Shares in Inghams Group (ASX:ING) fell almost 5% after making a biosecurity update and locking down its farms in Western Australia.The Aussie poultry producer made the update following the detection of the H5N1 bird flu strain in two wild birds in Western Australia.

While there have been no cases detected in commercial poultry, including Inghams` operations, the company has boosted biosecurity measures and restricted non-essential access across its WA facilities.

The spread of bird flu can create risks for poultry producers, potentially impacting supply chains, production levels and operating costs. Although Inghams continues to supply the market as normal, investors will be watching closely for any signs the outbreak could spread beyond wild birds.

Highlighting how biosecurity threats can quickly become a key risk for food producers, even before any direct impact on operations occurs.

#birdflu #food #stocks #fintok #flu

Infant formula giant A2 Milk Company (ASX:A2M) is planning to pay shareholders a $300 million special dividend following an approval from a Chinese regulator.

Late last year, a2 bought a factory in New Zealand but to make its formula there for the Chinese market, it needed a permit from China`s regulator, known as SAMR.

That permit just came through, so A2 Milk can now make its highest-margin product, China-label baby formula, in its own factory, with full control of the supply chain.

One regulatory approval has flipped A2 Milk’s factory from a cost into a potential $300 million cash cow for shareholders.

#china #milk #stocks #money #fintok

The US government just got involved in the takeover of an Australian mining company and the reason cuts to the heart of a global power struggle.

Australian Strategic Materials (ASX:ASM), owns two things the world suddenly wants, a rare-earths project in Dubbo and a plant in Korea that turns rare earths into the magnets used inside smartphones, EVs, robots, weapons and medical devices.

Energy Fuels (NYSE:UUUU, TSX:EFR) is buying ASM to build the biggest rare-earth supply chain outside of China, which dominates and controls the market. Now the US government`s investment arm has stepped in with funding to help get it done. The dirt in Dubbo just became a piece on the global chessboard.

#mining #finance #fintok #china #US

BCAL Diagnostics (ASX:BDX) has developed BREASTEST Monitor, a new blood test designed to help evaluate women for local breast cancer recurrence following treatment, addressing a significant unmet need in post-treatment breast cancer care.

🩸 New blood test for recurrence monitoring: BREASTEST Monitor is being developed as a simple, non-invasive blood test to help rule out local breast cancer recurrence in women who have previously undergone treatment, potentially reducing reliance on imaging alone.
🎯 Promising early clinical results: In preliminary findings involving women aged 50 years and older, BREASTEST Monitor correctly identified 20 of 23 confirmed local recurrence cases, delivering 91% sensitivity and a 95% negative predictive value.
📈 Large market opportunity: Breast cancer recurrence can occur in up to 15% of patients following treatment, while more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States and over 200,000 in Australia require ongoing surveillance and monitoring.

“BREASTEST Monitor is an important clinical development milestone for BCAL and extends our blood-based diagnostics platform into one of the most significant areas of unmet need in breast cancer care. The team will now work through the validation processes to advance the test.” - Anne-Louise Arnett, Chief Executive Officer

Starpharma (ASX:SPL, US OTC:SPHRY:SPL) is an innovative biotechnology company advancing dendrimer technology to improve patient outcomes in areas including oncology. Alongside its scientific innovation, Starpharma is operating in a sector defined by long development cycles, evolving data, changing priorities and high expectations. In that environment, leadership, culture and team resilience are critical to translating science into outcomes. Starpharma Chief Executive Officer Cheryl Maley joins Lel Smits from The Stock Network to discuss what she has learned about leading science-led businesses through change, building diverse and high-performing teams, and supporting future-ready STEMM talent.

🧬 Leading in science-led businesses: Equity and impact
💊 Big pharma leadership lessons and what small biotech teaches you faster
🚀 Leading a company through transformation

As ETFs continue to grow in popularity among retail investors, understanding how ETFs actually trade and function has become increasingly important. While ETFs trade on the ASX like ordinary shares, many investors still misunderstand key concepts such as liquidity, pricing, spreads and the role of market makers. In this ETF Education Spotlight with @womeninetfs, The Stock Network’s @lelsmits is joined by @theleungway, Portfolio Manager at @globalxetfsau and Women in ETFs APAC Co-Head, to unpack how ETF trading mechanics work in practice, common misconceptions around ETF liquidity, and what everyday investors should understand before buying and selling ETFs.

📊 Understanding ETF trading
🌊 ETF liquidity explained
🤝 The role of market makers
🚀 Understanding spreads and pricing
🛒 ETF trading during volatile markets

Streamplay Studio (ASX:SP8) announced that its subsidiary Noodlecake Studios has entered into a publishing and development support agreement with game developer Sequence Break for a new premium title operating under the working title “Project DS”. The project is currently in development for PC and console platforms and will feature original gameplay systems.

🎮 Premium publishing partnership secured: Noodlecake Studios will provide milestone-based development and publishing support for Project DS, a new single-player and cooperative game targeting PC and console platforms, with a vertical slice milestone planned for calendar 2026 ahead of a broader commercial rollout targeted for 2027.
🚀 Building on previous success: The partnership expands Noodlecake Studios’ premium publishing portfolio and follows the companies’ previous collaboration on Soundfall, which achieved more than 200,000 lifetime installs across PC and console platforms and generated over A$2 million in gross platform revenue.
🤝 Expanding long-term publishing opportunities: Under the agreement, Noodlecake Studios will support development, platform strategy, marketing and commercial publishing activities, with Streamplay Studio expected to recoup its development investment before transitioning to performance-based revenue participation linked to the game`s commercial success.

“This agreement is another significant step in Streamplay’s expansion into premium PC and console publishing” — Bert Mondello, Chairman of Streamplay Studio

The new Chair of the US Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, is shaking up markets and frustrating President Donald Trump only three weeks after Trump hand-picked Warsh for the top job.

Warsh had argued for cutting rates, which is what the President wants, but this week Warsh ran his first meeting, held rates steady and signaled they may go up. The Fed’s own projections also jumped, with officials now expecting rates to end the year higher.

The market got the message instantly, with stocks falling and bond yields spiking. Inflation just hit a three-year high and Warsh said the Fed is going to fix it, but, Trump promised cheaper money and while the man he chose just hinted at the opposite, even a President doesn`t get to choose what the data says.

#trump #money #stocks #economy #fintok