Critical minerals are the talk of the town at the moment, with many nations scrambling to secure access to them.
The good news is that there are many ways for Aussie investors to gain exposure to critical metals on the local stock exchange.
But which ones could be buys? Let's take a look at three of the best to buy now according to analysts at Bell Potter.
Ioneer Ltd (ASX: INR)
This lithium-boron producer has caught the eye of Bell Potter. It has a speculative buy rating and 36 cents price target on its shares.
The broker was pleased with the funding support it received from the US Department of Energy for the Rhyolite Ridge project and believes this is the first step in de-risking its development. It said:
In January 2025, Rhyolite Ridge received funding support from the US Department of Energy through a US$996m, 20-year loan. The company is currently running a project selldown process, which we expect to materially de-risk the development's remaining funding requirements. Project development should commence in 2026 to enable first production in 2029. The US Department of Interior, in consultation with the US Geological Survey, recently added boron to the final 2025 List of Critical Minerals; this list also includes lithium. Buy (Speculative), Valuation $0.36
Liontown Ltd (ASX: LTR)
Bell Potter rates lithium miner Liontown highly and has a buy rating and $1.52 price target on its shares. It believes that 2026 will see the company de-risk its Kathleen Valley operation. The broker said:
Over 2026, LTR will further de-risk the ramp-up of production at Kathleen Valley as ore stockpiles support the operation's transition to all underground mining. LTR has a strong balance sheet and is highly leveraged to lithium markets, which we expect to further improve.
WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1)
A third ASX critical minerals stock that Bell Potter is recommending to clients is niobium developer WA1 Resources. It has a speculative buy rating and $24.80 price target on its shares.
The broker highlights that the company owns the Luni deposit, which is the highest grade niobium deposit outside Brazil. It said:
WA1's Luni deposit in the West Arunta, Western Australia, is the highest grade niobium deposit outside of Brazil and bears similarities to the global significance of LYC's Mt Weld deposit in the rare earth sector. Brazil accounts for ~90% of global supply of Niobium, a key micro alloy in steel. We anticipate a Resource update during CY26 and a potential initial study, which builds on process flowsheet work conducted over the last ~1.5 years, and recent infill drilling.
