Following recent profit reports two brokers have issued research notes on junior fintech companies they think will outperform.

One of the benefits of being small in relative terms is that the potential share pirce upside can be large.

Let’s see who the brokers like.

Beforepay Group Ltd (ASX: B4P)

Shaw and Partners has issued a new research note on Beforepay with a bullish share price target, based on their estimate that the company will be able to grow its earnings per share by 164% this financial year.

Beforepay allows people to get advances on their pay, as well as offering small personal loans.

The company recently reported net profit of $15.7 million, up 57% and “rapid” growth in personal loans.

Total cash advances were up 19% on the previous year to $963 million, mainly driven by an increase in the size of advances to an average of $456.

The company’s personal loans business grew by 728% during the year to $16.9 million.

Beforepay Chief Executive Officer Jamie Twiss said:

FY26 was an outstanding year for Beforepay, delivering record Cash NPAT of $15.7 million, up 57%, while continuing to grow strongly across the business. We’re particularly excited by the rapid growth of Personal Loans, which scaled significantly during the year, and the opportunities ahead as we realise the benefits of interest on Pay Advances and our new, lower-cost debt facility. We enter FY27 with real momentum and are incredibly excited about the next phase of Beforepay’s growth.

Shaw and Partners said Beforepay was currently trading at a steep discount to its peers in the small cap financial sector.

The broker has a price target of $2.90 on Beforepay shares compared to $1.80 currently.

Credit Clear Ltd (ASX: CCR)

Broker Morgans said Credit Clear’s recent profit report was a “standout result”, with organic revenue growth of 9% complemented by strong contributions from two acquisitions.

Revenue of $60 million, up 28% year on year, exceeded guidance, and underlying EBITDA of $10.4 million, up 41% year on year, was also strong.

Morgans said:

CCR has driven growth and scale to become a key player in the domestic contingent collections market. We see CCR as well positioned to continue to consolidate its position in ANZ and the much larger UK market, organically and via M&A in the coming years. We derive a $0.30/sh price target, which informs our Speculative Buy recommendation.  

Credit Clear shares are currently changing hands for 17 cents.

The post 2 ASX fintechs to buy for 60% to 70% returns 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.

Short sellers are targeting a familiar group of ASX shares this week, and two names are in sharp focus.

ASIC publishes an aggregated short position report covering every listed security.

It is one a genuinely useful public windows into what professional money is betting against.

This week’s table is led by DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) at 14.9% and Lotus Resources Ltd (ASX: LOT) at 13.6%.

Why these ASX shares are being shorted

Short interest above 10% is unusual.

It generally means a fund has done the work, taken a view, and is willing to pay to hold the position.

The list also includes 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) at 12.4%, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) at 12.3% and CAR Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) at 12.1%.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) has also entered the top ten at 10.9% after a strong recovery in its share price.

The common thread is not weak businesses, but rather a gap between what the market is paying today and what these companies currently earn.

DroneShield: growth without profit

DroneShield is the most shorted stock on the ASX, and its half-year result showed why the argument remains unresolved.

Revenue jumped 74% to $125.8 million, and recurring revenue climbed 229% to $11.5 million.

The counter-drone specialist also swung to a statutory net loss of $32.2 million, from a $2.1 million profit a year earlier.

Underlying EBITDA was a $12.4 million loss.

Cash and term deposits stood at $180 million at 30 June, so funding is not the immediate concern.

Interestingly, more than half of revenue now comes from Europe and the United Kingdom.

The complications sit elsewhere.

The company changed chief executive during the half, with Angus Bean replacing Oleg Vornik, and Hamish McLennan took over as chairman.

An ASIC investigation also remains unresolved, and that alone keeps some institutions on the sidelines.

Lotus Resources: a ramp-up under scrutiny

Lotus Resources is a different case entirely.

The uranium producer restarted its Kayelekera mine in Malawi and is ramping toward steady-state production of 2.4 million pounds of uranium oxide a year.

The resource stands at 51.1 million pounds, the mine life is around ten years, and all-in sustaining costs are expected near US$45 per pound.

Binding offtake agreements cover 3.5 million pounds of sales between 2026 and 2029.

With uranium spot prices near US$89 per pound, the economics look comfortable on paper.

Short sellers are questioning the timeline rather than the orebody.

Ramp-ups slip, and a developer without steady production has no earnings to defend its valuation.

Short interest here has fallen sharply in recent weeks, which suggests some of that scepticism is already being unwound.

What short interest does not tell you about ASX shares

Plenty of heavily shorted companies go on to perform perfectly well.

Short interest tells you that someone is betting against a business, but not that they are necessarily right.

It also creates a risk of its own, because a crowded short position can unwind violently after a single piece of good news.

Foolish takeaway

I generally treat the short report with a fair bit of caution.

However, when more than one share in ten is sold short, it is worth understanding the bear case properly before you buy.

For DroneShield, that case is about profitability and governance.

For Lotus Resources, it is about execution.

Neither argument is unanswerable, but both are good reasons to approach these ASX shares carefully.

The post Short sellers are targeting these ASX shares. Should you worry? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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 Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and DroneShield. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CAR Group Ltd and Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX mining shares finished strongly in August, driven by stronger commodity prices and robust FY26 earnings. Among some of the biggest names are South32 Ltd (ASX: S32), Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).

Let’s take a look at how the mining giants are tracking today. And what brokers tip for the next 12 months.

Buy South32 shares

The ASX miner announced a substantial jump in its ore reserve estimate at its Sierra Gorda mine in late-August. The increase comes after significant drilling to define the orebody, providing more certainty over future production. The update extends the mine’s reserve life by another five years, to 2045.

The company also posted a robust FY26 financial results last week. The miner posted a 1% increase in revenue from continuing operations, a 28% increase in EBITDA, and a 55% increase in underlying earnings.

At the time of writing, the shares are flat for the day at $5.16 a piece. South32 shares are now up around 45% for the year to date and are 89% higher than 12 months ago.

Going forward, brokers are positive about the outlook for the stock. Market Index data shows the majority have a buy rating but after a recent rally, the $5.09 average target price now implies a downside of around 1%.

Buy Mineral Resources shares

The lithium miner posted its strongest-ever annual results last week. Mineral Resources reported a 44% year-on-year increase in revenue, an 183% increase in underlying EBITDA, an 831% increase in underlying NPAT, and a 236% increase in reported NPAT for FY26.

Management also announced it would bring back shareholder dividends. For FY26, the miner will pay a fully-franked dividend of 83 cents per share.

Mineral Resources said its record performance was driven by growth in the company’s Mining Services division, the ramp-up of Onslow Iron to nameplate capacity, and improved results in its lithium operations.

At the time of writing, the lithium miner’s shares are up around 0.5% for the day and are changing hands at $64.79 a piece. For the year-to-date the shares are now 17% higher, and they’re a huge 76% above trading levels seen this time last year.

Going forward, it looks like analysts are positive about the shares. But after a strong rally this year we could be reaching around fair value. Market Index data shows the majority have a buy rating on Mineral Resources shares, and the $65.36 average target price implies a potential 1% upside ahead.

Hold BHP shares

BHP started trending higher in early August as the market grew more bullish on copper prices.

But the share price picked up pace after the miner reported its record FY26 earnings results on the 18th of August. The mining giant posted a strong operational performance across all its key segments. It also announced an impressive 27% increase in its underlying EBITDA. 

Investors were clearly thrilled with the update and many rushed to snap up a stake in the mining company.

At the time of writing, BHP shares are up largely flat for the day so far, and are changing hands for $66.20 a piece.

But it looks like the experts are now concerned that the ASX mining shares have now passed their peak. Market Index data shows the majority have a hold rating on BHP shares. The $61.78 average target price now implies a potential downside of around 7%, at the time of writing.

The post Buy, hold, sell: South32, Mineral Resources, BHP shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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