Technology was the strongest of the 11 ASX 200 market sectors following a commanding lead from Wall Street.

The NASDAQ Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) has been on a tear in April and hit a new record high last week.

As of Friday's market close (Australian time), the NASDAQ had recorded 12 consecutive days of gains — its best run since 2009.

ASX 200 tech shares have followed suit, but not in a straight line. The sector has lifted 18.47% since the rebound began on 31 March.

It appears investors may have overcome their fears about artificial intelligence (AI).

Investors have fretted over large AI spending and the potential for AI tools like Claude to wipe out software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers.

These fears drove a near halving in the value of the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) in just seven months.

You read that right — the tech index experienced an extraordinary 48% sell-off between 29 August and 30 March.

No other sector recorded significant gains last week amid the ongoing war in Iran and a major fire at one of Australia's two oil refineries.

Only five ASX 200 sectors finished the week in the green.

Let's recap.

ASX 200 tech shares led the market last week

The ASX 200's largest tech company, WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), skyrocketed 22.72% to finish the week at $46.18 per share.

The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price leapt 14.72% to $81.98, while TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) jumped 11.34% to $30.83.

NextDC Limited (ASX: NXT) shares rose 10.14% to $14.12 and Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) increased 9.6% to $21.35.

The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price screamed 26.53% to $8.49.

Hansen Technologies Ltd (ASX: HSN) shares soared 9.37% to $5.02.

ASX 200 hotel booking platform provider, Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR), ripped 13.27% to $3.33 per share.

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL) shares stormed 10.96% higher to $1.26 apiece, while Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) rose 12.77% to $1.59.

The Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) share price lifted 7.41% to $4.06.

Objective Corporation Ltd (ASX: OCL) shares lifted 6.97% to $11.82.

The Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) share price ascended 4.19% to $8.95.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

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In morning trade, the Weebit Nano share price is up 2.54% to $3.64.

The latest gain adds to a remarkable rally that has seen the stock surge almost 150% over the past year, driven by growing confidence in its ReRAM memory technology and broader AI commercial opportunity.

With momentum still on its side, today's rise suggests investors see further upside in the company's next growth phase.

Retail investors get access after $80 million raise

Today's update is the next stage of the recent capital raising, when Weebit Nano launched an $80 million institutional placement alongside an Israeli placement targeting up to $10 million.

The funds are intended to strengthen the balance sheet and support a faster push into next-generation memory and AI in-memory compute applications.

The newly opened SPP is targeting up to another $15 million, though management can accept additional demand or scale applications back.

The offer opened today and is scheduled to close on 29 April, with the new shares expected to be allotted on 6 May.

For existing shareholders, the SPP offers access at the same $4.05 price paid by institutions, without brokerage costs.

That said, with the stock trading at $3.64 this morning, the market is pricing the shares below the offer price. This could reduce short-term retail demand unless investors are looking further ahead to potential licensing growth.

Why investors are still interested

The bigger driver behind the strong 12-month share price performance is Weebit Nano's licensing momentum.

The company's ReRAM technology is being positioned as a lower-power replacement for embedded flash memory across AI, IoT, automotive, industrial automation, and edge computing devices.

Recent commercial wins, including its licensing agreement with Texas Instruments, have strengthened confidence that the technology is moving from early validation into broader commercial use.

With a market capitalisation of about $840 million, the stock remains one of the ASX tech sector's biggest winners over the past 12 months.

Investors appear willing to look past the short-term dilution from the raise and stay focused on growth in AI memory markets.

Foolish Takeaway

Tuesday's gain suggests the market has responded well to Weebit Nano broadening its recent raise to include everyday retail shareholders.

The next focus will be SPP uptake and whether the fresh capital can help support additional foundry and semiconductor licensing deals in the year ahead.

The post This ASX tech stock is up 150% in a year. Here's why it's climbing again today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is down 12.5% to $3.92. This is despite there being no news out of the counter-drone technology company on Friday. However, it is worth noting that DroneShield's shares have been in fine form in recent weeks. This could mean that some investors are taking profit today. For example, the company's shares remain up over 8% since this time last month despite today's decline.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

The Hub24 share price is down almost 4% to $80.27. This appears to have been driven by broad weakness in the tech sector today following a poor night on Wall Street's NASDAQ index. It isn't just Hub24 shares that are falling today. The S&P/ASX All Technology Index is down 1.65% at the time of writing.

Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR)

The Syrah Resources share price is down 16% to 12.2 cents. Investors have been selling the graphite producer's shares after it completed its fourth equity raising in as many years. Syrah has raised approximately A$44 million (US$30 million) at a fixed price of 10.5 cents per new share. This represents a 27.6% discount to its last close price. The company's managing director and CEO, Shaun Verner, commented: "Following the Equity Raise and the Strategic Funding Proposals, Syrah will have a robust balance sheet with pro-forma liquidity of ~US$198 million to support ramp up at Balama and Vidalia and provide a pathway to near term sustainable cash flow generation."

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is down 15% to $3.86. This has also been driven by an equity raising. Weebit Nano advised that it successfully completed a fully underwritten $80 million institutional placement, alongside an additional $7 million placement to investors in Israel. The new shares were issued at $4.05 each, which represents a 10.8% discount to the company's last closing price. Commenting on the news, Weebit Nano's CEO, Coby Hanoch, said: "This is a strategic capital raise for Weebit Nano. It significantly strengthens our balance sheet, enabling us to accelerate development and commercial activities to ensure our ReRAM is the clear leader at a time when the industry is moving to adopt ReRAM in next-generation technologies. As the market's only independent provider of qualified ReRAM, we have the first mover advantage. Still, scaling our R&D activity is essential to continuously improving the technology and solidifying our leadership position for many years to come."

The post Why DroneShield, Hub24, Syrah, and Weebit Nano shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In early trade, the ASX tech stock is down 15% to $3.88.

Why is this ASX tech stock falling today?

The semiconductor company's shares are falling today in response to broad market weakness and the completion of a capital raising.

According to the release, Weebit Nano has successfully completed a fully underwritten $80 million institutional placement, alongside an additional $7 million placement to investors in Israel.

In total, the company is issuing approximately 21.5 million new shares, representing around 9.4% of its existing shares on issue.

The ASX tech stock revealed that the new shares were issued at $4.05 each, which represents a 10.8% discount to the company's last closing price.

Share purchase plan to follow

In addition to the placement, the company also announced plans for a share purchase plan (SPP) to raise up to $15 million from eligible retail investors.

The SPP will be offered at the same issue price of $4.05 per new share, allowing existing shareholders the opportunity to participate in the capital raising without brokerage costs.

Why is it raising funds?

Weebit Nano revealed that the proceeds from the raising will be used to accelerate its strategy of becoming a leading provider of ReRAM memory technology.

Commenting on the raise, Weebit Nano's CEO, Coby Hanoch, said:

This is a strategic capital raise for Weebit Nano. It significantly strengthens our balance sheet, enabling us to accelerate development and commercial activities to ensure our ReRAM is the clear leader at a time when the industry is moving to adopt ReRAM in next-generation technologies. As the market's only independent provider of qualified ReRAM, we have the first mover advantage. Still, scaling our R&D activity is essential to continuously improving the technology and solidifying our leadership position for many years to come.

Our recent licensing agreement with leading semiconductor vendor Texas Instruments, following the deals with onsemi and DB HiTek, has reinforced the market perception that ReRAM is the successor to embedded flash, and we are continuing to progress technical evaluations and commercial negotiations with many of the world's leading foundries, IDMs and product companies. We also see clear opportunities to expand our offering, addressing genuine memory needs for AI in-memory compute (IMC) applications as well as within the discrete memory chip domain, among others. This Placement enables us to strengthen our newly formed System and AI team.

Despite today's weakness, Weebit Nano shares are up approximately 90% since this time last year from $2.06.

The post Why are Weebit Nano shares crashing 15% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The halt comes after a strong move in the previous session, with Weebit Nano shares finishing 5.09% higher at $4.54. Despite that gain, the stock remains under pressure in 2026 and is down roughly 10% year to date.

Here's what investors need to know.

Trading halt tied to capital raising

According to the release, Weebit Nano requested the trading halt pending an announcement related to a proposed capital raising.

The company stated the raise is expected to include an institutional placement alongside a share purchase plan.

This suggests the company is looking to bring in fresh capital from both professional investors and existing shareholders.

The halt will remain in place until the earlier of an announcement being made or the resumption of trading on Monday, 30 March.

Balance sheet move, not an operational update

Details remain sketchy at this stage, but the structure points to a funding round aimed at strengthening Weebit Nano's balance sheet.

Separately, the Australian Financial Review has reported that the company is planning a capital raise of around $100 million.

While that figure has not been confirmed in the ASX release, it provides context around the potential scale of the transaction.

The move is not linked to a new product milestone or commercial agreement. Instead, it looks to be a capital management decision as the company continues to develop its semiconductor memory technology.

Share price context

Weebit Nano has been one of the stronger performers on the ASX over the past year, with the stock still up more than 100% over 12 months.

However, recent performance has been more mixed.

The stock has pulled back from its record high of $6.25 reached in late January and is now close to 30% lower.

At a market capitalisation of roughly $950 million, the company is still a growth stock. Its valuation depends more on future commercial progress than current earnings, especially as it works towards wider adoption.

What happens next

The key focus now is on the terms of the capital raising.

This includes the size of the placement, the pricing relative to the last traded price, and any dilution impact for existing shareholders.

Discounted placements can often place short-term pressure on share prices once trading resumes, particularly if issued at a material discount.

At the same time, a successful raise would leave the company better funded to progress its plans.

The post This ASX tech stock is frozen today. Here's what's going on appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) jumped about 3.3% in morning trade, before easing to close the day 1.94% higher. 

Here are four ASX tech shares which helped push the index higher today, and they're all tipped to keep rocketing over the next 12 months.

Life360 Inc. (ASX: 360)

Life360 shares crashed 18% this time last week, off the back of its FY25 financial results. But on Tuesday the stock staged an impressive turnaround as its investors came flooding back. The ASX tech stock's share price ended the day over 10% higher. There has been no price-sensitive news from the company today to explain the share price spike.

TradingView data shows that most analysts are extremely optimistic about Life360's outlook over the next 12 months, with the majority holding a buy or strong buy rating. The maximum target price is $50.94 which implies the shares could rocket 126.29% over the next 12 months.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

WiseTech shares have been firmly in the spotlight over the past six months after the logistics software company faced several huge headwinds which sent its value crashing. Since posting an impressive half-year result in late-February, the ASX tech share has recovered nearly 20% of its share price value. Perhaps investor sentiment is finally turning a corner for WiseTech?

Most analysts have a strong buy rating on the tech stock, with a maximum target price of $123.83 over the next 12 months. Even after the latest, that implies a huge 142.43% upside for investors at the time of writing.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The semiconductor memory technology developer and licensor's shares rebounded on Tuesday as ASX tech shares come back into favour with investors. Late last year, the company said it had made an "exceptionally strong" start to the financial year with record quarterly customer payments and good growth potential. Weebit benefits from strong demand for its product, and with very few comparable companies, it is well-positioned to dominate the memory technology space. 

Analysts are tipping a 84.53% upside over the next 12 months, to $8.71 per share.

NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

NextDC was one of few ASX 200 tech shares to finish the day slightly lower on Tuesday. While it didn't contribute to the ASX tech index's growth for the day, I think there is plenty of potential for the stock to rocket higher over the next 12 months.

Nextdc operates a rapidly expanding network of data centres for cloud computing, telecommunications, and AI workloads. It also has physical infrastructure, such as power, cooling and security, and also offers project support. As data usage continues growing, demand for its network and infrastructure will likely rise too. Analysts are bullish on the stock and expect the shares could hike up to 143.29% over the next 12 months, to $31.02 a piece.

The post 4 ASX tech shares tipped to jump up to 140% 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 7.5% to $4.00. Investors have been buying the respiratory imaging solutions provider's shares following the release of its half-year results. 4D Medical reported a 1% decline in revenue to $2.8 million and an adjusted net loss of $16.2 million. The latter was an improvement of 18% on the prior corresponding period. At the end of the period, the company had a pro forma cash position of $206.2 million. Looking ahead, the company highlights that its recently approved CT:VQ product has a major market opportunity. It said: "CT:VQ addresses a substantial market opportunity, with over one million nuclear VQ scans performed annually in the U.S. at an average reimbursement of approximately US$1,150 per scan, representing an initial addressable market exceeding US$1.1 billion annually in the U.S. alone (estimated at over US$2.6 billion globally)."

Block Inc (ASX: XYZ)

The Block share price is up 28% to $93.95. This has been driven by the release of the payments giant's full-year results and the announcement of major job cuts. For the 12 months ended 31 December, Block's gross profit increased 17% to US$10.36 billion. This reflects a 21% jump in Cash App gross profit to US$6.34 billion and a 9% lift in Square gross profit to US$3.94 billion. But the big news was Block's founder and CEO, Jack Dorsey, revealing a massive reduction in its workforce. He said: " Today we shared a difficult decision with our team. We're reducing Block by nearly half, from over 10,000 people to just under 6,000. […] The core thesis is simple. Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company. We're already seeing it internally. A significantly smaller team, using the tools we're building, can do more and do it better. And intelligence tool capabilities are compounding faster every week. I don't think we're early to this realization. I think most companies are late."

PEXA Group Ltd (ASX: PXA)

The PEXA share price is up 6.5% to $15.23. This morning, this property settlements technology company released its half-year results. It reported a 10% increase in revenue to $215.3 million and a 33% jump in group NPATA to $40.3 million. PEXA's CEO, Russell Cohen, said: "PEXA delivered a strong result in the first half in FY26, underpinned by record transaction volumes in Australia, disciplined cost management and continued progress in the UK."

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is up 3% to $4.88. This follows the release of the semiconductor company's half-year results. Weebit Nano reported record half-year revenue of $5.6 million. This means it is on track to achieve its full-year revenue guidance of $10 million. Weebit Nano's CEO, Coby Hanoch, said: "The first half of FY26 has marked Weebit's strongest start to a fiscal year in the company's 10-year history as technical and commercial momentum continues to build."

The post Why 4DMedical, Block, PEXA, and Weebit Nano shares are launching higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 1.84% to finish at 9,081.4 points on Friday.

As earnings season continued, strong results and higher oil prices pushed the ASX 200 to a new record of 9,118.3 points on Thursday.

That beat the previous record of 9,115.2 points set on 21 October.

Eight of the 11 market sectors finished the week in the green.

Let's recap.

ASX tech shares led the market last week

Last week was a welcome bright spot for ASX 200 tech shares, which are in the midst of a prolonged rout.

And boy, is it ugly.

The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) has fallen by more than 40% over the past six months.

We took a deep dive into the issues plaguing the sector last week.

In a nutshell, there's fear in the market over artificial intelligence (AI).

Investors are worried about high tech stock valuations, extraordinary AI capex, and whether AI could white-ant SaaS companies.

Perhaps a rebound is now underway, given last week's 6.55% increase for the tech sector.

Let's take a look at what happened in the sector last week.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares lifted 10.51% to finish at $47.10 ahead of the company's earnings release on Wednesday.

The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price rose 5.51% to $77.54.

NextDC Limited (ASX: NXT) shares slipped 0.71% to $13.92.

TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) shares soared 22.71% to $24.74, with investors reassured by upgraded FY26 guidance at last week's AGM.

Shares in electronics solutions provider Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA) lifted 1.37% to $34.69.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shares increased 8.27% to $23.84.

The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price tumbled 9.98% after the company reported an underlying net loss of $3.3 million for 1H FY26.

The Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) share price rose 7.32% to $10.41 ahead of its earning report on Thursday.

Macquarie Technology Group Ltd (ASX: MAQ) shares rose 5.4% to $67.19.

The Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL) share price lifted 4.24% to $9.10 ahead of the IT solutions provider's earnings release on Monday.

Objective Corporation Ltd (ASX: OCL) shares increased 6.4% to $14.

The Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) share price edged 0.43% higher to $7.05 ahead of the financial technology company's report on Wednesday.

The Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT) share price rose 5.72% to $3.51.

Hansen Technologies Ltd (ASX: HSN) soared 16.29% to $5.14 after the company reported a 389.1% lift in net profit for 1H FY26.

Hansen is one of a large group of ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend next week. The tech stock will pay a dividend of 5 cents per share.

Shares in hotel bookings management platform provider, Siteminder Ltd (ASX: SDR) rose 4.62% to $3.62.

The Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) share price fell 0.2% to $4.90.

Shares in wealth management software company Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS) fell 7.45% to $1.93.

ASX 200 market sector snapshot

Here's how the 11 market sectors stacked up last week, according to CommSec data.

Over the five trading days:

The post ASX 200 tech shares lead market sectors with a 7% bounce back appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Catapult Sports Ltd (ASX: CAT)

Catapult is a global sports data and analytics company that provides real-time data to optimise athletes' performance. The tech company reported a 19% revenue uplift in FY25, and the business has actively expanded since through acquisitions. Catapult is quickly gaining traction, and its recurring subscriptions mean it benefits from customer retention. That translates to a higher and more stable margin. Analysts predict the shares could climb 103.86% to $7.77 this year.

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

AGL shares collapsed in 2025 after weak earnings and conservative FY26 guidance. But the Australian energy business made some significant leaps in growth at the end of the year. It announced plans to buy new gas turbines in October to raise its capacity for renewable energy, and it sold its stake in Tilt Renewables, freeing up $750 million in funds. Now, the shares are considered attractively priced. Analysts expect an upside as high as 41.51% this year to $12.75 a piece.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

In October, the next-generation computer memory technology company said it had made an "exceptionally strong" start to the financial year. It revealed record quarterly customer payments and was advancing discussions with several semiconductor fabrication companies. It also received a $4.1 million research and development tax rebate. Weebit benefits from strong demand for its product, and with very few comparable companies, it is well-positioned to dominate the memory technology space. Analysts are tipping a 37.24% upside this year to $8.07 per share.

Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC)

2025 was an uncertain year for the development and construction business, but it looks like the ASX company could turn a corner in 2026. It has a strong development pipeline, capital recycling initiatives in place, and plans for cost savings. Analysts mostly have a strong buy rating on the stock and think it could climb up to $6.70 a piece. At the time of writing, that implies a 34.81% gain in 2026.

Droneshield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

Droneshield was the best performer on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and one of the fastest-growing stocks on the planet in 2025, despite a sharp 74% sell-off from an all-time high in early October. For the year to date, the Australian shares have already recovered 25.53% of losses. We're still a long way from the all-time peak, but I'm confident that the company's strong 2026 growth strategy will continue to push the drone operator's shares higher this year. Analysts tip a 26.26% upside for the shares this year, to $5.

The post Top Australian shares to buy right now with $2,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

However, there aren't as many pure-play AI stocks listed on the ASX as you might think. 

With that being said, many ASX-listed companies use AI to improve efficiency, decision-making, or customer experience, even though AI is not the core focus of their business.

If you are looking to gain AI exposure in 2026, here are three stocks to consider. 

Black Pearl Group Ltd (ASX: BPG)

Black Pearl Group is a newly listed ASX company (listed November 2025). 

It is a data technology platform that develops and operates a lead prospecting and marketing product suite via its proprietary Pearl Engine platform and augmented large language model. 

The company aims to reach $50 million in annual recurring revenue over the next three to five years from September 2025. 

This growth is expected to come from acquiring B2B Rocket to serve smaller businesses, launching Bebop for larger sales teams, and expanding Pearl Diver into higher-value data services that are more deeply integrated into customer operations.

At the time of writing, shares in this AI company are trading at $0.82. 

However, Bell Potter is optimistic the company can deliver on its aimed growth over the coming years. 

The broker has a speculative buy rating on these AI shares along with a price target of $1.45. 

This indicates more than 76% upside.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

Weebit Nano is a developer of advanced semiconductor memory technology.

It develops advanced storage and computing technologies, particularly its ReRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory) technology. 

This technology is used in Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, smartphones, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 5G communications, advanced AI systems, and cloud computing.

It has risen an impressive 61% in the last 12 months. 

This has been fuelled by key wins throughout the year, including a major licensing agreement less than two weeks ago. 

Its unique technology is very hard to replicate, giving it a strong market position moving forward. 

NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

NextDC is an AI stock that may be undervalued after a difficult 12 months. 

The company operates data centres in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

From these facilities, it delivers the critical infrastructure that underpins cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and hyperscale operations.

Every major AI trend, like large language models – depends on vast data storage, processing capacity, and high-speed connectivity. That demand ultimately feeds through to data-centre operators like NextDC. 

While this isn't a groundbreaking cloud computing or AI solution, it is set to play a fundamental role in the growth of the sector. 

Ord Minnett sees the current stock price as a value play. 

The broker has a $20.50 price target on these AI shares. This indicates an upside of 66% from yesterday's closing price of $12.30. 

The post 3 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy for 2026 With $200 Right Now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Capstone Copper Corp (ASX: CSC)

The Capstone Copper share price is down 3.5% to $14.64. Investors have been selling this copper miner's shares following the release of an update. This morning, Capstone Copper revealed that a union at the Mantoverde mine in Chile, representing approximately 50% of site employees, will take strike action from today. As a result, certain activities at the mine will be gradually reduced in a safe manner. The company stated: "Capstone Copper remains willing to participate in meetings to reach a resolution, and will continue to adhere to legal procedures, respecting the rights of all its employees, inviting the union to engage in a constructive dialogue, and providing the authorities with all requested information."

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

The Life360 share price is down 3% to $32.48. This follows a pullback in the location technology company's NASDAQ listed shares after broad weakness in the tech sector on New Year's Eve. While this is disappointing, Life360 shares are still up over 40% since this time 12 months ago.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The Northern Star share price is down 10% to $24.09. Investors have been selling this gold miner's shares following a production downgrade. Due to a softer than expected operational performance, the company has revised its annual production guidance to between 1.6 million ounces and 1.7 million ounces. This is from its previous guidance of between 1.7 million ounces and 1.85 million ounces. In addition, the company advised that its lower gold sales are expected to impact its cost performance. It plans to provide its December quarter costs and revised annual cost guidance with its quarterly results later this month.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is down 2% to $4.95. This is likely to have been driven by profit taking after a very strong gain in December. Investors were buying the semiconductor company's shares after it revealed that it signed a licensing agreement for its ReRAM technology with Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN). Weebit Nano also released revenue guidance for FY 2026, revealing that it expects revenue of at least $10 million.

The post Why Capstone Copper, Life360, Northern Star, and Weebit Nano shares are falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

The Evolution Mining share price is down 4% to $12.48. Investors have been selling this gold miner's shares following a sharp pullback in the gold price overnight. This appears to have been driven by traders taking profit after the precious metal rose strongly and hit a new record high. It isn't just Evolution Mining that is falling this afternoon. At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is down by a disappointing 2.75%.

Firefly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM)

The Firefly Metals share price is down 4% to $2.04. This has been driven by weakness in the gold industry and news the emerging gold miner has doubled the size of its recently announced share purchase plan (SPP) to $10 million. This decision was made following "extremely strong demand for the SPP and reflects the Company's commitment to its supportive retail shareholders." FireFly's managing director, Steve Parsons, said: "We are delighted to have received such strong demand for the SPP. This reflects the outstanding upside at Green Bay and our aggressive strategy to continue creating value by using nine rigs. We have taken the opportunity to reward our loyal retail shareholders by doubling the total SPP provision to A$10m, increasing their ability to secure further exposure to this growth potential."

Unico Silver Ltd (ASX: USL)

The Unico Silver share price is down 6% to 85.5 cents. Investors have been selling this silver miner's shares following a drop in the silver price overnight. The precious metal tumbled 8% on Monday night to US$72.27 per ounce. This also appears to have been driven by profit taking from traders following a big gain in 2025.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is down almost 10% to $5.24. This may have been caused by profit taking from some investors after a very strong gain on Monday. Investors were buying the semiconductor company's shares after it revealed that it signed a licensing agreement for its ReRAM technology with Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN). The company's CEO, Coby Hanoch, said: "This agreement is another strong signal that the industry is moving towards ReRAM as the successor to flash memory in SoC designs." Weebit Nano also released revenue guidance for FY 2026, revealing that it expects revenue of at least $10 million.

The post Why Evolution Mining, FireFly, Unico Silver, and Weebit Nano shares are tumbling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Xero shares have faced a couple of headwinds in 2025, but I think the latest investor sell-off was unwarranted and overdone. The New Zealand-based cloud-based accounting software company looks like a great buying opportunity at the current trading price. Analysts also expect the shares to double in value next year. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) 

Weebit develops and licenses a new memory technology (Resistive Random-Access Memory, or ReRAM), which is designed to replace traditional Flash memory. The company has had an exceptionally strong start to the financial year, and given that there are very few businesses that can replicate its technology in-house, it looks like Weebit could quickly become a dominant market player. 

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

It's no secret that CSL shares have been through the wringer this year, suffering not one, but two brutal sell-offs. But I think we could be beginning to see green shoots of recovery. But CSL's core business remains robust, and demand for its products continues to grow globally. I think there is now an opportunity to buy the biotech company's shares at a rare discount.

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

If you're unsure about CSL shares, Mesoblast is another Australian clinical-stage biotech company that has exceptional potential for strong growth. The company is also well-funded and won't be subject to the US 100% tariff on pharmaceuticals. What's not to like?

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

Flight Centre shares have stormed higher over the past 6 weeks following a promising trading update in November. The company said it is off to a positive start for FY26 and expects more growth over the next 12 months. I think that the current share price dip presents a great opportunity for investors to buy into the stock for cheap.

Judo Capital Holdings Ltd (ASX: JDO)

The outlook for ASX bank stocks doesn't look very promising right now, with the exception of Judo Bank, of course. Unlike its larger peers, the bank has had a strong start to FY26, and it looks set to continue. At its latest AGM, it said lending momentum was strong over the first quarter and that it's confident it can achieve FY26 guidance of $180-$190 million.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The software-defined network (SDN) service provider is another favourite of mine. The ASX stock has suffered amid the tech-sector-wide investor sell-off over the past couple of months, but I'm very optimistic that there is a huge share price upside ahead. Megaport is rapidly expanding and reinvesting into growth plans.

Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

Woolworths' oligopoly, with supermarket rival Coles, means the two ASX stocks have significant power over the Australian grocery sector. It's this dominance that gives Woolworths a competitive advantage in the retail space. The business is huge, it is defensive, and Woolworths is well-known for its lengthy history of paying consistent, and sometimes generous, dividends.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL)

Soul Patts is Australian dividend royalty. The diversified Australian investment house pays its fully-franked dividends twice per year and has offered a consistent yield of 2.3% to 2.4% since 2016. In FY25, it paid a total $1.03 per share, 100% fully franked. Any investors which don't have Soul Patts in their portfolio should buy the ASX stock in 2026.

Plato Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: PL8) 

Investors looking for a reliable passive income but want the payouts to be more regular should look into Plato. It's a perfect ASX retirement stock that pays out around 4.58% every single month. The ASX dividend stock is focused on delivering high, reliable monthly income with franking credits from an actively managed, diversified portfolio of Australian shares.

The post My top 10 ASX stocks to buy for 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

While some concerns about an AI bubble and overevalued stock dampened ASX AI and tech stocks over the past couple of months, annual gains are still significant.

As we head into 2026, it looks like interest in AI will only continue growing.

And there is only one ASX stock I'd bet on to boom in 2026.

The ASX AI stock I think will storm higher in 2026

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT) develops and licenses a new memory technology (Resistive Random-Access Memory, or ReRAM) which is designed to replace traditional Flash memory.

It's faster, uses less power and is more reliable. While it's not primarily an AI stock, it enables AI capability because this new memory technology is used to run AI workloads.

Yesterday, shares climbed 18.37% to $5.80. Over the course of 2025, Weebit shares have jumped 80.69% although the majority of this was throughout the final quarter of 2025.

What pushed its share price higher?

In October, the next-generation computer memory technology company said it had made an "exceptionally strong" start to the financial year.

The company reported record quarterly customer payments of $7.3 million and said it was advancing discussions with multiple semiconductor fabricators. It also said it had received a $4.1 million research and development tax rebate during the first quarter.

The ASX stock also said it expects the strategic importance of its ReRAM technology to continue growing. 

Chief Executive Officer Coby Hanoch explained at the time that "very few" fabricators are able to develop the technology in-house. Therefore, Weebit expects the majority of companies will look to strike up licensing deals in order to accelerate their time to market. And this presents a great opportunity for Weebit Nano.

What's next for the ASX stock in 2026?

According to TradingView data, analyst consensus is that Weebit shares are a strong buy. 

The maximum target price for the next 12 months is $8.07 a piece. At the time of writing this implies the tech stock could climb around 40% in 2026. 

To me, Weebit's potential to dominate market share in the memory technology market, and it's predicted outside suggests it could be a great opportunity amid a 2026 AI boom.

The post If I could buy only 1 ASX stock to bet on the AI boom in 2026, it would be this one 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:

Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS)

The Aeris Resources share price is up 10% to 60 cents. This morning, the copper miner announced that its Constellation Project has been granted development consent from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. Aeris Resources' executive chair, Andre Labuschagne, said: "Receiving development consent represents a key milestone for the project." Labuschagne added: Coupled with our recently declared Open Pit Ore Reserve, this places us in a strong position for Constellation to become the next major ore source for Tritton in the near term. We acknowledge and thank the NSW government for their continued support."

Cobram Estate Olives Ltd (ASX: CBO)

The Cobram Estate Olives share price is up 16% to $3.79. Investors have been buying this olive oil producer's shares since it announced an agreement to acquire California Olive Ranch. It is the leading producer and marketer of Californian extra virgin olive oil. The company has agreed a total consideration of US$173.5 million. This comprises cash of US$88.5 million, the issuance of vendor notes worth US$70 million, and an earn-out payment US$15 million. Cobram Estate Olives' chair, Rob McGavin, said: "The acquisition of California Olive Ranch, Inc., delivers a compelling set of strategic and financial benefits for CBO. It immediately expands our Californian olive growing footprint from approximately ~1,422 hectares to around ~3,292 hectares of planted groves, while accelerating sales growth through the addition of well-established, premium household brands."

Metallium Ltd (ASX: MTM)

The Metallium share price is up 4.5% to 98.2 cents. This follows news that the critical and precious metals company has commenced commissioning at its Texas Technology Campus. Management believes this milestone represents a major step in de-risking its U.S.-based critical-metals recovery platform. It notes that commissioning activities are progressing in parallel with ongoing construction works to support future expansion.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is up 11% to $5.45. This morning, this semiconductor company revealed that it has signed a licensing agreement for its ReRAM technology with Texas Instruments (NASDAQ;:TXN). In addition, the company released revenue guidance for FY 2026, revealing that it expects revenue of at least $10 million. The company's CEO, Coby Hanoch, said: "This agreement is another strong signal that the industry is moving towards ReRAM as the successor to flash memory in SoC designs."

The post Why Aeris Resources, Cobram Estate Olives, Metallium, and Weebit Nano shares are racing higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX tech stock is up almost 16% to $5.69.

Why is this ASX tech stock rocketing 16%?

Investors have been bidding the semiconductor company's shares higher today after it made a couple of big announcements.

The first announcement reveals that the ASX tech stock has licensed its resistive random access memory (ReRAM) technology to Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN). It is a US$160 billion global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures and sells analog and embedded processing chips.

According to the release, under the terms of the agreement, Weebit's ReRAM technology will be integrated into Texas Instruments' advanced process nodes for embedded processing semiconductors. The agreement includes intellectual (IP) licensing, technology transfer, design, and qualification of Weebit ReRAM in its process technologies.

Weebit ReRAM is a low-power, cost-effective non-volatile memory (NVM) that has proven excellent retention at high temperatures and has been qualified for AEC-Q100 150°C operation.

Commenting on the news, the ASX tech stock's CEO, Coby Hanoch, said:

TI is one of the world's foremost integrated device manufacturers, producing tens of billions of chips every year. This agreement is another strong signal that the industry is moving towards ReRAM as the successor to flash memory in SoC designs. It also reinforces Weebit's position as the leading independent provider of ReRAM technology.

The company warned that this license agreement is expected to be long-term but its economic materiality is not known at this time. It stated that it views this commercial agreement as strategically important given Texas Instruments' position in the global semiconductor industry.

Production orders and royalty payments will only commence in the medium term, at Texas Instruments' discretion.

Texas Instruments' Senior Vice President of Embedded Processing, Amichai Ron, said:

We are excited to collaborate with Weebit Nano to integrate ReRAM memory technology into our process technologies and products. The TI and Weebit Nano collaboration will enable our customers to get access to industry-leading NVM technology in performance, scale, and reliability which will enable us to enhance our position as a leading embedded processors provider.

Revenue guidance

In a separate announcement, the ASX tech stock revealed its revenue expectations for FY 2026.

It notes that in its annual general meeting presentation in November, it had a revenue goal of up to $10 million.

Following the signing of recent agreements, Weebit Nano now has IP licensing agreements with four fabs, as well as agreements with several product companies.

Based on these agreements, Weebit is now able to scrap this goal and announce revenue guidance for FY 2026 of a minimum of $10 million.

The post Guess which ASX tech stock is rocketing 16% on huge news 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:

Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE)

The Boss Energy share price is down 6% to $1.91. This appears to have been driven by broad weakness in the uranium industry today. In addition, short sellers have been loading up on Boss Energy and other uranium shares. So much so, a total of 21.6% of its shares are in the hands of short sellers at present. And with its shares down 47% over the past six months, they have done well from this one.

G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM)

The G8 Education share price is down 13% to 70 cents. This morning, this childcare operator revealed that its occupancy levels remain subdued. This is due to "the macroeconomic environment remaining challenging and affordability and cost of living pressures continuing to impact families." According to the release, as at 2 November 2025, the company's spot occupancy was 68.3%, which is 6.6% points lower than the prior corresponding period. In light of this, it has downgraded its full year earnings guidance to be in the range of $91 million to $98 million.

Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

The Novonix share price is down 11% to 50.25 cents. This has been driven by news that auto giant Stellantis has cancelled its offtake agreement with the battery materials company. In response, the company said: "While NOVONIX is disappointed with this decision, it remains focused on its deliveries for Panasonic and PowerCo and continuing to provide samples to 15 current and potential customers for battery and industrial applications." Management advised that the deal fell through after the two parties failed to agree upon the unique battery cell product specifications and milestones for mass production qualification.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is down 11% to $4.58. This is despite there being no news out of the semiconductor company. However, with its shares still up 155% since this time six months ago, it is possible that some investors have been taking profit off the table on Tuesday. In addition, with a market capitalisation of almost $1.1 billion, and quarterly cash receipts of $7.3 million, investors may think this speculative stock is severely overvalued.

The post Why Boss Energy, G8 Education, Novonix, and Weebit Nano shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The company also reported record quarterly customer payments of $7.3 million and said it was advancing discussions with multiple semiconductor fabricators.

Weebit Nano develops and licenses out advanced memory technology to the global semiconductor sector, with its flagship product being its resistive RAM (ReRAM) non-volatile memory technology.

As the company explains:

ReRAM … addresses the growing need for significantly higher performance and lower power memory solutions in a range of electronic products such as AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable devices, automotive, industrial automation, robotics, neuromorphic computing, and many others.

Excellent first quarter

The company released a quarterly update to the ASX on Tuesday after the close of trade, with Chief Executive Officer Coby Hanoch saying Weebit Nano had a great start to the year.

Mr Hanoch added:

Weebit Nano has had an exceptionally strong start to FY26, taping out the first module embedded with our ReRAM at onsemi's production fab, securing multiple design agreements with product companies, and receiving record quarterly customer payments, This is a strong vote of confidence in the quality of our technology.

Mr Hanoch said the company was advancing commercial conversations with more than a dozen leading semiconductor foundries, device manufacturers, and product companies.

While we've achieved our product company target for 2025, we're continuing to work hard to secure additional licensing agreements with fabs and product companies before the end of the year. These negotiations are benefitting from evolving industry perceptions.

Deals to be done

Mr Hanoch said the strategic importance of ReRAM as a next generation technology continued to grow, with "very few" fabricators having the ability to develop the technology in-house.

Therefore, the majority of companies would be looking to strike licensing deals to accelerate their time to market, presenting an opportunity for Weebit Nano.

Mr Hanoch added:

As a pure play ReRAM company, Weebit is first to market with several competitive advantages including suitability for high-temperature automotive applications and the ability to customize solutions.

As well as generating $7.3 million in customer revenue, the company received a $4.1 million research and development tax rebate during the first quarter.

Weebit Nano shares jumped more than 15% in early trade on Wednesday, before settling back to be 12.8% higher at $4.60.

Weebit Nano was valued at $851.9 million at the close of trade on Tuesday.

The post This up and coming tech stock jumped more than 15% after reporting an "exceptionally strong" start to the year 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:

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO)

The DroneShield share price is up 3% to $5.85. Investors have been buying this counter drone technology company's shares this month amid optimism that it could be a big winner from plans in Europe. The European Union's Defence Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, revealed plans to build a "drone wall" along the eastern flank. This will integrate detection, tracking, and interception to counter hostile UAVs. This follows a spate of recent airspace violations.

Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

The Novonix share price is up 23% to 58.5 cents. This could be a delayed reaction to news out of the battery materials and technology company last week. Novonix revealed that it achieved a critical milestone after delivering its first mass production, commercial-grade sample of synthetic graphite for industrial applications. Management noted that this delivery was made to one of North America's largest value-added carbon processors with a global market reach. Novonix's CEO, Mike O'Kronley, said: "We're pleased to have hit this significant manufacturing milestone. This demonstrates that industrial-grade products can be produced using NOVONIX's proprietary continuous graphitization furnace technology at a mass production scale and is another step towards bringing our battery-grade materials to market."

Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI)

The Predictive Discovery share price is up over 13% to 50 cents. Investors have been buying the gold miner's shares after it announced a merger with Canada's Robex Resources (ASX: RXR). It notes that this creates West Africa's next mid-tier gold producer by combining two of the continent's largest, lowest-cost, and most advanced projects. Predictive Discovery's CEO, Andrew Pardey, said: "By combining two of West Africa's largest and most advanced gold development projects and leveraging the proven track record of both management teams in Africa, we are creating a company that positions Guinea to become one of Africa's top five gold producers. The new, diversified company will not only further de-risk our flagship Bankan Project, but also deliver enduring value for shareholders, the communities where we operate and Guinea as a whole."

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is up 4% to $3.72. This morning, this semiconductor company announced that it has successfully taped-out (released to manufacturing) test chips featuring its embedded ReRAM module at Onsemi's 300mm production fab in New York. Weebit Nano's CEO, Cody Hanoch, said: "Our collaboration with onsemi is progressing rapidly, and this successful tape-out marks a major milestone in completing the technology transfer of Weebit ReRAM to onsemi's advanced BCD process."

The post Why DroneShield, Novonix, Predictive Discovery, and Weebit Nano shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the speculative ASX stock is up 6% to $3.78.

What is Weebit Nano?

Weebit Nano describes itself as a leading developer and licensor of advanced semiconductor memory technology.

The speculative ASX stock notes that its Resistive RAM (ReRAM) addresses the growing need for significantly higher performance and lower power memory solutions in a range of new electronic products. This includes Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smartphones, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 5G communications, and artificial intelligence.

It highlights that its ReRAM allows semiconductor memory elements to be significantly faster, less expensive, more reliable and more energy efficient than those using existing flash memory solutions.

Furthermore, the company points out that as it is based on fab-friendly materials, Weebit ReRAM can be integrated within existing flows and processes faster and easier than other emerging technologies. This is without requiring special equipment or large investments.

Why is this speculative ASX stock jumping today?

Investors have been buying the company's shares today after it revealed that it has successfully taped-out (released to manufacturing) test chips featuring its embedded ReRAM module at onsemi's 300mm production fab in New York.

It notes that the chips are being developed in onsemi's Treo platform, which is a 65nm Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process. Onsemi is a U.S. based company that delivers intelligent power and sensing solutions for the automotive, industrial and AI data centre markets.

Management believes the tape-out represents a key milestone towards enabling Weebit ReRAM IP on onsemi's Treo platform.

For Treo-based designs, Weebit's ReRAM provides an ultra-low-power, high density NVM that unlocks new levels of intelligence and functionality. Onsemi's next-generation products are expected to use this breakthrough memory technology.

Looking ahead, the test chips will now be used for final testing and qualification ahead of anticipated volume production.

Commenting on the news, the speculative ASX stock's CEO, Cody Hanoch, said:

Our collaboration with onsemi is progressing rapidly, and this successful tape-out marks a major milestone in completing the technology transfer of Weebit ReRAM to onsemi's advanced BCD process. We've already validated our technology on multiple wafer lots using onsemi's tools and flow, optimising the process and demonstrating solid performance and reliability. We're now progressing towards qualification.

Following today's solid gain, Weebit Nano's shares are up now over 150% over the past six months. Time will tell if it lives up to these gains and its valuation, especially considering its deep-pocketed competitors in a fierce industry.

The post Why this speculative ASX stock is jumping 6% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.