Stockhead readers would be familiar with the site’s in-depth gold coverage, as prices hover above US$1,800/oz while the 2022 inflation outlook grows increasingly complex.

On that note, an easy segue: Australia has a struck gold at the Winter Olympics, where Jakara Anthony boosted down the slalom course to break a 12-year gold medal drought for an often drought-stricken country which usually does its best work at the summer version of the Games.

Outside of that, the Beijing Games have so far offered a fairly grim pallet of emerging stories.

A lack of quality food for athletes has been flagged by some competitors, while others have raised alarm bells over draconian COVID-19 measures — particularly for entrants that test positive.

Elsewhere, figure skater Zhu Yi represented China in the teams event, but took a tumble early on.

That prompted some angst on Chinese social media, some of it highlighting the fact Yi was actually born in the US.

But before resentment reached fever pitch, reports indicated that Chinese censors had stepped in.

This is going well. Apparently there is concern that it might even be too cold for athletes in China.

Back in Australia, local stocks have made a lukewarm start to the week as global markets navigate their way through increased volatility.

US stocks rose on Friday following a strong jobs report and a surge for tech giant Amazon, which upped the price of its Prime subscription.

On the ASX, few sectors stood out although this year’s best performer — the ASX 200 Energy index — continued to push higher amid the upward pressure on oil prices.

Despite Anthony’s best efforts, large cap ASX gold miners were lower while banking stocks also lagged.
 

ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for February 7 [intraday]:

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Code Company Price % Market Cap
WOO Wooboard Tech Ltd 0.0015 50.0% $3,822,163
LKO Lakes Blue Energy 0.002 33.3% $63,573,633
PLY Playside Studios 1.335 31.5% $146,453,558
CRM Carbon Minerals Ltd 0.4 29.0% $5,829,083
MRQ Mrg Metals Limited 0.014 27.3% $19,217,645
MAY Melbana Energy Ltd 0.047 27.0% $98,912,453
MLS Metals Australia 0.0025 25.0% $10,477,115
YPB YPB Group Ltd 0.0025 25.0% $12,235,667
AUQ Alara Resources Ltd 0.099 23.8% $56,434,339
NCL Netccentric Ltd 0.12 20.0% $28,301,166
PNX PNX Metals Limited 0.006 20.0% $18,260,968
ZMM Zimi Ltd 0.012 20.0% $9,799,194
CPM Coopermetalslimited 0.545 18.5% $12,429,200
BLZ Blaze Minerals Ltd 0.052 18.2% $15,730,005
LNY Laneway Res Ltd 0.0065 18.2% $25,553,060
BMR Ballymore Resources 0.2 17.6% $12,491,274
FFG Fatfish Group 0.055 17.0% $48,698,104
PVL Powerhouse Ven Ltd 0.11 17.0% $8,905,859
CT1 Constellation Tech 0.007 16.7% $8,827,202
DDD 3D Resources Limited 0.0035 16.7% $11,641,116
GES Genesis Resources 0.014 16.7% $9,394,096
CPV Clearvue Technologie 0.41 15.5% $75,167,822
LM8 Lunnonmetalslimited 0.895 15.5% $59,365,121
MRR Minrex Resources Ltd 0.075 15.4% $45,525,646
MAT Matsa Resources 0.061 15.1% $19,024,595
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Among stocks with news, game development company PlaySide Studios (ASX:PLY) led the pack, following a market update on what the company called its first Web 3.0 project.

Through its Dumb Ways to Die gaming franchise (acquired in September last year), PLY announced the early results from its BEANS NFT launch.

Following the launch last Friday, PLY said it had booked “$8.38m in net revenue after all third-party fees”.

As a possible indicator of investor interest in the metaverse and NFT, shares in the company ripped higher by around 30% in morning trade.

Leading the resources pack was market minnow Carbon Minerals (ASX:CRM), which operates a coal seam gas project in the Gunnedah Basin, NSW.

Shares in the ~$5m market cap company, which usually trades on low volumes, jumped by around 30% on no news.
 

ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks for February 7 [intraday]:

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

Code Company Price % Market Cap
VAN Vango Mining Ltd 0.037 -15.9% $55,437,256
LBY Laybuy Group Holding 0.15 -14.3% $44,593,360
T3D 333D Limited 0.003 -14.3% $9,814,649
FFC Farmaforce Ltd 0.043 -14.0% $6,534,049
AEE Aura Energy 0.295 -13.2% $143,835,718
AFW Applyflow Limited 0.0035 -12.5% $11,830,432
TIG Tigers Realm Coal 0.0175 -12.5% $261,334,047
GIB Gibb River Diamonds 0.065 -12.2% $15,651,699
PVS Pivotal Systems 0.55 -11.8% $80,147,921
DEX Duke Exploration 0.15 -11.8% $15,335,896
MM1 Midasmineralsltd 0.15 -11.8% $9,043,681
ASO Aston Minerals Ltd 0.16 -11.1% $171,755,537
HPR High Peak Royalties 0.04 -11.1% $9,403,038
R3D R3D Resources Ltd 0.12 -11.1% $10,907,953
AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.004 -11.1% $7,734,555
MCT Metalicity Limited 0.008 -11.1% $22,503,846
SIH Sihayo Gold Limited 0.008 -11.1% $33,169,153
AXI Axiom Properties 0.068 -10.5% $32,886,238
SPQ Superior Resources 0.043 -10.4% $75,964,836
AER Aeeris Ltd 0.135 -10.0% $10,737,579
MOB Mobilicom Ltd 0.045 -10.0% $16,096,836
AHN Athena Resources 0.009 -10.0% $8,129,676
MFG Magellan Fin Grp Ltd 16.74 -9.6% $3,437,547,704
TOR Torque Met 0.19 -9.5% $10,105,190
14D 1414 Degrees Limited 0.1 -9.1% $22,072,650
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