Weekly Reports | 10:00 AM
Weekly update on stockbroker recommendation, target price, and earnings forecast changes.
By Mark Woodruff
Guide:
The FNArena database tabulates the views of eight major Australian and international stockbrokers: Citi, Bell Potter, Macquarie, Morgan Stanley, Morgans, Ord Minnett, Shaw and Partners and UBS.
For the purpose of broker rating correlation, Outperform and Overweight ratings are grouped as Buy, Neutral is grouped with Hold and Underperform and Underweight are grouped as Sell to provide a Buy/Hold/Sell (B/H/S) ratio.
Ratings, consensus target price and forecast earnings tables are published at the bottom of this report.
Summary
Period: Monday July 28 to Friday August 1, 2025
Total Upgrades: 5
Total Downgrades: 8
Net Ratings Breakdown: Buy 59.90%; Hold 32.00%; Sell 8.09%
For the week ended Friday, August 1, 2025, FNArena tracked five upgrades and eight downgrades for ASX-listed companies from brokers monitored daily.
DroneShield received upgrades to Buy from Hold via both Bell Potter and Shaw and Partners due to a stronger-than-expected cash flow performance in the first half of 2025.
Primarily driven by higher customer receipts and lower-than-anticipated inventory levels, operating cash outflow of -$4.4m compared to Bell Potter’s -$25.5m forecast and investing cash outflow of -$11.9m came in below the anticipated -$16.7m.
Management appears well placed to maintain its strong performance, with $176.3m in revenue already secured for delivery in 2025 as of July 22, around 90% of the broker’s full-year forecast of $195.4m.
Shaw now views the business as having passed a key inflection point, shifting from capex-heavy to cash generative, supported by scale, a light balance sheet, and clear revenue visibility.
The company held a cash balance of $192m as of 24 July, highlighted Bell Potter.
On the flipside, Whitehaven Coal received two downgrades to Hold (or equivalent) from Buy following its June quarterly operational result.
While the coal producer met run-of-mine (ROM) production and coal sales guidance, with Queensland ROM output exceeding expectations, Bell Potter downgraded its rating following a rally in the share price.
Citi downgraded for the same reason, noting June quarter production and costs were strong, with FY25 cost guidance of $139/t beating the $140–155/t guidance range, while saleable production of 7.76mt proved 9% above the broker’s estimate.
Last week’s average target price revisions were relatively balanced between upgrades and downgrades, as reflected in the tables below. In contrast, the magnitude of downward earnings forecast revisions significantly outweighed the extent of upgrades.
While Syrah Resources received the largest percentage upgrade to average target price, this was solely due to the reintroduction of Shaw into the FNArena database after a hiatus in research coverage by the broker.
The analysts updated their view following the company’s June quarter results. Production at Balama (natural flake graphite) in Mozambique resumed for the first time in over 12 months, with management seeking to capitalise on ex-China demand growth and supportive US trade policies.
These external factors are expected to underpin progress at the Vidalia downstream facility in Louisiana, which is focused on producing active anode material for lithium-ion batteries. This should help Syrah transition to consistent operating cash flow, suggested the broker.
Mineral Resources was next with a nearly 15% increase in average target after a strong operational performance in the fourth quarter, but not everyone is comfortable with the level of debt and the outlook for commodity prices as explained at https://fnarena.com/index.php/2025/08/01/execution-remains-key-for-mineral-resources/
Boss Energy received the largest percentage decrease in average target from brokers after FY26 guidance (issued as part of the June quarter update) raised doubts over the ability of its Honeymoon mine to reach nameplate capacity, clouding the outlook and raising valuation concerns.
Morgan Stanley suggested uncertainty will continue to weigh heavily on the stock price, given the absence of a clear timeline for when independent experts will begin or complete their review of Honeymoon. For further broker views see https://fnarena.com/index.php/2025/07/30/honeymoon-uncertainty-clouds-boss-outlook/
Healius saw its average target fall -12% following Citi’s target cut to 85c from $1.05. The broker applied more conservative margin assumptions despite modest expansion in collection centre numbers, up 1% since December and 2% year-on-year.
Flight Centre Travel and Champion Iron also appear in the list for negative change to average price target with falls of circa -10% and -8%, respectively.
Flight Centre downgraded FY25 underlying profit guidance by -9% at the midpoint, which reflects volatile trading conditions, according to Macquarie, as well as ongoing underperformance in Asia over the second half of FY25.
Unfortunately, the analyst at Morgans expects the first half of FY26 will remain challenging for the travel agent, with time needed for internal business initiatives to take effect and improve profitability.
For Champion Iron, here Citi attributed a weaker-than-expected first quarter FY26 result to elevated costs and lower recoveries.
The disappointment for Macquarie, which downgraded to Neutral from Outperform, was on the cost side, which was -10% worse than the broker's estimate and contributed to a -44% miss against the broker’s earnings forecast.
Wedged between Boss Energy and Champion Iron on the table for negative change to earnings are miners Pilbara Minerals, Paladin Energy, and Stanmore Resources.
The appearance of Pilbara Minerals in the table should be ignored due to the small forecast numbers involved which heightened the percentage move in forecasts.
Fourth quarter production and sales of lithium beat consensus by 16% and 12%, respectively, while costs were in line but realised prices missed by -4%, noted Macquarie.
Paladin Energy again managed to disappoint the market.
While Langer Heinrich delivered a strong June quarter operationally, with production up 33% quarter-on-quarter, well ahead of the consensus forecast, Ord Minnett noted this performance was overshadowed by a disappointing average realised U3O8 price, nearly -20% below both spot and consensus expectations.
Wet weather impacted Stanmore Resources’ fourth quarter results, with saleable coal production below Citi’s forecast by -7% and coal sales a -3% miss.
Nonetheless, Stanmore remains Ord Minnett's preferred exposure to leverage on metallurgical coal, which accounts for around 97% of the miner's revenue.
Turning to rises in average earnings forecasts, here Newmont Corp and Bubs Australia sit atop the week's table with respective 24% and 23% increases last week following better-than-expected June quarter results.
Newmont Corp announced "robust" quarterly gold production, according to Macquarie, which came in 6% above the consensus expectation. All-in-sustaining costs were also lower, resulting in better-than-forecast earnings and free cash flow.
Management reconfirmed 2025 guidance, which appeared conservative to the analyst at UBS. The miner also announced an additional US$3bn share buyback program.
For Bubs Australia, guidance for FY25 earnings of between $5.5–6.0m, which included a $3.6m settlement benefit, exceeded Shaw’s $2.5m forecast, with June quarter earnings of $4.3m marking a sharp year-on-year recovery.
Gross margin for FY25 came in at 47.2%, slightly below FY24 but above the broker’s FY26 forecast, despite ongoing uncertainty around US tariffs.
Bell Potter noted operating and net cash improved during the quarter, with the $17.4m balance for net cash comparing to $12.5m at the end of quarter three.
Appearing next on the earnings upgrade list are Lotus Resources, IGO Ltd, and Persius Mining.
Lotus has restarted its Kayelekera operation (first production due in the September quarter) in what has been a relatively smooth process compared to difficulties experienced by peers Boss Energy and Paladin Energy. Ord Minnett opined both peers reported "dismal" June quarter results.
IGO Ltd reported mixed fourth quarter results with a production miss offset by beats for sales and earnings, noted Macquarie.
While cash burn is declining, Citi still sees an IGO exit from the Kwinana downstream lithium processing joint venture in some shape or form as a key catalyst.
Perseus Mining ended FY25 strongly, in the assessment of UBS, producing 121koz in the June quarter, meeting the upper end of full-year guidance and outperforming the broker's cost expectations.
Investment manager Regal Partners also appears on the earnings upgrade table following a positive update ahead of interim results on August 25.
Regal experienced an increase in fee generating funds under management (FUM) during the June quarter and management now expects a normalised profit of at least $40m for FY25, exceeding the previous consensus forecast of $34.6m.
The increase in FUM came in 9% ahead of Ord Minnett’s forecast driven by strong gains in Regal’s long-short equity strategy, largely reflecting investment performance. Performance fees also rebounded.
Bell Potter stated shares of Regal are undervalued. For other broker views see https://fnarena.com/index.php/2025/07/29/regal-partners-recovers-performance-fee-mojo/
Total Buy ratings in the database comprise 59.90% of the total, versus 32.00% on Neutral/Hold, while Sell ratings account for the remaining 8.09%.
Upgrade
AERIS RESOURCES LIMITED ((AIS)) Upgrade to Speculative Buy from Hold by Ord Minnett .B/H/S: 3/0/0
Aeris Resources is upgraded to Speculative Buy from Hold by Ord Minnett, with a target set at 28c, up from 23c.
A recent site visit highlighted a new strategy by management to deliver value for shareholders via growth at Tritton, which is viewed by the analyst as a positive move.
Commentary suggests the proof will be in the operational realisation, with successful asset sales and a reduction in debt.
Management also provided FY26 guidance for copper equivalent production of 40-49kt, as well as higher capex of over -$49m, Ord Minnett forecasts.
The higher spend is likely to suppress cash flows in 1H26, with the delivery of the Murra open pit expected to contribute copper production in 2H26.
DRONESHIELD LIMITED ((DRO)) Upgrade to Buy from Hold by Bell Potter and Upgrade to Buy from Hold by Shaw and Partners .B/H/S: 2/0/0
The highlight of DroneShield's 2Q25 update was an improved cash flow, with operating cash outflow of -$4.4m significantly higher than Bell Potter's forecast, and investing cash flow also beating estimates.
The outcome was attributed to higher customer receipts and lower-than-expected inventory. Revenue in the 1H was largely in line with the broker's estimate.
The company's contracted revenue for FY25 is already at 90% of the broker's forecast, with sales pipeline at a robust $2.3bn.
No major changes to forecasts. Target unchanged at $3.80. Rating upgraded to Buy from Hold.
Shaw and Partners upgrades DroneShield to Buy from Hold, with the target price rising to $3.60 from $2, as the company's 4C update has offered confirmation to the analyst that it has crossed an important threshold towards generating free cash flow.
In the June quarter, the company's net operating cash came in at $13.4m, with liquidity around $204m and no debt. The analyst observes the cost base is growing due to baseline fixed opex rising to circa $8.5m per month, up from $6.5m in the prior quarter, with the scaling of employees and facilities.
Headcount now stands at 363, including 285 engineers, and manufacturing capacity is being scaled to $2.4bn annually from $0.5bn. DroneShield has a sales pipeline of $2.33bn across 284 live opportunities, notes the broker.
Shaw and Partners lifts its earnings estimates by 15% and 20% for FY25 and FY26, respectively.
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