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ASX mining stock Augustus Minerals Ltd (ASX: AUG) is rocketing higher today.

Augustus Minerals shares closed yesterday trading for 3.8 cents. In earlier trade, shares were just swapping hands for 11.5 cents apiece, up an eye-watering 202.6%.

After some likely profit-taking, shares are trading for 9.9 cents apiece at the time of writing, up 160.5%.

Here’s what’s happening.

What’s sending the ASX mining stock to the moon?

Investors are snapping up the ASX mining stock after the company reported on promising assays from rock chip samples.

The recently collected samples, part of an ongoing regional targeting program, come from the 3,600 square kilometre Ti-Tree Project in the Gascoyne Region, located in Western Australia.

Highlights of the results include:

• 35% copper and 236 grams per tonne (g/t) of silver from rock chip assays at Tiberius prospect
• 32% copper, 3.26 g/t of gold and 129 g/t of silver from rock chips from the South Snowy prospect
• 1g/t of gold from rock chips from the Justinian prospect
• 1 g/t of silver and 5,000 parts per million (ppm) molybdenum from rock chips from the Claudius prospect
• 537 ppm molybdenum and 47 g/t of silver from rock chips from Minnie SE prospect, 1.4 kilometres south east of the existing Minnie Springs Mo-Cu porphyry drilling area

Commenting on the results sending the ASX mining stock flying higher today, Augustus Minerals general manager of exploration, Andrew Ford said, “These rock chips continue to highlight the untapped potential of the Ti-Tree Project to host significant precious and base metal mineralisation.”

He said that mapping and sampling continue across “both existing prospects and in virgin areas with exciting results”.

Ford added:

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the diamond drilling to test the deeper potential at Minnie Springs Mo-Cu porphyry. Dilling is planned for Q3 2024 with assistance from the co funded EIS drilling grant as announced 2 May 2024.

Augustus Minerals noted that the results from these 231 rock chip samples collected in June are not only encouraging for its existing prospects, but they also define new prospects that have had no previously documented exploration.

Soil sampling at the Ti-Tree Project continues along strike of major structural trends hosting existing prospects.

Despite the huge boost today, shares in the ASX mining stock remain down 65% over 12 months and down 11% so far in 2024.

As always, before investing in any stocks, be sure to do your own research first. If you’re not comfortable with that, or feeling time poor, just reach out for some expert advice.

The post Why did this ASX mining stock just explode 203%? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 7 tips for successful ASX shares investing: expert
• Fortescue shares in focus as more ‘spying’ details emerge
• Woodside share price lifts amid 6 million tonne Taiwan gas deal
• Why Hub24, Netwealth, Pantoro, and WA1 shares are falling today
• Big ASX news: Newmont shares hit new record high

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.

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) chief economist, Dr Shane Oliver, has been in the investment game for 40 years.

So, we think he probably has some good advice for all of us regarding our ASX share investing.

In a recent blog, Dr Oliver shared a bunch of insights gleaned over four decades of investing. Many of them relate to ASX shares investing and how we should go about building our wealth via this channel.

Here are seven of Dr Oliver’s tips for successful investing.

7 tips for successful ASX shares investing

1. Make the most of the power of compound interest

Dr Oliver says compound interest is one of the best ways to build wealth through investing, whether it be via ASX shares, real estate investment or other asset classes. But he says we must have the right asset mix.

Dr Oliver comments:

Based on market indices and the reinvestment of any income flows and excluding the impact of fees and taxes, one dollar invested in Australian cash in 1900 would today be worth around $259 and if it had been invested in bonds it would be worth $924, but if it was allocated to shares it would be worth around $879,921.

His key message is we need to have decent exposure to growth assets like ASX shares and property.

A popular compounding strategy in ASX shares investing is dividend reinvestment, which is made easy by dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs).

Many ASX shares have DRPs, including Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), along with many ETFs, such as the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS).

2. Don’t get thrown off by the cycle

Dr Oliver notes the three to five-year business cycle, longer secular swings over 10 to 20 years in shares, and cycles that centre around some sort of crisis, which tend to pop up roughly every three years.

Dr Oliver points out that shares often lead economic cycles, so economic data lags behind market trends.

3. Invest for the long term

It’s simply too difficult for most average investors to predict financial markets’ ups and downs. So, it’s best to play a long game with ASX shares investing and other investment assets.

Dr Oliver recommends creating an investment strategy that suits your level of wealth, age and ability to tolerate the volatility inherent in shares investing.

4. Diversify your ASX shares and other investments

Investors need to find a balance between not putting all their eggs in one basket and over-diversifying, as this will complicate your investments “for no benefit”, Dr Oliver says.

Here at The Fool, we advocate diversification and note the increasing popularity of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) today. ETFs allow investors to buy a basket of ASX shares or overseas stocks in a single trade.

5. Turn down the noise

Dr Oliver notes the world is getting noisier with the rise of social media.

He says:

After having worked out a strategy that’s right for you, it’s important to turn down the noise on the information flow and prognosticating babble now surrounding investment markets and stay focussed. In the digital world we now live in this is getting harder.

6. Buy low, sell high

The cheaper you buy an asset, the higher its prospective return will likely be and vice versa, says Dr Oliver.

He says:

Guides to this are price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios for shares (the lower the better) and yields, ie, the ratio of dividends, rents or interest to the value of the asset (the higher the better).

Flowing from this it follows that yesterday’s winners are often tomorrow’s losers – as they get overvalued and over loved.

7. Beware the crowd at extremes

Beware the herd mentality, as Dr Oliver explains:

We often feel safest when investing in an asset when neighbours and friends are doing the same and media commentary is reinforcing the message that it’s the right thing to do. This “safety in numbers” approach is often doomed to failure.

Whether it’s investors piling into Japanese shares at the end of the 1980s, Asian shares in the mid-1990s, IT stocks in 1999, US housing and credit in the mid-2000s.

The problem is that when everyone is bullish and has bought into an asset there is no one left to buy but lots of people who can sell on bad news.

The post 7 tips for successful ASX shares investing: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why did this ASX mining stock just explode 203%?
• Fortescue shares in focus as more ‘spying’ details emerge
• Woodside share price lifts amid 6 million tonne Taiwan gas deal
• Why Hub24, Netwealth, Pantoro, and WA1 shares are falling today
• Big ASX news: Newmont shares hit new record high

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in BHP Group, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia, and Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF. 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.

Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares are under the spotlight today as further details of its alleged spying on former executives emerge.

This follows revelations that the company hired private investigators to monitor former executives involved in a legal battle over the alleged theft of its green iron technology.

Fortescue shares are currently trading 1.41% higher at $21.90 apiece but are down more than 7% in the past month.

Court hears further details in spying allegations

The matter surfaced in late June when Fortescue alleged that two former executives had taken intellectual property (IP) with them when they left toward the end of 2021.

Fortescue alleges the former executives – a chief scientist and senior executive – used this IP to form their own company, Element Zero, in the race to develop carbon-free iron.

This led to the issuance of search orders and raids on the homes and offices of Element Zero staff in May.

It then emerged in July that Fortescue had hired private investigators to gather information on the former employees and their families.

The matter was back before the court on Wednesday. The Federal Court heard again that Fortescue’s private investigators engaged in extensive surveillance.

According to The Australian., this reportedly included following family members on shopping trips, sifting through their mail, and taking photographs of their homes.

The report included photos of the pair’s wives and children, the court heard, whilst the private investigators also uncovered Element Zero’s secondary address in Western Australia.

How did management respond?

In response to the revelations, Fortescue executive chairman Andrew Forrest told the court he was “surprised to learn of the investigations.” He said:

I was surprised to learn of the investigations and have been advised by Fortescue’s legal team that they were necessary in order to be granted search orders from the Federal Court.

Fortescue’s external legal team have been reminded that they also have an obligation to comply with the company’s values and their engagement is now under review

Forrest acknowledged that the company’s legal team had overstepped and promised a review of their engagement.

“Fortescue’s external legal team have been reminded that they also have an obligation to comply with the company’s values, and their engagement is now under review,” he added.

Fortescue share price fall

Since the controversy, Fortescue shares have pushed lower, dropping from highs of $27.30 per share on 22 May. They are down 25% this year to date.

But then again, the price of iron ore has dropped, too. It has fallen from US$117/tonne on 31 May to US$110/tonne at the time of writing.

Fortescue is a price taker on iron ore, meaning its share price is highly sensitive to fluctuations in its market price. So, the market could equally be focusing on the price of iron ore.

Foolish takeaway

Fortescue is in the spotlight today for more than just its share price. After yesterday’s court hearing, the allegations of corporate espionage and the ensuing legal battle continue to linger.

As the situation unfolds, investors may need to weigh the potential impacts of these revelations against the company. The matter will return before the courts in August.

The post Fortescue shares in focus as more ‘spying’ details emerge appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• It’s a buy! Expert says Fortescue shares are oversold
• Here’s what the iron ore price will be this time next year: Westpac
• These 5 ASX dividend shares had the highest yields in FY24
• Fortescue shares: Here are the must-know highlights from FY24
• Fortescue shares red-hot as court reveals company espionage

Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow 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.

The Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price is marching higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) oil and gas stock closed yesterday trading for $28.51. In early afternoon trade on Thursday, shares are changing hands for $28.80 apiece, up 1.0%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.9% at this same time.

The Woodside share price looks to be catching tailwinds on two fronts today.

First, the oil price gained 0.8% overnight. Brent crude is currently trading for US$85.75 per barrel, up 0.8%. That sees the benchmark oil price up just over 5% in a month.

ASX investor interest also appears to be piqued by Woodside’s gas supply deal with Tawain.

What’s boosting the Woodside share price?

In a media announcement this morning, Woodside reported that it has signed a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Taiwan’s CPC Corporation (CPC) for the long-term supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the island nation.

The Woodside share price could gain some long-term support from the agreement, which will see the company supply approximately six million tonnes of LNG over 10 years, commencing this month.

The agreement could potentially be extended for another 10 years, running from 2024 to 2043, subject to conditions and agreement on terms for this period. That would see Woodside deliver an additional 8.4 million tonnes of LNG to CPC.

CPC is Taiwan’s state-owned oil and gas company, responsible for supplying sufficient energy to the domestic market. It is also the country’s sole importer and supplier of natural gas.

Woodside said that the LNG delivered to CPC under the SPA will be sourced from volumes across its global portfolio.

Commenting on the agreement, Woodside CEO Meg O’Neil said:

This agreement with CPC for long-term supply to Taiwan is a first for Woodside and another demonstration of the ongoing demand for Australian LNG in Asian markets.

It also reinforces the value our customers place on Woodside’s ability to maintain safe and reliable supply of energy into the 2030s.

Is the ASX 200 energy stock a buy?

Despite today’s lift, the Woodside share price remains down 16% over the past year.

At the current $28.80 a share, a number of analysts see significant potential upside.

BW Equities’ Tom Bleakley noted that, “Woodside recently announced it had achieved first oil from the Sangomar field in Senegal.”

And despite the stock gaining more than 6% over the past month, he said “The shares are still trading well below $39 achieved in August 2023.”

Bleakley also has a ‘buy’ rating on Woodside because of the stock’s “appealing dividend yield”. Woodside shares currently trade on a fully franked trailing yield of 7.5%.

The post Woodside share price lifts amid 6 million tonne Taiwan gas deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Analysts love Woodside and these ASX dividend stocks
• 4 reasons to buy Woodside shares today
• ASX 200 energy shares eyeing ACCC gas crunch warning

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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a very strong session on Thursday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 1% to 7,893.8 points.

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

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

The Hub24 share price is down 4.5% to $44.26. This decline appears to have been driven by the release of a broker note out of Citi. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the investment platform provider’s shares to a neutral rating with a $46.42 price target. The broker appears concerned that recent hiring data points to its rival overtaking it. It has also suggested that consensus estimates are too high.

Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL)

The Netwealth share price is down 2.5% to $21.34. After an early gain, investors have sold down this investment platform provider’s shares. This follows the release of Netwealth’s fourth quarter update. Although it delivered solid quarter on quarter growth in inflows, some comments by management appear to have spooked investors. They said: “Positive market movements of FUA contribute to higher admin fee revenue, however, the impact is significantly diluted due to the structure of tiered administration fees and fee caps. In addition, many ancillaries are unimpacted by market movement. These factors when combined with the lower cash percentage, have resulted in a reduction in average revenue bps for the year, particularly in 2HFY2024.”

Pantoro Ltd (ASX: PNR)

The Pantoro share price is down 4% to 9.6 cents. Investors have been selling this gold miner’s shares following the release of a quarterly operations update. Management advised that production from the Norseman Gold Project for the quarter was 20,805 ounces. It also notes that quarter on quarter production and cashflow continues to build. However, investors will have to wait until later in the month before finding out its costs for the period.

WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1)

The WA1 Resources share price is down 8% to $17.26. This has been driven by the niobium explorer raising funds via a placement this morning. WA1 Resources revealed that it has received firm commitments for a placement of 3.5 million new fully paid ordinary shares to raise $60 million before costs. These funds are being raised at a placement price of $17.00 per new share, which represents a 9.8% discount to its last close price. The proceeds will be used to primarily support activities at the Luni deposit and the broader West Arunta Project.

The post Why Hub24, Netwealth, Pantoro, and WA1 shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is the WA1 share price crashing 12% today?
• Netwealth share price higher on record quarter
• Up 52% this year, why is this ASX All Ords stock halted today?
• Shares vs. property: Which stocks and suburbs delivered the best growth in FY24?
• This ASX mining share is surging 26% on ‘high-grade’ drilling results

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 Hub24 and Netwealth Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Netwealth Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It looks like this Thursday will be a spectacular one for ASX stocks, but we already know it has been for Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) shares.

At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained a strong 0.92%, pushing the index up to around 7,890 points. It was even better for the Australian share market earlier this morning, with the ASX 200 crossing over 7,900 points at one stage.

But ASX gold miner Newmont has done one better. Newmont shares are currently up a massive 3.98% at $67.72 each. Earlier today though, those same shares rose as high as $67.78. Not only is that a new 52-week high for Newmont, but an all-time high for its ASX-listed shares.

To be fair, it’s not really a 52-week high for Newmont because Newmont shares haven’t been on the ASX for 52 weeks just yet.

This company first hit the ASX boards back in October last year when Newmont acquired the old Newcrest Mining in full. So if we want to get technical, today’s high is more of a new 37-week high for Newmont. But that will not dent the euphoria that Newmont investors are probably feeling right now.

So why are Newmont shares rocketing so convincingly this Thursday?

Why have Newmont shares just clocked a new 52-week high?

Well, there’s been no fresh news out of Newmont itself today. Or indeed, for around a week. So we can rule that out.

But it’s not too hard to see where these gains are coming from. It’s been a spectacular day for most ASX gold shares today, thanks to a rising gold price.

As my Fool colleague James flagged this morning, gold had a stellar overnight performance, rising 0.45% to US$2,378.90 an ounce.

As a result, we are seeing other gold stocks booming alongside Newmont today.

Take the Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) share price. It’s up a rosy 4.98% at $2.64 after hitting a new 52-week high of $2.66.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) is also on fire, presently up 2.97% at $1.90.

Red 5 Ltd (ASX: RED) shares have also bounced 2.44% to 42 cents each, while Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) stock has gained 3.03% to $13.42.

So a great day for ASX gold stocks this Thursday.

We also have to factor in Newmont’s US listing. This company’s ASX shares represent a CHESS Depository Interest (CDI), meaning they are a reflection of the company’s primary American listing, just priced in Australian dollars.

Newmont’s US shares – listed as Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) – rose by 3.58% on the US markets last night to US$45.46 each, likely also due to the galloping gold price.

With that gain under the belt upon the ASX market open this morning, Newmont shares were always going to do well today.

So that’s why the Newmont share price is having such a stunning day this Thursday. No doubt its investors are a happy bunch right now. But let’s see what happens next with this ASX gold share.

The post Big ASX news: Newmont shares hit new record high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Will ASX gold shares again outshine the market in FY 2025?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 2 ASX gold shares going gangbusters (and one crashing 11%!)

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Newmont. 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is back on form and rising strongly on Thursday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.95% to 7,890.5 points.

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

Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM)

The Ora Banda Mining share price is up 14% to 40.5 cents. Investors have been buying this gold miner’s shares after it announced the approval of the development of the Sand King Underground mine. This mine is at the 100% owned Davyhurst Gold Project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Today’s approval paves the way for the company to grow its gold production to 150,000 ounces per annum in FY 2026. As a comparison, it has provided production guidance of 100,000 ounces to 110,000 ounces for FY 2025.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

The Paladin Energy share price is up 7% to $14.13. Investors have been buying Paladin Energy and other ASX uranium stocks in response to news of a new uranium extraction tax increase in Kazakhstan. There are concerns that this tax increase could impact supply growth from the world’s largest uranium producer, Kazatomprom. This appears to have given sentiment a big boost. It could have also led to short sellers buying back shares in a hurry to close their positions.

Seven Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SVW)

The Seven Group share price is up 2.5% to $35.90. This morning, this investment company announced its dividend for the second half of FY 2024. According to the release, Seven Group’s board has declared a fully franked final dividend of 30 cents per share. This represents a 30% increase on the prior comparative period and brings its total dividends to 53 cents per share in FY 2024. Its final dividend has an ex-dividend date of 19 August 2024 and will be paid to eligible shareholders on 2 September 2024.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

The Telix Pharmaceuticals share price is up 12.5% to $19.74. This has been driven by some good news out of the United States. Telix revealed that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed changes for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule to improve payments for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals for Medicare patients in the United States. This facilitates continued patient access after transitional pass through payment status expires. Management commented: “Telix welcomes the proposed rule, which will facilitate more equitable and reliable access to advanced imaging for all patients and support physicians to prescribe the most clinically appropriate solution.”

The post Why Ora Banda, Paladin Energy, Seven Group, and Telix shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why is this ASX gold share racing 14% higher today?
• CBA and 7 other ASX 200 shares smashing new highs on Thursday
• Why is the Telix Pharmaceuticals share price rocketing 15% to a record high?
• Buy these ASX uranium stocks for big returns in FY25
• Here’s how the ASX 200 market sectors stacked up last week

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

The ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price jumped to $29.89 in early trade today, reaching a new 52-week high, surpassing previous levels reached in March 2024, as we can see on the chart below. But, this comes as ANZ faces a potential issue related to bond trading.

ANZ’s main earnings generator may be loans, but the business is also one of the large traders of Australian government bonds.  

According to reporting by the Australian Financial Review, ANZ supplied incorrect figures to the Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM).

Alleged inflated bond trading figures

The AFR reported that ANZ overstated the value of government bonds it traded by over $50 billion in the last 12 months, which then allegedly boosted its prospects by winning mandates from the government to issue Commonwealth debt.

ANZ is meant to submit quarterly figures to the agency, and then AOFM selects the largest traders for issuances.

The bank reported to the AOFM that it had traded $137.6 billion in government bonds for clients in FY23. It then later disclosed that the correct figure was $83.2 billion.

This comes after the AFR reported earlier this year that the regulator was investigating ANZ’s trading for “allegedly manipulating the benchmark 10-year futures rate” when it was appointed as a manager for a $14 billion government bond sale last year. The AFR said this could have made ANZ a sizeable profit, paid multi-million bonuses to the traders, and cost taxpayers $80 million in extra borrowing costs.

Since then, ANZ has been excluded from some major government transactions. The ASX bank share normally makes between $5 million to $10 million a year by being the manager of large syndicated Australian government bond sales every year, and it makes much more for facilitating bond trades.

The AFR said its investigation had uncovered “multiple discrepancies” in the information reported to AOFM, which raised questions “about how widespread workplace and trading issues were within the bank’s markets division.”

It was reported by the AFR that an internal ANZ email attributed the mistakes to “spreadsheet errors” made by support staff in Bangalore. Other mistakes reportedly included counting repurchase transactions, incorrectly classifying particular sales in certain geographies, and assigning trades to the wrong business units. Another error was allegedly ANZ’s purchase of bonds directly from the AOFM through weekly auctions as domestic institutional investors.

The AFR reported that on 15 August, ANZ staff wrote to the AOFM and stated that the bank had “identified some deficiencies in the data around the volume, size and allocation previously provided.”

Time will tell what the fallout of this will be for the bank.

ANZ share price snapshot

Since the start of 2024, the ANZ share price has risen by 14%, compared to 3% for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

The post ANZ shares hit 52-week high despite alleged $54 billion problem appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How much cash do you need to quit work and live off ASX dividend income?
• Are ASX 200 bank shares too expensive to buy right now?
• ASX 200 bank shares ‘don’t appear overly expensive’ compared to global peers: UBS
• ANZ shares smashed the ASX 200 return in FY24
• What is the outlook for ASX 200 dividend shares in FY25?

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 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.

The Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX: OBM) share price is having a day to remember on Thursday.

At the time of writing, the ASX gold share is up 14% to a 52-week high of 40.5 cents.

Why is this ASX gold share surging today?

Investors have been fighting to get hold of the gold miner’s shares today after it released an update on the 100% owned Davyhurst Gold Project.

According to the release, the ASX gold share’s board has approved the development of the Sand King Underground mine at the project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

Management notes that this final investment decision (FID) aligns with the company’s strategic objective of owning and operating at least two high-grade mines and to achieve mid-tier status by the end of June 2025.

Ora Banda revealed that the mine, which will become the second to be developed by the company in less than two years, is expected to hit a steady state production level of approximately 60,000 ounces per annum in the June quarter of 2025. This puts it on course to achieve production of 150,000 ounces of gold in FY 2026.

The underground mine will require investment capital of ~$39 million, with a maximum cash draw down of ~$32 million. This will be funded by operating cashflows from Riverina Underground and existing cash.

The ASX gold share’s managing director, Luke Creagh, was pleased with the FID and the company’s production growth outlook. He said:

This is a very exciting time for the Company as the Ora Banda team has achieved a significant amount in a short period, finding two underground mines in less than two years since changing strategies – a success rate which also indicates the significant prospectivity of the belt.

The Riverina Underground continues to ramp up well and with the support of Sand King Underground, is expected to deliver 40% year-on year growth and ~34% reduction in AISC/oz over the same period. “Our DRIVE to 150 plan to target 150,000 ounces in FY26 firmly places us on the pathway to becoming a mid-tier gold producer, and the most exciting part is that we are only just getting started on unlocking this highly prospective and under-explored tenement package”

FY 2025 guidance

Also giving the ASX gold share a boost was the release of its guidance for FY 2025.

Management is forecasting production of 100,000 ounces to 110,000 ounces with an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of A$1,975 per ounce to A$2,125 per ounce.

The post Why is this ASX gold share racing 14% higher today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Ora Banda, Paladin Energy, Seven Group, and Telix shares are charging higher
• Will ASX gold shares again outshine the market in FY 2025?
• Why Arafura Rare Earths, Ora Banda, Superloop, and Whitehaven Coal shares are rising today
• How these three ASX gold stocks soared above the rest in FY 2024

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.

The five most popular ASX shares purchased by Aussie investors over the 12 months to May have been revealed.

A survey of more than 2,000 Australian investors conducted by online trading platform Stake reveals four exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and an ASX lithium share attracted the most investment over the period.

Let’s check out the results.

Top 5 ASX shares purchased by Aussie investors

1/ Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) 

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF is an index-based ETF that tracks the performance of the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO). This means VAS ETF investors have exposure to some of the biggest ASX shares on the market. These include BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd (ASX: CBA), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

The VAS ETF is trading at $97.60 per unit today, up 0.94%.

2/ iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

The iShares S&P 500 ETF is an index-based ETF that tracks the performance of the 500 largest United States companies comprising the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX). These include the ‘Magnificent Seven’ stocks, such as Microsoft Corp and Nvidia Corp, and other superstar shares like GLP-1 medicine maker Eli Lilly And Co.

The IVV ETF is among the 10 cheapest ASX ETFs on the market, and is $55.54 per unit today, up 0.78%.

3/ Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

The Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF tracks the return of the MSCI World ex-Australia (with net dividends reinvested). So, there are no ASX shares involved, but you do get exposure to about 1,500 companies from 23 developed countries. They include the US, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, France, and Switzerland. That’s some nice geographical diversification in a single trade!

The VGS ETF is trading at $124.91 per unit today, up 0.82%.

4/ Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF tracks the performance of the technology-heavy NASDAQ-100 Index. Betashares investment strategist Tom Wickenden says the Nasdaq 100 is full of innovation stocks, including those involved in artificial intelligence (AI), and innovation will be a key factor driving shareholders’ returns in the future. Here are two fun facts you may not know about NDQ ETF.

The NDQ ETF is trading at $45.44 per unit today, up 0.73%.

5/ Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

ASX lithium share Pilbara Minerals has lost 41% of its value over the past 12 months. This is primarily because lithium commodity values have plunged, resulting in most ASX lithium shares taking a dive.

The Pilbara Minerals share price is $2.97, up 1.02%.

The post The 5 most popular ASX shares bought by investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Own iShares S&P 500 ETF (IVV) units? It’s payday for you!
• This top broker thinks Pilbara Minerals shares are done falling
• 5 excellent ASX ETFs to buy this month
• How did the iShares S&P 500 ETF (IVV) race ahead of the ASX 200 in FY 2024?
• Why Bowen Coking Coal, Clinuvel, Meteoric Resources, and Pilbara Minerals shares are falling

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in BHP Group, CSL, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia, and Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, CSL, Microsoft, Nvidia, Wesfarmers, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. 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 positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL, Microsoft, Nvidia, Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.