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

Ampol Ltd (ASX: ALD)

The Ampol share price is up almost 4% to $32.82. This morning, the fuel retailer released a trading update and revealed that first-quarter total refinery production rose 10% and its Lytton Refiner Margin (LRM) jumped to US$25.45 per barrel. It said: "The LRM for the first quarter of 2026 was US$25.45 per barrel. This included a substantial uplift in global refiner margins in the month of March following commencement of the Middle East conflict and its subsequent impact on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz."

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price is up 12% to 19 cents. This follows news that the rare earths developer has received firm commitments to raise $40 million via a placement. These funds were raised at an offer price equal to its last close price of $0.17 per new share. Meteoric's managing director and CEO, Stuart Gale, said: "To launch this capital raising at no discount to the prior close and be significantly oversubscribed is a great endorsement from investors in the Caldeira Project and the broader rare earth market. Proceeds from the Placement support the current activities and allow us to broaden our engineering studies and design work, including assessment of separation opportunities."

Praemium Ltd (ASX: PPS)

The Praemium share price is up 2.5% to 75.2 cents. Investors have been buying this investment platform provider's shares following the release of its quarterly update. Praemium revealed an 18% increase in funds under administration (FUA) to $73.7 billion. The company's CEO, Anthony Wamsteker, commented: "The March quarter delivered strong net flows into Spectrum, reflecting adviser confidence in the platform and validating our strategic focus on the HNW segment. This demand highlights the breadth and strength of our offering and the opportunity to further grow our market share."

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)

The Treasury Wine share price is up 18% to $4.77. This morning, the wine giant announced its transition to a new regional operating model as it progresses its global transformation program, TWE Ascent. But perhaps the bigger news relates to current depletions trends. Management advised that Penfolds continues to deliver strong depletions growth in China, with depletions up 40% over the Chinese New Year period on a seasonally adjusted basis. In addition, overall US market depletions were up 9.1% versus the prior corresponding period and depletions returned to growth in California.

The post Why Ampol, Meteoric Resources, Praemium, and Treasury Wine shares are storming higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Strongly supported capital raise

The company said in a statement to the ASX that it had received commitments to raise $40 million at 17 cents per share, which was equal to the share price when the capital was raised.

The shares jumped 14.7% on the news to be changing hands for 19.5 cents.

Meteoric Resources said the funding would be used to advance its Caldeira project in Brazil, "via completion of the definitive feasibility study, environmental licensing, continued pilot plant operation, pre-development activities and infill drilling to increase confidence in mining reserve''.

The money would also be used for land acquisition and general working capital.

The company said, following the raise, it would be well-capitalised, with a cash balance of $58 million based on its holdings as of the end of March.

Meteoric Managing Director Stuart Gale said regarding the raise:

To launch this capital raising at no discount to the prior close and be significantly oversubscribed is a great endorsement from investors in the Caldeira Project and the broader rare earth market. Proceeds from the Placement support the current activities and allow us to broaden our engineering studies and design work, including assessment of separation opportunities. There is a significant amount of interest in the rare earth sector as evidenced by several recent acquisitions, including in Brazil. While this is significant and generates great sentiment, we will continue to focus on the development of Caldeira through de-risking activities including the DFS and licence applications while working with key partners to establish a fully funded project financing solution to build the Caldeira Project.

Shares looking cheap

Canaccord Genuity in March singled out Meteoric Resources as one of the rare earths companies to watch.

The broker said in a research note to clients that demand for magnet rare earths is expected to triple over the next decade, underpinned by a combination of structural drivers including the energy transition, automation and robotics, and defence and rearmament.

There are also major barriers to entry on the mining and processing front, the broker said.

Canaccord Genuity has a speculative buy rating on Meteoric Resources, with a share price target of 40 cents.

It also has a bullish price target on Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BRE), which the broker suggests could reach levels of $8 per share, up from $4.76 currently.

Meteoric Resources is valued at $449.9 million.   

The post Why are shares in this ASX rare earths company surging today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In a research note sent to clients this week, Wilsons makes the case that rare earths elements "sit at the centre of several powerful structural trends, including electrification, automation and defence modernisation''.  

Large demand drivers

They say that permanent magnets represent the largest source of rare earths demand, "with applications spanning electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, robotics and industrial automation, as well as consumer electronics''.

They go on to say:

Key magnet rare earths include NdPr (neodymium and praseodymium), which are used to produce NdFeB (neodymium–iron–boron) permanent magnets, the dominant magnet technology in advanced electric motors. In certain applications, heavy rare earths such as DyTb (dysprosium and terbium) are added to improve performance at elevated temperatures.

Wilsons says demand for magnet rare earths is expected to triple over the next decade, underpinned by a combination of structural drivers including the energy transition, automation and robotics, and defence and rearmament.

There are also major barriers to entry on the mining and processing front, as they say:

Rare earth supply is structurally inelastic to price signals. Projects face high capital intensity, complex permitting and financing requirements, and long development timelines that typically span 10-15 years. Against this backdrop, and with demand rising strongly, several magnet rare earth elements, including NdPr and DyTb, are expected to face supply deficits over the near to medium-term. Beyond the global supply/demand balance, an increasingly important dynamic for Western producers is the emergence of an increasingly bifurcated rare earth market, where strategic demand for ex-China supply is supporting pricing premiums and long-term supply agreements for Western rare earths.

Wilsons says China dominates both the extraction and refining of rare earths, which is a strategic vulnerability for Western economies.

Local winners

Among the ASX-listed companies in the sector, Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) stands out, Wilsons says, as the largest rare earths producer outside of China.

Wilsons says Canaccord Genuity has a price target of $22 on the company, compared with the current price of $18.89.

Lynas just this week announced a major supply agreement with the US Department of War, involving US$96 million in rare earth oxide offtake and a US$110/kg floor price for NdPr.

Wilsons says Canaccord also has a buy rating on Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) and a price target of $6.55 against the current price of $6.03.

Among the project developers, Canaccord has a speculative buy on both Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BRE) and Meteoric Resources Ltd (ASX: MEI).

The price target for Brazilian Rare Earths is $8, against the current price of $4.20, and for Meteoric Resources, 40 cents, compared with 16.5 cents.  

The post 4 cheap Aussie rare earths companies which are worth a look, according to Wilsons Advisory appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The good news is that these conditions are expected to remain for the foreseeable future, which could make it worth having some exposure to ASX rare earths stocks.

The team at Wilsons has been looking at this side of the market and is feeling very positive. It said:

The rare earth market is benefiting from a powerful combination of structural demand growth, constrained supply and increasing policy support for ex-China supply chains. These dynamics are expected to support elevated rare earth prices while also strengthening demand for, and the pricing outcomes of, Western supply in particular.

But which shares could be buys for rare earths exposure? Let's take a look at three that Canaccord Genuity is bullish on, courtesy of Wilsons. They are as follows:

Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BRE)

Canaccord Genuity thinks investors with a high tolerance for risk should look at this rare earths developer.

It has put a speculative buy rating and $8.00 price target on this Brazil-focused ASX rare earths stock. Based on its current share price of $4.70, this implies potential upside of 70% for investors over the next 12 months. It said:

Highest grades we have come across at the Monte Alto discovery in Brazil – partnership with Carester, upcoming Resource/ Scoping for integrated oxide production + bauxite spinout offer potential catalysts.

Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU)

Another ASX rare earths stock that is highly rated is Iluka. Although its mineral sands business is weighing on its performance, its exposure to rare earths with the Eneabba project is seen as a reason to buy.

Canaccord Genuity has a buy rating and $6.55 price target. However, this is largely in line with where its shares currently trade.

Commenting on the stock, the broker said:

Mineral sands business suffering from structural issues, but Eneabba provides medium-term exposure + a possible beneficiary of Australian Critical Minerals Reserve floor pricing.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

A final ASX rare earths stock that gets the thumbs up from the broker is Meteoric Resources.

Canaccord Genuity has put a speculative buy rating and 40 cents price target on its shares. This is more than double its current share price.

Commenting on the Brazil-based developer, it said:

Low capex/low cost IAC development project in Brazil approaching major milestones (BFS/approvals/ funding/FID) in mid'26.

The post Top broker names 3 ASX rare earths stocks to buy 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:

ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX)

The ASX share price is down 4% to $54.14. Investors have been selling this stock exchange operator's shares after it announced the exit of its CEO. The company advised that its CEO, Helen Lofthouse, will step down from the role in May. It also revealed that the CHESS project Release 1 is targeting go-live in April, just before she leaves.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

The CSL share price is down 6% to $160.54. This has been driven by the release of a soft half-year result and news that the biotech giant's CEO, Dr Paul McKenzie, has resigned with immediate effect. With respect to the latter, CSL's chair, Dr Brian McNamee AO, said: "Paul and the Board have determined that now is the right time for new leadership to continue to drive CSL's strategic transformation and performance." For the first half, CSL posted underlying NPATA of US$1.9 billion, which was down 7% on the prior corresponding period. One positive is that management has reaffirmed its guidance for FY 2026.

GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG)

The GQG share price is down 3.5% to $1.59. This follows the release of the fund manager's latest funds under management (FUM) update. GQG Partners revealed that its FUM increased to US$165.7 billion (from US$163.9 billion) during January. However, this reflects a strong investment performance, which offset US$4.2 billion of net outflows.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price is down almost 5% to 20 cents. Investors have been selling the rare earths company's shares despite a positive update on the production performance at its recently commissioned Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC) Pilot Plant at the Caldeira Rare Earth Project in Brazil. The company's managing director, Stuart Gale, said: "Results achieved at the Pilot Plant to date have bettered the extensive test work conducted by ANSTO which is a great credit to our team who have spent significant time developing Meteoric's understanding of the Caldeira Ionic Clay deposits." Average magnet rare earth element recoveries were 70%. It is possible some investors were expecting stronger recoveries.

The post Why ASX, CSL, GQG, and Meteoric Resources shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX rare earths stock is up 5.5% to 19.5 cents.

What's going on with this ASX rare earths stock?

The catalyst for today's strong gain has been the release of an update on its flagship Caldeira Rare Earth Project in Brazil.

According to the release, the company has received a non-binding and conditional letter of support from Export Finance Australia (EFA) for indicative financing of up to US$50 million (~A$77 million).

The company notes that the proposed financing is intended to support the development of the Caldeira Project through the use of Australian engineering, procurement, construction, and management contractors.

It believes this strategy will reinforce the established partnership between Australia and Brazil through enhanced supply chain support within the project. In addition, it feels this underscores the Australian Government export credit agency's determination to drive Australian expertise and exports into global rare earths markets.

Solid foundation

Management highlights that the EFA funding support, together with the United States Export Import Bank's (EXIM) US$250 million letter of interest that was received in March 2024, provides a solid foundation for funding of the Caldeira Project.

But the company isn't stopping there. It is continuing active discussions with the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) and other Export Credit Agencies together with a number of potential strategic investors to optimise funding solutions for the Caldeira Project.

Commenting on the news, the ASX rare earths stock's managing director, Stuart Gale, said:

We view the Letter of Support from Export Finance Australia as a strong vote of confidence in Meteoric's strategy and capability to become the next major supplier of critical rare earth materials. This endorsement will assist with the broader project financing discussions underway for the Caldeira Project and adds flexibility to our funding strategy.

The recent approval of our Preliminary Environmental Licence without restriction, commissioning of our Pilot Plant and first production of a mixed rare earth carbonate, the Caldeira Project is now positioned as one of the world's most advanced, highest confidence, high-grade rare earth developments. The Project's scale, low operating costs, low capital intensity and rapid path to market stand as clear differentiators and underpin its capability to be an important new, long-term cornerstone of emerging rare earth supply chains.

The post This ASX rare earths stock is jumping on big news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up 8% to $3.01. This has been driven by the release of an update this morning on the counter drone technology company's independent review into its continuous disclosure and securities trading policies and other areas. One change that has been announced is the establishment of a mandatory minimum shareholding policy (MSP) for all directors and members of senior management. Directors will be expected to hold ordinary shares in the company equivalent in value to their annual base fee. Whereas the CEO will be expected to hold shares in the company equivalent in value to 200% of their annual salary.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price is up 32% to 18.5 cents. This morning, this rare earths developer revealed that it has received a preliminary environmental licence (LP) for its Caldeira Rare Earth Ionic Clay Project in Brazil. This marks a crucial step in its development. The company's managing director, Stuart Gale, said: "We are very pleased to have obtained the LP without restriction. This is strong validation for the Caldeira Project and allows us to quickly move to the next stage of the licensing process to obtain the LI for construction of the Project."

Nextdc Ltd (ASX: NXT)

The Nextdc share price is up 7.5% to $12.84. This morning, this data centre operator revealed another jump in contracted utilisation following further customer contract wins. This means that the company's pro forma contracted utilisation has increased by 96MW or 30% to 412MW since its last update on 1 December. As a result of these customer contract wins, the company's pro-forma forward order book has now increased to 301MW.

Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK)

The Nick Scali share price is up 10% to $23.26. Investors have been buying this furniture retailer's shares following the release of a trading update. The company revealed that its first half revenue for Australia and New Zealand is expected to be 10% to 12% more than the previous year. This is an upgrade to its previous guidance range of 7% to 9%. As a result, statutory net profit after tax for first half of FY 2026 is expected to be in the range of $37 million to $39 million. This is up from its guidance range of $33 million to $35 million.

The post Why DroneShield, Meteoric Resources, NextDC, and Nick Scali shares are charging higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the ASX rare earths stock is up 36% to 19 cents.

Why is this ASX rare earths stock rocketing?

Investors have been scrambling to buy the company's shares today after it made a major announcement relating to its Caldeira Rare Earth Ionic Clay Project in Brazil.

According to the release, the company has obtained a preliminary environmental licence (LP) for the project.

It was voted on by the State Council for Environmental Policy (COPAM) at a meeting on Friday in Belo Horizonte. The application received unanimous support from COPAM council members who accepted the favourable recommendation by technicians from the Environmental Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais (FEAM).

The critical approval

The ASX rare earths stock advised that in Brazil, the LP is the first stage of the licensing process required for projects that have an environmental or social impact.

And while it is only the first stage, it is also the critical approval. That's because it confirms the project's environmental viability, approves the location, as well as establishing basic requirements and conditions that must be met in the next phases.

The LP area covers the first phase of the project and includes resources and reserves located within the southern licences of Capão do Mel, Soberbo, and Figueira.

This receipt allows the ASX rare earths stock to progress with all other stages of its permitting and licencing process to deliver the Caldeira Project.

'Strong validation'

Commenting on the big news, the company's managing director, Stuart Gale, said:

We are very pleased to have obtained the LP without restriction. This is strong validation for the Caldeira Project and allows us to quickly move to the next stage of the licensing process to obtain the LI for construction of the Project. We appreciate the strong, ongoing support received from the Municipality of Caldas, the State of Minas Gerais and FEAM, together with our advisors and our exceptionally hard-working team. Together with the recent opening of the Pilot Plant, obtaining the LP caps off an extremely productive year for Meteoric.

Gale also confirmed that the company is on track to make a decision on the project in the middle of next year. He adds:

We delivered a Pre-Feasibility Study, announced our maiden reserve, progressed key engineering and metallurgical programs to support the feasibility study, continued to build our ionic clay intellectual property and maintained key Project delivery timelines. This ensures Meteoric is well positioned to secure final approvals, negotiate binding offtake agreements, complete the feasibility study and progress to Final Investment Decision, by the middle of 2026.

The post Why is this ASX rare earths stock rocketing 36% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The shares are still trading a whopping 90% higher than this time last year.

Just last week, the developer announced it has produced its first batch of mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from its recently constructed pilot plant for the Caldeira Rare Earth Project in Brazil. It's a significant production milestone.

After a site visit to the Caldeira Rare Earth Project, analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) have updated their stance on the small-cap stock.

Macquarie's rating on the ASX small-cap stock

In a note to investors, the broker has confirmed its outperform rating and 39 cents target price on Meteoric Resources shares. At the time of writing, this implies that the share price could jump 160% higher over the next 12 months.

"Despite recent permitting setbacks, MEI continues to execute its development plan with steady progress. We see value in the company, which is currently trading at an implied NdPr price of <US$80/kg," the broker said in its note.

Meteoric Resources' pilot plant is ramping up

The team at Macquarie explained that it recently visited Meteoric Resources' Caldeira ionic clay rare earths project in Brazil. The site visit followed news that the plant has begun production.

The plant is located at the company's research centre at Poços de Caldas, with close proximity to the Caldeira deposit. Macquarie added that the pilot plant was completed on time and under the budget of $2.2 million from the pre-feasibility study.

The plant operates using local water and hydro-power, and most reagents are sourced from within Brazil. 

"The pilot plant has a designed nameplate capacity of ~2 kg/day of MREC, supported by ore throughput of 25 kg/hour," Macquarie's analysts explained in the note.

"We believe continued rampup of the plant will enable MEI to initiate off-take discussions with downstream customers, a critical near-term catalyst.

"Near-term priorities include improving product quality, followed by volume ramp-up. We believe this approach is appropriate for a chemical facility where price realisation is highly dependent on product quality."

Preliminary Licence approval for the Caldeira Project is scheduled for review by the State Council for Environmental Policy (COPAM) on 19 December. Macquarie's analysts said that mining activity is already well-established in the region.

The post This ASX small-cap mining stock is tipped to rocket 160% higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX)

The 4DMedical share price is up 4.5% to $2.15. Investors have been buying the respiratory imaging technology company's shares after it entered into a commercial agreement with the University of Miami. This has seen the leading academic medical centre commence clinical use of 4DMedical's CT:VQ product under a structured launch framework. The CT:VQ solution is designed to set new benchmarks in cardiothoracic imaging by combining ventilation and perfusion analysis. 4DMedical's CEO and founder, Andreas Fouras, said: "I am very pleased to see CT:VQ deployed at the University of Miami. The immediate transition from strong RSNA engagement to commercial operations demonstrates the significant momentum we are seeing from clinicians seeking a contrast-free, high-resolution alternative to nuclear medicine VQ scans."

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The Megaport share price is up 1.5% to $13.50. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG). This morning, the broker retained its outperform rating with an improved price target of $21.70. It said: "Top line is stabilised, Latitude adds a new growth driver in a fast-growing end market. Reinvestment in growth will drive further top-line acceleration out of FY26. Product roadmap suggests MP1 will move more into software with edge compute, driving higher long-term margins. Retain Outperform."

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price is up 4.5% to 15.7 cents. This follows news that the rare earths developer has produced its first batch of mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from its recently constructed pilot plant for the Caldeira Rare Earth Project in Brazil. Meteoric Resources' managing director, Stuart Gale, said: "It's great to deliver our first batch of MREC from the Caldeira Project. The team have done an excellent job in the development of the Pilot Plant – from acquisition of key equipment, recruitment of operators, construction and commissioning. This now places Meteoric in a small group of global companies with the ability to independently and consistently produce MREC product."

Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS)

The Ramelius Resources share price is up 6% to $3.59. This morning, this gold miner revealed that it plans to undertake a $250 million share buyback. Ramelius' managing director, Mark Zeptner, said: "At the time of the release of our 5-Year Growth Pathway to 500koz, the Ramelius Board gave clear direction to management that we need to "maintain and grow" shareholder returns. We are demonstrating this today in the form of a A$250 million share buyback program and an increase in the minimum dividend payable."

The post Why 4DMedical, Megaport, Meteoric Resources, and Ramelius shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The company said in a statement to the ASX that commissioning of the plant started with the introduction of low-grade clay ore into the plant over a two-week period.

Several technical processes were then carried out, the company said.

As it told the ASX:

The pilot plant further validates and optimises the flowsheet and tests different ore types from the Caldeira Project. Data generated from the pilot campaigns will be incorporated into the Caldeira Project definitive feasibility study (DFS) currently being undertaken by Ausenco.

New ores to be tested

Having been tested using low-grade ore, the pilot plant would now move on to ores with grades more typical of the company's Brazilian deposit.

Technical imporvements could also be made, the company said.

The pilot plant also provides an opportunity to pilot the separation of rare earths by solvent extraction and other technologies such as flash joule heating (FJH). During the commissioning and early operation several opportunities have already been realised which will be reflected in the definitive feasibility study which is currently in progress.  

Meteoric Resources Managing Director Stuart Gale said it was a key milestone for the company.

It's great to deliver our first batch of mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from the Caldeira Project. The team have done an excellent job in the development of the pilot plant – from acquisition of key equipment, recruitment of operators, construction and commissioning. This now places Meteoric in a small group of global companies with the ability to independently and consistently produce MREC product.

Mr Gale said the pilot plant's design was based on extensive test work conducted at Australian government agency ANSTO, "including four continuous pilot runs of five days each''.

This foundation allows the pilot plant to expand upon the results achieved at ANSTO and simultaneously facilitate the training of plant operators. The pilot plant enables ongoing refinement of key project parameters and process optimisation, strengthening our understanding of the Caldeira Project. Combined with our expanding geological intellectual property, this pilot plant establishes a strong foundation for enhancing long-term project value.

Meteoric Resources shares were trading 3.3% higher at 15.5 cents on the news on Wednesday.

Macquarie has a 12-month price target of 39 cents on Meteoric Resources shares, saying its progress on the pilot plant "will enable the company to start off-take discussions with downstream customers, a key near-term catalyst''.

The post Rare earths company ticks off key production milestone appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's according to the analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), who have just doubled down on their very bullish outlook on Meteoric Resources (ASX: MEI) shares.

Meteoric Resources shares closed yesterday trading for 14.5 cent apiece. In late morning trade on Wednesday, shares are changing hands for 15.0 cents apiece, up 3.5%.

That sees shares in the ASX All Ords mining stock up an impressive 66.7% in 2025, blowing away the 5.2% year to date gains posted by the All Ords Index.

And looking to the year ahead, Macquarie expects that Meteoric Resources shares have a lot more fuel in the tank, with the broker particularly optimistic over the miner's rare earths developments.

Here's what's happening.

ASX All Ords mining stock could rocket on rare earths production

On Monday, Meteoric Resources released an update on the environmental permitting process for its Caldeira Rare Earth Project, located in Brazil.

Shares in the ASX All Ords mining stock closed down 11.1% on the day after investors learned that Brazil's State Foundation for Environmental (FEAM) had requested more time to respond to questions related to the Caldeira Project that were raised by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF).

This has caused a delay in the State Council for Environmental Policy (COPAM) vote to approve the Caldeira Project's Preliminary Environmental Licence (LP).

Meteoric said it was confident that it had already submitted all the information required to address the MPF questions.

"Whilst this delay in the COPAM vote is frustrating, the work our team has done supports the approval of the LP and we remain confident in obtaining the LP at the next COPAM meeting," Meteoric Resources managing director Stuart Gale said.

Commenting on the procedural delay for the ASX All Ords mining stock, Macquarie said:

While disappointing, MEI believes the delay is merely an administrative setback, as the company believes all the questions raised by MPF have already been addressed and continues to target a Construction License (LI) Issuance in mid-CY26. The company plans to assist FEAM with those questions with a goal to secure a voting slot at the next meeting on 19 December.

And the broker is very bullish on the completion of Meteoric Resources' pilot plant wet commissioning.

According to the broker:

MEI recently announced the successful completion of wet commissioning at its pilot plant in Brazil. The plant has a nameplate processing capacity of 25 kg of ore feed per hour, with potential to produce approximately 2 kg of Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC) per day. Ore feed will commence immediately, with first MREC output anticipated in early December.

We believe this will enable the company to start off-take discussions with downstream customers, a key near-term catalyst.

Macquarie maintained its outperform rating on the ASX All Ords stock, concluding:

Becoming an ex-China rare earths company is never easy, given the stringent technology and equipment controls. Despite these challenges, MEI continues to make progress and, in our view, has the potential to become Brazil's second operating rare earths producer after Serra Verde.

Macquarie has a 12-month price target for Meteoric Resources of 39 cents per share. That represents an outsized potential upside of 160% from current levels.

The post Why Macquarie expects this surging ASX All Ords mining stock to rocket another 160% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's according to analysts at Bell Potter, which see potential for major upside for investors over the next 12 months.

Which ASX rare earths stock?

The stock that Bell Potter is bullish on is Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI). It owns the Caldeira ionic clay rare earth project in Brazil, as well as two non-core gold projects in Brazil and Western Australia.

Bell Potter notes that the company's license hearing has been postponed. While this is disappointing and has led to a significant share price decline, the broker was pleased with management's comments. It said:

Both VMM and MEI had their license hearing (scheduled for the 28th of Nov) postponed allowing for the State Foundation for Environment (FEAM) to respond to the questions brought forward by the Federal Public Prosecutors Office (MPF). For MEI, the questions focus on 1) proximity to the Caldas Decommissioning Unit nuclear facility, 2) engagement with local stakeholders and indigenous groups, and 3) operations within the Pedra Branca Buffer Zone.

The suspension in trading was lifted during today's session, and whilst the decline reached -27% intra-day, the stock ended only -11% down following the investor call. Management's response to questioning stressed the fact that this is a procedural process, which helped calm investors.

Not insurmountable

Bell Potter also highlights that it believes this is a procedural process and could just delay project progression rather than end it. The broker adds:

MEI anticipates inclusion in the Dec-19 council hearing, subject to the MPF responses being addressed. At this stage we don't necessarily see this as an insurmountable risk, rather a procedural process which may take longer than initially anticipated. If the COPAM request additional environmental baseline monitoring, this may further delay progression of the project until those timelines are satisfied. Separately, the commissioning of the processing plant is underway, with MREC production anticipated in early December.

Speculative buy

According to the note, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating and 25 cents price target on the ASX rare earths stock.

Based on its current share price of 14 cents, this implies potential upside of almost 80% for investors over the next 12 months.

Commenting on its speculative buy recommendation, the broker said:

Our valuation is unchanged at $0.25/sh, and we maintain our Buy (spec) recommendation. Given MEI's advanced project stage, and the current demand for heavy rare earths, we believe the project and company may garner some attention from Western nations seeking to diversify the China dominant rare earth magnet supply chain.

The post Meet the ASX rare earths stock that could rocket 80% 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:

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price was down 4.5% to 57.5 cents before being placed into a trading halt. Its trading halt request states: "Meteoric is seeking the trading halt pending release of an announcement in response to media speculation in relation to the Preliminary License (LP) approval process." There is speculation that authorities in Brazil have recommended that the preliminary license for its rare earth mining project be suspended urgently. This would be a big blow to the rare earths developer.

Race Oncology Ltd (ASX: RAC)

The Race Oncology share price is down 9% to $2.64. This is despite the announcement of a positive development from the oncology company this morning, Race revealed that it has received human ethics approval from the St Vincents Hospital Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) to initiate a Phase 1a/b clinical trial. It will assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of RC220 with Osimertinib. This will be in patients with non-small cell lung cancer that have activating epidermal growth factor receptor mutations. Patient enrolment is subject to final institutional approval and site activation by Monash Health, which is expected in late Q4 2025 to early Q1 2026.

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

The Temple & Webster share price is down 33% to $13.67. This morning, this online homewares retailer reported an 18% increase in sales for July to 20 November. While this is sales growth that most companies would be envious of, the market was expecting an even stronger growth rate for the first half of FY 2026. They don't appear to believe that Temple & Webster will be able to make up the ground over the final weeks of the half.

West African Resources Ltd (ASX: WAF)

The West African Resources share price is down over 13% to $2.63. This gold miner's shares have crashed down to earth after returning from a three-month suspension. The gold miner has been busy negotiating with the Burkina Faso government after it requested a larger equity interest in its Kiaka operation. West African Resources' chair and CEO, Richard Hyde ,said: "Our discussions regarding the ownership structure of our recently constructed Kiaka Project have reflected a shared vision to develop a strong and sustainable mining industry that benefits the Burkinabe people and delivers long-term value for all stakeholders. Sanbrado and Toega have not been part of these discussions."

The post Why Meteoric Resources, Race, Temple & Webster, and West African shares are falling 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:

James Hardie Industries PLC (ASX: JHX)

The James Hardie share price is up 7% to $27.22. This follows the release of a strong second quarter update from the building materials company today. James Hardie posted a 34% increase in net sales to US$1,292.2 million and 25% lift in adjusted EBITDA to US$329.5 million. This was driven largely by the inclusion of the recently acquired AZEK business. Looking ahead, management has lifted its earnings guidance for FY 2026. It is now targeting adjusted EBITDA of US$1.2 billion to US$1.25 billion. This is up from its previous guidance of US$1.05 billion to US$1.15 billion.

Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI)

The Meteoric Resources share price is up 4% to 18.25 cents. This morning, this rare earths developer revealed that it has completed the wet commissioning of its pilot plant at the 100%-owned Caldeira Rare Earth Ionic Clay Project in Brazil. The company's managing director, Stuart Gale, said: "The development of the Pilot Plant marks an important step in the development and derisking of the Caldeira Project. […] The Pilot Plant is important for Meteoric as it provides validation of the process flowsheet at scale, produces MREC for distribution to offtake partners and allows us to further assess downstream processing options to separate rare earths on site."

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

The Pilbara Minerals share price is up 3% to $4.09. This follows a strong night of trade for US lithium peers on Wall Street on Monday. The catalyst for this has been another rise in lithium prices in China overnight. The Spodumene Concentrate Index (CIF China) price was up 1.8% to US$1,024 per tonne. This means that it is now up more than 20% over the past month. The battery making ingredient has been boosted by news that China will be providing new support to its electric vehicle industry.

SKS Technologies Group Ltd (ASX: SKS)

The SKS Technologies share price is up almost 4% to $3.37. This has been driven by news that the electrical technologies and digital infrastructure company has agreed to acquire Delta Elcom for up to $15 million. It is a specialist in data centre infrastructure and electrical solutions based in Sydney. CEO, Matthew Jinks, said, "We believe that we've found a business in Delta Elcom that is an advantageous strategic and cultural fit with SKS Technologies."

The post Why James Hardie, Meteoric Resources, Pilbara Minerals, and SKS shares are rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Both Australia and Japan have struck framework agreements with the US in past weeks, which aim to reduce the reliance of all three nations on minerals from China, which dominates global trade in rare earths.

The recent interest in rare earths, and hence rare earths company shares, came about after China added another five rare earth elements to the list of commodities covered by export controls, bringing the total number to 12.

But the critical minerals space is much wider than just rare earths, extending to commodities such as gallium, zircon and even aluminium.

Where to invest is the question

With companies at various stages of development and share prices bouncing around as the news cycle continues to generate interest, it's worthwhile considering what the experts over at Macquarie think about investing in the critical minerals sector.

In a research note released to their clients this week, Macquarie has tipped three companies to outperform, which are St George Mining Ltd (ASX: SGQ), Meteoric Resources Ltd (ASX: MEI) and Image Resources (ASX: IMA).

On St George, a key differentiating factor, the Macquarie analysts said, was its "dual critical mineral exposure".

As they said:

St George's Araxá project could be the next niobium producer given it is located next to the world's largest niobium producer, CBMM. Its speed to market is enabled by the access to infrastructure, operational know-how, and a skilled workforce in a stable regulatory regime.

St George also has a suite of Western Australian assets where it is looking to develop lithium, cobalt and nickel operations.

Macquarie has a 12-month price target of 20 cents on St George shares, 82% higher than the closing price on Tuesday of 11 cents.

The Macquarie team like Meteoric Resources following the company ticking off several milestones over the September quarter, including a prefeasibility study, a $42.5 million capital raise and the start of their pilot plant production in Brazil, where commissioning is expected to start late this calendar year.

The company's managing director, Stuart Gale, said recently the company was "in an excellent position to capitalise on the significant momentum in the rare earth industry''.

Macquarie has a 12-month price target of 39 cents on Meteoric Resources shares, 95% higher than the closing price on Tuesday of 20 cents.

And on Image Resources, the Macquarie team said the mineral sands company's zircon interests were in the spotlight.

The company recently achieved first production at its Atlas project, and it had, "multiple development projects which could produce heavy mineral concentrate that contains zircon and titanium dioxide feedstock''.

Macquarie has a 12-month price target of 13 cents on Image Resources shares, 63% higher than the closing price on Tuesday of 8 cents.

The post Macquarie says these three critical minerals stocks deserve your attention appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That's according to the team at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

In a new report, Macquarie maintained its outperform rating on Meteoric Resources following the miner's quarterly update last Friday.

That's despite the Meteoric Resources share price plunging 15.2% on Monday. Shares are down another 10.3% in late morning trade today, changing hands for 17.5 cents apiece.

This week's sharp selling for the All Ords ASX rare earths stock comes amid a potential détente in the US-China trade war. Officials are now flagging that China may delay its threatened new export controls on rare earths.

However, Macquarie doesn't expect these "near term market volatilities" to derail Meteoric Resources exceptional growth potential.

According to the broker:

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said recently that he anticipates that China will delay its expanded licencing regime for rare earths by a year. While this could weigh on REE producers given the market sentiment shift, we believe the investment case for MEI is unchanged.

Amid this week's selling, it's also worth remembering that on 3 April you could have picked up Meteoric Resources share for 6.0 cents apiece. That would see you sitting on a gain of 191.2% today.

Why this All Ords ASX rare earths stock could storm higher

Macquarie's bullish outlook is pinned to Meteoric Resources' Caldeira Rare Earth Project, located in Brazil.

In the September quarter, the miner completed a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), which its said "confirmed a world-class, long-life project".

The Caldeira Project has a Probable Ore Reserve of 103 million tonnes at 4,091 parts per million (ppm) Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO).

The All Ords ASX rare earths stock is also nearing completion of the pilot plant construction, with commissioning expected in November. This will then deliver continuous mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) production. Rare earth oxide separation will also be included as part of the pilot plant.

Meteoric Resources managing director Stuart Gale said on Friday:

The volume and quality of drilling, geological data, metallurgical test work and engineering studies positions us to advance development of Caldeira Project to meet increasing demand and diversification of the rare earth supply chain.

The company's balance sheet is also in solid shape.

Macquarie noted:

An A$42.5m placement was completed in July, with a 3.3% discount to the 10-day VWAP, supported by the strong market sentiment. MEI finished the quarter with cash balance of A$44.4m.

Macquarie left its price target for the ASX rare earths stock unchanged at 39 cents per share.

That represents a potential upside of 122.9% from current levels.

The post Why Macquarie expects this All Ords ASX rare earths stock to rocket 123% 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, which was valued at $594.2 million at the close of trade on Thursday, released a quarterly update to the market on Friday morning.

The company's managing director, Stuart Gale, said the company had released a prefeasibility study for the company's Caldeira project in Brazil during the quarter, which was well-timed to take advantage of the recent interest in rare earths production globally.

Mr Gale said:

Importantly, the speed and depth of work completed at the Caldeira Project since late 2022 has put Meteoric in an excellent position to capitalise on the significant momentum in the rare earth industry. The volume and quality of drilling, geological data, metallurgical test work and engineering studies positions us to advance development of Caldeira Project to meet increasing demand and diversification of the rare earth supply chain.

Project continues to develop

Mr Gale said the company's confidence in the prefeasibility study's outcomes continued to strengthen, with a fourth test program conducted by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) during the quarter.

Results from this five-day continuous piloting program confirm excellent … recoveries including 70% recovery of the magnetic rare earth elements.

Mr Gale said the company was looking forward to the commissioning of a pilot plant in Brazil in November to further validate the ANSTO results.

The pilot plant would also be able to provide material to customers for their own testing needs and could conduct further downstream trials.

The prefeasibility study, which was published in July, estimated that the Caldeira Project had a payback period of less than three years and a mine life of 20 years.

Mr Gale said a successful capital raising during the quarter "reflected the high level of confidence and support of key institutional investors from around the world in the Caldeira Project''.

Meteoric Resources raised $42.5 million at 14 cents per share in a capital raise, which it said was "heavily over-subscribed" and upsized.

The company's quarterly report indicates that it had $44.4 million in cash on hand as of the end of September.

Macquarie recently released a research note with a 39-cent price target on the company. Meteoric Resources shares closed at 22.5 cents on Thursday.

Macquarie has a price target of $18.50 on Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) shares, which last changed hands at $19.07, and a price target of $7.10 on Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU), compared with $7.81 at Thursday's close.

The post Which rare earths player says it's in an "excellent position" to capitalise on the recent momentum in the sector? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Citing unnamed sources, The Australian on Friday reported that the Trump administration was considering buying into Australian rare earths projects to shore up supplies of the critical minerals, ahead of a meeting between the Australian and US leaders next week.

Mr Albanese announced in April this year that it would establish a Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve, saying the nation was "uniquely placed to meet the needs of increasing global and domestic demand''.

The reserve would seek to set up national offtake agreements, buying agreed volumes of critical minerals from commercial projects or holding options over them, and would also selectively stockpile resources.

How the strategic reserve would seek to stockpile and promote the production of rare earths in particular remains to be seen, with Australia having significant rare earths deposits, albeit few, which are in production and no significant rare earths refining capacity to speak of.

The report in The Australian suggested that equity investments could come from US agencies such as the Pentagon and the Export-Import Bank of the United States.     

Trade tensions mount

The importance of the supply of rare earths has been thrown into sharp relief recently, with China increasing the number of rare earths that are under export restrictions by five, with 12 of the 17 rare earth elements now facing export controls.

China produces about 90% of the world's refined rare earths elements, which are critical for use in defence and renewable energy projects.

In response to China's new export controls, President Trump has threatened fresh 100% tariffs on Chinese goods being imported into the US.

The share prices of Australian producers such as Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) have run up strongly on the renewed trade tensions, but most retraced sharply on Friday.

Lynas shares were the biggest drain on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) on Friday, falling 8.9% to $18.58, dragging the company below a $20 billion market capitalisation.

The company's shares have recently traded as high as $21.96, and still remain well above their 12-month lows of $6.16.

Shares in Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU) were 10.2% lower on Friday at 39.5 cents, while Meteoric Resources (ASX: MEI) shares were 7.6% lower at 21.2 cents.

Shares in Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BRE), which this week announced it had raised $120 million at $4.68 per share, were steady, trading 0.2% higher at $5.73, after hitting a new record high of $5.89.        

The post Rare earths shares tank despite reports the US will buy into Aussie miners appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.