Amid a series of successful exploration results, investors have sent Black Cat shares soaring 94.4% over the past year, smashing the 6.3% 12-month returns delivered by the benchmark index.

Of course, Black Cat has also enjoyed heady tailwinds from the surging gold price. The yellow metal hit record highs notched in late January and is currently fetching US$5,097 per ounce. This puts the gold price up more than 52% over 12 months.

Here's what's happening today.

ASX 300 gold stock hits new high-grade zones

The Black Cat share price is down 1.4% in late morning trade today, at $1.40 a share, despite the miner announcing new high-grade assay results from its 100% owned Paulsens Gold Operation.

The ASX 300 gold stock is continuing to target both Resource growth and optimisation of production areas at Paulsens, with underground diamond drilling ongoing.

This morning, the miner reported that extensional drilling in the upper Main Zone at Paulsens has returned "significant results" outside the current Resource.

Among the top results, Black Cat reported intercepting 5.06 metres at 14.33 grams of gold per tonne from 15.1 metres from one hole. While another hole returned 5.36 metres at 7.25g/t Au from 10.33 metres and 2.37 metres at 15.66g/t Au from 35.38 metres.

Drilling at Paulsens is ongoing, with Black Cat planning to add a second rig at the site to accelerate the extensional drilling program.

What did management say?

Commenting on the latest results that have yet to lift the ASX 300 gold stock today, Black Cat managing director James Bruce said, "Paulsens continues to deliver outstanding high-grade results across multiple lodes, outside the current Resource, clearly demonstrating the potential for ongoing growth as drilling continues."

Bruce added:

Importantly, high-grade results like these are driving strong operational performance as production ramps up and development accesses new areas. With a second rig planned and mine development progressing well, we are exceptionally well positioned to continue unlocking value from Paulsens.

These results reaffirm our confidence in both the near-mine opportunity and the long-term potential of this high-grade, historically prolific gold system.

Is it too late to buy this surging ASX 300 gold stock?

With the Black Cat share price up more than 94% in 12 months, has the ship already sailed on this surging ASX 300 gold stock?

Not according to the analysts at Moelis Australia.

Moelis recently reaffirmed its speculative buy rating on Black Cat shares with a $1.80 price target. That represents a potential upside of almost 29% from current levels.

The post Up 94% in a year, ASX 300 gold stock reports new 'outstanding high-grade results' appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Black Cat shares closed the day up 4.23%, changing hands for $1.48 apiece.

For some context, the ASX 300 gained 0.75% yesterday.

Atop from a rebound in the gold price to US$5,064 per ounce on Wednesday, the ASX 300 gold stock grabbed investor interest after announcing it had completed the acquisition of 90 square kilometres of tenements adjacent to its 1.2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) Lakewood processing facility.

Lakewood is part of Black Cat's Kal East Gold Operation, located in Western Australia.

Commenting on that acquisition, Black Cat managing director Gareth Solly said, "The acquisition ticks numerous boxes including providing longer-term TSF [tailings storage facilities] capacity and potential additional water sources."

Solly added that the miner's Lakewood 1.5 mtpa expansion study "is well underway". Black Cat expects the outcomes of the expansion study in the March 2026 quarter.

"Consequently, we look forward to ongoing production growth from Kal East as part of our More Gold Sooner strategy," Solly said.

With the gold price having surged 80% in a year, and investors eyeing the gold miner's growth potential, the Black Cat share price has rocketed 110% over the past 12 months.

And according to the analysts at Moelis Australia, the gold miner is well-placed to deliver more share price growth.

ASX 300 gold stock striking out on its own

Moelis noted that Black Cat is in the final stages of extricating itself from a series of historic joint venture agreements, freeing the miner up to operate independently.

According to Moelis:

BC8 has two operations. One of them (Paulsen's) is gaining momentum after its restart, while Kal East continues to 'tidy up' numerous legacy commercial agreements for mining in a JV and toll-treatment of both others' ore at its mill as well as its own ore at another facility.

Sound confusing?

What is important is that this structure is winding up, with progress towards wholly owned ore treatment on track thanks to the development of the Fingals and Majestic mines.

The broker said that the ASX 300 gold stock is unhedged, offering it unfettered exposure to the booming gold price. Black Cat also managed to hold its cash position in the December quarter while spending on its growth programs. The miner held $91 million in cash, bullion, and listed investments as at 31 December.

As for those pesky legacy commercial agreements, which are no longer part of Black Cat's strategy going forward, Moelis said, "The March quarter should see the conclusion of the bulk of these agreements as the company rapidly approaches a more conventional structure where it mines its own ore and treats it through its own facilities."

And patient investors should see the ASX 300 gold stock boost revenue without a material uptick in costs.

According to the broker:

The revenue line will grow as more of the gold it produces translates into revenue/receipts, while running costs remain broadly flat compared to activities today. This, along with exploration potential across the portfolio, should provide both momentum and catalysts for those seeking gold exposure who are willing to look into FY27 and beyond.

Connecting the dots, Moelis has a $1.80 price target on the ASX 300 gold stock.

That's some 22% above Wednesday's closing price.

The post Why this surging ASX 300 gold stock is forecast to keep on giving appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The gold price is up 0.5% to US$4,958 per ounce, a new record, at the time of writing.

ASX gold shares and ASX gold ETFs are going nuts on Friday.

Get this: the S&P/ASX All Ords Gold Index (ASX: XGD) soared 1,322 points higher to a record 21,612.2 points this morning.

That equates to a staggering 6.5% gain in one day. By comparison, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.34%.

The screaming gold price continues to defy expectations.

Just three months ago, top broker Goldman Sachs predicted that gold would rise to US$4,900 per ounce by the end of 2026.

Well, that happened today, and it's only January.

The broker conducted a poll of institutional investors in November and found one in three expect gold to go above US$5,000 per ounce.

That seems increasingly likely.

The gold price is up by just under 15% in the year to date.

The market pushed the yellow metal 7% higher this past week alone after US President Donald Trump slapped a new 10% tariff on goods from eight European nations to punish their opposition to his aspirations to buy Greenland.

The gold price rocketed 65% in 2025, following a 27% gain in 2024, largely due to central banks diversifying away from the US dollar.

Let's see what ASX gold shares and ETFs are doing today.

Hold on to your hats… this is going to be fun.

ASX gold shares soar as gold price hits new record

Let's focus on the large-cap ASX gold shares first.

The Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price is up 6.23% to $27.81.

Northern Star shares dropped 8.1% yesterday after the miner disappointed the market with its December quarter report.

Northern Star's report, significant because it's the largest gold miner by market cap on the ASX, combined with news of lower unemployment in Australia, which raised the prospects of an interest rate hike this year, weighed on gold shares and ETFs yesterday.

The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price is up 6.59% to $15.04.

Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) shares are up 4.64% to $179.90 apiece.

Among the mid-cap ASX gold shares, Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares are up 8.3% to $4.96.

The Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP) share price is up 9.81% to $14.22.

The Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) share price is $8.06, up 8.04%.

Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) shares are up 6.6% to $6.46 apiece.

Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) shares are up 6.67% to $7.76.

The Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) share price is up 4% to $15.47.

Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU) shares are up 4.76% to $5.94 apiece.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) shares are up 8.64% to $8.24.

How about ASX small-cap gold shares?

Among the small-cap ASX gold shares, Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG) shares are up 8.14% to $1.40.

The Pantoro Gold Ltd (ASX: PNR) share price is 5.83% higher at $5.45.

Meeka Metals Ltd (ASX: MEK) shares are up 3.57% to 29 cents.

Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN) shares are up 2.48% to $7.03 apiece.

The Golden Horse Minerals Ltd CDI (ASX: GHM) share price is 0.64% higher at 79 cents.

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8) shares are up 5.24% to $1.56.

(By the way, Warwick Grigor, an analyst at Far East Capital, offered some advice on how to select small-cap gold stocks to buy this week.)

What about ASX gold ETFs?

The Betashares Global Gold Miners Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: MNRS) streaked 4.87% to a record $18.94 per unit today.

MNRS was the best performer among the 423 ETFs on the Australian share market last year.

The VanEck Gold Miners AUD ETF (ASX: GDX) is up 4.54% to $157.45.

Perth Mint Gold (ASX: PMGOLD) is up 2.29% to $71.92 per unit.

Global X Physical Gold (ASX: GOLD) is up 2.63% to $66.27 per unit.

VanEck Australian Resources ETF (ASX: MVR), the No. 1 performer among ETFs holding ASX shares in 2025, is up 1.22% to $47.41.

The post ASX gold shares go crazy as gold price rips toward US$5,000 on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Robert Hawkesford and Daniel Broeren, who run Blackwattle's Small Cap Quality Fund, said strongly rising share prices for junior gold explorers pushed the small-cap index higher at 2.5x the pace of the S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) in 2025.

Small-caps are typically young, growing companies with market capitalisations of between a few hundred million dollars and $2 billion.

Let's take a look at some examples of ASX small-cap gold shares booking incredible 12-month growth rates.

ASX small-cap gold shares ripping up the charts

Barton Gold Holdings Ltd (ASX: BGD)

The Barton Gold share price has soared 385% over 12 months.

Barton Gold is a mineral explorer in South Australia.

Its projects include Tarcoola, a brownfield open-pit mine, and Tunkillia, which has a 1.5Moz Au JORC Mineral Resource Estimate.

Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN)

The Kingsgate share price is up 408% over 12 months.

The Australian gold and silver producer owns the Chatree Gold Mine in Thailand and the Nueva Esperanza Gold-Silver Project in Chile.

Golden Horse Minerals Ltd CDI (ASX: GHM)

The Golden Horse share price has ascended 250% over 12 months.

Golden Horse is working on multiple gold prospects in Western Australia. Its flagship project is Hopes Hill.

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

Black Cat shares are up 111% over 12 months.

This Western Australian miner has a portfolio of high-grade projects in prime gold regions.

They include the Paulsens Gold Operation in the Pilbara and the Kal East Gold Project east of Kalgoorlie.

What's next in 2026?

All of these ASX small-cap gold shares benefited from a 65% rally in the gold price last year.

That was gold's greatest annual rise in more than four decades and came on top of a 27% lift in 2024.

Strong central bank purchasing, lower interest rates, geopolitical tensions, US tariffs, and other elements have fuelled gold's growth.

Professional investors are expecting the gold price to rise further in 2026.

A Goldman Sachs poll conducted in November found one in three institutional investors expect gold to go above US$5,000 per ounce this year.

Today, the gold price is US$4,672 per ounce, down 0.1% at the time of writing.

Warwick Grigor, an analyst at mining investment company Far East Capital, says gold has continuing tailwinds in the new year.

In an article, Grigor commented:

There is not much doubt that the gold price will continue to rise during 2026.

Sure, there will be volatility and some people are already saying that gold is a sell, but you would have to be very brave to exit gold just now.

As Hawkesford and Broeren point out, "smaller cap companies offer the greatest range of opportunities" for investors.

By nature, these young companies have more room for growth than larger, established companies.

This makes ASX small-cap shares exciting, but also risky, for investors.

If you're considering buying ASX small-cap gold shares, Grigor has some advice on how to choose among them.

How to choose ASX small-cap gold shares

Far East Capital expects another strong year for the gold sector in 2026, but Grigor warns that "not every company will be a winner".

The first step to selecting a good ASX small-cap gold share for investment is assessing its quality.

Grigor said:

Take the time to think about the quality of the investment being presented to you.

An existing producer can be more easily assessed by looking at its track record but there are many new companies coming through the pipeline.

They will be highly aspirational and have grand plans, but you need to take the time to consider how realistic they are.

The second step is considering the quality of the management team.

If you're happy with the people running the business, then step three is assessing its technical merits.

Grigor said:

Many of these companies will be going to raise money while the ducks are quacking, but often their plans will be incomplete and uncertain — yet they can be made to look good on paper.

Most of these should be treated as trading opportunities in the near term, and they might be great stocks to own in the resource definition and expansion stage but never forget about the subsequent development and commissioning risk.

The post Considering ASX small-cap gold shares? Expert advice on how to decide appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Ms King said the reserve would "help attract further investment and help the sector deal with potential future market disruptions".

Give these stocks a once over

I've had a look at some of the players in the antimony field, which might be worth a look now that the government will be intervening in a positive way in the sector.

One company that issued a press release on Thursday welcoming the new strategic reserve is Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd (ASX: SX2).

As the company said in their release, their Sunday Creek project was well-placed to be a supplier:

The company welcomes this landmark initiative which recognizes the strategic importance of securing domestic antimony supply for Australia and its allies. Sunday Creek, located just 60km north of Melbourne in Victoria, represents one of the most significant undeveloped gold-antimony deposits in the Western world and stands ready to support Australia's critical minerals security objectives.

The company said construction had started on an exploration decline at the project, and Chief Executive Officer Michael Hudson was touting Victoria's historical strength in the sector.

Victoria has always been Australia's antimony state. Antimony has historically been Victoria's second most important metal after gold, with a heritage stretching back to the 1860s. During World War I, central Victoria's Costerfield mines were critical suppliers of antimony for British munitions. Today, Victoria remains Australia's only antimony-producing state.  

Another company with a well-timed release out on Wednesday was Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX: RML), which reported new high-grade antimony and silver samples from its Antimony Ridge project, albeit in the US in this case.

These samples were taken from within historically-mined areas at the project, and the company said the results "reinforce the potential for Antimony Ridge to host a high-grade, strategically significant U.S antimony system''.  

New South Wales focus

Back home in Australia, and Larvotto Resources Ltd (ASX: LRV) is aiming to bring its Hillgrove gold and antimony project in New South Wales into production this year.

It's a substantial project, as the company says on its website:

Hillgrove is poised to become Australia's largest producer of antimony, expected to produce 7% of global antimony requirements when global supply is tightening and Western governments are prioritising strategic supply chains. Hillgrove has been mined for antimony and gold since 1857. With a rich history within the region, Hillgrove continues to provide residential employment opportunities and support for local business and communities.

And finally, Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8) announced in October that new drilling had found visible antimony in the first four holes drilled at its Mt Clement project, which it said is "one of Australia's largest and highest-grade antimony projects'' with a resource of 13,200 tonnes at a grade of 1.7%.

The company at the time said it had appointed a manager to drive the project faster, "given the strong demand and pricing for antimony''.

The post The government is looking to stockpile antimony – these four companies can help you gain exposure appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Black Cat shares closed on Friday trading for $1.405. In early morning trade on Monday, shares are changing hands for $1.475 apiece, up 5%.

For some context, the ASX 300 is up 0.2% at this same time.

With today's moves factored in, the Black Cat share price is now up 97.3% since this time last year, racing ahead of the 6.20% returns delivered by the benchmark index over this same period.

Now, here's what's grabbing investor interest today.

ASX 300 gold stock lifts off on drilling update

The Black Cat share price is jumping higher after the company released an exploration update from its Kal East Gold Operation, located in Western Australia.

The ASX 300 gold stock highlighted that the large Fingals open pit – one of the long-term feed sources for Kal East – remains open in all directions and at depth. Management said that the mine life at Fingals is "only constrained by drilling".

A recent grade control program, involving 167 holes for 8,960 metres, identified multiple high-grade zones at Fingals outside the existing resource but within the open pit.

The miner noted that Fingals currently has a probable open-pit ore reserve of 2,039kt at 1.7g/t Au for 113koz of gold.

Black Cat has already outlined plans for an initial underground operation after completion of the open-pit mining. With mining at Fingals accelerating, the Aussie gold miner expects the first ore to be fed into the Lakewood processing facility in March.

Atop the progress at Fingals, the ASX 300 gold stock also reported that mining at its Majestic underground project is "progressing well", noting that first ore drives have been accessed and are in development.

Black Cat plans to commence grade control and extensional drilling at Majestic during the March quarter.

What did management say?

Commenting on the results helping boost the ASX 300 gold stock today, Black Cat managing director Gareth Solly said, "These Fingals drilling results emphasise the long-term potential of both the open pit and future underground mine."

Solly added, "The high-grade results have already identified bonus ounces within the planned open pit with the potential for additional mineralisation from follow up drilling."

Looking ahead, Solly said:

Mining activities at Fingals and Majestic are progressing well with the operations on track to provide all Ore to Lakewood from late March 2026 onwards. The study to expand Lakewood from 1.2mtpa to 1.5mtpa is also progressing to plan, as part of our more gold sooner strategy.

Importantly, these developments and expansions will continue to be funded entirely from operating cashflow, highlighting the strength of Black Cat's operations and balance sheet.

The post Up 97% in a year, guess which ASX 300 gold stock is leaping higher again on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Just two years ago, this ASX small-cap stock was trading at 25.5 cents per share.

Had you put just $2,000 into Black Cat shares back then, they would be worth $8,078.29 today.

Let's find out more about why this ASX gold share has shot the lights out over the past 24 months.

What a run for this ASX gold share!

Black Cat is a Western Australian gold miner and antimony explorer.

The company's total gold resources are 2.5Moz at 2.9 g/t Au, with plans to expand to 3Moz within five years.

In a recent presentation, Black Cat said it's targeting annual gold production of more than 100,000 ounces (oz) in FY26 and 130,000 oz in FY27.

The company owns three projects.

Kal East produced first gold in the second half of 2024. It has a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 18.8mt at 2.1 g/t au for 1,294,000 oz and a 1.2Mtpa processing facility on site.

Paulsens recommenced gold production late last year. It has a 450ktpa processing plant on site and an MRE of 4.4mt at 3.9 g/t au for 549,000 oz.

Within Paulsens is the Mt Clement antimony project, which Black Cat claims is one of Australia's largest deposits with a resource estimate of about 794kt at 1.7% Sb.

The miner's third gold project is Coyote, which has been in care and maintenance since 2013. Black Cat aims to restart the mine in FY28. It has a 300ktpa processing plant on site and an MRE of 3.7mt at 5.5 g/t au for 645,000 oz.

Black Cat's longer-term goal is to produce 200,000 oz of gold per annum by FY29, after Coyote begins production.

What's new with Black Cat?

This week, Black Cat announced a joint venture with Dreadnought Resources Ltd (ASX: DRE).

Under the deal, Black Cat will develop and process ore from Dreadnought's high-grade Star of Mangaroon gold project.

Black Cat owns about 202.5 million Dreadnought shares, and its non-executive chair, Paul Chapman, is also Dreadnought's non-executive chair.

Star of Mangaroon is 330km by road from Paulsens. Black Cat expects up to 110,000 tonnes of gold to be processed next year alone.

Under the deal, Black Cat will engage and manage contractors and provide up to $10 million in funding to develop and haul the ore.

Dreadnought and Black Cat will share surplus cashflow at a 50/50 split for the first $80 million and then 70/30 (majority to Dreadnought) for any additional surplus cashflow.

Black Cat also gets first rights to enter into similar agreements for any other mining operations around the Star of Mangaroon and a right to match any third-party offer to acquire Dreadnought's tenements.

The benefits for Black Cat include additional cashflow, greater operational flexibility, and strategic exposure to new nearby discoveries.

Black Cat's Managing Director, Gareth Solly, said:

The Star of Mangaroon is an excellent project that dovetails nicely into our Paulsens' strategy.

The high-grade feed will allow Paulsens to preferentially treat high-grade Ore from the Paulsens underground while stockpiling lower grade material, increasing total gold production in the short to medium term.

In addition, Black Cat has exposure to further discoveries around the Star of Mangaroon, which we see as highly prospective.

The post $2,000 in this ASX share two years ago would be worth $8,078 today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

With Black Cat shares trading at $1.02 on Thursday, up 2.51% for the day, this means the financial services group foresees potential upside of 57% for investors who buy the ASX gold share today.

MA Financial says this ASX gold stock "screens attractive across many metrics in our broader gold coverage".

Let's investigate.

What is Black Cat?

Black Cat is a Western Australian gold miner and antimony explorer.

The company has 100% ownership of three gold exploration and historical projects in prime gold mining regions of Western Australia.

They are Paulsens Gold in the Pilbara, the Kal East Gold Project east of Kalgoorlie, and the Coyote Gold Operation in the Western Tanami.

Kal East

Kal East is located to the east of the Kalgoorlie-Boulder mining centre.

It comprises approximately 650 square km of tenements with four existing mining centres called Myhree, Fingals, Majestic, and Trojan.

Black Cat says it is one of the largest undertested landholdings within 50km of Kalgoorlie.

Black Cat achieved first gold at Kal East in the second half of 2024.

The current JORC 2012 Mineral Resource totals 18.8mt at 2.1 g/t au for 1,294,000 oz.

The company has plans to build a traditional Carbon-In-Leach central processing facility near the Majestic Mining Centre, approximately 50km east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Paulsens

Paulsens is a historical mine located in the Ashburton Basin in the Eastern Pilbara region. 

It first produced gold in 2005 and was put into care and maintenance in 2017.

Black Cat acquired it in 2022 and recommenced production in December 2024.

Paulsens has a 450ktpa processing plant on site. The current JORC 2012 Mineral Resource totals 4.4mt at 3.9 g/t au for 549,000 oz.

Coyote

These tenements sit across the Northern Territory and Western Australian border in the Tanami Goldfields region.

Coyote is a historical operation that first produced gold in 2006 and went into care and maintenance in 2013.

Black Cat bought it in 2022.

There are three explored deposits named Callie, the Tanami Goldfield, and Groundrush, plus a 300ktpa processing plant. The miner is exploring the site and plans to restart the mine in FY28.

The current JORC 2012 Mineral Resource totals 3.7mt at 5.5 g/t au for 645,000 oz.

Black Cat's production goals and broader strategy

Black Cat's total resources are 2.5Moz at 2.9 g/t Au, with plans to expand to 3Moz within five years.

In an investor presentation released this week, Black Cat said it was targeting an annual gold production rate of more than 100,000oz in FY26 and 130,000oz in FY27.

The longer-term goal is 200,000oz per annum by FY29, after Coyote begins production in FY28.

In a note, MA Financial noted that Black Cat's financial position was attractive amid record commodity prices:

BC8 is fully unhedged and debt-free, offering full exposure to current record AUD gold prices, and positioning early production phases for strong margin capture.

The business has a large resource base across Paulsens and Kal East that can be progressively converted into reserves, underpinning a longer production outlook beyond the current mine plan.

Rainy day fund

Part of the company's strategy is retaining some of its gold in stored bullion.

As of 30 September, Black Cat had 5,104oz stored and a total of $90 million in cash, bullion, and investments on its balance sheet.

Managing Director Gareth Solly said:

It is hard to justify producing a safe haven asset in gold and then converting that asset into an asset losing its purchasing power, in cash.

At the end of the day, we are in the gold business.

Investors can choose Black Cat because they are seeking leverage to gold.

But it's not just leveraged to gold…

In addition to its gold mines, Black Cat is developing one of Australia's largest antimony deposits at Mt Clement.

The antimony resource estimate is about 794kt at 1.7% Sb.

Antimony is a flame retardant that is also used to harden metals and make lead-acid batteries and bullets.

MA Financial says:

Renewed strategic focus on critical minerals (including antimony) could raise investor interest in Mt Clement and attract grant or partnership funding, given Mt Clement's permits lie within NAIF jurisdiction and shares development synergies with Paulsens
infrastructure.

The ASX gold share has a market capitalisation of $716 million.

The post ASX gold share to lift 57% in a year: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the gold price is US$4,148 per ounce, up 0.8% today and up 57% in the year to date.

Trading Economics analysts said the gold price hit a three-week high on expectations of another interest rate cut in the US.

The analysts said growing economic uncertainty in the US had increased the likelihood of a rate cut.

The US Government has been shut down for 40 days now.

Meantime, new data shows job losses in the US economy last month, particularly in government and retail sectors.

On top of that, US consumer sentiment has fallen to a three-and-a-half-year low.

The analysts commented:

Traders are pricing in about a 64% chance of a 25-basis-point Fed cut in December, with Fed Governor Stephen Miran advocating a larger half-point reduction amid falling inflation and rising unemployment.

Meantime, America's biggest bank, JPMorgan, now projects the gold price could surpass US$5,000 per ounce next year.

JPMorgan isn't alone in its optimistic predictions.

French bank Societe Generale SA also says the gold price will reach US$5,000 per ounce by the end of next year.

Goldman Sachs is tipping US$4,900 per ounce by the end of 2026.

ASX gold shares surge on Tuesday

The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) is up 2.63% today, while the S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.09%.

The market's biggest ASX gold share, Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST), is trading 3.45% higher at $26.06.

The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price is up 1.9% to $11.29.

Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) shares are 4.29% higher at $136.47.

The Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) share price is $6.24, up 3.48% today.

Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) shares are $5.18, rising 3.1%.

Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX) shares are up 0.87% to $5.77.

Perth Mint Gold (ASX: PMGOLD) shares are up 2.27% to $63.15.

Among the ASX small-cap gold shares, Barton Gold Holdings Ltd (ASX: BGD) shares are up 7.14% to $1.20.

New Murchison Gold Ltd (ASX: NMG) shares are 6.1% higher at 3.5 cents apiece.

The Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN) share price is up 3.1% to $4.65.

The Golden Horse Minerals Ltd CDI (ASX: GHM) share price is up 4.9% to 75 cents.

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8) shares are up 5.39% to $1.08.

The Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR) share price is up 0.69% to 29 cents.

What about ASX gold ETFs?

Among the gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Betashares Global Gold Miners Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: MNRS) is up 4.1% to $13.59 per unit.

MNRS seeks to mirror the performance of the Nasdaq Global ex-Australia Gold Miners Hedged AUD Index and invests in 56 stocks.

The VanEck Gold Miners AUD ETF (ASX: GDX) is up 3.7% to $117.85 per unit.

The GDX ETF tracks the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (AUD) and invests in 63 stocks.

Global X Physical Gold ETF (ASX: GOLD) is up 2.35% to $58.26 per unit.

The GOLD ETF seeks to mirror the growth in the Australian dollar gold price.

The post Why are ASX gold shares and ETFs soaring today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The gold price reached a fresh high above US$4,360 (A$6,733) per ounce on Friday, just a week after breaching the US$4,000 mark for the first time.

Master craftsman, Nick Ireland, a leading East Coast jeweller with more than 30 years' experience, said the prolonged bull run for the gold price is inspiring Australians to cash in their gold jewellery.

Non-investors take advantage of gold rush

At his studios in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, Ireland has seen an increased number of customers wanting to sell or have their gold jewellery revalued this year.

Ireland said:

Customers are pleasantly surprised at what their old jewellery that was sitting in a drawer, unworn, is worth today.  

Ireland said customers are selling gold chains and bracelets, often broken, as well as wedding and eternity rings from previous marriages and engagement rings from old relationships.

Other clients are asking Ireland to refashion their old gold jewellery into more modern, wearable designs, now that gold is trendy again.

What is your gold jewellery worth?

Ireland provided two examples of his gold jewellery purchases this month.

A fortnight ago, Ireland paid a customer $1,440 for an 18-carat gold wedding ring.

He said that two years ago, the same ring would have been worth $692.

Last week, Ireland bought a simple 9-carat gold chain from a client.

We paid $700. Two years ago, we would have paid $310.

Is it a good time to sell your gold jewellery?

Ireland thinks it's a great time to sell, commenting:

Gold has never in its history been so high, so yes, now is a great time to sell.

Considering the rise has been dramatic and easy to make a gain on the original cost, holding on to it has its risks.

However, current trends still have gold tracking higher in value. It's a gamble!

Having said that, Ireland thinks the gold price will go further, saying:

Major global banks are still buying larger quantities of gold, which I think is an indicator of where the price is going. 

ASX gold shares rip in second year of commodity boom

The gold price began its rapid rise in early 2024. The commodity rose by 27% in 2024, which was its strongest run since 2010.

That impressive run has been obliterated in 2025, with the gold price up by an astounding 66% since January.

Investors have enjoyed strong returns from their ASX gold shares since January 2024.

The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD), which tracks a basket of ASX gold shares, is up 140% since then.

The market's largest gold miners have skyrocketed.

The biggest ASX gold share, Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST), has almost doubled in value, up 91%.

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) shares have ripped 195%, while Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) shares have soared 149%.

As we've reported, the most spectacular gains have been seen among the ASX small-cap gold shares.

Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR) shares have skyrocketed 4,070% higher since January 2024, Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8) shares are up 448%, and the Barton Gold Holdings Ltd (ASX: BGD) share price has ripped 372%.

Now, as the gold price streaks further into the stratosphere with more tailwinds behind it, everyday Aussies who are not investors are paying attention.

Not only are they raiding their jewellery boxes, they're lining up to buy gold bars and bullion from city dealers in their lunch breaks.

Why is the gold price at a record high?

In a recent analysis, Goldman Sachs outlined the reasons why the gold price has skyrocketed.

Analyst, Lina Thomas, said there is a structural change afoot in the way central banks manage their reserves.

Central banks — particularly in emerging markets — have increased their gold purchases by about 5x since 2022, Thomas said.

The catalyst was Russia's foreign-currency reserves being frozen following its invasion of Ukraine.

Thomas wrote in an article:

We view this as a structural shift in reserve management behavior, and we do not expect a near-term reversal.

Thomas said central banks, especially in emerging markets, are expected to continue buying gold for three more years.

Where to next for the gold price?

Last week, Goldman Sachs raised its short-term forecast for the gold price to US$4,900 per ounce by December 2026.

The post Gold price rips to record US$4,360 per ounce. Should you sell your gold jewellery? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The gold price soared above US$4,000 per ounce for the first time in overnight trading on Wednesday (Australian time).

However, the materials sector's overall lead last week masked a substantial sell-off of ASX 200 gold shares on Friday.

Investors took profits on the final day of trading after the US dollar strengthened and Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire.

The S&P/ASX All Ords Gold Index (ASX: XGD) rose 2.14% between Monday and Thursday, before plummeting 3.51% on Friday.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 0.32% over the five trading days to close at 8,958.3 points on Friday.

Only four of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let's recap.

ASX 200 gold mining shares sold off on Friday

The market's largest ASX 200 gold mining share, Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST), fell 1.47% over the week to close at $24.05.

The Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) share price declined 0.46% to $10.93 on Friday.

Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) shares fell 0.75% to $129.25.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares fell 4.5% to $3.82 while Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) lost 4.72% to close at $5.85.

The Perseus Mining Ltd (ASX: PRU) share price dropped 4.25% to $4.73.

Small-cap and mid-cap gold shares were a mixed bag..

ASX 200 newcomer Greatland Resources Ltd (ASX: GGP), rose 9.19% to close out the week at $8.08.

The Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR) share price fell 16.9% to 54 cents.

Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN) lifted 5.3% to $3.97.

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8) fell 5.3% to $1.34.

New Murchison Gold Ltd (ASX: NMG) shares rose 6.7% to 3.2 cents per share.

On Thursday, we discussed 7 ASX small-cap gold shares that have skyrocketed in 2025 as the gold price continues its run.

What about other ASX 200 mining shares?

The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price lifted 0.33% to $42.22.

The Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) share price fell 0.67% to $19.16.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares edged 0.07% higher to $125.15.

The Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) share price leapt 8.7% to $44.14.

Pure-play copper share, Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) rose 7.9% to $16.13 on Friday.

Capstone Copper Corp (ASX: CSC) shares rose 5.6% to $14.20.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

The post ASX 200 gold shares sold off on Friday after gold price breaks through US$4,000 per ounce appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the gold price is US$4,011 per ounce, representing an astonishing 53% gain in the year to date.

The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) is up 98% in 2025 and smashed a new record of 16,969.9 points earlier today.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has lifted just 9.5% over the same period.

Goldman Sachs says the gold price is receiving much support from central bank purchases, particularly in emerging markets.

A recent World Gold Council survey found 95% of central banks expect global gold holdings to continue increasing over the next year.

Of course, the strong commodity price is great news for the big ASX 200 gold shares.

The Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price is up 60% in 2025, while Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) is up 133%.

Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) shares have lifted 120% in the year to date.

While that's impressive, the most spectacular gains are being seen among the ASX small-cap gold shares.

Here are some examples.

7 superstar ASX small-cap gold shares

Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR)

This ASX small-cap gold share has streaked into the stratosphere in 2025.

Dateline Resources shares have skyrocketed 9,600% in 2025 to trade at 48.5 cents apiece on Thursday.

Dateline Resources is an Australian-based company focused on gold mining and exploration targets in the United States.

The company owns 100% of the Colosseum Gold-REE Project in the Walker Lane Trend in East San Bernardino County, California.

This ASX small-cap gold share has a market capitalisation of $2.2 billion.

Dateline Resources lodged its response to an ASX price query today.

Barton Gold Holdings Ltd (ASX: BGD)

The Barton Gold share price has soared 412% higher in the year to date, trading at $1.28 on Thursday.

Barton Gold is a mineral exploration company in South Australia.

Its projects include Tarcoola, a brownfield open-pit mine, and Tunkillia, which has a 1.5Moz Au JORC Mineral Resource Estimate.

Barton Gold shares have a market capitalisation of $289 million.

New Murchison Gold Ltd (ASX: NMG)

New Murchison Gold shares have more than tripled in value in 2025.

The New Murchison Gold share price has soared 240% in the year to date to trade at 3.4 cents today.

New Murchison Gold is a mineral exploration company that owns substantial tenements in the Murchison goldfield in Western Australia.

This ASX small-cap gold share has a market capitalisation of $404 million.

Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd (ASX: KCN)

The Kingsgate share price has ripped 209% in the year to date, trading at $3.98 today.

Kingsgate is an Australian gold and silver producer and the owner and operator of the Chatree Gold Mine in central Thailand.

It also owns and operates the Nueva Esperanza Gold-Silver Project in the renowned Maricunga Belt in northern Chile.

Kingsgate Consolidated shares have a market capitalisation of $1.03 billion.

Yesterday, Kingsgate announced the highest quarterly production at Chatree since the restart.

A total of 23,922 ounces of gold and 205,841 ounces of silver were produced, representing an 18% quarterly increase in gold production.

Golden Horse Minerals Ltd CDI (ASX: GHM)

The Golden Horse share price has leapt 204% in the year to date, trading at 73 cents today.

Golden Horse is undertaking a regional strategy to define JORC resources and fast-track production across multiple gold prospects in Western Australia.

Golden Horse holds one of the largest land parcels in the renowned Southern Cross Greenstone Belt. Its flagship project is Hopes Hill.

This ASX small-cap share has a market capitalisation of $117 million.

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

Black Cat shares are up 144% in the year to date, trading at $1.39 today.

This Western Australian gold producer has a substantial and growing portfolio of high-grade projects in prime gold regions.

Its projects include the Paulsens Gold Operation in the Pilbara, the Kal East Gold Project east of Kalgoorlie, and the Coyote Gold Operation in the Western Tanami.

Black Cat achieved first gold at the Myhree open pit at Kal East in the second half of 2024, followed by first gold at Paulsens in December.

This ASX small-cap gold share has a market capitalisation of $989 million.

Black Cat gave investors an update on its progress at Kal East yesterday.

Meeka Metals Ltd (ASX: MEK)

The Meeka Metals share price is up 159% in the year to date, trading at 21 cents on Thursday.

Meeka Metals has a portfolio of high-quality fully-owned projects in Western Australia.

Its flagship mine is the Murchison Gold Project, which has a high-grade 1.2Moz at 3g/t Au Mineral Resource on granted mining leases.

Meeka Metals has a 10-year production plan in place for the Murchison Gold Project. The miner reported first gold in July.

The miner hopes to produce up to 76koz per annum (averaging 65koz per annum for the first seven years).

This ASX small-cap gold share has a market capitalisation of $605 million.

The post 7 ASX small-cap gold shares skyrocketing in 2025 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:

Amaero Ltd (ASX: 3DA)

The Amaero share price is up 3.5% to 42.5 cents. This morning, this high-value refractory and titanium alloy powders producer announced that it has entered a technical development collaboration with US-based Auburn University's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence. Additionally, recent printing and testing of Amaero's C103 and Ti64 powder has demonstrated that the powders conform with industry accepted standards and based on Auburn's testing and certification, Amaero has satisfied Velo3D's qualification condition. CEO Hank J Holland, said: "Amaero has commissioned the most advanced atomisation technology and has assembled a technical team with pioneering experience and proprietary know-how for gas atomisation of refractory and titanium alloys."

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

The Black Cat Syndicate share price is up 6% to 83.5 cents. Investors have been buying this gold miner's shares after it released a drilling update for the Kal East Gold Operation. Commenting on the drilling results, Black Cat's managing director, Gareth Solly, said: "Activity is ramping up at Kal East. Grade control drilling at Fingals is delivering high-grade results from the northeastern part of the open pit and we are looking forward to commencing development in the coming months. These activities are all aligned with our More Gold, Sooner strategy."

Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

The Domino's Pizza share price is up 3% to $18.56. This appears to have been driven by the release of a broker note out of UBS this morning. According to the release, the broker has upgraded the pizza chain operator's shares to a buy rating with a $22.00 price target. It made the move largely on valuation grounds following recent share price weakness. In addition, it notes that the company is aiming to cut costs quicker than expected, which could result in improved store profitability.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS)

The Ramelius Resources share price is up 4% to $2.46. This morning, the team at Macquarie responded positively to the gold miner's quarterly update. It has reaffirmed its outperform rating and $3.10 price target on Ramelius' shares. The broker said: "The 4QFY25 production result beat RMS' own expectations (which we were anchored to) and continued to demonstrate strong cash generation. In the near term our valuation relies on completion of the SPR deal and key study results."

The post Why Amaero, Black Cat, Domino's, and Ramelius shares are racing higher today 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:

ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ)

The ALS share price is down over 1% to $16.10. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Goldman Sachs this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the testing services company's shares with a trimmed price target of $17.70. It said: "We believe that ALQ likely warrants a premium given it over-indexes commodities, which appear to have inflected higher (complemented by an expanding addressable market). However, on an EBIT growth adjusted basis (NTM EV:EBIT / 3yr EBIT CAGR) it is broadly in line with the peer set (1.7x vs an average of 1.9x). With the earnings changes and capital raising outlined above, our 12m TP decreases 1% to A$17.70 (from A$17.80). With 9% upside (vs coverage median ~13%) we downgrade to Neutral."

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

The Black Cat Syndicate share price is down 3% to 78.5 cents. This follows the release of a drilling update from the gold miner's Paulsens Gold Operation. While the drilling was successful, some investors appear to have been expecting stronger results. Black Cat's managing director, Gareth Solly, said: "Drilling results from the Gabbro Veins is consistent with our mine plan at Paulsens. Development in this new area is ahead of plan, and we look forward to commencing production from the Gabbro Veins as we continue with our mine ramp up. Underground drilling and development activities continue to deliver on our more gold, sooner strategy."

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE)

The Boss Energy share price is down almost 3.5% to $3.99. This appears to have been driven by profit taking from some investors after uranium stocks surged over the past few weeks. In fact, even after today's pullback, this uranium miner's shares are up 25% since this time last month.

Washington H Soul Pattinson & Co Ltd (ASX: SOL)

The Washington H Soul Pattinson share price is down 1.5% to $37.12. This may have been caused by a broker note out of Morgans. This morning, the broker downgraded the investment company's shares to a hold rating with an improved price target of $37.50. While Morgans is a fan of the company, it feels its valuation is getting stretched following a strong run since its half year results.

The post Why ALS, Black Cat, Boss Energy, and Soul Patts shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are rising more than Most today are listed below. Here's why they are climbing:

Avjennings Ltd (ASX: AVJ)

The Avjennings share price is up 7% to 65 cents. This morning, the residential land and housing developer revealed that it has accepted a takeover offer from an investment vehicle of Proprium Capital Partners Australia and Property Group. The parties have agreed on a deal that will see shareholders receive $0.655 cash consideration per share. The company stated: "AVJennings' Board of Directors unanimously recommend that AVJ shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a superior proposal and subject to an independent expert concluding (and continuing to conclude) that the Scheme is in the best interests of the AV shareholders."

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

The Black Cat Syndicate share price is up 6% to $1.02. This morning, the gold miner announced the completion of the 1.2Mtpa Lakewood processing facility acquisition. It is now part of the 100% owned Kal East Gold Operation. This deal is inline with the company's more gold, sooner strategy. Black Cat's Managing Director, Gareth Solly, said: "Black Cat has taken a transformational step forward now that Lakewood is under the Company's ownership. With processing starting immediately, the more gold sooner strategy is underway."

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

The Evolution share price is up 2.5% to $7.28. This follows another strong rise for the gold price overnight. Traders were bidding the precious metal higher ahead of the start of US trade tariffs. It isn't just Evolution Mining that is pushing higher today. There are gains across the industry, which has led to the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold (XGD) index rising 0.7% today.

Southern Cross Electrical Engineer Ltd (ASX: SXE)

The Southern Cross Electrical Engineer share price is up a further 11% to $1.84. Investors have been buying SCEE shares this week after it announced the acquisition of Force Fire Holdings. It is a leading New South Wales and Queensland-based provider of fire safety solutions to the commercial and industrial sectors. SCEE is paying an initial upfront consideration of $36.3 million. This could increase to a total consideration of up to $53.5 million if the business delivers on its EBIT growth targets in FY 2026 and FY 2027.

The post Why Avjennings, Black Cat, Evolution Mining, and SCEE shares are racing higher 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:

Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL)

The Catalyst Metals share price is up 5.5% to $5.82. Investors have been buying this gold miner's shares this month thanks to a number of reasons. One is the release of a drilling update, which went down well with investors. Another is the sale of a non-core asset and the third was a broker note out of Bell Potter. In respect to the latter, last week the broker upgraded Catalyst Metals' shares to a buy rating from hold. It said: "The transaction makes sense as it simplifies the business, and enables greater focus on the expansion and exploration of the flag ship Plutonic Gold Operation, while adding a low cost and rapid option to unlock value at the Bendigo Project."

KMD Brands Ltd (ASX: KMD)

The KMD Brands share price is down 1.5% to 33 cents. This retailer's shares are rebounding after falling at the end of last week following the release of its half year results. The Rip Curl, Kathmandu, and Oboz owner reported a 0.5% increase in sales to NZ$470.9 million but a 74.3% decline in underlying EBITDA to NZ$3.9 million. This ultimately led to the company recording an underlying loss after tax of NZ$16.1 million for the first half.

Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA)

The Orora share price is up 4% to $1.87. This morning, this packaging company released a further update on its French regulatory investigation. The company advised that the investigation relates to a period prior to Orora's ownership of Saverglass. Complaints have been made about price increases. However, it notes that this period was marked by major events including the Covid pandemic and the start of the war in Ukraine, which led to input costs for glass container production including energy, key raw materials and gas increasing significantly, as well as increased freight costs in an environment of very high inflation.

Southern Cross Electrical Engineer Ltd (ASX: SXE)

The Southern Cross Electrical Engineer share price is up 5% to $1.64. This follows news that SCEE is acquiring Force Fire Holdings, a leading New South Wales and Queensland-based provider of fire safety solutions to the commercial and industrial sectors. An initial upfront consideration of $36.3 million has been agreed. This could increase to a total consideration of up to $53.5 million for delivering EBIT growth targets in FY 2026 and FY 2027.

The post Why Catalyst Metals, KMD, Orora, and SCEE shares are rising today 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:

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

The Black Cat Syndicate share price is down 6.5% to 80 cents. This morning, this gold miner announced the completion of a share placement. Firm commitments have been received for $65 million at a discount of $0.76 per new share. Proceeds will accelerate mine development at the Kal East Gold Operations in order to supply the newly acquired Lakewood processing facility. This will ultimately see mining production increase and optimised from the May 2024 study levels of 0.8Mtpa to 1.2Mtpa throughput rates.

CAR Group Limited (ASX: CAR)

The CAR Group share price is down 3% to $33.07. This has been driven partly by the auto listings company's shares going ex-dividend this morning for its latest payout. When this happens, it means the rights to an upcoming dividend are settled and anyone buying its shares today will not receive it on pay day. As a result, a share price will tend to drop to reflect this. Last month, the Carsales.com.au owner released its half year results and declared a partially franked interim dividend of 38.5 cents per share. Eligible shareholders can look forward to receiving this payout in a month on 14 April.

Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL)

The Data#3 share price is down 1.5% to $7.20. This has also been driven by the IT services and solutions provider's shares going ex-dividend this morning. Last month, the company released its half year results and declared a fully franked interim dividend of 13.1 cents per share. This will be paid to eligible shareholders at the end of the month on 31 March.

Helia Group Ltd (ASX: HLI)

The Helia Group share price is down 1% to $5.56. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Macquarie this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the LMI provider's shares to an underperform rating with a $4.20 price target. Macquarie has concerns over the company's significant contract with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA). While it suspects that the contract will be renewed, it acknowledges that there are risks that it won't be or that the terms will be changed unfavourably.

The post Why Black Cat, CAR Group, Data#3, and Helia shares are falling today 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:

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

The Black Cat Syndicate share price is up 10% to 59 cents. This follows the release of an update on the turn-key funding, development, and processing package at the Myhree/Boundary open pits. These are part of the 100% owned Kal East Gold Operation. Black Cat's Managing Director, Gareth Solly, said: "Excellent progress is being made at Myhree/Boundary with accelerated mining delivering ~110kt of Ore, well ahead of schedule. Expedited cashflow from Myhree/Boundary will complement the recent $80M placement and underpin Black Cat producing more gold, sooner from multiple operations."

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

The Dicker Data share price is up 3% to $9.12. This morning the computer hardware and software distributor announced its latest dividend payout. Dicker Data will be rewarding its shareholders with a fully franked 11 cents per share quarterly dividend. This is up 10% on the prior corresponding period. Dicker Data's shares will go ex-dividend for this payout on 14 November. Pay day will then follow at the start of next month on 2 December.

Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

The Novonix share price is up 14% to 82 cents. This morning the battery materials technology company announced a binding offtake agreement with Stellantis. It is one of the world's leading automakers and owns brands such as Citroen, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, and Peugeot. Stellantis has signed up for offtake of a minimum of 86,250 tonnes and up to a target volume of 115,000 tonnes of high-performance synthetic graphite material. Management revealed that the price of synthetic graphite products sold under the offtake agreement will be based on an agreed upon market-based price formula. Novonix's CEO, Dr. Chris Burns, said: "We are excited to have Stellantis' commitment, now as our largest customer, to support their North American EV growth plans."

Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)

The Pointsbet share price is up 6% to 94 cents. This is despite there being no news out of the sports betting company on Monday. Though, it is worth noting that rival Draftkings released its quarterly update on Friday. It's possible that investors have seen some positives for Pointsbet from this update.

The post Why Black Cat, Dicker Data, Novonix, and Pointsbet shares are racing higher 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:

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

The Black Cat Syndicate share price is down 10% to 57 cents. This follows the completion of the gold miner's institutional placement this morning. The company revealed that firm commitments have been received for ~$80 million via a two-tranche placement at a sizeable discount of 52 cents per new share. The company advised that the placement was strongly supported by existing shareholders, along with several new offshore and Australian institutional investors. This includes a number of long-gold funds. Management explained that the proceeds will be used to accelerate and expand gold production.

BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL)

The BlueScope Steel share price is down 1.5% to $20.88. This morning, the steel producer revealed that it expects to fall short of its guidance in the first half of FY 2025 due to challenging operating conditions. BlueScope now expects its underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for the half to be in the range of $270 million to $310 million. This is down from its previous guidance range of $350 million to $420 million.

Cettire Ltd (ASX: CTT)

The Cettire share price is down 9% to $1.94. Investors have been selling this online luxury products retailer's shares following the release of a disappointing first quarter update. Although Cettire's sales revenue came in 22% higher year on year at $155 million, things weren't anywhere near as positive for its earnings. Partly due to the continuation of heightened promotional activity, the company reported adjusted EBITDA of $2 million for the three months. This is down a sizeable 77% on the $8.7 million recorded in the prior corresponding period. Nevertheless, management advised that it is "confident underlying demand for luxury will remain resilient and will ultimately improve in the next 6-12 months."

Coronado Global Resources Inc (ASX: CRN)

The Coronado Global Resources share price is down 5% to $1.00. This has been driven by the release of the coal miner's quarterly update. For the third quarter, the company reported a 14.9% quarter on quarter decline in ROM production to 6.3Mt. It also revealed a 3% decline in sales volumes for the three months. In light of this, the company has downgraded its full year production guidance and lifted its cost guidance.

The post Why Black Cat, BlueScope, Cettire, and Coronado shares are falling 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:

Black Cat Syndicate Ltd (ASX: BC8)

The Black Cat Syndicate share price is down 14.5% to 29.5 cents. This morning, this gold developer announced firm commitments for a $36 million two-tranche placement to institutional and sophisticated investors. These funds are being raised at sizeable discount of $0.27 per new share. The proceeds will be used to support the restart of the 100% owned Paulsens Gold Operation. Managing Director, Gareth Solly, said: "We have now secured immediate funding to commence the major refurbishment works and the high-grade stockpile strategy at Paulsens. Planning for mobilisation of MACA Interquip and Cream Mining has commenced, with first gold expected to be processed in 2024."

Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN)

The Brainchip share price is down 3% to 24.7 cents. With both AMD and Nvidia announcing their latest artificial intelligence chips this week, investors may be heading to the exits in a hurry. After all, it is hard to see how Brainchip could ever compete with its rivals given their massive budgets and trusted brands. In addition, given how easily they could swallow up Brainchip, the lack of any takeover interest appears to indicate that they don't see Brainchip's technology as anything to take seriously.

Cooper Energy Ltd (ASX: COE)

The Cooper Energy share price is down 6.5% to 21.5 cents. This is despite the release of an investor briefing from the gas exploration and production company this morning. Its update outlined Cooper Energy's commitment to the Southeast Australian gas market, with the company preparing for its next phase of growth in the Otway Basin, now referred to as the East Coast Supply Project. Cooper Energy also reaffirmed its FY 2024 guidance of group production of 60.5 – 64.0 TJe/d, production expenses of $57 million to $63 million, and capital expenditure of $240 million to $280 million.

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

The Lovisa share price is down a further 5% to $28.94. This has been driven by news that the fashion jewellery retailer's highly regarded CEO, Victor Herrero, is stepping down from the role. He will leave in approximately 12 months after four years at the helm. And while Herrero will be replaced with the very experienced John Cheston from Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV), there are concerns that this CEO change could increase execution risks for Lovisa's ambitious global expansion. Cheston is in charge of Smiggle, which is also in the process of expanding internationally. And not without a few hiccups along the way.

The post Why Black Cat, Brainchip, Cooper Energy, and Lovisa shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.