Tag: Stock pick

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO), Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares delivered some materially disparate returns in January.

Over the month just past the ASX 200 gained a welcome 1.8%.

One of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giants raced ahead of those gains, one modestly outperformed the benchmark, and the third ended the first month of 2026 in the red.

This came as iron ore prices averaged above US$105 per tonne over the month, while copper prices hit new record highs of US$13,618 per tonne.

So how did the big three Aussie miners stack up?

Read on!

BHP shares lead the pack

Australia’s biggest mining stock, and indeed the biggest stock on the ASX after retaking that crown from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) on 27 January, closed out 2025 trading for $45.49 a share. When the closing bell sounded on 30 January, shares were changing hands for $50.57

This put BHP shares up an impressive 11.2% over the month.

On 20 January, BHP released its December quarter results.

Highlights included a 2% increase in iron ore production to 134 million tonnes, with BHP’s Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations achieving record high quarterly shipments.

While copper production was flat at 984,000 tonnes, the miner lifted its full year FY 2026 copper guidance to 1,900kt to 2,000 kt (up from the prior guidance of 1,800kt to 2,000 kt).

“BHP delivered another half of very strong performance with operational records at our copper and iron ore assets,” CEO Mike Henry said on the day.

Looking ahead, Henry added:

BHP enters the second half of FY26 with strong operating momentum. We’re investing for the decade ahead, with a significant copper growth pipeline and a pathway to ~2 Mt of attributable copper production in the 2030s.

How about the other two ASX 200 miners?

Rio Tinto shares also enjoyed a solid month.

Rio Tinto shares closed out December trading for $146.82 and ended January at $151.55 apiece.

That put that ASX 200 mining stock up 3.2% over first month of the new year, beating the ASX 200 but underperforming BHP shares.

Rio Tinto reported its quarterly results on 21 January.

Highlights from those results included Pilbara iron ore production of 327.3 million tonnes, in line with the prior year. And iron ore shipments notched a new record 326.2 million tonnes for the year.

Rio Tinto’s copper production of 883,000 tonnes was up 11%, exceeding guidance.

Turning to Fortescue, the miner underperformed both the ASX 200 and BHP shares in January.

Fortescue shares finished December trading for $22.01 and closed on 30 January changing hands for $21.00. This saw the Fortescue share price down 4.6% for the month.

The miner released its quarterly results on 22 January.

Fortescue reported all-time high H1 FY 2026 iron ore shipments of 100.2 million tonnes. That was up 3% year-on-year.

“It was a record first half, with shipments reaching new highs across our operations,” Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO Dino Otranto said on the day.

The post How Rio Tinto, Fortescue and BHP shares stacked up in January appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Buying ASX shares for passive income? Here’s how Woodside, Fortescue and CBA shares stack up

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

The Hot Chili Ltd (ASX: HCH) share price is in a trading halt on Monday following a fresh announcement from the company.

The halt was requested earlier today and will remain in place pending further details from the company.

Before entering the halt, Hot Chili shares last traded at $1.94. The stock is now up almost 40% so far in 2026, after a strong rally through January.

Here is what investors need to know.

A sizeable placement at a discount

According to today’s announcement, Hot Chili plans to raise up to $40 million by issuing approximately 24.3 million new shares to institutional and professional investors.

The shares will be issued at $1.65 apiece, representing a 15% discount to the company’s last closing price and a 13.6% discount to the 5-day volume weighted average price (VWAP).

The placement is being conducted under the company’s existing 25% placement capacity, meaning no shareholder approval is required.

Settlement is expected later this month, with new shares ranking equally with existing shares on issue.

Why Hot Chili is raising now

Management says the funds will be used to aggressively advance development at the Costa Fuego copper-gold project in northern Chile.

That includes accelerating work at the La Verde copper-gold discovery. It will also fund studies toward a maiden mineral resource and advance permitting and environmental approvals across the broader Costa Fuego hub.

Hot Chili also flagged funding for feasibility work, ongoing exploration, strategic studies, and general working capital.

Costa Fuego remains one of the few large-scale copper projects globally that is not controlled by a major mining company. At the same time, large producers are increasingly focused on securing long-term copper supply.

Trading halt and what happens next

Hot Chili’s shares will remain suspended until the company announces the outcome of the placement, which is expected before market open on Wednesday.

That update should confirm the final amount raised, demand levels, and whether the placement was upsized.

Given the stock’s strong recent momentum, investors will be watching closely to see how the market reacts once trading resumes.

The bigger picture

Hot Chili has delivered one of the ASX’s stronger copper performances, with the share price climbing more than 180% over 12 months.

While capital raisings can pressure share prices in the short-term, they can also strengthen the balance sheet and de-risk future development.

With additional capital on the way, attention turns to delivery and whether progress at Costa Fuego can justify the recent re-rating.

The post Why this ASX copper stock suddenly halted trading this morning appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.

With so many shares to choose from on the Australian share market, it can be difficult to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

According to a note out of Macquarie, its analysts have retained their outperform rating on this agribusiness company’s shares with an improved price target of $8.40. This follows the release of Elders’ investor update, which revealed that its performance was improving as conditions normalise. Looking ahead, Macquarie believes the company is well-placed for growth over the medium term as it realises synergies from the Delta Agribusiness acquisition. In light of this, the broker sees value in the company’s shares at current levels. The Elders share price is trading at $7.61 on Monday afternoon.

Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD)

A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this gold miner’s shares with an improved price target of $9.90. The broker highlights that Genesis Minerals delivered a strong second quarter update, with record-breaking production coming in ahead of expectations. Bell Potter believes there is more to come in the second half. So much so, it expects the company to achieve the upper end of its production guidance in FY 2026. In addition, the broker points out that it likes Genesis Minerals due to its belief that it is a high-quality gold producer that is expanding production in a rising gold price environment. The Genesis Minerals share price is fetching $6.98 at the time of writing.

ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

Analysts at Morgans have upgraded this sleep disorder treatment company’s shares to a buy rating with a $47.73 price target. According to the note, Morgans was pleased with ResMed’s performance in the second quarter. It highlights that the result was a beat across the board, with double-digit revenue and earnings growth, further gross margin expansion, and solid cash generation. ResMed’s operating leverage has seen the broker lift its earnings estimates and valuation slightly. And with its shares down unjustifiably and materially from recent highs, Morgans thinks now is a good time to invest. The ResMed share price is trading at $36.74 this afternoon.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Welcome to the first trading day of February 2026. This last month of summer here on the ASX is always a dramatic one. It usually sees ASX investor attention back in full focus after the summer break, thanks to the start of the first earnings season of the year for ASX shares.

Every ASX share is required to report its latest financials and numbers to the market at least twice a year. Most ASX shares deliver their first report in February, making this month one of the most important in the year.

Earnings reports are often the catalysts for some of the biggest share price swings we see every year. As such, the importance of these earnings seasons cannot be overstated for investors. This year, I’m keeping my eye on three ASX shares in particular.

Three ASX shares that I’m watching this February

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

CBA’s earnings are some of the most watched every earnings season. Although Commonwealth Bank is no longer the ASX’s top dog, its unique role at the heart of the Australian financial sector lends its numbers extra weight. As we’ve pointed out a few times in recent weeks, although CBA shares have come off the boil over the past few months, they are still arguably expensive by global banking standards.

That means there might not be much of a cushion if the bank fails to live up to expectations. I’ll be watching that cash profit after tax figure closely, as well as the unveiling of CBA’s next dividend, of course. CBA’s earnings are scheduled for 11 February.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

Wesfarmers is another ASX share I’ll be watching like a hawk this earnings season. Yes, partly because I’m a shareholder myself. But also because I view Wesfarmers as a bit of a market litmus test. You have a company here that is one of the most ‘plugged in’ stocks to the broader Australian economy.

Given Wesfarmers has many fingers in many pies (those fingers including WesCEF, Bunnings, Kmart, OfficeWorks, amongst many others), its earnings report gives us a lot of insight into the health of the Australian economy, as well as market sentiment. The market usually recognises the inherent quality of this business, and assigns it a relatively high earnings multiple as a result.

If that reality changes during or following earnings season, it could prove telling. Wesfarmers’ earnings will come out on 19 February.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Finally, we have one of Wesfarmers’ former fingers, Coles Group. I like to look at Coles’ earnings every season, as I think this ASX share’s numbers are another useful barometer of the Australian economy. Given we all need to regularly eat and stock or households, Coles tends to see relatively consistent earnings. But we can still derive insights from them, such as how cost-conscious consumers are being.

Additionally, Coles has what is now one of the better dividend growth streaks amongst top blue chip stocks, having delivered an annual dividend hike every year since 2019. I’m curious to see if that will continue into 2026. Coles is set to reveal its latest numbers on 27 February.

The post 3 ASX shares I’ll be watching like a hawke this earnings season appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Wesfarmers. 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.

Shares in Biome Australia Ltd (ASX: BIO) have jumped after the company announced a distribution deal for its probiotic products in Canada.

The company said in a statement to the ASX on Monday that all of its biome-activated probiotics products had been approved for launch on Fullscript Canada, which services more than 100,000 practitioners and five million patients across North America.   

The company added:

The Fullscript partnership represents a significant milestone in Biome’s Canadian expansion, providing access to the dominant platform for practitioner-to-patient supplement dispensing across the region. The North American integrative medicine market has grown at a 25% CAGR, with approximately 80% of healthcare professionals now recommending supplements in some capacity.

Biome Australia said Canada had a stringent regulatory framework which creates a significant barrier to entry, “favouring established, compliant brands like Activated Probiotics”.

Building on established wins

The company said the new agreement was complementary to its existing partnership with Ecotrend Ecologics, which was one of Canada’s leading natural health products distributors.

The company elaborated further:

This dual-channel approach ensures Biome’s Activated Probiotics range is accessible to practitioners regardless of their preferred dispensing model, whether maintaining in-clinic inventory through wholesale ordering or utilising Fullscript’s innovative e-prescribing platform that ships products directly to patients’ homes.

Biome Australia Managing Director Blair Norfolk said the new agreement was significant for the company.

Securing approval on Fullscript is a pivotal milestone in our Canadian expansion. Combined with our existing Ecotrend partnership, we now have complete coverage of the Canadian practitioner market, traditional wholesale through Ecotrend for in-clinic dispensaries, and digital direct-to-patient through Fullscript. This dual-channel approach removes any barriers to practitioners choosing Activated Probiotics for their patients. This partnership demonstrates continued momentum in our Vision 27 international expansion strategy. We’re systematically building scale across key markets, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK—establishing Biome as a truly global leader in evidence-based microbiome health. Fullscript’s broader platform reach positions us well for ongoing growth opportunities.

Biome Australia shares were 8.3% higher at 48.7 cents. The company was valued at $101.3 million at the close of trade on Friday.

The company released a trading update last month, which said that second-quarter revenue was $6.48 million, up 40.9% on the previous corresponding period and up 9.1% on the first quarter of the year. The company said this was particularly strong given that the Christmas trading period was traditionally softer.

First half revenue of $12.42 million was up 40.2% on the previous corresponding period.

The post This probiotics company has just struck a distribution deal, sending its shares sharply higher 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.

ASX gold stock Waratah Minerals Ltd (ASX: WTM) is bucking the broader sell-off today and storming higher.

Waratah Minerals share closed on Friday trading for 55 cents. In late morning trade on Monday, shares are changing hands for 63.5 cents apiece, up 15.5%.

For some context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.4% today, while the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) is down a steep 6.6%.

Unlike Waratah Minerals, most ASX gold stocks are deep in the red today following another sharp decline in the gold price. Gold is currently trading for US$4,759 per ounce. This now sees the yellow metal down more than 22% since Thursday’s US$5,417 per ounce, according to data from Bloomberg.

Gold came under pressure at the end of last week following news that United States President Donald Trump appointed Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair.

Warsh is widely expected to focus on combating inflation, which has the market pricing in higher US interest rates. Higher interest rates in the world’s top economy are likely to hinder gold’s remarkable bull run, as bullion doesn’t pay any interest itself and is priced in US dollars.

Now, here’s why a tumbling gold price isn’t keeping investors from bidding up Waratah Minerals shares today.

ASX gold stock leaps on strong drill results

Waratah shares are surging today after the company announced a promising batch of new results from the ongoing drill program at its 100%-owned Spur Gold Project, located in New South Wales.

The ASX gold stock reported that complete assay results for five diamond drill holes and partial results from one diamond drill hole (SPD015) have returned “significant intercepts” of gold mineralisation from the Spur and Consols Zones.

SPD021 is likely spurring added interest from investors, with the hole returning the highest-grade interval yet achieved at the site. Top results included 6 metres at 24.56 grams of gold per tonne from 329 metres, including 1m at 146 g/t Au from 333m and 9m at 5.52 g/t Au from 142m.

The miner noted that drilling at Consols continues to demonstrate the increased scale and grade of the mineralised system.

Waratah Minerals currently has seven drill rigs operating at the project, with two at the Spur Zone and five said to be focused on extending the wide and high-grade intercepts at the newly discovered Consols Zone.

What did management say?

Commenting on the results sending the ASX gold stock surging today, Waratah managing director Peter Duerden said, “The partial results from SPD015 are significant and exciting as they indicate one of the many high-grade shoots at Consols potentially extending to surface.”

Duerden added:

Results from Spur indicate the potential for extensions at the eastern margin of the system whilst continuing to provide internal definition of high-grade trends including the intercept of 1m at 146 g/t Au in hole SPD021, representing the highest-grade assay recorded to date…

These outstanding results support Waratahs’ interpretation that the gold mineralisation at Spur has the potential to be a significant gold system with similarities to other very strongly mineralised gold deposits globally.

Waratah Minerals share price snapshot

With today’s intraday gains factored in, shares in the ASX gold stock are now up a whopping 339.3% in 12 months.

The post How is this ASX gold stock rocketing 16% on Monday amid a tanking gold price? 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.

In early afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a decline. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.8% to 8,796.1 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

The Appen share price is down 9% to $1.68. This may have been driven by profit-taking from investors after the artificial intelligence data services company’s shares rocketed last week. Investors were buying Appen’s shares following the release of a strong quarterly update. It reported revenue of $73.4 million. This was a 10% lift on the prior corresponding period and a 33% increase on the third quarter of FY 2025. Appen’s CEO, Ryan Kolln, said: “Q4 was a strong finish to the year for both our China and Global businesses. Appen China exited the quarter with an annualised revenue run-rate growing to over $135 million – a pleasing result, providing strong momentum heading into FY26.”

Brightstar Resources Ltd (ASX: BTR)

The Brightstar Resources share price is down 23% to 48.2 cents. This has been driven by the gold explorer raising funds through a major capital raising. Brightstar has received binding commitments from tier one institutional investors to raise $175 million at a discount of 50 cents per new share. Brightstar’s managing director, Alex Rovira, commented: “The near-term development of our Goldfields Hub, as shown in our DFS 2.0, enables Brightstar to underpin its position as an emerging Western Australian gold producer with a significant growth profile that will generate outstanding financial metrics and unlock significant value for our shareholders.”

Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC)

The Graincorp share price is down 16% to $6.07. This has been driven by the release of guidance from the grain exporter this morning. Graincorp is now forecasting underlying EBITDA of $200 million to $240 million and underlying net profit after tax between $20 million and $50 million. These are both down materially on the prior corresponding period. The company’s CEO, Robert Spurway, said: “Record global production has created an oversupply of grain, outpacing demand growth and placing downward pressure on commodity prices for the whole market. Despite strong ECA production volumes, with ABARES estimating a 2025-26 ECA winter crop of 31.2 million tonnes (mmt), the current abundance of global supply and low grain prices have reduced incentives for growers to deliver grain to market. As a result, GrainCorp is experiencing lower margins on grain handled in FY26.”

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The Northern Star share price is down 7.5% to $26.78. Investors have been selling Northern Star’s shares following a huge decline in the gold price on Friday night. It isn’t just Northern Star that is tumbling today. Most ASX gold shares are falling heavily along with it this afternoon. This has seen the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index fall 7.1% so far today.

The post Why Appen, Brightstar, Graincorp, and Northern Star shares are sinking today 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 positions in and has recommended Appen. 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.

Some of the best opportunities tend to appear when sentiment turns against genuinely high-quality businesses. Share prices fall hard, confidence wobbles, and suddenly, great S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares get talked about as if something is fundamentally broken.

That’s how I see WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) and Block Inc (ASX: XYZ) right now. Both are down sharply over the past year, but when I step back and look at what these companies actually do, I think the market is being overly pessimistic.

WiseTech Global shares

WiseTech is a company that sits right in the middle of global trade, providing mission-critical software that freight forwarders, customs brokers, and logistics providers rely on every single day.

Its CargoWise platform is effectively the operating system for global logistics. Once a customer adopts it, switching is painful, expensive, and risky. That creates the kind of stickiness and recurring revenue profile I really like in long-term growth businesses.

What often gets missed is the scale WiseTech has already achieved. It services many of the world’s largest freight forwarders, processes millions of shipments, and continues to expand its functionality through acquisitions and internal development. This isn’t a speculative product. It’s a deeply embedded infrastructure.

The share price fall hasn’t come out of nowhere. Slower growth in the core business, management and board upheaval, and highly publicised issues around the founder all damaged confidence. On top of that, the integration of a large acquisition has added complexity at a time when investors were already nervous about tech valuations.

But when I look through the noise, I see a business that is refocusing on execution. Product launches, a new commercial model, and operational integration all point to improving momentum.

For me, this feels less like a broken story and more like a reset phase.

Block shares

Block is often talked about as if it’s one product or one trend. In reality, it’s an ecosystem business with multiple growth engines.

On one side, there’s Square, which provides payments, software, and financial tools to millions of small and medium-sized businesses globally. On the other, there’s Cash App, which has evolved into a full-featured consumer finance platform with tens of millions of active users. Then there’s Afterpay, which Australian investors already know well, sitting inside the broader Block ecosystem.

What really stands out to me is how these products reinforce each other. Sellers use Square, consumers use Cash App, and Afterpay sits at the point of transaction, increasing engagement and monetisation across the platform.

Block has been caught in a perfect storm. Rising interest rates hit fintech valuations, regulatory scrutiny increased, and concerns around buy now, pay later models weighed heavily on sentiment. Even a strong operating performance hasn’t been enough to stop the sell-off.

Yet the underlying numbers tell a very different story. Cash App continues to grow users and monetisation. Square is gaining share in key verticals. The business is generating meaningful operating income and free cash flow, while continuing to invest heavily in product innovation, including AI-driven tools.

To me, this disconnect between business momentum and share price is exactly what creates opportunity.

Why I think both could beat the market

Neither WiseTech nor Block needs bold assumptions to deliver strong returns from here. They simply need to keep executing.

WiseTech benefits from global trade complexity only increasing over time, whereas Block benefits from the ongoing shift toward digital payments, integrated financial services, and platform-based ecosystems.

Both ASX 200 shares have been heavily sold off. Both businesses are still growing. And both, in my view, look far more attractive today than they did when sentiment was euphoric. That’s why these two unloved ASX 200 shares are ones I’m quietly backing to surprise investors over the next few years.

The post 2 unloved ASX 200 shares I’m tipping to beat the market appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Down 50% from recent highs: Is it time to buy these ASX stocks?
• Why buy and hold investing with ASX shares could make you rich
• Why these brokers are very bullish on the WiseTech share price
• 3 ASX 200 shares trading at 52-week lows: Are they a buy?
• Eight stocks to buy in the bruised tech sector according to RBC

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino 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 Block and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. 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 difficult start to the week. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 0.85% to 8,795.5 points.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are rising:

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

The 4DMedical share price is up 6% to $3.36. Investors have been buying this respiratory imaging technology company’s shares in recent sessions after it announced the expansion of its partnership with University of Chicago Medicine. This will now include the commercial deployment of CT:VQ. 4DMedical’s founder CEO, Andreas Fouras, said: “University of Chicago Medicine is one of the nation’s most respected AMCs and a pioneer in medical innovation. Their expansion of our partnership to include CT:VQ represents powerful validation of both the clinical value our technology delivers and the strength of our commercialisation approach.”

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up 5% to $3.50. This is despite there being no news out of the counter-drone technology company. However, with its shares pulling back materially last week, some investors may believe that a buying opportunity has been created. The team at Bell Potter certainly seems to think this. It recently put a buy rating and $5.00 price target on its shares. It said: “We believe DRO has a market leading RF detect/defeat C-UAS offering and a strengthening competitive advantage owing to its years of battlefield experience and large and focused R&D team.”

New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

The New Hope share price is up 2% to $4.60. This morning, this coal miner was recommended as a buy, as we covered here. Baker Young is recommending New Hope to investors. It said: “The extension of Origin Energy’s Eraring coal fired power station is a reminder that demand for thermal coal is likely to remain robust for longer than many investors believe. [..] New Hope has a strong balance sheet, and we feel the market is undervaluing NHC’s growth potential through the New Acland stage 3 development. Recently trading on a modest forecast earnings multiple in fiscal year 2026 and an attractive fully franked dividend yield, the stock screens as attractive.”

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip Co share price is up 2% to $2.71. This is despite there being no news out of the buy now pay later provider. But as with DroneShield, Zip’s shares have pulled back meaningfully recently. This could mean that some investors are buying the dip on Monday.

The post Why 4DMedical, DroneShield, New Hope, and Zip shares are pushing higher today 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 positions in and has recommended DroneShield. 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.

PYC Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: PYC) has announced a massive $653 million capital raise to progress four of its drug candidates through human clinical trials.

With PYC’s value sitting at $944.8 million at the close of trade on Friday, the raise will grow the size of the company by 69.2% in one fell swoop.

New backers brought on board

The biotechnology company said on Monday that $128 million would be raised via an institutional placement to specialist life sciences investors, “led by RA Capital Management and including Perceptive Advisors, Driehaus Capital Management, MPM BioImpact, Rock Springs Capital, and RTW Investments”.

The remaining $525 million will be offered to existing shareholders as an entitlement offer, with the money to be raised at $1.50 per share, compared with the company’s last trading price of $1.60 per share.

The company’s shares have almost doubled over the past year, increasing from lows of 84 cents over the period.

PYC said in addition to the institutional placement it had received binding commitments for about $560 million in new shares, which it could choose to allocate as part of the capital raising, including if there is a shortfall in the entitlement offer.

Pipeline funded for coming years

The company said following the raise, it would be funded through to calendar 2030, “with clinical trial progress and important near-term human efficacy data expected in all four of its drug development programs”.

The four drug trials to be funded with the new money were looking into treatments for polycystic kidney disease, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, retinitis pigmentosa, and autosomal dominant optic atrophy.

PYC Chief Executive Officer Dr Rohan Hockings welcomed the support from new and existing shareholders.

We are grateful for the support of both existing and new investors in this financing round. We look forward to seeing the extent of the impact of each of these drug candidates with disease-modifying potential in areas of major unmet patient need as we move the pipeline towards regulatory approval.

Existing shareholders would be eligible to take up three new shares for every five shares they owned.

The company added:

PYC has entered into a binding underwriting agreement with multiple existing large shareholders in the company to subscribe for up to $200m worth of new shares in the event that the entitlement offer results in the creation of a shortfall. The underwriting shareholders have agreed to not take up some of their entitlement under the institutional entitlement to make shares available to new investors.

PYC shares remained in a trading halt on Monday morning.

The post Massive capital raise to progress drug trials announced 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.