In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a small gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.2% to 8,597.4 points.

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

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

The 4DMedical share price is up 12% to $1.86. This morning, the respiratory imaging technology company signed a significant expansion of its distribution agreement with Koninklijke Philips NV (NYSE: PHG). This is for its FDA-cleared, non-contrast computed tomography (CT) ventilation and perfusion imaging solution, CT:VQ. It is the world’s first technology capable of extracting quantitative ventilation-perfusion (VQ) data from routine non-contrast CT scans. Management estimates that it has an addressable market of more than US$1.1 billion annually in the U.S. and over US$2.6 billion globally.

Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR)

The Dateline Resources share price is up 3.5% to 28.5 cents. This follows the release of drilling results from the 100%-owned Colosseum Gold and Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in California. Dateline advised that results from a further two reverse circulation holes drilled below the North Pit have provided gold assay results that exceed the mineral resource grade for the indicated blocks that they intercepted. Management expects this result to improve the mineral resource grade for the blocks.

Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI)

The Predictive Discovery share price is up 16% to 72.7 cents. This has been driven by news that Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) has tabled a superior takeover offer this morning. The gold miner has offered 0.136 new Perseus shares per Predictive Discovery share. This valued each Predictive Discovery share at 77.8 cents, which is a 24.5% premium to its last close and values its equity at $2.1 billion in total. Perseus advised that it expects the transaction to enhance its portfolio quality and the company’s African gold platform.

Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8)

The Wildcat Resources share price is up almost 4% to 27.5 cents. This morning, the lithium explorer revealed that it has signed a Native Title Agreement over its 100% owned Tabba Tabba Project with the Nyamal native title holders. Wildcat’s chair, Jeff Elliott, commented: “We thank the Nyamal people for their continued support of the Project and successful negotiation of the Native Title Agreement. We look forward to continuing a close relationship with the Nyamal people, to unlock the benefits from this exciting new project in the Pilbara.”

The post Why 4DMedical, Dateline, Predictive Discovery, and Wildcat shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Block, Collins Foods, Perseus Mining, and Robex Resources shares are falling today
• Why this exciting ASX tech stock is rocketing 18% today
• This ASX 300 gold stock is rocketing 27% amid takeover bidding war
• Perseus Mining launches superior offer for Predictive Discovery shares
• 2 little-known ASX shares making investors an outrageous amount of money

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.

You almost certainly won’t see the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) surge 160% over the coming year, but one ASX All Ords mining stock has been tipped to do just that.

That’s according to the analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), who have just doubled down on their very bullish outlook on Meteoric Resources (ASX: MEI) shares.

Meteoric Resources shares closed yesterday trading for 14.5 cent apiece. In late morning trade on Wednesday, shares are changing hands for 15.0 cents apiece, up 3.5%.

That sees shares in the ASX All Ords mining stock up an impressive 66.7% in 2025, blowing away the 5.2% year to date gains posted by the All Ords Index.

And looking to the year ahead, Macquarie expects that Meteoric Resources shares have a lot more fuel in the tank, with the broker particularly optimistic over the miner’s rare earths developments.

Here’s what’s happening.

ASX All Ords mining stock could rocket on rare earths production

On Monday, Meteoric Resources released an update on the environmental permitting process for its Caldeira Rare Earth Project, located in Brazil.

Shares in the ASX All Ords mining stock closed down 11.1% on the day after investors learned that Brazil’s State Foundation for Environmental (FEAM) had requested more time to respond to questions related to the Caldeira Project that were raised by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF).

This has caused a delay in the State Council for Environmental Policy (COPAM) vote to approve the Caldeira Project’s Preliminary Environmental Licence (LP).

Meteoric said it was confident that it had already submitted all the information required to address the MPF questions.

“Whilst this delay in the COPAM vote is frustrating, the work our team has done supports the approval of the LP and we remain confident in obtaining the LP at the next COPAM meeting,” Meteoric Resources managing director Stuart Gale said.

Commenting on the procedural delay for the ASX All Ords mining stock, Macquarie said:

While disappointing, MEI believes the delay is merely an administrative setback, as the company believes all the questions raised by MPF have already been addressed and continues to target a Construction License (LI) Issuance in mid-CY26. The company plans to assist FEAM with those questions with a goal to secure a voting slot at the next meeting on 19 December.

And the broker is very bullish on the completion of Meteoric Resources’ pilot plant wet commissioning.

According to the broker:

MEI recently announced the successful completion of wet commissioning at its pilot plant in Brazil. The plant has a nameplate processing capacity of 25 kg of ore feed per hour, with potential to produce approximately 2 kg of Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC) per day. Ore feed will commence immediately, with first MREC output anticipated in early December.

We believe this will enable the company to start off-take discussions with downstream customers, a key near-term catalyst.

Macquarie maintained its outperform rating on the ASX All Ords stock, concluding:

Becoming an ex-China rare earths company is never easy, given the stringent technology and equipment controls. Despite these challenges, MEI continues to make progress and, in our view, has the potential to become Brazil’s second operating rare earths producer after Serra Verde.

Macquarie has a 12-month price target for Meteoric Resources of 39 cents per share. That represents an outsized potential upside of 160% from current levels.

The post Why Macquarie expects this surging ASX All Ords mining stock to rocket another 160% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Meet the ASX rare earths stock that could rocket 80%
• Why Meteoric Resources, Race, Temple & Webster, and West African shares are falling today
• Why James Hardie, Meteoric Resources, Pilbara Minerals, and SKS shares are rising today
• Macquarie says these three critical minerals stocks deserve your attention

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 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.

APA Group (ASX: APA) shares are 0.11% higher at the time of writing on Wednesday morning, at $9.19 each. Over the past month, the shares are 0.22% higher and 30.91% higher for the year to date.

The energy infrastructure business has been particularly popular with income-seeking investors over the past year, thanks to its defensive earnings, passive payments, and attractive dividend yield.

Just yesterday, APA signed an agreement with CS Energy to develop a new gas-powered plant in Queensland. Early funding for the 400MW Brigalow Peaking Power Plant will be provided by APA. The company will then acquire 80% of the project. Once built, CS Energy will operate and maintain the plant and retain a 20% ownership interest.

APA said the investment in the plant is expected to “deliver returns consistent with its required return hurdles, will be funded from existing balance sheet capacity and forms part of APA’s $2.1 billion organic growth pipeline”.

Following the announcement, analysts at Macquarie wrote a note to investors with their latest outlook on APA Group and its shares.  

APA Group shares tipped to outperform

The broker confirmed its outperform rating on APA Group shares. It has also raised its target price to $9.23, up from $8.14 previously. At the time of writing, this implies a potential 0.43% upside for investors over the next 12 months.

“APA’s FY1 EV/EBITDA of ~11.7x looks attractive vs an historical range of 11.8-13.3x. The yield of ~6.3% pa is sustainable, with growing franking in coming years. Core earnings momentum should build with cost reductions and as new investment becomes income-generating,” the broker said in its note.

What did the broker have to say about APA Group’s new project?

The broker notes that total costs for the first-of-its-kind joint venture haven’t been finalised yet. But based on CSIRO’s cost for small scale open cycle gas turbines, it will likely be around $1 to $1.1 billion. The majority of this will likely be spent in FY27 and FY28. 

“The contract is CPI-based, providing a base-case return above CPI. Return is above APA’s cost of capital, which we estimate at ~6.4% post tax, and assuming ~11% pre-tax return, we estimate a base return of ~ $84m EBITDA+op costs of $5-10m pa,” Macquarie’s analysts said.

“The contract has flexibility in that, if usage is above expectation, additional capex is compensated through a step change in the return.”

APA reiterated its $2.1 billion three-year growth capex target. But Macquarie said that this could be upgraded if the company’s Bulloo extension is progressed.

“APA is attempting to leveraging its cost of capital advantage relative to the regular retailers, and the off balance sheet dynamics for government generators,” the broker said.

The post Macquarie raises target price on APA Group shares following joint-venture announcement 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 positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The aluminium market is heading into a period where demand growth is expected to outpace supply, Wilsons Advisory says, with one Aussie pure-play producer likely to benefit.

In a research note sent to clients this week, Wilsons said the resources sector in general appears to be returning to growth after a three-year downturn, with the exception of gold, which has been performing strongly through the cycle.

The multi-year downtrend in resources (with the notable exception of gold) has been largely driven by pessimism over China’s growth outlook – particularly weakness in its property sector, which remains central to demand for iron ore. While China’s economy may slow further, investor sentiment seems to be improving, supported by easier monetary policy and rising credit availability.

There were also several global trends, such as the energy transition, growth in data centre builds, and increased defence spending, which were supporting the notion of an upturn in resources generally, Wilsons said.

Aluminium shortfalls loom

On aluminium specifically, Wilsons said the market was likely to be unbalanced in favour of producers, with demand likely to outstrip supply.

After nearly two decades of persistent oversupply driven by China’s substantial capacity additions, this balance has structurally shifted as new supply appears unlikely to match China’s previous additions to keep up with rising consumption.

The demand outlook is being driven by both traditional and emerging drivers, Wilsons said.

Construction, packaging, machinery, electronics, and automotive applications continue to provide a stable base of industrial consumption. On top of this, structural demand drivers are becoming increasingly significant, including the energy transition (electric vehicles, renewables), rising defence spending, growing demand for AI-related infrastructure, and the continued substitution of plastics and copper for aluminium. Together, these factors should support strong and resilient demand for aluminium over the coming years.

Wilsons said supply growth was likely to remain subdued, with smelters needing large amounts of reasonably priced energy to be viable, which was difficult, particularly in markets where data centres were willing to pay more to lock in power supplies.

Therefore, limited future Chinese supply additions, combined with constrained power availability, will restrict supply and push the global cost curve higher over time. Overall, sustained demand growth and limited new supply additions are expected to widen market deficits and drive the cost curve structurally higher, supporting firmer aluminium prices.

Where to invest on the ASX?

Wilsons said from a portfolio perspective, “this backdrop warrants an overweight exposure to aluminium”.

Wilson’s preferred exposure on the Australian share market is Alcoa Corporation (ASX: AAI), “the only pure-play aluminium company listed on the ASX, thereby offering the greatest leverage to aluminium prices”.

Alcoa boasts a high-quality, vertically-integrated portfolio and a proven track record of operational excellence. over the medium to long term.

The post Is it time to buy into aluminium shares? 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.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The artificial intelligence (AI) race continues to heat up, and the stakes continue to get higher as the hyperscalers announce ever-increasing investments in their infrastructure.

The latest market sentiment centers around how fast these AI giants, like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Meta Platforms, and Alphabet, can recoup their investments, and whether or not that’s going to lead to an AI bubble.

Amazon made another announcement this week related to its investments in AI. Management had updated investors in the third-quarter earnings call that it would end 2025 with about $125 billion in AI spending, more than any other cloud provider, and that it would accelerate it in 2026. It just announced the first 2026 deal, for $50 billion. Will that help Amazon win the race? 

AWS is the leader in cloud services

Amazon uses AI across its business, but when people talk about this business, it refers to the generative AI it offers clients through the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing segment. AWS is the largest cloud company in the world, with about 29% of the market, according to Statista.

Although that’s a huge amount of market share, accounting for nearly a third of the total, its largest competitors aren’t too far behind. Microsoft‘s Azure has 20%, and Alphabet’s Google Cloud has 13%, while a sprinkling of other companies have smaller shares.

As the leader in the industry, Amazon has the first-mover’s edge, and it needs to keep investing in this fast-moving space to stay on top. AWS generated $33 billion in revenue in the 2023 third quarter, and it was responsible for 66% of Amazon’s total operating income, with $11.4 billion in the quarter. That’s a 34% operating margin for AWS, and Amazon can invest those profits in growing the business to new levels.

The AWS client list includes the U.S. government

AWS has Top Secret, Secret, and GovCloud segments that can manage classified information for government intelligence and defense departments, as well as related offices. It’s investing $50 billion, starting next year, in expanding its capabilities to service these segments with accelerated supercomputing abilities. It’s adding 1.3 gigawatts of AI and data center capacity, widening access to its AI tools like SageMaker and Bedrock, as well as large language models (LLM) like Claude and Nova.

The increased data capacity can help government agencies collect data and process information faster and more efficiently for improved analysis and more accurate decision-making.

It sounds a lot like Palantir Technologies‘ Gotham and Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) programs. Palantir has been one of the hottest stocks on the market, and Amazon may be leaning into trying to get some of its hypergrowth.

Palantir already partners with AWS, and there may be some cross-deals here, although Palantir wasn’t mentioned in the announcement. So while it looks like competition, it could be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Which stocks are poised to win?

Amazon has its finger in many pies, and this is another way to expand its presence and opportunities in a high-growth space. Its AI business has a triple-digit growth rate and is already a multibillion-dollar business.

Defense contracts are usually long term and lucrative, and servicing this market opens more opportunities for Amazon. It’s also a boost for Nvidia, which was mentioned in the announcement, since it provides the base infrastructure for AWS’ most powerful capabilities.

Amazon stock is still trailing the S&P 500 as the year gets closer to its end, and is up only 4%. This could be an excellent time to buy in for long-term investors.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Amazon just made a major AI announcement. Here’s what it means for investors. appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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Jennifer Saibil 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 Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on form again on Wednesday. In early afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.4% to 8,617 points.

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

Block Inc (ASX: XYZ)

The Block share price is down 6% to $92.47. This follows a rough session for Block’s shares on the NYSE on Tuesday. This appears to have been driven by a press release, which revealed that it handled over 124 million transactions across its Square, Cash App, and Afterpay platform, during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping weekend. While this is a 10% increase from last year, it seems that some investors were expecting stronger growth.

Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF)

The Collins Foods share price is down 5% to $10.64. This KFC restaurant operator’s shares have come under pressure since the release of its half year results for FY 2026 this week. Although Collins Foods delivered strong profit growth and upgraded its guidance, it wasn’t enough for some investors. This morning, Ord Minnett downgraded its shares to a hold rating with a $10.50 price target. It believes that competition is increasing and suspects the second half could be much tougher.

Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU)

The Perseus Mining share price is down 3.5% to $5.51. This follows news that the gold miner has tabled an offer to acquire Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI). The gold miner has offered 0.136 new Perseus shares per Predictive Discovery share. This valued each Predictive Discovery share at 77.8 cents, which implies a fully diluted valuation of approximately $2.1 billion and represents a premium of 24.5% to its last close price. Management believes that “the transaction enhances Perseus’s portfolio quality and the company’s African gold platform.” It seems that some investors think the miner is overpaying after outbidding a rival.

Robex Resources (ASX: RXR)

The Robex Resources share price is down 13% to $4.67. Investors have been selling this gold miner’s shares after Perseus’ offer ruined its own merger plans with Predictive Discovery. In October, the two Africa-focused miners signed an agreement to merge. At the time, it noted that it “combines two of the potentially largest, lowest cost and most advanced gold projects in West Africa, enhancing scale, access to capital, strategic relevance and competitiveness.”

The post Why Block, Collins Foods, Perseus Mining, and Robex Resources shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why 4DMedical, Dateline, Predictive Discovery, and Wildcat shares are racing higher
• This ASX 300 gold stock is rocketing 27% amid takeover bidding war
• Perseus Mining launches superior offer for Predictive Discovery shares
• Macquarie names best and worst ASX stocks to buy in a rising interest rate environment
• Why Catapult, Collins Foods, Guzman Y Gomez, and Pantoro shares are falling today

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

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) shares have delivered explosive growth over the past six months, but the stock has also been marked by volatility. Over the past 52 weeks, the Australian financial technology company’s shares have zig-zagged anywhere between $1.08 and $4.93 a piece, and, with a business model closely tied to high credit risk and volatile consumer spending, unpredictability could well continue in 2026.

I think Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) are much better tech bets for 2026. Here’s why.

Beaten-down tech shares set to boom

Xero shares are 0.02% higher at the time of writing on Wednesday morning, at $121.46 a piece. Over the past month, the shares are down 18.13% and for the year to date, the stock is 27.51% lower.

Meanwhile, WiseTech shares are 0.65% higher at the time of writing, at $69.90 a piece. Over the past month, the stock has climbed 0.5% but for the year to date, it’s 43.58% lower.

Xero investors reacted unfavourably to the company’s latest FY26 interim results, announced in early November, selling off the stock. Around the same time, WiseTech investors were spooked by news that the company’s Sydney headquarters had been searched by the Australian Federal Police and ASIC. The raid was in relation to alleged insider trading by Richard White and several other staff members.

Meanwhile, the ASX 200 tech sector suffered an overall dramatic sell-off later in the month, particularly of high‑valuation and AI‑linked tech names. The entire tech sector suffered from investor concerns about overheated valuations and an AI bubble. But analysts think tech shares have now been oversold. 

The good news is that this overselling has created a fantastic opportunity to buy Xero and WiseTech shares while they are still cheap.

Why Xero and WiseTech shares, rather than Zip?

While Zip shares have suffered multiple ups and downs over the past year, I’m concerned the pattern could continue over the next 12 months. But Xero and WiseTech are tech companies that could offer the opposite: stable recurring revenue, global exposure, profitability, and scalable software platforms that don’t rely on consumer spending pressure. 

Both companies have previously demonstrated resilience and growth through economic cycles. Both are also well-positioned to benefit from increased interest trends like automation and cloud computing.

What do the experts think?

Analysts are very bullish on these two beaten-down tech stocks. They think the latest price drops present a great buying opportunity for investors.

TradingView data shows that 12 out of 15 analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on Xero shares, and a target price of up to $230.60. That’s a potential 89.5% upside over the next 12 months, at the time of writing. 

It’s a similar story for WiseTech shares, but the growth is expected to be even steeper. Out of 18 analysts, 13 have a buy or strong buy rating, with a maximum target price of $177.57. That implies the shares could storm 151.59% higher!

The post Forget Zip shares: Here’s why Xero and WiseTech are better tech bets for 2026 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 positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global and Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been one of the biggest successes in artificial intelligence (AI) over the past five years, as the company’s sales and earnings have skyrocketed due to demand for its AI processors. The increasing need for the company’s semiconductors has fueled the company’s share price rise, pushing Nvidia stock up more than 1,200% over the past five years. 

Spoiler alert: The next five years are unlikely to bring similar results. However, Nvidia and its shareholders are likely to still benefit significantly. Here’s why: 

1. AI semiconductor demand is still very high

Before Nvidia reported its fiscal third-quarter results, investors were on edge. The market had been wondering if all the talk of an AI bubble was true.

It turns out, there’s still plenty of demand for Nvidia’s processors. The company’s data center revenue rose 66% in the quarter to $51.2 billion. What’s more, Nvidia’s non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share popped 60% to $1.30, outpacing Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $1.25.

While Nvidia’s strong quarterly results didn’t necessarily disprove that some parts of the AI market are overvalued, it certainly proved that demand for the company’s semiconductors remains very high.

2. More spending is likely on the way

Nvidia’s impressive third-quarter results are, of course, just a snapshot of what’s happening with the company at the moment. However, it’s also likely an indicator of what the company may continue to experience over the next few years.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said that tech companies will invest $3 trillion to $4 trillion over the next five years as they continue to build out their artificial intelligence infrastructure. And before you write this off as just another optimistic tech CEO pumping up his own company’s opportunity, consider that Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Microsoft are collectively spending $380 billion in capital expenditures (capex) this year. Much of that spending is going to data center investments, and Alphabet’s management has said it will “significantly increase” its spending next year.

Even if Huang’s estimate turns out to be a little optimistic, the tech companies building AI have committed billions of dollars in new spending and could continue to do so for years.

3. A slowdown in spending won’t spell doom for Nvidia

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think slowing AI spending will be all doom and gloom for Nvidia. Yes, its share price could slide once tech companies scale back their initial AI investments. However, over the long term, I believe Nvidia’s processors will continue to be in demand.

Consider that the company has 90% of the AI data center market for GPUs. The initial surge in building AI data centers with Nvidia’s GPUs is what the company is experiencing now. But over time, tech companies will need to update their data centers and upgrade them with newer, more powerful processors.

This means that Nvidia has a longtail benefit from all of these data centers being built. When spending slows, it doesn’t mean it will dry up completely. And as the leading provider of AI GPUs, Nvidia is likely to remain the go-to choice for future data center upgrades for years to come.

Nvidia is a buy-and-hold stock for the long term

There’s certainly a lot of exuberance in the market for AI stocks right now, and some of it is unwarranted. Numerous AI companies lack impressive sales and are unprofitable, yet they are trading at very frothy valuations.

However, Nvidia is still experiencing significant growth in AI, and companies continue to invest substantial funds to stay competitive in this space. The result of this is that Nvidia stock could continue climbing over the next five years.

Don’t expect the explosive gains from the past few years, but it’s certainly too early to ignore this dominant AI company.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Where will Nvidia be in 5 years? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

More reading

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Chris Neiger 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 Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. 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 having a strong session on Wednesday.

At the time of writing, the ASX tech stock is up 18% to $1.96.

Why is this ASX tech stock surging?

Investors have been scrambling to buy the respiratory imaging technology company’s shares following the release of a promising announcement.

According to the release, the company has signed a significant expansion of its distribution agreement with Koninklijke Philips NV (NYSE: PHG) for its FDA-cleared, non-contrast computed tomography (CT) ventilation and perfusion imaging solution, CT:VQ.

Under the expanded agreement, Philips will add CT:VQ to its North American product portfolio, distributing the technology through its established commercial infrastructure and customer relationships.

Philips has agreed to a minimum of approximately A$15 million (US$10 million) in customer orders in 2026 and 2027.

The ASX tech stock also notes that Philips will allocate dedicated sales and clinical specialists carrying CT:VQ sales targets. Joint marketing initiatives and co-branding campaigns are being initiated to drive market awareness and adoption. RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) 2025 will mark the first major international launch event for the collaboration.

What is CT:VQ?

4D Medical describes CT:VQ as the world’s first technology capable of extracting quantitative ventilation-perfusion (VQ) data from routine non-contrast CT scans.

The technology measures regional lung tissue motion and local density changes to generate comprehensive ventilation and perfusion maps without requiring radiotracers or contrast agents.

It notes that the solution addresses several critical limitations of traditional nuclear VQ imaging. By eliminating radiotracers, the technology streamlines scheduling, improves patient access, and removes complex handling requirements, and regulatory constraints. Importantly, CT:VQ integrates seamlessly with existing CT protocols.

There are over one million nuclear VQ scans performed annually in the United States, with an average reimbursement rate of approximately US$1,150 per scan. Management points out that this represents an addressable market of more than US$1.1 billion annually in the U.S., estimated at over US$2.6 billion globally.

And given the clinical and logistical advantages of CT:VQ over traditional nuclear VQ imaging modalities, 4DMedical revealed that it is confident it can rapidly capture a significant part of this market.

Management also anticipates that the introduction of the solution into the market will drive long-term growth in demand for ventilation-perfusion scans beyond the traditional nuclear VQ indications.

Overall, these are exciting times for this ASX tech stock.

The post Why this exciting ASX tech stock is rocketing 18% today 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.

Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL) has made a final investment decision on its Lionheart lithium and renewable energy project in Germany, and has announced a $3.9 billion financing package to bring it into production.

The company announced on Wednesday that Phase 1 of the Lionheart project will produce 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate per year, sufficient to manufacture approximately 500,000 electric vehicle batteries.

It would also produce about 275 gigawatt hours of renewable energy and 560 gigawatt hours of heat for local consumers per year, over an estimated 30-year project life.

Debt and equity to finance project

Vulcan, which is backed by Australian iron ore magnate Gina Rinehart, said the phase one financing package included $2.1 billion in debt funding from a syndicate of 13 financial institutions, including the European Investment Bank.

The company would also raise $1.1 billion in an equity raising, comprised of a $245 million institutional placement at $4 per share, a $465 million institutional entitlement offer, and a $366 million retail offer open to existing Vulcan shareholders.

The raising is at a deep discount to Vulcan’s trading price at market close yesterday, with the company’s shares finishing at $6.13 on Tuesday.

Vulcan Managing Director Cris Moreno said securing the financing and making the decision to proceed with the project were significant milestones for the company.

A lighthouse project for Europe, Lionheart is set to redefine lithium production, delivering Europe’s first fully domestic and sustainable lithium value chain. It will also provide a clean and reliable source of renewable energy for local communities and industries in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley.

The project involves stripping the lithium from hot brine sourced from underground, with energy and heat also produced as part of the process.

In addition to securing debt funding from the European Investment Bank, the project has also been supported by Export Finance Australia with $214 million in debt funding, Export Development Canada with $357 million, and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark with $179 million.

Construction to start imminently

Vulcan said it had entered into the majority of the major project contracts for the construction of Lionheart Phase One and had received all of the major construction permits for the project.

The company said on Wednesday it expected the project to generate an average of €566 million in revenue per year and €427 million in EBITDA.

Vulcan shares were in a trading halt on Wednesday while the capital raising plans were finalised.

Ms Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting owned a 6.49% stake in Vulcan before the capital raising plans were announced.

The post Gina Rinehart-backed Vulcan Energy Resources pulls trigger on European lithium project 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.