Tag: Stock pick

We recently looked at three ASX 200 shares that the team at Bell Potter is bullish on and has named as top picks for December. You can read about those shares here.

Two more of the best shares to buy this month according to the broker are listed below. Here’s why it is bullish on these names:

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

A new addition this month is sports technology company Catapult Sports. The broker highlights that the company recently started to consistently generate positive EBITDA and free cash flow, and believes this can continue as it capitalises on the significant under penetration of its technology in elite sport.

In addition, Bell Potter likes the company due to its strong recurring revenue, recent acquisitions, and attractive valuation. It explains:

CAT is a leading global provider of athlete-tracking and performance analytics, supported by a recurring revenue base (~94% of total revenue) and a long runway for market penetration. CAT continues to execute a simple but effective strategy, growing its installed base, retaining customers, and steadily lifting contract value through additional modules and integrated workflows. Recent acquisitions have strengthened its position in scouting and tactical analytics, improving cross-sell potential, particularly across its large football customer base, and helping shift the product suite from point solutions to a unified system.

Importantly, CAT is now consistently generating positive EBITDA and FCF, marking a clear shift in the maturity of the business and supporting greater operating leverage as subscription revenue scales. Following a recent share price pullback, the stock screens more attractively relative to its growth outlook, and we see scope for a re-rate as management sustains cash generation and continues to capitalise on the significant under penetration of wearables and analytics across elite sport.

Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK)

Another new addition is furniture retailer Nick Scali. It likes the ASX 200 share due to its positive growth outlook, which is being underpinned by a structural opportunity in the UK market.

Bell Potter sees a significant expansion opportunity in the UK, which it thinks could support double-digit revenue growth through to FY 2028. It also feels that the company is well-placed to benefit from recent interest rate cuts. It said:

Nick Scali (NCK) offers a strong growth profile in the small-cap consumer space, underpinned by its structural opportunity in the UK. Early traction from the initial store roll-out validates the brand’s value proposition in a less fragmented market. Our analyst sees potential for ~60 UK stores, roughly a 3x expansion on the current footprint, supporting a group revenue CAGR of 10% out to FY28 with the largest growth of ~20% coming from the newly acquired UK business. We expect to see the realisation of operating leverage as the international network scales.

In Australia, steady market share gains in the core Nick Scali brand have helped offset a still mixed macro backdrop, while continued expansion of the Plush brand provides another growth lever. NCK’s high-quality earnings model screens well relative to global home furnishing peers, with supportive demand catalysts including improving consumer sentiment and an uplift in household goods spending following rate cuts in 2025. We expect 1H earnings to benefit from favourable 2Q26 comps and expect the UK roll-out and ongoing market share gains to drive the next leg of earnings growth and support a rerate.

The post Bell Potter names more of the best ASX 200 shares to buy in December appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These ASX 200 shares could rise 30% to 40% in 2026
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Buy, hold, sell: Catapult, Step One, WiseTech Global shares
• Why Catapult, Collins Foods, Guzman Y Gomez, and Pantoro shares are falling today
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

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

The Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG) is trading at $73.66 per unit, down 0.24% on Tuesday.

This ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) is all about growth, and it’s a bit unusual in how it invests its funds.

Instead of seeking to track the performance of single index, like most ETFs do, it invests in scores of other ETFs.

This compounds the number of stocks that it’s exposed to. In the end, it’s actually invested in more than 16,000 shares.

Talk about diversification!

Some investors may feel this is too much diversification, while others may feel this lowers the risk.

The VDHG ETF has a strategic allocation of 90% growth assets, such as shares, and 10% defensives, such as bonds.

Vanguard explains the ETF’s purpose:

The ETF provides low-cost access to a range of sector funds, offering broad diversification across multiple asset classes.

The ETF invests mainly into growth assets, and is designed for investors with a high tolerance for risk who are seeking long-term capital growth.

VDHG ETF’s make up is 36% ASX shares, 26.5% unhedged international shares, 16% hedged overseas shares, 7% international fixed interest (hedged), 6.5% international small companies, 5% emerging markets, and 3% Aussie fixed interest.

There’s a management fee of 0.27% per year.

So, if you invested $10,000 in the VDHG ETF five years ago, where would your investment be today?

Let’s do the maths…

$10,000 in VDHG ETF 5 years ago…

On 9 December 2020, the VDHG ETF closed at $57.98 apiece.

If you had put $10,000 into VDHG then, it would have bought you 172 units (for $9,972.56).

There’s been a capital gain of $15.68 per unit since that time. This equates to $2,696.96 in dollar terms.

Thus, your VDHG holding is now worth $12,669.52.

Although this ETF is focused on growth, it still pays distributions (or dividends) every quarter.

Since 9 December 2020, VDHG has paid distributions of just over 1,439 cents per unit.

So, you’ve also received $2,475.08 in income over the past five years.

In this example, we’ve assumed you took your dividends as cash.

But the VDHG does have a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) if you prefer to keep reinvesting your dividends in more stock.

Total annual returns…

Your capital gain of $12,669.52 plus $2,475.08 in dividends gives you a total dollar return of $15,144.60 over the past five years.

As stated earlier, you invested $9,972.56 buying your 172 VDHG ETF units in 2020.

This means you have received a total return, in percentage terms, of just over 51%, or an average annual return of 10.4%.

This fits with VDHG’s long-term pattern.

Since its inception date on 20 November 2017, the ETF has produced a gross average annual total return of 10.1%, or 9.8% after fees.

The post $10,000 invested in VDHG ETF 5 years ago is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• $10,000 invested in VDHG ETF 3 years ago is now worth…

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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 Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) share price is in free fall today.

Shares in the beleaguered S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) auto parts company closed yesterday trading for $2.35. In morning trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for $1.91 each, down 18.7%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.3% at this same time.

Here’s what’s got investors reaching for their sell buttons.

Bapcor share price tanks on lower guidance

The Bapcor share price is under heavy pressure today after the company released updated guidance for the first half of FY 2026 as well as for the full FY 2026 year. And as you can guess by the market’s reaction today, the revised guidance was to the downside.

The company said that its trading performance in October and November was “below expectation”.

Bapcor’s Trade segment was a particular drag on performance. Management said that revenue fell year on year in tools and equipment, noting that parts revenue managed to grow “modestly”.

Part of the headwinds hitting the Bapcor share price arise as the company’s Trade business has been investing in pricing across specific parts categories to regain Bapcor’s market share. The company noted that these price reductions have crimped profit margins in the short term, while they are expected to drive volume growth in the future.

With the weaker-than-expected trading performance in October and November in mind, Bapcor said it now expects statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) for 1H FY 2026 to be a loss in the range of $5 million to $8 million.

Bapcor expects underlying NPAT for 1H26 (before one-off/non-recurring items) to be in the range of $5 million to $8 million.

As for the full 2026 financial year, the company now expects statutory NPAT to be in the range of $31 million to $36 million. That excludes the potential 1H26 impairment associated with the company’s New Zealand segment.

The company expects underlying NPAT for FY 2026 (before the anticipated 1H26 one-off/non-recurring items) to be in the range of $44 million to $49 million.

What did management say?

Commenting on the performance update that’s pressuring the Bapcor share price today, CEO Angus McKay said, “The weaker operational performance in October and November is disappointing.”

Looking ahead, McKay added:

Although, the turnaround of the business is more challenging and taking longer than expected we are committed to doing the difficult work that will result in a stronger, more sustainable company.

I am excited by the appointment of Craig Magill and Dean Austin to key EGM roles in the Trade and Retail segments respectively. Craig has significant Bapcor and automotive experience and Dean brings extensive retailing and merchandising experience.

With today’s intraday losses factored in, the Bapcor share price is down a painful 58.7% in 2025.

The post Why is the Bapcor share price crashing 19% on Tuesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Corporate Travel Management and Boss Energy shares dumped from ASX 200
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Macquarie names best and worst ASX stocks to buy in a rising interest rate environment

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 300 Index (ASX: XKO) is down 0.3% today despite the best efforts of this rocketing ASX 300 healthcare share.

The surging stock in question is clinical-stage biotech company Immutep Ltd (ASX: IMM).

Immutep shares closed yesterday trading for 25.5 cents. In early morning trade on Tuesday, shares are changing hands for 32.5 cents apiece, up 27.5%.

This outperformance follows news of a new strategic collaboration.

Here’s what’s happening.

ASX 300 healthcare share surges on global expansion potential

Investors are piling into Immutep shares today after the ASX 300 healthcare share reported that it has entered into a strategic collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement with an Indian-based global pharmaceutical company, Dr. Reddy’s.

The agreement is for the development and commercialisation of Immutep’s Eftilagimod Alfa (efti) cancer treatment in all countries outside North America, Europe, Japan, and Greater China.

The ASX 300 healthcare share will retain its rights on efti in those markets. Immutep also retains all its global manufacturing rights for efti across all markets. The company will supply the product to Dr. Reddy’s in the licensed markets.

Immutep describes efti as a novel immunotherapy with the potential to set a new standard of care in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and chemotherapy as first-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

The company highlighted that efti is also being investigated in other indications, including head and neck cancer, breast cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma.

Under the agreement with Dr. Reddy’s, Immutep will receive an upfront payment of US$20 million (AU$30.2 million). The company said it may also receive potential regulatory development and commercial milestone payments of up to US$349.5 million, as well as double-digit royalties on commercial sales in these markets.

What did management say?

Commenting on the collaboration sending the ASX 300 healthcare share rocketing today, Immutep CEO Marc Voigt said, “This agreement with Dr. Reddy’s marks a significant milestone for Immutep and further validates the potential of efti.”

Voigt continued:

Dr. Reddy’s proven capabilities and reach in the licensed markets make them an ideal partner to maximise the impact of our innovation and serve a large number of patients across the globe.

Additionally, this partnership allows us to capture significant value for efti in the licensed markets, while retaining full rights in key markets such as North America, Europe, and Japan, and ensures we remain very well-positioned for future value creation.

M.V. Ramana, CEO Branded Markets Dr. Reddy’s, noted, “”This collaboration marks our continuous efforts to deliver first-in-class and innovative therapies for cancer treatment.”

Ramana added:

Through this agreement, we look forward to leveraging our expertise and strong market access to advance the development and commercialisation of this promising cancer therapy in the licensed markets.

The post Guess which ASX 300 healthcare share is rocketing 28% on global expansion news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This soaring ASX mining stock backed by billionaire Gina Rinehart just unveiled “exceptional” news
• Up 24% in a year! The red-hot Telstra share price is smashing BHP, Westpac and Coles
• The sleeper defence stock set to explode? Up 240% in 2025, and poised to fire again!
• Liontown clinches Canmax deal: key details for investors
• Why are Liontown shares rising today and up 18% this week?

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.

St George Mining Ltd (ASX: SGQ) has been one of the standout performers on the ASX in 2025.

Overall, shares in this ASX rare earths stock have rocketed by 350% since the start of the year to $0.09 per share at the time of writing.

This compares with a 5.03% rise for the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) across the same period.

In essence, the company is focused on brining to production its Araxá rare earths and niobium project in Brazil.

Araxá already hosts a “world class” mineral resource containing 1.7 million tonnes of total rare earths oxide (TREO) and 280,000 tonnes of niobium.

It also features shallow free-digging mineralisation that could potentially support an open pit mining operation.

The company’s ambition to build a mine received a boost in October through a major $72.5 million capital raise.

Notably, this cash injection was headlined by a strategic $22.5 million investment from mining billionaire Gina Rinehart via her Hancock Prospecting business.

The funds are now supporting a series of works designed to move Araxá closer to mining, including a mineral resource upgrade and economic evaluation.

And on Monday, the company released what it described as “exceptional” drill results that could underpin a significant increase to Araxá’s resource base.

What happened?

St George has already reported a series of significant rare earths and niobium intercepts from ongoing resource expansion drilling at Araxá.

The ASX mining stock now appears to have added another string to its bow with the most recent results unveiled yesterday.

New assays included the thickest high-grade intercept drilled at the project so far, consisting of 115.65 metres at 3.34% TREO and 0.34% niobium.

The latest drilling also delivered 100.1m at 3.96% TREO and 0.40% niobium, as well as 79.7m at 3.69% TREO and 0.40% niobium.

Management believes the results showcase strong continuity of shallow and high-grade mineralisation over broad intervals.

In turn, these outcomes could potentially support a substantial increase in total tonnage and overall grade for Araxá’s mineral resource.

St George Mining executive chairman, John Prineas, commented:

The Araxá Project is delivering exactly what we set out to achieve – consistent, high-grade results that expand the project’s scale and strengthen our confidence in what already is an exceptional, world-class Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).

He added:

Drilling continues to deliver an extension of high-grade mineralisation to the west of the MRE footprint to demonstrate that the mineral system is open and extends beyond previously defined limits. We are excited about the pending results from further drilling completed in this area to the west of the MRE.

What next for the ASX mining stock?

The high-grade mineralisation at Araxá remains open in all directions, including at depth.

Results from a further 32 completed drill holes are expected later this year.

In addition, drilling at Araxá continues around the clock with another 25 holes scheduled for this year.

St George also plans to expand the drilling into 2026.

The post This soaring ASX mining stock backed by billionaire Gina Rinehart just unveiled “exceptional” news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Up 400% in 2025! This Gina Rinehart-backed ASX rare earths stock just delivered some big news

Motley Fool contributor Bart Bogacz 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 Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price closed 1.23% higher on Monday afternoon, at $4.95 a piece. Over the past year the Australian telecommunications company’s shares have jumped 23.5% higher.

What’s impressive is that after a 21% increase for the first 6 months of 2025, the share price has remained incredibly stable with just small fluctuations.

When compared to ASX powerhouses like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) or evening banking giant Westpac Banking Corporation Ltd (ASX: WBC), the Telstra share price has far outperformed.

Over the past 12 months, BHP shares have climbed 9.56%, Coles shares have risen 14.52%, and Westpac shares have stormed 16.34% higher. These are all fantastic annual gains, but none are as steep as Telstra’s red hot 23.5% increase.

What has pushed the Telstra share price higher this year?

Telstra is a defensive stock, which means the company that tends to perform steadily, regardless of the stage of the economic cycle. After all, mobile and internet connections in households and businesses are no longer a luxury but a necessity. Investors are aware of this and many have been buying the stock to help hedge against potential volatility elsewhere. 

This is evident in the company’s financial results this year too. The business has reported strong growth throughout 2025. Its first half FY25 results in February showed strong earnings growth across almost all of its products, improved operating profit, higher returns for shareholders and plans to improve its network coverage.

The telco giant’s full-year results in August also showed stronger underlying growth and financial performance. At the time the company also said it expected year-on-year growth to continue. 

The Telstra share price has also been supported by the company’s dividends, which give its investors a reliable passive cashflow. As one of the most reliable passive income stocks on the index, it’s a popular choice with investors seeking passive income. Telstra has paid out a steadily increasing dividend yield for several years, including during the COVID pandemic period.

Is there any more upside ahead?

After a robust 2025, analysts are pretty optimistic about the outlook for Telstra shares over the next 12 months too. TradingView data shows that out of 8 analysts, 4 have a buy or strong buy rating on the stock. Another 4 analysts have a hold rating.

Analysts expect the share price could rise as high as $5.40, which implies a potential 9.09% upside for investors at the time of writing.

The post Up 24% in a year! The red-hot Telstra share price is smashing BHP, Westpac and Coles appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 7 ASX mining shares to buy for Christmas amid upgrades from Macquarie
• Here’s the dividend forecast out to 2030 for Coles shares
• 2 ASX blue-chip shares offering big dividend yields
• Up 22% in a year! The red-hot ANZ share price is smashing CBA, Westpac and NAB shares
• BHP shares surge 8% on their way to reclaiming the No. 1 title from CBA

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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. 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.

Australian defence and aerospace specialist, Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS), has emerged as one of 2025’s most dramatic turnaround stories, and it may only be getting started. With shares climbing more than 240% this year, EOS is shifting from an overlooked small cap into a serious contender in global military markets.

Why is the EOS share price surging in 2025?

A big part of the EOS story this year comes down to how quickly modern warfare is changing. The war in Ukraine and the tension between Israel and Iran have shown just how common drones have become on the battlefield, and how important it is now for militaries to be able to stop them.

That shift plays straight into EOS’ strengths. The company produces everything from remote weapon stations (RWS), counter drone systems, high energy laser weapons, and technology used for tracking activity in space.

EOS is not limited to one type of product, and that gives it plenty of room to move. Its proven systems like the R400 and Slinger are still in demand, but the company is also pushing into newer areas like laser and space-based technology. As warfare continues to shift in that direction, EOS has a few different ways to keep growing at a blistering pace.

A major turning point came with a contract worth around $125 million in early August, secured from the Netherlands. The deal represents the world’s first export order for a laser defence system in the 100-kilowatt class. News of the agreement sent the EOS share price soaring by more than 40% in a single session, and doubled in a matter of days.

On top of its progress overseas, EOS continues to strengthen its domestic footprint. The company is supplying RWS to the Australian Defence Force through the LAND 400 3 program, with its upgraded R400 stations set to be fitted to the new Redback Infantry fighting vehicles. The contract is valued $108 million, and deliveries are expected to run through until 2027.

The financial picture has also been moving in the right direction for EOS. In its 2025 half-year results, the company reported revenue of $44.1 million.

As of late 2025, EOS’s order backlog has ballooned to around $415 million, nearly triple the level at the end of 2024. And if that’s not enough, management expects full-year 2025 revenue from existing contracts to land between $115 to $125 million, with further upside if additional orders are finalised and delivered.

Why next year could be even stronger for the EOS share price

While EOS already has momentum behind it, the pipeline ahead could be even more interesting. There is the much-talked-about $500+ million contract in the Middle East that could land, along with the possibility of a second laser order on top of its recent breakthrough win.

All of this gives EOS a few different ways to keep its growth going. Based on how the company is tracking and what could happen over the next year, I think buying EOS shares could be a strong investment in 2026. Several brokers already have 12-month price targets between $8.10 and $11.18, and that is before factoring in any of these potential contract wins.

The EOS share price last closed at $4.42 on Monday.

The post The sleeper defence stock set to explode? Up 240% in 2025, and poised to fire again! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 4 ASX shares I’d buy today with $10,000
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Forget Droneshield shares, I’d buy this ASX defence stock instead
• Why EOS shares could rise 75% in just a year

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras owns Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Electro Optic Systems. 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 Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR) share price is in focus today after the company announced a binding offtake agreement with Canmax Technologies. Under the deal, Liontown will supply 150,000 wet metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate each year in 2027 and 2028, with pricing to track global spodumene index movements.

What did Liontown report?

• Signed a binding offtake agreement with Canmax Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Supply of 150,000 wet metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate per year for 2027 and 2028
• Pricing linked to industry spodumene concentrate indices
• Agreement adds to Liontown’s existing customer arrangements and broadens geographic reach

What else do investors need to know?

This offtake agreement reinforces Liontown’s strategy to diversify its customer base by both location and industry. The deal follows Canmax’s recent participation in Liontown’s 2025 institutional placement, deepening ties between the two companies.

Canmax, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, is one of the leading producers of lithium chemicals globally. This partnership positions Liontown to further participate in the battery value chain and enhances supply certainty for its Kathleen Valley project output.

What did Liontown management say?

Tony Ottaviano, Managing Director and CEO of Liontown said:

We are pleased to execute an Offtake Agreement with Canmax, one of the world’s leading lithium chemicals companies. Their participation in our 2025 institutional placement signalled strong confidence in the long-term potential of Kathleen Valley, and this Offtake Agreement reinforces their commitment. Securing sales linked to spodumene concentrate indices coupled with continuing our strategy of platform based spot sales ensures we realise fair value for the products we produce.

What’s next for Liontown?

Liontown continues to build a platform of tier-one customers and is focused on expanding its lithium portfolio in Western Australia. The company aims to further develop strategic partnerships and explore downstream opportunities to strengthen its competitive advantage.

Ongoing efforts include pursuing additional offtake agreements and exploring new acquisitions or partnerships that can support the long-term growth and sustainability of its operations.

Liontown share price snapshot

Over the past twelve months, the Liontown share price has risen 149%, significantly outpacing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has climbed around 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Liontown clinches Canmax deal: key details for investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why are Liontown shares rising today and up 18% this week?
• West African Resources unearths thick gold zones below reserves in M5 North drilling update
• Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure locks in $1.07 billion refinancing and lower debt costs
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR) shares are pushing higher again on Tuesday morning.

At the time of writing, the lithium miner’s shares are up 2% to $1.55.

This means that the company’s shares are now up 18% week to date.

Why are Liontown shares pushing higher?

Investors have been bidding the company’s shares higher for a couple of reasons this week.

The first is the release of a bullish broker note out of UBS on Monday. Its analysts upgraded Liontown shares to a buy rating (from sell) with a vastly improved price target of $1.80 (from 80 cents).

UBS made the move after lifting its lithium price forecasts to reflect its belief that a supply deficit could be on the horizon.

Another reason that Liontown shares are lifting off this week is the release of an announcement this morning, which could be a big boost to its revenue in the near term.

Offtake agreement

This morning, Liontown revealed that it has executed an offtake agreement with Canmax for the supply of 150,000 wet metric tonnes (wmt) of spodumene concentrate per year over two years in 2027 and 2028.

The company advised that the pricing for this offtake agreement will be determined using a formula referencing spodumene concentrate indices.

It also notes that the agreement complements Liontown’s existing arrangements with its tier one customers and forms part of its approach to diversifying its customer base by geography and location on the battery value chain.

Canmax, which is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in China, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of lithium-ion battery materials. This includes lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, and other products. It is a key customer of several Australian and International raw material producers.

Liontown’s Managing Director and CEO, Tony Ottaviano, was very pleased with the agreement with Canmax. Commenting on the news, he said:

We are pleased to execute an Offtake Agreement with Canmax, one of the world’s leading lithium chemicals companies. Their participation in our 2025 institutional placement signalled strong confidence in the long term potential of Kathleen Valley, and this Offtake Agreement reinforces their commitment. Securing sales linked to spodumene concentrate indices coupled with continuing our strategy of platform based spot sales ensures we realise fair value for the products we produce.

Following today’s move higher, Liontown shares are now up an impressive 35% since this time last month. Whereas the ASX 200 index is down approximately 2.7% over the same period.

The post Why are Liontown shares rising today and up 18% this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Liontown clinches Canmax deal: key details for investors
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Lithium price rebounds 25% in 2025: Which ASX lithium shares are a buy?

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.

AI-infrastructure specialist, Nebius (NASDAQ: NBIS), has come out of nowhere in the past year, and its share price hasn’t exactly been sitting idle. After zipping more than 220% in 2025 alone, this company has been impossible to ignore in the AI space.

Meanwhile, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has surged 32% year-to-date, a far cry from its explosive run in the previous year.

What does Nebius do?

Nebius has taken a fairly unusual path to becoming a market favourite. After separating from its Russian roots last year and relisting on the Nasdaq, the company rebuilt itself in Amsterdam and went all-in on AI infrastructure.

Today, Nebius operates as a full-stack AI-cloud provider. It builds and runs large GPU-packed data centres and rents that computing power out to businesses. It also supplies the software, storage, and tools companies need to build, train, and scale AI models.

Is this the next Nvidia, or just another overhyped AI wonder kid?

In its latest quarter, Nebius brought in around US$146 million in revenue, which is more than 350% higher than a year ago.

The real turning point came when Nebius landed two high-profile customers. Microsoft signed a long-term contract that could be worth up to US$19.4 billion over five years, and Meta followed with its own deal, reportedly worth close to US$3 billion. For a company that barely registered with most investors not long ago, that’s a huge leap forward.

However, there are still challenges. Nebius is burning through cash to build more data centres and expand its GPU capacity, and the company is still operating at a loss. And unlike Nvidia, which designs the chips powering the AI boom, Nebius only rents the hardware, which means lower margins.

Even so, the momentum is hard to ignore. With the Nebius share price skyrocketing this year and demand for AI computing still exploding, the company has placed itself right in the middle of one of the fastest-growing areas of the tech market.

Foolish Takeaway

Nebius is shaping up as one of the more interesting companies in the AI arena. It is growing quickly, winning major contracts, and attracting attention for all the right reasons. But it is also early in its journey, still losing money and competing in a space dominated by the major 5 tech titans.

For investors who can handle a bit more risk, Nebius is one to keep an eye on. The potential is there, but it needs to prove a lot more before it earns any real comparison to Nvidia.

The post Forget Nvidia? The under the radar AI stock everyone’s suddenly watching appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Better artificial intelligence stock: Palantir Technologies vs. Nvidia
• Prediction: Nvidia stock is going to soar past $300 in 2026
• How to invest your first $1,000 in the share market the smart way
• Prediction: This AI stock will be the most surprising winner of 2026
• 3 ASX ETFs I’d buy right now to build wealth