Had you put $10,000 into this ASX small-cap share in March 2025, your holdings would be worth $36,500 today.

Starpharma is an Australian biotech that develops drug delivery systems using proprietary polymers called dendrimers.

These nanoscale molecules make medicines more effective in the body.

Starpharma licenses its drug delivery technology to large pharma, and also develops its own anti-infection products.

This ASX healthcare share is trading at 47 cents on Thursday, up 1.1%.

What's behind the dramatic 365% share price rise?

The bulk of Starpharma's rise over the past 12 months occurred between late September and February.

In September, the ASX healthcare share rose by more than 100% after the company announced two new partnerships.

Starpharma announced a new deal with drug company Genentech, which it has worked with for more than three years.

The companies will develop cancer treatments using Starpharma's proprietary DEP drug delivery technology.

Under the deal, Starpharma got an upfront payment of US$5.5 million.

It is also eligible to receive up to US$564 million in success-based payments over time.

Starpharma granted Genentech an exclusive global licence to commercialise any products developed via the collaboration.

Starpharma CEO Cheryl Maley said:

A key strategic priority for Starpharma is to build new, high-impact partnerships that unlock the full potential of our DEP platform.

By actively pursuing licensing opportunities and collaborating with leading organisations, we aim to expand market reach and enable our partners to deliver significantly improved therapies to patients worldwide.

The ASX healthcare share surged again when the company announced its first radiopharmaceutical partnership.

Starpharma signed a research and option agreement with Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX: RAD) that made it eligible to receive a $500,000 option fee, a $2 million upfront payment, and up to $89 million in success-based payments and royalties on net sales.

Maley called the deal a key milestone, and said radiopharmaceuticals was a strong area of focus for Starpharma.

In its 1H FY26 report in February, Starpharma reported a 474% increase in revenue to $10.8 million for the six months to 31 December.

The half-year profit was $1,367,000, up from a loss of $5,392,000 in 1H FY24.

Is it too late to buy this rising ASX healthcare share?

ASX biotech shares are notoriously risky and unsuitable for investors with a low risk tolerance.

PAC Partners gives this one a buy rating with a "high risk" 12-month price target of 80 cents to $1.

PAC Partners forecasts growth in partnerships as well as over-the-counter revenue over the next four years.

The post $10,000 invested in this ASX healthcare share a year ago is now worth $36,500 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Today's fall builds on yesterday's 1.77% drop after missile strikes on energy assets in the Middle East caused a spike in oil prices.

ASX All Ords shares have fallen 8.13% since the war began, and the market is now 4% in the red for the year to date (YTD).

Meantime, brokers have named 3 ASX shares with buy recommendations amid all this volatility.

Let's take a look.

Helloworld Travel Ltd (ASX: HLO)

Helloworld Travel shares are steady at $1.44 on Friday, down 23.8% YTD and down 6.5% over 12 months.

Shaw and Partners reiterated its buy rating on this ASX travel share after the Australian Bureau of Statistics released new data.

The broker commented:

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Overseas Arrivals and Departures data for January 2026 bodes well for Helloworld Travel Limited (ASX:HLO) with Departures up 8.4% Financial YTD and the travel destination mix reasonably steady. 

Shaw and Partners kept its 12-month share price target at $2.80.

This implies a potential 94% upside from here.

Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA)

The Bega Cheese share price is down 0.27% to $5.60 at the time of writing.

The ASX consumer staples share is down 7.67% YTD and up 8.6% over the past year.

This month, PAC Partners retained its buy rating and increased its price target by 7% to $7.50 per share.

This implies a potential 34% upside from here.

The broker said:

Bega Cheese Limited's (ASX:BGA) vision of a great Australian food company arrived this year with: a scalable platform #1 and #2 "better for you" brands; #1 Australian cold chain; off-shore leverage; and a 50% lift in dividend in 1H'26.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is 47 cents, up 1.1% on Friday.

This ASX small-cap share has risen 25.7% YTD and soared 365% over 12 months.

PAC Partners has a buy rating on this ASX healthcare share.

The broker forecasts growth in partnerships and over-the-counter revenue over the next four years.

PAC Partners says it has a "high risk" 12-month price target range of 80 cents to $1 on Starpharma shares.

This suggests a possible minimum capital gain of 70% over the next 12 months.

PAC Partners commented:

Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL) will start human clinical trials of its novel radiotherapy drug for a solid cancer target by the end of 2026.

This in-house project opens up SPL dendrimer applications beyond the Genentech, medicxi and RAD.ASX partnered projects.

The post 3 buy-rated ASX shares in today's falling market appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX All Ords Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.07% today and has risen 11% over the past year.

The Small Ords index tracks ASX companies ranked 101-300 by market capitalisation. The ASX All Ords tracks the top 500.

ASX small-cap shares typically have market caps between a few hundred million dollars and $2 billion.

Here are two ASX small-cap shares that the experts rate as buys, with a potential upside of 100% each over the next 12 months.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is steady at 41 cents, which reflects a more than 300% gain over the past 12 months.

Starpharma is an Australian biotech that develops drug delivery systems using proprietary polymers called dendrimers.

These nanoscale molecules help medicines work better in the body.

Starpharma licenses its drug delivery technology to large pharmaceutical companies. It also develops its own anti-infection products.

PAC Partners has a buy rating on this ASX small-cap healthcare share.

The broker forecasts higher growth in partnerships and over-the-counter revenue over the next four years.

PAC Partners says it has a "high risk" 12-month price target of between 80 cents and $1 on this ASX small-cap share.

This suggests a possible minimum capital gain of 100% over the next 12 months.

PAC Partners commented:

Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL) will start human clinical trials of its novel radiotherapy drug for a solid cancer target by the end of 2026.

This in-house project opens up SPL dendrimer applications beyond the Genentech, medicxi and RAD.ASX partnered projects.

This additional radiotherapy application is well timed with just three FDA approved first generation radiotherapy cancer drugs (e.g.: 2024 Novartis' Pluvicto for prostate cancer.)

SPL has a pipeline of 10 agents and six targets.

SPL only 100% funds this one radiotherapy trial, and has global partners funding the rest (with fees to SPL for service).

Verbrec Ltd (ASX: VBC)

This ASX small-cap share is trading for 21 cents, down 4.55% today and up 147% over the past 12 months.

Verbrec provides engineering, asset management, and infrastructure services and technology to a variety of industries.

These include energy, mining, manufacturing, and defence industries in Australia, New Zealand, PNG, and the Pacific Islands.

Earlier this month, Verbrec reported revenue growth of 18.5% to $46.1 million and EBITDA growth of 135.3% to $4 million for 1H FY26.

During the half, Verbrec sold its non-core competency training segment for $11.2 million and acquired Alliance Automation for $5.5 million.

RaaS Advisory, which specialises in small-cap research, gives this ASX industrials share a valuation of 44 cents apiece.

This implies that Verbrec shares could double over the period ahead.

RaaS Advisory said:

The combined Verbrec and Alliance Automation business strengthens the group engineering offering and as a result work-in-hand and the opportunity pipeline have both grown by more than 50%.

Management released FY26 guidance for the new-look business for revenue of $110m-$120m and EBITDA of $8m- $10m.

Management has delivered a strong turnaround of the existing engineering business over the past two to three years and, in our view, the AA acquisition may prove to be a pivotal point in value creation over the next couple of years.

The post 2 ASX small-cap shares with 100% potential upside appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In its quarterly report released on Thursday, the company said it had increased its cash position by just under $4 million to $18.2 million, including an early-stage milestone payment from collaborator Genentech.

Pipeline building up

Starpharma's Chief Executive Officer, Cheryl Maley, said the company successfully executed two partnership agreements in the first quarter of the year, and also had a solid lead into this year from the second quarter.

She went on to say:

Off the back of an intense second quarter, we have kicked off 2026 with great momentum and are harnessing every opportunity to accelerate our programs – be it radiopharmaceuticals or our early-stage opportunities. While our expert scientists continue concentrating on our internal projects and partnerships, our proprietary DEP platform is attracting increased industry attention on the back of our recent partnership announcements.

Ms Maley said earlier this month the company was represented in San Francisco at the JP Morgan and Biotech Showcase conferences, where the interest from other companies was strong.

She added:

There, we engaged in several high-impact discussions with current partners, promising new collaborators, and potential investors. With our recent partner announcements, the level of interest in Starpharma's technology was particularly strong and confirmed the market's growing recognition of our platform's potential. Access to Starpharma's proprietary dendrimer technology through our Star Navigator program appears to be of high interest to potential new partners.

Ms Maley said the strategic priorities for 2026 were clear:

Advancing our innovative radiotheranostic program into the clinic, progressing high-value discovery programs towards development, and securing revenue growth through asset licensing, new collaborations and product sales'.

Retail sales strong

The company also said it had increased marketing initiatives for its Viraleze product during the first half, "expanding the brand's digital presence through targeted campaigns on Meta and TikTok and launching an in-flight magazine campaign to maximise exposure throughout the Northern Hemisphere's peak cold and flu season''.

The company had a record month for sales in November, off the back of a Black Friday marketing campaign, and also expanded distribution through Amazon in the UK.

This resulted in an increase in sales of 70% over the previous corresponding period last year.

Starpharma shares were changing hands for 37.5 cents on Thursday, up 10.3%.

The company was valued at $142.8 million at the close of trade on Wednesday.

The post Strong interest drives drug developer's shares higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

After all, owning the wrong shares could hold back your portfolio returns and limit your wealth creation.

With that in mind, let's take a look at three ASX shares analysts rate as sells, courtesy of The Bull. Here's what they are saying:

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)

The team at Ord Minnett thinks that this rare earths producer's shares are overvalued despite a recent pullback. They said:

Lynas is the only significant producer of separated rare earths materials outside of China. Gross sales revenue of $200.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 was up on the prior quarter and the prior corresponding period, but missed consensus. The shares have fallen from $21.64 on October 15 to trade at $15.51 on November 19. In our view, the shares remain overvalued, so investors may want to consider cashing in some gains.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

Another ASX share that has been named as a sell by analysts this week is Paladin Energy.

Ord Minnett is also bearish on this one and thinks that its valuation has outpaced its fundamentals. It said:

This uranium producer owns 75 per cent of the Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia. It also owns uranium exploration and development assets in Australia and Canada. The company delivered record production in the September quarter, but sales volumes fell on the previous quarter and prior corresponding period.  Despite a decent result, PDN's share price recently doubled in the past six months and has outpaced its fundamentals.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

A third ASX share that is being rated as a sell is biotechnology company Starpharma.

Analysts at Securities Vault think investors should be selling its shares after a "rapid" rise this year, which as seem them rise over 200% in 2025. They said:

Starpharma is a biotechnology company. The company has developed a drug delivery platform to enhance the effectiveness of pharmaceutical drugs. It recently received an upfront payment of $A8.5 million from Genentech in line with a recently announced licence agreement. The shares have performed strongly, rising from 13 cents on September 19 to trade at 39.5 cents on November 19. The company's valuation sits at a steep premium relative to peers, indicating lofty expectations are already priced in. The company reported a loss of $10 million in full year 2025. In our view, trimming or exiting positions is prudent given the rapid share price rise.

The post Analysts name 3 ASX shares to sell now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The junior biotechnology company's stock was up 13.6% in early trade to 25 cents, compared with the closing price of 12 cents at the start of September.

And over a 12-month period, the gains are even more impressive, with the low over the past year being 8.2 cents per share.

Starpharma said on Tuesday it had signed a research and option agreement with Radiopharm following six months of preliminary research.

Starpharma will apply its proprietary DEP platform technology to develop and manufacture a dendrimer-drug conjugate that incorporates a radiopharmaceutical molecule under development by Radiopharm. Starpharma will receive R&D service and manufacturing fees for this phase of work, with activities to commence immediately.

Under the licence agreement, Starpharma is eligible to receive a $500,000 option fee, a $2 million upfront payment, and up to $89 million in success-based milestones and royalties on net sales.

This agreement marks a key milestone for Starpharma as the company's first radiopharmaceutical partnership and the first Star Navigator program to advance into a formal research collaboration.

Second dose of good news this month

The Radiopharm agreement follows another deal Starpharma struck with major drug company Genentech, which was announced earlier in September.

Under that deal, which had been in the works for three years, Starpharma was in line for success payments of up to US$564 million ($857.4 million).

Starpharma specialises in "dendrimer" technology, which involves manufacturing nanoscale molecules for use in pharmaceutical applications.

Starpharma Chief Executive Officer Cheryl Maley said on Tuesday that the Radiopharm deal was a key milestone for the company and provided external validation for the potential of dendrimers in the area of radiopharmaceutical drug development.

Radiopharmaceuticals are a key area of focus for Starpharma. Our strategy involves developing high-value, differentiated assets and forming strategic partnerships, all supported by robust scientific data. Over the past 12 months Starpharma has worked diligently to optimise our internal DEP radiotheranostics program, while actively showcasing the unique capabilities of dendrimers at high-profile scientific conferences. These events have generated industry interest and opened new avenues for collaboration.

Radiopharm Theranostics Chief Executive Officer Riccardo Canevari stated that the targeted radiotherapeutic sector is evolving rapidly.

We are committed to exploring different and innovative options, which have the potential to improve the efficacy and the safety of new radiopharmaceutical vectors. We are excited by the opportunity to work with the capable team of Starpharma to pursue this important and ambitious goal.

Radiopharm Theranostics shares were 3.4% lower at 2.8 cents.

The post This biotechnology stock just ticked over 100% gains for the month on more good news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Starpharma will work with Genentech, which is part of the Roche Group, on potential cancer therapies, to be developed using its proprietary DEP drug delivery technology.

Starpharma specialises in "dendrimer" technology, which involves manufacturing nanoscale molecules for use in pharmaceutical applications, as it explains on its website.

To construct dendrimers, Starpharma utilises a process of adding successive layers, or 'generations', of the amino acid lysine around a central core. This amino acid composition yields advantages such as making them biocompatible and biodegradable. Through this process, the physical and chemical properties of the dendrimers can be precisely controlled and tailored to meet specific requirements for various medical, pharmaceutical, and other applications.

Starpharma Chief Executive Officer Cheryl Maley said in a statement to the ASX on Monday that Starpharma and Genentech had already been working together over the past three years, and this new agreement would build on that relationship.

Genentech's world-class scientific expertise makes them an ideal collaborator, and we look forward to working together to improve patient outcomes and realise the advantages presented by Starpharma's DEP technology platform.

Major milestone payments possible

Under the agreement, Starpharma will receive an upfront payment of US$5.5 million and is eligible to receive up to US$564 million in success-based payments at specified development, regulatory, and commercial milestones.

In addition to this amount, Starpharma is eligible for tiered royalties on global net sales of products resulting from the collaboration.

Starpharma has granted Genentech an exclusive worldwide licence to commercialise products resulting from the collaboration.

Ms Maley said the two companies were confident of executing well, given their three years of experience working together.

A key strategic priority for Starpharma is to build new, high-impact partnerships that unlock the full potential of our DEP platform. By actively pursuing licensing opportunities and collaborating with leading organisations, we aim to expand market reach and enable our partners to deliver significantly improved therapies to patients worldwide.

By noon on Monday, more than 15 million Starpharma shares had been traded, compared with the usual daily trade volume of 388,309.

The stock is changing hands for 21.2 cents, up 63.5%, after hitting a high of 25 cents in early trade.

The post See which junior ASX biotech is rocketing 63% higher on good news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The Starpharma share price is up 3.41% to 9.1 cents after the company released its preliminary financial report for FY24.

Meantime, Mesoblast shares are up 2.08% to 98 cents on news of the resolution of a class action lawsuit.

By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) is down 0.13% while the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.32%.

Let's take a look at the news sending these two ASX healthcare shares higher on Thursday.

2 ASX healthcare shares outshining their peers on Thursday

Starpharma shares lift on improved financial results

Starpharma reported revenue from continuing operations of $9,756,000 in FY24, a 132% improvement on the prior corresponding period (pcp) of FY23. Adjusted revenue was down 24% pcp to $3,203,000.

The adjusted revenue removes non-recurring revenue of $6,553,000 relating to the settlement and termination of the VivaGel BV license and supply agreement with Mundipharma in August 2023.

Overall, the ASX biotech recorded an $8,165,000 loss from continuing operations after tax, down 48%, and an adjusted loss of $14,718,000, down 6%.

Starpharma CEO Cheryl Maley said the company had achieved several important milestones during FY24.

This included reporting results from multiple clinical studies, advancing key projects in its pipeline, and forming new partnerships, all of which would contribute to the biotech's continued growth, she said.

Maley directly addressed shareholders' concerns regarding the ASX healthcare share's price.

She commented:

We are aware of the challenges we face with our underperforming share price and small market capitalisation.

Everyone at Starpharma is committed to realising our strategic imperatives – maximising DEP asset value, accelerating early asset development, and building long-term sustainability – and we are taking the necessary steps to achieve them.

We are confident that reaching these goals will help to increase shareholder value, and we look forward to sharing our progress with our shareholders as it unfolds.

Maley said the company had sufficient capital to support its objectives, with $23.4 million in cash at the bank as of 30 June.

She said the completion of several clinical programs had reduced research and development costs and added, "Shareholders should know that we are focusing on increasing revenue, with a number of opportunities on the horizon".

The ASX healthcare share tumbled 67.74% over the course of FY24.

Mesoblast shares rise on lawsuit resolution

Mesoblast announced that the consolidated shareholder class action, filed in the Federal Court of Australia in 2022, had been resolved and was now awaiting the court's formal approval.

The biotech said the settlement would be fully covered by its insurers and included no admission of liability.

In a short statement, the company said:

The settlement will have no impact on Mesoblast's cashflow or financial results.

The class action involved shareholders alleging Mesoblast misled the market about the potential applications of its remestemcel-L drug.

Last month, Mesoblast announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had accepted its Biologics License Application (BLA) resubmission for remestemcel-L in the treatment of children with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease. 

Mesoblast anticipates a decision from the FDA on or before 7 January next year.

The ASX healthcare share has rocketed 215% in the year to date.

The post 2 ASX healthcare shares outperforming peers on positive company news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This kind of buying activity can be a strong indicator of growth potential – especially when it comes from those with deep knowledge of the business. While each of these shares discussed here has faced recent challenges, the recent insider purchase could signal this belief.

Here's a look at these five cheap ASX shares being bought by insiders this week.

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

IDP Education has been facing headwinds, with its share price down 23% in 2024 and 37% over the past year. Changes to student visa rules have disrupted the student placement and education company's key markets.

Despite this, non-executive director Tracey Horton bought 1,300 shares on 7 June for around $15.15 each.

Further, Citigroup also purchased around 3.27 million IDP shares in June, bringing its stake to more than 18.87 million shares, or 6.77% voting power.

Currently, the seemingly cheap ASX share is valued at $15.37 apiece, having climbed 3% into the green so far this week.

Deterra Royalties Ltd (ASX: DRR)

Deterra Royalties recently experienced a 10% drop after announcing a significant acquisition in the lithium sector.

The company noted it made a $276 million offer to UK company Trident Royalties Plc in June, equal to roughly 93 cents per share.

Despite the initial market reaction, the company's shift towards green metals looks like it's being viewed favourably by institutional investors.

Mandatory filings show The Vanguard Group starting an initial position in Deterra, purchasing 26.59 million shares of the company through its various entities.

This sees it owning 5.029% of the company as of 21 June 2024. The cheap ASX share is priced at $4.02 each at the time of writing.

BUBS Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB)

Bubs Australia has been in the headlines following strong sales growth in the United States. According to my colleague Bernd, Bubs' weekly scan revenues have surpassed US$1 million, and the company has become the top-selling infant formula product on Amazon USA.

CEO Reginald Weine is optimistic about sustained demand and future growth. On 24 June 2024, Weine acquired 50,000 shares at $0.125 each. Bubs Australia shares are currently trading at $0.128 each, down 10% in the last month.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

Starpharma Holdings has also faced challenges in 2024. The cheap ASX share is down nearly 47% this year and 68% in the past 12 months.

Recent filings show that as of 21 June 2024, investment fund Allan Gray reduced its voting power to 9.28% after disposing of 5.35 million shares from its position this week.

Some of this new supply looks to have been soaked up by two directors – Lynda Cheng, and Robert Thomas – who this week purchased 110,555 shares at 9 cents per share, and 200,000 ordinary shares at 8.9 cents apiece respectively.

Currently, Starpharma shares are priced at $0.087 each.

WAM Leaders Limited (ASX: WLE)

WAM Leaders has seen steady insider buying from director Geoffrey Wilson. Mr Wilson is also the chairman of listed investment company (LIC) WAM Capital Ltd (ASX: WAM).

Between 24 June and 27 June 2024, Wilson acquired over 18,000 shares. The purchases were made on market across several trades, ranging in size from $11.1 million to $15.6 million.

The investments bring Wilson's stake to 13.05 million shares in the cheap ASX share. Today, WAM Leaders is valued on market at $1.28 apiece with a trailing dividend of 9.1 cents per share.

The post 5 potentially cheap ASX shares being bought by insiders appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Here's why these ASX healthcare shares are up over 10% today:

Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX: MYX)

The Mayne Pharma share price is up over 13% to $3.12. Investors have been buying this ASX healthcare share today after it released a quarterly update. Mayne Pharma reported an improved performance during the quarter, with all segments delivering a positive contribution margin. This led to quarterly sales of $92.3 million, a gross margin of 58%, and a cash EBITDA loss of $1.7 million. As a comparison, in the fourth quarter, Mayne Pharma reported sales of $68.2 million, a gross margin of 43%, and a cash EBITDA loss of $19.5 million.

Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: PAR)

The Paradigm share price is up 22% to 77 cents. This follows the release of an update on the biopharmaceutical company's injectable pentosan polysulfate sodium (iPPS) treatment. The release notes that iPPS increases cartilage thickness at six months in participants with knee osteoarthritis compared to cartilage loss in placebo group. Management believes the results indicate a treatment effect on osteoarthritis beyond the relief of symptoms and "supports iPPS as a blockbuster opportunity."

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is up 11% to 5 cents. This morning, this ASX healthcare share reported that its DEP cabazitaxel phase two clinical trial met its objectives. Endpoints demonstrated positive antitumour efficacy in multiple cancers and confirmed the product's favourable safety and tolerability profile. Management believes the promising efficacy results in advanced prostate, ovarian, and gastro-oesophageal cancers create a significant market opportunity for DEP cabazitaxel.

The post 3 ASX healthcare shares up 10% to 22% on news 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:

Delta Lithium Ltd (ASX: DLI)

The Delta Lithium share price is up over 3% to 76.5 cents. This morning, analysts at Bell Potter retained their speculative buy rating and $1.35 price target on the lithium explorer's shares. Its analysts aren't ruling out a takeover by Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) in the future after the mining giant boosted its stake to 17.44%.

Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)

The Liontown share price is up 1.5% to $3.05. Investors have been buying this lithium developer's shares after it announced the appointment of Monadelphous Group Ltd (ASX: MND) for the $100 million vertically integrated wet plant Structural, Mechanical, Piping and Electrical and Instrumentation contract. This is the last major construction contract and means Liontown remains on course to commence production in the middle of next year.

Pact Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: PGH)

The Pact Group share price is up 6% to 71.5 cents. This has been driven by news that its major shareholder, Kin Group, intends to make an unconditional 68 cents cash per share off-market takeover offer. With its shares rising beyond this level, it seems that some investors believe a better offer will be coming.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is up 36% to 17.7 cents. Investors have been scrambling to buy the biotech company's shares after it released positive interim results from its phase 1/2 clinical trial of DEP irinotecan. The data shows encouraging durable signs of efficacy combined with excellent tolerability.

The post Why Delta Lithium, Liontown, Pact, and Starpharma shares are storming higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At one stage, the dendrimer products developer's shares were up as much as 58% to 20.5 cents.

Starpharma's shares have pulled back a touch since then but remain up 35% to 18 cents.

Why is the Starpharma share price rocketing?

Investors have been scrambling to buy the company's shares this morning after it released positive interim results from its phase 1/2 clinical trial of DEP irinotecan.

DEP irinotecan is a novel, patented, nanoparticle formulation of SN38, the active metabolite of the widely used anti-cancer drug, irinotecan (marketed as Camptosar), developed using Starpharma's proprietary DEP technology.

The release notes that the DEP irinotecan data that will be presented at an international conference next month includes encouraging durable signs of efficacy combined with excellent tolerability. This is not only in the irinotecan-approved indication of advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), but also in platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer. Management notes that the latter represents a new market opportunity for Starpharma.

It also highlights that these positive results, including prolonged disease control and significant tumour shrinkage, have been achieved in heavily pre-treated patients who have received an average of up to six prior treatment regimens and 31 cycles and exhausted all available treatment options.

Management commentary

Starpharma's CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley, was pleased with the data. Dr Fairley commented:

We are pleased to report positive results for DEP irinotecan, which has shown promising activity and significantly improved tolerability in advanced colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer. The conference in October is a great opportunity to showcase both DEP irinotecan and the DEP platform more broadly.

Starpharma has received consistent feedback from patients and clinicians indicating that DEP irinotecan represents a better-tolerated treatment option than conventional irinotecan regimens, which are the mainstay chemotherapeutics for colorectal cancer. Advanced colorectal and ovarian cancers both represent significant unmet medical needs. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an increase of about 70% in colorectal cancers globally is expected by 2030.

Despite today's strong gain, the Starpharma share price is down approximately 70% over the last 12 months.

The post Here's why the Starpharma share price just exploded 50%! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

As earnings season continues, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) is down 0.087%, while the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.34%.

Let's review these results.

4 ASX healthcare shares ripping up the charts today

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

ASX healthcare share Starpharma rose to an intraday high of 16 cents, up 14.3%, after the ASX biotech company released its preliminary full-year FY23 results. Starpharma revealed a 14% decline in revenue to $4.2M and a reported loss of $15.6 million, which was a 3% improvement on FY22. The company said its loss was due to research and product development expenses of $11.239 million.

Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

ASX healthcare share Telix Pharmaceuticals is also rising high today, up 10.8% at its intraday peak of $10.85. The radiation therapy biotech released its half-year FY23 results today. Telix reported revenue of $220.8 million, up from just $24 million in 1H FY22. The company said the revenue surge was largely due to growing sales of its prostate cancer imaging agent, Illuccix, which was launched in the United States in April 2022. At the bottom line was a net loss after tax of $14.3 million.

Pacific Smiles Group Ltd (ASX: PSQ)

Pacific Smiles shares rose to an intraday high of $1.37, up 8.7%, after the dental services network released its full-year FY23 results. Group revenue came in at $165.3 million, up 18.5% on FY22. Underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) was $24.1 million, up 113.9%. The underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) was $4.5 million, up from a net loss of $3.2 million in FY22. The ASX healthcare share will pay a fully franked final dividend of 2.27 cents per share (cps). The total annual dividend is 2.62 cps, representing a payout ratio of 100% of underlying NPAT.

SDI Ltd (ASX: SDI)

SDI shares rose to an intraday high of 89 cents, up 4.7%, after the dental materials developer and manufacturer revealed record sales of $107.9 million in its full-year FY23 report. Sales went up 13.3% on FY22, and EBITDA increased by 9.6% to $16.2 million. The product margin improved by 100 basis points to 56.8% following price increases and some lower logistics costs. Earnings per share (EPS) was down 19 cents to 5.94 cps. The ASX healthcare share will pay a fully franked final dividend of 1.75 cps.

The post 4 ASX healthcare shares charging higher on positive earnings updates 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:

IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)

The IGO share price is down 5% to $13.72. This follows the release of the battery materials miner's quarterly update. Although the company delivered record quarterly earnings, its free cash flow generation may have fallen short of expectations. In addition, broad weakness in the battery materials industry could also be weighing on its shares.

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (ASX: PMT)

The Patriot Battery Metals share price is down 4% to $1.54. The aforementioned weakness in the battery materials industry appears to have offset some big news out of this lithium explorer today. That news is that Patriot Battery Metals has reported its maiden mineral resource (MRE) estimate for the CV5 spodumene pegmatite at its Corvette property in Quebec, Canada. Management believes the MRE makes it the largest lithium pegmatite mineral resource in the Americas.

Silver Lake Resources Ltd (ASX: SLR)

The Silver Lake share price is down 19% to 90.6 cents. Investors have been hitting the sell button after the gold miner released its quarterly update and guidance for FY 2024. The latter sees the company target 210,000 to 230,000 ounces of gold sold in the new financial year. This compares to its record production of 261,604 ounces in FY 2023.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is down 30% to 22.75 cents. This morning, this biotechnology company revealed that AstraZeneca plc (NASDAQ: AZN) has pulled the plug on the development of AZD0466 following an internal review that was prompted by a small number of asymptomatic adverse events. Starpharma's dendrimer drug delivery technology was being used in the trial.

The post Why IGO, Patriot Battery Metals, Silver Lake, and Starpharma shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX All Ords biotechnology share is down 34% to a 52-week low of 21.5 cents.

Why is this ASX All Ords share being sold off?

Investors have been hitting the sell button in a panic on Monday after the company was dealt a major blow from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca plc (NASDAQ: AZN).

According to the release, AstraZeneca has made the decision to discontinue the development of AZD0466 following an internal review that was prompted by a small number of asymptomatic adverse events (AEs).

AZD0466 is a highly optimised dendrimer nanoparticle formulation of AstraZeneca's dual Bcl-2/xL inhibitor, AZD4320, which utilises Starpharma's dendrimer drug delivery technology.

The release highlights that the events were unrelated to Starpharma's dendrimer drug delivery technology. And while management believes the AEs do not adversely impact the therapeutic and commercial potential of its technology, that hasn't been enough to convince the market not to sell off this ASX All Ords share today.

Starpharma's CEO, Jackie Fairley said:

Whilst this decision is clearly not what Starpharma would have hoped for, we note that it relates to haematological malignancies and at the highest three dose groups of AZD0466 and was not due to our dendrimer technology.

DEP has demonstrated multiple benefits in Starpharma's clinical studies in patients with solid tissue tumours, including significant preferential accumulation in these tumours compared to blood levels. This development with AZD0466 does not impact Starpharma's DEP platform, the Company's internal clinical and preclinical DEP programs, or DEP partnerships. Starpharma's multi-product DEP License agreement with AstraZeneca remains in effect.

This ASX All Ords share is now down 66% over the last 12 months.

The post Why is this ASX All Ords share sinking 34% on Monday? 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:

Legend Mining Ltd (ASX: LEG)

The Legend Mining share price is down 14.5% to 4.1 cents. This morning, this mineral exploration company released an update on diamond drilling at the Octagonal prospect within the Rockford Project in Western Australia. Management described the results as "encouraging."

Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL)

The Medibank share price is down 3.5% to $3.45. Investors have been selling this private health insurer's shares after it was dealt a blow by APRA. The prudential regulator has announced an increase of Medibank's capital adequacy requirement by $250 million following a review of its major data breach.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is down 13% to 28.2 cents. This follows news that a clinical trial with AstraZeneca using Starpharma's technology has been suspended following asymptomatic events. However, the company notes that the events leading to the voluntary partial hold were assessed as not related to Starpharma's technology.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is down over 12% to $6.08. This is despite there being no news out of the semiconductor company. But with many labelling Weebit Nano as a meme stock, it could be a combination of profit taking after a strong gain or short sellers loading up on its shares. The Weebit Nano share price is up 171% in 12 months and has a ~$1.2 billion market capitalisation on zero revenue.

The post Why Legend Mining, Medibank, Starpharma, and Weebit Nano shares are sinking appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

The AGL share price is up 1% to $8.23. Investors have been buying this energy company's shares despite there being no news out of it. However, given the market selloff today, safe haven assets like utilities could be in demand with investors.

Retail Food Group Ltd (ASX: RFG)

The Retail Food Group share price is up 10% to 7.6 cents. This morning, this embattled quick service restaurant operator revealed that it has settled its ACCC proceeding. The Donut King, Gloria Jean's, and Michel Patisserie's operator has agreed to pay $8 million to settle.

Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is up 1% to 52 cents. This follows news that the drug developer has received a $7.1 million research and development (R&D) tax incentive refund under the Australian Federal Government's R&D Tax Incentive scheme.

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG)

The TPG share price is up 2% to $4.89. Investors have been buying this telco's shares following the release of a bullish broker note out of Morgans this morning. According to the note, the broker has upgraded TPG's shares to an add rating with a $5.50 price target. The broker said: "We think the bad news is now priced in and see value at current levels. We upgrade TPG to an Add recommendation (from Hold)." TPG's shares are still down 17% year to date.

The post Why AGL, Retail Food Group, Starpharma, and TPG shares are rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN)

The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank share price is up 6.5% to $9.63. Investors have been buying this regional bank's shares following the release of a trading update. Bendigo Bank advised that for the five months ended 30 November, it recorded a 22% increase in unaudited cash earnings after tax to $245 million.

Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)

The Block share price is up 3.5% to $96.76. This follows a solid night of trade for the payments company's NYSE listed shares. They were pushing higher on Monday night after the tech sector on Wall Street rebounded. This tech rebound led to the Nasdaq index rising almost 1.3%.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The Megaport share price is up 5% to $7.07. This network as a service provider's shares are rising on Tuesday after the aforementioned tech rebound on Wall Street spurred on the local tech sector. This has seen the S&P/ASX All Technology Index rise a solid 1% this afternoon.

Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX: SPL)

The Starpharma share price is up 9% to 55 cents. Investors have been buying this dendrimer products developer's shares following an update on AstraZeneca's AZD0466 trial. According to the release, preliminary clinical trial results from the ongoing Phase 1/2 trial in patients with advanced relapsed/refractory leukaemia show that AZD0466 has been well tolerated. AZD0466 utilises Starpharma's DEP technology and is being developed by AstraZeneca under its multi-product license.

The post Why Bendigo Bank, Block, Megaport, and Starpharma shares are rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That suggests those in the know believe their company is trading at attractive prices. So much so, that they'll throw their hard-earned cash into the stocks.

Indeed, one S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) company has seen six directors buy its shares over the last fortnight.

Let's take a look at the 52-week lows apparently tempting ASX directors to buy into ASX shares lately.

5 ASX insiders buying shares at near 52-week lows

We can't talk about recent insider buying without mentioning Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC). The ASX 200 industrial share hit a new 52-week low of $2.96 on Tuesday.

Most of the company's board has been bolstering their holding in the company lately, with six of its directors forking out an approximate total of $385,000 for 123,250 shares. That saw them paying an average of around $3.12 per share.

The largest parcel was snapped up by chair Stuart Crosby, who bought 31,250 shares for $99,389.65 on 28 October.

Directors Sharon McCrohan, Darlene Knight, Christine Bartlett, Brad Soller, and Russell Chenu have also made recent purchases.

Meanwhile, Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) deputy chair Peter Margin has taken a slice of the ASX 200 dairy favourite's shares. Margin bought 10,786 shares for $35,162.36 in late October, paying around $3.17 apiece.

The Bega share price hit a 52-week low of $3.12 on 21 October. It has since recovered 3.5% to trade at $3.23 today.

Shares in All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) biotechnology company Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX: SPL) are also both the subject of recent insider buying and trading near 52-week lows today. The stock hit its lowest point since 2015 earlier this week, falling to 49 cents.

Two of the company's leaders, chair Rob Thomas and CEO and director Dr Jackie Fairley, snapped up 50,000 shares, worth a combined $52,000, in the company in late October.

Thomas got the better deal, buying each share for 52 cents while Fairley paid 52.8 cents apiece.

The share price of All Ords construction materials and services company Wagners Holding Company Ltd (ASX: WGN) also hit a multi-year low earlier this week when it slumped to 73 cents.

But the company's chair and co-founder Denis Wagner seems to think the recent downturn has presented a buying opportunity. He bought 61,669 shares in the company in late October, paying nearly $50,000, or around 80 cents apiece.

The final ASX insider buying target trading at around 52-week lows is gold miner Red 5 Limited (ASX: RED). The stock hit a 52-week low of 15 cents in late October. It has since recovered to trade at 17.5 cents.

The company's managing director Mark Williams and director Ian MacPherson both recently bolstered their stake in the company. They did so through a share purchase plan, which offered shares for 16 cents apiece.

The post 5 ASX shares trading near 52-week lows that insiders have been buying appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

So it goes without saying that there are many ASX All Ords shares tumbling in value today as we head into the weekend. Let's look at three notable examples.

3 ASX All Ords shares falling on Friday

Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX: JIN)

The only jumbo thing about this ASX share today is the size of its fall. The gaming company has had a shocker this Friday, falling by 14.85% at the time of writing to $12.33 a share. That's also a new 52-week low for the company.

These moves seem to be a response to the release of the company's preliminary full-year earnings this morning. As we covered earlier today, Jumbo disappointed investors with a miss on revenues, earnings and net profits. Ouch.

Bluebet Holdings Ltd (ASX: BBT)

Another All Ords gaming share, Bluebet, is also having a clanger. At present, the Bluebet share price has lost a meaty 10.83% and is back to 54 cents a share. The company went as low as 51 cents this morning, which fortunately is still a fair way from its 52-week low of 37 cents.

There's been no news out of Bluebet today, or indeed this week. So perhaps this fall is a side effect of the tumble Jumbo shares have taken, given both companies are in the gaming space.

Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX: SPL)

Starpharma is not a gaming company but a healthcare share, as its name implies. But that hasn't saved it from a displeasing fall today. The Starpharma share price is currently down by 8.84% at 67 cents a share after dipping to 66 cents earlier today. That's not too far from this company's 52-week low of 62 cents.

There's been no news our of this company either. So it's not too obvious what's going on here. Starpharma shares have been incredibly volatile over the past week though. The company rose more than 8% yesterday (also on no news) so perhaps investors have gotten cold feet now that the market is falling.

The post 3 ASX All Ords shares tumbling into the weekend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.