0500 GMT - Margins at Australia-listed defense-tech provider Droneshield are unlikely to be compressed by U.S. tariffs, according to its bull at Shaw & Partners. Analyst Abraham Akra tells clients in a note that price is not a primary driver in procurement decisions for Droneshield customers, who are focused on tech leadership and operational performance. As such, he reckons that Droneshield can pass on the 10% U.S. tariff on Australian imports to its end customers. Droneshield's latest contracts highlight the company's growing commercialization and earnings visibility, he adds. Shaw & Partners raises its target price 33% to A$1.20 and keeps a buy rating on the stock, which is up 11% at A$1.15. ([email protected])

0451 GMT - Droneshield's latest contract announcement gives the defense tech provider's bull at Bell Potter confidence that a lull in customer activity is ending. Analyst Daniel Laing writes in a note that activity appears to be increasing following a pause linked to last year's U.S. election. He points out that Droneshield's latest package of five standalone repeat contracts means it has at least A$84 million in contracted revenue for delivery in 2025, compared with A$57 million in 2024 revenue. He sees Droneshield benefiting from macro tailwinds, not least the Trump administration's prioritization of drones. Bell Potter keeps a buy rating on the stock and raises its target price 18% to A$1.30. Shares are up 11% at A$1.1475. ([email protected])

0443 GMT - Fast-food operator Collins Foods has several ways to pursue its exit from Taco Bell in Australia, Barrenjoey analyst Peter Marks writes in a note. Marks tells clients that management is considering transferring operations to U.S.-listed brand owner Yum Brands. He says the other options are to find another owner, close stores one by one, or shut the whole chain in a single move. He suggests that some stores could be converted to the KFC brand, which Collins also operates in Australia, but notes that many stores are too close to existing KFC outlets. Barrenjoey has a neutral rating and a A$9.00 target price on the stock, which is down 5.8% at A$8.165. ([email protected])

0412 GMT - Viva Energy's bulls at UBS think the fuel refiner and retailer has positioned itself to ensure sustained quarterly growth in convenience-store earnings. Reiterating their buy rating on the stock, UBS analysts point to the completed transition to new payroll and point-of-sale infrastructure, as well as what they call a series of formulaic value drivers. These relate to synergies and cost-savings from the acquisition of OTR Group and its filling stations. The prospect of weaker refining margins prompts them to lower their 2025 EPS forecast by 6%, but Viva's balance sheet remains strong. UBS lowers its target price 4.8% to A$2.95. Shares are up 1.3% at A$1.54. ([email protected])

0351 GMT - Biopharmaceutical company CSL and medical equipment firm Resmed have the best combination of attractive valuation and low tariff impact among Australian healthcare stocks, suggests Morgan Stanley equity analyst David L. Bailey. He estimates that CSL would need to raise prices by 1% and Resmed would need to raise prices by 2%-3% to offset the earnings impact from tariffs. But given their solid earnings per share growth, low earnings risk and valuation appeal, he says these companies are the "most favorably positioned" among peers. One word of caution--pharmaceuticals are currently excluded from reciprocal tariffs, but Trump has signaled he wants to put tariffs on that sector soon, which could impact CSL. ([email protected]; @Mike_Cherney)

0321 GMT - UBS trims another 10% off its 2026 price forecast for lithium-rich spodumene, now projecting an average of US$763 a metric ton for next year versus spot price of US$770. It also pares its long-term price forecast by 7% to US$1,300. The bank's Australian analysts say that while the beleaguered lithium market is probably past its nadir, the battery ingredient is headed for a gradual recovery. The analysts pare their stock-price target on lithium producer Pilbara Minerals to A$1.50 from A$2.00. They upgrade Pilbara Minerals to a neutral from sell but cite valuation grounds. Pilbara Minerals is down 1.8% at A$1.39. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

0316 GMT - Australian vehicle advertiser CAR Group keeps its bull at Jefferies despite its exposure to a potentially challenging U.S. consumer environment. Analyst Roger Samuel highlights CAR's resilience amid macro uncertainty, telling clients in a note that the business is the most diversified it has ever been. The U.S. recreational vehicle industry backdrop is challenging, but Samuel thinks it is highly unlikely that dealers there would turn off subscriptions to CAR's Trader Interactive platform. The platform's growth in media, trucks and boats should also help. Jefferies cuts the stock's target price by 9.2% to A$39.70 on a higher risk premium, but keeps a buy rating. Shares are down 1.5% at A$32.22. ([email protected])

0018 GMT - Greatland Gold, an LSE-listed Australian gold producer set to list on the ASX, looks attractive on many key metrics, Macquarie analysts reckon. They initiate coverage of the stock with an outperform rating and a GBP0.15/share target. Greatland Gold's recent acquisition of the Telfer mine in Western Australia "was transformative," say the analysts. "We now see an Australian gold-copper story with compelling near-term catalysts before the real prize, Havieron, is developed which could drive [long term free cash flow] yields of circa 17%," they say. Greatland Gold is targeting a cross-listing on the ASX in 4Q FY25. Its stock last traded at GBP0.138. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

0001 GMT - Bellevue Gold's downgrade of its FY25 guidance and withdrawal of its five-year outlook is disappointing, but its new, scaled-back mine plan appears "inherently less risky and more deliverable," Macquarie analysts say in a note. While questions will remain about delivery--which will be crucial to the miner regaining market trust--the company should generate cash at spot gold prices, "underpinning inherent value," the analysts say. Macquarie cuts the stock's target to A$1.20/share from A$1.90 and keeps an outperform rating. Bellevue Gold closed at A$1.145 on March 26, before trading in its shares was suspended. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

2225 GMT - Australia's S&P/ASX 200 is set to rise at the open after U.S. equities gained amid spreading optimism about the number of goods that the Trump administration could exempt from tariffs. ASX futures are up by 0.2% ahead of Tuesday's session, suggesting that the benchmark index will add to its week-opening 1.3% rise. That gain pulled the ASX 200 out of its tariff-driven correction, but the index remains 9.4% down from the peak it hit in February. Stocks exposed to U.S. import tariffs remain among the worst hit. The S&P 500 and the DJIA each rose 0.8% as President Trump said he was looking at pausing some tariffs to help car companies. The Nasdaq Composite increased 0.6%. ([email protected])

0530 GMT - Miners' quarterly operational results, due over the next few weeks, "have lost salience in the face of global risk-off and recessionary fears," Citi analysts say in a note. A roughly 30% selloff in stocks from year-to-date highs suggests that mining stocks are beginning to price in a tariff-induced shock to global growth, the analysts say. They don't expect upcoming quarterly results to give investors much reason for cheer. "We see the operational trends for Q1 25 to be soft, with copper and iron ore production likely declining sequentially but staying ahead of the last-year levels," they say. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires