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

APM Human Services International Ltd (ASX: APM)

The APM Human Services share price is down 29% to $1.16. Investors have been selling this human services provider's shares today in response to a takeover update. According to the release, CVC Asia Pacific has pulled the plug on its non-binding $2.00 per share offer following the completion of due diligence. And while APM has received another offer from Madison Dearborn Partners, the company has described it as "disappointing." Nevertheless, the board intends to engage with Madison Dearborn Partners to see if it is possible for an improvement to its $1.40 per share offer.

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS)

The Azure Minerals share price is down almost 9% to $3.26. Today the lithium explorer is holding its scheme meeting relating to the proposed takeover by SQM and Hancock Prospecting. The offer is $3.70 per Azure share with a fall-back conditional off-market takeover offer of $3.65 per Azure share. However, ahead of the meeting, the company revealed that the Foreign Investment Review Board has requested more time to decide on the deal. The company remains positive that approval will be granted. It said: "This is a standard extension request and Azure is not aware of any reason that the required FIRB approval will not be received."

Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

The Beach Energy share price is down 15% to $1.61. Investors have been selling the energy producer's shares after it revealed a series of quality issues at its Waitsia joint venture project in the Perth Basin. Beach is now working to update the production schedule and cost estimates for Waitsia, advising that "the extent of additional quality issues is to a point where current guidance on schedule and cost needs to be updated."

Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

The Elders share price is down 24% to $7.49. This agribusiness company's shares have come under significant pressure today after it released a trading update. Elders notes that first half trading in FY 2024 has been significantly below expectations due to a number of drivers. This includes subdued client sentiment following an El Niño declaration by the Bureau of Meteorology. As a result, Elders expects EBIT to fall 18% to 30% in FY 2024 to between $120 million and $140 million.

The post Why APM, Azure Minerals, Beach Energy, and Elders shares are crashing today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The once exuberant sector is wrestling with the fickleness inherent in commodities — an industry always at the whim of prevailing supply and demand dynamics. This is a lesson many lithium investors have discovered over the last year as prices have declined amid an oversupply.

Today, lithium appetite is tempered as a telling sign takes its toll.

Putting ASX lithium shares on edge

It's no secret the price of lithium — a material commonly used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries — is a shadow of its former self. The untimely combination of increased lithium supply and slowed EV demand has put a dent in the commodity's price, to put it lightly.

At its peak, a tonne of electrifying material could bring around US$84,000. Today, that figure is skimpy US$13,500, according to Trading Economics.

The obvious negative is lithium miners will see revenues fall for the same amount of production. All else being equal, this translates into reduced profits.

However, worse still is when the lithium costs more to mine than what it can be sold for. This is when the management team need to make a call on whether to keep operating at a loss or cease mining altogether.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) made that call this morning by providing an update to the market. In its release, the Northern Territory lithium company informed investors it would suspend mining activities due to weak lithium prices.

The decision indicates the price of lithium is now hovering around uneconomical levels for some.

As the heat map of ASX lithium shares shows, the sector is mostly shrouded in red following the Core Lithium news. However, Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) is fending off the pessimism today. The larger miner's low-cost operations could be fortifying some investors.

Being a low-cost miner allows the ability to keep producing as others are forced to withdraw. Under the worst scenario, the lowest-cost miner is the one left standing.

Who's next?

The fear among investors is which ASX lithium share could be next. In October 2023, IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) warned shareholders it may need to reduce production at its Greenbushes mine in the second half.

Fortunately, IGO is one of the lowest-cost producers. As such, it seems IGO is attempting to maximise returns by holding its lithium for when prices might be higher.

In the meantime, ASX lithium shares will arguably be under the close eye of the market.

The post Why are ASX lithium shares having an underwhelming end to the week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Last year was highly challenging for ASX lithium shares amid spiralling lithium commodity prices. As an example, the lithium carbonate price fell by 80% to close the year at US$13,865 per tonne.

That's its lowest lowest level since August 2021.

What's dragging down the lithium price?

The big issue is a short-term global oversupply of lithium amid a slower growth rate in electric vehicle (EV) sales in China, the United States and Europe due to weaker economic conditions.

EVs are the key to lithium demand and accounted for 60% of global trade in 2022.

Global EV sales are projected to grow from 11 million in 2022 to 25 million in 2025, but that is unlikely to occur in a straight line as supply and demand ebbs and flows.

Lithium supply has been building over the past year as established producers ramp up production. Meantime, new mining companies have started production and explorers are locking in off-take agreements for the future.

The commodity price boom between mid-2021 and late 2022 encouraged many new players into the lithium exploration space. The lithium price went as high as about US$82,520 per tonne in November 2022 before nosediving in 2023.

Australian producers IGO Limited (ASX: IGO), the co-owner of the world's largest hard rock lithium mine, Greenbushes in Western Australia, is now stockpiling lithium to sell when the commodity prices rebound.

Australia accounts for 50% of global lithium extraction.

The latest resources and energy quarterly report released in December shows the federal government expects export volumes to rise in FY24 but earnings to fall due to weaker lithium commodity prices.

Meantime, the lithium mining sector in Australia will continue to grow as the miners expand operations.

Junior ASX lithium shares attract world's biggest miners in 2023

Amid the commodity price spiral in 2023, we saw lots of takeover and investment activity in the lithium sector. This indicates that global captains of the mining industry see a great long-term future for lithium.

Mega Australian miners Hancock Prospecting and Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) bought major stakes in junior ASX lithium shares. Those stocks included Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8), Azure Resources Ltd (ASX: AZS), and Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR).

Hancock's 19.9% stake in Liontown effectively killed off a takeover proposal from US giant Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB).

We also saw the merger of Allkem Ltd and Livent Corp complete to create Arcadium Resources.

Earlier in 2023, Azure accepted a $3.52 per share takeover offer from Chilean giant Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM). Hancock's blocking stake led to the companies joining forces to offer a renewed bid of $3.70 per share.

Amid this backdrop, many ASX lithium shares tumbled in price over the 12 months. But some bucked the trend and simply shot the lights out.

Here are the top 3 ASX lithium shares within the All Ords for share price growth over the year.

3 best ASX lithium shares of 2023

Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8)

Wildcat shares exploded in 2023, recording a 2,796% share price gain in just 12 months. The ASX lithium share hit a 15-year high of $1.01 in November on the back of assay results from its Tabba Tabba mine.

The Wildcat share price is currently 70 cents, up 2.2% at the time of writing.

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS)

Azure shares rocketed 1,544% in 2023, largely due to its takeover offer from SQM and impressive drilling results from its flagship Andover project in Western Australia. Management said the results "firmly entrench the Andover Lithium Project amongst the best lithium exploration projects globally".

Azure shares are steady at $3.70. The ASX lithium share reached a 52-week high in November at $4.37.

Latin Resources Ltd (ASX: LRS)

Latin Resources shares skyrocketed by 191% in 2023. Significant progress at the flagship Salinas Lithium Project in Brazil has been an ongoing tailwind for this ASX lithium share. In late June, Latin Resources announced the discovery of a "district scale lithium corridor". In October, it ran a $35 million institutional capital raise at 25 cents per share. That will fund an expanded drilling program for the whole of 2024.

The Latin Resources share price is 26 cents, down 4.8%. It reached a 52-week high of 43 cents in August.

The post Despite a cliff-fall in commodity prices, these 3 ASX lithium shares skyrocketed in 2023 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Let's look back and see which ASX All Ords shares shone more brightly than the rest in 2023 based on share price growth, according to CommSec data.

Best ASX All Ords shares of last year

Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8)

It's no surprise to see Wildcat at the top of this list. What a year it was for the junior ASX lithium explorer. It recorded absolutely explosive share price growth of 2,796%. Wow! The ASX All Ords share hit a 15-year high of $1.01 in November. That was due to assay results from its Tabba Tabba lithium-tantalum project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Management said the company was "uncovering a tier-1 lithium deposit at Tabba Tabba". ASX 200 mining giant Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) built a 19.85% stake in the company last year. The Wildcat share price is currently 69 cents, down 1.44% at the time of writing.

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS)

Fellow ASX All Ords lithium share Azure also knocked it out of the park in 2023, with a 1,544% gain. Azure also attracted major new investment, with Hancock Prospecting and Mineral Resources both building stakes. This followed Azure accepting a $3.52 per share takeover offer from Chilean giant Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM). Hancock and SQM eventually joined forces with a renewed bid of $3.70 via a scheme of arrangement or $3.65 if the scheme proposal failed and an off-market takeover ensued. Azure shares are currently $3.70 and steady for the day. They reached a 52-week high in November at $4.37 apiece.

WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1)

WA1 Resources shares skyrocketed by 789% in 2023. The niobium explorer booked a strong finish to the year. The company announced positive drilling results from its West Arunta Project in Western Australia in late December. In the following week, the WA1 share price rose to a new 52-week high of $13.13. Ferroniobium is a steelmaking micro-alloy that adds strength as well as heat and corrosion resistance. It is used in the manufacture of wind turbines and oil and gas pipelines. The ASX All Ords mining share is changing hands today for $12.71, up 2.5% so far.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

This ASX All Ords mining share lived up to its name in 2023 with a 391% capital gain. Novus Capital stock broker and Meteoric investor John Edwards explains that the company acquired a tier-1 ionic clay rare earth element project in Brazil last year. It's called Caldeira, and Edwards reckons the tenements "are among the biggest and richest in the world". He says the company is now a potential takeover target. He has a 12-month share price target of up to 50 cents a share on the All Ords stock. The Meteoric Resources share price is currently steady at 26 cents. It hit a 52-week high of 28 cents in July.

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU)

The Neuren Pharmaceuticals share price was the best performer of the ASX 200 in 2023 and the fifth-best member of the ASX All Ords, which incorporates the top 500 companies. A big driver of the healthcare stock's 214% gain in 2023 was US FDA approval of its Rett syndrome treatment, Daybue. Another was the top-line results from Neuren's Phase 2 clinical trial of NNZ-2591 in kids with Phelan-McDermid syndrome. The ASX All Ords share is trading for $24.88, down 0.36% on Tuesday. Its 52-week high is $25.95.

The post 5 best performing ASX All Ords shares of 2023 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS)

The Azure Minerals share price is down 1.5% to $3.69. This is despite there being no news out of the lithium explorer. However, it is worth noting that its shares were trading ahead of the takeover offer from Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. and Hancock Prospecting that was accepted. The two parties made a joint bid of $3.70 per share.

Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN)

The Brainchip share price is down 4% to 17.2 cents. Investors have been selling off this struggling semiconductor company's shares this year. So much so, they are now down approximately 75% over the last 12 months. The market appears to believe that Brainchip's technology is all hype and no substance. Especially given how its deep-pocketed rivals could easily afford to acquire the company if they saw any value in its patents or thought it was a threat.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

The Core Lithium share price is down 5% to 24.7 cents. Investors have been selling this lithium miner's shares since it revealed that it is considering suspending production because of weak lithium prices. In other news, the miner has suspended its BP33 underground mine development for the time being to conserve cash.

Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG)

The Sigma share price is down 2% to 98 cents. This may have been driven by profit-taking after a strong gain this month in response to its plans to merge with Chemist Warehouse. The pharmacy chain operator and distributor's shares are up 43% since the start of December.

The post Why Azure Minerals, Brainchip, Core Lithium, and Sigma shares are falling appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

After all, interest rate hikes now appear to be nearing an end, and China is handing out stimulus to revive combat deflation.

So when the global economy improves and commodity demand picks up, you don't want to be missing out on that action.

If you want to pick up some resources stocks for cheap right now, here are three decent candidates:

'Recent break-out' for this mining stock

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have poked up 7.6% since the start of the month, so perhaps they're not as cheap as they used to be.

But the company is still putting up a pretty decent value proposition, especially with a handy 5.3% fully franked dividend yield.

Fairmont Equities managing director Michael Gable said last week that his team has a "bullish view on resources", with BHP's fortunes looking positive.

"The recent break-out points to a higher share price moving forward," he told The Bull.

"Copper production increased by 11% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024 when compared to the prior corresponding period."

Gold gold gold for Australia

Gold prices have been the exception to the mining downturn in 2023, as the safe haven commodity regained its mojo amid economic anxiety.

More than one professional is expecting the boom to continue for the precious metal.

"The gold price recently exceeded US$2,000 an ounce and may keep increasing," said Novus Capital stock broker John Edwards this week.

"A higher gold price could spark merger and acquisition activity."

One gold miner looking ripe for bargain-hunting investors or acquisition-hungry rivals is De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG).

At the time of writing, the share price was the same as where it started the year, which makes it an underperformer in that sector.

In a revealing sign, according to CMC Invest, all 10 analysts that cover De Grey shares reckon it's a buy at the moment.

When rich suitors come with flowers

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS) may not be a classical bargain, having seen its share price rocket almost 1,600% this year.

Yes, you read that right.

But it's in an intriguing position right now with Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) and Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting jostling for control of the junior miner.

Both suitors are licking their lips over Azure's Andover lithium project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

With the global lithium market sinking in 2023, over the long run the consensus expert view is that demand will push up prices for the critical battery ingredient.

Hancock has the upper hand right now, this week joining forces with Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM) to launch a full takeover bid.

Watch this space.

The post 3 ASX mining stocks you'll be glad you bought when the bull market starts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's because the lithium developer received and accepted a takeover offer from Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE: SQM) and Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.

The two miners joined forces to table a $3.70 cash per share offer, which the Azure Minerals board unanimously recommends in the absence of a superior proposal and subject to the independent expert's report.

However, two interesting things have happened since then.

The first is that Azure Minerals shares are now trading at $3.74, which is ahead of the takeover offer.

This is unusual because shares tend to trade at a discount to the offer to reflect the potential for a takeover to fail. So, for them to be trading ahead of the offer, is even more unusual.

Short interest in the lithium developer was extremely low. So, this isn't attributable to short sellers buying shares to close positions. Could someone be building a blocking stake?

What's going on with Azure Minerals shares?

This brings us to the second interesting thing that has happened since the takeover offer was tabled.

As shareholders will be aware, Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) also bought up a sizeable number of Azure Minerals shares recently.

Many believed that it would team up with Rinehart and/or SQM to be part of a takeover deal, but it was nowhere to be seen. Not has it endorsed the offer like other large shareholders.

Bell Potter noticed this and also highlights that Mineral Resources has spoken very positively about Azure Minerals' Andover Project.

And while it suspects the SQM-Rinehart takeover deal will be successful, it notes that Mineral Resources could look to use its holding to vote it down. The broker said:

In relation to the Andover Project (AZS, 60%), Managing Director, Mr Chris Ellison recently noted (2023 AGM, November) that MIN considers the deposits to have attractive characteristics, to have substantial Resource potential, and, that MIN wants to own a stake in the project.

In our view, the most likely outcome for AZS is that that the new joint proposed transaction will be successful. However, given MIN's recent comments on the Andover Project (AZS, 60%), and it's current substantial holding (~21% of the scheme voting shares), it is possible MIN could seek to vote down the scheme of arrangement, and maintain its ownership in AZS.

The post Own Azure Minerals shares? Here's why its takeover could collapse appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In early trade, the lithium developer's shares are up 2% to $3.70.

What's going on with Azure Minerals shares?

This morning, Azure Minerals released an update on its proposed takeover by lithium giant Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE: SQM).

As readers may be aware, the company was in the process of being taken over by the Chilean miner before Hancock Prospecting built a blocking stake.

However, the company has now revealed that the two parties have teamed up as joint bidders, under which it is proposed that they will acquire 100% of the shares in Azure by way of a scheme of arrangement for a cash amount of $3.70 per share. It also includes a fall-back takeover offer of $3.65 per Azure share via an off-market takeover if the scheme proposal is not successful.

This offer values the company at $1.7 billion and represents a 5.1% premium to the previous SQM proposal of $3.52 cash per share, which has now been replaced. It is also a 63.9% premium to the average Azure Minerals share price in the 10 days prior to the announcement of the SQM transaction in October.

The Azure board unanimously recommends the transaction in the absence of a superior proposal and subject to the independent expert's report. Two of Azure's major shareholders, Creasy Group and Delphi Group, each intend to support the transaction under the same conditions.

Commenting on the transaction, Azure's managing director, Tony Rovira, said:

The Transaction delivers a fantastic outcome for Azure shareholders, including a significant uplift in value from the Original SQM Transaction despite elevated market volatility and the recent deterioration in lithium prices. The Transaction also represents a great outcome for wider stakeholders in Andover, who will benefit from the significant financial strength and expertise of one of Australia's largest and most well-respected mining and exploration companies, Hancock, combining with SQM to oversee the successful development of Andover. We encourage all Azure shareholders to support the Transaction.

The post Azure Minerals shares rise on joint takeover deal with SQM and Gina Rinehart appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Despite this diversity, everyone has a common goal.

To earn money.

Conversely, no one invests to lose money.

But the reality is that some, if not many, of your shares will end up in the red. 

This is true whether you're a seasoned professional or a novice. That's just what happens. No investor has a perfect record.

If it was easy, everyone would do this instead of working.

But what one needs to remember is that, with proper diversification, your winners can more than make up for the losers.

You see, the most you can lose on a stock is 100% of the amount you originally invested. But the most you can gain on a stock is… infinite.

As an example, let's take a look at one explosive mining stock that could have single-handed lifted your portfolio into the stratosphere:

17-bagger in one year? Tell 'em they're dreaming

Mining exploration company Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS) hunts for gold and metal sources in Australia and abroad.

At the start of the year, you could have bought the shares for 22 cents each.

By April that had already doubled after reports of promising lithium findings in Western Australia. More favourable drilling results came through to lift to the high $1s in July.

Then all the news since then has been about corporate argy bargy.

First Chilean giant Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM) lobbed in a takeover bid of $3.52 per share that the Azure board unanimously recommended shareholders take up.

But those plans were scuttled by Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart, who bought a 18% stake in Azure Minerals. Later Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) joined the fray, buying up a double-digit piece of the pie.

With deep-pocketed investors all vying for it, Azure Minerals shares were trading at $3.75 on Friday.

That makes the mining stock a 17-bagger in less than a year.

So if you had the foresight to buy $6,000 worth of Azure shares at the beginning of 2023, you'd now have a cool $102,000.

Amazing stuff.

This means that you could have bought 10 other ASX shares for $6,000 each and your portfolio would still be well profitable even if those stocks all sunk to zero.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is why we diversify our portfolios.

And that is how you achieve everyone's dream of earning a handsome return on your investment.

The post If I'd put $6k in this mining stock at the start of 2023, I'd have $102,000 now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This level of concentration means index investing is not as diversified as some investors might think.

If you want to truly diversify, it's better to pick out individual ASX shares with a mindset that you'll hold onto them for as long as the original investment thesis still applies.

And perhaps steer clear of the stocks that seem cheap but are showing signs of unravelling.

Here are two good shares to buy and one to dodge:

Buy the dip on pharmaceuticals

After suffering a violent 27% drop in October, Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) is climbing back again.

The share price has rocketed 21% since the 20 October trough, in a sign that the market is renewing its faith in the company's product pipeline.

An early stage healthcare stock like this will have such massive dips now and then. But if the business has positive prospects for the long run, it can be rewarding for investors willing to stick with them for years.

Telix has already shown it's capable of producing commercially successful products, with its Illucix cancer diagnostic tool bringing in nine-figure revenue over the last 18 months.

And with many solutions in development for other cancers due to arrive in the next few years, it's no wonder all seven analysts surveyed on CMC Invest rate it as shares to buy right now.

Lithium demand is only heading one way

Despite being the talk of the town the last few years, most ASX lithium stocks have had a shocker this year.

That's because the sagging economies both in the West and in China have seen global lithium prices plummet.

But in the long run, most experts believe demand will outstrip supply as electrification of cars, businesses and homes continues in the quest for lower carbon emissions.

As a company that already produces lithium, Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) is in a great position to take advantage.

The share price is down about 32% since January, which BW Equities equity salesperson Tom Bleakley reckoned offered "good value".

"Mineral Resources has accumulated substantial stakes in quality lithium companies Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8) and Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS)," he told The Bull this week.

"Mineral Resources' lithium exposure leaves it in a strong position as the industry matures."

Something smells here

Plumbing and bathroom supplier Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) has made many investors wealthy over the past few decades.

However, perhaps its best days are now behind it.

The share price has admittedly rocketed more than 50% over the past 12 months.

Despite this, none of the nine analysts who cover Reece rates the stock as a buy at the moment, according to CMC Invest. In fact, seven of them recommend selling.

For various reasons, professional investors are generally reluctant to give out sell ratings. So such unanimous aversion is very telling.

Whatever is going on there, there are far more appetising choices on the ASX right now.

The post 2 ASX shares to buy this month… and one I'd avoid appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's widely considered that quality companies are well-placed to withstand economic downturns and even come through them stronger than ever.

So, to help you distinguish the discounts from the duds and possibly bag yourself 'the next big thing', we asked our Motley Fool writers which ASX shares they reckon are destined for the hallowed halls of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). Here is what the team came up with:

5 stocks that could be future ASX 200 constituents

• Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW), $805.32 million
• PWR Holdings Ltd (ASX: PWH) $1.03 billion
• Aussie Broadband Ltd (ASX: ABB), $1.08 billion
• Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS), $1.86 billion
• Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL), $6.39 billion

(Market capitalisations as of 17 November 2023).

Why our Foolish writers have such faith in these ASX shares

Temple & Webster Group Ltd

What it does: Temple & Webster sells hundreds of thousands of products across furniture and homeware categories from its e-commerce platform. The ASX retailer sells a large majority of products directly from suppliers, reducing the need for inventory and enabling it to operate with a capital-light model.

By Tristan Harrison: Temple & Webster wants to be the biggest retailer of furniture and homewares in Australia, which speaks of its ambitions. I think it can get there – revenue continues to grow strongly after the COVID e-commerce boom. In the first month and a half of FY24, we saw revenue growth of 16% year-over-year.

Management expects significant margin improvements in the longer term thanks to scale benefits, greater use of technology within the business, and AI to provide better customer service.

Pleasingly, the ASX share is expanding in areas like home improvement products and serving commercial customers. This gives the company a bigger growth runway.

With market capitalisation already around $800 million, I believe Temple & Webster has many years of growth ahead.

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Temple & Webster Group Ltd.

PWR Holdings Ltd

What it does: PWR Holdings designs and manufactures high-performance cooling solutions for customers across defence, motorsports, automotive makers, and aftermarket applications. 

By Mitchell Lawler: Speak to anyone serious about car performance, and you'll probably hear PWR getting thrown around. Plenty of motorheads consider the quality and reliability of PWR's various cooling solutions second to none – making its products sought after despite the typically premium price. 

In my opinion, there's a lot to like about PWR Holdings. High gross margins, founder-led, track record of growth, and a clear technological competitive advantage. These ingredients are why I think this company can go from the ASX 300 to the ASX 200 index over time. 

Promisingly, PWR Holdings recently entered into a new lease for a manufacturing facility nearly twice the size of its existing operations. I consider this a fair indication management is confident in expanding in the years to come.

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler does not own shares of PWR Holdings Ltd.

Aussie Broadband Ltd

What it does: Aussie Broadband is a fledgling, but fast-growing ASX telco, offering a range of telecommunication services to Australian customers.

By Sebastian Bowen: I think it's almost certain that Aussie Broadband will eventually see the other side of the ASX 200. Why? Well, because this impressive business can't seem to stop growing.

Its most recent full-year results (covering FY23) revealed that Aussie Broadband had managed to add another 18.2% to its total connections. 

This in turn enabled the company to grow its revenues by 23.1% and its profits by more than 1,500% to $21.7 million.

This company is clearly doing something right. Customers seem to respond well to its focus on service and satisfaction. As such, I believe Aussie Broadband is ASX 200 bound, and sooner rather than later. 

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen does not own shares of Aussie Broadband Ltd.

Azure Minerals Ltd

What it does: Azure Minerals is a lithium explorer in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

By James Mickleboro: Based on recent drilling results, Azure Minerals' 60% owned Andover Project appears to be sitting atop a world-class lithium resource in a tier-one mining jurisdiction.

And given how demand for lithium is expected to grow materially over the long term thanks to the decarbonisation megatrend, this project could become a real cash cow.

I believe this makes an ascension to the ASX 200 index very likely in the future.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro does not own shares of Azure Minerals Ltd.

Yancoal Australia Ltd

What it does: Yancoal is a coal miner with a range of high-quality coal assets across New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. The company has a diversified mix of metallurgical and thermal coal mines.

By Bernd Struben: Yancoal Australia has proven to be a cash machine in a world with strong, ongoing medium-term demand for quality thermal and coking coal.

The miner has drawn increasing investor interest with its market-smashing dividend payouts. At the most recent share price, Yancoal trades at an eye-watering dividend yield of 22.1%.

While coal prices have come off the boil since last year, Yancoal is maintaining its strong balance sheet, in part by increasing production every quarter this year. As at 30 September, Yancoal was debt-free with a cash balance of $920 million. And that's after the miner paid out its $489 million interim dividend.

The Yancoal share price is down 3% over the past 12 months but up 85% in two years. This gives the miner a market cap of $6.4 billion, which already exceeds the valuation of many stocks presently included in the ASX 200.

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben does not own shares of Yancoal Australia Ltd.

The post 5 shares that could be destined for the ASX 200 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Azure shares are currently trading for $4.03, up 0.25%.

The ASX lithium share has enjoyed a 65% turbocharge since Azure announced a $3.52 per share takeover offer from Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE: SQM) in late October.

Let's see what Ellison had to say.

Azure share price green despite Ellison's comments

As reported in The Australian, Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) boss Chris Ellison described the Azure takeover deal as 'dead in the water' yesterday while talking to journalists after the company's annual general meeting.

The ASX 200 mining giant chief said:

From where I'm sitting it looks like it's dead in the water.

If you have a look on the share register, you'll find it's probably about half a dozen different organisations that actually own most of Azure. And I'm not sure if any of those are willing sellers. A couple of them are, maybe. But there's probably three or four in there that are buyers.

Can the Azure takeover still proceed?

There are two parts to the proposed takeover deal from SQM.

The first is a proposed scheme of arrangement whereby SQM acquires 100% of Azure shares and takes over ownership of the company entirely. This deal requires at least 75% of shareholders to agree.

That's very tough to achieve when several individual parties hold large chunks of Azure shares.

In the event that the scheme offer fails to go through, SQM has offered to acquire as many shares as it can from willing shareholders under an off-market takeover deal at $3.50 per share instead.

SQM already owns about 20% of Azure, and if it can get 50.1% acceptance, it would achieve majority ownership. Once again, that may be hard to achieve given the state of the current share register.

The Azure board unanimously recommends the scheme of arrangement, and one major shareholder, Delphi Group, has already committed to supporting the deal unless a superior offer comes along.

Ellison and Rinehart mount strategic buy-ups of Azure shares

A condition of the scheme of arrangement is that no other shareholder acquires a stake higher than 19%.

On the day after Azure revealed the deal, we learned that Gina Rinehart of Hancock Prospecting had quickly amassed an 18.3% stake.

Rinehart had been buying Azure shares since June, but on the day Azure announced the SQM offer, she swooped in and purchased just under $190 million worth of Azure shares. This made her an official 'substantial holder', defined as any individual or company with a 5% or greater stake.

She bought another $21 million parcel of Azure shares the next day to take her total stake to 18.3%.

Ellison did some Azure share swooping of his own.

Mineral Resources had also been buying Azure shares since early October. But he bought a lot more after news of the SQM deal broke. By last Friday, MinRes had amassed a 13.56% stake in Azure.

Rinehart and Ellison have both been buying large stakes in junior lithium explorers of late.

Rinehart bought a 19.9% stake in Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) before its proposed takeover by Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) collapsed.

Meanwhile, Ellison has become the biggest shareholder of Delta Lithium Ltd (ASX: DLI) and recently bought nearly a fifth of Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8).

Ellison amassed a total 17.44% stake in Delta back in August. He is now the non-executive chair of the board, with MinRes lithium division CEO Joshua Thurlow also now a director.

Rinehart also owns a chunk of Delta. Mineral Resources is currently underwriting a $70 million capital raising for Delta, with Ellison and Rinehart both set to take up their full entitlements.

As we reported yesterday, one of the key current goals of Mineral Resources is to maximise the potential of its lithium portfolio.

The post Azure share price lifts amid Mineral Resources boss declaring SQM takeover is 'dead in the water' appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Already surging from high-grade lithium intersections found at its West Pilbara lithium project (Andover) in June, Azure shares have rallied since October amid a takeover offer from Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE: SQM) — one of the world's largest lithium miners.

The meteoric rise in Azure Minerals shares has generated a monstrous 1,106% return in the last year, as shown by the chart below.

However, speculation is arising over the potential derailment of SQM's bid, causing some to wonder whether this ASX lithium share could be walking a similar path to Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR).

Deep pockets buying Azure Minerals shares

Wasting no time, Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart accumulated a stake in Azure Minerals the day after SQM entered into a binding transaction implementation deed.

Purchased through Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart grabbed ahold of an ~18% stake in Azure on 27 October. The sudden sizeable investment emulated that of the billionaire acquiring roughly 18% in Liontown Resources while being courted by lithium giant Albermarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) last month.

Then, Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) founder and managing director Chris Ellison joined the party last week. Adding another lithium-dipped feather to his cap, so to speak, Ellisons' MinRes gobbled up 12.3% of Azure Minerals shares on 1 November.

In addition, the highly successful Mark Creasy holds nearly a 13% stake in Azure through his Yandal Investments.

When all tallied up, the three billionaires and SQM hold 62.2% of Azure Minerals shares.

What could unfold?

Usually, a takeover — and the sometimes ensuing bidding war — is a boon for the target's share price. That is arguably the case for Azure, with its shares swapping hands at $3.89, a 10.5% premium to the Chilean miner's offer of $3.52 per share.

That being said, it failed to pan out positively for Liontown shareholders due to the 'growing complexities' associated with large stakes held by potentially unaligned parties. The Liontown Resources share price has plummeted 42% following the withdrawal of its takeover bid, as shown below.

For Azure, it may mean the deal evolves into a joint venture between SQM, MinRes, and Hancock Prospecting. Highlighting this option, Commodity Discovery Fund analyst Samson Li recently said:

A joint venture could work well with Mineral Resources' experience in Australia's lithium space and Gina Rinehart's capital.

Alternatively, others speculate it could mean any deal involving SQM is dropped entirely — similar to what occurred between Albermarle and Liontown.

Under the existing agreement, SQM can withdraw from its offer if another party accumulates a stake of 19% or more.

The post Could Azure Minerals shares be walking down Liontown Lane? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In earlier trading, Azure shares hit a 16-year high of $4 per share. There is no news out of Azure today.

Overnight, major US lithium stocks moved higher, including Livent Corp (ASX: LTHM), up 2.6%, and Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM), up 1.9%.

ASX lithium shares performing strongly on Friday include:

• IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) shares up 4.7%
• Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) shares up 4.8%
• Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares up 3.4%
• Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) shares up 6.6%
• Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) shares up 10.2%
• Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) shares up 7.6%.

Meantime, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 1.2%.

What's powering Azure Minerals shares today?

We can only speculate as to the reasons behind the surge in lithium stocks today, as this is certainly an industry with headwinds right now.

After all, lithium prices are still falling. The carbonate price is down by more than 70% over the past 12 months but has shown some stabilisation over the past four weeks with just a 1.8% dip.

This is having a dramatic impact on earnings for listed lithium shares.

Earlier this week, global US giant Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) wiped $1 billion off the top of its forecast EBITDA guidance range for FY23 after releasing its third-quarter report.

Perhaps offsetting this news are comments from Fed Reserve chair Jerome Powell this week that indicated US interest rates were close to their peak.

This indicates inflation is falling at an adequate pace, and it is anticipated that global consumer confidence may lift once it is clear that the interest rates hiking cycle in Western countries is over.

That higher consumer confidence could change the demand landscape for electric vehicles (EVs).

Trading Economics analysts say EV sales in China are projected to fall by 11% this year "as macroeconomic headwinds in the world's top EV consumer drove households to significantly cut back on large purchases".

Against this difficult backdrop, Azure is riding a wave of optimism, though. The company recently accepted a $3.52 per share takeover approach from SQM.

Since then, Gina Rinehart of Hancock Prospecting has built an 18% stake in Azure shares.

There is now speculation that Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) is following suit after taking sizeable stakes in other lithium juniors Delta Lithium Ltd (ASX: DLI) and Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8).

So, it's fair to say there is strong market interest in Azure shares right now.

What did Albemarle report this week?

Albemarle released its third quarter report this week. It reported net sales of $2.3 billion, up 10% year over year (yoy), and net income of $302.5 million or $2.57 per diluted share.

Adjusted EBITDA came in at $453.3 million, and the adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $2.74.

Albemarle downgraded its full-year FY23 forecasts, though.

Back in August, Albemarle told the market it was expecting net sales of between $10.4 and 11.5 billion. Now it expects between $9.5 billion to $9.8 billion.

Its forecast for adjusted EBITDA has gone from a range of $3.8 billion to $4.4 billion to a range of $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion.

In a statement, Albemarle said the downgrade reflected weaker lithium prices and higher costs.

In this current climate, Albemarle and its joint venture partners in Australia's biggest lithium mine, Greenbushes in Western Australia, are reportedly considering production cuts.

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported that discussions were ongoing between the partners. Meantime, Albemarle is also intending to rein in capital expenditure and M&A activity.

Albemarle recently dropped its takeover bid for Liontown Resources, citing "growing complexities" with the sale, one of which was likely Gina Rinehart amassing a 19.9% stake last month.

In the AFR, CEO and chairman Kent Masters said:

We will still look at M&A, but it's not going to be at the same scale that we were, frankly, looking at six months ago.

Masters warned that EV sales in the US and Europe could also decline next year due to a softer global economy.

The post Azure Minerals share price soars to 16-year high amid strong session for ASX lithium stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The lithium explorer's shares ended the day with a 4.5% gain to $3.65.

At one stage, Azure Minerals' shares hit a record high of $3.70 on significantly higher than average volume.

What's going on with the Azure Minerals share price?

Given that the company recently accepted a $3.52 per share takeover approach from Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM), investors may be wondering why its shares were trading at a 5% premium to this day.

While nothing has been confirmed at this stage, the speculation is that Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) could have followed Gina Rinehart's lead by building a sizeable stake in the company.

If this proves to be the case, it would mean that Chris Ellison's Mineral Resources business has been putting significant capital to work this week. As we covered here earlier, Mineral Resources has just become a major shareholder in fellow lithium explorer Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8).

The combination of Rinehart and Ellison as major shareholders could make it very tricky for SQM to get a deal over the line with either of its proposed options. This includes its backup off-market takeover offer that requires 50% acceptance.

What are they fighting over?

Azure Minerals owns a 60% stake in the Andover Lithium Project in Western Australia.

Drilling results to date have been very promising. So much so, management believes the "numerous broad, high-grade drill intersections firmly entrench the Andover Lithium Project amongst the best lithium exploration projects globally."

It seems that a battle for control of this project could be on. But who ultimately wins, only time will tell.

The post Azure Minerals share price hits record high as battle for control heats up appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Though, that doesn't mean there's a lack of interest in the lithium explorer's shares.

A total of approximately 20 million shares changed hands on Monday, which is approximately 10 times the average daily volume from the week before its takeover approach.

This could be a sign that Gina Rinehart has been in the market again, topping up the 18% stake she built last week.

As covered here, this could pose a few problems for Azure Minerals' proposed takeover by Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM).

Azure Minerals shares downgraded

It is partly because of this that analysts at Bell Potter have downgraded this lithium share to a hold rating from buy. And while the broker's trimmed price target of $4.85 is well ahead of its current valuation, it doesn't appear to believe the risk/reward is sufficient to buy at these levels given what is happening. It explains:

We change our recommendation to HOLD (Speculative), given the recently announced, and AZS Board recommended, $3.50/sh Takeover Offer. We consider SQM's offer pre-empts several potentially significant price catalysts for AZS, including: i) drill testing of Target Area 3, ii) identification / drill testing of the next generation target areas, iii) the initial Andover lithium Mineral Resource (guided for 1QCY24).

We note there is a risk of a AZS share price decline to pre-offer levels if the Scheme is unsuccessful. Support for the share price at current levels includes: i) AZS just completed a $130m capital raise to execute its exploration plans, ii) SQM's Takeover Offer should provide a floor price as SQM attempts to increase its ownership as much as possible, iii) AZS has several potentially significant price catalysts through CY24, iv) given that Yandal owns 40% of the Andover Lithium Project, and 13.2% of AZS, the ultimate ownership of the Andover Lithium Project is still very much to be decided.

The post Why this broker just downgraded Azure Minerals shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Last week, Rinehart's purchase of a blocking stake in Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) scuppered its takeover by Albemarle Corp (NYSE: ALB).

Australia's richest person may now be hoping to do the same with Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS), which accepted a takeover offer from Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM) this week.

According to an initial substantial holder notice, Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting have been able to build up a position totalling 81,562,214 Azure Minerals shares. This equates to an 18.3% stake.

The notice reveals that Rinehart has been buying shares for some time, but upped her purchases on Thursday with a $188.9 million transaction. This was then followed by a $21.25 million purchase on Friday.

What's going on?

As with its Liontown purchases, Hancock Prospecting hasn't revealed what its intentions are and is just highlighting the risks involved with project development and its track record. A media release states:

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (Hancock) is pleased to announce that it has acquired a strategic stake of 18% of the ordinary shares (Strategic Stake) in Azure Minerals Limited (Azure). Azure owns 60% of the Andover lithium project in West Australia (Andover). Andover is in its exploration phase, with encouraging results from initial drilling but more work is required to estimate a mineral resource and evaluate its potential. Consistent with early stage projects that are pre-resource, while Andover shows good prospects, it has a long path and significant risks to navigate before its ultimate potential is known. Hancock is an established West Australian company with the capacity to support and expedite development.

Hancock's investment focus is long term. Hancock has a history of successful domestic and international partnerships across resources and agriculture – including at Roy Hill (partnering with POSCO, Marubeni and China Steel), Hope Downs (partnering with Rio Tinto), S. Kidman & Co (partnering with Shanghai CRED) and multiple earlier stage exploration projects with a range of other partners. In each case, those businesses have benefited from the collective skills and expertise of the partners.

Is Azure Minerals' takeover on the rocks?

What this means for the SQM takeover offer, time will tell. But it is worth noting that SQM's $3.52 per share offer is conditional on "no shareholder, other than SQM, acquiring greater than a 19% interest in Azure."

Rinehart isn't far from surpassing this threshold and could easily get there on Monday.

Though, SQM does have a backup, its $3.50 per share off-market takeover, which will need 50.1% acceptance. While this would give it majority ownership, it would need to oust Rinehart if it wanted to make the takeover compulsory.

The post Gina Rinehart takes 18% stake in Azure Minerals appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The ASX 200 closed the session on Friday at 6,826.9 points.

Let's look at which sectors were the best and worst performers this week.

Utilities led the ASX sectors this week

According to CommSec data, this week's strongest riser among the market sectors was utilities, with the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) ascending 1.73%.

There are only 31 companies in the utilities sector. This week, it looks like APA Group (ASX: APA) and a few smaller players were behind the sector's gains.

The APA share price rose 4.67% to $8.30 this week amid the company hosting its annual general meeting (AGM) where chair Michael Fraser outlined how APA was participating in the green energy transition.

Fraser said APA was committed "to ensuring our security holders can continue to participate in the growth of the business". He said two examples are the recent equity raising, which was offered to retail investors at a discount to the institutional price, and the reactivation of the dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) this week.

Among the major utilities stocks, AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) shares rose 2.4% to $10.89. Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) shares lifted 0.11% to $9.21.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) was the other sector that finished the week in the green, up 0.87%.

This week's big news in mining was the takeover deal for ASX lithium share Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS). Lithium giant Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM) has offered $3.52 per share. The Azure Minerals share price finished steady for the week at a closing value of $3.50 on Friday.

Meantime, the three major miners all moved higher this week.

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares lifted 5.01% to $22.20, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) rose 3.8% to $45.06, and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) lifted 4.9% to $117.80 on various news, including a 3.9% lift in the iron ore price over the week to US$120.50 per tonne.

Meantime, ASX REITs tumble

The week's worst-performing sector was real estate, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) dipping 4.38%.

Investors may be nervous that the latest inflation data released this week has raised the likelihood of a Melbourne Cup Day rate rise next month.

Among the ASX property shares and real estate investment trusts (REITs) that fell the most were Dexus (ASX: DXS) shares, which sank back to 2014 levels after the company released its quarterly update.

Dexus also revealed that CEO Darren Steinberg is leaving after 11 years in the role. Dexus shares finished on Friday at $6.46.

The Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR) share price fell 7.4% to $1.88 amid the release of a 1Q FY24 update.

In other news, we looked at whether ASX REITs are rising like home values in 2023.

Tech shares also experienced a sell-off this week amid the NASDAQ entering official correction territory.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) lost 3.71% over the past five days.

Among this week's biggest tech stock losers was Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) shares. The company's quarterly update contributed to a total share price decline of 17% to $9.52 over the week.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up this week.

Over the past five days:

The post Here's how the ASX 200 market sectors stacked up this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) gained 1.3% and the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (XMJ) lifted 0.14%.

The worst performer was the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ), losing 2.56%.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed 0.61% lower at 6,812.3 points.

Why did ASX utilities shares do best?

Here were the big gainers in the utilities space today:

• Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY) shares, up 3.58%
• Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) shares, up 2.73%
• AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) shares, up 2.38%.

There was no price-sensitive news out of any of the three ASX utilities shares today.

However, Meridian announced that the company and NZ Windfarms had formed a 50-50 joint venture to repower and extend the Te Rere Hau wind farm.

Meridian said:

This will be New Zealand's first wind farm repowering project and has the potential to generate seven times the annual renewable energy production of the existing fleet.

In the mining sector, the Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS) share price finished 43% higher at $3.49.

Investors bought the ASX lithium share on news it had agreed to a takeover offer from overseas lithium giant Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM) for $3.52 per share.

What's up with tech shares?

Today's tech share sell-off followed a tough night on Wall Street. The NASDAQ Composite fell 2.43% and entered official correction territory, having fallen more than 10% since its mid-year peaks.

The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price went into freefall today after the company released its quarterly update. Megaport shares closed down 16.33% at $9.63.

The post ASX utilities shares lead the market on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Aussie Broadband Ltd (ASX: ABB)

The Aussie Broadband share price is up 2% to $3.92. This follows the release of a trading update at the broadband provider's annual general meeting. Aussie Broadband revealed that it has started the year positively and reaffirmed its guidance for FY 2024. It expects EBITDA in the range of $100 million to $110 million, which will be a 12% to 23% increase.

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX: AZS)

The Azure Minerals share price is up 43% to $3.49. Investors have been scrambling to buy this lithium explorer's shares after it agreed to be taken over by lithium giant Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM) for $1.52 per share. However, there are rumours now floating around suggesting that Gina Rinehart could be loading up on shares to block this takeover as well.

Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

The Beach Energy share price is up over 3% to $1.53. This morning, analysts at Citi upgraded the energy producer's shares to a neutral rating with a $1.55 price target. Elsewhere, Bell Potter has retained its buy rating and $2.00 price target.

Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8)

The Wildcat Resources share price is up 7% to 80 cents. This follows news that the lithium explorer has announced a change of leadership. Non-executive director AJ Saverimutto will transition to managing director and CEO, whereas Tim Manners joins as CFO. Saverimutto is a mining engineer with more than 25 years of Australian and international mining industry experience across project development and mine management roles.

The post Why Aussie Broadband, Azure Minerals, Beach Energy, and Wildcat Resources are rising appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.