Azzet reports on three stocks trading higher after updates today.
Collins Foods rallies on FY26 trading update
Shares in Collins Foods (ASX: CKF) were trading 8% higher by 1:45 pm AEST (3:45 am GMT) after the KFC and Taco Bell operator’s sneak peek into early FY26 trading gave the market a lot to smile about.
On the back of same-store KFC sales growth in all markets, the food operator told the market that during the first 18 weeks of FY26 it reported a 6.7% lift in total sales.
Management also reaffirmed FY26 guidance, targeting underlying net profit after tax growth in the low-to-mid teens on a percentage basis.
Management was also quick to remind the market today that improved restaurant execution, cost discipline, product innovation and easing input costs were contributing to margin expansion.
However, the market clearly didn’t read too much into a reminder by CEO Xavier Simonet that while sales momentum that began in the second half of FY25 still remains evident in the new year, comparatives would become more challenging.
“… our stronger performance reflects our enhanced focus on the customer experience, and on operating disciplines, supported by successful new product innovation,” said Simonet.
“Improved sales, lifting labour productivity, reducing food wastage, disciplined cost management and deflation in some commodities are all contributing to margin expansion.”
KFC sales across different markets over this period include:
- Australia's total sales up 5.1%.
- Netherlands' total sales up 4.8%
- Germany's total sales up 8.4%
- Australia same-store sales growth (SSSG) up 2.3%
- Netherlands SSSG up 1.2%
- Germany SSSG up 5.8%
Meanwhile, the company told the market that its new restaurant developments – including accelerated development of the German market - remain on track.
Chris Johnson will drive that development after being appointed as general manager Europe on a permanent basis.
While Wilsons Advisory remains attracted to Collins Foods’ overall investment thesis – especially the underlying strength of the KFC brand – it flagged near-term concern over consumer spending patterns and inflationary pressures on margins.
Today’s update follows what the company previously flagged as a transformative year in FY25, focused on the profitable expansion of KFC in Australia and Germany under the leadership of new CEO Simonet.
The company achieved a record revenue of over $1.5 billion despite challenging conditions, with strategic decisions including exiting the Taco Bell business and moderating development in the Netherlands to improve profitability.
The company declared a final dividend of 15.0 cents per share.
Collins Foods’ share price is up 38.5% since this time last year.
Collins Foods’ market cap is $1.2 billion; the share price is up 6.8% in one week.
The stock is in a strong bullish trend confirmed by multiple indicators.
Consensus is Moderate Buy.
IperionX moves higher on titanium update
IperionX (ASX: IPX), formerly Hyperion Metals Limited, popped 4% higher before retreating as the Regal Funds Management-backed titanium darling flagged plans to ramp up titanium output over the next 12 months.
The company is targeting a 60% rise to 200 metric tons per year by delivering the ‘largest scale and lowest unit-cost’ production facility at the company’s Virginia manufacturing campus in the U.S. without additional capital expenditure.
Backed by funding from the U.S. Department of Defence, IperionX plans to further expand its capacity to 1,400 metric tons per year by 2027, which positions the company as the largest and lowest-cost titanium powder producer in the U.S.
This expansion is expected to enable IperionX to progressively scale titanium manufacturing sales through 2026, with a positive earnings inflection point projected by year-end 2026.
The company also aims to lead globally in the production of high-performance titanium components by 2030.
Commenting on today’s update, CEO Anastasios Arima told the market that the company is engineering a step-change reduction in the cost of manufacturing titanium components and building a fully integrated U.S. titanium supply chain that can serve the defence, aerospace, automotive and consumer electronics customers.
The global titanium fastener market is US$4.3 billion annually, with the global stainless steel fastener market US$15.2 billion annually.
“Our technology and process improvements at our Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus have… laid the groundwork for a seven-fold scale-up in titanium production to 1,400 tpa in 2027,” Anastasios Arima said.
"In parallel, we’re rapidly scaling our powder metallurgy, HSPT forging and additive systems to manufacture high-performance American-made titanium components.”
Today’s market update follows revelations last week that the company had received US$12.5 million in new funding from the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) to accelerate the scale-up of titanium manufacturing capacity in the U.S.
This funding is part of its previously announced US$47.1 million award to strengthen the Defence Industrial Base.
In early June, IperionX shares rocketed 20% after the U.S.-based titanium company won a $153 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defence.
The contract means qualifying departmental agencies can place project-specific orders for IperionX’s titanium components and parts without needing to conduct a competitive tender process.
IperionX has a market cap of $2.3 billion; the share price is up 151% in one year and up 20% in the last month.
The stock appears to be in a strong bullish trend, confirmed by multiple indicators.
Consensus is Strong Buy.
By noon today the stock had lost all of its early morning gains and was trading even at $7.01.
Metallium rallies after winning US Defence contract
Shares in Metallium (ASX: MTM) were trading 7.1% higher after the mid-cap miner’s wholly-owned subsidiary in the U.S., Flash Metals Texas, was awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) through the Defence Logistics Agency (DLA).
While the initial contract is valued at $100,000 – to support a six-month program focused on applying Metallium's proprietary Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology to recover gallium from waste streams, including LED scrap – it’s expected to lead to follow-on contracts worth up to $100-plus million in Phase III.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Metallium's CEO, Michael Walshe, described the SBIR contract as a watershed contract with the U.S. Department of Defence which flags the company’s formal entry into the DoD system.
It also follows the proven SBIR pathway that has enabled other ASX companies to progress from Phase I to substantial multi-year, multi-million-dollar contracts.
“By demonstrating our technology for gallium recovery, we are building U.S.-based solutions that reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and directly support national security priorities,” he said.
It’s understood that the Pentagon's backing of Metallium's technology directly addresses the current Gallium supply chain, which is dominated by non-allied nations, creating significant national security risks.
As lightweight metal Gallium is essential for defence applications, semiconductors, and communications technology, but current supply is dominated by non-allied nations, creating national security risks.
Metallium’s project provides a domestic [U.S.] pathway for gallium recovery while also building infrastructure to recover additional high-value metals such as germanium.
For investors, several key factors make this development particularly noteworthy:
- Entry into the lucrative defense sector: The U.S. defence budget for critical materials continues to grow, with SBIR programs offering a pathway to substantial long-term contracts.
- Addressing a critical national security priority: Metallium Ltd gallium supply chain development has been identified as essential for both defense and civilian technology development.
- Clear pathway to commercialisation: The SBIR program provides a structured approach to moving from concept to commercial implementation with increasing funding at each stage.
- Established commercial infrastructure: With its Texas facility already secured, Metallium has the foundation in place to rapidly scale production following successful technology demonstration.
- Multiple potential revenue streams: Beyond gallium, the company's technology can target other high-value metals, diversifying potential income sources.
The six-month timeline for Phase I completion means investors can expect further updates on technology validation and potential Phase II applications in early 2026.
Today’s update follows revelations late August that Metallium’s major strategic advancement in rare earth element (REE) processing could significantly reduce western dependence on Chinese refining capacity.
The company's patented Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology has demonstrated breakthrough capabilities in upgrading REE feedstocks, with a new collaboration aimed at potentially bypassing traditional separation methods entirely.
Metallium's FJH technology enables developers to upgrade MREC by selectively removing contaminants and rejecting low-value REEs while enriching valuable magnet REEs.
This creates a new pathway for non-Chinese developers to monetise REEs without building their own separation plants or selling to China.
Metallium has a market cap of $486 million; the share price is up 1,294% in one year and up 205% year to date.
The stock appears to be in a long-term uptrend confirmed by multiple indicators.
Consensus does not cover this stock.
This article does not constitute financial or product advice. You should consider independent advice before making financial decisions.
