The outperforming miners in question are gold producer Auric Mining Ltd (ASX: AWJ) and copper-gold explorer Solstice Minerals Ltd (ASX: SLS).

Atop their own successes on and under the ground, both stocks have benefited from surging gold and copper prices. At US$14,084 per tonne, the copper price is up 39% in 12 months. And at US$4,322 per ounces, the gold price is up more than 17%.

As for the two ASX mining shares in question, recently trading for 24 cents apiece, Auric Mining shares are up 26.3% since this time last year.

And with shares swapping hands on Wednesday for $2.39 each, the Solstice Minerals share price has surged 527.6% over the full year.

That's enough to turn a $10,000 investment into $62,760. In one year!

It's also spurred a big increase in the ASX gold stock's market cap. This will see it join the All Ords on Monday as part of the S&P Dow Jones Indices September quarterly rebalance

And looking ahead, RaaS Group's Joshua Baker – who owns shares in both ASX miners – believes they are well-placed to keep outperforming (courtesy of The Bull).

Here's why.

ASX gold stock on the growth path

Baker recently ran his slide rule over Auric Mining shares. And he liked what he saw.

"The gold producer generated total record revenue of $44.8 million in first half of 2026, up 13.2 per cent on the prior corresponding period," he said.

Baker added:

The company posted a net profit before tax of $28 million. The Munda gold mine produced 8,886 ounces from toll milling campaigns. An integrated scoping study supported the re-establishment of the Burbanks processing facility.

Summarising his buy recommendation on the ASX gold stock, Baker concluded:

The company recently announced it had executed binding agreements to buy two leases that together comprise the Union Jack project. One lease is subjected to completion of due diligence. AWJ continues to build a team with extensive experience in developing gold projects.

Which brings us to…

Solstice Minerals' significant expansion potential

Baker also issued a buy recommendation on Solstice Minerals shares.

SLS remains an exciting opportunity in the copper market," he said. "Exploration of the Nanadie Well project is progressing, with drilling revealing significant potential to expand the resource.

Summarising his bullish outlook on the ASX gold stock, he said:

The company recently announced new copper-gold intercepts, with reverse circulation drilling identifying previously unrecognised high-grade zones.

Drilling can create value and lead to expanding upside. The shares have risen from $1.81 on August 24 to trade at $2.52 on September 10.

The post Expert names 2 under-the-radar ASX gold stocks to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The mineral exploration company rose 10% on Monday, and is now up an impressive 770% in the last 12 months. 

Why is this ASX materials stock soaring?

Solstice Minerals is a Western Australian copper-gold explorer focused on its flagship 100%-owned Nanadie Copper-Gold Project (Nanadie). 

It has been one of the copper shares to exploded in the last year.

This has come because investors are simultaneously pricing in record copper prices, tightening supply and a structural demand boom. 

At the same time, AI data centres, electricity grids, EVs, renewables and broader electrification are creating a powerful long-term demand story for copper.

Additionally, U.S. tariff uncertainty has pulled large volumes of metal into America and further tightened availability elsewhere. 

ASX copper miners have relatively fixed operating costs. This means every extra dollar in the copper price can translate into disproportionately higher margins, cash flow and project valuations. 

This has resulted in investors aggressively rerating both established producers and smaller exploration/development stocks. 

Why this stock can keep rising

A new report from Bell Potter has suggested this ASX materials stock still has more room for growth. 

The report highlighted that When the company bought the Nanadie site, the estimated resource was 40.4 million tonnes at about 0.40% copper, plus gold and silver.

However, since then, drilling results suggest that Nanadie is much larger than previously thought.

The mineralised zone is now around 100-200 metres wide, has been drilled to about 840 metres downhole, and extends over at least 1.3 km of strike. It is still open, meaning it could become larger.

In simple terms, Nanadie was originally thought to be a modest copper deposit. Drilling is showing that it could be a much bigger and potentially higher-grade deposit.

If the resource continues to grow and the project can eventually be developed into a mine, the company could be worth substantially more than it is today.

Big upside and buy rating 

Based on this analysis, Bell Potter has initiated coverage on this ASX materials stock with a speculative buy rating and $3.25 valuation. 

From yesterday's closing price, this indicates an upside potential of approximately 32%. 

We initiate coverage of SLS with a SPECULATIVE BUY recommendation and a A$3.25/sh valuation. Nanadie is a genuinely large and still growing copper- gold system on granted mining tenure in a Tier-1 mining jurisdiction. We expect SLS will re-rate on release of ongoing exploration results and project development studies.

The post This ASX materials stock is up 700% this year and could be the next big copper winner appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did Solstice Minerals report?

• 172m @ 0.69% Cu, 0.30g/t Au from 54m to end of hole in drillhole NANRC058, including 83m @ 0.96% Cu, 0.44g/t Au
• 18m @ 2.29% Cu, 1.12g/t Au to end of hole from 292m (including 5m @ 6.88% Cu, 3.60g/t Au) in NANRC057
• Step-out RC drilling extended the Nanadie resource system to at least 1.3km strike; remains open in all directions
• Diamond tail returned 60.6m @ 0.64% Cu, 0.33g/t Au, and 11.75g/t Ag, with a high-grade silver zone of 14.6m @ 0.69% Cu, 0.10g/t Au, 31.32g/t Ag
• Current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE): 40.4Mt @ 0.4% Cu, 0.1g/t Au, and 1.0g/t Ag
• No debt and $45 million cash at 31 August 2026

What else do investors need to know?

Ongoing drilling continues to identify previously unrecognised high-grade zones within and adjacent to the current resource boundary, highlighting the potential for higher-than-estimated grades. Results from recent holes will drive continued exploration, particularly along up-plunge positions on the eastern side of the host gabbro and step-down extensions at depth.

Solstice's expanded camp and core processing facilities have been completed, setting the stage for accelerated drilling with multiple RC and diamond rigs planned to operate for the rest of the year. There are assays pending from a further 13 completed diamond holes and over 20 RC holes, with more news flow likely as the company works to expand both the grade and size of the Nanadie resource.

What did Solstice Minerals management say?

Nick Castleden, Solstice Minerals' Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, commented:

Coming hard on the heels of the fantastic, combined intercept of 722.3m at 0.44% Cu, 0.13g/t Au from hole NANRCD005 announced on Friday, these exciting new results show that the momentum of drilling news-flow from Nanadie has well and truly moved up a gear. Importantly, these results confirm our interpretation that there may be significant zones of valuable near-surface high-grade mineralisation both within and adjacent to the current Nanadie Resource that have not previously been recognised or adequately tested.

What's next for Solstice Minerals?

Solstice is well funded to continue exploration, with a plan to increase drilling density across and below the existing mineral resource boundary. High-grade zones will receive further infill and step-out drilling, while new targets—including the nearby Stark Prospect—are set to be tested.

As the company accelerates its drill program, pending assays and an updated geological model are expected to provide a steady flow of exploration results. The Nanadie system remains open along strike and at depth, offering significant potential for further resource growth in a favourable mining jurisdiction.

Solstice Minerals share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Solstice Minerals shares have surged 600%, outperforming the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

View Original Announcement

The post Solstice Minerals shares in focus as Nanadie drill results impress appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did Solstice Minerals report?

• Confirmed a total intercept of 722.3m @ 0.44% Cu, 0.13g/t Au from hole NANRCD005, extending mineralisation over 500m below the current Mineral Resource boundary.
• Significant high-grade sections include 28m @ 1.31% Cu, 0.30g/t Au and 43.3m @ 0.91% Cu, 0.35g/t Au at depth.
• Current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) stands at 40.4 million tonnes @ 0.4% Cu, 0.1g/t Au, with the new results indicating strong potential for expansion.
• Assays are pending from a further 14 diamond holes and over 20 Reverse Circulation (RC) holes.
• Solstice holds $45 million in cash and has no debt, providing a solid balance sheet for continued exploration.
• The Nanadie project sits fully within a granted Mining Lease, with step-up drilling programs underway.

What else do investors need to know?

Solstice Minerals' drilling campaign is expanding the known copper-gold system well beyond previous boundaries, with both scale and grade persisting at depth. The close match between laboratory assays and previously logged visible copper sulphide zones is increasing confidence in Solstice's geological model and upcoming drill targets.

The company has invested in expanding its exploration camp and core processing facilities, and expects to have multiple rigs operating for the remainder of the year. Drilling results from the nearby Stark Prospect and unexplored extensions north of Nanadie are also expected to flow through in coming months.

What did Solstice Minerals management say?

Nick Castleden, CEO and Managing Director, said:

NANRCD005 is an extraordinary drillhole that marks another defining moment in the rapidly unfolding story at Nanadie. The combined 722.3m @ 0.44% Cu, 0.13g/t Au intercept – inclusive of all post-mineral dykes and low-grade zones – provides definitive evidence that the deposit will continue to deliver scale and grade way beyond the current MRE limits. Within that broad mineralised envelope, we are seeing multiple substantial higher-grade zones such as 28m @ 1.31% Cu, 0.3g/t Au and 43.3m @ 0.91% Cu, 0.35g/t Au – showing that grade as well as scale persist at depth.

What's next for Solstice Minerals?

Solstice is stepping up both RC and diamond drilling to test for further extensions of the Nanadie deposit, targeting expansion of its current Mineral Resource. With a second RC rig due onsite and a large volume of assay results still pending, investors can expect a steady news flow through the remainder of 2026.

The business is also planning to drill new prospects at Stark and to test previously untested targets along the broader geological corridor. The focus will remain on growing the scale and grade of the copper-gold system and progressing towards updated resources and potential development studies.

Solstice Minerals share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Solstice Minerals shares have surged more than 600%, significantly outpacing the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

View Original Announcement

The post Solstice Minerals extends deep, high-grade copper-gold zones at Nanadie appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did Solstice Minerals report?

• Diamond drilling hit 148m at 0.77% copper and 0.20g/t gold from 201m (NANRCD018), expanding mineralisation beyond the current resource boundary.
• Another diamond tail delivered 36m at 0.70% copper and 0.21g/t gold to end of hole (NANRCD026), confirming nearby high-grade results.
• Step-out RC drilling produced multiple strong intercepts, including 43m at 0.59% copper and 0.21g/t gold (NANRC044), outlining mineralisation further south.
• Drilling footprint now spans 100–200m width, over at least 1.2km of strike, remaining open at depth and along strike.
• Solstice holds $45 million in cash and zero debt to fund ongoing exploration.

What else do investors need to know?

Ongoing reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling is mapping out high-grade copper-gold zones that stretch well past the existing mineral resource estimate (MRE). Multiple rigs are operating at Nanadie, with another RC rig arriving soon to speed up campaign progress.

The company is awaiting results from a deep, step-down diamond hole (NANRCD005) drilled some 500m beneath the current MRE. On top of this, assays from an extra 12 diamond tails and 18 RC holes are pending, so further updates are expected over coming months.

What did Solstice Minerals management say?

CEO & Managing Director Nick Castleden said:

Ongoing diamond and RC drilling continues to show that Nanadie is developing into a substantially larger copper-gold system that extends well beyond the current Mineral Resource.… The combined 148m intercept in NANRCD018 is particularly encouraging.… The results to date continue to reinforce our view that Nanadie is growing into a much larger copper-gold system than previously recognised, with the host gabbro and zones of copper sulphide mineralisation extending well beyond the limits of drilling.

What's next for Solstice Minerals?

Solstice expects a steady flow of drill results in the months ahead as it tests the depth and lateral growth of the Nanadie system. Follow-up work will also focus on defining higher-grade positions, potentially improving future resource estimates.

With a strong cash position and no debt, Solstice is well funded to advance Nanadie, continue drilling, and explore new targets across its growing land position.

Solstice Minerals share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Solstice Minerals shares have risen more than 800%, significantly outperforming the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

View Original Announcement

The post Solstice Minerals: Nanadie drilling extends copper-gold system appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

What did Solstice Minerals report?

• Nine out of ten reported RC holes intersected significant copper-gold mineralisation, with multiple wide zones over 1% Cu.
• Standout intercepts include 51m @ 1.03% Cu, 0.29g/t Au (NANRC041), and 97m @ 0.57% Cu, 0.16g/t Au (NANRC038).
• First diamond tail (NANRCD004) returned 629.1m @ 0.50% Cu, 0.17g/t Au from surface, with several higher-grade internal zones.
• Mineralisation now takes shape over a 1.2km strike, with the eastern margin emerging as a higher-grade corridor.
• Assays are pending for 12 diamond tails and over 30 completed RC holes.
• The current Nanadie Well MRE stands at 40.4Mt containing 162,000t copper and 130,000oz gold.

What else do investors need to know?

Drilling at Nanadie is ongoing, with over 15,000m of RC drilling planned, including step-out holes, MRE delineation, and pre-collar work for future deeper diamond drilling. The eastern 100m of the host gabbro has shown multiple high-grade intercepts, indicating potential to expand the MRE and access higher-grade ore.

Solstice is well funded, with around $45 million in cash and no debt, ensuring strong capacity to continue systematic exploration. Assay results from over 40 additional holes are expected throughout the second half of 2026, potentially delivering more updates for investors as data become available.

What's next for Solstice Minerals?

Solstice plans to continue aggressive drilling at Nanadie, especially targeting the eastern high-grade corridor and deeper extensions. Pending assays from diamond tails and further RC drilling will help define the project's size and update the MRE in future studies.

With healthy cash reserves and granted mining tenure, Solstice intends to focus on growing the resource base at Nanadie and exploring additional targets along the broader Nanadie-Stark corridor, aiming to establish a large-scale, strategic copper-gold asset in WA's Goldfields.

Solstice Minerals share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Solstice Minerals shares have risen 764%, significantly outperforming the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO), which has risen 2% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Solstice Minerals: Nanadie copper-gold system grows appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

It's quite easy to underestimate how much of a difference compounding can make to a company's financial progress and what that can do for shareholders.

Fund managers from the listed investment company (LIC) WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA) have revealed two compelling ideas. WAM Active looks for mispriced opportunities in the Australian market.

Impressively, the WAM Active portfolio has returned an average of 14.4% per year since inception in January 2008, before fees, expenses and taxes. That shows the investment team are adept at picking ideas. Let's look at the two names that WAM highlighted.

Solstice Minerals Ltd (ASX: SLS)

WAM described Solstice Minerals as a copper-gold exploration company advancing its Nanadie Project in Western Australia.

Last month, the company released updated drilling results from its first diamond drilling program. This confirmed the mineralised system extends to a depth of more than 600 metres and remains open at depth.

The fund manager also noted the ASX share's drilling showed mineralisation continues well below the existing resource, which highlights the potential for the deposit to grow.

WAM said these results build on earlier drilling and continue to demonstrate the scale and continuity of the system.

The investment team concluded that the project currently hosts a 40.4 million tonnes mineral resource estimate and WAM believes the latest results highlight the potential for the resource to grow as drilling continues.

Southern Cross Electrical Engineer Ltd (ASX: SXE)

The other ASX share that WAM highlighted in the WAM Active portfolio was Southern Cross Electrical Engineering, a national provider of electrical, instrumentation and communications services. It also has growing exposure to data centres, infrastructure and electrification projects.

The fund manager noted that, last month, the company upgraded its earnings guidance and strengthened its balance sheet with a capital raising to support further growth.

WAM also said that the ASX share secured more than $150 million of new projects, including work linked to data centre construction.

With that update, Southern Cross Electrical Engineering upgraded its guidance for FY26 underlying operating profit (EBITDA) to at least $75 million, while introducing FY27 EBITDA guidance of at least $100 million.

WAM concluded:               

We believe the company is well positioned to continue growing earnings, supported by demand for data centre capacity and broader electrification trends, with the strengthened balance sheet providing flexibility to pursue further growth opportunities.

The post Leading fund manager reveals 2 exciting ASX shares to buy 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:

Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

The Beach Energy share price is up 2.5% to 85.5 cents. This is despite there being no news out of the energy producer. However, with its shares down heavily over the past month, some investors may believe that the selling has been overdone. Beach Energy shares are down 22% since this time last month.

Ioneer Ltd (ASX: INR)

The Ioneer share price is up 7% to 15 cents. This morning, this ASX lithium stock announced that it has received a conditional award from the United States Army. This relates to a long-term land lease on the Tooele Army Depot for the purpose of establishing a critical mineral processing facility. The company highlights that it is one of only four companies to be selected for the award and "is proud to be partnering with the U.S. Army to help build a secure, domestic boron supply chain." Ioneer's construction ready Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project hosts the largest undeveloped boron ore reserve in the world outside of Turkiye. It is also the only undeveloped boron ore reserve in North America.

Solstice Minerals Ltd (ASX: SLS)

The Solstice Minerals share price is up 27% to $1.99. Investors have been buying this mineral exploration company after it announced multiple wide, high-grade copper-gold intercepts from its first diamond drillhole at the Nanadie Copper-Gold Project in Western Australia. Management notes that this confirms it as an extraordinarily well mineralised drillhole. Solstice Minerals' CEO and managing director, Nick Castleden, said: "We are delighted to release an outstanding set of wide, high-grade copper-gold intercepts in our first diamond drillhole at Nanadie, providing strong validation of our geological model and providing definitive evidence that this part of the deposit hosts multiple zones of high-grade mineralisation that extend to substantial depths beyond the current MRE limits."

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

The Transurban share price is up 1% to $15.33. This follows the release of an update on its North American operations. Transurban revealed that 95 Express Lanes, which Transurban indirectly holds a 50% interest, has entered a development framework agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation. This will see the two parties assess an enhanced Bi-Directional Project on the I-95 Express Lanes. It notes that the proposed project scope would add approximately 120 additional new lane miles.

The post Why Beach Energy, Ioneer, Solstice Minerals, and Transurban shares are pushing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The investment team of the listed investment company (LIC) WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA) have outlined two ASX stocks that look like appealing investments with their outlooks and the current valuations.

Miners may not have the strongest economic moats on the ASX, but they do have the ability to deliver big returns when resource prices increase and/or when projects are found and developed.

Let's dig into why the experts at WAM like these two ASX mining shares.

Solstice Minerals Ltd (ASX: SLS)

The fund manager said that Solstice Minerals is advancing the Nanadie copper-gold project near Meekatharra in Western Australia.

WAM noted that, in April, the company released visual results of deeper drilling below earlier high-grade copper hits.

The fund manager said these results suggest the mineral system extends well below the current resource, highlighting the deposit's potential scale.

In the near-term, WAM thinks that there is potential upside for the Solstice Minerals share price as "drilling helps define a larger resource, while laboratory results confirming grade and continuity build confidence in a pathway towards an approximate 250 million tonne deposit." The fund manager said this suggests the ASX mining share is undervalued relative to its peers on comparable multiples.

WAM said that it remains bullish on copper, supported by the energy transition and electrification themes.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

The other ASX mining share that the experts highlighted was Core Lithium, which ones 100% of the Finniss lithium project in the Northern Territory. It also has exploration exposure across the Northern Territory and South Australia in base metals, rare earths and gold.

WAM noted that the share price rallied in April on two supportive developments.

First, a 20,000 tonne sale of fine-particle ore ready for shipment to Glencore's international trading arm at approximately $405 per tonne, together with the earlier sale from its lithium concentrate stockpile, generating approximately $18 million to support the Finniss restart.

The fund manager said that while the transactions were modest in dollar value, they suggested demand and sentiment had improved enough to support a restart.

While the transactions were modest in dollar value, they suggested demand and sentiment had improved enough to support a restart.

Broader optimism across the lithium sector also strengthened during the month as supply discipline took hold and lithium prices increased.

The experts then explained why they're excited about the business:

We remain bullish on lithium, supported by strong demand from battery energy storage systems and electric vehicles, with battery lithium intensity growing at more than 30% per annum.

Core Lithium offers strong exposure to a recovery in lithium prices as it works towards a relatively low-risk restart in the second half of 2026, and we expect the supply response to be more disciplined this cycle.

The post Experts rate these 2 ASX mining shares as compelling buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.