Tag: Stock pick

Companies at the smaller end of the register are often overlooked, but there can be some real gems there if you know where to look.

The reasons these companies are overlooked are manifold, but often it’s a combination of them being too small, their shares being too illiquid for bigger buyers, and sometimes they just don’t get out there and promote themselves all that well.

Despite this, there are some companies in the smaller ranges which deliver solid earnings and dividends, and which could fit nicely in a portfolio.

Profit upgrade boost shares

One which came across my radar just this week was CTI Logistics Ltd (ASX: CLX), which today has piled on an impressive 12.1% in share price gains to be trading at $2.13.

The increase, on low volume of 54,000 shares, followed the company updating its profit guidance for the year.

I’ll excuse anyone who missed it as the press release went out past 5pm on a Monday, but the very brief missive made for good reading for investors.

The company, in a two paragraph statement, said pre-tax profit for the first half was expected to be up about 55% on the previous corresponding period.

The company went on to say:

The result has been driven in part by strong revenue growth in October and November with revenue for the half year expected to be up by 7% on the previous corresponding period. CTI’s transport and logistics operations have benefited from increased demand across freight services as well as project work in Western Australia, coupled with increased efficiency and improved utilisation of our fleet.

Even after the company’s share price jump to a 12-month high of $2.20 on Tuesday, based on historical dividend payouts the company is delivering a healthy 5.3% yield, fully franked.

 Another steady performer in the logistics sector is K&S Corporation Ltd (ASX: KSC) which is paying a 4.7% fully franked dividend.

K&S actually advised last month that its profits would fall in the first half, with underlying profit before tax expected to be between $15.3 and $16.3 million, compared with the same period last year when profit came in at $23.4 million.

Leverage to data centres a bonus

The final company, and one which I own myself, is galvaniser and EzyStrut manufacturer Korvest Ltd (ASX: KOV) which is currently trading on a 5.34% fully franked dividend yield.

Korvest shares are currently changing hands for $13.90, but broker Euroz Hartleys in October put a price target of $14.60 on the stock, saying the company’s expansion plans and leverage to data centre builds put it in good stead.

Euroz Hartleys initiated coverage on Korvest in Otcober with a buy recommendation, with the following reasons put forward to have confidence in the Adelaide-based company.

We expect Korvest to continue compounding growth steadily through our forecast as they service increasing demand and pursue additional market share upon completion of their facility expansion in the short term. Major project awards provide upgrade potential to our base case estimates.

Korvest was valued at $166.1 million at the close of trade on Monday.

The post Three under the radar small caps I like for their dividend yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 blue chip ASX shares with 4% dividend yields
• With rising costs, are Woolworths shares still a good buy today?
• Telix Pharmaceuticals shares crash 58% from their peak: Buying opportunity or time to sell up?
• The Commonwealth Bank has called it! Interest rates to rise in the new year, but how soon?
• Analysts name 2 top ASX 200 shares to buy today

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has positions in Korvest. 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 Korvest. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares are in the green today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) supermarket giant closed yesterday trading at $29.42. In afternoon trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for $29.52 apiece, up 0.3%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.1% at this same time.

Taking a step back, Woolies has underperformed the 4.6% 12-month returns delivered by the benchmark index, with shares down 3.6% over the full year.

Although those losses will have been somewhat mitigated by the 84 cents a share in fully franked dividends the company paid out over the year. Woolworths shares currently trade on a 2.9% fully franked trailing dividend yield.

As you’re likely aware, shares in the ASX 200 supermarket have yet to recover from the sharp sell-down that followed the company’s FY 2025 results release on 27 August.

Despite a 13.6% rebound since 15 October, shares remain down 11.5% since market close on 26 August.

Which brings us back to our headline question.

Should you buy Woolworths shares today?

Alto Capital’s Tony Locantro recently ran his slide rule over Woolworths stock (courtesy of The Bull).

“The supermarket giant’s full year 2025 results fell short of market expectations, highlighting margin pressure and subdued sales growth,” Locantro said.

Indeed, Woolworths shares closed down a sharp 14.7% on the day those results were reported.

ASX investors were pressing their sell buttons after the company revealed that its gross margin slipped 0.07% year-over-year to 27.2%.

This came amid rising costs, with Woolies reporting a 0.66% increase in its cost of doing business to 23.3%.

And earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) in FY 2025 took a sizeable hit, falling by 12.6% from FY 2024 to $2.75 billion.

On the bottom line, the net profit after tax (NPAT) of $1.39 billion declined by 17.1% year-over-year. This led management to cut the final dividend by 21.1% from the FY 2024 payout to 45 cents per share, fully franked.

With this in mind, Locantro believes the ASX 200 stock is trading for a premium.

“WOW was recently trading on a lofty price/earnings ratio of about 37 times, which leaves limited upside, in our view,” he said.

Summarising his sell rating on Woolworths shares, Locantro concluded:

Rising costs combined with subdued discretionary spending suggest growth and profitability may remain constrained. We believe much of the upside is already priced in, so investors may want to consider taking some gains in a high cost, low growth environment.

The post With rising costs, are Woolworths shares still a good buy today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• The ASX dividend stocks I’d trust to pay me through retirement
• Buy, hold, sell: CSL, Vulcan, Woolworths shares
• Buying Coles and Woolworths shares? Here’s why the supermarkets are fuming over Chalmers’ new law
• Woolworths shares are down 12% from their peak. Should those who don’t own them consider buying now?
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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 positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) shares have dropped another 2.54% in Tuesday morning trade. At the time of writing, the shares are trading at $12.84 a piece.

Over the past month, the global biopharmaceutical company’s shares have plunged 9.61% and they’ve crashed 58.6% from their all-time high of $21.14 in February this year.

What happened to Telix Pharmaceuticals’ shares?

The commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company’s shares plunged following an issue with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

At the time, the FDA said it had identified deficiencies related to the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) package. The FDA said it would seek additional data before moving forward with Telix’s Biologics License Application (BLA) for the company’s TLX250-CDx (Zircaix) product.

Zircaix is a PET imaging agent designed to non-invasively diagnose and characterise clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common kidney cancer, by targeting the Carbonic Anhydrase IX (CAIX) protein.

The company provided a statement on 28 August, saying it believes these concerns are readily addressable and submission remediation will begin immediately.

In early September, the company announced that it had agreed on a resubmission pathway with the FDA for its affected products. The company plans to resubmit the new drug application during Q4 2025.

Following the regulatory setbacks, brokers downgraded Telix Pharmaceuticals’ stock due to increased risk and pushed-out revenue expectations. And investor sentiment was slashed too, with investors selling their shares in the face of uncertainty.

Is there any upside ahead, or will the shares keep falling?

I think the tide is about to turn for the beaten-down ASX 200 stock. The company has already had huge success with its flagship prostate cancer imaging product, Illuccix. Once it receives approval for Zircaix, it has the potential to open another multi-billion-dollar global market.

And that’s not all. The company is developing new radiopharmaceutical candidates targeting brain cancer and other cancers, too. If everything progresses well, Telix Pharmaceuticals could well have a long road of growth ahead.

What do the experts think?

TradingView data shows 14 out of 15 analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on the shares, with a maximum target price of $34.30. At the time of writing, that represents a whopping potential 166.38% upside for investors over the next 12 months.

UBS is bullish on the stock. It has a buy rating on the ASX biotech share, with a price target of $31. 

Bell Potter is also positive on Telix Pharmaceutical shares. It has a buy rating and $23.00 price target on the stock, which based on the current share price, implies a potential upside of 79.1% over the next 12 months.

RBC Capital is more reserved with a $17 price target on the shares, although this still implies a potential 32.4% upside at the time of writing. The broker said that the company has a large development pipeline but added that shareholders might have to wait some time for earnings and free cash flow to tick up.

The post Telix Pharmaceuticals shares crash 58% from their peak: Buying opportunity or time to sell up? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Telix shares fall despite ‘significant milestone’

Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd (ASX: CBA) economists have made a call on interest rates, saying they now expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to hike the official rate as soon as February.

Not all economists are on the same wavelength, however, with the team at RBC Capital Markets still expecting Australian official interest rates to stay on hold throughout calendar 2026.

Modest move higher likely

The CBA team issued a statement on Tuesday, stating that it believes the RBA will hike by 25 basis points in February, then leave the official rates on hold at 3.85% for the remainder of the year.

The reasons why:

Australia’s economy finished 2025 with more strength than expected. Households are spending more, wages have been rising, and businesses are investing in areas like data centres and renewable energy. But this stronger activity has arrived at a time when the economy is already close to its ‘capacity constraints’ – meaning the economy is running close to its maximum sustainable speed. When demand grows faster than the economy’s ability to supply goods and services, prices tend to rise.

This will then feed into inflation and put further pressure on the RBA to raise rates.

The CBA’s head of Australian economics, Belinda Allan, said the economy “has picked up more momentum than expected, and that strength is keeping inflation from easing.”

A small rate increase in February would guide inflation back toward the RBA’s target range of 2-3 per cent.

The CBA also said inflation has been slower to fall than expected.

They went on to say:

The key trimmed mean inflation measure – which removes unusually large price changes to give a clearer picture of underlying inflation – rose to 3.0% in the September quarter and is expected to stay above that level until well into 2026. The persistence of inflation suggests that price pressures are becoming more widespread, rather than being driven by only a few items. 

No hike just yet, RBC says

The team at RBC take a contrarian view on rates, saying that they expect the RBA to keep rates on hold, but they do admit that the chance of a rate rise is “climbing fast”.

They went on to say in a note to clients on Tuesday:

The last few rounds of inflation, labour market and national accounts data have brought the possibility of rate hikes firmly into the frame. A modestly more restrictive policy stance may well be both prudent and appropriate. The onus is now on the data to prevent hikes.

The post The Commonwealth Bank has called it! Interest rates to rise in the new year, but how soon? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These shares have bigger dividend yields (and more upside) than CBA shares
• Want to know how much CBA is expected to grow profit in FY26?
• $5,000 in CBA shares at the start of 2025 is now worth…
• Why this fundie is backing ASX mining shares over banks in 2026
• How will interest rate hikes impact the big four ASX banks like CBA shares?

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.

Looking to add a few buy-rated S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares to your investment portfolio for the holidays?

You’ve come to the right place!

Below, we look at two stocks analysts expect to be well-placed to outperform in the year ahead (courtesy of The Bull).

A compelling buy-the-dip opportunity

The first ASX 200 share tipped as a buy is SGH Ltd (ASX: SGH), also known as Seven Group Holdings.

SGH shares are up 0.4% in early afternoon trade today, changing hands for $46.26. That sees the share price up a modest 1.6% over 12 months. SGH stock also trades on a fully franked 1.3% trailing dividend yield.

And with the share price down 11% since 11 August, DP Wealth Advisory’s Andrew Wielandt believes SGH shares are now trading for a bargain.

“This diversified company focuses on industrial services and energy,” Wielandt said.

He noted:

Businesses include WesTrac, Coates and Boral, along with significant exposures to Beach Energy and Seven West Media. WesTrac is the sole authorised Caterpillar dealer in Western Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Commenting on the growth outlook for the ASX 200 stock, Wielandt said, “We expect the Caterpillar dealerships to benefit from strong expected demand in the resources sector. SGH should also benefit from equipment hire.”

And with the SGH share price still well down since August, now could be an opportune time to wade in and buy the dip.

Wielandt concluded:

Fiscal year 2026 guidance fell short of market expectations. Share price weakness provides a buying opportunity. The shares have fallen from $51.86 on August 11, the day prior to reporting full year 2025 results, to trade at $44.72 on December 11.

Which brings us to…

ASX 200 share offers attractive re-rating potential

The second stock you may wish to add to your Christmas list is Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN).

Shares in the health and safety products company are up 0.2% at the time of writing, trading for $36.06 each. Ansell shares have increased by 9.5% over the past 12 months. The ASX 200 share also trades on a 2.1% unfranked trailing dividend yield.

Looking ahead, EnviroInvest’s Elio D’Amato sees further strong growth potential.

“Ansell makes personal protection equipment for healthcare and industrial workplaces,” said D’Amato, who has a buy recommendation on Ansell shares.

According to D’Amato:

Organic sales growth, efficiency gains and favourable foreign exchange movements supported upgraded earnings per share guidance to between $US1.37 and $US1.49 in fiscal year 2026.

The balance sheet remains sound, and margin momentum is improving across its healthcare and industrial divisions.

And the ASX 200 share should appeal to ESG investors as well.

D’Amato noted:

Environmentally, ANN benefits from tightening global sustainability standards in personal protective equipment procurement and ongoing investment in cleaner manufacturing processes. ANN intends to be net zero, including scope 3 emissions, by 2045.

Connecting the dots, D’Amato concluded, “ANN offers defensive earnings, improving cash flow prospects and attractive re-rating potential.”

The post Analysts name 2 top ASX 200 shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 blue chip ASX shares with 4% dividend yields
• Three under the radar small caps I like for their dividend yields
• With rising costs, are Woolworths shares still a good buy today?
• Telix Pharmaceuticals shares crash 58% from their peak: Buying opportunity or time to sell up?
• The Commonwealth Bank has called it! Interest rates to rise in the new year, but how soon?

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

Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK) shares are trading in the red again in Tuesday morning trade. At the time of writing, the job listing company‘s shares are down 1.51% to $22.50 a piece. 

The latest tumble means the shares have now crashed 22.9% from their 3.5-year peak of $29.18 in late September. Seek shares are now trading 5.52% below their value at this time last year.

There hasn’t been any price-sensitive news out of the company since its 2025 annual general meeting (AGM) results in mid-November. 

But analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) have updated investors on their outlook for Seek shares following the latest data on Australian job ad volumes for November.

In the investor note, Macquarie confirmed its outperform rating and $32.50 target price on Seek shares. The broker’s stance on the stock is unchanged from August.

At the time of writing, this implies a potential 44.5% upside ahead for investors over the next 12 months.

Seek shares remain a top pick, despite the recent sell-off

Macquarie stated that the Seek employment report for November 2025 showed that Australian job ad volumes decreased by 2% year-over-year and 1% sequentially. On a 3- and 6-month rolling basis, job ad volumes are 2% and 3% lower, respectively.

Applications per ad in October were flat sequentially at 221. But this was 97 more applications (or 78% higher) compared to the 10-year average. 

“The report generally corresponds to Seek’s paid ad volumes, but with adjustments to 1) the inclusion of free company ads in the report and 2) weighting of Australian / New Zealand volumes (MQe = 90% / 10% skew),” the broker said in its note.

The broker commented that monthly declines in Australia continue to narrow. Assuming these trends continue through FY26, as well as continued New Zealand strength and outperformance of paid volumes, the broker said it expects Seeks’ 1H26 paid volume decline to be around 2%, and guidance for flat FY26 volumes will be achievable.

Macquarie analysts added that potential interest rate hikes in 2026 could create headwinds for job volumes. 

“Seek remains our top classifieds pick; with our view that FY26 guidance may be narrowed to the high end at the 1H26 result, supported by yield but with possibly some caution on volumes given near-term rate hikes,” Macquarie said.

“With that said, classifieds globally have underperformed, with significant debates on the impacts of AI, and whether there will be significant structural changes within the industries.”

The post Seek shares tipped to storm 45% higher next year: Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Australian chemicals and explosives giant Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI) has started the year with “strong momentum”, while at least one broker is tipping its shares will hit a new high-water mark on continued good results.

Orica held its annual general meeting on Tuesday, with managing director Sanjeev Gandhi bullish on the company’s prospects for the year ahead.

As he told the meeting:

Building on the strong performance in 2025, we have started the 2026 financial year with strong momentum. Demand for blasting technology, specialty mining chemicals and digital solutions remains strong, and our disciplined approach to execution and capital allocation positions us to navigate inflationary pressures, energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty. Looking forward, Orica is well-positioned to continue to deliver profitable growth across all three business segments and create enduring value for our customers and shareholders.

Balance sheet management

On capital management, Mr Gandhi said that in 2025 the company had, for the first time in a decade, conducted a share buyback which was “substantially completed … and this program has been increased by up to an additional $100 million, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to delivering value for our shareholders”.

Mr Gandhi said the company’s “disciplined approach” to capital management and prudent balance sheet was “structured to withstand volatility in the external environment”.

We continue to deliver our strategy in dynamic operating environments, where shifting market conditions and evolving societal expectations create new opportunities for innovation, adaptation and global growth— strengthening Orica’s position and supporting long-term value creation for our customers and shareholders.

Share price gains on the cards

The analysts at RBC Capital markets said in a note to clients on Tuesday morning that company’s musings at the AGM appeared to be “slightly more positive than the commentary provided at the FY2025 result on 13 November 2025 as the company stated that it had started the 2026 financial year with ‘strong’ momentum as opposed to the November characterisation of ‘good’ momentum”.

The RBC team went on to say:

The remainder of the language in relation to the 2026 outlook remains broadly consistent with that provided on November 13 and is consistent with our earnings forecasts. We retain our Outperform rating and $27.50 price target. Orica also reiterated that it is well-positioned to continue to deliver profitable growth across all three business segments.

If the Orica share price were to reach the RBC price target, it would mark a fresh 12-month high and represent a 16.3% increase from the current share price of $23.64.

Orica was valued at $11.1 billion at the close of trade on Monday.

The post Broker tips more than 15% upside for Orica shares after a “strong” start to the year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Macquarie tips double digit upside for this ASX 200 stock
• Macquarie names 3 top dividend-paying ASX 200 shares to buy today
• Brokers rate these 3 top ASX shares as buys in December
• How much higher can this explosive ASX stock go?

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.

If you have a high tolerance for risk and want some exposure to the booming defence sector, then it could be worth considering the ASX stock in this article.

That’s because Bell Potter believes it could rise more than 100% from current levels over the next 12 months.

Which ASX defence stock?

The stock that Bell Potter is urging investors to buy is Titomic Ltd (ASX: TTT).

It is a $340 million cold spray technology company. It applies this technology in additive manufacturing and coating and repairs.

Bell Potter highlights that cold spray uses compressed gas to accelerate metal powders to supersonic speeds, enabling kinetic energy to fuse/plastically deform the particles onto a substrate in solid form. The company’s high pressure systems can accept speciality alloy powders and manufacture large high-spec components.

The broker was pleased to see that the ASX stock has signed a contract with a leading US defence prime contractor. It said:

TTT has announced an Early Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract with a leading US defence prime contractor, valued at US$1.7m and expected to be completed by mid-2026. TTT will manufacture “next generation” defence sector components at its Huntsville Alabama facility. The contract leverages TTT’s propriety Titomic Kinetic Fusion cold spray additive manufacturing capabilities.

The broker feels that while it is early days, the successful delivery of this contract could bring about further contracts. It explains:

While it is a relatively early stage proof of concept agreement, successful delivery could lead to qualification and low-rate initial production contracts. The “next generation” designation for “defence modernization initiatives” implies a high-end technology application. TTT has previously outlined defence markets to include hypersonic systems, satellites, munitions and launchers as key segments of the addressable market; hypersonics and satellites being the most advanced applications.

Big potential returns

According to the note, Bell Potter has retained its speculative buy rating and 50 cents price target on the ASX defence stock.

Based on its current share price of 23 cents, this implies potential upside of almost 120% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its speculative buy recommendation, Bell Potter concludes:

TTT provides leverage to the emerging application of its cold spray technology in AM for defence, aerospace and natural resources markets. US defence spending as a percentage of GDP is at a cyclical low and is expected to lift over the coming decade. NATO members have recently announced increased spending commitments. We expect news flow relating to TTT’s participation in US defence programs, new commercial agreements and non-dilutive government-backed funding. We have made no changes to our earnings outlook or valuation in this report.

The post Guess which ASX defence stock could rocket 100%+ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Looking for 100% gains? These strategic minerals companies might be worth a look, Bell Potter says
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold stock, Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS), is marching higher today.

Ramelius Resources shares closed trading yesterday for $3.71. In late morning trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for $3.74 apiece, up 0.7%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.1% at this same time.

Today’s outperformance is par for the course for Ramelius shareholders, with the ASX 200 gold stock now up 76.8% year to date, racing ahead of the 5.4% returns delivered by the benchmark index.

Atop those capital gains, Ramelius Resources shares also trade on a fully franked 2.1% trailing dividend yield.

The good news is that, according to the team at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), it’s not too late to buy this surging ASX share.

We’ll look at the broker’s bullish assessment below.

But first…

Why are Ramelius Resources shares outperforming today?

Ramelius Resources shares look to be getting a boost from this morning’s announcement that the company has entered into a Tenement Sale and Purchase Agreement with Bulletin Resources (ASX: BNR).

The agreement will see Ramelius acquire three of Bulletin’s Lake Rebecca Gold Project tenements, located in Western Australia, for $500,000 in cash.

The ASX 200 gold stock also enjoyed a big boost last week after announcing it intends to buy back up to $250 million in shares over the next 18 months. The board also revealed an increase in the minimum Ramelius dividend to 2.0 cents per share each year.

Commenting on the buyback program on the day, Ramelius Resources managing director Mark Zeptner said:

At the time of the release of our 5-Year Growth Pathway to 500koz, the Ramelius Board gave clear direction to management that we need to “maintain and grow” shareholder returns. We are demonstrating this today in the form of a A$250 million share buyback program and an increase in the minimum dividend payable.

Which brings us to…

Why Macquarie is tipping the ASX 200 gold stock for more outperformance

In a research report published on Friday, Macquarie sounded a bullish note on the gold miner’s share buyback plans. Macquarie said:

Following the announcement of a A$250m share buyback (commences 24-Dec-25) we incorporate it into our forecasts which drives a 3% EPS increase in FY28/29/30E due to the lower share count.

Macquarie is also optimistic about the ASX 200 gold stock’s recent exploratory drilling successes.

According to the broker:

Due to the encouraging exploration results from Penny we extend our LOM [life of mine] forecasts from 1QFY27 to 3QFY27 (+6mth increase) which drives a 4% uplift in our FY27E ore milled grades from 3.55g/t to 3.70g/t, with gold production increasing from 206koz to 214koz which is 2% above the mid-point of production for the 5-yr outlook in FY27.

Summarising its outperform rating on Ramelius Resources shares, Macquarie said, “RMS remains one of our mid-cap preferences due to its strong organic growth outlook, effective capital management framework, and asset divestment potential.”

The broker increased its target price for the ASX 200 gold stock by 2% to $4.60 a share.

That represents a potential upside of 23% from current levels.

And it doesn’t include those upcoming dividends.

The post This ASX 200 gold stock has surged 77% in 2025. Here’s why Macquarie expects it to leap another 23% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why 4DMedical, Megaport, Meteoric Resources, and Ramelius shares are racing higher today
• Guess which ASX 200 gold stock is jumping 10% on $250m shareholder return

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

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has given back its morning gains and slipped into the red. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down slightly to 8,633.6 points.

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

AIC Mines Ltd (ASX: A1M)

The AIC Mines share price is down almost 3% to 51.5 cents. This is despite the copper and gold miner releasing a drilling update this morning. AIC Mines has been exploring extension drilling at the Jericho copper deposit located in Northwest Queensland. Commenting on the results, AIC Mines’ managing director, Aaron Colleran, said: “These results highlight the quality of the Jericho system – its continuity at depth and its significant scale. It reinforces our confidence in the long-term growth potential of this asset.”

ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX)

The ASX share price is down a further 2% to $52.43. This stock exchange operator’s shares have fallen this week after it committed to a strategic package of actions with ASIC. The company revealed that these commitments address the findings contained in an interim report from the expert ASIC Inquiry Panel. They are designed to deliver confidence in ASX as a provider of critical market infrastructure. One action will see the company accumulate an additional $150 million of capital above net tangible asset (NTA) value by 30 June 2027. This will then be in place until agreed milestones in the revised accelerate program are completed to the satisfaction of ASIC.

Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)

The Karoon Energy share price is down almost 3% to $1.59. This may have been driven by weakness in oil prices overnight. Traders were selling down oil in response to positive developments with respect to Russia and Ukraine peace talks. The latter has reportedly agreed to scrap its application to join NATO.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

The Life360 share price is down almost 6% to $32.71. This is despite there being no news out of the location technology company. However, with tech stocks on Wall Street being sold off amid concerns over the AI bubble, the selling appears to have spread to the ASX boards. It isn’t just Life360 shares that are down today. The S&P/ASX All Technology Index is down by a disappointing 1.6% at the time of writing.

The post Why AIC Mines, ASX, Karoon Energy, and Life360 shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.