It's no surprise, then, that interest in AI stocks on Australian share markets has surged.

A recent AUSIEX report reveals a 43% increase in trade volumes and a 41% increase in traded value year over year.

And some ASX-listed stocks are more in favour than others.

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) was the most traded artificial intelligence stock on the ASX from April 1 to June 15. 

This was followed by NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT) and then BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN).

Here is the full list of the 10 most traded AI stocks in Q2 of the 2025 calendar year, according to AUSIEX data.

Appen

Appen provides data for training AI models, including natural language processing and machine learning systems. 

The company's shares are trading 2.66% higher at $1.16 today, which represents an impressive 136.73% increase over the year to date.

Appen's share price suffered a dramatic 54.68% decrease over 72 hours in late February after the company posted a 14% decrease in revenue in its annual 2024 results. This was mostly due to the termination of its contract with Google. 

The share price dropped to a low of $0.78 in April and has since slowly begun to recover.

BrainChip Holdings 

Brainchip specialises in neuromorphic computing, developing the Akida chip. 

The company's shares are trading 7.9% higher today at $0.205 each. 

For the year, BrainChip's shares are down 4.65% thanks to a 74% spike in late-December. Investor buying rocketed after the company secured a commercial licence agreement with Frontgrade Gaisler, a Swedish leader in radiation-hardened microprocessors for space applications.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) 

Dicker Data distributes IT hardware and software, including AI solutions, to resellers. 

The company's shares are trading 0.38% lower today at $7.97 a piece.

Over the year, Dicker Data's share price has slowly corrected downwards and is 18.76% lower to date. The trend follows the company's half-year results announcement in August last year.

FBR Ltd (ASX: FBR) 

FBR, or Fastbrick Robotics, develops robotic systems for construction, integrating AI for autonomous bricklaying. 

The company's shares are trading hands 8.33% lower today at $0.0055 each. The share price has fallen 85.9% since February this year after the company released a disappointing update.

The current trading price represents a 78% decline over the year. 

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) 

Macquarie Technology offers data centre and cloud services that facilitate AI workloads. 

The company's shares are trading 1.28% today at $65.06. Over the year, the share price is down 29.96%.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) 

Megaport provides network connectivity services that support AI applications requiring high-speed data transfer. 

The company's share price is trading hands at $13.47 today, 0.37% higher. The AI company is benefiting from the AI demand boom this year. The share price has risen 102.2% since January, and is up 14.25% for the year.

The team at Morgans has an accumulate rating and $15.50 price target on its shares.

NextDC 

NextDC operates data centres necessary for AI processing and storage needs. 

The company's share price is trading 0.91% higher today at $14.38. The stock is 18.34% lower over the year after the price plunged in April. But it has since posted a strong and consistent recovery.

Morgans is very bullish on NextDC and sees it as a great way to invest in AI. It has a buy rating and a $18.80 price target on its shares.

Opyl Ltd (ASX: OPL) 

Opyl applies AI to improve clinical trials. 

The company's shares are trading 42.11% higher today at $0.0080. Year-to-date, the stock's price is 35% higher.

Straker Translations Ltd (ASX: STG) 

Straker offers AI-powered language translation services. 

The company's share price is 7.14% higher today at $0.45 per share and is flat over the year. 

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) 

Weebit Nano develops AI-integrated memory solutions.

The company's shares are trading 4.27% higher today at $1.71. Weebit's share price spiked in November last year, and again in December, after the company said it was "well-funded for technical and commercialisation activities". 

Since then, the share price has returned to levels seen before the spikes.

The post 10 most traded AI stocks on the Australian share market in Q2 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

After some major declines already this year, the small-cap robotics company's shares have crashed deep into the red again today.

At the time of writing, the ASX All Ords stock is down 41% to a 52-week low of just 1 cent.

This means that FBR's shares are now down over 80% from their 52-week high of 6.2 cents.

Why is this ASX All Ords stock crashing?

Investors have been hitting the sell button again today after the company announced a capital raising and major corporate restructure aimed at shoring up its balance sheet and repositioning it for future growth.

According to the release, the ASX All Ords stock has successfully completed a two-tranche institutional placement to raise approximately $6.3 million.

The issue price of 1 cent per share — a steep discount to its last close price — appears to have rattled investors.

The company plans to use the funds for working capital, restructuring costs, and ongoing development of its robotic bricklaying technology, Hadrian X.

Major reset underway

The ASX All Ords stock is now undertaking a full-scale cost rationalisation program to reduce its cash burn and focus on monetising its intellectual property.

As part of the overhaul, its workforce is being downsized to match current needs, director fees and executive salaries are being cut by 30%, the number of non-executive directors will be reduced by 25%, and operations are being consolidated to a single facility in Western Australia.

What's next for FBR?

Despite the funding crunch and strategic reset, FBR remains optimistic about its future.

It notes that it has engaged global strategic advisors to explore commercial partnerships, licensing, and scaling opportunities — particularly in the US market where its Hadrian X construction robot recently completed a successful demonstration program.

According to the company, inbound interest from the US is "stronger than ever" and it is now free to engage directly with prospective partners. It is also awaiting the outcome of a funding application with the federal government's National Reconstruction Fund.

The ASX All Ords stock's managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac, commented:

The entire Team at FBR has worked tirelessly over the years to develop, manufacture, demonstrate and operate what we believe to be some of the world's most advanced construction robots, and everyone who has contributed to this program should be proud of what we have been able to achieve to date.

The adoption and scaling of such a technology, machine and product does not come without its challenges. We have been able to demonstrate what we believe to be the future of construction to potential industry partners and end users and the next important phase of the Company's journey has commenced.

The post Guess which ASX All Ords stock is crashing 40% on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX robotics stock is down 49% to 1.9 cents.

Why is this ASX robotics stock crashing down to earth?

Investors have been rushing to the exits this morning after the company released a disappointing update.

FBR designs, develops, and builds dynamically stabilised robots to address global needs in a safer, more efficient and more sustainable way. These robots are designed to work outdoors using the company's core Dynamic Stabilisation Technology (DST).

The first application of DST is with Hadrian X. It is a bricklaying robot that the company claims to build structural walls faster, safer, more accurately and with less wastage than traditional manual methods. Hadrian X provides Wall as a Service, FBR's commercial offering, to builders on demand.

As a reminder, the ASX robotics stock has been working towards a launch in the United States over the past 12 months.

This has seen the company team up with CRH Ventures in Florida for a demonstration program. The program saw FBR construct the external walls of nine homes, with one of the homes being built in a single day. Each structure was confirmed by independent structural engineers to meet applicable building standards.

Investors were excited by this news as the two parties were looking to form a joint venture if it went well. This joint venture would be very lucrative for the ASX robotics stock.

It notes that upon commencement of the joint venture, there was a binding conditional purchase order for 20 Hadrian X construction robots for US$2 million per unit. There would then be further purchases once defined metrics relating to gross margin and fleet utilisation were achieved.

After which, the company advised that after the supply of the first 100 robots, the joint venture would be granted options to purchase 200 more units at US$2.5 million+ each.

This means 300 units in total with an estimated combined value of US$700 million or A$1.1 billion. Clearly this joint venture would have been a game-changer for the company.

Joint venture talks end

This morning, FBR revealed that CRH Ventures has not exercised its option to form a joint venture by the deadline of 16 February. As a result, the option has expired and FBR is now on its own.

However, it is worth noting that while this is a bitter blow, it may not be the end of the story.

Management advised that it has been progressing negotiations with third parties in connection with Hadrian X financing options as an alternative arrangement to the financing that would have been provided for a period of time under a joint venture.

It has also engaged with governments in Australia and a number of state governments in the United States to canvas support for its robotic construction technology, and these discussions can now progress to the next stage.

FBR's managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac, said:

We have successfully introduced our technology to one of the largest and most important markets in the world, building 10 code-compliant house structures in suburban developments in Florida, United States. We achieved significant milestones in our Demonstration Program including the completion of a house structure in a single workday with a three-person crew. Our activities to date have opened up excellent future opportunities for FBR in the United States, and very importantly have confirmed the certification and viability of our wall system, creating go to market routes with major builders and proving out the commercial model.

FBR is now unrestricted in its dealings and operations in the United States and is engaged in discussions with builders, counties and industry incumbents, not just in Florida but across the United States, including in California. FBR will provide further updates on its United States operations in the coming weeks, including its transition to the Liebherr facility in Miami as an operating base.

The post This ASX robotics stock just crashed 49% amid $1.1b blow 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:

Charter Hall Retail REIT (ASX: CQR)

The Charter Hall Retail REIT share price is down 3% to $3.15. This has been driven by the property company's shares going ex-dividend this morning. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to pay a 12.4 cents per share interim dividend. This represents an attractive 3.8% dividend yield based on yesterday's close price. Eligible shareholders can look forward to receiving this dividend in a couple of months on 28 February.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is down 3.5% to 63.2 cents. Except for a nice rebound on Monday, this counterdrone technology company's shares have fallen heavily in recent months. So much so, DroneShield's shares are now down 75% from their mid-July high. A softer than expected performance in the second half of FY 2024 has weighed heavily on sentiment. And with its shares trading on sky high multiples, it seemed inevitable that its shares would be shot down like a drone. Though, some brokers think this could be a buying opportunity now. For example, Bell Potter has a buy rating and $1.20 price target on its shares.

FBR Ltd (ASX: FBR)

The FBR share price is down 5% to 3.7 cents. This may have been driven by profit taking after some strong gains from the robotics company's shares. Since this time six months ago, the company's shares have risen by approximately 85%. Investors appear optimistic about its potential in the US market after successfully demonstrating its brick-laying robot.

St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

The St Barbara share price is down 34% to 20.2 cents. Investors have been hitting the sell button after the Papua New Guinea Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) delivered correspondence to Simberi Gold's tax agent containing details of tax assessments. The IRC correspondence contains an assessment of additional taxes, inclusive of a 200% penalty imposition, that amount to PGK 523 million. This is the equivalent to approximately A$210 million. CEO Andrew Strelein said "The receipt of this IRC Amended Assessment, backdating changes to 2008 and earlier, just as IRC were closing down its office for Christmas was disappointing – particularly when such positive progress has been made with Mineral Resources Authority and with Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited on the development of the Simberi Sulphides."

The post Why Charter Hall Retail, DroneShield, FBR, and St Barbara shares are tumbling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX robotics stock is up 13% to 4.3 cents.

Why is this ASX robotics stock jumping?

Investors have been buying the company's shares today after it released an update on the expansion of its Hadrian X bricklaying robot into the United States.

According to the release, FBR has completed the walls of the first home in its US Demonstration Program with CRH Ventures, with the walls certified as compliant with the design and building code.

Management notes that this marks a significant milestone in the commercialisation of FBR's technology, being the first build ever completed by Hadrian X in an international market.

FBR advised that the build was completed with Florida builder New Century USA. It is one of the participating builders in the US Demonstration Program which will include builders across a spectrum of size, volume, and style of homes. This is to demonstrate the versatility and adaptability of Hadrian X.

But it won't stop at this milestone. FBR will build the walls of four more homes for New Century USA in the Demonstration Program.

In addition, it highlights that two homes in the Demonstration Program will be built for another Florida-based builder, Christopher Alan Homes. It topped a regional list compiled by LSI Companies as the largest local and private homebuilder in Southwest Florida. This is based on single-family residential permits in 2023. Clearly, it would be a great customer for FBR should things develop from here.

The ASX robotics stock's managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac, was pleased with the news. He said:

We're very proud to have completed our first residential structure in an international market. Having the opportunity to present our world-leading technology to one of the largest addressable markets in the world has been very exciting so far and we are looking forward to continuing to grow our operations in the United States.

What's next?

The company's Demonstration Program will be deemed complete once FBR completes the construction of the walls of the seven homes for New Century USA and Christopher Alan Homes, plus up to three more homes added to the program by another builder to be nominated by CRH Ventures, with the walls of all structures to be certified by an independent structural engineer.

Upon completion of the program, FBR will receive a payment of US$400,000 from CRH Ventures under the terms of their agreement.

After which, the completion of the program will mark the commencement of a 45-day period for CRH Ventures to exercise the option to form a joint venture for the delivery of Wall as a Service in the United States.

The post This ASX robotics stock is rocketing 13% on 'significant milestone' appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, shares in the company that designs and builds industrial robots are swapping hands at 4.2 cents apiece, nearly 14% higher.

Meanwhile, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) is up less than 1%.

Let's take a look at what the ASX robotic stock announced.

ASX robotic stock clears testing

FBR announced today that its next-generation Hadrian X robot successfully completed site acceptance testing (SAT) at a demonstration facility in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Hadrian X is the company's "precision construction robot". According to the ASX robotics stock's website, it is "the world's first mobile robotic blocklaying machine and system, capable of safely working outdoors in uncontrolled environments with speed and accuracy".

Hadrian X reportedly passed rigorous testing, confirmed by an independent structural engineer.

Testing verified that the robot-built structure met all design and building standards. This achievement triggers a US$600,000 payment from CRH Ventures, its partner in the testing.

With the successful test behind it, the ASX robotics stock is set to begin its demonstration program.

This program will see the Hadrian X robot construct the external walls of five to 10 single-storey houses for CRH Ventures.

[T]he first next-generation Hadrian X has successfully met their requirements and has completed Site Acceptance Testing at the Fort Myers facility in Florida, United States…

…The demonstration program will be deemed complete when FBR completes construction of its five houses plus up to five houses added to the program by CRH Ventures, with all houses to be certified by an independent structural engineer.

After completing the first five houses, FBR will receive an additional US$400,000 in milestones. In total, it will activate up to US$600,000 in milestone payments on completion of the whole program.

This is roughly 0.3% of the company's market capitalisation at the time of writing.

Finally, if CRH exercises its option to form a joint venture, it could lead to the purchase of 20 Hadrian X robots.

Recent capital raise

While today's gains are encouraging, FBR shares did experience a sharp drop two weeks ago.

According to my colleague James, the ASX robotics stock fell 19% after the company announced a $12.5 million capital raise through an institutional placement.

The funds, raised at 3.8 cents per share, represented a 20.8% discount to the last traded price at the time.

It will use these funds to support the US demonstration program.

Foolish takeaway

This ASX robotics stock continues its US expansion. The positive outcome of testing and the start of the demonstration program could be strong factors.

While recent capital raises caused some volatility, these funds are necessary to fuel the growth of the Hadrian X division. FBR remains a key ASX robotics stock to watch in my view.

The share is up 82% in the past 12 months.

The post ASX robotics stock up 14% as 'blocklaying robot' gets green light 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 sinking:

Alcoa Corporation (ASX: AAI)

The Alcoa Corporation share price is down 8% to $44.01. This follows the release of the aluminium miner's quarterly update. For the second quarter, Alcoa reported sales of US$2.9 billion but a profit of just US$20 million. Though, this is actually a big improvement on the prior corresponding period when it recorded a US$102 million loss. For the first half of FY 2024, sales came in at US$5,505 million with a loss of US$232 million. Alcoa recently landed on the ASX boards after acquiring Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC).

FBR Ltd (ASX: FBR)

The FBR share price is down almost 17% to 4 cents. This follows the completion of an institutional placement which saw the robotics company raise approximately $12.5 million before costs. This was through the issue of approximately 328.9 million shares at a price of 3.8 cents per new share, which is 20.8% discount to where they last traded. Management advised that the placement received strong support from new and existing institutional and sophisticated investors both at home and abroad. The proceeds of the placement will be used to provide additional working capital to deliver a number of key upcoming milestones.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

The Santos share price is down almost 4% to $7.57. Investors have been selling Santos and other ASX energy shares today following a sharp decline in oil prices on Friday. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price was down 3.7% to US$73.52 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price was down 3.4% to US$76.81 a barrel. This was driven by concerns over the US economy and the prospect of a recession.

Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8)

The Wildcat Resources share price is down over 9% to 22.2 cents. This is despite the lithium explorer announcing high grade intercepts at the Tabba Tabba Lithium Project near Port Hedland. Management notes that the "results continue to demonstrate thick, high grades at the Leia Pegmatite and a new high-grade zone at Chewy North." Tabba Tabba is near some of the world's largest hard-rock lithium mines. It is 47km from the Pilgangoora Project owned by Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and 87km from the Wodgina Project owned by Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN).

The post Why Alcoa, FBR, Santos, and Wildcat shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX robotics stock is down 19% to 3.9 cents.

Why is this ASX robotics stock crashing?

Investors have been hitting the sell button today after the company announced the completion of an institutional placement.

According to the release, the placement will raise approximately $12.5 million before costs through the issue of approximately 328.9 million shares.

These funds are being raised at a price of 3.8 cents per new share, which is 20.8% discount to where its shares last traded.

Management notes that the placement received strong support from new and existing institutional and sophisticated investors both at home and offshore.

Why is it raising funds?

The release advised that the funds raised from the placement will be used to provide additional working capital to deliver a number of key upcoming milestones.

This includes the 10 home Demonstration Program to be undertaken in the United States, which it notes could lead to the potential exercise of the US joint venture option with CRH Ventures.

If this is exercised, it would trigger a purchase order for 20 Hadrian X robots and CRH Ventures Americas providing a US$40 million debt facility to the Fastbrick Americas joint venture.

The ASX robotics stock's managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac, believes that this placement comes at a pivotal juncture for the company. He said:

The Company is at a pivotal juncture, having deployed the first of its world-leading Next-Generation Hadrian X robots to Florida and preparing to undertake the Site Acceptance Test, the first of many upcoming milestones, it is pleasing to have completed a strongly supported capital raise that positions the Company well ahead of exciting months ahead. The support from our existing institutional shareholder base and the new shareholders joining the register is appreciated and I look forward to providing further updates as we take our Company to the next-phase in its evolution.

Despite today's decline, the FBR share price remains up almost 100% since this time last year.

Excitement around its expansion into United States market appears to be largely behind this move.

As we covered here, its joint venture is aiming to offer Wall as a Service using Hadrian X construction robots in the United States. The joint venture aims to purchase 20 Hadrian X units at US$2 million each initially and then sees a pathway to take the total to 300 units in the future.

The post Why is this ASX robotics stock crashing 19% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

FBR has requested that the halt remain in place until it makes another announcement or until Monday's trading commences. The robotics company did not provide any other information on the potential capital raise.

FBR shares are currently 4.8 cents, up 140% in just one month.

Let's take a look at what is driving this ASX small-cap stock's incredible share price rise.

ASX small-cap stock delivers big capital gains in 30 days

Previously known as Fastbrick Robotics, FBR designs, develops, and builds outdoor robots using its core Dynamic Stabilisation Technology (DST).

The first application of DST is a construction robot called Hadrian X. FBR says Hadrian X builds structural walls faster and more safely and accurately than humans.

So, what happened in July to send this ASX small-cap robotics stock 140% higher?

Well, there has been two lots of important news released this month.

Firstly, on 8 July, the company revealed that Hadrian X had arrived by ship in the United States. The company said it would be taken to a Site Acceptance Testing facility in Florida.

Investors liked the news and the ASX small-cap stock rose 33% as a result.

Completion of the Site Acceptance Testing will trigger a US$600,000 payment to FBR from CRH Ventures
Americas, Inc.

FBR has granted CRH Ventures an exclusive option for a joint venture to run FBR's business in the US. The business is called Wall as a Service and will provide Hadrian X robots to commercial builders on demand.

If CRH pursues the JV option, it will issue a binding but conditional purchase order for 20 Hadrian X units for US$2 million each.

After testing is completed in Florida, a demonstration program will begin with Hadrian X to construct the external walls of five to 10 single-storey houses.

What other news did FBR have for investors in July?

On 11 July, the company dropped its June quarter cash flow report, revealing a cash balance of $3.74 million (excluding cash guarantees) as of 30 June.

It also responded to a price query from the ASX.

This followed the ASX small-cap stock's 150% price rise from 1 July.

FBR said:

FBR believes the price movement and trading volume highlighted in ASX's Price Query letter may be in response to the progress made so far in the program with CRH Ventures, and in anticipation of progress to come in FBR's commercialisation and international expansion.

FBR also notes that the ship transporting the Hadrian X to the United States was easily identifiable and trackable using publicly available websites.

The post Up 140% in a month, here's why this high-flying ASX small-cap stock has just been frozen appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the FBR Ltd (ASX: FBR) share price is up 19% to 5.6 cents.

This means that its shares are now up 75% since the end of last week.

What is this ASX robotics stock?

FBR, which was previously known as Fastbrick Robotics, designs, develops, and builds dynamically stabilised robots to address global needs in a safer, more efficient and more sustainable way.

It notes that these robots are designed to work outdoors using the company's core Dynamic Stabilisation Technology (DST).

The first application of DST for FBR is the Hadrian X robot. It is a bricklaying robot that "builds structural walls faster, safer, more accurately and with less wastage than traditional manual methods."

The company is now attempting to follow in Chris Hemsworth's steps by cracking America.

In May, FBR revealed that a Hadrian X robot had departed the port of Fremantle, Western Australia, on a ship bound for Florida. This is to conduct FBR's first international demonstration program

What's the latest?

On Monday, the ASX robotics stock revealed that its Hadrian X robot has now arrived on American shores.

Once unloaded from the ship and cleared of customs, the robot will be transported to a facility in Fort Myers, Florida.

After which, it will undertake Site Acceptance Testing at the facility. This consists of a test build outdoors with the same requirements as its previously completed Factory Acceptance Testing, plus the inclusion of some bond beam blocks and an inspection from an independent structural engineer to confirm that the constructed walls of the test build are consistent with the design and meet applicable building standards.

Completion of the Site Acceptance Testing will trigger a US$600,000 payment by CRH Ventures to FBR. It will also trigger the commencement of the Demonstration Program.

Demonstration Program

This Demonstration Program requires FBR to construct the external walls of between five and ten single-storey houses utilising Hadrian X.

If that is successful, it could be good news for the ASX robotics stock. The company has an agreement in place with CRH Ventures

It has granted CRH Ventures an exclusive option to trigger the commencement of a joint venture for the supply of Wall as a Service using Hadrian X construction robots in the United States. After which, the joint venture will issue a binding but conditional purchase order for 20 Hadrian X units at US$2 million each plus applicable sales tax. It then has a pathway in place to take the total to 300 units eventually.

But there's a lot of work to be done until that happens. So, investors may want to be patient and wait for further news before considering an investment in this speculative stock.

The post Have you heard of this ASX robotics stock? It's up 75% in 3 days! 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:

Boral Ltd (ASX: BLD)

The Boral share price is up 2.5% to $6.18. This follows news that the building products company could finally be taken over by Seven Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SVW). This morning Boral accepted an improved offer from its suitor. It has offered 0.1116 Seven Group shares and $1.70 cash per share, together with a 30 cents per share fully franked dividend to all existing and new shareholders following completion of the offer. Boral's Bid Response Committee's has provided a "unanimous recommendation that Boral shareholders should accept SGH's takeover offer (Offer) or sell their Boral shares on-market."

FBR Ltd (ASX: FBR)

The FBR share price is up 4% to 2.7 cents. This morning, this robotics company announced that its shares have commenced trading on the OTCQB Venture Market on Wall Street. The structure provides U.S. investors with live-market access to OTC-listed securities during North American trading hours, in U.S. dollar denominated terms. Management made the move as it believes that FBR's planned activities in the U.S. will increase exposure and generate increased interest from U.S. domiciled retail and institutional investors. This listing on the OTCQB Venture Market means the company can improve accessibility to FBR for that investor base.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

The Origin Energy share price is up 2% to $9.72. This has been driven by news that the energy giant is making a major renewable energy acquisition. Origin has entered into an agreement with Virya Energy to acquire its Yanco Delta Wind Farm for up to $300 million. The Yanco Delta Wind Farm is one of the largest and most advanced wind and energy storage projects in New South Wales. Management believes the acquisition will accelerate its strategy to expand renewable energy and storage in its portfolio. The purchase price comprises an upfront payment of $125 million and an additional variable payment of up to $175 million. The latter is conditional on the project achieving certain development milestones.

Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)

The Regis Resources share price is up 5% to $2.18. This has been driven by another rise in the gold price to a record high. This has lifted the whole sector. So much so, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is up over 1.5% in afternoon trade.

The post Why Boral, FBR, Origin, and Regis Resources shares are pushing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

According to an article published on afr.com late last night, the bricklaying robotics company has recruited investment and advisory group Jarden Australia to set up meetings with fund managers.

According to the article, the purpose of the meetings is "to talk through the milestones FBR wants to hit over the next 12 months — binding orders for its robots, US and Europe expansion, and new hardware and software".

The story speculated that this "informal roadshow" might imply that FBR is looking to boost its balance sheet with a capital raising.

Or perhaps Jarden is "angling for a defence mandate" in light of Australia's biggest brickmaker, Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) buying up almost 12% of FBR shares in recent times. Maybe Brickworks is thinking about a takeover bid?

The ASX announced a temporary pause in trading for FBR shares one minute before the market open.

How did FBR and its share price respond?

FBR issued a statement at noon, saying:

The Company is currently planning to undertake a Non-Deal Roadshow following the release of its audited FY22 results.

As a developing company, FBR is periodically engaged in discussions with various parties in relation to strategic and capital raising opportunities however FBR can confirm there is no formal capital raising process currently under way and it has not formally engaged with financial advisers in relation to this.

The ASX share resumed trading shortly after its statement, with the share price leaping 10% to 4.4 cents. It then retreated to close at 4.1 cents, up 2.5% on Tuesday's closing price.

Why is Brickworks interested in FBR?

As my Foolish colleague Tristan reported recently, FBR is designing, developing, building and operating an automated and stabilised bricklaying robot called Hadrian X.

According to FBR, Hadrian X "builds structural walls faster, safer, more accurately and with less wastage than traditional manual methods".

So, you can understand why Brickworks is interested in the robot. It could potentially substantially lower costs for a company as large as them. And that would certainly come in handy right about now with global supply constraints causing major dramas and delays in construction.

At the time of Tristan's report, the speculation was that Brickworks may aim to increase its shareholding to 20% and then attempt a takeover.

On 30 August, Brickworks paid about $6.5 million for more FBR shares, increasing its holding from 7.16% to 11.94%. On 11 August, Brickworks raised its holding from 5.05% to 7.16%.

Brickworks first became a substantial holder (above 5%) back in July when it did a deal with FBR for a $1.93 million share placement.

The placement followed FBR's successful $4 million capital raising in June.

The post Guess which ASX share leapt 10% today amid renewed takeover rumours appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

For readers who haven't heard of FBR before, it is designing, developing, building and operating an automated and stabilised bricklaying robot called Hadrian X.

It continues to make progress. For example, in November 2021, it announced that it had executed a term sheet with GP Vivienda to supply its 'wall as a service' (WaaS) for between 2,000 to 5,000 homes in Mexico using the Hadrian X robot. FBR has also entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Liebherr-Mischtechnik. The MoU intention is to co-operate, industrialise and commercialise the next Hadrian X robot for the global construction market.

These promising signs haven't been missed by Australia's biggest brickmaker, Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW).

Last week, it was revealed that Brickworks had increased its ownership of FBR from 7.16% to 11.94%. It paid around $6.5 million for this increased holding.

But now, there is speculation that the business is a takeover target, which could be boosting the FBR share price.

Brickworks to make a move?

Brickworks has been strategically building up its stake in the business. According to reporting by the Australian Financial Review, it could mean that an actual takeover offer is getting close.

The AFR reported that fund manager sources believe the FBR business "has always made sense" for Brickworks as a way for it to provide low-cost bricklaying. Particularly at a time when construction costs are increasing, which is hurting the margins of both the builders and building product producers like Brickworks.

How could this play out? Speculation is that Brickworks may aim to increase its shareholding to 20% of the business, "make the most of a few creep provisions," and then launch a takeover attempt.

It was suggested that the takeover approach could happen sooner rather than later. The newspaper also pointed out that FBR may need to raise more capital in the future to fund its ongoing operations and growth. This could enable Brickworks to buy more shares at a cheaper price.

Brickworks has previously taken part in a placement with FBR, raising $1.93 million, which helped it increase its shareholding of the business.

FBR share price snapshot

Over the last month, FBR shares have risen by 63%. The Brickworks share price is up 1.28% today, at the time of writing.

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In a statement to the ASX, FBR said it has received "a firm commitment from a wholly owned subsidiary of existing strategic investor Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)" to buy $1.9 million in shares via a placement.

FBR said the placement would raise $1,929,628.40 via 107,201,578 shares at a price of 1.8 cents per share.

The FBR share price closed the session on Friday at 2.3 cents, up 9.52% for the day. In earlier trading, it reached an intraday high of 2.4 cents, representing a 14.3% bounce on its previous closing price.

Why is this micro-cap ASX share raising funds?

On 17 June, FBR announced to the ASX the completion of a $4 million capital raise via a placement of 222,222,222 shares.

FBR offered the placement at the same price to existing and new institutional and sophisticated investors.

FBR said the placement was oversubscribed. Those shares began trading on the ASX on 24 June.

At the time, the placement price represented a 10% discount to the last closing price of FBR shares.

Brickworks arguably got a better deal because by the time they bought, even though it was at the same price, they got a 14% discount on the last closing FBR share price.

The new shares in both placements will rank equally with existing fully paid ordinary shares of FBR on the ASX.

In its statement to the ASX, FBR said:

The [Brickworks] placement was managed by FBR … using FBR's full remaining placement capacity as at 24 June 2022, without Shareholder approval.

The funds will be used for working capital and commissioning of the next-generation Hadrian X®, as outlined in the latest corporate presentation.

The new shares purchased by Brickworks will commence trading on the ASX on 13 July.

Why is Brickworks buying FBR shares?

The placement will give Brickworks a 4.93% stake in FBR — just under the 'substantial shareholder' level of 5%.  

With no statement out of Brickworks today, we can only guess as to the reasons for the purchase.

But the products that FBR makes give us a clue as to why Brickworks wants to be a stakeholder.

Brickworks is Australia's largest brick producer. One of FBR's products is a bricklaying robot. It's called Hadrian X and is powered by FBR's core Dynamic Stabilisation Technology (DST).

According to FBR, Hadrian X "builds structural walls faster, safer, more accurately and with less wastage than traditional manual methods".

Brickworks isn't just a brick company either. It's got investment savvy and owns some other assets that contribute to its profits.

This includes a 21% stake in diversified investment group Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) which is worth $2.576 billion as at 31 January 2022, according to Brickworks's FY22 half-year report.

FBR has a market capitalisation of $56.1 million.

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A new generation of the company's bricklaying robot, Hadrian X is set to be industrialised and commercialised under a potentially transformational partnership.

At the time of writing, the FBR share price is 3.8 cents, 8.57% higher than its previous close.

Let's take a closer look at what's piqued the market's interest in the robotics small-cap today.

FBR's stock gains on the future of Hadrian X

The FBR share price is in the green after the company announced a memorandum of understanding with manufacturer and supplier of concrete systems, Liebherr-Mischtechnik.

Liebherr-Mischtechnik is part of the Liebherr International Group – one of the world's largest construction equipment manufacturers.

Together, the companies will be working on bringing the next rendition of Hadrian X to the global construction market.

They will do so in 2 phases. First, FBR, with the help of Liebherr-Mischtechnik, will develop the next generation of the robot.

It will ensure it's tough enough to live its life on job sites while still being cost-effective to manufacture.

Less than 2 years later, the companies will embark on phase 2.

That will see Liebherr-Mischtechnik appointed manufacturer of Hadrian X robots. It will also address intellectual property rights and commercialisation activities.  

During the life of the agreement, FBR will be free to manufacture its own Hadrian X prototype robots.

Commenting on the news driving the company's share price today, FBR managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac said:

This memorandum of understanding demonstrates a clear pathway for FBR to achieve scale with the support of an aligned partner who understands the future construction industry landscape and has the technical capability, reputation, and professionalism to deliver 21st century machinery such as the Hadrian X to the world.

FBR share price snapshot

The FBR share price has had a rough start to this year.

It has fallen 11% year to date. It's also 22% lower than it was this time last year.

The post Meet 'Hadrian X', the bricklaying robot sending the FBR share price 9% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the robotics company's shares are down 7.55% to 4.9 cents. It's worth noting that regardless of the significant drop, its shares have shot 25% higher in the past month.

FBR completes placement

A major catalyst for FBR shares plummeting could be investor concerns about the impending dilution of shares.

According to its release, FBR advised it has received firm commitments from an array of investors to raise $10 million. The strongly supported placement primarily came from new and existing institutional and sophisticated investors from Australia, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the United States.

The placement will see around 222.22 million new ordinary shares created at an issue price of 4.5 cents apiece. This represents a 14% discount to the 5-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP) and an 11% discount to the 30-day VWAP.

FBR will use its existing placement capacity under listing rule 7.1. This allows up to 15% of its shares to be issued without shareholder approval. The new shares will rank equally with the company's existing ordinary shares.

The proceeds received from the placement will be used for working capital and to deliver its commercialisation strategy. This includes:

• Complete 27 builds in pipeline, plus additional builds yet to be committed;
• Complete assembly of two additional Hadrian X construction robots to meet demand in Australian market;
• Finalise the design of the next iteration of the Hadrian X and commence manufacturing;
• Continue scale up of organisational capability post-COVID; and
• Further development of BIM architectural software to enable integration into construction design and planning with customers.

FBR managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac said:

We are pleased to have attracted support from both existing and new institutional and sophisticated investors to help us progress the commercialisation of FBR's technology.

The funds raised will position the Company well to execute on and expand its current committed work pipeline and to capitalise on commercial opportunities that are frequently presenting themselves globally, particularly in North America and Europe.

FBR share price snapshot

Despite today's fall, the FBR share price has delivered modest gains for the past 12 months, up 6%. The company's share price reached a 52-week high of 6 cents in mid-November, before pulling back.

Based on valuation grounds, FBR presides a market capitalisation of roughly $108.12 million, with over 2.21 billion shares outstanding.

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It's currently finalising the details for a capital rising, which it is expecting to announce before the commencement of trading on Friday, 26 November 2021.

FBR's capital raising

The robotic bricklaying business hasn't officially released its announcement about the detail regarding the capital raising.

However, the Australian Financial Review had the inside scoop about what the money may be used for.

The AFR reported that FBR is looking to raise $10 million from investors to continue investing in its Hadrian bricklaying robotic technology.

Reportedly, the offer is for 222.2 million new shares at 4.5 cents per share, which was a 15% discount to the last closing price.

This money is going to be used for general working capital and to partially build tow more Hadrian bricklaying machines.

Ongoing progress

FBR has been making a number of announcements recently which have outlined the progress the business has made.

In the first quarter of FY22, it had record sales receipts of $621,000.

FBR has completed a few builds for customers – three residential and two low-rise commercial structures.

It has a pipeline of 24 confirmed upcoming builds for builders with expected revenue of over $1.1 million.

FBR said that an additional three builds in Wellard have been committed to complete the five home Wellard portfolio, with revenue of more than $2 million in FY23 expected from the sale of the five home portfolio.

Management boasted of a strong utilisation rate committed up to May 2022, with more future work expected to be added to maximise utilisation of both existing Hadrian prototypes.

Two additional Hadrian X robots are at the procurement stage.

International markets

FBR recently made an announcement regarding a non-binding term sheet for up to 5,000 homes in Mexico with GP Vivienda.

The bricklaying business also recently announced a market entry feasibility study for UAE with a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure executed.

Management also boasted that it had unlocked the international clay block market, with the Hadrian X capable of laying the largest clay blocks currently in production, in addition to concrete blocks.

Research and development

The company said the next iteration of Hadrian X is under development, with a higher lay speed and a capability of handling even larger blocks with a longer reach.

Additional product revenue streams are also under development with multiple DST and digitalisation-related R&D projects underway.

FBR also recently received a R&D tax refund of $4 million, netting $1.4 million after the loan repayment.

FBR share price snapshot

Over the last month, FBR shares have risen by around 30% as it made a number of announcements mentioned in this article.

The post Why is the FBR (ASX:FBR) share price on ice today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

During late morning trade, FBR shares are travelling 8.33% higher to 5.2 cents.

What did FBR announce?

The FBR share price is surging after investors appear to be upbeat about the company's future prospects.

In its announcement, FBR advised that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure.

Under the framework, both parties will conduct a joint feasibility study of the Hadrian X in the UAE construction sector. Expected to take 12 months, the study will look at identifying opportunities for the adoption of FBR's robotic construction technology.

The long-term plan for FBR is to establish its 'Wall as a Service' (WaaS) offering to facilitate the introduction of Hadrian X. The WaaS adopts modern building methods, smart support systems and other construction technologies in the housing and construction industry.

FBR noted that the UAE government is looking to invest $4.7 billion for 23,000 new residential units within five years. Despite COVID-19, the residential construction market is said to remain resilient in the UAE.

FBR managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac commented:

This MOU reiterates our commitment to the GCC region by establishing a framework for cooperation with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure.

The innovative thinking and appetite for new technology in the UAE presents an ideal environment for the introduction of our robotic technology to a new market, and the work that we've been doing to achieve acceptance of the Hadrian X and the Fastbrick Wall System in the UAE over the past three years is beginning to yield results.

With our Gulf representative embedded in the Dubai market since 2018, we have a firm intention to offering our solution to the region's construction challenges.

Quick take on FBR

FBR is a robotic technology company that builds robotic arms to assemble structure walls. It is considered faster, safer, more accurate and with less wastage than traditional bricklaying methods.

Its flagship product, the Hadrian X is an automated bricklaying system that can lay an estimated 1,000 bricks per hour as opposed to an output of two human bricklayers for the whole day.

The Hadrian X provides a 'wall as a service' and can adapt quickly to builder demands.

FBR share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the FBR share price has provided shareholders with little gains, up 8% for the period. The company's shares hit a low of 3.5 cents in October, before reaching a high of 6 cents last week.

FBR commands a market capitalisation of around $114.72 million and has 2.20 billion shares on its books.

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Following a successful pilot program, the company has signed a term sheet with one of Mexico's largest homebuilders, GP Vivienda. The agreement will see FBR's Hadrian X construction robot building up to 5,000 homes.

The news has seemingly excited the market. At the time of writing, the FBR share price is 5 cents, 25% higher than its previous closing price.

Let's take a closer look at today's news from the construction robotics company.

Here's what's boosting the FBR share price today

The FBR share price is rocketing higher on news the company will be supplying its 'wall-as-a-service' technology to a major homebuilder.

FBR will supply wall-as-a-service for between 2,000 and 5,000 homes, subject to several factors, including market conditions and GP Vivienda's pipeline.

According to FBR, wall-as-a-service marks a shift from selling bricks and bricklaying labour separately. Instead, the company's wall-as-a-service entity supplies the blocks and robotically constructs walls onsite using digital architectural plans.

The company states its wall-as-a-service will improve speed, accuracy, and safety, as well as reducing waste when constructing brickwork.

The wall-as-a-service will be priced to allow each home to be "commercially competitive".

Before the program begins, the companies will create a timeline to deploy the bricklaying robot at particular sites. Each site will see it building at least 100 homes.  

The only binding part of the term sheet is its 24-month exclusivity period. The rest of the term sheet will remain non-binding until formal documentation and numerous milestones are complete.

Such milestones include confirmation FBR's Hadrian X and Fastbrick Wall System are compliant with Mexico's regulations and the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The companies will also create a collaborative commercial model and undergo a pilot building program of 20 homes.

FBR's managing director and CEO, Mike Pivac, commented on the news driving the company's share price today, saying:

The volume of work contemplated under the term sheet will give us a great start from which to grow our business in North America, as there will be a strong pipeline of work to complete as soon as we deploy.

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At the time of writing, the FBR share price has retreated slightly to 5.1 cents, up 6.25%.

What did FBR announce?

In today's release, FBR advised that it has signed a pilot program contract with Xella Technologie- und Forschungsgesellschaft mbH (Xella).

Based in Germany, Xella specialises in developing, manufacturing and marketing building and insulation materials. The company is known to be one of the world's leading suppliers of Ytong autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and Silka calcium silicate blocks (CSU).

Under the agreement, Xella will supply AAC and CSU blocks to FBR in order to build two houses using its Hadrian X bricklaying robot. 

Building blocks

Ytong AACs are a lightweight, precast, foam concrete building material comprising of sand, water and air. Much larger than the traditional bricks, the masonry block is extremely versatile because of its load-bearing capacity.

Silka CSUs on the other hand are known to be environmentally friendly, sound absorbent, low compression, fire-resistant, weatherproof building blocks. The latter are already in use across the world in care homes, student accommodation, hotels, apartments, schools, and other structures.

Once the structures have been completed, both companies will review the work and see if any improvements can be made. This will include any changes to the blocks themselves, the adhesives used, or any potential Hadrian X modifications.

The partnership will be used to lay groundwork for a European pilot building program, in hopes to lead to commercialisation. FBR said both companies will seek to understand the capabilities of each other's products and COVID-19 logistical constraints.

Management commentary

FBR managing director and CEO Mike Pivac welcomed the partnership, saying:

We are very pleased to be working with another high-quality block supplier with global reach as we continue to commercialise our automated bricklaying technology. Xella are known for their innovative products, and we are looking forward to working with them to progress the global scaling of the Hadrian X.

FBR share price snapshot

The FBR share price has had a rollercoaster run over the past 12 months.

The company's shares hit a low of 1 cent in March, before reaching a high of 10.5 cents in August. However, the FBR share price has since fallen to level at the same point as this time last year.

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