Latest Asx Small Caps News

Astron Limited (ASX:ATR) says its Donald rare earths and mineral sands project is construction-ready, with a $759 million Phase 1 pre-tax NPV and first production targeted for 2028. The unresolved question is whether debt financing can convert the project’s strong study economics into a final investment decision.

Medallion Metals has shifted from project preparation to execution, with Ravensthorpe fully permitted, Forrestania acquired and Cosmic Boy refurbishment underway. The transition is funded by cash, equity and a US$50 million Trafigura facility, but production delivery and rehabilitation liabilities remain substantial tests.

Talonx Resources Limited (ASX:TXR) is positioning its portfolio around two distinct exploration propositions: a near-term maiden resource pathway at Viking’s Beaker 2 prospect and district-scale copper potential at Kihabe in Botswana. The September investor presentation largely repackages previously reported results, rather than announcing a new discovery or resource upgrade.

Reach Resources has increased the Blue Heaven resource by 30% to 80,000 ounces while advancing a proposed profit-sharing mining arrangement with Andel Resources. The progress came alongside a sharply larger FY2026 loss and a balance sheet still dependent on future project execution.

DeSoto Resources has assembled about 1,300 square kilometres of gold tenure in Guinea’s Siguiri Basin, but the expansion came with a A$15.0 million FY2026 loss and a A$6.35 million write-off of Northern Territory exploration assets. The company enters FY2027 with drilling, geophysics and tenure renewals still to convert its large portfolio into a defined resource.

Avira Resources is remobilising its RC rig to resume a 4,500-metre drilling program at Mt Cattlin, with first-pass holes planned at the historically high-grade Sirdar and Ellendale prospects. The next phase follows strong results from Maori Queen and Plantagenet, but the key test will be whether historical grades translate into repeatable mineralisation under Avira’s drilling.

Five of nine diamond holes at Minrex's Barje deposit have returned the widest and highest-grade intersections drilled there, challenging the historical model of a low-grade central corridor. The results arrive ahead of a maiden JORC resource estimate planned for next quarter.

Advance Metals has recorded its strongest silver assay yet at the Gavilanes Project in Mexico, with drilling also returning the project’s highest-grade zinc-lead interval. The mineralised system remains open at depth and to the southwest, while metallurgical work and further drilling target a maiden JORC resource in the December quarter of 2026.

Anax Metals has moved its Whim Creek copper-zinc project closer to a targeted investment decision, backed by strong feasibility economics and new drilling. But the annual report makes clear that development still depends on securing further funding, with the auditor warning of a material uncertainty over going concern.

Platina Resources has reshaped itself around a 312 square kilometre gold portfolio in Western Australia’s Laverton district, backed by $8.61 million in cash. The FY2026 annual report shows stronger exploration momentum, but the company remains loss-making and dependent on turning targets into discoveries.

Fortuna Metals has reported a sharply expanded exploration base at its Mkanda rutile and graphite project in Malawi, alongside a narrower FY2026 loss and A$8.6 million of post-year-end funding. The resource remains early-stage and inferred, but the scale and product quality have moved the project into a more consequential development phase.

AusQuest has materially expanded its Cangallo copper-gold discovery in Peru, but the exploration push came with a larger loss, a sharp rise in cash outflows and an auditor warning that further funding is likely within 12 months. The company ended FY2026 with $6.35 million in cash after a $10 million placement.