Daily Roundup

Netwealth Group is making a significant strategic move with its acquisition of Paradino, an AI-powered advice automation platform. The deal is valued at $20 million upfront, with an additional $9 million earn-out potential and a further $10 million investment planned over two years. Expected to wrap up by the end of October 2026, the acquisition aligns with Netwealth's Dx30 strategy to boost adviser productivity. The numbers are compelling—Paradino can save advisers over 9 hours per week, translating to a 38% efficiency gain equivalent to advising 46 additional clients and generating $213,000 in extra fees annually. With an adviser cost under $5,000 per year and a payback period of less than a month, the platform appears to be a no-brainer for financial services firms. Netwealth will maintain its existing guidance on a pre-acquisition basis, though Paradino is expected to post an EBITDA loss of around $3 million in FY27.

New Hope Corporation delivered mixed results for FY26, posting strong operational performance but facing headwinds on the financial side. The company ramped up saleable coal production to 11.5 million tonnes and coal sales to 11.8 million tonnes, both exceeding guidance. However, underlying EBITDA dropped 32.8% to $514.3 million, and net profit after tax plummeted 63.4% to $161 million, largely due to heightened costs and increased depreciation. Revenue from ordinary activities dipped just 0.5% to $1.77 billion. On the brighter side, New Hope maintained a strong balance sheet and declared a fully franked final dividend of 30 cents per share. The company also made solid strides on safety, achieving a 38.3% reduction in High Potential Event Frequency Rate.

Looking ahead, New Hope is banking on thermal coal prices remaining well-supported over the medium to long term, driven by supply shortfalls from ageing assets and underinvestment in new projects. The company's coal resources also got a boost, with Bengalla Mine's underground resources increasing to 100 million tonnes and New Acland Mine's resources climbing by 151 million tonnes, reflecting recent exploration success and updated geological models.

Evolution Mining is charting an ambitious growth trajectory across its portfolio. The company highlighted a high-margin asset base that's driving cash generation and shareholder value, backed by a strong balance sheet and disciplined capital allocation strategy. For FY27, Evolution is guiding for gold production of 660,000 to 730,000 ounces and copper production of 63,000 to 70,000 tonnes, with all-in sustaining costs between $1,795 and $1,995 per ounce.

The miner is pursuing multiple growth avenues. At Cowal, it's exploring options to unlock Tier 1 potential, while Northparkes is being positioned as a major copper growth platform. Ernest Henry is expected to deliver multi-decade value and near-term growth. Evolution also reported significant exploration success across its key assets, with high-grade gold and copper targets identified and a FY27 exploration budget of $130 to $160 million. The company plans to leverage existing infrastructure to maximize returns from these discoveries, with near-term projects underway to boost recovery and throughput. Evolution has paid 27 consecutive dividends and targets a sustainable dividend policy of 60% of annual Group cash flow.

Trek Metals is making a strategic entry into critical minerals with its option to acquire the Matrix Manganese Project in Arizona. The deal provides a low-cost, staged entry with a non-refundable option fee of $50,000 and an acquisition price of $150,000. Located in Mohave County, the Matrix Project sits in a manganese-mineralised province and could be developed as a low-impact in-situ recovery operation. For Trek, it's a capital-efficient way to tap into a 100% import-reliant US critical mineral district, with a 9-month exclusive option window to make the move.

Astral Resources is seeing depth potential at its Mandilla Gold Project in Western Australia. The company's Theia Deeps diamond drilling program has returned impressive assay results, including 22 metres at 2.73 grams per tonne gold and 49 metres at 1.23 grams per tonne gold. These results reinforce the potential to expand the existing 1.4 million ounce resource and will feed into an updated Mineral Resource Estimate expected in the March Quarter 2027. The drilling program is designed to determine the broader scale of the high-grade gold mineralisation at depth.