Arafura Rare Earths (ARU) is progressing its flagship Nolans NdPr Project in the Northern Territory — a fully integrated mine-to-separation operation targeting strategic electrification supply chains. With formal government backing, advanced engineering progress, and off-take partnerships in motion, ARU is positioning itself as a critical rare-earth supplier to global EV and wind OEMs.
European Lithium is positioning itself as a future supplier of battery-grade lithium to Europe, with the Wolfsberg Project in Austria advancing through permitting, engineering, and early-stage financing activities.
Lithium prices are rising again, which tends to lift investor interest in ASX-listed producers. Thanks to growing demand for batteries (EVs, energy storage) and tightening supply, analysts suggest the recent price upswing, roughly 20–25% month-on-month, may mark a turning point. In that context, some ASX companies with solid operations and cash flow stand out as offering relatively better risk-adjusted opportunities. Still, it’s not a guaranteed path: lithium remains a volatile commodity, and gains now reflect renewed optimism rather than long-term certainty.
Investigator Silver (ASX: IVR), formerly known as Investigator Resources, is moving through one of the most strategically important phases in its history. The company is advancing the Paris Silver Project, Australia’s highest-grade undeveloped primary silver deposit, while simultaneously delivering exploration wins across its 100%-owned Peterlumbo tenement and progressing copper-gold targets at Uno Morgans.
Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX: SRL) is advancing one of the Western world’s most strategically significant battery-materials developments: the Sunrise Nickel-Cobalt-Scandium Project in NSW, a globally large, long-life, ESG-aligned source of critical minerals essential for EVs, aerospace alloys, defence technologies and high-performance fuel cells. Backed by strong balance sheet discipline, rising government engagement, escalating Western supply-security policies, and material advancement across strategic partnerships during 2025, Sunrise enters 2026 with a profile we view as deeply undervalued relative to its strategic optionality.
Zinc prices are edging higher as physical markets tighten, supported by steady demand from steel, infrastructure and renewable energy projects alongside shrinking exchange inventories, particularly on the LME. With supply growth limited and visibility low, declining stocks are increasing concerns around future availability, which can underpin higher prices. For ASX investors, this environment favours zinc-exposed producers, developers and explorers, as well as diversified miners with meaningful base-metal exposure, all of which stand to benefit from improving project economics and margins as zinc’s outlook strengthens.
