolio of international stocks that are likely to deliver compounding profits for the foreseeable future.

MFF can translate the investment profits that it makes into a rising dividend thanks to the company’s structure and the ability of the board of directors to decide on the level of the passive income.

The ASX dividend share has been steadily increasing its regular dividend per share over the past several years, and the company expects to increase its biannual dividend to 10 cents per share, implying a grossed-up dividend yield of at least 5.9% for FY26, including franking credits, at the time of writing.

I believe the portfolio’s investment returns can continue to perform well thanks to numerous strong businesses, including compelling recent additions.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Food retailing is one of the most defensive industries on the ASX, in my opinion. Coles has an important role in Australian society, and it’s doing better than Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) at growing sales thanks to its product offering.

Coles has invested significantly in new automated distribution centres and customer fulfilment centres, which should help improve its margins, efficiencies, product freshness, and e-commerce offering.

The completion of those assets should help the ASX dividend share’s earnings and cash flow, helping fund larger passive income in the coming years.

The projection on CommSec suggests the business could pay an annual dividend per share of 79 cents in FY26. That translates into a potential grossed-up dividend yield of 5.3% at the time of writing, including franking credits.

The post 3 top ASX dividend share buys for passive income in February appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here’s how you could turn the stock market into a $1,000 monthly passive income machine
• Any ASX investor can use this simple 3-stock portfolio to build wealth
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• 2 ASX blue-chip shares offering big dividend yields
• Passive income: How to earn safe dividends with just $20,000

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Mff Capital Investments. 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 positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Mff Capital Investments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Shares in Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) have tumbled after the company announced it would recognise $565 million in impairment charges in its upcoming first-half results.

The mineral sands miner said in a statement to the ASX that the suspension of operations at its Cataby mine in Western Australia and changes to price expectations for some of its inventory had led to the decision to make two separate write-downs.

Shutdown impacting on value for ASX rare earths share

The company said it announced in September that it would suspend operations at the Cataby mine and the synthetic rutile kiln number two from the start of December.

Iluka added:

The suspension was enacted given subdued demand for mineral sands and their associated downstream products, particularly pigment. The persistence of these demand conditions has impacted price expectations in the nearer term. Iluka expects to record a non-cash impairment charge of about $350 million pre-tax in its FY25 Results, the majority of which relates to the Cataby mine, synthetic rutile kilns 1 and 2 and associated project study costs for the South West region of Western Australia.

In terms of the adjustments to inventory, Iluka said price expectations had led to changes to the net realisable value, “resulting in some product inventory items falling below their weighted average cost, leading to a reduction in inventory value of about $215 million pre-tax”.

This reduction is mainly related to ore at the Cataby site, Iluka said.

Iluka said it expected its underlying mineral sands EBITDA to be about $300 million, before the one-off charges were factored in.

Good news on development project for ASX rare earths share

Separately, Iluka announced an increase to the mineral resource at its WIM100 deposit in Western Victoria, which is currently the subject of a definitive feasibility study for the potential long-term supply of rare earths and zircon.

The company said:

The updated mineral resource estimate for WIM100 comprises a total of 540 million tonnes grading at 4.6% heavy minerals for 25 million tonnes of heavy minerals. Relative to the previous mineral resource estimate, there is a 19% increase in total reported heavy mineral tonnage; an 8% increase in the heavy mineral tonnage classified as measured; and a 53% increase in heavy mineral tonnage classified as indicated. This represents a significant increase in heavy mineral tonnage and improvement in the confidence level of the WIM100 mineral resource estimate.

The company said the mineral sands from WIM100 were an important potential future feedstock for the company’s Eneabba refinery in Western Australia, which is currently under construction.

The company added:

Upon commissioning in 2027, Eneabba will be one of the few rare earths refineries operating outside of China; a multi-decade infrastructure asset capable of processing a diverse range of feedstocks, from Australian and international projects, and producing both light and heavy separated rare earth oxides.   

Iluka shares were 9.4% lower at $5.85 in early trade.

The company was valued at $2.77 billion at the close of trade on Wednesday.

The post This mineral sands miner’s shares are falling sharply on write-down news 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.