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

Benz Mining Corp (ASX: BNZ)

The Benz Mining share price is up 25% to $2.65. Investors have been buying the gold explorer's shares after it announced a maiden exploration target for its 100%-owned Glenburgh Gold Project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Benz Mining's CEO, Mark Lynch-Staunton, commented: "This initial Exploration Target frames the scale and quality of Glenburgh on a project-wide basis for the first time. Importantly, this is not a loose conceptual target – approximately 80% of the Exploration Target is drill-defined, assay-supported and wireframed, providing a strong technical foundation for resource conversion. […] Glenburgh has the scale and geological architecture to become a major Australian gold project, with the potential to evolve into a world-class gold system."

Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF)

The Collins Foods share price is up 1.5% to $8.24. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Citi this morning. According to the note, the broker has upgraded the quick service restaurant operator's shares to a buy rating with a $10.30 price target. This implies potential upside of 25% for investors over the next 12 months. Citi made the move on valuation grounds following a sizeable decline from its highs.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech share price is up 15% to $33.00. Investors appear to be buying the logistics software company's shares after WiseTech responded to recent media reports involving founder Richard White. It stated: "The media reports that the alleged investigation relates to Richard White in a personal capacity. There is no suggestion in this media commentary of an investigation into WiseTech. The Company is not aware of any investigation as outlined in the article. The Executive Chair has provided assurance to the Board that he is not aware of any such investigation and also confirmed that he emphatically and unequivocally denies any involvement in or with human trafficking."

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

The Xero share price is up almost 9% to $70.69. This may also have been driven by a broker note out of Citi. This morning, the broker reaffirmed its buy rating and $113.60 price target on the cloud accounting platform provider's shares. This implies potential upside of approximately 60% for investors over the next 12 months.

The post Why Benz Mining, Collins Foods, WiseTech, and Xero shares are shooting higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

On Tuesday, Benz Mining Corp (ASX: BNZ) surged another almost 19% to $2.01. That's just the latest move in a staggering rally. Over the past 12 months, Benz Mining shares have skyrocketed roughly 450%.

So, can the ASX gold stock keep going?

Here's what's driving the momentum and what investors need to watch next.

Why the Benz Mining share price is surging

Like many gold explorers and producers, the $550 million ASX gold stock has benefited from strong investor interest as gold prices surged until recently. Benz Mining's rise hasn't come out of nowhere. It's been fueled by a steady stream of strong exploration results and capital backing.

The company's flagship Glenburgh Gold Project in Western Australia is the key story. Recent drilling has delivered strong results, including 13 metres of rock with very high gold content.

That's the kind of result that grabs attention.

On top of that, Benz recently raised $75 million in fresh capital. This has strengthened its balance sheet and gives the ASX gold stock the firepower to accelerate drilling and resource expansion.

Strengths investors are backing

The ASX gold stock ticks several boxes that growth-focused investors love.

First, exploration momentum. The company is consistently delivering strong drill results. That builds confidence in the size and quality of its resource.

Second, scalability. Glenburgh isn't just a small deposit story. Early signs point to a large system with expansion potential.

Third, funding strength. With around $94 million in pro-forma cash after its recent raise, the ASX gold stock is well funded to push ahead aggressively.

Put simply, this is a company in growth mode.

What about earnings and production?

Here's the catch: Benz Mining isn't a producer yet.

It's still in the exploration and development phase. That means no meaningful revenue or profits at this stage. In fact, like many early-stage miners, the ASX gold stock is currently loss-making as it invests heavily in growth.

The upside? If it successfully defines a large resource and moves toward production, the valuation could shift dramatically.

The downside? There's still a long road ahead.

Risks to watch

After a 450% run, risks matter more than ever.

Exploration risk is the big one. Not every drill result will be a winner. Sentiment can turn quickly if results disappoint.

There's also dilution risk. The company has already raised capital, and future funding rounds could dilute existing shareholders.

And finally, volatility. Small-cap miners are known for big swings — both up and down.

What do analysts think?

Coverage is still relatively limited, but there are some bullish signals. All 4 brokers covering the ASX gold stock rate it a strong buy, with an average 12-month price target of $3.83. That points to a potential gain of 86%.

Canaccord Genuity has maintained a speculative buy rating on Benz Mining, with a price target of $3.10. This implies a 49% upside at current levels.

That suggests brokers still see upside — even after the massive run.

The post Up 450% in a year — why this ASX gold stock could soar further appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Again.

Benz Mining shares closed yesterday trading for $2.25. At the time of writing on Wednesday, shares are changing hands for $2.81 apiece, up 24.9%.

For some context, the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index (ASX: XSO) is down 0.3% at this same time.

With today's intraday jump factored in, the ASX gold share is now up an eye-popping 639.5% in 12 months. Or enough to turn an $8,000 investment into $59,158.

In just one year!

Like most gold explorers and producers, Benz Mining has enjoyed heightened investor interest amid the surging gold price. Gold is currently trading for US$5,180 per ounce, up 89% since this time last year.

And Benz Mining has hardly been sitting idle.

Here's what's grabbing investor interest again today.

ASX gold share leaping on high-grade results

Investors are piling into Benz Mining shares following the release of promising drill results from the Icon trend within Benz Mining's Glenburgh Gold Project, located in Western Australia.

The ASX gold share said that the latest results reinforce Icon's potential to host a large, long-life open-pit gold operation.

The miner reported on an "ultra high-grade" shallow lens that's emerging at Icon through infill drilling.

Among the top results at Icon, the company reported 13 metres at 29 grams of gold per tonne from 60 metres.

Management said that the drilling also continues to demonstrate large-scale bulk mineralisation at Icon, including 200 metres at 1.0g/t gold from 76 metres.

Meanwhile, broad step out drilling at the ASX gold share's Tuxedo prospect extended the mineralisation 200 metres at depth beneath historical shallow drilling.

What did management say?

"Results from the latest drilling at Icon and Tuxedo continue to reinforce our view that this is a large, coherent mineralised system with genuine scale," Benz Mining CEO Mark Lynch-Staunton said.

Staunton added:

At Icon, infill drilling is delivering exactly what we want to see – improved continuity, increasing confidence in the system, and the emergence of high-grade zones within a broad mineralised envelope. These results continue to demonstrate the quality and robustness of the mineralisation.

When considered together, Icon and Tuxedo sit within the same mineralised footprint and are increasingly shaping up as a single, large open-pit style system.

Looking at what could impact the ASX gold share in the months ahead, Staunton said, "With more than three kilometres of strike already defined and less than 30% tested to date, we are still in the early stages of unlocking the full potential of this system."

The post Up 640% in a year, why is this ASX gold share rocketing another 25% on Wednesday? 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:

Benz Mining Corp (ASX: BNZ)

The Benz Mining share price is up 23% to $2.77. This follows the release of a drilling update from the gold explorer. Strong results were achieved at the Glenburgh Gold Project in Western Australia. Benz CEO, Mark Lynch-Staunton, commented: "Results from the latest drilling at Icon and Tuxedo continue to reinforce our view that this is a large, coherent mineralised system with genuine scale. […] Glenburgh is rapidly emerging as a genuinely large gold system, and each round of drilling continues to build scale, confidence and long-term value for shareholders."

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE)

The Boss Energy share price is up 9% to $1.96. Investors have been buying the uranium producer's shares following the release of a solid quarterly update this morning. Boss Energy reported record drummed production of 456 klbs U3O8 and IX production of 406 klbs for the three months from the Honeymoon operation. This represents an 18% and 8% increase, respectively. Another positive was that Honeymoon's C1 costs were $30 per pound (US$20 per pound). This is down 12% following positive results from reagent optimisation in the wellfields and plant.

Develop Global Ltd (ASX: DVP)

The Develop Global share price is up 1.5% to $5.60. This follows the release of the mining and mining services company's quarterly update. The company reported a 98.5% increase in quarterly revenue to $39.1 million from 9,472 tonnes of concentrate sales. Develop's managing director, Bill Beament, said: "It was a pivotal quarter for Develop which has set up the company for rapid growth in copper, zinc and silver/gold production."

DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX: DGT)

The DigiCo Infrastructure REIT share price is up 4.5% to $2.73. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Bell Potter. It upgraded the data centre company's shares to a buy rating with a $3.25 price target. The broker said: "Stock has been a key underperformer across the REIT sector last 6m (-17% vs. -3% XPJ), but yet there is now more certainty on leasing / FFO in FY26+ post guidance update." Bell Potter's price target implies further upside of 19% for investors over the next 12 months.

The post Why Benz Mining, Boss Energy, Develop Global, and Digico shares are storming higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 300 Metal & Mining (ASX: XMM) index is up an impressive 7% already in 3 weeks of trading this year. 

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up just 1% in that same period. 

Here are 5 metals and mining shares off to hot starts in 2026. 

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

Whitehaven Coal is a large Australian independent thermal and metallurgical coal miner with mines in the Gunnedah Basin, New South Wales.

The coal miner has benefited from long-term global coal demand increases and strengthening coal prices this year. 

Already in 2026, its share price has risen from $7.80 to almost $9 per share. 

This is a 14.6% increase. 

NICO Resources Ltd (ASX: NC1)

NICO Resources is a small-cap mineral exploration and development company. 

It is engaged in exploring, developing, evaluating, acquiring, and exploiting mineral resource project opportunities.

It has been one of the hottest materials shares to start 2026, rising from $0.14 to $0.35 in that period. 

That represents a rise of 150%. 

Viridis Mining and Minerals Ltd (ASX: VMM)

Viridis Mining & Minerals engages in mineral exploration primarily on a portfolio of coal assets in Indonesia.

Yesterday, its stock price rose by more than 7%. 

Including this gain, it is now up 46% in 2026 and more than 330% in the last 12 months. 

Investors have been reacting positively this year to the conditional Letter of Support ('LOS') for up to US$50 million from Export Finance Australia ('EFA'). 

Bell Potter believes this growth could continue. 

The broker has a speculative buy rating and set a price target of $2.65 on these ASX mining shares. 

That indicates a further upside of more than 42%. 

Titan Minerals Ltd (ASX: TTM)

Titan Minerals shares jumped 5% yesterday to take its year to date gains to more than 30%. 

There has been plenty of positive news out of the gold miner already this year. 

Titan Minerals shares also jumped 7% on January 14 after a strong exploration update from its Dynasty Gold Project in Ecuador.

Titan Minerals Ltd. is a minerals exploration and production company, which focuses on medium-sized gold projects in South America.

It has enjoyed massive gains over the past year (like many other gold shares). 

This gold mining company is up more than 180% in the last 12 months. 

Benz Mining Corp (ASX: BNZ)

Benz Mining is a Canadian mining development company focused on advancing the Eastmain Gold Mine project in the James Bay Region, Quebec.

After yesterday's 4.4% rise, it has now increased more than 22% this year. 

In the last 12 months it is up more than 400%. 

The post 5 of the hottest ASX metals and mining shares right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Lode Resources Ltd (ASX: LDR), Atlantic Lithium Ltd (ASX: A11), and Benz Mining Corp (ASX: BNZ) share prices all lifted by more than 10% during trading today.

Let's take a look at why these three ASX mining shares had such a top run.

Lode Resources

The Lode Resources share price soared 23% in early trade today from 22 cents to 27 cents before retreating. The explorer's shares closed 13.64% ahead. Lode is exploring silver, gold, and copper in the New England Fold Belt in New South Wales.

The gold price is currently down 0.27% to US$1,906 an ounce, according to CNBC, while silver is sliding 0.88%. Copper is up 0.3% to US$4.0116 a pound, Trading Economics data shows.

Diamond drilling has recently recommenced at Lode's Webbs Consol Silver project in New South Wales. Commenting on the work at the project, Lode managing director Ted Leschke said:

Drilling to date has discovered six mineralised lodes and revealed that the Webs Consol mineral system much more extensive than previous recognised.
The Company is well funded for the planned drill programme and beyond.

Benz Mining Corp

Benz Mining shares surged 11.8% in earlier trade from 38 to 42.5 cents. The company's shares finished at 42 cents each at market close, up 10.53%.

Benz Mining is exploring gold, copper, lithium, and nickel in the James Bay area of Quebec, Canada. Benz shares lifted today despite no news from the company. In February, Benz advised its 2023 diamond drilling campaign has started in the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt. Assay results are pending for 1,600 samples including lithium and gold assays.

Atlantic Lithium

Atlantic Lithium rebounded on Wednesday. The company's share price surged 14.6% in morning trade from 41 to 47 cents. The lithium developer's share price closed at 44 cents, a 7.32% gain.

Today's gains follow a recent tough run for the lithium explorer. The company last week refuted a short seller report from investment firm Blue Orca.

Atlantic Lithium shares could have lifted today if investors believed the company's shares were sold off unfairly following the attack. It's also possible short sellers could now be closing their positions, as my Foolish colleague James reported today.

The post 3 ASX mining shares that surged over 10% on Wednesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

To help you get up to speed, here are 3 ASX mining shares with what they presented to the market this morning.

These ASX mining shares have been busy

Benz Mining Corp (ASX: BNZ)

First cab off the ranks, Canada-based Benz Mining. The junior mining company announced this morning that its 50,000 metre diamond drilling program has commenced at its Eastmain gold project.

The drilling program is accompanied by a large surface electromagnetic (EM) survey. A bit of background – the Eastmain gold project is located in Quebec, Canada. Benz Mining has reported that this site currently hosts a JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000 oz at 7.9 g/tonne of gold. This being comprised of 236,500 oz at 8.2 g/tonne indicated, and 139,300 oz at 7.5 g/tonne inferred.

Benz Mining highlighted that the first drilling target of the 2021 drill season is the newly identified footwall conductors. Fixed-loop electromagnetic (FLEM) surveys are underway on 3km of potential strike areas. The miner expects 2020 drilling assays to be delivered in the coming weeks.

Benz Mining shares are down 1.06% today at the time of writing.

New Century Resources Ltd (ASX: NCZ)

The $290.38 million market capitalisation ASX mining company, New Century Resources, announced the mark of a milestone this morning. The miner delivered its 500,000th tonne of zinc concentrate. This milestone comes after the ASX mining company restarted operations in late 2018.

Additionally, the company advised it had successfully executed a hedging program to set the minimum price for its zinc at US$2,645 per tonne. This hedging program will be in effect for 100% of March 2021 quarter sales, and 50% of June quarter sales. Due to the nature of the hedge, which uses put option contracts (a form of derivative), the upside is not limited.

New Century noted it intends to release its quarterly results towards the end of January. Shares in New Century have dropped 2.08 % on the news today.

New World Resources Ltd (ASX: NWC)

ASX mining company New World Resources updated the market this morning on drill results at its Antler Copper deposit. Located in Arizona, the copper project has reportedly returned high-grade assays from 3 drill holes.

The results indicate:

• 4m at 1.13% Cu, 4.08% Zn, 0.42% Pb and 18.6 g/tonne Ag from 290.96m(22.4m at 2.2% Cu equivalent)
  Including:
• 6m @ 2.28% Cu, 3.93% Zn, 0.79% Pb and 33.8 g/tonne Ag from 296.57m (8.6m @ 3.2% Cu equivalent)
• 4m @ 0.88% Cu, 9.67% Zn, 0.07% Pb and 5.9 g/tonne Ag from 307.9m (5.4m @ 3.4% Cu equivalent)

Furthermore, New World Resources stated that a further 8 drilling holes are pending results. Currently the miner has 3 drilling rigs operational.

Shares in the ASX mining company are down 7.81% on the back of the news today.

The post 3 ASX mining shares with announcements out this morning appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.