At the time of writing, the ASX lithium stock is up 4% to 26.5 cents.

Why is this ASX lithium stock rising?

Investors have been bidding Core Lithium shares higher today after it made a big announcement.

According to the release, the company has entered into a binding sale and purchase agreement with Glencore International (LSE: GLEN) for the sale of 25,000 tonnes of lithium fines from the Finniss Lithium Operation.

Management highlights that the transaction represents the second sale from the Finniss lithium fines stockpile, following the announcement in April of an initial 20,000 tonnes sale to Glencore.

It believes the sale represents a further step in Core Lithium's strategy to monetise existing stockpiled material and generate cash flow while mining, processing, and development activities at Finniss progress.

What are the terms?

The ASX lithium stock advised that pricing under the agreement reflects prevailing lithium fines market conditions at the time of sale.

Net proceeds are subject to final grade adjustments and transport costs. However, it has a base price of ~US$270 per tonne (A$375 per tonne) CIF based on indicative Li₂O content. The shipment is expected to occur in June 2026 through Darwin Port.

Management notes that the agreement is otherwise unconditional and subject to customary terms for a transaction of this nature.

What's next?

The company highlights that this second fines sale builds on its February sale of its spodumene concentrate stockpile and the initial fines sale announced in April 2026.

It feels these transactions demonstrate the value of its existing Finniss logistics chain and its strategic partnership with Glencore in providing market access and execution certainty. Management continues to explore pathways for the sale of the remaining ~30kt fines stockpile.

Operations update

More good news is that the company continues to make progress across Finniss with mining underway at the Grants open pit and development at BP33 progressing in parallel.

Pleasingly, development activities continue on schedule with box cut remediation underway and ground support for the portal face location nearing completion in preparation for the portal cut.

Bulk earthworks for the non-process infrastructure (NPI) are progressing, with the pad for the power station complete. In addition, underground decline development remains on track to commence in July.

As a result, the ASX lithium stock believes it is well positioned to progress the development of Finniss as a long-life lithium operation.

Commenting on news, Core Lithium's managing director, Paul Brown, said:

This second sale of lithium fines further strengthens Core's liquidity position as we ramp up operations at Finniss. During 2026 we have generated ~$28.5 million from the sales of lithium stockpiles at Finniss.

This additional liquidity provides Core with greater financial flexibility as we progress mining activities, advance development activities at BP33 and the restart of processing operations. We will continue to assess opportunities to realise further value from the remaining fines stockpile.

The post Guess the ASX lithium stock racing higher on big news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant closed on Friday trading for $157.08. In late morning trade on Monday, shares are changing hands for $160.32 apiece, up 2.1%.

If the ASX 200 mining stock can hold onto these gains to market close, that will not only mark a new one-year high but also a new all-time closing high.

And today's gains come despite iron ore dipping back below the critical US$100 per tonne mark. The steel-making metal slid 1.6% to be trading for US$99 per tonne.

With today's intraday lift factored in, the Rio Tinto share price is now up 34.3% since this time last year. And that doesn't include the two fully-franked dividends the miner paid to eligible stockholders over this time.

Rio Tinto stock currently trades on a 3.7% fully-franked trailing dividend yield.

Here's what's been catching ASX investor interest.

Why is the Rio Tinto share price smashing new record highs?

While we're only in the second week of February, a lot has been happening with the Aussie mining giant already in 2026.

First, Rio released its December quarter (4Q 2025) results on 21 January.

The Rio Tinto share price closed up 2.6% on the day after the miner reported a 7% increase in quarterly iron ore shipments, with iron ore shipments hitting a record 326.2 million tonnes in 2025.

Pilbara iron ore production was up 4% in the December quarter to 89.7 million tonnes, also setting a new record. Iron ore production for the full year of 327.3 million tonnes was in line with 2025.

And with global copper prices surging, and broadly expected to post further long-term gains, investors will have noted the 5% year-on-year lift in quarterly copper production to 240 tonnes. Rio Tinto's copper production for the full 2025 calendar year exceeded guidance, leaping 11% from 2024 to 883,000 tonnes.

"Record copper production continues following delivery of our Oyu Tolgoi underground project, another demonstration of our unique and diverse project capabilities," Rio Tinto CEO Simon Trott said on the day.

What about the Rio-Glencore merger?

The other really big news-grabbing investor interest in 2026 was Rio Tinto's proposed, and since rejected, merger with Glencore plc (LSE: GLEN).

The Rio Tinto share price sank 6.3% on 9 January after news of the proposed merger between the mining giants hit the wires.

But investors look to have breathed a sigh of relief when, on Friday, 6 February, Rio Tinto confirmed that it would not be proceeding with the deal.

Management revealed that they could not reach an agreement that would deliver value to Rio Tinto's shareholders.

The post Big ASX news! Rio Tinto share price leaping to all-time highs today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Four ASX shares that have managed to avoid the selloff today are listed below. Here's why they are rising:

Brambles Ltd (ASX: BXB)

The Brambles share price is up almost 2% to $23.13. This is despite there being no news out of the supply chain solutions company on Friday. However, it is possible that some investors see Brambles as a defensive option and a way to avoid the broad market weakness today. Its shares are now up approximately 18% since this time last year.

HMC Capital Ltd (ASX: HMC)

The HMC Capital share price is up 2% to $4.13. Investors have been buying this investment company's shares after it announced a new strategic partnership which will see KKR-managed funds invest up to $603 million into HMC's Energy Transition Platform. Management notes that the investment will introduce KKR as a strategic partner alongside HMC in the platform's existing 652MW operational assets and its significant 5.7GW BESS and wind development pipeline. HMC Capital's managing director and CEO, David Di Pilla, said: "We are delighted to be working with an experienced global investor of KKR's calibre. KKR's investment validates the quality of the Platform we have built and sets the foundation for HMC to play a major role in Australia's transition to net zero carbon by 2050. KKR's capital will enable the Platform to materially grow operating capacity, cash flow and progress the strategically valuable development pipeline."

ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

The ResMed share price is up 2.5% to $38.42. This follows a decent night of trade for the sleep disorder-focused medical device company's NYSE-listed shares on Thursday. One leading broker that would be supportive of this buying is Morgans. Earlier this week, it upgraded ResMed's shares to a buy rating with a $47.73 price target. This implies potential upside of over 20%.

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

The Rio Tinto share price is up 0.3% to $157.55. Investors have been buying the mining giant's shares after it abandoned its plans to merge with Glencore (LSE: GLEN).  The miner stated: "Rio Tinto is no longer considering a possible merger or other business combination with Glencore plc, as Rio Tinto has determined that it could not reach an agreement that would deliver value to its shareholders." In response, Glencore said: "The key terms of the potential offer were Rio Tinto retaining both the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles and delivering a proforma ownership of the combined company which, in our view, significantly undervalued Glencore's underlying relative value contribution to the combined group, even before consideration of a suitable acquisition control premium."

The post Why Brambles, HMC Capital, ResMed, and Rio Tinto shares are rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the mining giant's shares are up 2.5% to $161.25.

This follows the release of an update on its proposed merger with Glencore (LSE: GLEN) that would form a $300 billion behemoth.

Rio Tinto shares higher on Glencore merger update

Investors have been buying the company's shares today after it confirmed that it is no longer considering a possible merger with Glencore.

According to the release, the miner came to this conclusion after determining that it could not reach an agreement that would deliver value to its shareholders.

It acknowledged that the proposed deal would not align with its recent Capital Markets Day strategy, which highlighted its belief that a "stronger, sharper and simpler Rio Tinto" would "deliver leading returns."

At the time, Rio Tinto's chief executive, Simon Trott, said:

We are building from a position of strength for Rio Tinto's next chapter, sharpening and simplifying the business to deliver leading returns. We will drive performance through discipline, productivity and unmatched growth to unlock the full potential of our diversified portfolio of world-class assets.

Merging with Glencore would almost certainly go against this strategy and not make Rio Tinto sharper and simpler.

In today's brief announcement about the merger talks ending, Rio Tinto stated:

Rio Tinto assessed the opportunity and came to this view through the disciplined lens set out at its Capital Markets Day in December 2025 – prioritising long-term value and delivering leading shareholder returns.

What went wrong?

While Rio Tinto didn't provide much colour on the merger talks, Glencore was more open.

It revealed that Rio Tinto wanted to fully lead the merged company with both CEO and chairman roles, which it didn't agree with. It said:

The key terms of the potential offer were Rio Tinto retaining both the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles and delivering a proforma ownership of the combined company which, in our view, significantly undervalued Glencore's underlying relative value contribution to the combined group, even before consideration of a suitable acquisition control premium.

We concluded that the proposed acquisition on these terms is not in the best interests of Glencore shareholders. It does not reflect our view on long term, through the cycle relative value, including not adequately valuing our copper business, and its leading growth pipeline, and apportioning material synergy value potential.

The post Rio Tinto shares charge higher after Glencore merger collapses appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to fall again

The Australian share market looks set to fall on Friday following a poor night in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open 71 points or 0.8% lower this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 1%, the S&P 500 is down 1.05%, and the Nasdaq is down 1.4%.

Oil prices sink

It could be a poor finish to the week for ASX 200 energy shares including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) after oil prices sank overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 3.1% to US$63.11 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 3% to US$67.37 a barrel. This was driven by news that Iran and the US have agreed to talks, easing conflict concerns.

Rio Tinto-Glencore merger talks end

Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares will be on watch on Friday after the mining giant abandoned merger talks with Glencore (LSE: GLEN). It stated: "Rio Tinto is no longer considering a possible merger or other business combination with Glencore plc, as Rio Tinto has determined that it could not reach an agreement that would deliver value to its shareholders."

Gold price tumbles

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newmont Corporation (ASX: NEM) could have a tough finish to the week after the gold price tumbled overnight. According to CNBC, the gold futures price is down 1.9% to US$4,856 an ounce. Gold and silver continued to fall after a short-lived rebound.

Hold Beach Energy shares

Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) shares are fully valued according to analysts at Bell Potter. This morning, in response to the energy producer's half year results, the broker has retained its hold rating with a slightly improved price target of $1.15. It said: "BPT is in a production replacement cycle with respect to exploration and appraisal. Production growth should return in FY27 and capex ease, enabling positive free cash flow to support balance sheet deleveraging and ongoing dividends. We are positive on BPT's exposure to Australian east coast gas markets (around half of sales volumes) and cautious with respect to global oil markets."

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant closed on Friday trading for $148.72. At the time of writing, shares are changing hands for $152.22 apiece, up 2.4%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 1.1% at this same time.

As you may be aware, Rio Tinto shares took a sizeable hit earlier this month, sinking 6.3% on 9 January.

That retrace followed on Rio's confirmation that it was engaged in preliminary negotiations with Glencore (LSE: GLEN) on a possible merger.

We'll look at the implications of any such merger below.

But first…

What did Rio and Glencore announce?

On 9 January, Rio Tinto shares sank after the two global mining giants confirmed that they were considering combining their businesses, possibly via an all share merger, into one jumbo-sized miner.

Management stressed that no firm offers have yet been made in the early-stage discussions, with any potential terms remaining undecided.

Should it proceed, Rio Tinto could acquire Glencore via a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement.

And ASX investors won't have to wait long to find out if this is a serious proposal.

Under UK Takeover Code rules, the ASX 200 mining stock has until 5 February to make a formal announcement on its Glencore intentions.

Rio Tinto shares in 'high stakes gamble'

Having run her slide rule over the potential acquisition, Sharesies head of capital markets, Jacki Neumann, labelled the $260 billion merger a "high-stakes gamble on the energy transition".

Part of the appeal for Rio Tinto is Glencore's strong copper assets. The copper price has been setting new record highs and is currently just off those highs, trading for US$13,199 per tonne. That sees the red metal up 47% over the past 12 months.

"The merger would represent a fundamental strategic shift for Rio Tinto," Neumann said.

She added:

By integrating Glencore's copper portfolio, Rio would significantly reduce its exposure to the cyclical volatility of the iron ore market. The pivot would allow Rio to capitalise on projected demand growth from the energy transition and AI infrastructure, moving beyond its legacy focus on industrial bulk commodities.

However, Rio Tinto shares could face some modest headwinds from ESG investors over Glencore's coal mines.

"A return to coal would test the market's appetite for responsible stewardship over simple divestiture," Neumann said.

According to Neumann:

By treating Glencore's coal as a high-margin funding engine, Rio can self-finance its capital-intensive copper and lithium ambitions. We may see immediate churn from strict ESG funds, but the market is waking up to the 'bridge theory', the reality that maintaining legacy cash flows are often necessary to build the renewable infrastructure of the future.

And Neuman noted that Rio Tinto CEO Simon Trott will have his work cut out for him convincing investors that a merger with Glencore aligns with his "sharper and simpler" promise.

"CEO Simon Trott is walking a tightrope between simple and massive," she said.

Neumann concluded:

While a $260 billion merger seems to contradict his promise of a leaner Rio, he's gambling that buying existing, world-class copper mines is actually 'simpler' than the years of red tape and risk involved in developing them from scratch.

If he can successfully spin off the coal, he'll have pulled off the ultimate shortcut to becoming a future-facing monolith.

With today's intraday gains factored in, Rio Tinto shares are up 29.4% over 12 months, not including dividends.

The post Why the $260 billion Glencore merger is a 'high-stakes gamble' for Rio Tinto shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the mining giant's shares are down over 6% to $142.64.

Why are Rio Tinto shares sinking?

Investors have been selling the company's shares this morning after responding negatively to a massive announcement.

According to the release, Rio Tinto and Glencore (LSE: GLEN) have been engaging in preliminary discussions about a possible combination of some or all of their businesses. This could include an all-share merger between the two mining giants.

As things stand, the two parties' current expectation is that any merger transaction would be effected through the acquisition of Glencore by Rio Tinto by way of a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement.

However, it has warned that there can be no certainty that an offer will be made or as to the terms of any such offer, should one be made.

It also stressed that nothing in this announcement will be construed as indicating any terms of any such transaction or offer. Rio Tinto reserves the right to introduce other forms of consideration and vary the mix or composition of consideration of any offer.

In accordance with London stock exchange rules, Rio Tinto will have until 5.00 p.m. (London time) on 5 February 2026 to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Glencore or to advise that no offer will be made.

What is Glencore?

Rio Tinto is of course the world's biggest iron ore miner and has a market capitalisation of about US$142 billion.

Glencore is valued at US$65 billion as of its last close and is one of the world's largest global diversified natural resource companies. It is a major producer and marketer of more than 60+ commodities that advance everyday life.

The company notes that its customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation, battery manufacturing and oil sectors. It also provides financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities.

In 2024, it generated US$14.4 billion in adjusted EBITDA and US$3.2 billion in marketing adjusted EBIT.

Should the merger go ahead, it would create a monster with a market value of over US$200 billion (~A$300 billion).

However, only time will tell if that will be the case. Glencore and Rio Tinto have looked at a merger in the past, with no deal ultimately being reached. And it appears the market isn't overly keen on the plan, based on the way Rio Tinto shares are performing today.

The post Rio Tinto shares sink 6% on Glencore merger bombshell appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX lithium stock is down 7% to $6.30.

Why is this ASX lithium stock falling?

The catalyst for today's move has been broad market weakness following a selloff on Wall Street which has offset the release of a big announcement from the lithium developer.

According to the release, the ASX lithium stock has signed an offtake agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore (LSE: GLEN) to provide battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) from its Phase One Lionheart Project.

Glencore is one of the world's largest natural resource companies headquartered in Switzerland. It produces and markets more than 60 commodities.

The Phase One Lionheart Project will have the capacity to produce 275 GWh of power, and 24,000 tonnes of LHM, which is enough for approximately 500,000 battery electric vehicles per year.

According to the release, Glencore has signed a binding offtake agreement for between 36,000 tonnes and 44,000 tonnes of LHM over the duration of an initial eight-year period.

It is in good company. The ASX lithium stock highlights that Glencore joins Stellantis, Umicore, and LG Energy Solution as offtake partners for phase one. Importantly, it represents the final offtake agreement required for project financing.

The company notes that all agreements are binding, take-or-pay, and with agreed pricing mechanisms across six to ten years duration. The pricing mechanisms are a basket of fixed, floor-ceiling and index-based floating prices during the proposed debt payback period.

In addition, the agreement with Glencore offers the possibility of a European partnership for end users. It notes that there are discussions with other potential customers, including German and European automakers, who have expressed an interest in taking further volumes from Phase One.

What's next?

It is now aiming to finalise its phase one financing package, together with project and financing agreements, in the current quarter, before commencing construction of the commercial plants.

Vulcan Energy's managing director and CEO, Cris Moreno, commented:

We welcome the start of a long-term relationship with Glencore. With this agreement- a key requirement for Phase One financing – Vulcan has now achieved a good mix of offtake partners for Phase One lithium production: an automaker, a battery maker, a cathode manufacturer, and a commodities trader, all with a strong European focus. The agreement also gives Vulcan the flexibility to bring in further European customers in the future, while also utilising Glencore's expertise in this market, which is a value-add to Vulcan.

Glencore's head of lithium, Robin Francois, adds:

We are pleased to partner with Vulcan to help support the development of the German and wider European lithium supply chain. This new agreement with Vulcan will further expand our lithium portfolio and reinforce our position as one of the leading suppliers of battery raw materials.

The post This ASX lithium stock is sinking despite mega Glencore deal appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

That is if the rumoured potential merger between the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining stock and Glencore PLC comes to fruition.

With a recent market cap of some US$103 billion, Rio Tinto counts as the world's second-largest miner.

BHP still ranks as number one, with a market cap of around US$126 billion. While Glencore has a market cap of approximately US$55 billion.

Should Rio Tinto shares come to encompass Glencore's assets, the combined company would eclipse BHP as the world's biggest miner.

But is this deal really going to happen?

Will Rio Tinto shares combine with Glencore in 2025?

The answer appears to be "maybe".

Citing people familiar with the matter who wished to remain anonymous, Bloomberg reported the two mining giants are in early-stage discussions to combine their companies in what would be the largest mining deal in history.

Among the potential benefits for Rio Tinto shares are Glencore's copper assets. That includes Glencore's flagship Collahuasi mine in Chile, reported to have one of the largest copper reserves in the world.

With demand for the red metal expected to post strong, ongoing growth over the coming decade amid limited new supplies, miners worldwide are seeking to expand their copper footprint.

According to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Grant Sporre, a combination of Glencore and Rio Tinto shares would result in the world's number one copper producer.

But there are many hurdles to cross before a deal goes through. Atop the range of regulatory issues, Rio Tinto has moved away from coal mining while Glencore maintains a strong focus on the fossil fuel.

In March 2018, Glencore agreed to buy Rio Tinto's interests in the Hail Creek coal mine and the Valeria coal development projects in Queensland for $1.7 billion.

Rio Tinto and Glencore have not yet commented on the merger rumours.

A new mining behemoth on the horizon?

Commenting on the potential combination of Rio Tinto shares with Glencore, Josh Gilbert, market analyst at eToro, said:

Today's news of a potential merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore is significant as it would mark the largest deal in mining history. These talks are still early, but if successful, would create a mining behemoth.

But investors shouldn't put the cart ahead of the horse.

"There will be plenty of hoops to jump through," Gilbert cautioned.

Pointing to the potential uplift in mergers and acquisitions in 2025, he noted, "There were early signs that M&A activity would pick up this year, after BHP went after Anglo American (LSE: AAL), while Rio Tinto acquired Arcadium Lithium (ASX: LTM) at the end of 2024."

Addressing the rationale for a merger between the two global miners, Gilbert added:

Ultimately, the race to secure key commodities in the energy transition is ongoing. Commodities such as copper will play a role in renewable energy, energy storage, and upgrading electrical grids worldwide, particularly with the rise of AI and the energy it demands.

Glencore has one of the richest copper deposits in the world, which is why this deal makes sense for Rio Tinto. The move would also allow Rio Tinto to reduce its reliance on profitability from iron ore when China's previously booming real estate sector has dwindled.

The rumoured merger has yet to lift Rio Tinto shares today, down 0.64% in late morning trade at $118.85 apiece.

The post How Rio Tinto shares could eclipse BHP in 2025, with a little help from Glencore appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

In morning trade, the ASX lithium stock was up over 30% to 91 cents.

Its shares have since pulled back but remain up 12% to 78 cents.

Why is the ASX lithium stock rocketing?

Investors have been buying the company's shares today after the lithium developer announced an agreement with one of the world's largest miners.

According to the release, Galan Lithium has signed a binding term sheet with Glencore for offtake of up to 100% of its premium lithium chloride concentrate from the Hombre Muerto West lithium project in Argentina.

In addition, Glencore has offered to provide or facilitate a secured financing prepayment facility for US$70 million to US$100 million, subject to conditions precedent being met.

Management believes the agreement endorses Galan's low-cost, low-risk lithium chloride development strategy to become the next lithium producer in Argentina.

It also revealed that discussions for the larger Phase 2 Hombre Muerto West development are open and well advanced.

But it will still be a little time until we see phase 2. As things stand, phase 1 is scheduled to commence production during the first half of 2025.

The ASX lithium stock's managing director, Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega, said:

We are very delighted to announce Galan's achievement of this very significant milestone on the path towards commencing commercial production at HMW in H1 2025. The agreement with Glencore is a validation of the quality our world class project and endorses the calibre and experience of Galan's team.

Our agreement with Glencore significantly de-risks our project and we are very well poised to secure finance for Phase 1 of the HMW Project. Importantly, Glencore's funding assistance via the prepayment facility endorses our lithium chloride concentration strategy to deliver the HMW project, and provide returns to shareholders, in a shorter time frame.

The post Guess which ASX lithium stock surged 30% on news of a deal with one of the world's largest miners appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.