At the start of 2026, fundies had high hopes for global small-caps given many Western nations, including the US, appeared poised to cut interest rates.

The war in Iran has changed that outlook.

A two-week ceasefire is now in place, however, the shock to energy supplies will take months to filter throughout Western economies.

Given oil's flow-through effect to so many parts of the economy, including grocery prices, the impact may be enough to push up inflation.

Central banks are likely to respond by either hiking rates, or delaying previously anticipated rate cuts.

In Australia, inflation was resurgent even before the war began.

We've had two rate hikes already this year, and the market is pricing in a 60% chance of another one next month.

Higher interest rates are typically a headwind for small-caps, which are typically young companies using debt to fund their growth.

Here are 3 ASX small-cap shares that fund manager, Blackwattle, is backing for solid growth.

Blackwattle holds all three of these ASX shares in its Small Cap Quality Fund.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is 88 cents, up 1.4% today.

This ASX rare earths mining share rose 26% over the past month, and is 782% higher over the past year.

Portfolio managers Robert Hawkesford and Daniel Broeren said:

Lindian Resources (+24.7%) is a rare earths miner in the final stages of bringing online its lead project, Kangankunde.

This is a unique asset given its low mining cost and extremely low capex requirements versus other rare earth projects globally.

For these reasons the company should be able to transition to production quickly, with first ore due later this year.

In March, Lindian announced a JV with a rare earths processor, which will allow it to produce a higher-grade concentrate.

This has materially increased the value of the company as it captures more of the value chain and taps into Western markets looking to pivot away from China supply.

Ridley Corporation Ltd (ASX: RIC)

The Ridley Corporation share price is steady at $2.74 on Thursday.

This small-cap ASX agribusiness share rose 2% over the past month, and is 14% higher over 12 months.

Blackwattle also holds this ASX share in its Small Cap Quality Fund.

Hawkesford and Broeren comment:

While the business may appear on the boring side, the excitement for us comes from the operational improvements executed by the management team under the current CEO, Quinton Hildebrand.

Hildebrand has guided the share price from 75c in 2020 to $2.90 by taking a strict focus on ROIC discipline.

Looking forward we are particularly excited about what can be delivered from the newly acquired fertiliser business, Incitec Pivot.

Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC)

Superloop shares are $3.23, up 0.8% today.

This small-cap ASX telecommunications share rose 13% over the past month, and is 60% higher over 12 months.

Hawkesford and Broeren said:

Shares rose strongly in February following a well-received 1H26 result that demonstrated clear operating leverage and broad-based growth across all key metrics and segments.

Superloop continues to take market share from incumbent telecommunications providers, supported by its competitively priced high-speed broadband offerings and vertically integrated network.

Management commentary also reinforced confidence in the company's growth trajectory, with continued subscriber additions and
improving scale across the platform expected to drive meaningful earnings expansion over the coming years.

The post 3 ASX small-cap shares this fund manager expects to outperform appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the ASX rare earths share is down 13% to 77.2 cents.

Why is this ASX rare earths share falling today?

The rare earths developer's shares are under pressure today following the announcement of a large capital raising.

According to the release, Lindian has received firm commitments to raise approximately $100 million via a single tranche placement to institutional investors and strategic critical minerals funds.

The funds are being raised at 75 cents per new share, which represents a 15.25% discount to its last close price.

In total, approximately 133.3 million new shares will be issued as part of the placement.

What will the funds be used for?

The ASX rare earths share revealed that the capital raising is designed to accelerate development of its flagship Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi.

Specifically, proceeds will be used to fund Stage 1 development through to first production and cash flow, as well as support Stage 2 expansion activities and the integration of the SARECO MREC downstream processing facility.

Importantly, the company notes that this funding provides a pathway to bring both the mine and processing facility into operation without the need for project debt.

Management believes this will reduce execution risk and allow the company to maintain a clean balance sheet as it transitions toward production.

Lindian is targeting first production from Stage 1 and the SARECO facility by the fourth quarter of 2026.

Beyond this, the company is advancing studies for a potential Stage 2 expansion, which could significantly increase production capacity over time.

Commenting on the news, Lindian Resources' executive chair, Robert Martin, said:

We are very pleased with the strong level of institutional support received for this Placement, including significant participation from high quality existing and new investors, reflecting Lindian's growing global profile and the strategic importance of Kangankunde as one of the next rare earths producers to supply emerging global supply chains.

Importantly, Stage 1 at Kangankunde and our SARECO MREC facility are both fully funded without the need for any debt drawdowns to reach first cash flows allowing us to be in production at both operations debt free and with a clean balance sheet. This capital also allows Lindian to accelerate Stage 2, bring forward key development activities and materially reduce execution risk, while advancing our downstream strategy through the SARECO MREC facility, which provides a clear and capital-efficient pathway to capture additional value beyond Rare Earths Monazite Concentrate production.

The post Why is this ASX rare earths share sinking 13% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR)

The Dateline Resources share price is down almost 4% to 43.75 cents. This morning, this gold developer completed a $50 million placement to leading institutional investors. These funds were raised at a discount of 40 cents per new share. Dateline's managing director, Stephen Baghdadi, commented: "This raise drew strong support from high-quality institutional investors, a clear endorsement of what Colosseum represents. We're not standing still. Enabling works are already underway and we're pushing ahead on multiple fronts to make sure the project is ready to move into production quickly when the time comes."

Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)

The Karoon Energy share price is down 3% to $2.00. This is despite there being no news out of the energy producer. However, given there is optimism that the Middle East conflict could soon come to an end, it is possible that investors are expecting oil and gas prices to retreat in the near term.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is down 13% to 77.2 cents. This has also been driven by a capital raising today. The rare earths developer revealed that it has received firm commitments to raise approximately $100 million via a single tranche placement to institutional investors and strategic critical minerals funds. These funds are being raised at a 15.25% discount of 75 cents per new share. Lindian Resources' executive chair, Robert Martin, commented: "We are very pleased with the strong level of institutional support received for this Placement, including significant participation from high quality existing and new investors, reflecting Lindian's growing global profile and the strategic importance of Kangankunde as one of the next rare earths producers to supply emerging global supply chains."

PEXA Group Ltd (ASX: PXA)

The PEXA share price is down almost 17% to $12.68. This morning, the team at UBS downgraded the property settlement company's shares to a neutral rating (from buy) and cut its price target to $15.70 (from $17.50). The broker made the move on the belief that risks are skewed to the downside at present.

The post Why Dateline, Karoon Energy, Lindian, and PEXA shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV)

The Endeavour share price is up 3% to $3.95. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Bell Potter this morning. According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating on the drinks giant's shares with an improved price target of $4.15. It said: "We retain our Buy rating and raise TP on lower net debt. Although the outlook for consumer spending has weakened, we believe market expectations are low for the company's strategic refresh, leaving greater room for upside potential. We see opportunity for consensus upgrades: a reenforcing in Dan Murphy's lowest price perception; and cost-out opportunities."

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is up a further 14% to 74.7 cents. Investors have been buying the company's shares this week after it made a big announcement. Lindian revealed plans to acquire 100% of an existing mixed rare earths carbonate (MREC) processing facility previously operated by a joint venture between Japan's Sumitomo Corporation and Kazatomprom. Executive Chairman, Robert Martin, commented: "The acquisition of the SARECO Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate facility is a defining step for Lindian. It fast-tracks our transition from a concentrate producer to an integrated rare earths company with downstream capability, materially enhancing margins, commercial flexibility and long-term strategic value." The acquisition price was materially cheaper than the cost of developing a new one.

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

The Magellan share price is up a further 9% to $10.42. This fund manager's shares have rallied strongly this week in response to its plan to merge with Barrenjoey. Magellan's chair, Andrew Formica, said: "The merger with Barrenjoey marks a transformative step in MFG's evolution, bringing together two highly complementary businesses to create an Australian financial services group with meaningful scale and breadth."

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech share price is up 6% to $47.12. This is despite there being no news out of the logistics software provider. However, it is worth noting that tech stocks are having a strong session on Thursday. So much so, at the time of writing, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index is up by almost 3.5%.

The post Why Endeavour, Lindian, Magellan, and WiseTech shares are storming higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the ASX rare earths stock is up 25% to 66.2 cents, even as the ASX 200 index sinks 1.2% into the red.

In fact, at one stage today, its shares were up as much as 35% to 71.5 cents.

Why is this ASX rare earths stock rallying?

The surge comes after Lindian Resources announced that it has executed a binding term sheet to acquire 100% of an operating mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) processing facility in Kazakhstan via a joint venture structure.

According to the release, the acquisition will be made through an incorporated joint venture between Lindian (51%) and local partner RA Group LLP (49%).

The two parties will acquire the SARECO hydrometallurgical plant, which was previously owned and operated by a joint venture between Japan's Sumitomo Corporation and Kazatomprom, for a purchase price of US$15 million.

Importantly, this move transforms the ASX rare earths stock from a concentrate-only producer into a company with downstream MREC production capability, which is a higher-value product that typically attracts stronger payabilities.

A step-change in strategy

Management described the transaction as a "defining step" that fast-tracks Lindian's transition into an integrated rare earths company with downstream capability.

The purchase price may be US$15 million, but only US$3 million is payable upfront following due diligence. The remaining US$12 million is deferred until three months after commercial MREC production begins, which is expected around the first half of 2027.

This certainly could be a great deal for the ASX rare earths stock. To put it into perspective, Lindian noted that comparable new cracking and leaching plants can cost in excess of A$500 million to construct.

By acquiring an already constructed and operational plant, Lindian also avoids the lengthy permitting, construction, and funding risks associated with greenfield development.

A compelling transaction

Commenting on the deal, the company's executive chair, Robert Martin, said:

The acquisition of the SARECO Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate facility is a defining step for Lindian. It fast-tracks our transition from a concentrate producer to an integrated rare earths company with downstream capability, materially enhancing margins, commercial flexibility and long-term strategic value. This transaction positions Lindian to be one of the very few non-Chinese companies globally producing both rare earth concentrate and MREC.

What makes this transaction particularly compelling is the capital efficiency. Securing a fully constructed, operational cracking facility for US$15 million, compared to over half a billion dollars typically required for greenfield downstream development, allows Lindian to avoid years of development, construction, permitting and balance sheet risk whilst maintaining our first to market approach. This downstream capability strengthens our negotiating position on all offtake discussions and expands our addressable customer base as we move toward dual production in 2026.

The post Why is this ASX rare earths stock rocketing 35% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE)

The Boss Energy share price is up 1.5% to $1.85. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Bell Potter this week. According to the note, the broker has upgraded the uranium producer's shares to a buy rating with a $1.95 price target. It said: "We make no adjustments to our TP in this note, but take the opportunity to upgrade BOE to Buy (previously Hold), following deterioration in the price. We continue to see the market positioning for a negative outcome in the upcoming wide-spaced wellfield program, creating an asymmetric risk opportunity in our opinion."

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is up 24% to 65.7 cents. This morning, Lindian announced plans to acquire 100% of an existing mixed rare earths carbonate (MREC) processing facility previously operated by a joint venture between Japan's Sumitomo Corporation and Kazatomprom. Executive Chairman, Robert Martin, commented: "The acquisition of the SARECO Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate facility is a defining step for Lindian. It fast-tracks our transition from a concentrate producer to an integrated rare earths company with downstream capability, materially enhancing margins, commercial flexibility and long-term strategic value."

Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

The Magellan share price is up 20% to $10.11. Investors have responded positively to the fund manager's plan to merge with Barrenjoey. Magellan's chair, Andrew Formica, said: "The merger with Barrenjoey marks a transformative step in MFG's evolution, bringing together two highly complementary businesses to create an Australian financial services group with meaningful scale and breadth." This morning, Magellan announced that it has completed a $130 million institutional capital raise to help fund the merger.

New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

The New Hope share price is up 5% to $4.98. This morning, this coal miner announced the extension of its existing on-market share buyback for another 12 months. However, it notes that this is subject to the prevailing share price and market conditions and will be executed at the company's discretion having regard to a number of factors. This includes market conditions, its share price, its future capital requirements, and consideration of any unforeseen developments or circumstances that may arise.

The post Why Boss Energy, Lindian, Magellan, and New Hope shares are rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Capstone Copper (ASX: CSC)

The Capstone Copper share price is down 3.5% to $14.90. This appears to have been driven by the release of an update on the Mantoverde operation, where some workers are on strike. Capstone advised that individuals entered the desalination plant facilities on 18 January and interfered with its electrical system. This resulted in the interruption of water supply to Mantoverde. Striking union members are preventing access and the restart of facility operations at the desalination plant. Mantoverde's sulphide operations have been halted and oxide operations will be halted tomorrow unless water supply is restored. Capstone advised that it "is currently seeking judicial support to regain access to the desalination plant to restore water supply to Mantoverde and resume operations."

Dateline Resources Ltd (ASX: DTR)

The Dateline Resources share price is down 3.5% to 36.2 cents. This has been driven by the completion of a $35 million institutional placement. The gold and rare earths explorer has raised $35 million through a strongly supported placement at a discount of 31 cents per share. Dateline's managing director, Stephen Baghdadi, commented: "This capital enables us to act decisively in advancing development, expanding drilling, and testing deeper targets, while progressing a potential U.S. listing strategy. Our focus remains squarely on execution and value creation for shareholders."

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is down 5% to $4.49. This is despite there being no news out of the counter-drone technology company today. One broker that is likely to see this as a buying opportunity is Bell Potter. On Thursday, the broker put a buy rating and $5.00 price target on its shares. It believes the company could benefit from the US Public Safety market. The broker said: "We believe the key catalyst for DRO in CY26 is the potential awards stemming from the US Public Safety market, notably from the US$250m funds allocated to states hosting the FIFA World Cup and the America 250 events for C-UAS protection. We would be disappointed if DRO did not receive material awards from these events."

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is down 2% to 47.5 cents. This follows the release of the rare earths and bauxite company's quarterly update. The company saw its cash balance fall from $85 million to $57 million during the three months. Though, this was largely due to equipment and project costs totalling $19.3 million. It also made a $15.1 million payment for the final tranche to increase its ownership of Rift Valley Resource Developments to 100%.

The post Why Capstone Copper, Dateline, DroneShield, and Lindian shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here's why they are dropping:

Cogstate Ltd (ASX: CGS)

The Cogstate share price is down 19% to $2.03. Investors have been selling the neuroscience technology company's shares following the release of a disappointing business update. Due to timing-related deferrals, Cogstate expects first half total revenue to be in the range of $25 million to $26 million. This is an increase of only 5% to 9% on the prior corresponding period, which is short of its previous guidance for between 18% and 20% revenue growth. And with management expecting costs to increase and put pressure on margins, its earnings will also be well short of what the market was forecasting.

European Lithium Ltd (ASX: EUR)

The European Lithium share price is down 5% to 18 cents. This morning, this critical metals company revealed that a term sheet has been executed for a 50%-50% joint venture between Critical Metals Corp (NASDAQ: CRML) and Fabrica de Prelucrare a Concentratelor de Uraniu of Romania. The latter is a state-owned entity and strategic partner. European Lithium owns approximately 45% of Critical Metals Corp. Its flagship Tanbreez project is one of the world's largest, rare earths deposits and is located in Southern Greenland. Broad weakness in the rare earths industry today appears to be overshadowing this.

GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG)

The GQG Partners share price is down 2.5% to $1.73. This follows the release of the fund manager's latest funds under management (FUM) update this morning. According to the release, GQG Partners' FUM grew approximately 1.5% to US$166.1 billion during the month of November. While this is positive, the FUM growth was all performance related, with the company continuing to experience outflows. The company recorded a total monthly fund outflow of US$2.4 billion for November, with weakness across all four segments.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is down almost 5% to 36.2 cents. This is despite the rare earths company announcing that it has completed the final US$10 million tranche payment for the acquisition of Rift Valley Resource Developments Limited. It is the Malawian company that holds 100% ownership of the Kangankunde Rare Earths Project. The company's executive chair, Robert Martin, commented: "Achieving 100% ownership of Kangankunde marks another important milestone in Lindian's journey. This structure provides clear alignment of our operational entities under which recent contracts have been secure, and with Stage 1 construction advancing rapidly and Stage 2 studies well underway, this consolidation provides full strategic and operational control as we move toward first production on what is one of the rare earth industry's most significant development projects."

The post Why Cogstate, European Lithium, GQG Partners, and Lindian Resources shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Compounding is a very powerful force – businesses earlier on in their growth journey can expand significantly before size starts becoming a major roadblock to strong returns.

The fund manager Wilson Asset Management (WAM) runs a number of listed investment companies (LIC) including WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA) which targets mispriced opportunities in the ASX share market.

The investment team from WAM outlined two opportunities in the portfolio including a mining company and Australian medical technology company.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

WAM describes Lindian Resources as an Australian-based bauxite and rare earths company that has operations across exploration, mining and processing with projects in Malawi, Guinea and Tanzania.

The fund manager noted the company is focused on advancing the Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi alongside an Australian downstream route.

In October, the Lindian Resources share price rise of 22% reflected "improved project clarity and de-risking through confirmation that Kangankunde will not be affected by Malawi's raw-minerals export order."

Last month, the ASX mining share also announced its update for the three months to September 2025, which included a number of achievements, including a final investment decision on the Kangankunde project, enabled by the successful completion of a $91.5 million capital raising.

That placement will fully fund the ASX small-cap share's project until first production in the fourth quarter of 2026, as well as a long-term strategic partnership with Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU).

WAM concluded its thoughts on the business with the following:

We believe the company's recent activity supports investor confidence in the near-term and positions the company to play a pivotal role in the global rare earth supply chain.

Artrya Ltd (ASX: AYA)

The other ASX small-cap share that WAM wanted to highlight in the WAM Active portfolio is disruptive medical technology company Artrya, which is focused on the detection and management of coronary artery disease.

The fund manager noted that coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries, but diagnostic methods have remained unchanged for almost five decades.

Artrya uses artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver accurate and non-invasive diagnoses in an emergency and primary care settings.

In October, the Artrya share price jumped by 45% following the completion of an oversubscribed capital raising program.

The funding raised meant it secured growth capital and positioned the ASX small-cap share to accelerate its product roll-out and regulatory initiatives.

WAM concluded on the business:            

Longer term, we believe the strengthened balance sheet supports execution on a capital-light software-as-a-service model with expanding global opportunities.

The post These 2 ASX small-cap shares have big potential for returns appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is down 22% to 28.7 cents. This follows news that the Republic of Malawi's leadership has indicated that it may not allow the export of raw minerals out of the country. However, it believes it would be exempt from this, highlighting the President's executive order. It states: "This prohibition shall not apply to minerals that have been processed, refined, or value-added in Malawi in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the mining sector." Lindian Resources owns rare earths and bauxite assets in Malawi and Guinea.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price is down 19% to 18.7 cents. This is despite there being no news out of the rare earths developer. However, the selling may have been driven by broad weakness in the rare earths industry today after the US and China worked out the framework of a trade deal to decide on later this week that would ease American tariffs and Chinese rare earths export controls. The latter could put pressure on rare earths prices.

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

The Nuix share price is down 15% to $2.48. This follows news that the investigative analytics and intelligence software provider's CEO, Jonathan Rubinsztein, is stepping down by the end of the week. He agreed with the Nuix board that now was the right time to seek new leadership. Nuix's chair, Robert Mactier, said: " With the Company on a solid footing and well positioned for growth, the Board and Jonathan have agreed that it is now the right time to seek new leadership for the next leg of our growth journey. We collectively wish Jonathan well in his future endeavours." An interim CEO has been appointed while Nuix undertakes a global search for a permanent replacement.

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS)

The Ramelius Resources share price is down over 6% to $3.28. Investors have been selling this gold miner's shares following the release of its quarterly update. Ramelius reported gold production of 55,013 ounces for the three months, down 25.1% quarter on quarter. This was achieved with an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $1,836 per ounce. Gold sales came in at 54,734 ounces, with an average price of $4,528 per ounce for revenue of $248 million.

The post Why Lindian, Meteoric Resources, Nuix, and Ramelius shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The company operates the Mt Weld mine in Western Australia which is widely regarded as one of the most significant rare earths deposits in the world.

And in Malaysia, it owns one of the biggest rare earths processing facilities on the planet, producing separated rare earth materials for export to international markets.

Rare earths are a group of 17 elements critical for a host of new-age industries, including clean energy, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and robotics.

But here's the thing.

China dominates the market, producing more than 90% of the world's processed rare earths and rare earth magnets. 

This dominance has prompted some Western nations – including the US – to seek alternative supply chains and reduce reliance on China.

And last week, this urgency intensified after China expanded its rare earths export controls by adding five more elements to its restricted list.

All up, the export of 12 out of 17 rare earths is now curbed.

The move sent ripples through global markets and thrust Lynas shares firmly into the spotlight.

Notably, Lynas claims to be the only major producer of separated rare earth materials outside of China.

In other words, it appears to be positioned at the forefront of the Western world's efforts to secure critical mineral supply chains from allied nations.

However, Lynas isn't alone.

Several other ASX mining stocks are advancing high-potential rare earths projects in geopolitically favourable locations.

Below, we highlight four surging ASX rare earths stocks that could help diversify the world's supply of these vital elements.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

Meteoric is advancing towards production its Caldeira rare earths project in Brazil's infrastructure-rich state of Minas Gerais.

It believes Caldeira to be one of the most important undeveloped rare earths deposits in the world.

Situated in Minas Gerais, an infrastructure-rich region of Brazil, Caldeira could potentially become the largest ionic clay-hosted rare earth resource globally.

When operational, the project could account for about 8% of the world's annual rare earths oxide (REO) market and 7% of global neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) production.

These two elements are used in permanent magnets that power electric vehicles, wind turbines, and consumer electronics.

Meteoric's share price has surged by 122% since the start of the year.

Verdis Mining and Minerals Ltd (ASX: VMM)

Verdis is another ASX rare earths stock operating in Brazil.

Its flagship Colossus project is located within the geologically fertile Poços De Caldas rare earths complex and is considered by management to be among the most economically robust rare earths projects globally.

Here, a recent economic assessment outlined a 20 year initial mine life and a modest two-year payback period to recoup the capital outlay to build a mine.

However, a subsequent reserve estimate suggested that mining at Colossus could extend for up to 40 years, with further exploration upside potential.

Shares in Verdis have soared by a stunning 401% so far in 2025.

Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU)

Arafura is in the final funding phase for its construction-ready Nolans rare earths project in Australia's Northern Territory.

In other words, the company is ready to build a mine once full financing is secured.

So far, Arafura has locked in more than US$1 billion in conditional debt funding to support development of Nolans.

It has also signed offtake agreements with several major global partners, including Korean automotive giants Kia and Hyundai.

A 38 year mine life has been defined at Nolans.

Shares in Arafura have ballooned by 150% since the start of the year.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

Lindian owns the Kangankunde rare earths project in the African nation of Malawi.

So far, the group has defined reserves to support 45 years of mining at Kangankunde.

The project is also fully permitted and funded through to a first phase of mining.

Notably, NdPr elements make up about 20% of Kangankunde's total rare earths content. This could help the project become a significant contributor to the global magnet supply chain.

First rare earths production from Kangankunde is targeted for next year.

The market seems to have responded enthusiastically to Lindian's progress with the company's share price rocketing by 350% since the start of January.

The post Revealed: These 4 ASX mining stocks are rocketing as the rare earths boom intensifies 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:

Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR)

The Deterra Royalties share price is up 2.5% to $4.20. This morning, this royalties company announced an agreement to sell its non-core gold offtake assets for a total consideration of US$60 million (A$91 million) to Vox Royalty Corp. Deterra's managing director and CEO, Julian Andrews, commented: "Deterra acquired the portfolio of gold offtakes, along with the Dandoko royalty, as part of the acquisition of Trident Royalties in September 2024, while St Ives has been part of Deterra's portfolio since listing in 2020. Consistent with our strategic investment focus on base, bulk, battery and electrification commodities and our disciplined management of capital, we continuously review our portfolio for opportunities from non-core assets."

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up a further 7% to $3.79. Investors have been bidding this counter drone technology company's shares higher this week after it announced that it is significantly expanding its research and development (R&D) operations in the United States. DroneShield USA's CEO, Matt McCrann, said: "As we continue to scale our operations globally, this expansion in the U.S. plays a crucial role in enhancing our ability to innovate and deliver advanced solutions for the evolving defense industrial base right here in the U.S. We're investing in the future of defense, and our growing footprint and impact in the U.S. market directly supports that effort."

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is up 8% to 27 cents. This morning, this rare earths developer announced the appointment of DRA Pacific to complete the Kangankunde Phase 2 Expansion Study. The release notes that DRA is a global leader in rare earths processing with a proven track record of delivering innovative, technically advanced solutions across all stages of project development.

Race Oncology Ltd (ASX: RAC)

The Race Oncology share price is up over 10% to $3.32. This follows the release of a positive announcement from the clinical stage biopharmaceutical company this morning. It revealed that the Republic of Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has approved the Investigational New Drug (IND) application to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of RC220 in combination with doxorubicin in solid tumour patients. CEO Dr Daniel Tillett notes that "this approval allows patient enrolment in Korea and confirms the strength of the RC220 data package."

The post Why Deterra Royalties, DroneShield, Lindian, and Race Oncology shares are rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

4DS Memory Ltd (ASX: 4DS)

The 4DS share price is up 25% to 18.2 cents. This morning, this semiconductor company revealed significantly better results than those that were announced last month for its random-access memory (ReRAM) cells in the megabit array. Management notes that write speeds were 9.5 nanoseconds, which significantly outperforms DRAM write speeds.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is up 2% to 25.5 cents. This follows the release of drilling results from the rare earths explorer's Kangankunde project in Malawi. Lindian's Executive Chairman, Asimwe Kabunga, commented: "Kangankunde's scale continues to grow and this is attracting the interest of a number of parties seeking to secure offtake from our planned Stage 1 operation."

Red 5 Limited (ASX: RED)

The Red 5 share price is up 21% to 26.7 cents. Investors have been buying this ASX gold share following news of a major block trade before the market open. Someone picked up 372,897,512 units in Red 5 for an 18.2% premium of 26 cents per share. There are rumours that fellow gold miner Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX: GMD) was behind the purchase.

Wildcat Resources Ltd (ASX: WC8)

The Wildcat Resources share price is up 83% to 44 cents. This has been driven by the release of drilling results from the lithium explorer's Tabba Tabba Lithium Tantalum Project near Port Hedland in Western Australia. The initial results from 21 holes confirm that pegmatite bodies contain significant widths and grades of lithium mineralisation. This project is close to some major tier-one lithium projects.

The post Why 4DS, Lindian Resources, Red 5, and Wildcat Resources shares are racing higher 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:

Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS)

The Aeris Resources share price is down a further 15% to 23 cents. Investors have been selling off this copper miner's shares this week following a very disappointing update. Aeris revealed that it is putting its Jaguar operation on care and maintenance due to forecast operating losses in FY 2024. The company has also taken out a $50 million working capital facility from major shareholder Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) with very high interest rates.

Janus Henderson Group (ASX: JHG)

The Janus Henderson share price is down 4% to $42. This follows the release of the fund manager's quarterly update. Janus Henderson reported second-quarter operating income of US$117.9 million. This is down from US$143.9 million in the second quarter of FY 2022.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian share price is down 13% to 36.5 cents. Investors have been selling this rare earths explorer's shares despite it releasing an impressive mineral resource estimate (MRE). Management notes that its MRE places its Kangankunde operation as one the world's largest rare earths deposits and positions it as a globally strategic resource for secure, long-term supply. This weakness could be a case of buy the rumour, sell the news.

Solvar Ltd (ASX: SVR)

The Solvar share price is down 33% to $1.16. This follows the release of a trading update from the automotive lending company. Solvar revealed that it expects to report a 7.8% decline in net profit after tax to $47.6 million for FY 2023. However, things will be much worse in FY 2024, with management guiding to a potential 50% decline in profits. It advised that "FY24 NPAT will be impacted by the full year cost of central banks rate rise cycle."

The post Why Aeris, Janus Henderson, Lindian, and Solvar shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's not bad, considering the massive headwinds of rising interest rates and inflation during this period.

But as always, there are outliers — and many of these supercharged stocks are in the resources sector.

In this article, we reveal 5 ASX mining shares that have shot the lights out over this volatile period.

The supercharged ASX mining shares of the past year

The ASX mining shares profiled below are just some of the fastest-growing stocks over the past 12 months.

Delta Lithium Ltd (ASX: DLI)

The Delta Lithium share price has risen by 111% over the past year.

Formerly known as Red Dirt Metals, the ASX lithium mining share is changing hands for 87 cents apiece at the time of writing, down 0.57% today.

Executive Chairman David Flanagan recently said the company is "drilling at a remarkable rate" and "seeing such incredible results".

He added: "Our Mt Ida Project continues to surprise on the upside and the potential scale at the Yinnetharra Project remains huge."

Xanadu Mines Ltd (ASX: XAM)

The Xanadu share price has gained 395% over the past year.

The ASX mining share is currently trading for 10 cents, up 6.4% today.

Xanadu is a mineral explorer with assets in Mongolia. It is among several ASX copper mining shares looking to cash in on the anticipated copper boom that's coming amid global decarbonisation.

Xanadu shares began a material run after announcing better-than-expected results in its Kharmagtai Prefeasibility Study (PFS) infill drilling program in mid-June.

Latin Resources Ltd (ASX: LRS)

The Latin Resources share price has gained 479% over the past year.

The lithium small-cap mining share is steady today at 39.5 cents per share.

Significant progress at Latin's flagship Salinas Lithium Project in Brazil turbocharged the miner's valuation in recent months.

In late June, Latin Resources confirmed the discovery of a "district scale lithium corridor" at the site.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price has gained a staggering 2,200% over the past year.

The ASX rare earths miner is fetching 23.5 cents today, up 4.4%.

This ASX mining share really began to take off in December with the acquisition of the advanced Caldeira Project in Brazil.

In May, Meteroic Resources announced a maiden resource at Caldeira, and later reported that eight of 11 new diamond drill holes revealed a "significant depth extension of the target clay zone".

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price has gained 150% over the past year.

This ASX bauxite and rare earths miner is trading steady today at 42.5 cents a share.

Lindian has bauxite projects in both East and West Africa. Much of the company's success in FY23 came from its acquisition of the "globally significant" Kangankunde Rare Earths Project in Malawi one year ago.

Since that time, Lindian has reported a series of high-grade assays that have boosted its share price.

The post 5 ASX mining shares that have more than doubled in value in just a year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA)

The Champion Iron share price is up 2.5% to $5.99. This morning, in response to its quarterly update, analysts at Goldman Sachs reiterated their buy rating on this iron ore miner's shares with a $7 price target. The broker believes that "CIA is at a FCF and possibly capital returns inflection point."

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is up 4% to 38.5 cents. This follows the release of promising assay results from the phase two deep diamond drilling at the Kangankunde rare earth project in Malawi. Management believes these results indicate that "the project will play an important role in the rare earths industry to stabilise and balance supply for multiple generations."

McMillan Shakespeare Ltd (ASX: MMS)

The McMillan Shakespeare share price is up 4% to $19.85. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Macquarie this morning. Its analysts have upgraded this salary packaging company and its rival on the belief that supply is improving and electric vehicles are driving increased demand. Macquarie has an outperform rating and a $20.47 price target on the company's shares.

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

The Nuix share price is up a further 7% to $1.62. Investors have been scrambling to buy this investigative analytics and intelligence software provider's shares since it released its provisional full-year results last week. Nuix expects its underlying EBITDA to be between $44 million and $47 million in FY 2023. This will be up 51% to 61% on FY 2022's EBITDA. Its shares have now almost doubled in July.

The post Why Champion Iron, Lindian Resouces, McMillan Shakespeare, and Nuix shares are rising appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL)

The Bellevue Gold share price is down 6% to $1.56. This appears to have been driven by profit-taking after a series of strong sessions sent the gold developer's shares to a multi-year high yesterday. The Bellevue Gold share price remains up almost 14% since this time last week.

KMD Brands Ltd (ASX: KMD)

The KMD Brands share price is down 9% to 88 cents. This follows the release of a trading update from the retailer this morning. KMD revealed that it expects to report record sales of NZ$1.1 billion with EBITDA of NZ$105 million to NZ$110 million in FY 2023. However, as strong as this was, a slow start to the winter shopping season appears to have spooked investors.

Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE)

The Lake Resources share price is down 3% to 29.2 cents. This is despite there being no news out of the lithium developer. However, its shares have been in free fall recently following a terrible update. As a result, they are now down approximately 40% since this time last month.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

The Lindian Resources share price is down 14.5% to 35.5 cents. This has been driven by news that the company is raising funds from institutional investors. The rare earths developer has received binding commitments to raise $35 million at a discount of 33 cents per new share. The proceeds will be used to fund the third of four payments to acquire the Kangankunde Rare Earth Mining Project in Malawi.

The post Why Bellevue Gold, KMD, Lake Resources, and Lindian shares are sinking appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

As we reported this week, Australia racked up a second consecutive year of record earnings from resources and energy exports in FY23.

Resources and energy delivered an estimated $460 billion to our gross domestic product in FY23.

So in this ripper year for resources, let's see which ASX All Ords mining shares outshone the rest.

These ASX All Ords mining shares had a cracker year

The ASX All Ords comprises the 500 largest listed companies by market capitalisation with plenty of mining shares — large and small — a part of the index.

The All Ords finished the year 8.85% higher, rising 655 points to 7,401.5 points on 30 June 2023.

Here are the best performers of FY23 based on share price growth, according to data from S & P Global Market Intelligence.

Latin Resources Ltd (ASX: LRS)

The most outstanding performance among ASX All Ords mining shares in FY23 was delivered by lithium small-cap miner Latin Resources. Its share price ripped up the charts by 408%.

Exciting news surrounding its flagship Salinas Lithium Project in Brazil gave the miner a huge share price boost in May, in particular. In the last few days of FY23, the company announced confirmation of a "district scale lithium corridor" within its tenements. This corridor extends up to 26 kilometres from its 45 Mt Colina Deposit at the site.

Latin Resources has a market cap of $812 million, at the time of writing.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

This small-cap ASX All Ords mining share had a cracking year with a 200% price growth in FY23.

Lindian is a bauxite miner and owns projects in Tanzania. In August 2022, the company announced the acquisition of the "globally significant" Kangankunde Rare Earths Project in Malawi. Since then, the miner has reported a series of high-grade assays that have helped continually lift the Lindian share price.

The miner has a market cap of $385 million.

Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)

Fellow All Ords lithium share, Liontown stormed up the charts with a 168% share price gain in FY23.

The event that changed the share's trajectory over this period was a takeover approach from US lithium giant Albemarle. Liontown rejected the offer but its shares have remained substantially higher since the news broke.

The All Ords mining share ascended from a small-cap to mid-cap in FY23 with a market cap of $6 billion today.

Delta Lithium Ltd (ASX: DLI)

Known as Red Dirt Metals until its name change in May 2023, Delta Lithium shares rose by 113.8% in FY23.

Executive Chairman David Flanagan recently said the company is "drilling at a remarkable rate" and "seeing such incredible results". He added: "Our Mt Ida Project continues to surprise on the upside and the potential scale at the Yinnetharra Project remains huge". In the final month of FY23, Delta announced more exciting results at both projects and an additional $46.4 million investment from a key backer, Idemitsu Australia, which now owns 15% of the company. Idemitsu is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.

Delta Lithium has a market cap of $461 million.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The only large-cap All Ords mining share to make the top 5 is lithium miner Pilbara Minerals. Its shares rose by 113.5% in FY23, partly due to strong profits which allowed the company to pay a maiden dividend in March. There has also been much M&A activity in the lithium industry in FY23, and this positive sentiment has lifted most ASX lithium shares higher.

Pilbara Minerals finished the year at $4.89 per share. Top broker Macquarie sees more growth ahead. It has an outperform rating on the stock and a 12-month share price target of $7.30. As my Fool colleague Tristan points out, Pilbara Minerals has a best-in-breed balance sheet with US$2.68 million in cash.

Pilbara Minerals has a market cap of $16 billion.

The post 5 best-performing ASX All Ords mining shares of FY23 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) experienced a tumultuous 12 months as investors worried about rising inflation and interest rates.

However, the index managed to gain 655 points, rising from 6,746.5 points at the close on 30 June 2022 to 7,401.5 points on 30 June 2023.

The ASX All Ords captures the performance of the 500 largest listed companies by market capitalisation.

Here are the star performers of FY23 based on share price growth, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The No 1 ASX All Ords share is a retailer!

The Cettire share price recorded the highest growth among the 500 ASX All Ords shares in FY23.

Cettire Ltd (ASX: CTT)

Who would have thought, with all the fear around rising inflation and its impact on consumer discretionary spending, that a retail share would dominate the ASX All Ords in FY23?

Luxury brands online retailer Cettire blew every other ASX All Ords share out of the water with its 718% share price growth in FY23.

Cettire shares closed FY23 at $2.96. In earlier trading yesterday, the stock hit a new 52-week high of $3.40, up 6.9%.

Some economists speculate that the reason inflation is falling slowly in Australia is because the wealthy are still spending. Cettire's annual performance is a case in point.

As we recently reported, Cettire's sales of luxury brand products are accelerating.

Wilson Asset Management dealer Will Thompson reckons this ASX All Ords star is still a buy despite its outstanding price growth in FY23.

He says the Melbourne-based company is "quite a small player in a big market, and they're growing quickly".

He adds: "There's not a big amount of luxury brands that sell online. So they're getting the benefit of that."

Here are the other top ASX All Ords shares of FY23

Latin Resources Ltd (ASX: LRS)

The Latin Resources share price skyrocketed in FY23 by 408%. The ASX All Ords lithium share really caught fire in May after the company released an update on its flagship Salinas Lithium Project in Brazil. In the last few days of FY23, the company announced confirmation of a "district scale lithium corridor" at the site.

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU)

This ASX All Ords healthcare share ripped 222% higher in FY23. The key driver was the US Food and Drug
Administration's approval of a drug called Daybue, which is being marketed by Neuren's North American partner, Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD). The drug is the first and only approved treatment of Rett syndrome, which is a rare, neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 6,000 to 9,000 people in the US.

Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN)

This ASX All Ords mining share had a cracking year with 200% price growth in FY23. Lindian is a bauxite miner with projects in Tanzania. Much of its success in FY23 was due to its acquisition of the "globally significant" Kangankunde Rare Earths Project in Malawi. This was announced on 1 August. Since then, Lindian has reported a series of high-grade assays that have helped continually lift the share price.

Smartpay Holdings Ltd (ASX: SMP)

Payment solutions provider Smartpay enjoyed a terrific year with a share price gain of 197% in FY23. The Australia and New Zealand EFTPOS business reported a 637% improvement in net profit before tax in its FY23 half-year results. Wilson Asset Management says the small-cap has more room for growth and is successfully "capturing market share from its key competitors".

For more insights on the best-performing Australian stocks of FY23, check out our story on the top 5 ASX 200 shares of the year.

The post These were the 5 top-performing ASX All Ords shares of FY23 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

And that's during a 12-month period that's seen the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) fall by 3%.

The mining stocks in question are the aptly named Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI) and Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX: LIN),

We'll look at what drove Meteoric Resources' smashing outperformance first.

Strategic acquisition spurs investor interest

One year ago today, Meteoric Resources was trading for 1.5 cents per share. As of market close yesterday, those same shares were changing hands for 15.5 cents apiece.

That's a whopping 12-month gain of 933% for this ASX mining share. Or enough to turn a $1,000 investment into $10,330.

Meteoric Resources share price really went, erm, meteoric in December. That's when the company emerged from a trading halt to announce its acquisition of a potential world-class ionic clay rare earth project.

The Tier 1 Ionic Clay Rare Earth Element (REE) project is located in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil.

The ASX mining share said it would leverage the advanced nature of the Caldeira Project and "the excellent technical work already completed" to "move rapidly towards becoming a significant participant in the global rare earth industry".

Indeed, just a few weeks later, the company released a promising early progress report.

"The initial testwork of the metallurgy at the Caldeira Project is very encouraging," Meteoric Resources director, Andrew Tunks said at the time.

Shares have continued to gain in 2023 with more promising results out of Caldeira along with some of the miner's other projects.

Which brings us to…

This ASX mining share is up 1,279% in a year

You won't hear anyone complaining about the 933% 12-month gains delivered by Meteoric Resources.

But ASX mining share Lindian Resources managed to outpace those gains.

One year ago, the stock was trading for 2.9 cents per share. At market close yesterday, the Lindian Resources share price stood at 40 cents.

That's a gain of 1,279% in a year. Or enough to turn that $1,000 investment into $13,791.

And as with Meteoric, much of the past year's success looks to be linked to the strategic acquisition of a "globally significant" rare earths project.

On 1 August, the company reported that it was acquiring 100% of the shares in Rift Valley Resource Developments Limited. Rift Valley is the owner of the Kangankunde Rare Earths Project, located in Malawi.

Commenting on the acquisition on the day, Lindian chairman Asimwe Kabunga said:

This is without doubt an outstanding development for Lindian that delivers a huge value opportunity for shareholders…

This binding transaction gives Lindian control of one of the world's premier undeveloped rare earths deposits, at a time when global demand is universally forecast to accelerate materially in the years ahead.

At the time, the ASX mining share closed the day up 33%.

The post Explosive growth! 2 ASX mining shares rocketing around 1,000% in a year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.