Shares in Michael Hill International Ltd (ASX: MHJ) have surged after the company said it expected first-half earnings to be 12% to 24% higher than for the same period the previous year.

In a statement released to the ASX on Tuesday, the jewellery retailer said first-half sales were $370.3 million, up 3.1% on the previous corresponding period and 3.8% higher on a same-store basis.

Stronger across the board

The company’s Canadian division delivered record sales, with 6.1% growth, while Australian sales were up 4.8% and New Zealand reversed previous declines, growing 1.8%.

The company’s gross margin was expected to be “broadly flat” on the previous corresponding period at 61.3%, while inventories were expected to be about $11 million lower, “as part of a deliberate plan to improve working capital efficiency”.

The company finished the half with a positive net cash position of about $10 million, which was an improvement of $30 million over the first half of the previous year.

As the company said, there was also movement on the number of stores:

The half saw the successful opening of three Michael Hill flagship stores, Rundle Mall, Adelaide (refurbishment), Bondi Junction, Sydney (new store) and Yorkdale, Toronto (refurbishment), with all stores incorporating our new brand design and a modernised in-store customer experience. For Michael Hill, three stores were closed (AU: 1, NZ: 2) and one new AU store was opened, taking the network to 248 (AU: 123, NZ: 43, CA: 82).

The number of Bevilles stores operated by the company was steady at 37, meaning the total number of stores operated was 285, compared with 294 for the same period the previous year.

Michael Hill Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Waecker, said it was a good result.

Under new leadership, the group delivered profitable quarter-on-quarter growth, driven by significant performance improvements in the final 10 weeks of the half, resulting in a materially improved trading trajectory relative to the early FY26 trading update presented at the October AGM. A sharper focus on execution, and the early impact of actions taken to stabilise and strengthen the business, delivered a markedly improved performance through the half. During the critical Christmas trading period, a strong focus on driving customer demand, combined with more disciplined product planning, store operations, and targeted promotional activity, delivered profitable net sales growth while maintaining margin. This translated into a meaningful uplift in EBIT year on year, alongside disciplined working capital management, including a significant reduction in inventory, resulting in the group returning to a positive net cash position at the half.

Mr Waecker added that management had “confidence in our continued focus on delivering profitable sales growth and building momentum across all markets”.

Michael Hill shares were 12.2% higher at 41.5 cents in early trade. The company was valued at $142.4 million at the close of trade on Friday.

The post Jeweller’s shares shine on strong first-half sales 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.

The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.7% in morning trade on Monday, with plenty of lifting help from this ASX All Ords mining share.

The fast-rising stock in question is Talga Group Ltd (ASX: TLG).

Shares in the battery materials and technology company closed on Friday trading for 43 cents. In morning trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for 47.5 cents apiece, up 10.5%.

Here’s what’s catching investor interest today.

ASX All Ords mining share leaps on Swedish approval

The Talga share price is surging after the company announced that Sweden’s government has formally adopted the detailed zoning plan for the company’s Nunasvaara South Graphite Mine. That mine is part of the Vittangi Anode Project.

The ASX All Ords mining share noted that the graphite deposit at Vittangi is designated as a mineral deposit of national interest, while its Vittangi Anode Project, which encompasses the Lulea Anode Refinery, is a designated EU Strategic Project under the Critical Raw Materials Act and the Net-Zero Industry Act.

With the Swedish government’s zoning approval, Talga said it can now proceed with detailed design and securing building permits before project development.

The plan regulates how the land can be used and developed in compliance with Sweden’s land-use and environmental regulations. It designates zones on site for infrastructure, buildings, and mining activities.

The ASX All Ords mining share has already secured the Environmental Permit and Exploitation Concession permit for the Nunasvaara South Graphite Mine.

What did management say?

Commenting on Sweden’s green light for the zoning plan that’s sending the ASX All Ords mining share rocketing today, “Talga CEO Martin Phillips said, “The company is very pleased with the Swedish government’s decision to adopt the detailed plan.”

Phillips continued:

This concludes a lengthy and thorough process that has been the subject of rigorous review and stakeholder engagement… This decision significantly derisks the Vittangi Anode Project as we progress further along the financing path. It also unlocks certainty on planning as we move closer to commercial production.

Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Andreas Carlson, added:

Nunasvaara in Kiruna municipality has Europe’s largest and richest graphite deposit. The graphite deposit is very important for both Sweden’s and the EU’s supply of natural graphite. Graphite fulfills an important function in battery manufacturing and for the green transition. This is the first time that the government has used this opportunity.

Commenting on Sweden’s unique position to deliver graphite, Sweden’s Minister for Energy and Enterprise, Ebba Busch, said, “Graphite is important not least for our production of steel, batteries and cars, and the Swedish mining industry is the most sustainable globally.”

With today’s intraday boost factored in, the Talga share price is up 28% in 2026.

The post Guess which ASX All Ords mining share is leaping 11% today on big European news 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.

Broker UBS is optimistic about a few ASX bank shares and has decided they look undervalued. Banks that have been given the thumbs up include National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) and Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ).

UBS said that its analysis of the sector indicates that the 2026 outlook for banks is reasonable and supportive of achieving earnings. The market is expecting the banking sector to deliver earnings growth of 5.9%. But, UBS also noted that ASX bank share valuations were around 40% higher than the historical average.

Despite that, UBS is seeing select opportunities in certain names with a significant range of expected returns.

Top picks of ASX 200 bank shares

UBS thinks that NAB shares, Macquarie shares and BOQ shares are a buy.

The broker thinks that the earnings of these banks could do better than expected with the (RBA) cash interest rate forecast to increase by 50 basis points (50 basis points) in 2026, possibly contributing to a stronger-than-anticipated net interest margin (NIM – lending profitability) performance and revenue growth for major banks, which would outperform what the market expects.

The core earnings of those ASX 200 bank shares may also benefit from higher-than-expected loan growth, while banks are actively managing persistent cost pressures which could grow by around 6% on an underlying basis.

NAB shares

UBS upgraded NAB to a buy with a price target of $47 because of positive EPS revisions and structural growth in business banking.

The broker suggested that 46% of NAB’s valuation is tied to its market-leading business and private banking operations, which has defended the bank’s profitability, supporting a return on tangible equity (ROTE) of around 12.5%.

NAB is UBS’ top pick out of the ASX 200 bank shares.

Macquarie shares

UBS decided to upgrade its rating on Macquarie shares because this reflects its “more constructive take” on Macquarie Asset Management (MAM).

The price target on Macquarie shares has been hiked to $235.

Bank of Queensland shares

UBS decided to change its rating on BOQ shares from a sell to a buy because of the bank’s balance sheet optimisation and the broker suggested that risk transfer initiatives to enhance returns have not been priced in.

The broker now has a price target of $7.50 on BOQ shares.

What about competition?

While UBS rates these businesses as a buy, the broker notes that competition could rise in the year ahead. The broker wrote:

We expect competition in the Aussie banking sector to grow further in 2026, particularly in managing deposits, especially if rates rise. Controlling costs…will be critical, with tech spend considered essential. At the same time, wage inflation and shifts in workforce composition are driving staff expenses higher (+5.0%).

That’s something to keep an eye on, and it’s worthwhile thinking about other opportunities out there that could be even better buys.  

The post UBS just rated ASX bank shares NAB, BOQ and Macquarie as a buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended 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.

Shares in Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX: ALK) were trading higher on Tuesday after the company announced record gold production in the second quarter of the year.

The Perth-based company also increased its cash and bullion on hand by $58 million during the quarter to $232 million.

In addition to this, the company said in a statement to the ASX on Tuesday that it would receive another $18 million in January for payment for a shipment from its Costerfield mine in Victoria, which was delayed due to the Christmas holidays.

Alkane said it produced a record amount of gold in its second quarter, with the total coming in at 43,663 ounces of gold equivalent -including antimony sales – at an all-in sustaining cost of $2739 per ounce.

Guidance unchanged

The company said its guidance remained on track to come in at 160,000-175,000 ounces of gold equivalent at an all-in sustaining cost of $2600-$2900 per ounce.

Gold equivalent sales for the quarter came in at 44,084 ounces at an average gold price of $5785 per ounce and an average antimony price of $41,510 per tonne.

Alkane Managing Director Nic Earner said it was a solid result.

It has been an excellent quarter for Alkane, producing 42,767 ounces of gold and 267 tonnes of antimony (43,663 ounces of gold equivalent) over the full quarter. Our site operating cashflow was $133 million for the quarter, resulting in a balance sheet with $246 million in cash, bullion and listed investments at quarter end. Our full year guidance of 160-175kozs gold equivalent remains unchanged.

Improvement quarter on quarter

Alkane said its second-quarter production was significantly higher than the first quarter due to improved output at its Tomingley mine and three full months of production from its Björkdal and Costerfield mines, as compared to only two months of production in the previous quarter, following the merger with Mandalay, which was completed in early August 2025.

The company said re the production results:

Alkane processed 683,235 tonnes of ore in total at an average gold grade of 2.20g/t Au producing 42,767oz of gold. Tomingley processed 318,851 tonnes of ore with an average gold grade of 2.50/t. At Costerfield, the average grade of gold was 10.44g/t and the average grade of antimony was 0.91% over 34,732 tonnes of ore processed while Björkdal processed 329,652 tonnes of ore with an average gold grade of 1.04g/t.

Alkane shares were 1.5% higher at $1.63 in early trade, not far off their 12-month highs of $1.64. The company’s shares have more than tripled from lows of 51.5 cents over the past year.

Alkane was valued at $2.19 billion at the close of trade on Friday.

The post Which gold miner has just reported record production results? 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.

Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares are on the move on Tuesday morning.

At the time of writing, the iron ore giant’s shares are up 1.5% to $21.85.

Why are Fortescue shares rising?

Today’s push higher could have been driven by the release of a promising announcement relating to its copper ambitions this morning before the market open.

According to the release, the shareholders of Alta Copper (TSX: ATCU) have approved Fortescue’s proposed acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares that are not already owned by Fortescue.

The mining giant notes that the shareholder vote clears a key step toward Fortescue securing full ownership of Alta Copper’s portfolio of exploration assets. This includes the Canariaco Copper Project in northern Peru.

Fortescue currently holds approximately 64% of Alta Copper’s issued share capital, and the acquisition will be implemented by way of a Canadian Plan of Arrangement.

Management highlights that the approval satisfies the shareholder voting requirements and represents a key milestone toward completion of the transaction.

What are the terms?

Fortescue has agreed to pay Alta Copper shareholders a cash consideration of C$1.40 per share (A$1.48 per share). This represents a premium of 50% to Alta Copper’s 30-day volume weighted average price prior to the proposal being announced.

It implies a total equity value for Alta Copper of C$139 million (A$147 million).

While this is pocket change for a company like Fortescue, which generates billions in free cash flow, it could still be a big deal.

Why is it acquiring Alta Copper?

Fortescue highlights that Alta Copper is currently the 100% owner of the Canariaco Copper Project.

This project comprises multiple deposits and prospects across a large, highly prospective landholding within an emerging porphyry copper corridor. It believes it has the potential to support a long-life copper operation.

On completion of the transaction, Fortescue will secure 100% ownership, which will add to its copper portfolio in Peru and enable the company to leverage its existing technical capability and in-country experience.

Commenting on the deal, Fortescue’s Growth and Energy CEO, Gus Pichot, said:

Copper is a core pillar of Fortescue’s long-term growth strategy and the transaction is aligned with our disciplined approach to capital allocation and reputation of responsibly developing high-quality assets.

The Canariaco Project is a compelling copper opportunity, and full ownership will provide Fortescue with greater control over project development, capital allocation and long-term value creation. Subject to completion of the Transaction, Fortescue’s initial focus will be on integration planning, technical review, community engagement and progressing the studies required to inform future development decisions.

The post Fortescue shares rise on big copper news 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.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares are starting the week in the red.

In morning trade, the counter-drone technology company’s shares are down 3.5% to $4.31.

Why are DroneShield shares falling?

This high-flying ASX stock is falling on Monday after it released its fourth quarter and full year update for FY 2025.

According to the release, DroneShield reported revenue of $51.3 million, which was a 94% increase on the prior corresponding period. This was the second highest revenue quarter to date.

This brought its total revenue for FY 2025 to $216.5 million, which is an increase of 277% on last year’s revenue of $57.5 million. It was also ahead of Bell Potter’s estimate of $210 million.

DroneShield’s customer cash receipts were strong during the three months. The company received cash of $63.5 million, which was up 142% on the same period last year. This was also the second highest cash receipt quarter to date.

In light of this strong finish to the year, the company’s cash receipts for FY 2025 came to a total of $201.56 million.

SaaS growth

Also growing strongly were DroneShield’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) revenues, which increased 475% to $4.6 million.

The good news is that management expects this metric to continue growing in 2026. It notes that all new products now carry one or multiple SaaS, which is critical due to the changes in drone technology.

In addition, it highlights that it is expecting the civilian sector to reach up to 50% of revenue over the next five years, and subscription products will be a central part.

Outlook

The outlook for FY 2026 appears positive with DroneShield revealing significant committed revenues.

Its committed revenues for 2026 currently stand at $95.6 million, which is almost half of what it recorded last year. Interestingly, management highlights that it had negligible committed revenues at the start of 2025. So, it is starting the year significantly ahead of how it started the last one.

It also has a massive sales pipeline to try and convert into deals. As of January 2026, DroneShield’s sales pipeline was $2.09 billion. This includes 66 projects in Europe valued at $1.3 billion, 127 projects in the United States worth $303 million, and 28 projects with a value of $272 million in Asia.

And DroneShield will be well-placed to capture this growing demand with its manufacturing expansion plans. It intends to grow its manufacturing capability from the current $500m per annum to $2.4 billion per annum production capacity by the end of 2026.

Looking further into the future, DroneShield may need even greater capacity. It highlights that the “Civilian market is a US$28bn TAM opportunity – Safer Skies Act as well as DHS Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems are expected to start driving adoption in the US.”

Why are its shares falling?

Today’s decline could be due to broad weakness from US defence stocks overnight overshadowing the company’s strong performance.

The post DroneShield shares fall after reporting revenue of $201m 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 positions in and has recommended DroneShield. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Owning Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares has been a useful choice for passive income over the last few years. We’re going to look at whether the ASX bank share can provide investors with good payouts in the next few years.  

There are two main factors that help Westpac provide investors with a pleasing dividend yield.

Banks usually trade on a lower price/earnings (P/E) ratio than other sectors, which helps the dividend yield compared to other sectors.

Westpac is also quite generous with its dividend payout ratio – it doesn’t need to hold onto most of its profit to fund growth. It’s already a big business.

Owners of Westpac shares will want to know about what the projected payout is for the ASX bank share are for the years ahead, so let’s take a look.

FY26

The current financial year is FY26, so investors won’t have long to wait for this annual dividend that I’m about to talk about.

Ideally, I’d like to see an ASX dividend share increase its payout each year to help people become wealthier and offset any inflation.

Using analyst projections from CMC Markets for the 2026 financial year, the ASX bank share is forecast to pay an annual dividend per share of $1.575, representing a year over year increase of 3% from FY25.

At the current Westpac share price, that would represent a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.8%, including franking credits.

FY27

The payout from the ASX bank share is forecast to increase again in the 2027 financial year, according to the projection on CMC Markets.

The projections suggest the ASX bank share could decide to increase its payout by another 1.6% year-over-year to $1.60 per share.

That’s certainly not a huge projected increase, but an increase is better than no rise at all. It will help offset some of the likely inflation in 2026.

FY28

The final year of this series of projections is expected to be the best of all, if Westpac is able to continue increasing its earnings per share (EPS) slowly but steadily. Loan growth will be essential, as well as its ability to maintain its net interest margin (NIM) lending profitability.

According to the forecast on CMC Markets, Westpac is projected to hike its payout by another 3% in FY28 to $1.65 per share.

At the time of writing, that translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.1%, including franking credits.

Broker UBS recently released a note that highlighted that possible rate increases in 2026 by the RBA could be helpful for the NIM and earnings of banks like Westpac. But, UBS is also wary of increasing competition in the lending space during 2026.

UBS has a neutral rating on Westpac shares, with a price target of $40, suggesting slight upside for the ASX bank share over the next 12 months.

The post Here’s the dividend forecast out to 2028 for Westpac shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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 ASX dividend stock Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1) has dropped 62% (at the time of writing) since December 2024, as the chart below shows. This could prove to be an effective and contrarian time to buy into the ASX retail share.

The company is the owner of a number of shoe retailers in Australia such as The Athlete’s Foot, Stylerunner, Nude Lucy, Platypus and more.

Accent is also the retailer of a number of global brands including Hoka, Ugg, Skechers, Vans, Timberland, Merrell and Herschel.

How good could the payout be?

The business is facing difficult retailing conditions. Broker UBS’ recent survey of around 1,000 Australian adults suggested that spending intentions for lifestyle footwear imply Accent will be negatively impacted by weakness.

The ongoing weakness in the footwear subsector of retail would explain why the market and analysts are not as optimistic about the company’s earnings as they were a year ago.

Despite expectations that Accent’s net profit could drop to $45 million in FY26, UBS’ forecasts suggest that the ASX dividend stock may pay an annual dividend per share of 5 cents in FY26.

This means the business could deliver a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.6%, including franking credits.

More importantly, the dividend per share is projected to increase in the subsequent years – 6 cents in FY27 and 8 cents in FY28.

By FY28, the business could offer investors a grossed-up dividend yield of 12% (including franking credits), at the current valuation, according to UBS’ numbers.

Is this a good time to invest in the ASX dividend stock?

I think it looks like it is a good time to buy for a few different reasons.

Firstly, Frasers has increased its holding of Accent shares to 21.32% of the business. That’s a good sign that Frasers still believes in the company’s future and that it remains good value, even if no future takeover offer eventuates.

Second, the rollout of Sports Direct Australia stores (in partnership with Frasers) will take significant investment upfront, but could unlock a lot of earnings thanks to the Frasers brands it opens up including Everlast, Karrimor, Slazenger, Lonsdale and more.

The key to deciding Accent’s return will be whether its earnings can rebound in FY27 and onwards. It looks cheap if it can just rebound modestly.

UBS is expecting the ASX dividend stock’s operating profit (EBIT) margin to climb from 5.9% in FY26, to 6.5% in FY27, 7.2% in FY28, 7.6% in FY29 and 8.2% in FY30. With that in mind, I think the business is an underrated buy right now.

The post 1 ASX dividend stock down 62% I’d buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Accent Group. 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 Accent Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This ASX stock has been through a rough patch after a sharp pullback from earlier highs. Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) shares have fallen 43% in the past 6 months to $13.62 at the time of writing.

But beneath the short-term volatility, the long-term growth story remains intact.

For investors willing to look beyond the next quarter, here are 3 reasons this ASX retail stock could still be worth buying.

A long runway for online furniture growth

Temple & Webster sits in a part of retail that is still in the early stages of moving online. Australians continue to shift more of their furniture and homewares spending to e-commerce, and penetration levels remain well below those seen in offshore markets.

That gives the ASX stock plenty of room to grow even without stealing share from traditional retailers.

The business also leans heavily on private-label and exclusive products, which helps differentiate it from generic online marketplaces. That not only supports customer loyalty but also gives Temple & Webster more control over pricing and margins.

A scalable, capital-light business model

One of Temple & Webster’s biggest strengths is its drop-ship model. By avoiding large inventory holdings, the ASX 200 share reduces capital requirements and limits the risk of being stuck with unsold stock. As sales volumes rise, this structure allows operating leverage to kick in.

Management has also invested heavily in automation and artificial intelligence across customer service, marketing, and product listings. These tools help keep costs under control as the business scales, supporting margin improvement over time.

If revenue growth re-accelerates, earnings can grow much faster than sales.

Reset expectations and improving risk-reward

The recent price pullback of the ASX stock has cooled some of the valuation concerns that followed Temple & Webster’s strong rally. Growth expectations are now more realistic, and the market appears to be pricing in a slower near-term environment for discretionary spending.

Most analysts see attractive upside of up to a whopping 105% over the medium to long term. They point to the company’s strong balance sheet, high repeat customer rates, and exposure to structural e-commerce growth. With expectations for the ASX growth stock reset, the risk-reward balance looks more appealing for patient investors.

Most brokers see the online retail share as a strong buy. The average 12-month price target is set at $20.37, a potential gain of 49.5% at current price levels. Bell Potter currently has a buy rating and $19.50 price target on its shares.

Weaknesses to watch

However, risks remain for the ASX stock. Temple & Webster will always be exposed to consumer spending cycles. And furniture demand can soften quickly when interest rates or cost-of-living pressures rise. The company also spends heavily on marketing to drive growth, which can weigh on profitability if sales momentum slows.

In short, Temple & Webster is a classic ASX growth stock, not a defensive one. Short-term volatility is likely to continue, but for investors focused on long-term structural growth in online retail, the company offers a compelling growth opportunity.

The post 3 reasons to buy this ASX growth stock now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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 Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

What an extraordinary run it has been for silver.

The sharp price surge has pushed the white metal back into the global spotlight.

Prices are trading near US$104 per ounce, after jumping more than 50% in the past month and 260% over the past year. A rare combination of geopolitical risk, industrial demand, and speculative momentum is driving silver sharply higher.

A perfect storm for precious metals

Silver’s surge is closely tied to the broader rally across precious metals. Gold has pushed to fresh all-time highs, and silver has followed, amplified by its smaller and less liquid market.

A major driver has been rising geopolitical risk. Escalating global tensions, renewed trade war fears, and ongoing instability across multiple regions have pushed investors back toward hard assets. At the same time, concerns about government debt levels and long-term currency weakness have strengthened the appeal of precious metals as a store of value.

Silver has also benefited from growing expectations that global central banks will eventually be forced to ease monetary policy, as markets look ahead to slower growth and softer inflation.

Industrial demand is adding fuel to the rally

Unlike gold, silver is not just a financial asset. It plays a key role in industrial applications, particularly in solar panels, electric vehicles, electronics, and data centres linked to artificial intelligence. Demand from these sectors continues to rise, even as mine supply struggles to keep up.

Supply has also been tight. The silver market has run in deficit for several years, with limited inventories and little new production coming online. As investment demand has picked up, that imbalance has become harder for the market to ignore.

Momentum and speculation take over

Speculative momentum has been another key driver behind silver’s sharp rise. Retail investors have piled into silver through coins, bars, and ETFs, driven by fear of missing out.

Technical signals also point to stretched positioning, with silver trading well above key averages. Some analysts warn a pullback could occur, but momentum remains firmly in control for now.

ASX silver stocks back in focus

With prices surging, ASX-listed silver explorers and producers are attracting renewed investor interest.

Silver Mines Ltd (ASX: SVL) is one of the better-known names in the ASX silver space. The company focuses on acquiring and developing quality silver projects, and its share price has rallied strongly in recent months alongside the broader silver price boom. Over the past year, Silver Mines’ stock performance has significantly outpaced key sectors, reflecting strong sentiment around silver’s outlook.

Another company worth watching is Andean Silver Ltd (ASX: ASL). This explorer and developer also benefits from elevated silver prices. Andean Silver’s share price has shown strong moves as the silver rally gathered pace, although, like many junior miners, it can be volatile and sensitive to silver price swings.

What happens next?

While silver’s run has been extraordinary, analysts remain divided on what happens next. Some see continued upside as supply deficits deepen and industrial demand expands. Others warn that the rapid rise could lead to technical corrections, especially if speculative enthusiasm fades.

Despite differing views on where silver heads next, its surge above US$104 per ounce is making 2026 a standout year.

The post Silver shoots for the stars! What’s driving the white metal’s stunning 260% rally 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.