HotCopper Highlights returns for Week 36, reviewing the ASX stocks that generated the most discussion among investors on Australia's largest stock forum. The HotCopper podcast, available on Spotify, Apple and other platforms, offers in-depth discussion of the week's biggest headlines.

Liontown (ASX: LTR) continued to dominate forum attention in what was another significant week for the lithium producer. The company reported its FY26 results, with revenue reaching $639 million as its Kathleen Valley operation continued its transition to underground mining. Liontown then announced a second major move: a deal to earn up to 100 per cent of the Centenario lithium brine project in Argentina. The acquisition gives the company exposure beyond Kathleen Valley, and forum activity suggests investors are focused on what the additional lithium exposure could mean for Liontown's longer-term growth story. The move into Argentina places Liontown among the growing roster of ASX-listed lithium developers active in the country's Salta-province brine region, and gives the company a second asset class of lithium production — brine — alongside its hard-rock mining at Kathleen Valley.

Nanoveu (ASX: NVU) was also in sharp focus. The company announced that a US patent had been granted for its object detection technology, following a busy run of announcements including a US$300,000 pilot order for its EyeFly3D technology. The patent news quickly became a centre of attention on HotCopper, generating thousands of views and ongoing discussion about the technology's commercial potential. For a small-cap technology company, granted US intellectual property protection is often watched closely by investors as an indicator of defensibility as technologies are taken toward commercialisation.

Zip Co (ASX: ZIP) had a particularly lively week on the forum. Its FY26 results remain the main talking point, with the company reporting record earnings and strong growth across its US business. Investors have since been tracking changes in substantial holdings and a new US funding facility. Discussion on HotCopper has been split between bulls pointing to Zip's earnings growth and valuation, and a more cautious camp questioning the share price after its sharp recent moves. The new US funding facility sits alongside Zip's push into instalment lending in the American market, where it competes with larger buy-now-pay-later players.

Among the most discussed stocks, Kaoko Metals (ASX: KAO) saw a surge in activity. The company released results from the first holes of its maiden drilling program at the Chalkos project in Namibia, with visual copper mineralisation reported in the initial holes. The announcement thread quickly attracted thousands of views, alongside fresh threads on the drilling results and the company's broader copper story. Namibia has drawn growing exploration interest as a copper frontier, and maiden drill programs are typically the first substantive test of a project's prospectivity. For those following KAO, attention now centres on what the ongoing drilling program can demonstrate as it progresses, with visual mineralisation generally subject to confirmation by laboratory assays.

Power Minerals (ASX: PNN) is another stock being watched closely. The company has been drilling at its Santa Anna project in Brazil, where recent results extended broad, high-grade rare earth mineralisation. Power Minerals subsequently entered a trading halt this week, adding a further layer of anticipation around the stock. Rare earths have attracted heightened exploration activity globally amid demand tied to magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines.

Finally, Manuka Resources (ASX: MKR) restarted gold production last month and strengthened its management team this week before entering a trading halt on September 3. The halt has become the dominant topic on the forum, with investors speculating about what could be behind the pending announcement while also monitoring the company's return to production. Under ASX rules, trading halts are typically limited to two trading days pending a material announcement. For now, the trading halt stands as the key catalyst, with the market awaiting the next announcement.

Readers can follow trending discussions on HotCopper, Australia's largest stock forum.

The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult a certified financial adviser before making any investment decisions.