Are you looking for ASX mining stocks to buy outside the status quo of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)?

If you are, then it could be worth considering the two in this article.

That’s because the team at Morgans has just named them as buys and is predicting major upside over the next 12 months.

Here’s what the broker is recommending to clients in the mining sector:

29Metals Ltd (ASX: 29M)

This copper miner has caught the eye of Morgans following its recent equity raising. The broker believes this leaves 29Metals well-positioned to execute on its growth plans.

This morning, the broker has initiated coverage on the ASX mining stock with a buy rating and 54 cents price target. Based on its current share price of 34 cents, this implies potential upside of almost 60% for investors. It said:

We initiate coverage on 29Metals (29M) with a 12-month target price of A$0.54ps and a BUY recommendation. We expect the Xantho Extended restart and Gossan Valley development at Golden Grove to restore grades and operating flexibility, while a potential Capricorn Copper restart provides medium-term production growth. Following its recent equity raise, 29M is better positioned to execute its plans, with upside potential supported by a constructive long-term copper outlook.

Meeka Metals Ltd (ASX: MEK)

Another ASX mining stock that Morgans is positive on is gold miner Meeka Metals.

It highlights that the company is planning to expand its production capability with a modest capital investment.

While it suspects there could be some short-term production challenges, it believes things will pick up from the fourth quarter.

As a result, it has retained its buy rating and 39 cents price target on its shares. Based on its current share price of 15.7 cents, this suggests that its shares could more than double in value. Morgans commented:

MEK announced an expansion to 800ktpa (equivalent ounce basis) via ore sorting, requiring modest capex of A$6m with commissioning scheduled for Q1FY27. Ore sorting effectively near doubles Andy Well underground head grade, lifting our annual production forecasts by an average of 7% from FY27 onwards.

Open Pit throughput has tracked below DFS forecasts due to moisture-driven variability in open pit ore, an issue expected to resolve with underground stope commencement in 4QFY26. We revise our FY26 production forecast to 37.6koz Au (from 40.2koz), this is below the DFS guidance. We maintain our BUY rating and A$0.39ps price target, acknowledging near-term production softness may weigh on the 3Q result ahead of an anticipated step-change in output in 4Q.

The post 2 ASX mining stocks that could rise 60% to 100%+ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• How are Australia’s biggest blue-chip stocks performing in 2026?
• What does a change of CEO mean for the BHP share price?
• Buying BHP shares? Meet your new CEO
• Where to invest $5,000 in Australian shares for the rest of 2026
• $10,000 invested in BHP shares 5 years ago is now worth…

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stocks, including Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) and Newmont Corp (ASX: NEM), are getting smashed on Thursday.

In morning trade, the ASX 200 is down 1.6%.

But the gold miners are doing it much tougher today as witnessed by the 7.1% decline in the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD).

Here’s how some of the top ASX 200 gold stock are performing at this same time:

• Northern Star shares are down 7.0% at $19.48
• Newmont shares are down 4.9% at $147.69
• Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) shares are down 7.0% at $12.56
• Ramelius Resources Ltd(ASX: RMS) shares are down 8.7% at $3.69
• Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) shares are down 9.4% at $1.46
• Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) shares are down 9.1% at $5.61
• Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) shares are down 6.6% at $4.84
• Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) shares are down 8.6% at $4.23
• Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) shares are down 7.8% at $5.69
• Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) shares are down 9.4% at $1.35

Ouch!

Here’s what’s got investors reaching for their sell buttons.

ASX 200 gold stocks in the crosshairs

After enjoying a tremendous run through to the beginning of March this year, ASX 200 gold stocks like Northern Star and Newmont have come under selling pressure amid a sizeable retrace in the record setting gold price.

On 2 March, gold was trading for US$5,322 per ounce. Today, that same ounce is trading for US$4,834, according to data from Bloomberg. That sees the gold price down more than 9% this month.

This comes as the oil price heads the other direction. Brent crude oil is trading or US$107 per barrel today, up 38% since 2 March.

And it matters for two reasons.

First, this divergence in the two commodity prices is driving a rotation from ASX 200 gold stocks into ASX 200 energy stocks.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares, for example, are up 4.5% today, while rival Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares are up 2.8%.

The other reason the gold price – and gold miners like Newmont, Northern Star and Evolution Mining – are taking a steep hit is that fast rising energy prices look likely to fuel inflation.

The Middle East conflict and its impact on global oil prices was cited by Fed officials yesterday when the US central bank opted to keep interest rates on hold. On Tuesday, the RBA also mentioned rising energy costs after it opted to increase interest rates in Australia.

And gold, which pays no yield itself and is priced in US dollars, tends to do better in a low or falling rate environment.

The bigger picture

Longer-term investors in most ASX 200 gold stocks should still be sitting on outsized gains.

Despite today’s big retrace, the ASX All Ords Gold Index remains up 55.4% over 12 months.

The post Why are ASX 200 gold stocks like Northern Star and Newmont down so much today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
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• Woodside locks in new CEO as energy giant enters next phase
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• Which ASX gold shares have risen the most in 2026?

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.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares are 0.1% higher in early morning trade on Thursday. At the time of writing, the shares are changing hands at a 10-year high of $5.28 a piece.

The telco’s stock has leapt higher since it posted its impressive half-year FY26 results last month. Telstra shares are now 8% higher for the year-to-date and an impressive 28% higher than this time last year.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has climbed just over 8% over the same 12 month period.

The past month has been a great success story for Telstra, and I still think the telco is a buy.

Here are three reasons why to add Telstra shares to your portfolio today.

1. Telstra is a textbook defensive stock

Internet access and mobile phone connectivity are necessary for everyday life. This means the company is likely to perform steadily, regardless of what stage of the economic cycle we’re in. 

Telstra confirmed this recently when it posted a strong half-year FY26 result last month. The company’s profit and earnings increased, and there were gains seen across every financial metric and division.

The results show that the company has a predictable cash flow and reliable earnings, which is classic for a strong defensive stock. 

And this is great news for investors who want to hedge against potential volatility elsewhere in the index.

2. Telstra offers great passive income

It’s this defensive nature which means Telstra can offer its investors a reliable passive income with a good dividend yield.

In fact, one of the best things about Telstra is that its dividend payout ratio is close to 100% of its earnings. That unlocks a good dividend yield.

Telstra pays investors two dividends every year, in March and September. Investors are due to receive an interim 10.5 cent dividend, 90.48% franked, next week. 

In FY25 the company paid investors an annual dividend of 19 cents per share, which translates to a 3.9% dividend yield at the time of writing. The telco is expected to pay an even larger 20-cent final dividend for FY26, which represents a 5.25% increase year-on-year. For FY27 the dividend payout is expected to increase again to 21 cents per share. 

3. Analysts are still tipping an upside

Even after the latest price rally, some analysts are still tipping more upside ahead for Telstra shares.

TradingView data shows that five out of 15 analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on Telstra shares. The other 10 have a hold rating.

The maximum target price is $5.60, which implies a potential 6% upside at the time of writing.

The post 3 reasons to buy Telstra shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Charter Hall Long WALE REIT declares March 2026 distribution and DRP update
• How to invest when the ASX refuses to calm down
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Why these ASX shares could be buys in today’s volatile market
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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

S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) healthcare stock Immutep Ltd (ASX: IMM) has been on a decidedly wild ride these past four trading days.

After entering a trading halt on Monday, 9 March, Immutep shares resumed trading last Friday. And by the time the closing bell sounded, the Immutep share price had crashed a very painful 88.6%.

Investors were overheating their sell buttons on the day, after the ASX 300 healthcare stock reported that the Phase III lung cancer study of its eftilagimod alfa (efti) product had been discontinued.

“We are very disappointed and surprised with the outcome of the futility analysis, in light of efti’s performance in every other clinical trial,” Immutep CEO Marc Voigt said at the time.

On Monday, bargain hunters swooped in, sending the Immutep share price up 35.6% by close. But a lot of those gains evaporated again on Tuesday, with shares closing the day down a sharp 16.4%.

See what I mean about a ‘decidedly wild ride’?

Now, here’s what’s happening today.

ASX 300 healthcare stock slides again

The Immutep share price is slumping again today, down 1.9% in morning trade at 5.1 cents. That sees the share price down 87.3% since exiting its trading halt on Friday, as investors appear to have lost confidence in the company’s outlook.

Today’s fall comes despite the company announcing positive results this morning from the first-in-human Phase I study in healthy participants evaluating IMP761.

According to the release, IMP761 is a first-in-class LAG-3 agonist antibody that enhances the physiological inhibitory function of LAG-3 on T-cell receptor signalling, potentially suppressing pathogenic T cell responses in autoimmune diseases.

(Quite a mouthful, I know!)

The ASX 300 healthcare stock reported that the single ascending dose portion of the study has been successfully completed. The drug was well tolerated across all dose levels, with no safety concerns or dose-limiting toxicities observed.

The study is now progressing in the multiple ascending dose portion, which is evaluating pharmacokinetics and safety across two dose levels. Immutep expects to complete this stage of the study in the third quarter of calendar year 2026.

What did management say?

Commenting on the new trial results that have yet to lift the ASX 300 healthcare stock today, Immutep chief scientific officer Frederic Triebel said:

IMP761 continues to show a clear immunosuppressive effect in healthy participants challenged with a foreign antigen in an intra-dermal reaction, with durable inhibition of T-cell–mediated responses after a single administration.

These first-in-human findings support our mechanistic aim of selectively silencing pathogenic, self-antigen–specific memory T cells via LAG–3 agonism and provide the basis for dose levels to be tested in a future phase II trial in patients with autoimmunity.

Immutep said it will present the results of the phase I trial at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology annual congress in London on 4 June.

The post Down 87% since Friday, why is this ASX 300 healthcare stock sliding again today? 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.

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) has announced a quarterly distribution of 6.375 cents per unit, unfranked, to be paid on 15 May 2026. The distribution relates to the quarter ending 31 March 2026.

What did Charter Hall Long WALE REIT report?

• Quarterly distribution of 6.375 cents per unit, unfranked
• Ex-dividend date: 30 March 2026
• Record date: 31 March 2026
• Payment date: 15 May 2026
• Distribution Reinvestment Plan (DRP) available with a 1% discount

What else do investors need to know?

The DRP allows investors to reinvest their distributions at a 1% discount to the average daily volume weighted average price between 7 and 20 April 2026. The last date to elect participation in the DRP is 1 April 2026. DRP pricing details will be confirmed in a separate announcement on or around 15 May 2026.

The distribution is fully unfranked and not designated as conduit foreign income. Investors who do not elect to participate in the DRP will receive their distribution as a standard cash payment.

What’s next for Charter Hall Long WALE REIT?

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT continues to provide regular income to its unit holders through quarterly distributions. Investors may review their DRP options ahead of the April 1 deadline, while details of the DRP price will be provided closer to the payment date.

The REIT remains focused on maintaining a strong and predictable income stream for investors, underpinned by a diversified portfolio of properties with long lease terms.

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Charter Hall Long WALE REIT shares have declined 6%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 9% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Charter Hall Long WALE REIT declares March 2026 distribution and DRP update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Shares in Racura Oncology Ltd (ASX: RAC) have jumped more than 10% in early trade after the company announced the successful first dosing of a patient in Hong Kong with its RC220 cancer compound.

The company said in a statement to the ASX that the patient was the third to be dosed with the compound, but the first at the Hong Kong Site.

Good early signs

Racura said no vein inflammation or other adverse events were reported following the dosing, and to date, no dose-limiting toxicities have been observed in any of the three patients dosed.

The company added:

Dosing of the third patient also completes recruitment of the first trial cohort. In accordance with the trial protocol, the Safety Review Committee (SRC) will review all accumulated safety data collected from the three patients. Subject to SRC review and clearance, the trial will then progress to the next planned RC220 dose level of 80 mg/m2 using the updated trial protocol announced 11 February 2026.

Racura Chief Executive Officer Dr Daniel Tillett said on Thursday:

The safe dosing of the third patient in our RC220 solid tumour trial in Hong Kong and recruitment of the first dose escalation cohort is an important milestone for Racura Oncology. We are grateful to all the patients, investigators, and clinical teams who have made this trial possible and we look forward to treating patients on the updated protocol.

Stage 1 of the RC220 trial will be carried out across Australia, Hong Kong, and South Korea, and involves ascending doses “to determine the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and maximum tolerated combined dose of RC220 in combination with doxorubicin in up to 33 patients”.

After interim analysis of the data, another 20 patients will be administered the compound to test for further safety, tolerability, and preliminary cardioprotective and anticancer efficacy signals, Racura said.

Multiple uses being examined

Racura said in its statement to the ASX that RC220 was being tested to address the high unmet needs of patients across multiple cancer indications with a Phase 3 clinical program in acute myeloid leukemia, a Phase 1a/b program in lung cancer, and the trial mentioned previously, which aims to deliver both cardioprotection and enhanced anticancer activity for solid tumour patients.

The ASX biotech’s shares traded as high as $2.73 on the news, up 14.7%, before settling back to be 8.8% higher at $2.57.

Racura was valued at $433 million at the close of trade on Wednesday.

The post Which ASX biotech’s shares have jumped more than 10% on positive clinical trial news? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Down 87% since Friday, why is this ASX 300 healthcare stock sliding again today?
• Charter Hall Long WALE REIT declares March 2026 distribution and DRP update
• If a 30-year-old invests $500 a month in ASX stocks, here’s what they could have by retirement
• 2 great ASX 200 blue-chip shares I’d buy right now
• Why Boss Energy shares are falling despite positive uranium update

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.

ASX stocks could be the ticket for younger investors to become a lot wealthier over time. Investing just $500 per month can compound into a very pleasing figure by retirement.

It’s easy to underestimate how powerful compounding can be. One of the world’s greatest ever minds, Albert Einstein, once supposedly said:

Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe. Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t pays it.

Someone who is 30 now may have 40 years to grow their nest egg until retirement age. People can retire earlier than 70 if they’re able and willing to.

How much could someone’s wealth actually grow? Let’s take a look.

The long-term goal

Growing wealth towards retirement can take a while, but it’s very rewarding to see it grow over time. Planting a sapling (in the right place) will become a sizeable tree – but we need to be patient.

I think it’s a great move to regularly invest in ASX stocks. The ASX share market has returned an average of 10% per year over the ultra-long-term. That level of return is very satisfactory.

For example, if $5,000 were invested today and it grew by an average of 10% per year for 40 years, it’d become $226,296.

It’s hard to say what a good figure will be for retirement in 40 years from now, but it’ll probably need to be more than $226,000.

In the current inflationary environment, it could be harder to save $500 per month. However a household does it, to invest we need to spend less than we earn to unlock those monthly savings.

If someone invested $500 per month and it grew by 10% per year for 40 years, it’d become $2.65 million. That’d be a really nice level of wealth, in my eyes. Remember, it assumes investing $500 throughout the process. Being able to invest more during some later years will help it become much larger.

How can someone accelerate reaching retirement?

I’d understand wanting to retire earlier than 70, and there are two main ways to do so.

Firstly, someone can invest more each month, though that’s easier said than done.

Second, we can choose investments that deliver higher returns. For example, if an investment returned 12% per year, then investing $500 per month would grow to around $2.6 million in 35 years – seeing stronger returns could shave 5 years off retirement age.

I’d look at ASX growth stocks and international shares as ideas that could outperform the wider ASX share market. One exchange-traded fund (ETF) to consider is Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS). There are plenty of great ASX growth stocks at good prices right now.

The post If a 30-year-old invests $500 a month in ASX stocks, here’s what they could have by retirement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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 recommended Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

There is a lot of market volatility right now, giving investors plenty to think about. I think it would be a good call to invest in S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) blue-chip shares that can deliver solid profit growth and outperform the market.

I’m still optimistic about what the long-term holds for Australia and the ASX share market as a whole. But the short-term can throw up some issues.

If I were looking for which ASX 200 blue-chip shares to buy, the following names could be some of the best ones to own over the next year and the rest of the decade.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Coles is the second-largest supermarket business in Australia, and it continues to grow in size through both total sales and its supermarket network.

The ASX 200 blue-chip share delivered an impressive first-half FY26 report, with total revenue growth of 3.6% and underlying net profit growth of 12.5%.

Sales growth remained pleasing in the first seven weeks of the second half of FY26, with supermarket revenue up 3.7% (5.3% excluding tobacco).

Coles has attracted customers with its wider range of own-brand products and exclusive Coles items, while also offering convenience and improved value.

I don’t know how this new period of inflation will play out, but if it leads to higher food prices, then Coles may be able to pass on price rises again. But, there’ll probably be widespread attention on its gross profit margin.

However, its growing scale and new, advanced warehouses should help the company improve its bottom line in the coming years.

Based on CommSec’s forecasts, the ASX 200 blue-chip share is trading at 23x FY26’s estimated earnings, with a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.2% including franking credits.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Wesfarmers owns a number of leading Australian businesses, including Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, and Priceline. Other parts of its business include Target, InstantScripts, WesCEF (chemicals, energy and fertilisers), an industrial and safety division, and more.

I like the diversification that Wesfarmers has – it’s not too exposed to one area and has the ability to invest in whatever area of its current business (or a new business) it needs to generate the best profit growth for shareholders.

Kmart and Bunnings have continued to deliver sales growth in both HY26 and at the start of the second half of FY26, which I think is an important driver of future value for investors. Wesfarmers’ two main businesses offer customers great value products, which could help them perform and gain market share during this period of potential higher inflation.

Wesfarmers’ rising profit margins and high return on equity (ROE) make sales growth very rewarding for the business.

The ASX 200 blue-chip share continues to expand its growth avenues, such as selling Anko products in the Philippines, which could become increasingly useful to the overall Wesfarmers picture.

According to the CommSec forecast, the Wesfarmers share price is valued at under 30x FY26’s estimated earnings, with a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.1% including franking credits.

The post 2 great ASX 200 blue-chip shares I’d buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How are Australia’s biggest blue-chip stocks performing in 2026?
• Why these ASX shares could be buys in today’s volatile market
• Should I invest $5,000 in Coles shares now?
• Woolworths shares are storming ahead of Coles this year: Are the supermarket giants a buy, sell, or hold?
• The ideal Australian stocks to buy and hold forever

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

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) shares are on the slide on Thursday morning.

At the time of writing, the ASX uranium stock is down 4.5% to $1.56.

Why are Boss Energy shares falling today?

The company’s shares are falling today after a market selloff offset the release of a positive announcement relating to its Gould’s Dam and Jason’s Deposit satellite uranium deposits near the Honeymoon operation.

According to the release, Boss Energy has updated the mineral resource estimate for Gould’s Dam to 38.7Mt at 388ppm U3O8 for 33.1Mlbs of contained U3O8. This represents a 30% increase in total contained uranium from the previous estimate.

The company also updated the mineral resource estimate for Jason’s Deposit to 13.3Mt at 410ppm U3O8 for 12.0Mlbs of uranium. That is up 9% from the previous estimate.

Development pathway advancing

Boss advised that the development pathway for both deposits has accelerated over the past six months, with baseline and technical studies for permitting applications being advanced.

The company is targeting the commencement of state and federal approvals processes in the second half of calendar year 2026.

However, Boss added that the timeframe from initial applications to the granting of a mining lease is expected to take up to 18 to 24 months, followed by a further six to 12 months for Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation approval.

So, if everything goes to plan, it will still be some time before these deposits contribute to the Honeymoon project.

Boss Energy’s managing director, Matthew Dusci, was pleased with the progress. He said:

Over the past six months, the Company has initiated several strategic programs aimed at unlocking shareholder value. One of these is aimed at progressing the value realisation of Gould’s Dam and Jason’s Deposit located close to the Honeymoon Operation. The updated Mineral Resource Estimates for Gould’s Dam and Jason’s Deposit incorporate additional drilling and an improved understanding of geology and mineralisation controls derived from the Honeymoon deposit.

This work highlights the significance of these deposits, with Gould’s Dam and Jason’s Deposit hosting 33Mlbs and 12Mlbs of uranium, respectively, with mineralisation at both deposits remaining open. Further drilling programs are planned to commence in the second half of this calendar year to continue to extend both resources.

Commenting on the impact on the New Feasibility Study for Honeymoon, Dusci adds:

The wide-spaced wellfield design being advanced as part of the New Feasibility Study at Honeymoon is also expected to be directly applicable to these satellite deposits. If successful, this approach has the potential to deliver a high conversion of resource to wellfield mining inventory through cost-efficient extraction. Early indications suggest that both deposits could be material production sources of uranium in the future, leveraging the existing infrastructure at the Honeymoon Operation.

The post Why Boss Energy shares are falling despite positive uranium update 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.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares have returned from their trading halt and are dropping.

At the time of writing, the lithium miner’s shares are down 4.5% to 21 cents.

Why are Core Lithium shares falling?

The company’s shares are falling today after it completed a $120 million institutional placement at a modest 4.5% discount of 21 cents per new share.

Management notes that the Placement was strongly supported by a number of new and existing high‑quality institutional, sophisticated, and professional investors.

This complements a US$120 million (A$170 million) strategic funding from Glencore Australia, InfraVia, and the Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund.

Why is it raising funds?

On Wednesday, Core Lithium announced a positive final investment decision (FID) for the restart of the Finniss Lithium Project.

It notes that this followed the completion of a comprehensive restart plan, updated mine planning, Front-End Engineering and Design work, and refined operating strategies to reposition Finniss as a lower‑cost, long‑life lithium operation.

The company advised that the board approval reflects the improved economic metrics of the restart, as well as confidence in delivering sustained production supported by a de-risked execution plan.

The combined funding package allows Core Lithium to immediately commence mobilisation, early works, and BP33 development.

First concentrate production is expected during the September quarter of 2026.

Compelling economics

It isn’t hard to see why the FID was positive.

Core Lithium revealed that the project delivers compelling economics, with a pre‑tax net present value of A$1.1 billion and free cash flow generation of A$1.7 billion.

This is being underpinned by competitive unit operating costs of A$762 per tonne and a conservative long‑term spodumene concentrate price assumption of US$1,500 per tonne. This compares to the current spot price of ~US$2,200 per tonne.

Commenting on institutional placement and its restart, Core Lithium’s managing director, Paul Brown, said:

The strong support we have received through this equity raising is a clear endorsement of Core’s restart strategy and the long-term value of the Finniss Operation. Combined with the strategic funding from Glencore, InfraVia and Nebari, this places Core in a fully funded position to execute the restart in line with the FID.

This outcome reflects the confidence investors have in our disciplined planning, improved project economics and the capability of our team to deliver a safe, staged and efficient return to production. With funding now secured, we can move immediately into mobilisation, early works and development activities to position Finniss for first concentrate production in the September quarter of 2026.

The post Core Lithium shares tumble after $120m capital raising for Finniss restart 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.