Some ASX shares have significant growth plans for the long-term, making them compelling stocks to look at.

Businesses which are re-investing for growth give themselves a useful chance of long-term success.

In the US, the gigantic e-commerce company Amazon has shown how much a business can grow if it invests for many years ahead.

With that in mind, here are two ASX shares planning a lot of growth over the coming years:

Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL)

Online retailer Redbubble is one of the ASX tech shares that analysts like at the moment. After a 4% decline of the Redbubble share price on Thursday, it is now down to around $3.

Morgan Stanley has a price target of $6.50, that means Redbubble shares have more than 110% upside, if the broker is right.

The broker thinks that Redbubble can achieve the double digit growth to reach its goal in the long-term.

Redbubble’s goal over the next few years is to achieve $1.5 billion of gross transaction value. That translates to $1.25 billion of marketplace revenue and $250 million for artists for their designs which are printed on quality products like clothes, bags, phone cases and so on. It is keeping its eye out for acquisition opportunities that could help accelerate growth.

The ASX share is going to do a number of things to achieve growth in the shorter-term and then leverage its scale to drive the profit margin higher in the future.

Redbubble is going to work on recruiting more artists and improve its account management. It wants to improve the content and digital experience for both artists and shoppers. The company is going to keep investing in marketing and grow geographically in the future. It also plans to improve the physical experience for customers, as well as launching new products and fulfilment locations. All of this is expected to lead to scale efficiencies.

Excluding mask sales from FY21, Redbubble is expecting its FY22 underlying marketplace revenue to be slightly higher year on year.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

Fortescue is one of the world’s largest iron ore miners. The iron price has been climbing over the past couple of months, which has been helping the Fortescue share price in recent weeks.

The broker Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) currently rates Fortescue shares as a buy, with a price target of $21.

But it’s Fortescue’s Future Industries division that is capturing more headlines and investor interest.

The iron ore miner is transitioning from a pure play iron ore producer to a green renewables and resources company.

It was only a couple of months ago that Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) announced it is going to become the largest supplier of green hydrogen to the UK after signing a “multi-billion-pound deal” with JCB Excavators and Ryze Hydrogen.

FFI said that Jo Bamford, regarded as the UK’s green hydrogen champion, is the founder of Ryze and owner of Wrightbus. Ryze is building the UK’s first network of green hydrogen production plants, while Wrightbus built the world’s first hydrogen double decker.

JCB Chair Lord Bamford has asked FFI to deliver “immediately” what it is able to deliver. JCB and Ryze will purchase 10% of the ASX share’s global green hydrogen production.

FFI’s green hydrogen production is projected to grow to 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year by 2030, accelerating to 50 million tonnes per year in the next decade after that.

It was revealed that under the partnership, FFI will lead the green hydrogen production and logistics to the UK market, whilst JCB and Ryze will manage green hydrogen distribution and development of customer demand in the UK.

The post 2 compelling ASX shares that could be buys in January 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 6 ASX shares involved with green metals
• Is the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price on track to reach $50?
• Would you like cheese with that? A look at some of Twiggy’s highest profile ASX investments of 2021
• These were the 5 worst performing ASX hydrogen shares of 2021
• Here’s why ASX 200 mining shares could be in for a boost in 2022

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns Fortescue Metals Group Limited. 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 Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL) share price had a ripper 2021 despite the company staying relatively quiet.

In fact, the only time the market heard price-sensitive news from the manufacturer of steel products was whenever it released results or updated earnings guidance.

At the end of 2020, the BlueScope share price was going for $17.48. Come the final session of 2021, the company’s stock finished at $20.90.

That sees it posting a 19.5% gain for the 12-month period. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) increased 13% over the same period.

Let’s take a closer look at what helped drive the company’s stock last year.

Here’s what drove the BlueScope share price in 2021

The year started off well for BlueScope when it released an exciting update in January.

It announced that its preliminary unaudited earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for the first half of financial year 2021 was expected to be 11.5% higher than its previous guidance, coming in at around $530 million. The company also provided a positive business update.

The market’s excitement over the profit increase pushed the BlueScope share price 3% higher, and another 2% higher when its preliminary expectations were confirmed the following month.

In February, BlueScope announced its net profit after tax (NPAT) increased 78% over the 6 months ended 31 December, coming in at $330.3 million.

Another profit upgrade boosted the company’s stock in April. Though, its biggest gain came in July when it released its preliminary, unaudited, underlying results for financial year 2021.

The company announced its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) was expected to be around $1.72 billion. That was confirmed in the company’s official full year results, released in August.

Impressively, the company’s EBITDA ended up being nearly $1 billion more than the bottom of its initial guidance. It was also 207% more than it was in financial year 2020.

As a result, the company announced a 25 cent final dividend and a 19 cent special dividend. It also announced a $500 million share buyback.

The final news to boost the BlueScope share price in 2021 was released in October. Readers may assume it was news of another profit upgrade, and they would be correct.

The company’s stock gained 0.75% when it announced it expects its underlying EBIT for the first half of financial year 2022 to be between $2.1 billion and $2.3 billion – $300 million more than it previously predicted.

The post Here’s how the BlueScope (ASX:BSL) share price leapt 20% in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is it a buy? Here’s what brokers are predicting for the BlueScope (ASX:BSL) share price in 2022
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 Bruce Jackson.

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Shares in battery technology provider Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) have sunk almost 18% since 2 December.

But the stock was still, by far, the best performing ASX tech share in 2021.

The Novonix share price rocketed 660%, riding the themes of green energy and the electrification of the motor car to the sunset.

There was daylight second, as the next best, Life360 Inc (ASX: 360), managed “just” a 157% return.

So does this mean now is a golden opportunity to buy Novonix shares?

Not much revenue, certainly no profit yet

The first thing to note is that Novonix is still at a very early stage of business development.

It’s certainly far from making a profit and doesn’t even generate that much revenue for a company with a market capitalisation of more than $5 billion. 

In the 2021 financial year, Novonix reported $5.2 million of revenue. That’s almost a 1000-times valuation-to-sales ratio.

This is why it’s a polarising stock among analysts.

And changes to the Novonix share price are, for now, very dependent on emotion and momentum.

“A profit isn’t expected to be achieved for a few years so it will be incredibly announcement driven,” read a memo from Marcus Today last month.

“Deals with EV [electric vehicle] and tech companies to shore up supply chains likely to drive performance but that will come in dribs and drabs.”

Not sure if Novonix is a bargain yet

The current dip is largely the consequence of an eye-watering 32.4% fall on 3 December.

For the team at Marcus Today, the lack of information behind this descent is worrying.

“An unexplained 34% fall [in early December] should be a bit of a red flag,” the memo read.

“The move has taken some of the froth off the top, which is putting it back in the focus of ‘bargain hunters’.”

Considering these uncertainties, the Marcus Today analysts don’t think investors should be piling in at current price levels.

“The near-term picture doesn’t offer that much of a compelling reason to get involved,” the memo stated.

“Demand for its products is expected to gain momentum but until there are more cash flows, it is hard to value.”

Novonix shares closed Thursday at $9.94, down 6.9% on the day.

The post Are Novonix (ASX:NVX) shares a bargain after tumbling 18% since early December? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These are the 5 best performing ASX shares of 2021
• The 5 best ASX lithium stocks of 2021
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why the Novonix (ASX:NVX) share price rocketed 650% in 2021
• 5 best ASX 200 tech shares of 2021

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Life360, Inc. 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 Bruce Jackson.

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Are you interested in bolstering your income portfolio with some dividend shares? If you are, you may want to look at the two listed below.

Here’s what you need to know about these ASX dividend shares:

National Storage REIT (ASX: NSR)

National Storage is a leading self-storage operator with a portfolio of over 210 centres. From these centres, the company provides tailored storage solutions to over 85,000 residential and commercial customers.

While this is a large number, management continues to believe that it has plenty of room to expand its network further in the future.

National Storage’s Chairman, Laurence Brindle, commented at its AGM: “The ownership of self storage centres remains highly fragmented, and we are confident that this pipeline of high-quality storage centres will continue to create acquisition opportunities for the foreseeable future.”

This bodes well for its distribution growth over the long term. For now, though, management is guiding to earnings per share growth of 10% in FY 2022. If its distribution grows in line with its earnings, it will mean a distribution of 9.02 cents per share. Based on the current National Storage share price of $2.62, this would equate to a yield of 3.4%.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

Rural Funds is an agricultural real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns a diversified portfolio of Australian agricultural assets. These high qualities are leased to corporate agricultural operators including industry giants such as Select Harvests Limited (ASX: SHV) and Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE).

The company has also been adding to its portfolio with acquisitions in recent months. This includes the acquisition of cattle and cropping properties and macadamia orchards in Queensland.

Management notes that these acquisitions are consistent with its strategy. This is of acquiring assets with potential for productivity improvements in agricultural sectors it has experience in and that Australia has a comparative advantage.

As for its dividends, management is intending to increase its distribution by its annual target rate of 4% to 11.73 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the current Rural Funds share price of $3.10, this represents an attractive yield of 3.8%.

The post 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields
• Why is the Rural Funds (ASX:RFF) share price falling on Thursday?
• Here are 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields
• The Rural Funds (ASX:RFF) share price has gone up 20% in 2021. Is it still a buy?
• 2 ASX dividend shares with better yields than term deposits

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 owns and has recommended RURALFUNDS STAPLED. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Treasury Wine Estates Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had one of its worst days in recent memory. The benchmark index fell 2.7% to 7,358.3 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rebound

The Australian share market looks set to rebound strongly from yesterday’s selloff. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 91 points or 1.25% higher this morning. This follows an improved night of trade on Wall Street, which late on sees the Dow Jones down 0.4%, but the S&P 500 up 0.1% and the Nasdaq up 0.1%.

Tech shares expected to bounce back

It looks set to be a much better day for tech shares such as Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT). With Australian tech shares ultimately falling far more than their US and European counterparts on Thursday, they are being tipped to rebound on Friday.

Oil prices push higher

Energy producers including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could end the week on a positive note after oil prices pushed higher again. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.8% to US$79.26 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 1.35% to US$81.85 a barrel. Oil prices rose amid unrest in Kazakhstan and outages in Libya.

Iron ore prices rise again

The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price and the Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price could end the week on a positive note after the benchmark iron ore price continued its rise. According to Metal Bulletin, the spot benchmark 62% fines iron ore price rose 2.3% to US$128.25 a tonne. However, there are concerns that some of the buying is coming from speculative traders.

Gold price sinks

Gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a difficult finish to the week after the gold price slumped. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 2.1% to US$1,786.8 an ounce. Traders were selling gold after hawkish signals from the US Federal Reserve.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• 6 ASX shares involved with green metals
• Why BHP, Clinuvel, Latitude, and Peet shares are pushing higher
• These 3 ASX tech shares just hit 52-week lows. What’s going on?
• Why Afterpay, Altium, Aristocrat Leisure, and Pro Medicus shares are sinking

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns NEXTDC Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Australian share market is home to a number of quality companies with solid growth prospects.

Two that have been tipped for robust long term growth are listed below. Here’s why analysts think investors should be buying their shares:

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

The first growth share to look at is this pizza chain operator. Domino’s has been a highly successful investment over the last 10 years, generating mouth-watering returns for investors.

This has been driven by its strong sales and earnings growth which was underpinned by its store expansion, its investment in technology, and the ongoing popularity of its offering.

The good news is that management isn’t resting on its laurels and continues to target further growth. In fact, the company is aiming to more than double its store footprint 6,650 stores by FY 2033. This compares to 2,949 stores at the end of FY 2021.

Goldman Sachs likes what it sees here and has put a buy rating and $147.00 price target on the company’s shares.

Symbio Holdings Limited (ASX: SYM)

Another ASX growth share that analysts are positive on is Symbio. It is the global communications network and software provider previously known as MNF Group.

Symbio’s communications network and software suite allows some of the world’s leading tech innovators to deliver new-generation communications solutions to their customers. This includes tech giants such as Google, Twilio, and Zoom.

Like Domino’s, it appears well-placed for growth over the long term. This is thanks to favourable tailwinds and its expansion across Asia. In addition, Symbio is sitting on a sizeable cash balance following the asset divestment which prompted the name change. This gives management opportunities to bolster its growth through acquisitions.

Ord Minnett currently has a buy rating and $7.90 price target on Symbio’s shares. Its analysts believe the compnay has a very bright outlook thanks to its large addressable market and strong competitive advantage.

The post 2 quality ASX growth shares tipped as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Analysts name 2 exciting ASX growth shares to buy in 2022
• 3 five-star ASX shares to buy in 2022
• Do these two unloved ASX shares offer tasty returns?
• 2 fantastic ASX growth shares Goldman Sachs rates as buys
• Domino’s (ASX:DMP) share price dips despite “important” milestone in Japan

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. owns and has recommended Symbio Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Symbio Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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At the small end of the Australian share market, there are a number of companies with the potential to grow strongly in the future.

Three that investors may want to get better acquainted with are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

BlueBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: BBT)

The first small cap ASX share to watch is this online sports betting company. Thanks to the increasing popularity of mobile sports betting, BlueBet has been growing at a rapid rate. For example, during the first quarter, the company reported a 63.8% increase in active customers to 39,195 and a 67.4% increase in turnover to $125.9 million. The good news is that management believes it is well positioned to substantially grow its modest market share in Australia and has its eyes on the US market.

Morgans is bullish on BlueBet and has an add rating and $2.60 price target on its shares.

Step One Clothing Limited (ASX: STP)

Another small cap ASX share to watch is Step One. It is a direct-to-consumer online retailer of men’s underwear which raised $81.3 million via an IPO late last year. Some of these funds will be used to support the company’s growth strategies, which include growing Step One’s existing customer base in Australia and the UK and investing in establishing a presence in the enormous US market.

Morgans is positive on Step One despite a recent trading update which fell a touch short of expectations. The broker doesn’t believe its prospects for growth over the long-term are diminished. As a result, its analysts have an add rating and $2.70 price target on its shares

Whispir Ltd (ASX: WSP)

A third and final small cap ASX share to watch is Whispir. It is a software-as-a-service company that provides a communications workflow platform automating interactions between organisations and people. Demand for its offering has been growing strongly over the last couple of years, with a number of blue chips becoming customers. One of those is telco giant Singtel, which is the owner of Optus. Last week it selected Whispir to replace its core SMS notification systems enterprise-wide.

Wilsons is a fan of Whispir and currently has an overweight rating and $4.84 price target on its shares.

The post 3 exciting small cap ASX shares to watch in 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Magnis, Pilbara Minerals, Syrah, and Whispir shares are storming higher
• Why is the Whispir (ASX:WSP) share price shooting 8% higher?
• 3 small cap ASX shares to watch in 2022
• Why did the Step One Clothing (ASX:STP) share price plummet 34% today?
• Why did the Step One (ASX:STP) share price rocket 10% today?

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. owns and has recommended Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BlueBet Holdings Ltd and Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) suffered a brutal selloff, mirroring the selling pressure on Wall Street last night. At the end of the session, the benchmark index finished 2.74% lower at 7,358.3 points.

In complete contrast to the Aussie market’s first session of the year, today was a sea of red. Not a single sector was unable to escape a more bearish sentiment across the ASX on Thursday. The effect was further exaggerated for tech investors, with the sector tumbling 6.4% — its worst one-day session since February last year. Meanwhile, shares in the materials sector stayed the sturdiest, despite also falling 1.45%.

However, the question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? It is a challenging question to pose on such days. Fortunately, there were still a handful of companies that stayed in the green.

Here are the top ten stocks that came through for investors:

Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

Looking at the top 200 listed companies, Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the financial services provided rose 1.78% after announcing its intent to acquire the consumer finance business of Humm Group Ltd (ASX: HUM) for $335 million. Find out more about Latitude Group here.

The next biggest gaining ASX share today was Zimplats Holdings Ltd (ASX: ZIM). The platinum group metals mining company moved 1.73% higher despite there being no announcements. Uncover the latest Zimplats details here.

Today’s top 10 biggest gains were made in these ASX shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: LFS)	$2.00	1.78%
Zimplats Holdings Ltd (ASX: ZIM)	$23.50	1.73%
Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)	$101.21	0.73%
OZ Minerals Ltd (ASX: OZL)	$28.95	0.59%
Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CUV)	$26.88	0.41%
Ausnet Services Ltd (ASX: AST)	$2.56	0.39%
Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL)	$3.40	0.30%
Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY)	$5.95	0.17%
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)	$42.68	0.12%
Summerset Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SNZ)	$12.99	0.08%

Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check-in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why BHP, Clinuvel, Latitude, and Peet shares are pushing higher
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay sinks again, BHP and Rio rise
• Latitude (ASX:LFS) share price higher on $335m Humm BNPL acquisition
• Humm (ASX:HUM) share price shoots 8% higher after BNPL takeover approach
• ASX 200 tech shares on watch after Nasdaq selloff

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Humm Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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While it might have been a blockbuster year for commodity prices in 2021, it was a patchy market for mining and resource shares across the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

It turned out not every commodity was hot last year. While lithium prices were going up, iron ore prices were going down. The variety in performance across commodities meant most of the winners during the year were benefitting from attractive supply and demand dynamics.

Unsurprisingly, ASX lithium shares dominated the market — proving to be a lucrative investment for shareholders.

The overall mining and resource sector’s performance was average compared to the index. But, when companies in the sector performed, they performed extremely well. For that reason, some of these ASX 200 shares will be familiar if you’ve read our 5 best performing ASX shares of 2021 coverage.

5 top ASX 200 mining and resource shares in 2021

Liontown Resources Limited (ASX: LTR)

Investors weren’t deterred by the fact Liontown Resources is still a pre-revenue lithium company.

During the 12 months of 2021, the company’s share price latched onto the booming enthusiasm towards the electric battery material. This proved rewarding for shareholders, with shares gaining 388% in the year.

As the demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow, Liontown Resources attracted eager eyes with its Kathleen Valley lithium project. The company describes the project as “a world-class lithium deposit with a mineral resource estimate of 156 million tonnes at 1.4% lithium oxide”.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The next ASX 200 mining share making the list has been dubbed Macquarie Group Ltd‘s (ASX: MQG) top pick among ASX lithium shares. The Pilbara Minerals share price entered 2021 at 87 cents per share. By the end of the year, it had gained 267% to finish at $3.20.

Unlike Liontown Resources, Pilbara Minerals is already up and running, with the company booking record shipments of spodumene concentrate in 2021. In FY21, the lithium producer recorded $175.8 million in revenue — representing an increase of 109% on the previous year.

Macquarie currently holds a price target of $3.70 on Pilbara Minerals’ shares.

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

Switching up gears, the next entrant in our best performing ASX 200 mining shares is not a lithium producer. Instead, Lynas Rare Earths is unearthing another crucial element group used in green technology — rare earth elements.

The Lynas share price surged 156% in 2021, giving shareholders something to smile about. Much like the companies mentioned before, this was mostly due to an increase in demand for the underlying commodity. Neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) prices skyrocketed last year, greatly improving Lynas’ revenue and profitability along with it.

However, two experts have recently tagged the mining company with a hold rating.

Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN)

Chalice Mining had a blast of a year in 2021. Shares in the mineral explorer enjoyed a 146% increase during a year to remember.

Shareholders willing to stick it out with Chalice basked in the glory of further positive updates in relation to its Julimar project in Western Australia.

On 9 November 2021, the company released its maiden mineral resource estimate for the Gonneville deposit. The estimate came out to be 10 million ounces of palladium, platinum, and gold — making it the largest nickel sulphide discovery in more than 20 years.

Bell Potter remains bullish on the ASX 200 mining share, placing a speculative buy and an $11.73 price target on it.

Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)

The last company on the list is lithium carbonate and boron producer, Allkem. This name is a bit of a new one, but its components are more familiar. During the year, the previously ASX-listed lithium companies of Orocobre and Galaxy Resources merged to form Allkem.

Thanks to the increase in lithium prices, this ASX 200 mining share notched up a 132% gain in 2021. Analysts at JP Morgan are convinced there’s more still in the tank of this newly formed lithium giant. Currently, the broker holds an overweight rating on Allkem’s shares.

The post Here are the 5 best performing ASX 200 mining and resource shares of 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares this Thursday
• What is JP Morgan saying about ASX lithium shares?
• 6 ASX shares involved with green metals
• These are the 5 best performing ASX shares of 2021
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler owns Lynas Corporation Limited and Macquarie Group Limited. 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 Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Firefinch Ltd (ASX: FFX) share price went underground today.

The gold miner and lithium producer announced this morning that mining had started at its West African site.

But despite the positive news, the Firefinch share price spent the entire day in the red and was down 6.78% at 83 cents apiece at market close.

Mining operations begin at Morila Super Pit

Morila Super Pit is a gold mine located in West Africa — one of two major Firefinch projects.

In fact, the miner is so proud of this site, they’ve nicknamed it Morila the Gorilla — earning its name for producing some of the highest gold grades in the world.

Now that mining has started, the company hopes to produce more than 100,000 ounces of gold per annum from the site.

To do so, the activities will be undertaken by Firefinch’s primary mining contractor, Mota Engil, in conjunction with Malian group Interline (MEIM).

So far, Firefinch has moved the first material at the site, and now the next order of business is to pre-strip the waste.

The company said it expected ore mining to start during the second quarter of 2022, with the hope it would become a “consistent source of ore” soon after.

Comment from management

Firefinch managing director Dr Michael Anderson said the company was “well set up” for the work to come.

Morila Super Pit is where the greatest value for the business lies and, as we have done consistently to date, we have successfully delivered on another Morila development milestone.

Having previously stated that we’d commence mining at the Morila Super Pit in Q1 2022, we have broken ground in the first week of the quarter.

Firefinch share price snapshot

Over the last 12 months, the Firefinch share price has increased by a whopping 310%.

The miner has a market capitalisation of $971 million based on the current share price, and 1.17 billion shares issued.

The post Firefinch (ASX:FFX) shares tumbled 7% today despite project milestone appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Firefinch (ASX:FFX) share price is flying higher today
• Why Audinate, Firefinch, IAG, and Ramsay shares are falling
• Here’s why the Firefinch (ASX:FFX) share price is plunging 10% today

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