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

Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT)

The Adriatic Metals share price is up 24% to $4.66. This has been driven by the news that the company is in discussions with Dundee Precious Metals regarding a possible takeover offer. Adriatic Metals advised that to facilitate the discussions, it has agreed to provide Dundee with access to limited due diligence information. However, it has warned that the discussions remain ongoing and there can be no certainty that any firm offer will be made.

Catapult Group International Ltd (ASX: CAT)

The Catapult share price is up over 10% to $4.75. Investors have been scrambling to buy the sports technology company's shares following the release of its full year results. Catapult posted a 19% increase in revenue in constant currency to US$116.5 million (A$185 million) and an 18% lift in annual contract value (ACV) to US$101.2 million (A$161 million). This underpinned management EBITDA of US$14.8 million (A$24 million) for the 12 months. This is up by US$10.6 million or approximately 250% year on year.

Seek Ltd (ASX: SEK)

The Seek share price is up almost 7% to $23.64. This follows the release of an investor update this morning from the job listings giant. Seek revealed that FY 2025 revenue and earnings are likely to be at the top end of their guidance ranges. It said: "FY25 revenue, EBITDA and Adjusted Profit are likely to be in the top half of guidance ranges. In ANZ, the recent upgrade of our ad tiers will support low double digit yield growth in FY25 vs pcp. The decline in job ad volumes has continued to stabilise in recent months and this trend is expected to continue."

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE)

The TechnologyOne share price is up a further 4% to $38.24. Investors have been buying the enterprise software provider's shares this week following the release of its half year results. TechnologyOne posted a 21% jump in annualised recurring revenue (ARR) to $511.1 million for the six months, which meant that it achieved its $500 million ARR target 18 months early. On the bottom line, TechnologyOne recorded a 33% increase in profit before tax to $81.9 million. This led to management upgrading its earnings guidance for the full year.

The post Why Adriatic Metals, Catapult, Seek, and TechnologyOne shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT)

The Adriatic Metals share price is down 10% to $4.16. This follows the release of an operational update from the silver miner today. Investors were selling its shares despite Adriatic Metals reporting a record quarter of processing throughput of 68kt ore milled in the first quarter. This is up from 47kt during the fourth quarter. This underpinned record quarterly sales of $33 million, an increase of 23% from Q4 of 2024. It seems that the market was expecting an even stronger performance. Laura Tyler, Managing Director & CEO of Adriatic, commented: "We have achieved key operational and corporate milestones over the past few months. Despite not achieving all the criteria for commercial production , the Vares Silver Operation is now ramping up steadily and generating positive cash flow.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is down almost 8% to $1.69. This is despite there being no news out of the lithium miner today. However, it is worth noting that a number of lithium stocks are suffering today. This was also the case with their peers on Wall Street on Friday. Investors may have concerns that potential tariffs on US auto sales could hit electric vehicle demand.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

The Rio Tinto share price is down almost 4% to $116.79. This follows a poor night of trade for the mining giant's NYSE listed shares. Concerns about global economic growth may be behind this weakness, which is weighing on most mining stocks today.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

The Zip Co share price is down 7% to $1.62. This buy now pay later provider's shares have been caught up in the market selloff today. The selloff has hit the tech sector and growth shares particularly hard. So much so, the S&P ASX ALL TECHNOLOGY index is down 2.2% at the time of writing. Zip shares are now down by over 50% from their 52-week high.

The post Why Adriatic Metals, Pilbara Minerals, Rio Tinto, and Zip shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) remains the most shorted ASX share with short interest of 18.2%. This is down strongly week on week. Some short sellers may have closed positions after the uranium producer delivered a better than expected quarterly update.
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) has seen its short interest ease a touch to 15.9%. Short sellers are betting heavily against uranium miners like Paladin Energy.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 12.2% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. Short sellers believe this student placement and language testing company is going to struggle this year due to student visa changes.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 11.6%, which is down slightly since last week. This is likely to reflect weak lithium prices and concerns over its high debt load and the exit of its founder/CEO due to misconduct.
• Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) has short interest of 11.1%, which is down since last week. This graphite miner had to declare a force majeure at its Balama operation in Africa late last year. Its shares are down over 90% since November 2022.
• Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) has 10.9% of its shares held short, which is down sharply week on week. Short sellers have been closing positions after getting caught up in a short squeeze after the pizza chain operator's shares rallied on good news.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) short interest of 10.4%, which is down week on week. Last week, the lithium miner released a trading update and revealed that it expects to post a loss for the first half of FY 2025.
• Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) has 10.1% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. This is another uranium stock being targeted by short sellers.
• Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT) has returned to the top ten with short interest of 9.7%. Short sellers appear concerned that its Vares Silver Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina could be underperforming.
• Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) is back in the top ten with short interest of 9.7%. There are concerns that this network as a service company could fall short of expectations in FY 2025.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) remains the most shorted ASX share after its short interest rose week on week to 15%. Short sellers appear to believe that there are further declines to come from this uranium miner which recently downgraded its production guidance and scrapped its sales guidance.
• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has 14.1% of its share held short, which is down since last week. Short sellers may believe this uranium producer is going to disappoint with the ramp up of its operations.
• Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) has seen its short interest ease slightly to 13.2%. This graphite miner has been burning through its cash reserves after being forced to suspend production at the Balama operation intermittently due to weak graphite prices.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 12.9% of its shares held short, which is down slightly week on week. This language testing and student placement company's shares have been sold off due to challenging trading conditions because of student visa changes.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 11.8%, which is up week on week yet again. This mining and mining services company's shares have lost 50% of their value in 2024. Lithium weakness and allegations over the conduct of its founder and CEO, Chris Ellison, are behind this decline.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) has short interest of 11.6%, which is flat week on week. This lithium miner's shares are down over 40% this year, much to the delight of short sellers.
• Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) has short interest of 10.7%, which is up week on week again. This pizza chain operator has struggled to turnaround its fortunes, and this has not escaped the attention of short sellers.
• Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) has 10.4% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. It is yet another uranium stock that short sellers have been targeting this year.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has 9.5% of its shares held short, which is up slightly week on week. This lithium miner recently adjusted its guidance to reflect weak commodity prices.
• Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT) has short interest of 8.9%, which is up slightly week on week. Short sellers may be betting on the silver miner cutting its FY 2025 guidance for the Vares Silver Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) has become the most shorted ASX share after its short interest rose to 14.7%. This uranium miner's shares crashed deep into the red last month after it downgraded its production guidance and scrapped its sales guidance.
• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has 14.6% of its share held short, which is flat since last week. It is another uranium stock that short sellers have been targeting. They appear to believe that prices won't be as strong as expected and/or see potential operational and ramp up risks.
• Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) has seen its short interest rise slightly week on week again to 13.4%. This graphite miner has been an easy target for short sellers. It has been burning through its cash reserves after being forced to suspend production intermittently due to low graphite prices.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 13.1% of its shares held short, which is down materially week on week. This language testing and student placement company's shares hit a multi-year low last month amid tough trading conditions due to student visa changes.
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) ended its long run as the most shorted ASX share after reporting a sizeable reduction in short interest to 11.6%. This could be a sign that short sellers believe that the lithium miner's shares have now bottomed.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 11.4%, which is up week on week again. This mining and mining services company's shares have been sold off recently due to lithium weakness and allegations over the conduct of its founder and CEO, Chris Ellison.
• Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) has 10.3% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. It is another uranium stock that short sellers have been targeting this year.
• Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) has short interest of 10.2%, which is up slightly week on week. This pizza chain operator has been struggling of late. It seems that short sellers don't believe change is coming just yet.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has 9.4% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. Weak lithium prices continue to weigh heavily on sentiment (and profitability).
• Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT) has short interest of 8.8%, which is down week on week. Short sellers appear to be bettering on the miner cutting its FY 2025 guidance for the Vares Silver Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn't quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) continues its long run as the most shorted ASX share with short interest 17.3%, which is down week on week once again. Short sellers have been going after Pilbara Minerals and other lithium stocks due to falling battery material prices.
• Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) has 14.6% of its share held short, which is down since last week. It is one of a number of uranium stocks that short sellers have been targeting. They appear to believe that prices won't be as strong as expected and see potential operational and ramp up risks.
• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) has short interest of 14.2%, which is down week on week. Short sellers appear to have been closing some positions to lock in gains after the uranium miner's shares crashed deep into the red. This was driven by a downgrade to its production guidance and the scrapping of its sales guidance.
• IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) has 14.2% of its shares held short, which is down week on week again. Short sellers will have been pleased to see this language testing and student placement company's shares hit a multi-year low last week amid tough trading conditions due to student visa changes.
• Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) has seen its short interest rise slightly since last week to 13.3%. This graphite miner has been forced to suspend production intermittently to conserve cash due to low graphite prices.
• Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has short interest of 10.5%, which is up week on week. This mining and mining services company's shares have come under significant pressure recently amid allegations over the conduct of its founder and CEO, Chris Ellison. He has since announced plans to step down.
• Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) has short interest of 10.1%, which is up week on week again. This pizza chain operator announced that its long-serving CEO is stepping down earlier this month. Though, it is worth noting that some investors believe a change is due after Domino's abject performance in recent years.
• Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) has 9.9% of its shares held short, which is flat week on week once again. This is another uranium stock that short sellers have successfully targeted in 2024.
• Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT) is a new entry in the top ten with short interest of 9.3%. It is a precious and base metals developer that is advancing the Vares Silver Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has 9.2% of its shares held short, which is down week on week again. Some short sellers may be closing positions after the lithium miner's shares dropped 54% in 2024 due to weak lithium prices.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT)

The Adriatic Metals share price is down 6% to $4.04. This follows the release of the silver miner's third quarter update. While the company revealed a big quarter on quarter jump in production, it appears to have fallen short of the market's expectations. Adriatic Metals' new CEO, Laura Tyler, was pleased. She commented: "Having spent the last few months onsite at the Vares Silver Operation, I am proud of the significant strides made throughout the quarter. We successfully mined our first stope, resulting in a substantial production increase to 63,100 tonnes and there was a notable advancement in underground development."

Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS)

The Metcash share price is down 3% to $3.10. This morning, analysts at Macquarie downgraded the wholesale distributor's shares to an underperform rating (from outperform) and cut the price target on them to $3.45. The broker made the move in response to a disappointing update, which revealed weaker than expected sales from the high margin hardware business. And with the broker expecting tough trading conditions to continue, it has taken an axe to its earnings estimates for the medium term.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

The Paladin Energy share price is down 16% to $10.23. Investors have been selling this uranium miner's shares after it released its first quarter update. For the three months ended 30 September, Paladin Energy reported U3O8 production of 0.64Mlb and sales of 0.62Mlb. The latter pulled in cash receipts of US$24.8 million, which implies a selling price well below current spot prices. Management also revealed that some short-term operational challenges were encountered during the quarter, which impacted ore feed, recovery rates and production volumes.

Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX)

The Westgold Resources share price is down 4% to $3.16. This morning, the gold miner announced that it has executed a commitment letter with ING Bank and Societe Generale to increase its existing $100 million syndicated facility agreement to $300 million through the addition of a new $200 million facility. Westgold's CEO, Wayne Bramwell, commented: "Increasing our undrawn facilities to $300M bolsters our balance sheet and enhances Westgold's financial agility to execute on our growth strategy in FY25."

The post Why Adriatic Metals, Metcash, Paladin Energy, and Westgold shares are tumbling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

With central banks poised to start their interest rate-cutting cycle around the world (the European Central Bank already has), many investors are piling into these metals, expecting a breakout rally.

And whilst the 'golden child' of the gold/silver pairing usually steals the limelight, experts believe the stage has been set for a breakout in silver prices.

Could this be the perfect moment to add ASX silver shares to your portfolio? Let's see.

Why are silver prices surging?

Gold has taken off in 2024 and posted a series of new all-time highs in the process.

But silver has outperformed gold recently, rising over 29% this year in USD terms to trade at US$30.73 per ounce at the time of writing. This could draw attention to ASX silver shares.

Whereas gold's recent demand spike is fuelled by global central bank buying and increased potential concerns about the economy and inflation, silver's dual role as a precious and industrial metal makes it a unique investment.

Not only does silver benefit from the same safe-haven demand that drives gold higher, but its industrial uses – particularly in solar panels and electronics – are boosting demand even further.

In a recent note, Citi analysts predicted silver prices could surge 15% this year to US$35 an ounce and climb to US$38 an ounce by mid-2025, according to The Australian Financial Review.

The broker says several forces are combining to form the rally. As the US Federal Reserve prepares to cut interest rates, precious metals like silver become more attractive.

Rate cuts typically reduce the allure of income-generating assets like bonds. This shifts investors' focus to assets like gold and silver, which can hold value during economic uncertainty. This could also impact ASX silver shares.

But silver has roles outside of its investment status. It also plays a significant role in the solar energy sector. It is used in the production and operation of solar panels.

According to The Silver Institute, silver is "the world's best conductor" of electricity, even better than copper.

Meanwhile, The International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that installations of solar energy systems are expected to more than double by 2028 globally.

This demand could be a major tailwind for companies with exposure to the metal.

What's the outlook for silver shares?

In the table below is a list of three companies with concentrate operations in the exploration and/or production of silver.

Consensus has a strong buy rating on Adriatic Metals according to CommSec. Whereas the other two aren't rated.

But analysts from Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Citi are all bullish on gold and silver., and this could impact ASX silver shares.

Goldman forecasts gold to hit US$2,700 an ounce by early next year. Given silver often follows gold's lead, this trend could further support silver's rise.

Meanwhile, UBS predicts silver prices to continue rising into next year:

We see silver prices rising to USD38/oz by mid-2025, with industrial demand likely to benefit from higher use in renewables and electronics.

Citi, on the other hand, said, "the time is right" to start looking at the precious metal.

Add to this the fact that silver is in a supply deficit, and you have a recipe for a major price surge, according to Tavi Cost, macro strategist at Crescat Capital. He commented on this in a post from June this year:

Silver production in Peru continues to fall severely, now down 43% from peak levels.

Together with China, Peru is projected to be the second-largest producer of silver globally.

Limited new supply paired with structurally higher demand is the perfect recipe for major price surges in any commodity.

ASX silver shares takeaway

Given the current market dynamics, experts say ASX silver shares might present a compelling opportunity.

Time will tell how the investment thesis plays out.

The post Could now be the perfect time to buy ASX silver shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are weighing on the market today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping:

Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT)

The Adriatic Metals share price is down almost 8% to $3.25. This follows the release of the initial production guidance of the Vares Silver Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is forecasting production of 240-300kt for 2024, then 750-850kt for 2025, and finally 800-900kt for 2026 onwards.

Chrysos Corporation Ltd (ASX: C79)

The Chrysos share price is down 6.5% to $7.13. This morning, the mining technology company released its quarterly update. It revealed revenue of $10.1 million for the three months. This represents a 13% increase quarter on quarter and a 57% jump year on year. It seems that some investors were expecting even stronger growth.

Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN)

The Coronado share price is down 4% to $1.61. This may have been driven by the release of a broker note out of Ord Minnett. Its analysts have downgraded the coal miner's shares to a hold rating with a trimmed price target of $1.80.

Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN)

The Nanosonics share price is down 34% to $2.87. Investors have been selling this infection prevention company's shares following the release of a disappointing update. Nanosonics revealed that it has continued to experience ongoing uncertainty associated with the impact on the timing of capital unit sales due to hospital capital budgetary pressures. In light of this, its first half profit before tax is expected to be just $4.9 million. This is less than half of what was recorded a year ago.

The post Why Adriatic Metals, Chrysos, Coronado, and Nanosonics shares sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

However, there is another precious metal that's an absolutely essential ingredient for many sectors, which is being ignored by the stock market.

"Silver, often overshadowed by its more illustrious cousin, is a precious metal that has quietly been the backbone of numerous industries for centuries," MP Markets senior investment advisor Kai Chen said on the company blog.

"Its superior electrical and thermal conductivity properties have made it an indispensable resource in our modern world."

Low supply, high demand

Unfortunately for the silver mining industry, the lack of funds has seen production fall into decline.

"The exploration and development of silver mines have been on a downward trend, leading to a precipitous drop in inventories and raising alarm bells about the future availability of this vital metal."

But this doesn't mean demand has waned. 

In fact, "a new era" of silver usage is about to begin with the rapid take-up of electric cars and renewable energy infrastructure.

"Its crucial role in photovoltaic cells and electronic components has driven an unprecedented surge in demand," said Chen.

"Yet, this escalating demand is being met with a supply chain that is riddled with challenges."

Low supply and high demand. You know what this means.

Not just pretty around your neck

Chen feels more bullish about silver than gold because the former is actually used much more for industry as opposed to jewellery.

"Demand is expected to remain robust in the coming years, even amidst potential fluctuations in investment and jewellery categories," said Chen.

"The reason? The global shift towards clean energy."

The element has desirable qualities for the manufacture of solar panels.

"The demand from the solar market is expected to surge by 15% to 161.1 million ounces in 2023, almost tripling the demand seen in 2015."

The best silver stocks to buy right now 

So, right at the moment, which ASX shares would Chen buy to invest in silver?

The first is Silver Mines Ltd (ASX: SVL), which has seen its share price fall 5% so far this year.

"Silver Mines acquired the Bowdens Silver Project, the largest undeveloped silver deposit in Australia, alongside the neighbouring Barabolar Project, with a total of 2,007km of land holdings," he said.

"A 2018 feasibility study indicated potential annual production of 3.4 million ounces of silver, 6,900 tons of zinc, and 5,100 tons of lead, supported by recent $18 million investments for further development."

Chen's other pick, Adriatic Metals PLC (ASX: ADT), has headed up 15.7% year to date.

"Adriatic Metals aims to begin production at the Vares Silver Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina by late 2023."

"Additionally, Adriatic is constructing a processing facility for exporting silver, lead, and zinc materials, and owns the potential zinc-silver asset, the Raska Project, in Serbia."

The post 'Indispensable: 2 ASX mining shares to buy for a precious metal no one's talking about appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.