The Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR) share price is in focus after the company revealed a strategic farm-in agreement to acquire up to 100% of the Centenario lithium brine project in Argentina, bolstering its existing hard-rock lithium operations in Western Australia.

What did Liontown report?

• Entered a farm-in agreement with NEXT Lithium Corp. for the Centenario lithium brine project in Salta, Argentina
• Potential to earn up to 100% interest in the project by funding US$40 million (~A$56 million) over four years, plus milestone payments
• Initial payment will be US$5 million (~A$7 million) in cash and US$10 million (~A$14 million) in Liontown shares
• An initial work program of US$15 million is planned over the first 12–24 months, targeting early-stage exploration and drilling
• Staged structure allows Liontown to increase its project stake based on funding and exploration outcomes

What else do investors need to know?

The project is situated in a promising lithium brine district, close to established operations run by sector giants like Lithium Argentina, Ganfeng, and Eramet. This move offers Liontown a low-cost foothold in a globally significant lithium province and aligns with its strategy to diversify and grow its battery minerals portfolio.

Partnering with NEXT Lithium gives Liontown access to the expertise of a team with a strong track record in Argentinian lithium brine assets. Liontown retains capital discipline through the staged investment and maintains Kathleen Valley as its core focus.

The agreement includes standard conditions precedent, such as the release of security interests over the project and the repayment of certain intercompany loans. If these are not satisfied within six months, either party may walk away without further liability.

What did Liontown management say?

Managing Director and CEO Tony Ottaviano said:

This transaction gives Liontown a low-cost entry into lithium brine. Brine is one of the two primary sources of the world’s lithium, and this is our first step in building real understanding and capability in it. Structuring the deal as a staged farm-in ties our capital to results, so we invest more only as the project proves itself. Kathleen Valley remains our priority, and we will keep pursuing value-accretive growth where it fits our strategy. NEXT Lithium knows lithium, knows brine, and knows Argentina. That depth of expertise is exactly what we want alongside us as we build our own capability.

What’s next for Liontown?

Liontown plans to launch initial exploration at Centenario, with a US$15 million program over the first two years, including drilling and geophysical testing. As results come in, the company can opt to boost its ownership through further staged investments, up to full control of the project.

The Centenario farm-in is designed to complement Liontown’s hard-rock operations, providing diversified growth options and access to both major sources of lithium worldwide. Management remains committed to carefully scaling exposure in step with exploration outcomes and market conditions.

Liontown share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Liontown shares have risen 35%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has risen 2% over the sme period.

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The post Liontown enters Argentina lithium brine farm-in, diversifying future growth 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.

The team at Betashares has released three new ASX ETFs this week. 

The diversified multi-asset ETFs provide professionally constructed exposure across equities, fixed income, cash and infrastructure. 

The three new funds offer balanced, growth and high-growth risk profiles.

What are diversified ASX ETFs?

ASX ETFs are fast becoming one of the most popular assets for Aussie investors. 

Traditionally, investors used ETFs to track broad indexes like the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) or the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX). 

However providers are now developing more sophisticated and thematic options. 

One such sector of ASX ETFs is diversified funds. 

Diversified ETFs have become an increasingly popular route for investors to access professionally constructed portfolios in a single trade. 

By combining multiple asset classes and thousands of underlying securities within one fund, they can offer a simple and scalable alternative to constructing and maintaining a multi-asset portfolio.

In simple terms, it can combine Australian shares, international shares, emerging markets and fixed income, growth etc in one trade. 

Betashares has expanded its Diversified ETF range to provide a simple, low-cost way to implement strategic asset allocation across a range of investor risk profiles.

The three new funds from Betashares

Yesterday, Betashares announced three new diversified funds: 

• Betashares Diversified High Growth ETF (ASX:DVHG) – 90% Growth / 10% Defensive allocation. 
• Betashares Diversified Growth ETF (ASX:DVGR) – 75% Growth / 25% Defensive allocation. 
• Betashares Diversified Balanced ETF (ASX:DVBA) – 60% Growth / 40% Defensive allocation. 

The Funds provide exposure to approximately 2,500 Australian and global companies and 12,000 bonds, with broad diversification across asset classes, regions and sectors. 

According to Betashares, this can reduce the administration associated with managing multiple holdings, while providing either a simple standalone solution or a passive core to which smart beta or active strategies can be added.

The Diversified Balanced ETF leans more heavily into cash and fixed income for their defensive characteristics, while the All Growth ETF invests only in equities, targeting long-term capital appreciation.

All three funds come with a management fee of 0.19% p.a.

More information about the funds can be found here. 

What other diversified ASX ETFs are available?

According to Betashares, Together with the existing Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF), the range now provides investors with diversified portfolio options spanning balanced through to all growth profiles.

For investors looking to compare the new funds with existing ETFs, there are others to consider, including: 

• Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG)
• Vanguard Diversified All Growth Index Etf (ASX: VDAL). 

The post Betashares launches 3 new diversified ASX ETFs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell 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.

If you are in the market for a bargain, then it could be worth hearing what Bell Potter is saying about the beaten-down ASX shares in this article.

Are they cheap buys? Let’s find out:

Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB)

This ASX share is down 46% over the past 12 months. 

Unfortunately, Bell Potter isn’t in a rush to buy the shipbuilder’s shares after this decline. In response to its results, the broker has retained its hold rating with a trimmed price target of $4.70. It explains:

Hanwha’s knowledge of recent onerous contracts prior to bid submission suggests a higher likelihood of the deal going ahead. We forecast FY27e sole Australasian EBIT (incl corp. costs) of $32m ($44m normalised in FY26e) implying current multiple of 10- 17x if bid goes ahead vs. global peer group at 16-24x. We believe ramp-up risks are heightened in the Australasian segment over the next 2 years with labour the key constraint. Retain Hold. TP lower on model roll forward.

Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN)

Bell Potter remains positive on retail giant Harvey Norman, which has seen its shares fall 43% since this time last year.

However, the broker has taken an axe to its valuation following a review of the company’s FY 2026 results. A note reveals that it has retained its buy rating on the ASX share with a reduced price target of $5.00 (from $6.00). It commented:

In HVN’s key Australian market, we see near term pressures with a further challenged operating environment and a period of high comps navigated through Sep-Nov. However, HVN has the second highest global exposure within our coverage, while trading at a 1-year forward P/E of ~14x (as per BPe). We view this as reasonable considering the CY27/28 outlook for the name with the growth opportunity in 8 global markets and as Australia’s single largest owner in large format retail with a global portfolio of ~$4.8b.

Praemium Ltd (ASX: PPS)

This investment platform provider’s shares are down 28% from their highs, and Bell Potter appears to believe this has created a buying opportunity.

According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating on the company’s shares with a trimmed price target of $1.10 (from $1.20). It said:

. We stay Buy rated. Derecognising assets is a setback. However, PPS has flagged an intention to migrate onto its new system over the coming 12-18 months. We see an untapped potential in superannuation and new client wins beginning to convert into revenue.

The post Down 28% to 46%: Are these beaten-down ASX shares cheap buys? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How much superannuation do I need to earn $90,000 per year in passive income?
• Austal shares jump despite a $54 million loss. Here’s why investors are buying
• Praemium posts FY26 revenue growth and completes platform integration
• Harvey Norman lifts profit and dividend in FY26 earnings result
• How much passive income can I earn off a $900,000 superannuation balance?

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