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

Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6)

The Clarity Pharmaceuticals share price is down almost 8% to $2.89. This follows the announcement of a commercial manufacturing agreement for 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA with Nucleus Radiopharma. It is an innovative contract development and manufacturing organisation in the radiopharmaceutical industry. Clarity's executive chair, Dr Alan Taylor, said: "Clarity is building a strong foundation with its supply and manufacturing strategy to support a large-scale commercial rollout of 64Cu-SARbisPSMA from day one, with capability to supply not only the entire existing PSMA PET market, but a larger pool of patients that could benefit from our optimised product, given the promising data we have seen in the clinic to date."

Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN)

The Qantas share price is down 1% to $8.93. This follows the release of a market update from the airline operator today. As was widely expected, Qantas revealed that fuel costs have risen strongly. It now expects jet fuel costs for the second half to be $3.1 billion to $3.3 billion. This is more than double previous expectations. It also advised that net debt is now expected at or above the midpoint, but within Qantas' target range. And while the $300 million interim dividend will be paid on 15 April, its $150 million buyback remains on hold.

Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI)

The Universal Store share price is down 3% to $7.20. This morning, this youth fashion retailer announced the exit of its CEO, Alice Barbery, later this year. However, Universal Store has acted fast and named George Do as her successor. Universal Store's chair, Peter Birtles, said: "On behalf of the Board and the Universal team, I would like to thank Alice for her outstanding leadership of the Company over the past 17 years. During this time, she has overseen the continued strong growth and performance of the Universal Store retail banner, the creation and successful rollout of the Perfect Stranger retail banner and the acquisition of the CTC business."

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

The Westpac share price is down 2.5% to $41.60. Investors have been selling the banking giant's shares following the release of an update on its first-half expectations. The bank advised that: "Balance sheet momentum was solid with lending and deposit growth of 4% and 3% respectively; Core NIM, excluding the timing impact of rate rises, was stable in 2Q26; Ongoing productivity initiatives supported a 2% decline in expenses; and Asset quality metrics improved and the CET1 capital ratio strengthened in 2Q26."

The post Why Clarity, Qantas, Universal Store, and Westpac shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At face value, the news looks positive. Clarity has secured large-scale production capacity for its lead prostate cancer imaging product, and this positions it for a future commercial launch.

So why did the stock fall?

High expectations

It's fair to say that investor expectations for Clarity are sky high, but progress isn't always linear.

Today's announcement from Clarity was actually, on the face of it, quite positive but it did lack concrete dollar figures to provide the required level of 'clarity' (sorry I had to!) on the pathway to commercialisation.

The announcement notes that Clarity will gain access to significant manufacturing capability across the US, including the ability to produce tens of thousands of doses today and potentially hundreds of thousands in the future.

This matters because radiopharmaceuticals are not easy to deliver. These products have short shelf lives and require specialised infrastructure. Companies that can manufacture and distribute reliably have a real advantage.

In simple terms, Clarity is building the foundations to compete at scale.

Despite the strategic progress, investors are forward-looking and thinking of what happens next.

At the moment, Clarity is still a clinical-stage company; its lead product is not yet approved, and it must still complete late-stage trials to secure regulatory approval before generating revenue.

At the same time, expanding manufacturing brings forward costs. Investors often worry about how much capital will be needed and how long it will take to turn that investment into profits.

Another possible factor to explain today's share price movement is the starting point.

Clarity's share price had already performed strongly over the past year, and so when expectations are elevated, even positive developments can trigger selling if they do not materially accelerate the timeline.

In other words, the market was hoping for a step change. Instead, it got a steady step forward.

Foolish bottom line

Zooming out, this announcement is another step forward in Clarity's long-term trajectory.

The company is not just trying to develop a better product; it is trying to ensure it can deliver that product at scale across a large market. If its clinical trials are successful, this manufacturing footprint could become a key competitive strength.

For now, however, investors are balancing that long-term potential against near-term uncertainty, which is understandable.

Clarity shares are now down around 20% year to date, and are up roughly 69% over the past 12 months.

The post Why Clarity Pharmaceuticals shares just fell 5% on today's announcement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Every now and then, though, it's worth casting your eye over stocks which could outperform the market by a significant amount, and deliver outsized returns.

I've had a look at the recent analyst reports and selected three companies that, at least if the analysts are to be believed, are significantly undervalued at current levels.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

Catapult is a global leader in providing technology for professional sports teams to monitor, track, and evaluate their players.

The company held an investor day recently and also put out a trading update in March, which indicated that the company expected management EBITDA to grow by about 50% year on year, "as the company's profitability continues to outpace its strong top-line growth''.

The analysts at Canaccord Genuity attended the investor day and said the company was targeting growth to 5,000 teams in the next two to three years, then 7,000 to 10,000 teams in five to six years.

They added:

Management has identified several greenfield opportunities across global Soccer (lower division levels not using any tech) and Basketball (currently about 100-150 teams weighted to US-based collegiate level), with potential expansion into other US college sports (e.g. Athletics, Ice hockey).

Canaccord has a price target of $8 on Catapult shares, compared with $3.22 now.

Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6)

Clarity has two Phase III clinical trials in the prostate cancer space that will report this year, which could trigger a major rerating of the company's shares, the analysts at Canaccord Genuity say.

The addressable market for the company's drugs would be about $US2.9 billion annually in the US, Canaccord said, providing the potential for major revenue for the company.

They added:

Should 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA be approved, and subsequently launch in 2H28, by FY35 we see Clarity generating US$860m in sales, representing 29% share. 

Canaccord has a price target of $8.41 on Clarity shares compared with $3.15 currently.

Global Lithium Resources Ltd (ASX: GL1)

Shaw and Partners has just initiated coverage on this company with a buy recommendation and a very bullish share price target.

Global Lithium is developing the Manna Lithium Project in Western Australia, and released a definitive feasibility study on it in December, envisaging a 14.3-year mine life with a payback period of 3.5 years.

Shaw's report on the company said the Manna project was of "world class scale and quality".

They added:

The project is designed for high efficiency, utilising ore sorting to optimize mill feed and reduce waste. This results in an extremely competitive all in sustaining cost of $1,101/t on our numbers, positioning Manna in the lowest quartile of the global lithium cost curve. This low-cost profile ensures the project remains resilient and commercially viable even during periods of lithium price volatility.

Shaw has a price target of $1.50 on Global Lithium shares compared with the current price of 51.5 cents.

The post 3 ASX shares tipped to grow 100% or more in the next 12 months appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Canaccord team has a buy recommendation on the stock, and while they've reduced their price target on the company, it's still extremely bullish. We'll get to that later.

Firstly, why is there cause for interest around what the company is doing?

Prostate cancer plans progressing

Canaccord says the major focus for Clarity in the company year are its two Phase III diagnostic trials, "assessing 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA in PSMA-avid prostate cancer''.

Canaccord goes on to say:

We are expecting readouts from both trials in 2H CY26. If positive, we would anticipate FDA submission and potential launch in 1H CY28. The company has begun bolstering its access to 64Cu in the US, having recently added Theragenics to its existing agreements with SpectronRx and Nusano. With 64Cu supply no longer a question in our minds, our attention turns towards the sales, marketing and distribution side of the equation.

Clarity said in late March that it had signed a large-scale manufacturing agreement for the supply of copper-64 (64Cu) with Theragenics, with the manufacture to take place in Atlanta, Georgia.

Clarity Executive Chair Dr Alan Taylor said at the time:

Clarity is closer than ever to commercialisation of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA, with outstanding data recently released from the head-to-head Co-PSMA investigator-initiated trial3 and our announcement on achieving our target number of participants in the Phase III AMPLIFY trial just months since imaging the first patient.

Large addressable market

Canaccord said they had reviewed the US market for PSMA (Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen) compounds and forecast the 2035 market to be worth US$2.9 billion.

They added:

Should 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA be approved, and subsequently launch in 2H28, by FY35 we see Clarity generating US$860m in sales, representing 29% share. While there is pushback regarding workflow changes and incumbency, we are encouraged by the growing body of evidence (albeit with smaller patient numbers currently), which delineates 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA from the current (and developing) players. We see that patients, clinicians, and pharma are all incentivised to find disease at earlier time points, allowing earlier intervention.

Canaccord has a price target on Clarity shares of $8.41, down from $9, with the reduction coming from foreign exchange changes and adjustments to the timelines for the company's portfolio.

This is well north of 100% up on the current share price for Clarity of $3.19. Clarity is valued at $1.14 billion.

The post This ASX healthcare stock could more than double according to Canaccord Genuity appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

One such stock is Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6), according to Bell Potter.

Let's see what the broker is saying about the radiopharmaceuticals company.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter highlights that the peer-reviewed paper from the ASX healthcare stock's Co-PSMA trial has now been released. It points out that there have been some very positive things said about the trial by investigators. It explains:

The trial demonstrated that 64Cu-bisPSMA has a significantly higher detection rate compared to a current standard-of-care 68Ga PSMA-11 PET/CT in BCR post radical prostatectomy at PSA levels between 0.2 And 0.75 ng/ml, with consequently higher composite reference standard true positive and lower false negative findings.

This is the first time that a PSMA-targeted imaging agent has demonstrated significantly improved imaging characteristics compared to those currently available, potentially marking an important step forward in imaging technology akin to that seen in the evolution from 18F-Choline/Flucyclovine to PSMA-targeted PET/CT. High praise indeed.

Bell Potter highlights that the investigator concluded that it could be the biggest breakthrough in PSMA imaging since the conversion from 18F-Choline PET imaging. It adds:

64Cu-bisPSMA detected nearly 3x as many tumours in the fossa as 68Ga-PSMA11. The fossa is the anatomical space formerly occupied by the prostate gland prior to prostatectomy and is also the region at highest risk of biochemical recurrence. The vastly improved detection rate in this region is major driver of the investigator's conclusion that 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA is the biggest break though in PSMA imaging since the conversion from 18F-Choline PET imaging.

Big potential returns

According to the note, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating on the ASX healthcare stock with an improved price target of $6.50.

Based on its current share price of $3.33, this implies potential upside of 95% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on the company, the broker said:

The body of clinical data across Co-PSMA, Propeller and COBRA collectively demonstrate the superiority of 64Cu-bisPMSA at all points across the patient journey with metastatic disease. The company expects to submit the NDA following completion of both AMPLIFY and CLARIFY pivotal studies in the coming months.

The post This ASX healthcare stock could almost double in value according to Bell Potter 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 racing higher:

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

The 4DMedical share price is up 34% to $6.21. Investors have been buying this respiratory imaging technology company's shares after it made a big announcement. 4DMedical revealed that its CT:VQ technology has been deployed at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. The company's managing director and CEO, Andreas Fouras, commented: "Mayo's deployment is uniquely significant. When the world's number one hospital chooses to use your technology, it sends the strongest possible signal to the entire U.S. healthcare market about the clinical value and readiness of CT:VQ."

Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BRE)

The Brazilian Rare Earths share price is up 8.5% to $4.44. This morning, this rare earths developer revealed that it has secured a Trial Mining Licence from Brazil's National Mining Agency for its Monte Alto project in Bahia. This allows for the extraction of up to 2,000 tonnes per annum of material from the deposit. The company's managing director and CEO, Bernardo da Veiga, said: "Securing the Trial Mining Licence is a significant milestone for Monte Alto and a major step forward in BRE's integrated ore-to-oxides development pathway in Brazil."

Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6)

The Clarity Pharmaceuticals share price is up 18% to $3.63. This has been driven by news that the radiopharmaceuticals company has signed a large-scale manufacturing agreement with US-based company Theragenics. This gives Clarity access to a 134,000 square foot production facility with 14 cyclotrons capable of producing copper 64 at scale. The company notes that copper 64 offers a key advantage over traditional isotopes. This is due to its longer half-life of around 12.7 hours, which provides a shelf life of up to 48 hours.

Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA)

The Tuas share price is up 5.5% to $6.33. This morning, this Singapore-based telco released its half-year results for FY 2026. Tuas revealed a 25.5% increase in revenue to S$91.9 million and a 27.2% jump in underlying EBITDA to S$41.1 million. Management advised that this strong growth reflects sustained improvement across all key financial metrics, supported by disciplined cost management and operating leverage.

The post Why 4DMedical, Brazilian Rare Earths, Clarity, and Tuas shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Why are Clarity shares rising?

The catalyst for today's move was Clarity's announcement of a large-scale manufacturing agreement with US-based company Theragenics, which gives Clarity access to a 134,000 square foot production facility with 14 cyclotrons capable of producing copper 64 at scale.

Why this matters

This is a meaningful step for a company transitioning from clinical development toward potential commercialisation.

Clarity's lead prostate cancer imaging product is currently in Phase III trials. As the company moves closer to potential approval, the focus increasingly shifts from clinical progress to execution.

Manufacturing capacity is a critical part of that equation.

This agreement strengthens Clarity's supply footprint in the US and builds on its existing network of manufacturing partners. It positions the company to meet potential demand across large oncology markets if its product reaches approval.

Theragenics alone has the capacity to produce enough copper 64 for around 2,000 patient doses per day per cyclotron.

That level of output reflects readiness for commercial scale rather than just clinical supply.

The structural advantage

According to the company, Copper 64 offers a key advantage over traditional isotopes due to its longer half life of around 12.7 hours, enabling a shelf life of up to 48 hours.

This allows for centralised manufacturing and broader distribution, reducing logistical constraints that have historically limited the radiopharmaceutical market.

It also supports a more efficient and scalable operating model, which becomes increasingly important as volumes grow.

What investors should watch

Today's share price reaction reflects growing investor confidence in Clarity's ability to execute beyond the clinical stage.

The company is building the infrastructure required to support a commercial launch, an area that can often become a bottleneck if left too late.

However, the core risk remains unchanged. The lead product is still unapproved, and regulatory outcomes will ultimately determine the size of the opportunity.

For now, though, there is plenty of optimism as Clarity evolves from a clinical stage story into a company preparing for scale.

The post Clarity Pharmaceuticals shares are up 12% today. Here's what's driving the move appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

These shares can offer portfolio diversification, drive high margins, and some of them have huge potential upside.

Here are three ASX healthcare stocks on my radar this week, and analysts are tipping upside well over 100% over the next 12 months.

Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME)

The beaten-down medical imaging technology stock has dropped another 1.7% in Wednesday afternoon trade, to $125.69 a piece. The decline is part of a long string of declines off the back of sector-wide headwinds, which have seen the share price crash 62% from an all-time high recorded in mid-2025.

Sentiment didn't improve when the company posted a record-breaking half-year FY26 result in mid-February. Its revenue was up 28%, and profit jumped nearly 30%, but it still missed investors' high expectations.

But Pro Medicus has won several contracts so far in 2026, including two $40 million five-year contract renewals with its wholly owned US subsidiary, Visage Imaging, earlier this month.

I think the stock is trading well below value right now. And analysts are tipping potential for a 139% upside to $300 per share over the next 12 months.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

Telix shares are racing higher on Wednesday, recovering some losses seen during a sharp sell-off last year.

Despite several recent headwinds, it looks like Telix shares are finally rebounding. The positive sentiment started when it filed a key regulatory approval in Europe. News of positive results from its Global Phase 3 ProstACT study last week, followed by an announcement that the company has resubmitted its New Drug Application (NDA) to the US FDA for its brain cancer imaging candidate TLX101-Px (Pixclara®), has seen investors flock to the stock.

Analysts tip the ASX healthcare stock to jump 156% to $31.59 a piece over the next 12 months.

Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6)

The clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company's shares jumped higher this week on the back of good news about the development of new trial data for its prostate cancer imaging technology. The findings will be used as a basis to form a new drug submission to the FDA.

It's good news after Clarity shares suffered from volatility over the past five months, fluctuating anywhere between $5.70 and $2.73. 

Analysts are excited about the prospects for growth of the ASX healthcare stock's business fundamentals and share price over the next 12 months. They have a consensus buy rating with a maximum target price of $9. That implies a potential 157% upside at the time of writing.

The post 3 ASX healthcare stocks tipped to soar over 100% higher this year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Let's see what they are saying about the three named below, which have released updates in recent days. Here's what you need to know:

Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6)

Bell Potter has been pleased with recent study data relating to this radiopharmaceutical company's 64Cu-SAR-bis-PSMA PET product. It highlights that it is significantly outperforming Ga-PSMA-11 PET in the detection of biochemical recurrence in men with very low PSA levels.

As a result, the broker has reaffirmed its speculative buy rating and $6.40 price target on its shares. It said:

The stage is now set for a readout from the approval study for 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA (AMPLIFY) which has now ceased accepting new patient consents and is practically fully enrolled (n=220). The Co-PSMA data along with data from COBRA and anticipated findings from AMPLIFY will form the basis of submission of a new drug application to be submitted to the FDA.

CU6 has three fast track designations for the SAR-bisPSMA agent which includes patients with BCR of prostate cancer following definitive therapy. The company is well funded with cash in excess of $226m at 31 Dec 2025.

New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

This coal miner disappointed analysts at Morgans with its half-year results. The broker highlights that its net profits were much softer than expected.

In light of this, the broker has retained its hold rating with a $5.00 price target. It said:

Overall result missed expectations, with underlying NPAT of A$54m materially below MorgansF (A$63m) and Visible Alpha consensus (A$78m), despite EBITDA of A$215m coming in line with expectations. NHC declared a fully franked 10c dividend, beating MorgansF (8c) and consensus (6c) estimates.

With an increasing production profile and material upside potential in coal prices, NHCs outlook remains positive. We maintain a HOLD rating with a target price of A$5.00ps.

Orica Ltd (ASX: ORI)

Morgans was pleased with this commercial explosives and blasting systems company's trading update.

It was also pleased to see its CF Industries litigation settled and the strengthening of its US operations with an acquisition.

This has seen Morgans reiterate its buy rating with an improved price target of $25.35. It said:

ORI's trading update was slightly stronger than we expected. It also announced the settlement of its litigation with CF Industries and the acquisition of its US explosives JV partner, Nelson Brothers, strengthening its US operations. Higher AUD and Indonesia's coal production quotas have seen us make minor revisions to our FY26 forecasts but the acquisition has upgraded FY27/28.

With leverage to attractive industry fundamentals, market leading positions, solid earnings growth, proven management team and strong balance sheet, we reiterate our BUY rating with a new price target of A$25.35.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Clarity Pharmaceuticals, New Hope, and Orica shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Let's back up and provide a little context. 

Company overview and trial update

Clarity Pharmaceuticals specialises in the development of Targeted Copper Theranostics (TCT) for the imaging and treatment of selected cancers. 

In particular the company works on identification of certain cancer biomarkers. They develop technology to target those biomarkers with either small molecules or monoclonal antibodies.

The company has been engaged in a clinical study. 

The study is evaluating the diagnostic performance of the company's 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA PET imaging agent. The agent aims to detect recurrent prostate cancer in men with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after initial treatment.

Importantly, the study compared Clarity Pharmaceuticals' imaging technology with a current standard-of-care PSMA PET scan.

Yesterday, the company released an announcement that the agent showed a 71% true positive rate, meaning that 7 out of 10 positive scans were confirmed as cancer, compared with only 29% for the older agent, 68Ga-PSMA-11.

The biggest improvements were in detecting cancer in the prostate fossa and lymph nodes, where treatment can be curative.

The false negative rate was just 21% for 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA, versus 65% for 68Ga-PSMA-11, confirming its higher accuracy and reliability.

Interestingly, this ASX healthcare stock shot 17% higher on the news, before cooling off and actually finishing the day down 6%. 

Bell Potter provides an update

Following the announcement, Bell Potter released updated guidance on the ASX healthcare stock. 

The broker said Professor Louise Emmett presented key findings from the Co-PSMA study on Monday in London at the European Association of Urology annual conference.

The headline data had been released previously and showed that 64Cu-SARbisPSMA PET outperformed 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET in the detection of biochemical recurrence in men with very low PSA levels.

The totality of the data confirms 64Cu SAR bisPSMA is vastly more accurate for the detection of early stage BCR, particularly in men with very low PSA levels consistent with low tumour burden.

The stage is now set for a readout from the approval study for 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA (AMPLIFY) which has now ceased accepting new patient consents and is practically fully enrolled (n=220). The Co-PSMA data along with data from COBRA and anticipated findings from AMPLIFY will form the basis of submission of a new drug application to be submitted to the FDA.

Upside in tact 

Included in the report from Bell Potter was a speculative buy recommendation. 

The broker also maintained its price target of $6.40. 

From the recent closing price of $3.40, this indicates an upside of 88.2%. 

The false negative rate (i.e. no cancer on the PET image, positive on biopsy/pathology) was 21% for 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA vs 65% for 68Ga-PSMA-11, again demonstrating CU6's product as clearly superior. 

We conclude that 64Cu-SARbisPSMA also provides a far more satisfactory level of specificity.

The post Exciting clinical news for this ASX healthcare stock earns it a buy recommendation  appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to build on this on Wednesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 set to rise

The Australian share market looks set to rise again on Wednesday following a good night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 9 points or 0.1% higher. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is up 0.2%, the S&P 500 is up 0.3% and the Nasdaq is 0.5% higher.

Oil prices rise

ASX 200 energy shares including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a good session on Wednesday after oil prices pushed higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 2.5% to US$95.85 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 3% to US$103.26 a barrel. This was driven by concerns over the lack of support for US plans to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Buy Clarity shares

The team at Bell Potter thinks Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6) shares are good value at current levels. This morning, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating and $6.40 price target on the radiopharmaceuticals company's shares. It said: "The stage is now set for a readout from the approval study for 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA (AMPLIFY) which has now ceased accepting new patient consents and is practically fully enrolled (n=220). The Co-PSMA data along with data from COBRA and anticipated findings from AMPLIFY will form the basis of submission of a new drug application to be submitted to the FDA."

Gold price flat

ASX 200 gold shares such as Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a subdued session on Wednesday after the gold price traded flat overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is trading at US$5,003.8 an ounce. Traders appear undecided where gold is going next and are waiting for the upcoming US Federal Reserve meeting.

New Hope shares upgraded

New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) shares have been upgraded by analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, the broker has taken its sell rating off the coal miner's shares after lifting them to a hold rating with a $4.50 price target. It said: "We upgrade to a Hold recommendation and apply a 5% premium to our sum of the parts valuation with energy security concerns exacerbated by recent geopolitical issues. NHC's low-cost operations will continue to underpin margins through the coal price cycle, funding capital expenditure commitments and supporting shareholder returns. Beyond ramp-up of New Acland Stage 3, we see a limited organic production growth pipeline and believe NHC may participate in industry consolidation."

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In early trade, the ASX 300 stock jumped as much as 17% to $4.26 before pulling back.

At the time of writing, the clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company's shares are still up around 5%.

Why is this ASX 300 stock jumping?

Investors appear to be responding positively to an update from the company regarding new trial data for its prostate cancer imaging technology.

The company revealed that results from the Co-PSMA study were presented at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Annual Congress 2026 in London. The data has also been accepted for publication in the European Urology journal.

The trial evaluated Clarity's diagnostic product, 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA, in patients experiencing biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after surgery.

Importantly, the study compared the ASX 300 stock's imaging technology with a current standard-of-care PSMA PET scan.

The results showed that Clarity's agent detected significantly more cancer lesions than the standard scan. Across the study participants, the new imaging approach identified 63 lesions compared with 24 detected using the standard-of-care method.

In addition, 78% of patients had a positive scan using 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA compared with 36% using the existing imaging agent, highlighting a potential improvement in detecting recurrent prostate cancer.

The study also showed a higher true positive rate and lower false negative rate for the company's imaging technology.

Why this matters

Detecting prostate cancer recurrence earlier and more accurately can significantly influence treatment decisions.

According to the trial data, the improved imaging results led to changes in planned patient management in 44% of participants, with many switching from surveillance to targeted radiotherapy.

These findings add to the growing body of evidence supporting the SAR-bisPSMA platform, which is designed as a targeted copper theranostic. This technology has the potential to be used both for cancer imaging and treatment depending on the isotope used.

Looking ahead, the company intends to combine results from this study with data from other trials, including the Phase II COBRA study and the Phase III AMPLIFY trial.

Together, these results are expected to support a future regulatory submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA in patients with recurrent prostate cancer.

The ASX 300 stock's executive chair, Dr Alan Taylor, commented:

The extraordinary quality of the academic research is coupled with the feverish pace of commercialisation where our registrational Phase III trials, AMPLIFY and CLARIFY, are nearing completion. We have recently shared that AMPLIFY reached its target number of participants with rising or detectable PSA after initial definitive treatment at clinical sites across the US and Australia in just 9 months since imaging the first patient, and we look forward to collecting and analysing the final study data.

Combined with results from the Co-PSMA and COBRA trials, we believe it will constitute a compelling application for approval of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA by regulatory authorities for the BCR indication.

The post Why is this ASX 300 stock rocketing 17% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Investors reacted positively after the company released a clinical trial update.

Yesterday's rise was good news for the ASX healthcare stock, after experiencing volatility in 2026. 

Company overview and trial update

Clarity Pharmaceuticals specialises in the development of Targeted Copper Theranostics (TCT) for the imaging and treatment of selected cancers. 

In particular the company works on identification of certain cancer biomarkers. They develop technology to target those biomarkers with either small molecules or monoclonal antibodies.

Yesterday, the company announced that its registrational Phase III AMPLIFY clinical trial has exceeded its original enrolment target.

The study is evaluating the diagnostic performance of the company's 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA PET imaging agent in detecting recurrent prostate cancer in men with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after initial treatment.

Due to strong demand from clinical trial sites in the United States and Australia, more participants consented than planned. Enrolment has now closed while final screening and participant numbers are confirmed.

The trial will assess imaging at two timepoints – on the day of administration and about 24 hours later. 

Results are expected to support a future application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of the imaging agent.

What did Bell Potter have to say?

In a report from the broker yesterday, Bell Potter said the task ahead is to match the results from the imaging with the standard of truth in order to determine the rate of true positives (TP).

Essentially, the AMPLIFY study has completed enrolment of 220 men with suspected biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after prostate removal.

All imaging used 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA and is now finished and awaiting comparison with biopsy and conventional imaging. This will determine the true positive detection rate.

If the agent exceeds the required sensitivity threshold – something current PSMA imaging agents have not achieved – it could uniquely include positive predictive value on its label. This would potentially change treatment guidelines and prove a strong competitive advantage in early-stage recurrence detection.

The inclusion of the positive predictive value on the label would be unique to 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA and most likely warrant a change to treatment guidelines, particularly for early stage BCR. This would be a clear, sustainable competitive advantage for both utilisation and pricing.

There should be no doubt that 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA has far better sensitivity for the detection of early stage BCR in mCRPC. The longer isotope half-life, dual PSMA targeting moiety and superior chemistry are underlying drivers for this breakthrough science. 

As a result, the broker has retained its speculative buy recommendation and price target of $6.40. 

Based on yesterday's closing price of $3.51, this indicates an upside of 82.3% for the ASX healthcare stock.

The post Bell Potter is tipping this exciting ASX healthcare stock to rise 80% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the ASX 200 share is up 7% to $3.52 after the company released a clinical trial update.

What did the ASX 200 share announce?

This morning, Clarity revealed that its registrational Phase III AMPLIFY clinical trial has now exceeded its target number of participants.

The AMPLIFY trial is investigating the diagnostic performance of the company's 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA PET imaging agent in detecting recurrence of prostate cancer in men whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are rising following initial treatment.

According to the release, the trial has now consented more participants than originally planned following strong demand from clinical trial sites across the United States and Australia. As a result, consenting of new patients has stopped while the ASX 200 share finalises screening and confirms the final enrolment numbers.

AMPLIFY began in May 2025 and originally aimed to enrol approximately 220 participants. The study is being conducted across multiple clinical sites and will assess imaging at two different timepoints, on the same day and roughly 24 hours after administration.

The results from this pivotal study are expected to support a future application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA as a new diagnostic imaging agent for prostate cancer recurrence.

Why this milestone matters

Clinical trials like AMPLIFY are an important step in the regulatory pathway for new medical products. By successfully recruiting the required number of participants, the ASX 200 share has moved a step closer to potentially commercialising its imaging agent in the United States.

The AMPLIFY results will also complement earlier studies, including the Phase I/II COBRA and Phase II Co-PSMA trials, which demonstrated strong imaging capabilities compared with existing standard-of-care PSMA PET scans.

The company's executive chair, Dr Alan Taylor commented:

We are about to enter the realm of a select few Australian companies who have developed a drug at the benchtop of Australian science and completed an international Phase III clinical trial with that drug, taking us one step closer to commercialisation. Our team is excited to have reached this initial recruitment milestone in the AMPLIFY trial in just 9 months since we imaged our first participant in the study. This is no small feat, given we achieved this phenomenal pace of recruitment despite three SOC products already in the market, commercialised by four different companies.

True to our commitment to the highest standards of clinical research, we recruited participants at numerous different sites across the US and Australia to ensure the trial reflected the broad patient population, real-world clinical settings and various PET cameras in which this product is intended to be used. This strategy required careful planning to allow for all participating sites to contribute to the recruitment, based on allocation of participant numbers to be enrolled per site, resulting in what we believe will be a robust and well-balanced dataset and supporting the integrity and quality of the AMPLIFY study.

The post Why is this ASX 200 share charging 7% higher today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Thanks to some very exciting trial data, this speculative ASX stock has risen approximately 40% in just over two weeks.

The good news is that analysts at Bell Potter believe this strong share price rally can continue.

What is the broker saying?

Bell Potter highlights that the pharmaceuticals company has released further data from the SECuRE study, which is highly promising. It said:

76 yr old man with baseline PSA 3.25ng/mL and following multiple lines of previous therapy. Achieved undetectable PSA 7 weeks after first dose of 67Cu-SARbis-PSMA. The patient has since received a second round with no disease observed on PSMA PET. Adverse events were mild and transitory. No haematological or renal AEs.

CU6 has not published a complete response rate across the treated population of the SECuRE trial for several reasons including that the trial is ongoing and results were achieved across a variety of treatment protocols. Nevertheless, there are now five men from our estimate of 35 to 40 treated across each of the cohorts (including those in early dose escalation at sub therapeutic doses) with complete responses. This compares to a complete response rate of 9% achieved by Pluvicto in its 581 patient phase 3 approval study in post chemotherapy men.

The broker believes this data is "extraordinary." It adds:

This data is extraordinary not only for efficacy, but the safety profile is attractive. Three patients in the expansion cohort have experience grade 3 lymphopenia – all or part of which may be explained by previous taxane therapy. Otherwise the safety profile is relatively clean with the majority of AE's either grade one or two.

Should you buy this speculative ASX stock?

According to the note, in response to its latest data release, the broker has reaffirmed its speculative buy rating and $6.40 price target on Clarity's shares.

Based on its current share price of $3.82, this implies potential upside of 68% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its buy recommendation and what to look out for in the coming months, Bell Potter said:

The next major catalyst will be the detailed analysis of data from the Co-PSMA study to be presented at the European Urology Ass'n conference in London next month. The headline data demonstrated a highly statistically significant difference in detection rates of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA vs 68Ga-PSMA11. Bottom line is we expect this will lead to a step change in specificity.

For the estimated +1m men in the US today with rising PSA following RP and for whom neither 68Ga or 18F is able to detect disease, the introduction of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA will be a game changer, allowing disease to be located and treated, either with XBR or surgery or both. We expect this data will dominate Urology conferences in the lead up to a potential approval in late CY27.

Overall, this could make Clarity worth considering if you have a high tolerance for risk.

The post Why this speculative ASX stock could rocket 68% 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:

Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6)

The Clarity Pharmaceuticals share price is up 12% to $3.92. This morning, the company announced another patient in its SECuRE Phase II trial achieved undetectable disease following treatment with its 67Cu-SAR-bisPSMA therapy. Clarity's executive chair, Dr Alan Taylor, said: "The momentum of data we are generating with our lead SAR-bisPSMA product in both theranostic and diagnostic trials is strong, with excellent results to date on all fronts. We are beyond excited to see yet another patient achieve undetectable disease following their 67Cu-SAR-bisPSMA treatments."

Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)

The EOS share price is up 17% to $8.57. This follows the release of the defence company's FY 2025 results. EOS reported revenue from continuing operations of $128.5 million, which is down 27% year on year. However, looking ahead, management revealed that its unconditional order book stood at $459 million on 31 December 2025. This is up 238% from $136 million a year earlier. Importantly, EOS aims to realise 40% to 50% of the current order book during 2026.

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

The Nuix share price is up 16% to $1.58. Investors have been buying this investigative analytics and intelligence software provider's shares after it released its half-year results. Nuix reported an 8.4% increase in annualised contract value (ACV) to $234.4 million. A key driver of this has been the Nuix Neo offering, which reported ACV growth of 148% year on year to $46.8 million. It now represents 20% of the company's total ACV. Commenting on the AI threat, Nuix's interim CEO, John Ruthven, said: "The rapidly evolving AI landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for enterprise software companies. Nuix is well positioned to capitalise on these dynamics through our BYO AI framework, which allows customers to integrate their preferred AI models whilst Nuix Neo provides the critical enterprise infrastructure required by regulated industries."

Reece Ltd (ASX: REH)

The Reece share price is up 16% to $16.15. This follows the release of the plumbing parts company's half-year results. Reece reported a 6% increase in revenue to $4,648 million but a 20% decline in net profit after tax to $144 million. The latter is better than Morgans was expecting. It was forecasting a 22.9% decline in net profit to $139.5 million.

The post Why Clarity Pharmaceuticals, EOS, Nuix, and Reece shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing on Monday, the ASX 300 stock is up 14% to $4.00.

Why is this ASX 300 stock jumping?

Investors have been buying Clarity Pharmaceuticals shares after it announced another patient in its SECuRE Phase II trial achieved undetectable disease following treatment with its 67Cu-SAR-bisPSMA therapy.

According to the release, a 76-year-old participant with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) achieved undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels just seven weeks after the first treatment cycle. After the second cycle, a PSMA PET scan showed no detectable disease.

Importantly, the company noted that all related adverse events were mild (Grade 1), with no haematological or renal side effects observed to date.

This marks the fifth patient in Clarity's SAR-bisPSMA theranostic program to achieve undetectable disease by radiographic assessment.

Building momentum in SECuRE trial

Clarity also provided an update on a previously reported patient in the same Cohort Expansion Phase. That participant continues to show undetectable disease after four treatment cycles, with no new safety signals observed.

The SECuRE trial is a Phase I/IIa theranostic study evaluating 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA for imaging and 67Cu-SAR-bisPSMA for therapy in patients with advanced prostate cancer. Recruitment into the Cohort Expansion Phase is ongoing, with completion expected in 2026.

Planning for a registrational Phase III trial is also underway based on data generated so far.

Management commentary

Commenting on the news, the ASX 300 stock's executive chair, Dr Alan Taylor, said:

The momentum of data we are generating with our lead SAR-bisPSMA product in both theranostic and diagnostic trials is strong, with excellent results to date on all fronts. We are beyond excited to see yet another patient achieve undetectable disease following their 67Cu-SARbisPSMA treatments.

What is particularly outstanding is that this new patient presented with undetectable PSA just 7 weeks after his first 8 GBq cycle, with a negative PSMA PET being reported after the second cycle. This result is particularly impressive given this participant has been battling prostate cancer for 15 years and is now free of any detectable disease based on PSA and PET assessments with only mild (Grade 1) AEs.

Speaking about the "extraordinary" outcome, Taylor then adds:

While this outcome is extraordinary, we now know this is not just luck or coincidence. Despite the number of participants in the SECuRE trial being relatively small, this is now the fifth time we have seen a patient present with undetectable disease following their 67Cu-SAR-bisPSMA treatments, and study recruitment is still ongoing.

We are also excited to see that the previous participant in the Cohort Expansion Phase of the SECuRE trial to achieve undetectable disease observed by anatomical and molecular imaging2 continues to show undetectable disease during his last follow up in February 2026, following the fourth 67Cu-SAR-bisPSMA cycle. This is especially encouraging as this participant had bone metastasis at study entry and now continues to report excellent quality of life after his treatment with 67Cu-SAR-bisPSMA.

The post Why is this ASX 300 stock jumping 14% on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The ASX 300 biotech stock rocketed 25% to end the day at $3.57.

But if you thought you might be late to the party, think again. That's because Bell Potter believes the company may have just delivered what it calls "a breakthrough moment" and is tipping major upside for its shares from current levels.

Let's see what the broker is saying.

'A breakthrough moment'

Bell Potter's note has been looking at the ASX 300 stock's new abstract data, which was presented ahead of an upcoming conference presentation. The broker said:

The abstract of Professor Louise Emmett's upcoming presentation of Co-PSMA data was released over the weekend. The study compared the detection rate per patient between 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA and 68Ga-PSMA11 in men with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer [..] The aim of the study was to prove that 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA is a superior agent for the detection of BCR of prostate cancer in men with low PSA levels.

The results were compelling. Bell Potter highlights:

64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA positively identified lesions in 39 of 50 patients (78%), compared to 18 of 50 patients (36%) with 68Ga-PSMA-11 [..] The investigators concluded that 64Cu-SAR-bis-PSMA PET CT identified a statistically higher number of disease recurrences compared to 68Ga-PSMA 11 with a high true positive rate (p <0.0001).

What happens next?

Attention now turns to the AMPLIFY Phase 3 approval study, which is currently recruiting 220 patients. Bell Potter adds:

The stage is now set for a readout from the approval study for 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA (AMPLIFY)… A similar true positive rate in the approval study is likely to warrant a highly differentiated label claim to currently marketed products for the detection of BCR, particularly in patients with low PSA levels.

Importantly, the broker also points out that supply of 64Cu is secured under long-term arrangements for the US market and that Clarity is well funded, with cash in excess of $226 million at the end of December.

Big potential returns for this ASX 300 stock

In response to the news, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating and $6.40 price target on the ASX 300 stock.

Based on its current share price of $3.57, this implies potential upside of almost 80% for investors over the next 12 months.

However, it is worth highlighting that its speculative rating means this would only be suitable for investors with a high tolerance for risk.

The post Why this ASX 300 stock could be a buy after 'a breakthrough moment' appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX 300 stock is up a sizeable 18% to $3.38.

Why is this ASX 300 stock jumping?

Investors have been buying this clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company's shares after it released key findings from its Co-PSMA Phase II Investigator-Initiated Trial, which compared 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA against 68Ga-PSMA-11 in 50 prostate cancer patients experiencing biochemical recurrence following surgery.

According to the release, the ASX 300 stock reported that 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA more than doubled the number of prostate cancer lesions detected per patient compared to the standard-of-care scan. On average, patients had 1.26 lesions detected using Clarity's product versus 0.48 using 68Ga-PSMA-11. The difference was statistically significant (p <0.0001).

In total, the standard scan detected 24 lesions across all patients. Clarity's next-day imaging detected 63 lesions.

Even more notably, at a per-patient level, only 36% of patients had a positive scan using 68Ga-PSMA-11. By comparison, 78% of patients were identified as having prostate cancer recurrence using 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA.

That means around four out of five patients had disease detected using Clarity's product, versus just over one in three with the current standard scan.

Why is this important?

Prostate cancer patients with rising PSA levels after surgery often face uncertainty if imaging fails to detect the site of recurrence. More sensitive imaging can directly influence treatment decisions.

According to the announcement, planned patient management changed in 44% of trial participants after assessment with 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA. That is a significant clinical impact.

The abstract outlining these findings has been accepted for oral presentation at the 2026 European Association of Urology Congress, one of the largest urology conferences globally.

'Exceptional'

Commenting on the news, the ASX 300 stock's executive chair, Dr Alan Taylor, said:

The data from the Co-PSMA trial are nothing short of exceptional. We already knew of the significant benefits of the optimised bisPSMA molecule from the early days around 7 years ago, when it was purposely developed to overcome the many shortfalls of the current single-targeting SOC PSMA imaging agents.

This innovative benchtop research of the dual-targeting bisPSMA agent quickly progressed to multiple clinical trials, including COBRA6, PROPELLER7 and SECuRE8, which enabled us to secure three Fast Track Designations from the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and advance to two registrational trials, AMPLIFY9 and CLARIFY10, both of which are nearing completion of recruitment.

The post Guess which ASX 300 stock is jumping 18% on big news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did Argo Investments Limited report?

• Half-year profit: $130.8 million, up from $121.2 million last year
• Earnings per share: 17.2 cents, up from 15.9 cents
• Interim dividend: 18.5 cents per share (fully franked), up 8.8%
• Management expense ratio: 0.14%, improved from 0.15%
• Grossed-up annual yield: 6.1% based on the last closing share price

What else do investors need to know?

Argo's investment revenue from its portfolio was flat over the half, but profit was lifted by trading and options income. The company has boosted its fully franked dividend by 37.5% over the past five years, maintaining 100% franking even throughout volatile market conditions.

During the period, Argo made some notable investment changes, adding CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), Amcor (ASX: AMC), Worley Ltd (ASX: WOR), Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO), BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) , Generation Development Group Ltd (ASX: GDG), and Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CU6), while selling all shares in Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) and GPT Group (ASX: GPT). The total number of portfolio stocks decreased slightly from 85 to 83.

What did Argo Investments management say?

Managing Director Jason Beddow said:

We considered it appropriate to meaningfully increase the interim dividend. The Board is committed to sustainably growing Argo's fully franked dividends.

What's next for Argo Investments?

Looking ahead, Argo noted the outlook remains highly uncertain given ongoing geopolitical risks and shifting monetary policy, including higher Australian interest rates. The team highlighted Australia's structural advantages, particularly in resources and critical minerals.

Argo plans to keep its diversified approach, spanning more than 80 ASX-listed companies. The company says it aims to provide shareholders with reliable income and long-term capital growth, even through volatile markets.

Argo Investments share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Argo Investments shares have risen 1%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 3% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

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